The Tangling of the Web (12 page)

Sally knew flight would be the end of her bar career, so she decided now was the time to fight. She had thought it might come to something like this and so she had planked a walking stick behind the bar. All Nancy knew was a painful whack on the back of her hand that caused her to stop pulling pints, and she whined in pain. She knew immediately that it was Sally who had struck her and, painful as it was, with both hands she grabbed Sally’s hair and pulled her out of the bar and into the saloon. ‘Stupid bitch,’ she hissed, ‘so you think you can do me. Well, you’ll need an army to help you and where will you get that?’

Flora and Josie had just entered into the salon when they became aware that Sally was in trouble. Without a word being spoken, Josie gave a totally unexpected thump to Nancy’s back. However, before she could deliver a second blow, Nancy, who was badly winded, started to buckle at the knees before landing on her back on the floor. Looking up through dazed eyes for her assailant, she was dumbfounded to be confronted with a jubilant Josie, who was being egged on by a sniggering Flora. ‘Where will she get an army?’ Josie rasped before leaning over Nancy’s face. ‘Sure she doesnae need one when she has … us!’

This threat didn’t have the desired effect on Nancy, who was lying on the floor like a stranded whale. All she could do was laugh uproariously because of the absurdity of the situation. Here was an old pensioner who looked like a refugee from the poorhouse and a woman who looked as if she had been cut off at the knees trying to put the fear of death into her – her, who could floor a navvy with one hand while throttling a cheating upstart with the other.

Sensing that Nancy wasn’t intimidated in any way by either Flora or herself, Josie screamed, ‘And if you’re thinking we wouldn’t have the bottle to sort you out then think again … Or better still go down to Bernard Street and look at the other rats who tried to scare us … You’ll easy ken them – they’re the ones nursing their fractured skulls.’

Flora’s jaw dropped. This was a Josie she’d never seen before. It wasn’t that she had thumped Nancy that was surprising, it was the way she had taken the story of the rats and used it to have everybody believe the vermin had been two big strapping men. Nodding, Flora reluctantly conceded that the rat story was just another flight of fancy for Josie, who by the morning would have convinced herself she had sorted out two burly bullies.

Surveying the mayhem about her and being buoyed up by the arrival and actions of Flora and Josie, Sally sprang up on her box again. Eyeing each of the voyeurs in turn and beckoning them to come closer, she smiled sweetly before suggesting, ‘Now if anybody else fancies their chances against us, come right up here now!’

With all that was going on, nobody had noticed that the inspector and sergeant from ‘D’ division headquarters had sauntered in until the obese, ruddy-complexioned sergeant, whose face resembled that of a well-slapped backside, banged his truncheon on the bar. ‘Hello, hello,’ was his opening remark before warning, ‘this here establishment’s, or to be truthful this den of iniquity’s, licence is up for renewal in three weeks.’ He strolled over and pinned up the notice that he had retrieved from the gutter back up on the wall. Menacingly pointing again with his truncheon to the assembly, he went on, ‘So these now, let us say, “liberal” rules that
should
have been applied in here will from now on be
strictly adhered to
!’

Nancy was now upright again, and she sauntered saucily over to the sergeant before whispering so loudly that everyone could hear, ‘And another condition that has been ignored by
some
, but from tonight will also be strictly adhered to, is that anybody who wishes to purchase from my store will require, whether they are in
uniform or not
, to put his money …’ she paused to pat her bosom, ‘… here on the counter first.’

It was obvious the inspector was aware of, and obviously embarrassed by, his sergeant’s dalliances. ‘Point taken, Nancy,’ was all he said, but the look he gave his sergeant spoke volumes. ‘Now, Sergeant Lawson, the other pubs we have to check tonight are the Pale Horse in Henderson Street and the Vine in North Junction Street, so I’ll finish up in here and you go to the Pale Horse now and we’ll rendezvous …’ the Inspector checked his watch before adding, ‘… in exactly one hour’s time at the Vine.’

The disgruntled sergeant grasped immediately that he was being put down. He wasn’t surprised, as it was common knowledge within the force that he and David Stock hated each other. Lawson also knew that Stock, who thought he was a disgraceful officer, would like to see him dismissed from the force.

On leaving the premises, Sergeant Lawson thought some more about bloody Inspector Stock, who had blighted his career and held up his advancement. He had concluded long ago that he being a man’s man – a bloke who liked a drink, his football, a wee flutter on the gee-gees and bit of hanky-panky on the side – was the real reason why Bible-punching Stock didn’t rate him. But what red-blooded man would want to be like sober, stolid Stock, who went straight home at the end of every shift to look after his invalid wife? Lawson shook his head, thinking,
Is it not enough that the poor lassie has to be saddled with a miserable, joyless nonentity like her husband without also being landed with multiple sclerosis?

As soon as Lawson departed, David Stock removed his hat and laid it on the bar. ‘Now, who is in charge here when Ginny’s away?’

Getting down off her box, Sally came around to the front of the bar and extended her hand to David. ‘My name is Sally Stuart, and once Ginny has me trained up I’ll be in charge here.’

‘That so?’

Sally nodded in unison with Flora and Josie.

‘And …’ David continued, turning to Flora and Josie.

‘Flora here is my mother-in-law, who I am trying to persuade to stay here in Leith, but she is adamant that she’ll be on the Inverness train next Monday morning.’

‘And I certainly will be. You see, Inspector, I used to only be Mrs Mop around here, but when I found out …’ Flora turned to Sally and winked mischievously, ‘… my daughter-in-law was going to be my boss, I stacked my pail behind that door and I’m now heading for my own wee croft, where
I’ll
be in charge. And Josie here is Sally’s sister and she’s going to be staying in one of the flats behind the King’s Wark.’

’You never are,’ David gasped. ‘Hasn’t anybody told you that it’s rat-infested?’

‘They didn’t, but Flora and I found out for ourselves tonight. That’s why we’re here to talk to Sally.’

Accepting that he was an intruder in this family get-together, David pursed his lips, lifted his hat up and donned it. ‘I mustn’t keep you any longer. Just want to say you can rely on the local police to give you every assistance that you require to get things sorted out here. Oh, by the way, Sergeant Lawson is being moved inside to be a desk sergeant and a Sergeant Green will be taking over this patch.’

Before leaving, he nodded to each of the women in turn, even Nancy, who was still hanging about.

‘See him,’ Nancy said when David was out of earshot, ‘now he is a man that not only would I not take money from for a service but I would pay him for doing me the favour!’

Sally didn’t know how to answer Nancy. It was true the inspector was a good-looking man who carried his mature years well. She did think he had a lot going for him and not only because he had an honest face and a way of making people think that they mattered. There was something else about him …
Why,
she wondered,
do I feel myself getting hot and embarrassed when I’m thinking about him? Have I not had enough of men to keep me going the rest of my life? Besides, he is a happily married man.
Noticing everybody was now staring at her, she suddenly blurted, ‘Look, Nancy, you now know you cannot pick up men in here …’

‘Aye, but mostly it’s the men who pick me up, so would that still be okay?’

Exasperated, Sally shook her head. Nancy got the message. Sally then gave a small compromise. Lifting a cloth to wipe the bar, she looked Nancy straight in the eye before saying, ‘But you could still have a drink and because of the night we’ve had …’

‘On the house?’

Sally nodded.

‘In that case make it a double gin and tonic with ice and a slice of lemon to finish it off. Oh, and by the way, Sally, what’s more important to me is … can I still have the use of your lavvy? See that one they call the ladies in the Standard Bar? Sure, no self-respecting woman would put a foot in it, never mind her behind on the seat.’

Closing time couldn’t come quick enough for the three women. As soon as the door was shut, Flora collected all the glasses and began to wash them. Josie, who had been astonished at the amount of money that had crossed the bar, started to cash up.

‘Here, Sally,’ Josie shouted. ‘How much do I leave in the till as a float?’

Sally’s mind was still going over the happenings of the last three hours, which caused her to wonder if she would ever make a success of running a bar – especially a bar in Leith that had been notorious and was known correctly as the Jungle. And now she had the unenviable task of making it into a ‘must’ place to go. She looked up and said, ‘Never you mind the float right now, Josie. Both you and Flora come over here until you tell me about the rats that tried to assault you.’

Once they were seated around the table, Flora began, ‘Look, Sally, did you ever visit that place you thought was suitable for Josie?’

Sally shook her head.

‘Then let me tell you the place is overrun with rats, real rats. Two of them were in the flat – welcoming committee I think they were – chased them out the door, I did.’

Gulping and shaking, Sally placed a trembling hand over Josie’s. ‘I didn’t know. Ginny said all the houses in that pend were being renovated just as soon as they could get the squatting tenants out.’

‘Squatting tenants out? They’ll need ten squads of rat-catchers to tackle the vermin and the auld siege of Leith will have nothing on the struggle they’ll have to get the human squatters out.’

Still covering Josie’s hand with hers and looking straight into her eyes, Sally mumbled, ‘I’m so sorry. I thought it was a place you could be on your own – become responsible for yourself.’ Sally turned to Flora. ‘Flora, you know I don’t want you to go to Culloden. I’d like you to stay here with me, Helen and Bobby – we need you. I can’t remember life without you and the children have only known a life where you were part of it.’

‘Sally, I’m old. I’m gutted, and I hope your son never roasts your heart like Harry has blistered mine.’ Sally tried to interrupt, but Flora silenced her with a wave of her hand. ‘No, hear me out. It’s my wish to go home now, back to my roots, and what I haven’t told you is that my sister Shonag needs me to be close at hand.’

Sally, who was feeling guilty at being so wrapped up in her own problems that she hadn’t noticed that Flora had more on her mind than Harry and herself breaking up, tried to get Flora to look at her, but Flora’s eyes were downcast. ‘Why didn’t you say? What’s wrong with Shonag? Is William alright?’

Leaning her arms on the table so she could cup her chin in her hands, Flora began, ‘It’s William that’s the problem. Broken-hearted, Shonag is. And before you ask, I don’t know the full story. Another of his love affairs gone wrong. What I do know is, she needs me, so I require to go back home where both us were bairns the-gether … and both of us have problem sons who need sorting out.’

Sally allowed time to tick by before she said, ‘Fine, Flora, I can live with that, but please remember that if ever you want to come back – I’ll make room for you. After all, I’ll never forget that it was you who made room for me … and my brother Peter when we needed it.’

Both women nodded to each other before Sally turned to Josie. ‘Now to you. Until the powers that be get that flat of yours habitable, you just move into 68 Great Junction Street with us next week. And before you say anything, I can’t give you a bed to yourself, never mind a room. Sharing a bed-settee with me is what you’ll have to settle for. So make sure your keep your toenails short.’

By the time Sally arrived back at Elgin Terrace, Flora and Josie were already there. They had come home by taxi after picking up Josie’s belongings from the Bernard Street flat.

‘Fancy a cuppa, Sally?’

‘Thanks, Flora. All night I’ve been surrounded by drink and as I’m strictly teetotal I never …’ Before Sally could go on, the doorbell sounded.

The three women looked from one to the other. ‘Helen and Bobby in bed?’

Flora nodded. ‘Just like you asked, I checked on them when I came in.’

‘Then who can it be at this time of night?’

The insistent ringing of the bell started again and the trio dashed up the hallway to open the door.

‘Hello. Know you’re not expecting us until tomorrow, but we managed to get on the late train this afternoon. Oh. By the way, Sally, could you pay the taxi? We’re out of change.’

‘Well, blow me, if it’s not our young Daisy. My, how you’ve grown, and Luke, you must be all of six feet and as handsome as Clark Gable,’ exclaimed Flora. ‘Come away in both of you. Can you manage to scrape up the money to pay the cab man, Sally?’

‘Aye, after I’ve scraped myself up off the floor.’ Turning to Josie, who was trying to melt into the wall, Sally asked through gritted teeth, ‘What did she mean when she said that I wasn’t expecting them until tomorrow?’

Josie waited until Sally, having paid off the taxi driver, closed the door before she pleaded, ‘Look, it’s not my fault. You see, Margo sent them an invitation to her wedding. And that was only natural, as Daisy and Luke are our kinfolk.’

‘And I take it she also asked Paddy and he’ll be expecting me to stump up a taxi fare for him tomorrow?’

‘No! The reason Daisy and Luke never made Margo’s wedding …’

‘Is our Margo arranged it in such a hurry they couldn’t have got here in time – unless they’d come by broomstick.’

‘Right enough, Sally, they would’ve liked to have flown … but with air fares … well, you need to save up for ten years with Magnus the travel agent round the corner to be able to afford them.’