Authors: Maureen Reynolds
As she tried to stand up, he hit her again and pulled her across the floor by the neck of her new jumper. ‘I don’t know why I ever married you, when I think of the lovely women that I could have had instead of you.’
This riled her. ‘Lovely women? You? Your own mother threw you out because she couldn’t stand you. You pathetic wee man.’
Anger exploded in him and he began to punch her over and over again, finally stopping when he had to rush to the sink to be sick. Alice made it out of the house and banged on Maisie’s door. Maisie had been in bed but when she saw her neighbour, she rushed her inside. Alice’s new jumper was streaked with blood and her face, arms and legs were covered in bruises. She also had a deep cut at the corner of her mouth, which was the cause of all the blood.
Maisie was furious. ‘I’ll have to phone for the doctor, Alice love.’
Alice was mortified. ‘No, don’t do that. What will he think?’
Maisie was adamant. ‘Stay here and I’ll lock the door behind me so he can’t get in. I’ll phone from the box at the corner of the street and I won’t be long.’
Alice sat down wearily in the fireside chair and began to cry. As Maisie hurried downstairs, she heard the sound of furniture being smashed in Alice’s house and shook her head in anger. As it turned out, the doctor sent an ambulance because of the injuries Maisie described on the phone and Alice was taken away to the infirmary with Maisie in tow.
It was midnight when Maisie got back home. All was quiet next door. Alice had a couple of stitches in her mouth wound but thankfully no bones were broken. The bruises looked awful but they would disappear in time. However, she was being kept overnight for observation. She had tried to tell the doctor she fell down the stairs but he knew better. Before she left, Alice had grabbed Maisie’s hand and said, ‘What will I do about my job tomorrow, Maisie? I really need the money and what if Molly tells me not to come back?’
‘Just you get better, Alice, and don’t worry about anything. I’ll explain everything to Molly. Everything will turn out all right. Now I’ll come to see you tomorrow and if you get home, then you’re staying with me. I think you should get the police on to him.’
Alice was weary. ‘The police don’t do anything when it’s a domestic row.’
Sadly, Maisie had to agree with her but what was her future? Living with that sadistic thug? Oh, she knew how he’d got his nickname and why he hated it. When he was at school, he had to wear a large pair of bathing trunks, as they were the only ones he owned. When he went swimming at the pool, every time he got out of the water, he always showed his backside, much to his pals’ mirth and the attendant’s annoyance. After that, he started wearing a belt with the trunks, which solved the problem, but the nickname remained.
The next morning, when Maisie left for work, Alice’s house was still in darkness. When she arrived at the agency, Molly and the rest of the staff were appalled at what had happened. ‘Alice is scared about losing her job as she really needs her own money.’
Jean, who was normally a mild-mannered woman said, ‘What a pity she didn’t hit him with the frying pan.’
Molly was left with a whole day’s work and no cover but she said, ‘Maisie, can you and Deanna manage do some of Alice’s work as well as your own?’
Maisie said yes and Deanna also agreed. ‘I’ve no rehearsals this week so I can work really late if that’s a help to you.’
Edna and Mary were out on their assignments, so Molly said she would do the first two jobs of the morning and Jean would phone around to see if some of the clients were willing to reshuffle their times. Actually, Molly was pleased to have a break from her job as private investigator, but she hoped Alice would soon get better. She knew most marriages were happy but she was also aware how much domestic abuse went on, often unnoticed by the world.
Maisie went to collect Alice after tea and when they arrived back home, the house was still in darkness. The door was unlocked but there was no sign of Victor. Alice started to cry when she saw the devastation of smashed furniture and ripped curtains. ‘Nip down to the house factors tomorrow, Alice, and get the house changed to your name, and change the locks so he can’t get back in. If he comes back, call the police.’
‘I don’t need to change the tenancy, Maisie. The house is in my name. I got it before we were married.’
Maisie was amazed. ‘That wee thug has certainly been pushing his luck. You could have thrown him out at any time.’
Alice was worried. ‘Do you think I brought all this on myself?’
‘No, you didn’t. I’m afraid Victor has always been a bully with the knack of hitting other women. But, like the bully he is, he hates it when someone gets the better of him. You mark my words, someone got the better of him last night. That’s what all this is about. Now, I want you to stay with me for a few days to get everything sorted out and to deal with him when he comes back.’
But he didn’t come back that night or the next. Much to Alice’s relief he stayed away and she was grateful for that. At the end of the week, there was still no sign of him. Deanna came to see her with her case of cosmetics and showed Alice how to disguise her facial bruises with foundation and face powder. ‘That will let you get back to work, Alice.’ She added, ‘With a small plaster over your stitches, you’ll look fine and with your overall on and your stockings, no one will see the bruises on your arms and legs.
On the Friday night, Sandy, one of Victor’s mates, came round to the house. The room was almost empty of furniture, as Maisie had taken all the broken stuff down to the bins. The bed was the only item left virtually untouched and Alice had borrowed a table and chair from neighbours. Everyone had been so kind.
‘We heard what happened, Alice, and we wanted to say how sorry we are for all this.’ His hand swept around the room. ‘I always thought Buffo was an idiot, but to treat a good looking wife like that is terrible.’ He looked quite embarrassed as he handed her an envelope. ‘The rest of the lads and me had a whip round and we want you to have this, to help with whatever you need.’
Alice was so touched by this act of kindness that she had tears in her eyes. ‘Oh Sandy, there’s no need to do this. I’ve still got my job and I’ll get by, but Victor better not come near me or this house or I’m going to the police.’
‘Don’t worry – I don’t think you’ll see him again. There’s a rumour going around that he’s joining the army and that’s the best place for him. At least his enemies will give as good as they get. Now take this wee gesture from us and use it for yourself.’
‘Okay, I will. Thank you.’
After he left, Alice opened the envelope and found four pound notes inside. She was so overcome that she burst into tears, then she remembered how Sandy had called her a good looking woman and she smiled.
Maggie Flynn was in the town to buy new shoes. She had passed the agency on her way to Birrell’s shoe shop and had hesitated. She would love to work in the agency when she left school and Miss McQueen had been helpful, but she wasn’t confident enough to go in.
As luck would have it, on her way back to catch the bus, she met Molly going into the office. ‘Maggie, how are you?’
‘Good – I’m back at school next Monday. I’ve been off with a bad dose of tonsillitis but I’m better now.’
Molly was pleased there was a genuine reason for her absence at school. It wasn’t right for a young person to miss their education. ‘Come in and have a look around.’
Maggie almost leapt through the door. ‘As I said, Miss McQueen, I would love a job here when I leave school next year.’
Molly said warily, ‘I did mention it all depends on your school exam results, Maggie.’
‘I’ve brought them with me,’ she said, pulling a brown envelope from her handbag. ‘These are my last three report cards.’
Molly was amused by the way she had nonchalantly produced them and guessed Maggie had been debating about coming in to see her. Taking the cards from the envelope, Molly sat down and studied them, fully expecting them to be mediocre, but she was astounded too see that Maggie’s marks were very high, except in science, a subject she had barely passed in, but her attendance at school was also very good. This dose of tonsillitis was genuine.
Maggie pointed this out. ‘I’m hopeless at science. I just can’t get my head around all those Bunsen burners and chemical things.’
Molly laughed. ‘You won’t need any Bunsen burners here, Maggie. Your marks are excellent, so I’ll expect to see you nearer the time when you leave school and we’ll discuss a job here.’ Maggie was pleased and glad she had seen Molly. ‘How is your mother?’
Maggie shrugged. ‘She’s fine. I just wish she would give up smoking. She’s always worse when that horrible Miss Price comes around. Dad calls her “Vincent”, after that spooky film star in
The House of Wax
.’
‘Is that your ex-neighbour?’
Maggie’s lip curled in disdain. ‘She’s not an ex-neighbour. Mum just says that because she’s scared stiff of her. She used to be mum’s teacher at school and she is always spouting on about hellfire and damnation. No wonder mum smokes like a chimney when she visits, because she knows Miss Price hates it. She calls it a sin but it doesn’t stop her visiting us.’
‘So why does she come round so often?’
Maggie laughed with such pleasure that Molly had to join in. ‘Mum say it’s because she fancies my dad and always has.’ Maggie could barely contain her glee. ‘Imagine anybody fancying an old man like Dad.’
By Molly’s reckoning, if Frances was the same age as Etta, then she would be about forty years old and her husband maybe a year or two older. He was hardly an old man and maybe not too young for Miss Price if she had been a very young teacher back in the late twenties.
Molly suddenly thought of something. ‘Have you ever heard of anyone called Pedro?’ Maggie frowned with concentration.
‘Pedro? Now I’ve heard that name somewhere but I can’t remember where I heard it.’
Molly said, ‘Would it have been someone your mother mentioned?’
‘It could have been but I can’t remember. I think I only heard it the once. I’ll tell you what, I’ll think hard about it when I go home and can I come and see you if I remember?’
‘Oh yes, please, Maggie. It’s very important.’
Maggie looked pleased at maybe having some important information and she promised she would do her best to try and recall where she had heard it. Molly was glad it was Saturday. Some of the cleaning jobs had been hard, especially the one with the unruly children. One of them had thrown a plate of toast and beans at her. It had landed in an orange mess all over the floor but Molly had made the child pick it up and place the debris in the kitchen bin. Then she had a word with the mother, saying if this was a common occurrence then the cleaning rate would have to be increased. Molly wasn’t going to have Alice treated like this and, if she started work on Monday, she would ask her to tell her how often this happened.
Before she climbed the stairs to the flat, she was delighted to see Marigold coming through the door, wearing her cream waterproof coat and black leather gloves. She was also carrying a basket with three jars of jam, a home-baked cake and some mail. ‘I’ve just come for a short visit, Molly,’ she said, handing over the letters and postcards. ‘These are from your parents and I hope you like my homemade jam.’
‘Marigold, it’s great to see you.’ Molly missed her neighbour but she had been so busy these last few weeks with Etta’s case. Marigold cut the cake into portions while Molly put the kettle on for tea. The room felt cold because it had been empty all day but the electric fire soon warmed it up. Molly quickly read through the mail and was delighted to get three photographs of Nell, Terry and wee Molly, plus one of her parents standing in Nell’s backyard with the sun beating down. Her parents were both in short-sleeved shirts and shorts. Marigold laughed at Archie’s knees. ‘It’s a good job he’s not competing in Butlin’s holiday camp knobbly knees competition.’
‘How is Sabby?’ Molly asked, suddenly feeling a pang of longing for the cat.
‘She’s still the same. Thinks she’s the Queen of Sheba.’
When they were sitting down with a pot of tea and a huge slice of Victoria sponge cake, Marigold asked how the case was coming along. Molly would gladly have not mentioned it as this case seemed to be taking over her life but she knew Marigold would be curious. ‘It’s not coming along very well. I’m stuck at the moment and can’t see a way forward. Quite a few people who knew the family at the time all say the same thing: Etta was not a nice child. But that doesn’t explain her disappearance. The only conclusion I can reach is that she killed herself after hearing of her father’s accident. That would make sense. Still, I have one more week to make enquiries and then I have to tell her mother I can’t do anything more to help her.’
‘I’ve been thinking about it as well, Molly, and I have to agree with you. She was a young sixteen-year-old girl with no known relatives and her mother ill in hospital. Maybe she thought her mother was going to die as well. Girls of that age can have a vivid imagination. She took her post office book with how much money?’
‘She had £3–10/-but she took most of it out. All except five shillings. It would be worth a lot more back then but it wasn’t a fortune. Not enough to run away with and keep yourself in food and lodgings for very long.’
‘Did the police ever find out if any money was taken out of the account after she left home?’
Now there was a thing, thought Molly. ‘I’m not sure. I’ll ask Vera on Monday. If she did go away somewhere, then maybe she cashed the money in another town and that would prove that she had run away.’
‘Well, I wish you luck with it.’
At 7:30 p.m. Marigold said she had to leave. ‘Why not stay the night here?’ suggested Molly.
‘I would but I’ve got to be at the church early tomorrow, then we have a meeting about next week’s sale of work and I don’t like leaving Sabby. She misses me when I’m not there.’
Molly stayed silent but thought to herself, Sabby was one clever cat that had Marigold wrapped around her striped, furry paw. ‘Let me run you to the Fifie. It’s dark outside and I think it’s starting to rain again.’