Authors: June Francis
‘I bought a new pair of boots. I’ve been breaking them in the last few days.’
Her eyes dropped to his brown boots and she turned the plant round between her hands, wondering how long it would take him to walk to Scotland. She wanted to offer him the money for the train fare but guessed his pride would result in a refusal. ‘Have you time for a cup of tea?’
He followed her in and she placed the hyacinth on the kitchen table where its strong scent mingled with the smell of fried bacon and eggs. As she fiddled with cups and things there was a silence which she did not know how to break. She wanted to ask him not to go, but of course he was doing the right thing if he intended seeing his grandfather.
They sat at the table across from each other, drinking tea and eating buttered bread. She cleared her throat. ‘If he wants you to stay in Scotland, will you?’
‘I haven’t thought about it. I’ll have the whole journey to consider what to say and what he might demand.’
‘You think he’ll make demands?’
He raised his eyes and looked into her face. ‘If he gives me money he will. That’s his way, but he’s not going to last for ever. And then …’ His voice trailed off.
And then what?
she thought. Would he come back to Liverpool? The city was a good place to study medicine. She remembered Dr Galloway from Rodney Street telling her that it had been the first place in the country to have a Medical Officer of Health – a Dr Duncan who had been a Scot. He had shocked the unsuspecting of Liverpool and the nation in the 1840s with his revelations of sickness and death in the working-class slums of the city. ‘Is it very important to you to be a doctor?’ she asked.
‘It was, but I’d almost stopped wanting it. Perhaps I’ve seen enough of suffering in my time?’ His greenish-brown eyes were opaque. ‘But there’s always research if I could make the grade. Although I don’t know if I could cope with studying at my age.’
‘How old are you?’
‘Thirty-nine.’
Too old to begin all over again?
thought Kitty with relief but she said, ‘Doesn’t it depend on how much you want it?’
He smiled. ‘You’re right. And I won’t know that until I know whether it’s possible or not.’ He leaned across the table and brushed his lips against hers. ‘You’re good, Kitty. Thanks.’ He got to his feet and hoisted his rucksack onto his shoulder, gazing down at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes. ‘Don’t come to the door. I’ll see you when I see you.’
She nodded, refilled her cup with a hand that quivered slightly and did not watch as he walked out of the kitchen.
‘You’ll keep the room for me a couple more days then, Mrs Ryan?’ said the tall thin man with a bloodhound expression. He was a commercial traveller selling such things as Ritz cigarette papers to the small tobacconists and newsagents that abounded in Liverpool.
‘You’re one of my regulars, Mr Smith,’ said Kitty, smiling and wishing he would go about his business. She had a headache and Ben had been especially naughty that morning, pestering the guests at breakfast with the ventriloquist dummy. There was the washing still to peg out on the line before she could go shopping, but she could not hurry Mr Smith because she needed the business and it was a while before she was able to escape.
It was a fine drying day with a stiff breeze and a sun which was playing peek-a-boo with the scurrying clouds. Kitty hoped it was shining on the big fella wherever he was, although she could have done with him here. The back door was sticking with the damp and was starting to get on her nerves. She would have to advertise for an odd-job man.
It was late afternoon before Kitty thought again about Mick’s notice, which she had placed in the front window. The bell in reception rang and she left the apple pies she was making to answer it. A man with fair hair which stuck up like the bristles of a yard brush, and whose good looks were spoilt by a broken nose, was standing in the lobby. He didn’t have any baggage so she decided he must be an odd-job man. ‘You’ve come about my notice. I hope you’re good at unsticking doors?’ she said with a smile.
‘Don’t know nothin’ about any notice, missus.’ He glanced about him and squared broad shoulders. ‘As for doors they ain’t in my line of business.’
‘Then what do you want?’ He really didn’t look like a salesman, she thought.
He fixed pale blue eyes on her face. ‘You’s a friend of the big Scottie?’
The question took her by surprise. ‘Why do you ask?’
He moved the tobacco he was chewing to the other side of his mouth. ‘Haven’t seen him around for a couple of days.’
‘Mr McLeod’s left Liverpool that’s why,’ she informed him helpfully, thinking that maybe the man was the son of a soldier friend of John’s.
His reaction to her words were not what she expected. He spat out some tobacco juice, which annoyed her, and said, ‘Wharrit is – is I’ve come to offer yer me protection.’
‘I beg your pardon! And don’t spit in here,’ she said crossly, reaching for a duster she kept handy in a drawer of the chiffonier.
‘I’ve bin watchin’ this place,’ he said, swaying backwards and forwards on his heels with his hands in his pockets. ‘Yer a woman on yer own so yer needs looking after. Get me drift?’
‘No,’ she said bluntly, as she wiped the spittle away. ‘And I’d like it if you left now.’
He sighed heavily. ‘Let me put this another way. I told Jimmy boy I’d look after yer.’
‘Jimmy boy?’
‘Jimmy Ryan. He’s yer brother-in-law, ain’t he?’
‘Yes, but …’ She could not make this out. What had Jimmy to do with this man? ‘How d’you know Jimmy?’
‘I’ve worked with him.’
‘You mean you really are an odd-job man after all and Jimmy sent you?’
‘I’m no ’andy man I told yer! But Jimmy has been worried about yer.’
‘You do surprise me,’ she said, squeezing the duster into a ball and placing it in her pinny pocket for washing. ‘I didn’t think he’d be giving us a second thought now he’s gone off with that woman.’
‘Well, yer wrong. He has been thinking of yer and I’m here to look after yus.’
‘I don’t need anyone to look after me thanks all the same,’ she said firmly, not thinking much of Jimmy’s choice. ‘You can tell him we’re managing perfectly well without him. Ta-ra!’ She moved past him to open the vestibule door but he was after her in a rush and shoved his backside against it.
‘Let’s forget about Jimmy,’ he snapped. ‘And listen to me. I’m here as I said to offer yer protection and that costs money.’
‘Dammit!’ said Kitty, getting angrier by the minute. ‘Are you deaf or something? I need an odd-job man
not
a bodyguard. We seldom have trouble here except for the odd drunk on St Paddy’s night and New Year. Now get out!’
‘Yer don’t get me, do yer?’ He thrust his face close to hers. ‘I could cause yous a lot of trouble. Yer’ve got a nice place here. Yer don’t want it spoilt, do yer?’
Kitty’s head jerked back, recoiling from his odious breath. She could not believe this was happening. ‘Are you threatening me?’
‘Yer’ve got it in one.’ He grabbed a handful of her pinny, pinching her breast as he did so and bringing tears to her eyes as he dragged her against him. ‘That big Scottie lost me me job and Jimmy boy’s wormed his way into the boss’s good books. Now I’m short of dough and I need some fast. Five quid that’s all I’m asking.’
‘Five quid! You’re joking,’ she said through gritted teeth. ‘Now let me go or I’ll have the law on you.’
‘Don’t make me laugh!’ His eyes were hard as pebbles. ‘They’ll have to catch me first and you won’t be looking so good then.’
‘You’re so tough when it comes to threatening women,’ she sneered, scared but unable to take his words lying down. ‘If the big fella was here he’d have your guts for garters and so would Jimmy.’
The man shook her. ‘Jimmy said you were a bloody stubborn bitch,’ he yelled. ‘Well, I’ve tried being nice so now we’ll try the other way.’ He produced a knife seemingly from thin air and flicked it open, scratching her cheek with it before pressing it against her throat and saying, ‘Where’s yer handbag, luv?’
Kitty knew then she had no choice but to give him money. She wanted him out of the way before the boys or any guests arrived on the scene. She did not want her children hurt and, besides, having his sort around was not good for business. ‘In the kitchen! And don’t call me luv,’ she said defiantly.
He grinned. ‘I thought yer’d be sensible if I tickled yer with this.’ He brandished the knife, loosened his hold about her neck and pushed her so she went flying up the lobby.
Kitty landed on the floor but managed to save her face from scraping the carpet, although one of her knees received a terrible jolt. He made to drag her to her feet but she avoided his hand and limped into the kitchen, thrusting her hands into the large pocket of her pinny, thinking to protect her face with its folds if he threatened her with the knife again. The fingers of one hand curled on the duster in its depths.
‘Well, where is it?’ he demanded, seizing her shoulder.
‘In the dresser cupboard.’ Now she was in the kitchen she remembered the rolling pin on the table but he was in the way of her reaching it.
‘Get it.’ He pushed her in that direction.
Kitty took out her handbag but as she went to hand it over to him, she pulled out the duster and flicked it in his face. He started back with a curse, blinking his eyes. She made for the table but never reached it because he seized her from behind and flung her on the floor. Kitty tried to get up but all the breath had been knocked out of her and she slumped down again.
Ben approached the area steps with a hop, skip and a jump as he tried to avoid the cracks in the pavement. Then he saw Teddy down in the area. ‘Ma, didn’t come to meet me,’ he said.
‘She was probably busy or maybe she had to go out. Come in this way.’ Teddy pushed open the door to the basement and was greeted by the lovely smell of newly ironed cotton. Annie was singing, ‘It was on a Friday morning when I beheld me dar—’ She stopped ironing. ‘Hello you two. How was school?’
Teddy wondered why it was that grown-ups always had to ask you about school. Sometimes it was as if nothing else existed outside school when you were young. ‘OK! Has Ma been baking?’
‘She’s up there now slaving away,’ said Annie, placing the iron on the hearth.
‘I think I’ll go up,’ said Teddy.
‘Me too,’ said Ben. ‘I’m starving.’
‘I’ll be up in a minute,’ said Annie.
‘Race you, Teddy,’ challenged Ben.
‘You’ve no chance,’ said his brother, taking the indoor steps two at a time and racing along the passage leading to the kitchen, aware that Ben was coming up behind him fast.
Teddy opened the door and froze in surprise. Then he recovered himself and yelled at the man rummaging through his mother’s handbag whilst she struggled to get up from the floor. The man shoved a banknote in his pocket and dropped the handbag, lunging towards Teddy, who felt something hit him in the back which sent him colliding into the man. They both fell to the floor and Ben, who had butted Teddy, only just managed to stop himself from falling on top of them. He ran towards his mother and saw her remove a clasp knife from the table and place it in her pocket.
Teddy struggled to his feet as Annie entered. ‘What’s going on?’ Her eyes went from one face to another in bewilderment.
‘
He
was going through Ma’s handbag!’ said Teddy, moving towards Kitty, his finger pointing at the man struggling to his feet.
‘He’s a thief and a coward,’ said Kitty in a trembling voice. ‘He attacked me and cut me with a knife.’ Her hand strayed to the blood on her cheek.
‘You big fat bully!’ shouted Ben, resting his sandy head against Kitty’s stomach and glaring at his mother’s assailant.
A look of intense dislike kindled in the man’s eyes. ‘You little whippersnapper! I could break you in half!’
Kitty’s arms went protectively about her sons. ‘Don’t you dare threaten my children. Get out of here and don’t ever come back.’
‘I’ll be back, girl,’ he said, clenching his fist and shaking it at her, causing the boys to press closer to her. ‘And it’ll be yer windows if you don’t give me the rest of the loot.’
Annie reached for the rolling pin on the table and wacked it against the wooden surface. ‘You just get out, me fine boyo, or it’ll be the worst for you!’
The man’s eyes shifted from Kitty to Annie and he said menacingly, ‘I’ll remember you.’ And he turned and left the kitchen.
‘Phew!’ said Annie, her shoulders sagging as she plonked herself on a chair.
Kitty sat down too but only for a moment. She hurried out of the kitchen and was just in time to see the man going out of the front door. She took the snib off and closed it. ‘The guests’ll have to ring,’ she said to Annie and the boys who had followed her out.
Annie nodded. ‘Who was he? How did he come to be here?’
She hesitated, not wanting to mention Jimmy in front of her cousin. ‘He was once Myrtle Drury’s bully boy and seems to have been following Mr McLeod around. He said the big fella lost him his job.’
‘But what’s that got to do with us?’ said Annie.
Kitty shrugged. What indeed! She realised she should never have told him that John had left Liverpool but it was too late now to recall her words.
‘What are we going to do?’ said Teddy, his fists clenching and unclenching. ‘He might keep his word and come back. Are you going to get the police?’
‘I’ll have to think.’ Kitty ran a hand over her hair, feeling all to pieces now the man had gone. ‘We don’t know where he lives to report him to the police and the last thing I want is them hanging round here waiting for him to come back. The guests won’t like it and it could damage our reputation.’
‘I wonder what the big fella did to lose him his job,’ said Annie, who was looking a bit pale now.
‘Let’s get Little John,’ said Ben, squeezing Kitty’s hand tightly. ‘He’ll give that man two black eyes.’
Teddy frowned. ‘We’d be better getting the police.’
‘I don’t know what to suggest,’ said Annie, biting her lip. ‘Although I agree with yer mam we don’t want the police hanging round here.’
‘But you heard what that bloke said,’ yelled Teddy. ‘He’ll be back!’