a terrible time. ‘So, when will I see yous all again?’ he asked, when Roy brought the car to a halt.
Feeling dreadfully sorry for his disconsolate-looking father, Roy pulled a wad of money out of his pocket. ‘Here, that should see you all right for a while.’ He peeled off fifty quid.
‘Thanks, Roy,’ Albie said gratefully.
‘Dad, if I ask you something, will you give me an honest answer?’
‘Yes, son.’
‘What happened to that Judy Preston? Did she keep your kid?’ Roy asked. It had been Vinny who had persuaded him to raise the question.
‘I have no idea. Never seen, spoken, or heard a word from or about Judy since I was in hospital that time when your brother broke my legs.’
Satisfied that his father was telling the truth, Roy nodded. ‘Go on, you get off and I’ll see you again real soon. Look after yourself, Dad.’
‘When will I see you?’ Albie asked for the second time.
Roy winked. ‘You leave it with me and Michael and we’ll sort something out. I know where to find you. I’ll either come here, or pop in the Blind Beggar.’
‘Well, don’t leave it too long in case I’m brown bread,’ Albie muttered morosely, as he shut the car door.
When Roy drove away, Albie took the five ten-pound notes out of his pocket and grinned. Tonight might not have been perfect, but he now had his beer money for the foreseeable future, so it was definitely a step in the right direction. It was the years of heavy drinking that had made Albie lose weight and look so ill. As for his hair thinning rapidly, that happened to most blokes over fifty, didn’t it? The breathlessness was down to his chain smoking, and all Albie had to do now was continue his little lie until he had won his children over. He would then pretend his cancer was in remission and they would all live happily ever after.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Johnny Preston watched the comings and goings at the club with interest. He and Graeme wanted to get a rough idea of Vinny’s movements before they finalized their plan, which was why they were parked up in a red Transit van with false number plates. Johnny had made the mistake of being ill-prepared the last time he had stalked Vinny and was determined not to make the same mistake twice.
‘Rumour has it that our mate Vinny has a lucrative little sideline in the drug business now, you know. Him and some Turkish geezer are meant to be the two Mr Bigs behind most of the substances being punted around London. Don’t know how true it is, or if his brothers know about it, but I heard it from a good source,’ Graeme informed his friend.
‘It wouldn’t surprise me. Who told you?’ Johnny asked.
‘Ronny Mitchell told Gerry when he was pissed in the Flag. You know how Gerry can’t keep a secret, don’t ya? Told me the following day, he did.’
Johnny smirked and then slid down in his seat. ‘Get your head down, Grae, he’s just pulled up again. That’s the divvy cousin with him this time, ain’t it?’
‘I wouldn’t know what the divvy cousin looks like now. Big lump, whoever it is. He’s got a bird with him as well, and a kid.’
Johnny peeped over the dashboard. ‘That has to be his kid. I dunno who the tart is though. I was always under the impression he was shafting his own mother.’
Graeme chuckled. ‘He’s gone inside now. Do you want to wait for a bit longer to see if he leaves? Or, shall we go and grab some lunch?’
‘I don’t think we should hang about here any more in the day. We need to start watching his movements of a night. Obviously Friday and Saturdays are a no-go because he probably don’t leave the club. Not only that, it will be heaving with punters and far too risky anyway. I reckon we should keep watch every night from tonight onwards, and the first moment that presents itself, I will shoot the cunt straight through the skull.’
When Vinny had finished showing her the ropes, Karen grinned enthusiastically. The club’s décor was truly spectacular. The chairs and sofas were bright red leather, the ceiling a maze of spotlights. There was even a VIP section which was as opulent as anything Karen had ever seen. It was certainly a far cry away from the dirty, drab-looking pub she had recently been working in in Dagenham.
‘What do you think of this?’ Vinny asked, flicking a switch.
Karen gasped and clapped her hands together excitedly. The spotlights had different coloured bulbs inside them and rotated in the ceiling to form the most incredible pattern on the dancefloor. ‘Wow! That is fabulous, Vinny. In fact, I think the whole club looks amazing. You and your brothers must be so proud of owning a place like this! It reminds me of one of those clubs in an American film.’
Vinny grinned. He had based the décor of his club on one that he had seen in an American gangster movie. He had even added to the effect by placing portraits of legendary mafia members, famous American film stars, and jazz musicians around the walls. ‘I’m glad you like it, Kaz. Means a lot to me, that does.’
Karen didn’t want to feel the way she did about Vinny, but spending time with him as part of a family had made all her old feelings resurface. She had seen a much softer side to him as a dad, and as a person, and knew she was falling in love with him all over again.
Aware that Karen was looking at him with a drippy lovesick expression, Vinny was relieved by Lenny’s re-appearance.
‘I’ve swept out the front like you asked me too. Will you show me the disco equipment now? I need to get some practice.’
‘Yep. Follow me, Champ.’
Creatures of habit, both Queenie and Vivian were scrubbing their doorsteps when Michael pulled up in the car.
‘Auntie Viv. I’ve got a bit of news about Bill’s murder for you,’ Michael said.
Vivian dropped her scrubbing brush in the bucket and followed Michael inside Queenie’s house. ‘Don’t tell me the old fucker woke up at the mortuary,’ she joked.
Michael chuckled. ‘No, but they have charged someone with his murder and are ready to release his body now. His funeral is to be held at the City of London Crematorium at 2 p.m. next Wednesday. I thought I’d better tell you because Champ has been banging on about going to it. Reckons he wants to say a proper goodbye to his dad.’
Vivian pursed her thin lips. ‘Well, he can want on, I’m afraid. Over my dead body will I allow my Lenny to attend that bastard’s funeral. Glad he is being cremated though. As the old saying goes, you bury treasure and burn rubbish.’
Unable to concentrate on work, Nancy had been like a cat on a hot tin roof all day. Her father hadn’t spoken to her since their argument at the weekend, and Nancy now knew that the only way she would be able to stay out with Michael was by pretending she was coming home straight from work on Tuesday.
‘So, what you wearing? Show me,’ Rhonda Gibbs said, grabbing her pal’s arm as they took their tea-break together.
Nancy led her friend out the back. She knew to avoid suspicion she would have to bring her belongings into work in dribs and drabs. ‘I hope it isn’t
