Songbird (19 page)

The scene evoked other memories. There was a time, eons ago, when she too had enjoyed days out at the seaside with her parents. She had visited Brighton, Clacton and Southend, but she had never seen anything quite like Blackpool, with its trams and horse-drawn carriages, and endlessly long, wide promenade.

“Well then, Maddy?” Grandad Bob interrupted her reverie. “So, d’you think you might settle here, or what?”

Maddy looked up at him, shading her eyes with the palm of her hand when the sun half-blinded her. “I do like what I’ve seen so far. The people are really friendly, and there seems to be so much going on.”

“So?” he persisted. “You still haven’t given me a proper answer.”

She laughed. “You’re worse than Ellen,” she chided. “And yes, I think I’d like very much to settle here… if you’ll have me?”

“What! I wouldn’t have you going anywhere else,” he declared. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re part of our family now.”

Choked with emotion, Maddy could only nod. It had been so long since she was part of a family, she had made herself believe it would never happen again.

Seeing the glint of tears in Maddy’s eyes, Bob quickly rescued her by putting on his best Sergeant-Major voice. “Right, that’s settled then.” Content with his lot, he wrapped one arm round Ellen and the other round Maddy. “I bet I’m the envy of every manjack here,” he declared proudly, as he marched them along the promenade, his face uplifted in the happiest of grins, and his step more brisk than it had been in a long, lonely time.

“I might be old and ugly, but there can’t be a luckier fella anywhere, to have two darling little females hanging on his arm.”

“You’re not ugly!” Maddy thought him to be “a fine-looking man, for your age” and said so; much to his delight.

He laughed, that deep-throated laugh that seemed to shake the ground beneath. “That’s a backhanded compliment if ever I heard one!”

“You want to be careful, Grandad.” Ellen whispered a warning.

“Oh? And why’s that then?”

“Because we might run across Nora from next door, and
then
what would you do?”

“What would I do?” He winked from one to the other. “I think I would wish her good day, and let it be known that I’m already spoken for —
twice over
.”

Maddy’s heart was warmed by her two delightful companions. As they now cut across the wooden ramp to chase recklessly along the sands, she made a secret wish. “
Please God, let this be a brand new start for all of us.
”

There was so much to think about. Firstly, she would need to make sure she did not become a burden on Ellen and Bob — financially or otherwise. She must pay her way and pull her weight and with that in mind she must be quick to locate the bank. Later, when the baby was born, she might have to think about a place of her own or going halves with Ellen. Oh, and just thinking about the baby made her heart leap with joy.

“Look, Maddy.” Jumping up and down with excitement, Ellen was pointing to a red and yellow striped balloon hovering above their heads. “Look what it says — three pounds a go, from the top end of the pier. D’you fancy a trip on it?”

Grandad Bob was quick to tell her she need not include him, because there was no way he would ever let himself be taken up in an oversized toy balloon “…with a flimsy wicker basket dangling on the end of it. I’d like to think I’d got more sense than to trust meself to such a dangerous article. You two can do what you like, I can’t stop you. But you won’t get
me
in no blown-up balloon, flying on the wrong end of a rope, no siree.”

But in no time at all, all three of them were up, up and away, soaring into the skies and loving every minute of it. “Trouble with me is, I let meself be talked into anything!” Grandad yelled from the other end of the basket. “I must want my head tested!”

Maddy thought it was the most exhilarating thing she had ever experienced; even more than her very first night on stage at the tender age of fifteen. The breeze whipped against her face and the feeling of weightlessness set her heart pounding. “I can’t believe how fast it’s going!” Silent as a ghost, the balloon whistled along, until they were so far out to sea, the landline looked like a thin, hazy shadow in the distance. “Oh, look! You can almost see the curve of the earth!”

Ellen laughed. “I knew you’d both love it,” she said. “All that arguing and moaning, and now look at us — like birds in flight, we are.”

Soon, the balloon was brought gently to earth on the pier, with only the slightest of bumps; the passengers all fell out, breathless and laughing, thrilled by the experience but immensely relieved to feel the pier beneath their feet once more. “Come on!” Ellen was the first away. “I want the biggest, most chocolatey milk-shake in Blackpool.”

In the open café at the top of the beach, that is exactly what she had. In fact, they ordered one each, and devoured every last drop.

As they strolled home to Ackerman Street, Maddy thought it had been the most wonderful day. “I’ve laughed so much I ache,” she told them.

Ellen said she’d like to do it all over again, while Grandad Bob had turned an interesting shade of green. “I’d best get home a bit quick,” he warned. “I reckon that milk-shake is churning to get out.”

While Grandad had a lie-down to settle his stomach, Maddy and Ellen sat downstairs, talking about the future. “I reckon you and me will be fine here,” Ellen told Maddy. “We’re far enough away from the bad stuff not to worry. It’s best if we just go from day to day, then by the time your baby comes, we’ll have decided what to do, long-term.”

“I think that’s a good idea.” Maddy was content with that. “But I can’t stop thinking about Alice. You said Raymond would let you know about…,” she gave her a knowing look.

“I did. And he will.” Ellen tried not to show her guilt. The less Maddy knew about the truth of it all, the sooner she could let her mind rest and concentrate on the future.

“Thank you so much, Ellen.” Reaching out, Maddy took hold of her hand. “You’re such a good friend. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

Coming here with Ellen had given her an opportunity to start again. And yet, she still had not found peace of heart. She knew, more than most, how vengeful a man Steve Drayton could be; he did not forgive his enemies; especially one who he believed to have brought the authorities down on him.

Like Ellen, she felt safer having put the miles between herself and Soho though her deeper instincts warned her to remain ever-vigilant.

It was as Drayton had promised. No matter how far she might run, or wherever she might hide, one day, somehow, he was bound to track her down.

And when it happened, she must be ready; for
all
their sakes.

During that first week in Blackpool, Maddy felt more loved and wanted than at any time she could recall.

Every day she made a new discovery as she explored the town; her friendship with Ellen deepened and blossomed, and Grandad Bob was so loving and attentive, she almost began to believe he really was her very own grandfather. And, most glorious of all, she and Ellen were practicing daily at the piano, keeping their voices exercised, learning new songs together.

Now today was Friday, and it was Maddy’s first appointment at the hospital. Her new GP, round the corner from Ackerman Street, had taken her on and booked her an early appointment for a full pregnancy checkup.

She and Ellen had already been waiting for an hour, and Ellen was growing increasingly impatient. “What time did you say your appointment was?”

“Two o’clock, I think.” Opening her handbag, Maddy checked her appointment card. “Yes, that’s right.”

“Hmh!” Ellen glanced up at the wall clock. “And here it is, already five past three. I think it’s time to have a word with the receptionist.”

“No, Ellen.” Maddy was nervous enough without antagonizing anybody. “I’m sure they’ll call me soon.”

Another five minutes passed, then ten, and Ellen was about to storm the desk when a brisk, official voice called out, “Maddy Delaney?”

Flustered and anxious, Maddy leaped out of her chair and rushed across the room.

“Right!” Turning on her heel, the floppy-faced woman instructed Maddy to follow her. “Your first checkup, isn’t it?”

“Yes, er… yes.” She wasn’t sure whether to call her Sister or Nurse, so she decided not to address her as anything.

When the woman marched into a little white room, Maddy obediently followed. “Sit down there.” She gestured to an upright chair beside the desk. “I need to ask you a few questions.”

Clutching her bag and biting her lip, Maddy did as she was told, though mentally wishing herself anywhere but here.

Thankfully it did not take long to establish her name, age, address and situation. “So, you’ve only recently moved here then?”

“That’s right, yes.”

The woman looked at her. “Are you nervous?”

“Yes, I am a bit.”

“No need to be. I don’t bite.”

Wishing it was all over, Maddy managed a half-smile.

“I’m here to help — to make certain that you and the baby are healthy and fit for the birth. Now, how far along do you think you are?”

“Well, I’ve missed three periods.” Maddy did a mental calculation. “So I thought I might be about four months, or maybe more — I’m not really sure.” She could not quite pinpoint the exact moment when she began to suspect she might be pregnant. “You see, I had a little show, but then nothing, so it was confusing.”

“Right. Well, let me asssure you, even if you did have a little show, it doesn’t mean to say there is anything wrong.”

Realizing that, unlike her previous expectant mother that afternoon, Maddy was not about to give her any trouble, the woman smiled warmly. “So relax, stop worrying; everything will be checked thoroughly. And before you leave here, we’ll know within a fortnight of when the baby might be due. All right?” Another, even warmer smile.

“Yes, thank you.” Maddy was beginning to relax.

“Off you go then.” She pointed to the cubicle. “Strip to your bra and knickers, then step on the scales.” While Maddy did that, the midwife dug in her desk drawer for the tape measure. “How tall are you?”

“About five foot two, I think.” Dreading the examination, Maddy draped her skirt over the back of the chair, and waited.

To Maddy, the next half hour seemed more like three hours. Until at last she came back into the waiting room, flushed and breathless. “Ooh, let’s get out of here,” she said in a low voice. “I need a decent cuppa tea.”

At the café, Maddy relayed the news. “The midwife said that everything seems to be going to plan. She reckons, give a week either way, the baby should arrive late December.”

Ellen was thrilled. “Oh Maddy, that’s great! You never know, it could be born on Christmas Day — wouldn’t that be amazing?”

Maddy went on excitedly, “She said if I seemed to be carrying it more back than front, that can often mean it might be a girl, but then she said she’d been fooled a couple of times, so I wasn’t to take that as gospel.”

“So, how would you feel about it being a girl?” Ellen asked.

Maddy shrugged. “I’m not sure,” she said. “At first I thought I would love it to be a girl. But now, I’m not so sure.” She grinned at Ellen. “Twins would have been nice, because then I might have got one of each.”

“So, are you saying you really want a boy?”

“No, I’m not saying anything, either way.” Her face lit with the softest of smiles, as she told Ellen, “You see, this baby already has my love, and that will never change.” She tenderly laid her hand across herself. “Boy or girl, it won’t matter one way or the other.”

Just now, as she looked into Maddy’s face, Ellen suddenly understood the depth of her friend’s love for that tiny new life inside her. It was a humbling thing; one of those magic moments when you feel as though you have been given an insight into someone else’s soul.

Right from the start, Ellen felt that she had known Maddy forever, and that their deepening friendship would overcome every bad thing that life could throw at them.

Reaching out, Maddy took Ellen’s hand into her own. “I promise you something,” she said. “This baby will know and love you… just like I do.” She had seen Ellen studying her face, and she felt the kindred spirit. In this life, you meet many people, she told herself — fleeting acquaintances, neighbors, and sometimes a passing friend or two. But you only ever get that one very special friend. For Maddy, that friend was Ellen. And as long as she drew breath, Ellen would be in her life. Maddy believed that, without any shadow of doubt.

On the way home, Ellen took Maddy on a route where they were less likely to see a newspaper. So far, she had managed to prevent her reading the ongoing reports of the Soho slayings or hearing about them on Grandad Bob’s TV. Surely the media would get fed up with the story soon. Thakfully most of the headlines were about the birth of Louise Brown, the first IVF baby in the UK.

Ellen had learned a lot about Maddy in the short time she had known her. She knew that Maddy was not one to burden others with her worries. Instead, she was kind and thoughtful, and never took it on herself to judge anyone.

Many times of late, she had caught Maddy quietly crying alone; when Ellen came along, Maddy would quickly wipe away the tears and try to smile.

Ellen worried that, sooner rather than later, Maddy was bound to read a big article about the London killings. When that happened, the best Ellen could hope for was that more would be said of Drayton, and less about Alice. If Maddy found out that the latter was still alive, who knew what would happen then? One thing was for sure: their friendship would probably not survive.

On the following Saturday morning, Grandad Bob was coming down the stairs when a clutch of mail fell through the letter-box.

Carrying it to the kitchen table, he saw how Maddy and Ellen were already there, so he momentarily set the letters aside. “Morning, you two. Been up all night, have you?”

Glancing up from her cornflakes, Ellen gave a grunt. “Nope.”

“Still, it’s nice to see you up bright and early. What are your plans for the day then?”