themselves.
‘Check nobody’s coming, Jay,’ Vinny ordered, before clumping Jock repeatedly in the stomach.
Jock, who weighed less than ten stone, doubled up and fell to the floor groaning in agony.
‘All clear,’ Jay said, after checking both ends of the corridor.
‘Quick, hold the cunt’s arms down,’ Vinny urged.
‘Get off me. I’m sorry if I’ve upset you, OK?’ Jock cried.
‘Not larging it now, are ya?’ Vinny spat. He would’ve loved to cut Jock’s tongue out, but didn’t have time. He pulled the razor blade he’d melted into a toothbrush handle from his sock and as quick as a flash, slashed a reasonably straight line across the Scotsman’s mouth.
As Jock screamed in agony and fright, Vinny muttered, ‘Grass, and I swear on my dear old mum’s life, next time it’ll be your throat.’
Thirty seconds later Vinny re-entered the TV room. With a quick nod to old Frank, the screw guarding the door, he rejoined the fracas.
Enticing a screw into his pocket had been a smart move on Vinny’s part. He’d always known it would come in handy at some stage.
Queenie and Viv were happily gushing over how radiant a heavily pregnant Princess Diana looked when they were disturbed by the doorbell ringing.
Queenie pursed her lips. ‘This better be my Michael, or he’ll have some explaining to do.’ Her son had not been in touch since the prison visit and Queenie was not amused.
‘There you are! Been ringing your bleedin’ club all evening. Why didn’t you pop in earlier, like you promised?’
Michael Butler gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. ‘I’m sorry. I’ve just had a manic day. Little Vinny said Auntie Viv had an accident. Is she OK?’
‘I’ll live,’ Viv shouted from the living room.
‘Don’t keep me in suspense then. How did the visit go?’
‘Good. Vinny was in high spirits,’ Michael lied.
‘Did you build bridges, like I told you to? And don’t lie to me, ’cause I’ll find out the truth.’
‘We didn’t need to build bridges, Mum. We’re brothers at the end of the day.’
Beaming from ear to ear, Queenie hugged her youngest son. ‘That’s what I like to hear. Us Butlers stick together through thick and thin, always. Well, apart from me and your father, of course,’ Queenie chuckled.
‘I’d better get back to the club, Mum. I left Little Vinny in charge.’
‘I want a word with you about him.’
‘Not now. It was busy when I left.’
‘OK. But I need to ask you a favour, boy.’
Not another one, thought Michael, but as his mother pursued him down the path he had no option but to nod.
‘I’m worried about Tara and Tommy. Dave isn’t a good influence on our Brenda, you know. I think you should pay him a little visit.’
‘And do or say what?’ Michael asked.
‘Well, I don’t know, do I? You and your brother are the men of this family. Just do or say what you did to Pervy Pat that time. I was so proud of you when he scarpered. So was Vivvy.’
Michael looked at his mother in disbelief. ‘Brenda’s a pisshead, Mum, and until she gives up boozing, she’ll always end up with one of the Daves of this world. Pat was a nonce. Big difference.’
Johnny Preston read the letter once more, then put it in his trouser pocket. He was dreading having this conversation with his wife. However, he had promised there would be no more secrets between them and he meant it. Since he’d got out of nick and married Deborah for the second time, their relationship had gone from strength to strength. There was no way he would jeopardize that by hiding things from her.
‘Can we talk, babe? Sit down a minute.’
‘Whatever’s the matter?’ Deborah asked, alarmed. She could tell by the look on her husband’s face that it wasn’t going to be good news.
‘It’s Jamie. My mum’s been visiting him in Feltham and she swears blind that he didn’t kill Molly. He wrote me this letter. Read it,’ Johnny urged.
Deborah’s eyes filled with tears. It was coming up to four years now since Molly had been brutally murdered, yet the memories of that torrid time were still very raw to her. Ava had filled the gap in her life to a certain extent, but she would never replace Molly. No child could. ‘I don’t want to read it, Johnny. Jamie must be guilty. The police aren’t bloody stupid. Please don’t tell me you are thinking of visiting that treacherous murdering scumbag?’
‘I have to, Deb. I need to find out the truth.’
Deborah shook her head in pure disbelief. ‘Joanna will go crazy when she finds out. And what is visiting that vermin going to solve? Not going to bring Molly back, is it?’
‘It will solve whether that little fucker is lying or not, Deb. And there is no need for Jo to know. If need be, I will tell her afterwards.’
‘And you don’t think he’s going to lie to you, Johnny? He lied to his nan and the fucking police.’
‘As soon as I look him in the eyes, Deb, I will know the truth. Trust me on that one.’
Mary Walker kissed her sleeping granddaughter on the forehead, then hugged her son and daughter-in-law. Christopher and Olivia had got married in 1981 and little Janine was now eighteen months old. ‘Keep safe at work, won’t you, son?’
Christopher raised his eyebrows. He was twenty-seven now. A detective sergeant in the drugs squad at Arbour Square. However, his mother still treated him as though he was some rookie. She never let a week go by without phoning him at least three times to make sure he was still alive and had not been harmed in the line of duty.
Donald followed his family into the hallway. ‘I do apologize once again for the behaviour of the boys. I shall punish them all personally in the morning; I can assure you of that.’
Rather than upset his mother, Christopher mumbled, ‘Boys will be boys.’ He was not at all surprised that Nancy’s sons had turned out such horrible little bastards. What else could you expect, with Butler blood running through their veins?
When he was a kid, Christopher had witnessed Vinny Butler stab a man to death outside his nightclub. Vinny had then threatened and blackmailed him into keeping his mouth shut. Once the police had got involved, Christopher, despite being absolutely terrified, had told his parents the truth. That very same evening they’d done a moonlight flit from their beloved café in Whitechapel.
‘Bye-bye. Drive safely.’ Mary stood on the pavement waving him off. She was dreading going back inside the house because she knew what was coming next.
Donald’s face was like thunder when she walked back through
