Payback (44 page)

When Big Stan walked back indoors, Albie took a sip of brandy from his hip flask for Dutch courage before he knocked on Queenie’s door. He could hear music coming from inside the house, so knew somebody was at home.

When Vivian answered the door, Albie’s face fell. ‘I’m sorry to trouble you, Viv, but Michael rang me last night and I couldn’t not be here. There’s nobody in at Michael’s and the club is shut. I just want to be here for Molly’s sake. Regardless of the way I feel about Vinny, that adorable little girl is still my granddaughter.’

Seeing the tears well up in Albie’s eyes, Vivian softened towards him for the first time in years. His place at the top of the list of people she despised had gone to Vinny – and, after today’s performance, bloody Brenda. ‘Come in, Albie. Queenie’s in the sitting room. Put your case over there by the stairs for now. What do you want to drink? Beer or a brandy?’

To say Albie was stunned by Vivian’s welcome was an understatement. For a moment he could only stand gawping at her. When he finally spoke, Albie could hear the tremor in his voice: ‘Erm, if you don’t mind, I’ll have a brandy, please, Viv.’

CHAPTER THIRTY

Vinny stopped in his tracks as he was being led back into the room for the news appeal. He felt emotionally drained and could not stop thinking of the story that the Kelly brothers had told him earlier about Scouse Ray. They had advised him not to appear on TV, and there was no way Vinny wanted to put Molly even more at risk, or be gloated at himself by the shitcunt who had taken his daughter.

DI Smithers was certainly no admirer of Vinny Butler, but the pain the man was going through was clear to see. ‘Vinny, I’ve cleared out most of the media. The only people left in that room now are involved in the TV appeal. You need to do this, and your daughter needs you to do it too.’

Vinny looked around and came face to face with Joanna and her stony-faced mother. ‘Look, I’m not Mr Popular. Let those two do the appeal. It will have far more impact.’

‘Are you OK, Vinny?’ Joanna asked, aware of the anguish on her partner’s face.

Unable to control his emotions any longer, Vinny crouched down and put his head in his hands. ‘No, I ain’t, Jo. I can’t stand not knowing where Molly is. It’s killing me, slowly but surely. I can’t do the appeal, I want you and your mum to do it instead. More people will come forward if yous two do it.’

Deborah snarled as her daughter bent to comfort the man that she and Johnny despised so much. It should be Vinny comforting Jo, if he was any kind of a man, not the other way round. She tugged at her daughter’s arm to lead her away. ‘Come on, Jo. I’ll do the appeal with you.’

Bemused by Vinny’s decision, DI Smithers shrugged. ‘Let’s get a move on then. The TV crew are waiting for us.’

Mary picked the boys up from school and as a treat took them to the Wimpy bar. She had decided to tell them the news about Molly over a burger, chips and a milkshake.

Adam was the last to finish his meal and the minute he had done so, Mary broke the bad news as softly as she could. ‘You know you are staying with me and your granddad at the moment, and I told you that was because your mum was busy? Well, there’s something else I need to tell you. The reason your mum is busy is because she’s looking after Auntie Jo.’

‘Is Auntie Jo not well, Nan?’ Lee asked. Even though Mary and Donald were not his real grandparents, he always referred to them as if they were now. He didn’t call Nancy ‘Mum’ though, because he still remembered his real mum.

‘Auntie Jo is very upset at the moment, and the reason for that is … your cousin Molly has got lost.’

‘Did she get lost in Sainsbury’s like I did that time, Nan?’ Adam asked innocently.

‘No, love. Molly is very lost at the moment.’

‘So who will find her?’ Lee asked.

‘Well, the police are all searching for her and tonight Auntie Joanna will be on the news asking for people to help look for Molly,’ Mary replied. She never mentioned Vinny in front of the boys, not unless they did.

‘Do you think Molly is playing hide and seek?’ asked Adam, with a quizzical expression on his face.

Daniel gave his five-year-old brother a tap on the head. ‘’Course she ain’t, you div. How long has Molly been missing for, Nan?’

Mary was rather thrown by her grandson’s behaviour towards his younger brother and his blunt question. Both she and Donald had noticed a change in Daniel of late. Nothing major, just the odd swear word and the fact he seemed to be growing up a little too fast for their liking. ‘Molly’s been missing since yesterday afternoon. Now apologize to your brother for hitting him, Daniel. That’s naughty.’

‘No.’

Mary was not used to being defied. ‘You will apologize, because if you do not, I will give you a clump around the head too.’

‘Go on then. I don’t care. Won’t hurt me. I’m a man, just like my dad is.’

Mary looked in horror at her usually polite grandson. From his eyes to his hair to his skin, he had all the features of his father’s family. In fact, the way he had just spoken to her and was now glaring at her defiantly, she could see nothing of Nancy in the child whatsoever. And the most worrying thing of all? Daniel was only bloody seven.

Ahmed Zane met Carl Thompson at the yard they had hired for the set-up in River Road. He had taken Burak’s words of warning on board and had decided to pay Carl another couple of grand to keep him sweet.

‘What’s that?’ Carl asked, when Ahmed handed him a rather slim envelope.

‘Two thousand pounds. I thought it would help tide you over until we have arranged another date.’

With a sneer on his face, Carl slung the envelope back at Ahmed. ‘Two thousand! What do you take me for? We had a deal, Ahmed. You knew I was planning to move to Spain and you promised that I would be paid in full this weekend. Only last week I told you I’d put down a deposit on the bar, and the balance is due in the first week of October.’

‘Yes, but you know the score, Carl. I made it clear to you at the very beginning that you would not be paid in full until the job was finished. It isn’t my fault that Vinny’s daughter has gone missing, is it?’

Carl chuckled. ‘Isn’t it? The way you hate that geezer’s guts, it wouldn’t surprise me. You can’t kid a kidder, Ahmed, so don’t ever try to pull the wool over my eyes. What happened? Did you and that cousin of yours suddenly have a change of heart? Did you decide to forget about putting Vinny behind bars and bump off the kid instead, saving yourself the thirty-five grand you owe me in the process?’

Ahmed grabbed Carl by the throat and slammed him against the wall. ‘I wouldn’t go spouting off accusations like that, if I were you. I am no child snatcher, you hear me?’

‘OK, I just thought it was a bit of a coincidence, that was all. Can you let go of my neck now, please?’ Carl croaked.

Ahmed released his grip, then pointed a finger of warning in Carl’s face. ‘I call the shots. You will get the rest of your money when this job is over. Now, do you fucking understand me?’

Carl nodded, waited until Ahmed had left the yard, then smirked. He would give the cocky Turkish bastard one week to come up with the rest of his dosh and if he didn’t, Carl would let Vinny Butler know what his faithful mucker was really up to. Carl was always loyal to one thing – the highest bidder.

Back in Whitechapel, Queenie, Vivian and Albie were all glued to the local news. ‘This is it,’ Queenie said, turning the volume up.

‘Joanna and Deborah Preston the mother and grandmother of Molly Butler, broke down today during their public appeal for information about the missing three-year-old. Speaking at a news conference in London, alongside DI Smithers, who is leading the case, Joanna Preston pleaded for information and the safe return of her beloved daughter.’

‘Where the bleedin’ hell is Vinny?’ Queenie muttered.

‘Shush,’ Vivian urged her sister.

‘My Molly is the sweetest, most loving, beautiful daughter that a mum could ever wish for, and I just want her back home with me where she belongs. If somebody has her or knows where she is, please ring the police,’ Joanna sobbed.

At that point, Albie started to weep too.

‘Be quiet. I’m trying to listen,’ Queenie hissed.

With Joanna clearly unable to continue, Deborah squeezed her daughter’s hand and looked into the camera, fighting back the tears as she asked anyone who had information to come forward. ‘What the family is going through is worse than torture and we just need to know where Molly is,’ she added.

The appeal was then switched back to the news presenter. ‘Molly was last seen at her father’s nightclub in Whitechapel at around one thirty yesterday afternoon, but there have been no sightings of her since. Molly was wearing a pink tracksuit and white trainers very similar to the outfit you can now see on your TV screens, and she was carrying a doll identical to this one,’ the reporter explained, pausing to allow viewers time to study both images.

A photo of Molly then flashed up and the presenter ended the report by urging the public to call the phone number that was shown below if they had seen Molly or had any information as to her whereabouts. She also said that all phone calls would be dealt with in the strictest confidence.

Queenie switched the TV off and began gathering up her handbag and coat. ‘Vinny was meant to be doing that appeal. I’m gonna pop down to the club and find out what’s gone on. Deborah bleedin’ Preston hardly knew Molly, so Christ knows what she was doing sticking her oar in. It should have been me sat there with Jo, not her.’

Vivian waited until her sister had slammed the front door behind her before turning to Albie. ‘I know me and you have never seen eye to eye on most things, but I have to admit you were right about one thing all along. You always said Vinny was no good, didn’t you?’

Albie nodded sadly. ‘I’m ashamed to call him my son, Viv, and I am so sorry that he was the one what killed Lenny.’

‘I’ll never forgive Vinny for what he did, not ever. To cover up my boy’s death was the lowest of the low. And I bet I know why he didn’t do that TV appeal.’

‘His arsehole went?’

With a twisted expression on her face, Vivian nodded. ‘You got it in one, Albie. Vinny Butler might be a big man around here, but me and you both know he is the most cowardly piece of shit that God ever put breath in.’

The boy switched the television off in favour of listening to Paul Weller. He was a massive fan of The Jam, having got into their music while banged up.

The TV appeal had been quite a disappointment to him. He had been gagging to see Vinny Butler mug himself off on TV, but Vinny was nowhere to be seen.

The boy smirked as he sang along to ‘Going Underground’. Every time he heard this song now it would remind him of Molly and the pain Vinny was currently going through. He must be wondering if his daughter was under the ground.

‘Boy, your tea’s ready. Come and eat it before it gets cold. I’ve made you your favourite, Shepherd’s Pie.’

The boy grinned and lifted the arm off the record. ‘Coming, Nan.’

Vinny Butler was back at the club with Michael and Ahmed. He had not been able to face watching the news, but Michael had, and he said it had been a strong appeal and Jo and her mum had done well. ‘Is Little Vinny still upstairs?’

Michael nodded. ‘He watched the appeal with me and got upset. He blames himself, I think.’

‘And so he fucking should,’ Vinny said, knocking back his Scotch.

‘You shouldn’t be too hard on him, Vinny. He’s only a kid himself,’ Ahmed reminded his pal, even though he had said differently when Molly had first been reported missing.

‘Speak of the devil,’ Vinny mumbled, as his son walked towards him.

‘Is it OK to sit down here with you, Dad? I just want Molly to come home. I feel so guilty. I’m really sorry.’

Aware that his son was crying, Vinny stood up and gave him an unmeaningful hug. ‘Sit your arse down next to Michael while I pour you a cider.’

When the phone rang, Vinny dashed to answer it. He had spoken to Geary when he had arrived back from the police station and had been on tenterhooks ever since, waiting for him to call back.

‘I’ve got some news for you. Meet me in our usual spot at eight o’clock, and do not tell a soul. It cost me to get this info for you, Vinny, so you need to bring three grand with you. OK?’

If Vinny had a million pounds in his safe, he would have gladly handed it over to Geary if it meant getting Molly back. ‘Fine. I’ll be there.’

Back at the police station, DI Smithers and his team were sifting through the various new leads the TV appeal had thrown their way. The phones had not stopped ringing since Joanna and Deborah’s heartfelt interview.

‘’Ere guv, we’ve got another sighting of that young lad who was watching Vinny’s club. A lady has given the same description as that old boy you spoke to. That’s the third one now, and the lady said he was acting shifty. He insulted her when she looked at him, same as he did the old fella. She left her name and telephone number.’

‘Right, let’s get the lady to help us with a photofit and see if it matches the one Mr Arthur came up with. He was a bit unsure and kept changing his mind, so I don’t want to put the photofit out unless we’re sure we’ve got it right,’ Smithers replied.

‘What about Bobby Jackson?’ DS Townsend asked.

‘We’ll let him go as soon as his alibi is confirmed,’ Smithers replied. He was now ninety-nine per cent sure that Bobby Jackson had not abducted Molly Butler. Jackson certainly didn’t have the demeanour of a guilty man. He had stuck by his story that he was drunk and just joking, and his pal Micky Dunn had also backed that up. Micky admitted that Bobby had made the remark about killing Molly and disposing of her body, but told the police that even though he had been shocked at the time, when he had woken up sober this morning he had known Bobby was only messing about. He’d also said that Bobby was only brazen about Vinny when inebriated; so long as he was sober, he was absolutely petrified of the man.

‘We’ve another new lead, guv. A bloke who was walking through Victoria Park says he saw a teenage lad with a child in a pushchair and reckons it could have been Molly. He said she had a pink tracksuit on and a doll in her hand. The lad that was with her had a dark woolly hat on and was dressed in dark clothing. The child had some kind of woolly hat on her head too.’