‘That’s no excuse, Mum. Whatever the boy said does not condone violence. I cannot tell you how disappointed in Daniel I am, and will give him what for when Dad brings him back from the park. I’ll have to drag Michael up the school with me tomorrow to apologize and sort this out.’
‘To be honest, love, it might be best if you take Daniel home or back to Jo’s house with you today. I can’t look after him all day every day next week. Your dad needs my help in the café.’
Nancy nodded.
‘Freda Smart popped around earlier. She gave me a new phone number for Dean. He’s heard about Molly, and is desperate to speak with you. I said you would give him a call. I really don’t think Freda should have given that story to the newspaper though. As I said to your dad, she certainly knows how to stir up a hornets’ nest.’
‘What story?’
‘The one in today’s paper. See for yourself – I thought Michael would have already told you,’ Mary said, handing her daughter the
News of the World
.
‘I haven’t spoken to Michael today. Oh my God!’ Nancy exclaimed, putting her hand over her mouth as she spotted the headline on page seven: MISSING GIRL’S FATHER IS NOTORIOUS GANGLAND FIGURE.
Unaware that Nancy was currently reading Freda’s interview, Michael was sitting next to his brother doing the same. He was relieved that he, Nancy and the boys were not mentioned. If they had been, he knew his wife would have hit the roof.
The bulk of the interview was Freda slagging off Vinny and insinuating Molly’s disappearance was payback for one of his past sins. She described Vinny as a menace and said that most of the locals were terrified of him. She also mentioned that Roy had been shot in a gangland hit, and there had been another fatal shooting at Vinny’s nightclub last year.
Freda then took a pop at Queenie and Vivian, before speaking about her own family:
My son Terry mysteriously disappeared many years ago after an altercation with Vinny Butler, so it does not need a genius to work out what happened there. I knew not long after Terry first went missing that he was no longer with us. A mother just knows these things. I wish the police would re-open the case as a murder investigation and try to find my boy’s remains. At least if I could give him some kind of a funeral, it would bring me comfort in the latter years of my life
As for my grandson, Dean, I rue the day he ever got involved with Vinny’s sister, Brenda. He was forced into a shotgun wedding, and unable to suffer any more unhappiness, had to leave the area in a hurry. I’ve had no contact with Dean since, but I am glad he escaped that family. He would have ended up dead like his father had he stayed around Whitechapel.
Vinny threw the newspaper towards his mother. ‘Today’s news is tomorrow’s chip wrapping. Seeing as I have never spent even one poxy day in prison, I really don’t see how these papers get away with printing such tripe. Especially as it came from the mouth of that mad old bat.’
‘How could she call me and Viv materialistic women who encouraged you to take up a life of crime, eh? I have never been so insulted! Your Auntie Viv isn’t best pleased either. Why don’t you hire a good lawyer and sue the bastards?’ Queenie asked.
‘Not worth it, Mum. The press are very careful the way they word such articles and every single insult and insinuation has come from Freda’s mouth, not theirs. Fuck her and fuck them. I’ve got far bigger things to worry about than what that nutty old cow has said.’
‘Well, I am bastard-well livid and I’m going round her house in a minute to have it out with her.’
‘No, you are not, Mum. Don’t rise to the bait. If you march round there kicking off, she’ll probably do another interview. I don’t believe for one minute that Freda hasn’t heard from Dean since he left Bren. One day the truth will come out – and when it does, I’ll be waiting in the wings. Dean can pay for his and his grandmother’s sins.’
Feeling increasingly uncomfortable around Vinny, Albie stared at his suitcase rather than look at him. It was obvious what he meant by saying Dean would pay and it sent shivers down Albie’s spine. He had thankfully not been spoken about in Freda’s interview, but he’d had to smile wryly when he heard what she had said about Queenie and Vivian. It was so very apt.
Vinny leapt up and grabbed the phone on the first ring. ‘Hello.’
‘It’s me. Your pal is back on the streets. His alibi stood up.’
Little Vinny was sitting in Ben Bloggs’ bedroom drinking cider and chain-smoking. ‘Come on, Ben. Let’s go out somewhere. It’s boring sitting in here. My dad gave me a score, so I’ve got enough money to get us more booze.’
‘I still don’t feel too well, Vin. I’ve had that stomach bug for days now, and I keep spewing up.’
Ben had his own bed, but shared his bedroom with four of his younger siblings who all slept on a big filthy mattress on the floor. The room stank of urine and sick and even though Little Vinny had got used to the smell over the years, he still felt grubby every time he left Ben’s house. He put a comforting arm around his pal’s shoulders. ‘Fresh air will do you the world of good, so will getting bladdered with me. Why don’t we jump on a train and travel up and down the District Line, eh? We might even find ourselves some tasty birds?’
‘Not today, Vin. I really don’t feel up to it.’
‘You been watching the news? The police have issued some photofit of a lad that they think snatched Molly.’
‘No. I’ve not seen the news. What does the lad look like?’
‘Tall, with dark-hair and green eyes. I think he’s a Mod because of his hairstyle, and the Old Bill reckons he’s between seventeen and twenty. He was sat opposite the club on the day Molly went missing.’
‘Really? I wonder who that is?’
Little Vinny shrugged. ‘And I’ve got some other gossip, but you must promise me you will never tell a soul.’
‘What?’
‘You know when Lenny died in that car crash?’
Ben nodded.
‘Well, it wasn’t Ahmed that killed him, it was my dad.’
‘No way! How do you know that?’
‘Ahmed told me. He thought I already knew. He’s OK is Ahmed. Fancy my dad letting him take the blame for something he didn’t do. That isn’t what pals are all about, is it? I would never do shit like that to you.’
When his spaced-out smackhead of a mother barged into the room demanding some drink and cigarettes, Ben grabbed Little Vinny’s arm. ‘Come on. I feel better now. Let’s go out.’
The boy cut the article out with delicate care and put it inside the LP cover where he had hidden all the others. He had never bought or read so many newspapers in his life as he had over the past few days.
Debating whether to ring the Old Bill again tomorrow, the boy decided against it. Now that the search for Molly was all over the news and front pages, they might even have a go at tracing his next call. He’d already pushed his luck by tormenting the Old Bill, and the last thing he wanted was to get himself in trouble again. His nan would kill him if he brought the police to her front door.
Thinking of the interview that woman had given about Vinny, the boy put his hands behind his head, laid back on his bed and smirked. Apart from his hair, which he had since had the brains to get cut, that photofit bore no resemblance to him whatsoever. So tomorrow, he would pay another little visit to Whitechapel, just for the fun of it. There was nothing quite like experiencing the excitement of Molly’s disappearance in the flesh.
Micky Dunn hobbled towards the front door. He had seen it was Bobby through the curtains. ‘Fucking hell! What happened?’ Bobby asked. His pal had a black eye and was clutching at his ribs as though he were in terrible pain.
‘Your mouth running away with you, then Vinny Butler paying me a visit, that’s what happened. You can’t come in, Bob. My Paula is furious that the Old Bill hauled me in, then I was the one to get a hiding from Butler. She’s only popped round the shops, and will go apeshit if she sees you here.’
‘I’m sorry, mate. How about we go for a beer? I’ll pay – we don’t have to go in the Beggar.’
‘No way. I can barely move, thanks to you. Honestly, Bob, if you’ve got any sense you will make yourself scarce until the police find out who took Molly. Vinny was not a happy man, and I had to tell him the conversation we had because he threatened to slit my throat if I didn’t. I told him that you were pissed and that I knew you were innocent, but he is one violent bastard. Look at the back of my head.’
Bobby saw the dried blood and suddenly felt alarmed for his own safety. Perhaps he should shoot over to Dagenham and stay with his pal until the dust settled?
‘Look, I’m sorry again, Mick. I’ll do as you say and make myself scarce, then bell you in a day or two.’
Michael Butler was none too pleased when Nancy turned up at the club with Daniel in tow and started shouting at him like some nutjob in front of Vinny and Ahmed.
‘When I say I need to speak to you urgently, Michael, I do not expect to wait hours – especially not when it involves our son.’
‘All right, Nance, calm down. You said Daniel had had a fight, not a bloody heart attack. Let’s talk upstairs,’ an embarrassed Michael muttered, grabbing his wife by the arm.
Nancy did her best to stay calm as she recounted the incident at the school. She knew that it was a storm in a teacup compared to what had happened to Molly, but that didn’t stop her worrying about her son.
Aware that Daniel was staring at him with doleful eyes, Michael ordered his son to sit next to him. ‘What did the boy say about Molly, son?’
‘Billy said that Molly was dead, and he said his dad said it was because our family were bad people,’ Daniel told his father.
‘Oh, did he now? Do you know what Billy’s dad does for a living, boy?’
‘Yeah. He’s a policeman like Uncle Christopher.’
‘Well, in that case you had every right to clump him, Daniel, and if he ever says anything similar, then you clump him again. Now, dry them eyes. You’ve done nothing wrong whatsoever.’
‘Nothing wrong! Nothing bloody wrong! He smashed a lad’s head against the railings, Michael, and the boy was taken to hospital. I cannot believe this Billy’s dad is a policeman. Christopher and my dad will go mad if they find that out. As for you encouraging our son to be violent, I’m disgusted.’
‘Son, go in the bedroom while me and your mum have a little chat.’
When Daniel left the room, Michael shut the door then turned to Nancy. ‘Our son has done sod all wrong. What that Billy said was fucking despicable, and Daniel had every right to stick up for his cousin and family. I bet that Billy’s father is nothing more than some low-ranking PC out of Barking nick. You mark my words, there’ll be no comeback. How can there be when a man of the law has said shit like that in front of his young son, eh?’
‘I can’t believe I am hearing you speak this way, Michael. Have you been drinking?’
‘No, I have not been drinking, Nancy. Have you? Only you seem to have forgotten Molly is missing, you’re so busy fussing about our son getting into a little scrap at school.’
‘How dare you! I’ve been devastated over Molly – I have spent every single day since comforting Jo.’
‘Well, do yourself a favour and go and comfort her again now. Daniel can stay here with me tonight.’
‘I don’t think so. I’m not going to have you, Vinny and that Turk telling him he’s done well for beating up a copper’s son.’
‘Nance, I really don’t need this shit at the moment. I will go to the school tomorrow and speak with Daniel’s headmistress, OK? I am sure once she hears what was said, all will be fine. If not I’ll tell her where she can shove her fucking school. I would never encourage our sons to be violent without a decent reason. However, in this instance, I think Daniel had every right to stick up for Molly and his family, and I’m proud of him for doing so. Them boys are Butlers at the end of the day, whether you like it or not.’
‘Well, that’s great parenting, that is. Really can’t wait until our sons reach their teenage years now. Probably end up with bullets in their heads like Roy did.’
‘You’re talking absolute bollocks now, Nance, so please fuck off before I really lose my temper.’
Nancy shook her head in disgust. ‘My brother is right, you know. He’s always said there’s no hope for our sons. Once a Butler, always a Butler.’
Michael’s eyes glinted dangerously. ‘You knew exactly what I and my family were all about long before we ever got together, Nance. So don’t go blaming me if our sons don’t turn out to be the church-going namby-pambies you seem to desire. Blame your fucking self, sweetheart. Nobody forced you to marry me and have my kids, did they, Mrs Butler?’
As Michael’s hard-hitting but truthful words stung her, Nancy burst into tears and ran from the room.
As darkness fell, a devastated Vinny opened up a bottle of Scotch. He had really thought today would be the day when the police got that all-important breakthrough, but even though Smithers had popped in earlier with an update, the Old Bill still seemed no nearer to finding his daughter.
Having just tucked his son into bed, Michael sat down opposite Vinny. ‘What did Smithers have to say, bruv?’
‘Smithers said tomorrow they’ll widen their search to all areas that surround the park. Not looking promising, is it? I think Molly’s dead now, I really do. I was hoping somebody had taken her to blackmail me, but if that were the case they’d have contacted me or the filth by now. I can’t bear the thought of never seeing her or holding her in my arms again, Michael. I loved her so fucking much. I just hope she didn’t suffer too much.’
Michael held his distraught brother in his arms. He wanted to offer some words of comfort, but this was no time for bullshit. Molly had been missing for over seventy hours and the chances of finding her alive were looking bleaker by the second.
Deborah Preston was awoken by her daughter’s terrified screams. ‘What is it, love? You had another nightmare?’
Joanna sat up, her face deathly white. ‘I dreamt the police knocked on the door and told me they had found Molly’s body. It was awful and so real. I just want my baby back. I miss her so much.’