to be taught a bit of a lesson. Brenda might be a pain in the arse, but she’s still our sister.’
‘But she threatened you with the Old Bill, Vin,’ Michael reminded his brother.
‘So what. It’s a direct piss-take at us, him clumping Bren. We won’t kill him, but he needs a stern warning. People will think we’re mugs otherwise.’
‘What people?’ said Michael, wondering why Vinny was getting in a lather. ‘Bren and Dave had a punch-up. Big fucking deal. They’re back together now and everybody knows what a nightmare Brenda is.’
‘I was out with Eddie Mitchell yesterday. Even he agreed that Dave needs a good hiding. I’ve done a bit of research and heard through the grapevine that he serves up in the Cross Keys at the weekends. Barred from there is our Bren, she’s down the Roundhouse. So, we’ll stalk the Keys at the weekend, take Carl with us to entice the cunt outside. There’s a graveyard opposite. The perfect place for Dave to be taught who not to mess with in the future.’
‘I can’t make Saturday. I’m seeing Bella.’
‘Business before pleasure, Michael. And family before whores. Always remember that, bruv.’
As Vinny turned his back and walked out the premises, Michael wanted to give him a slap; disrespecting him was one thing, but having a dig at Bella was another. Instead he punched the wall. Vinny was obviously in one of his Jekyll and Hyde moods and until he snapped out of it, he was best left alone.
Michael Butler put the boys’ breakfast on the table.
‘Ain’t you having none, Dad?’ Lee asked.
‘Nah. And I need yous two to pop out for hour or so about half eleven. Someone’s coming round and I need to talk business, in private.’
‘Who’s that then?’ Daniel enquired.
‘Nobody you know,’ Michael lied. Today was the first chance he’d had to talk in private with Katy and he was absolutely dreading telling her that there’d be no more her and him, and he didn’t need her taking care of the boys any longer. A thousand pounds he planned to give her as a pay-off, and he only hoped that would soften the blow.
‘But I thought we were grounded?’ Daniel questioned suspiciously.
‘You were until today. Can’t keep you locked indoors for ever, can I? Just learn to behave yourselves in future. And keep away from Donald and Mary’s café. If I hear you’ve been within a hundred feet of that joint, I swear I’ll send you both away to a bloody boarding school. Understand me?’
‘If we’re not grounded any more, does that mean Katy will be coming back to look after us?’ Lee asked.
‘No. Katy won’t be coming round any more.’
Daniel pushed his plate away and leapt up. ‘Why? What’s she done wrong? We like Katy looking after us, don’t we, Lee?’
‘Yeah. We like Katy a lot,’ Lee added.
‘Tough shit. Anyway, you’ve only got yourselves to blame. I wouldn’t have got rid of Katy if yous two had behaved. That was the whole point of her being here.’
Eyes blazing, Daniel punched the table then locked eyes with his father. ‘Don’t fucking lie! You’ve been shagging her, I bet.’
Grabbing hold of his brazen son by the throat, Michael pushed him up against the wall. ‘Katy’s nearer your age than mine. What do you take me for, eh? You ever spout such crap or speak to me like that again, you’ll know all about it, for sure.’
Upset because he was probably never going to see the bird he’d had wet dreams over again, Daniel Butler burst into tears.
‘Get off! I mean it! Leave me alone, you filthy little ratpig,’ Vivian squealed, as Fred clung on to her leg and rubbed his little dingle-dangle against her brand-new nylons.
Queenie tried not to laugh, but couldn’t help herself as she picked up Fred and put him in the back garden.
‘Disgusting bastard creature. Look, it’s laddered me bleedin’ tights. New on today, these were,’ Vivian complained.
‘Go and change ’em, but hurry up. We’re running late,’ Queenie said. For years it had been a ritual that Saturdays were spent visiting their loved ones’ graves, before getting glammed up to spend the rest of the day at the Roman. Roman Road market was the place to be seen on a Saturday these days and most of the women who came from far and wide to shop there got done up to the nines.
Spotting a bit of dust on the television, Queenie took the duster out the drawer. Both she and Vivian were the envy of their neighbours with their pristine homes and posh furniture. China and family photos were Queenie’s pride and joy and her lounge was brimming with both.
Vinny had turned up early this morning to pick Ava up. He’d apologized for being short-tempered the other evening, explaining that he had something on his mind and he’d tell her what once he’d sorted it. ‘Don’t worry, Mum. It’s nothing to worry about. Quite the opposite, in fact,’ he’d assured her with a wink.
‘Ready, Queen?’ Vivian bellowed.
Queenie stared at herself in the mirror, flicked her dyed-blonde hair and sprayed on some more lacquer. Looking perfect down the Roman was a must, especially on a Saturday. ‘Yep. Let’s knock ’em dead, Viv.’
Katy Spencer was anxious, excited, scared yet buzzing, all at the same time. She hadn’t seen Michael all week. Daniel and Lee were being punished for misbehaving, which was why Michael had given her a fully paid week off work. He’d also insisted she wasn’t to visit him at the club, saying he’d had some business to attend to up north. Katy hadn’t quite believed his story, so she’d driven past his house and club a few times and there’d been no sign of his car. She’d even got her mate to ring the club three times and the staff had said he wasn’t there.
Pulling up outside Michael’s house, Katy had the biggest butterflies ever as she turned off the ignition.
Peeping through the curtains and wishing this moment was already over, Michael Butler opened the front door before Katy had even got to it. He’d been a proper Lothario back in the day, had more birds than hot dinners, but even then he’d been as kind as he could when dumping them. The stalkers he’d acquired along the way were few and far between. However, he had this awful feeling that Katy might turn out to be his biggest one yet. If Bella found out about his stupid fling, she’d probably chop his cock off. And the thought of losing her over something so meaningless did not bear thinking about.
‘I’ve missed you so much,’ Katy beamed, slinging her arms around Michael’s neck as soon as the front door was shut.
When she tried to stick her tongue in his mouth, Michael swerved his head to the side, then gently prised her wrists away from his neck. ‘We need to talk, babe,’ he said, kissing her politely on the cheek.
Following Michael into the kitchen, Katy felt a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. She sensed from his coolness that he was
