‘Oh my God! Jo, I think the Old Bill are raiding your house.’
‘What! Stop winding me up.’
‘I’m not, I swear. There’s three police cars outside yours, and the front door is wide open. I’m parking up and coming inside with you.’
‘But say Vinny realizes we haven’t been up town?’
‘By the looks of it, Vinny is going to have far more explaining to do than you, Jo.’
Joanna could barely breathe as she ran towards the house. As far as she knew, Vinny did not keep anything incriminating inside. ‘What’s going on? Where’s Vinny and Molly?’ she asked the two policemen who were standing guard outside her front door.
‘Are you Joanna Preston?’ one of the officers asked.
‘Yes. What’s going on? I live in this house,’ Joanna said, her voice quivering with panic.
‘Come inside then, love. Is this your friend?’
‘Nancy is sort of my sister-in-law. Please tell me what’s happening?’
The police officer led Joanna and Nancy inside. ‘The mother’s here, boss,’ he informed a colleague.
Joanna looked past the policemen and saw Vinny. Registering the pain etched on his face, she cried, ‘Where’s Molly? What’s happened?’
Vinny stood up, walked over to Joanna and wept as he put his arms around her. ‘I don’t know, Jo. Molly’s gone missing.’
Pummelling her fists against her partner’s chest, Joanna let out a deafening scream. ‘How? When? Not my angel! Not my beautiful angel! I want my baby. I want my Molly,’ she cried, sinking to her knees.
Feeling sick to the stomach, Nancy glared at Vinny before kneeling to comfort her pal. ‘Molly will be OK, Jo. The police will find her. That’s their job. She’ll be fine. I know she will.’
Back at the club, Michael hugged his mum and then his aunt. ‘Please tell me they’ve found Molly,’ Queenie begged.
‘No, they haven’t yet. But the dog section are currently out searching for her. She can’t have gone far, Mum. Let me get you both a drink. I could do with one myself.’
Queenie and Vivian sat down at a nearby table. Vivian turned her chair so her back was facing the stage. That was where her Lenny had spent so many hours DJ-ing and she could not bear to be reminded of her loss.
Michael poured three brandies, then sat down between his mother and aunt. There was still a police presence inside and outside the club, but most of the officers had departed to join the search to find Molly.
‘Where’s Vinny?’ Queenie asked.
‘At his house. The police wanted to search it.’
‘Is Jo with him?’ Vivian enquired.
‘Not as far as I know. I don’t even think Jo is aware Molly is missing yet. Her and Nancy went out for the day.’
‘Oh that poor girl, what a shock she’s in for when she gets home. What exactly happened? The police said something about the main door being left open,’ Queenie said.
Michael sighed. ‘Vinny was at home with Molly, but there was a flood in the cellar, so he had to bring her to the club with him. He was in the cellar when Molly went missing. Little Vinny was meant to be looking after her, but the fucking idiot fell asleep. The main door was wide open, so Molly either toddled outside or some bastard came in and snatched her.’
‘Well, funny you should say that. The police questioned me and your mum. They asked if anybody has a grudge against Vinny, so we gave them Johnny Preston’s name. I wouldn’t put anything past that bastard after what he did to poor Roy,’ Vivian told her nephew.
Michael shrugged. ‘I can’t see it being Johnny. Not only would his parole be revoked if he got caught, but I can’t believe he’d put his daughter through all that trauma.’
Looking around to make sure the Old Bill weren’t within earshot, Queenie leaned towards her son. ‘What about, Ahmed? He must have an axe to grind after everything that has happened?’ she whispered.
‘Mum, it has to be some sick bastard to snatch a child. Let’s just hope that Molly is playing hide and seek in someone’s back garden, eh? Are there still loads of people outside?’
‘Looked to be about forty or fifty. The police were telling them to go home. I saw that old bat Mad Freda stood amongst them. I bet she’s loving this latest drama,’ Queenie spat.
Michael looked at his mother and shook his head. As much as he loved her, she had some strange ways at times. ‘I doubt anybody is going to be happy that a beautiful three-year-old girl has gone missing, Mum. Look, I’m sick of sitting here speculating. I’m gonna pop around Vinny’s to see if he’s OK. I think you should come too, but don’t be coming out with any more of your theories, please. Bren needs to be told an’ all.’
Unable to stop herself, Queenie broke down in tears once again. The thought of her precious granddaughter alone out there in this vicious world was tearing her heart to shreds. ‘I’ll ring your sister later. Can’t be dealing with her dramatics right now. She’ll be more of a hindrance than a help. How could Little Vinny have fallen asleep, eh? Poor Molly could be anywhere. Might even have been picked up by one of them child molesters. There’s loads living round here, you know. Big Stan said one flashed his dingle-dangle at his grandson in the public toilets last week.’
Michael put an arm around his mother and kissed her on the forehead. ‘Look, I know you’re upset, we all are. But as a family, we need to stay positive. Molly’s only been missing a couple of hours. I’m going round Vin’s. You coming with me?’
Queenie nodded. ‘You coming too, Viv?’
Vivian clasped her sister’s hand. Whatever she thought of Vinny had to be put to one side for now. Queenie had been her rock ever since Lenny had died and now it was her turn to be there for her sister. ‘Of course I’m coming with ya.’
Back at Vinny’s house, a hysterical Joanna flew at Little Vinny as he sauntered into the lounge. ‘How could you not look after Molly properly? How could you fall asleep and leave my baby all alone?’ she shrieked, slapping the lad around the head.
Vinny leapt up and grabbed hold of Joanna. He knew she must have been drinking quite heavily earlier as he had smelt it on her breath, and she had since had a couple of large brandies. ‘Leave it, babe. I’ll deal with him later. Nancy, can you take Jo upstairs and calm her down, please? And do not pour her any more drinks. She obviously had enough when she was out with you.’
Little Vinny put his hands over his face and crouched down. ‘I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to doze off, but I haven’t been sleeping well ’cause I kept thinking of Shazza.’
Vinny looked at the officer who was stood in the hallway. ‘You don’t need to speak to him any more at the moment, do you?’ he asked, pointing at his distressed son.
‘No, Mr Butler.’
Vinny took a twenty-pound note out of his pocket and handed it to his offspring. ‘Go and visit your mates, or Shazza, or whoever you want. Just make yourself scarce.’
‘But I need to know if my little sister’s OK. I feel terrible,’ Little Vinny wept.
Vinny marched his son into the kitchen. ‘Look, I know you never meant to fall asleep, but the fact is you did, boy, and now Molly is missing because of that. Just take the money and get out of the house for a bit, please. I need to calm Jo down and that ain’t gonna happen while you’re here.’
Snatching the money out of his father’s hand, a distraught-looking Little Vinny bolted out of the front door.
Over in Ilford, Christopher Walker was just preparing to leave the station when his pager bleeped. The message read: WILL CALL YOU TOMORROW TO ARRANGE A MEET. IF YOU MESS ME AROUND AGAIN, YOU WILL REGRET IT.
Pent up with frustration, Christopher slammed the pager against his desk. This shitty situation he found himself in was affecting his whole life, and the quicker he arrested Vinny Butler and got Ahmed off his case, the fucking better.
Ahmed Zane walked into Vinny’s lounge and gave the man he had once trusted a brotherly hug. ‘I have only just heard. I am so sorry, my friend. Try to think positive, though. Molly is a survivor just like her dad.’
Unable to stop himself, Vinny flew into a rage. ‘But she’s only fucking three! It petrifies me to think of her out there all alone. Say she wandered outside the club and some fucking paedo grabbed hold of her, eh? I swear to God, I would kill for that child. If I find out one finger has been laid on her, I will find the cunt responsible and rip their fucking heart out with my bare hands.’
Seeing the Old Bill exchanging awkward glances, Ahmed led Vinny out into the kitchen. ‘Where is Jo?’ he asked.
‘Upstairs with Nancy. She’s in pieces, we all are. I blame myself, I really do. If only I hadn’t left Molly alone with Little Vinny, none of this would have happened.’
Ahmed felt a sudden urge to laugh, but quickly composed himself. ‘You cannot blame yourself. Your son is not six, he is fourteen years old and should be more than capable of keeping an eye on his sister. I used to look after my younger siblings back in Turkey while my mamma went out to work, and I was much younger than him. Where is Little Vinny, by the way?’
‘I fucked him off out of it. I can’t even bear to look at him, truth be known. I will never be able to forgive him if any harm has come to Molly, I know I won’t.’
When Vinny suddenly broke down in tears, Ahmed played the good friend and offered him a geezer-type hug. He had a smirk on his face as he did so though. This was after all the cunt who had left him for dead.
As darkness beckoned and the rain became even more torrential, Vinny was informed that the CID had been called in to help solve Molly’s disappearance. The dog section had found no trace of the child in nearby properties, gardens, garages and sheds, so bringing in CID was the next step, the officer explained.
Vinny sat on the step in the garden and lit up a cigarette. His daughter’s toys were scattered across the grass, and the thought of Molly never playing with them again made Vinny want to spew his guts up.
Ahmed had just popped out to a phonebox to cancel tonight’s business deal. The ten kilos of cocaine they had been due to pick up off Richie Simpson was the least of Vinny’s worries now. Perhaps God was paying him back for dealing in poxy drugs? Vinny stared up at the darkening sky and made a bargain with the big man above. ‘Please help me find my daughter. I’m sorry I have done some bad things in my time, but please don’t take it out on that little girl. I’ll never do another wrong thing in all my living days, if you help me find Molly, I promise.’
The unmistakable sound of his mother’s voice snapped Vinny out of his trance. He really needed his mum right now, and he had known deep in his heart that she would be there for him.
Queenie had just put the kettle on to make the police officers a cup of tea when Vinny walked into the kitchen. Clocking the look of despair in her first-born’s eyes, Queenie did what any mother would do and hugged him to her chest. ‘We’ve just been talking to all the locals who’ve turned up at the club. Honest, Vin, you should see the crowd that’s congregated outside, there must be well over two hundred of them. And now it’s getting dark, they’re sorting out torches for everyone so they can join in the search for Molly. You must keep your chin up, because I am sure with so many people looking, she will soon be found, boy.’
‘I hope so, Mum, I really do. Thanks for coming round, and you, Auntie Viv.’
When Vivian did not reply, Michael spoke instead. ‘Are Jo and Nancy not back yet?’ he asked his brother.
‘They’re both upstairs.’
When Michael dashed up the stairs, Vivian followed him. As much as she adored Molly and prayed that the child would be found safe and sound, no way could she look at or offer comfort to Vinny. After what that heartless bastard had put her through, why the hell should she?
Having an astute eye for a pretty young woman, Ahmed smiled at the blonde who was patiently waiting to use the phone. He had spent the past five minutes discussing recent events and having a good old laugh with his cousin, but now it was time to end the call: ‘Look, I have to go. Somebody is waiting to use the phone. I will try to call you again later, but if I can’t, it will be tomorrow. We don’t want to arouse suspicion, do we?’
Burak chuckled. ‘Good luck playing the concerned friend.’
Ahmed smirked. ‘I really should have been an actor, you know.’
The blonde smiled as Ahmed told her he had another call to make, but would allow her to use the phone first. ‘Would you keep an eye on my pushchair for me, please? I’m taking my daughter in the phonebox with me. Some little girl has gone missing around here today and I’m not letting my Sophie out of my sight.’
Birds loved a sob story, so Ahmed explained how it was his friend’s daughter who had gone missing and how upset he was.
‘Oh my God! That’s awful. My boyfriend comes out of prison next week, and I can’t wait. There’s so much crime around here lately, I don’t feel safe walking the streets with Sophie on my own any more. My John would never allow anything bad to happen to us.’
Realizing the dumb tart was obviously loved up and he had no chance of shagging her, Ahmed urged her to hurry up and make her call.
Five minutes later, he made his second phonecall. ‘It’s me. Things have not gone to plan, so we have to cancel this evening. My cousin will be with you in the next hour to pick the stuff up.’
‘What about my dosh? You are still paying me this weekend, aren’t you?’
‘No can do, unfortunately. You know the score. The balance of what you are owed will be paid in full once the job is finished,’ Ahmed replied.
‘But you said that I would be paid in full by Saturday at the latest. You promised. I’ve already booked my ticket to Spain next week.’
‘Well, I’m afraid I can’t pay you. Not my fault there has been a hitch,’ Ahmed explained.
Carl Thompson aka Richie Simpson slammed down the phone in disgust. He was not a happy man. In fact, he was fucking livid.
Back at Vinny’s house, Vivian and Nancy were doing their best to comfort Joanna. The poor girl could not stop shaking, was crying constantly, and rocking to and fro with a teddy bear that belonged to Molly clutched tightly to her chest.
‘Why did I leave her? If I hadn’t left Molly today, she’d be here with me now. It’s all my fault. I want her back. I want my baby,’ Joanna screamed.