Songbird

Alice gave him as straight an answer as she could, without betraying Maddy’s secret about the child. ‘You’re not to worry. Yes, they had a set-to, but Maddy is fine. I took her home with me, and as far as I know, she has no idea he has taken on a new singer. Even I didn’t know, until I saw her up there on the stage tonight. Look, Jack, with any luck it’ll make Maddy finally see the light where Drayton is concerned.’

‘What about the blood?’

Alice chose not to answer this, merely repeating, ‘I can assure you, Maddy is fine. She’s keeping her distance for a while – trying to teach him that he can’t just take her for granted.’ She had seen how her words were calming him. ‘Look, Jack, she intends coming in tomorrow. You can talk to her then.’

‘I’d rather come round to your place tomorrow morning before work and see her there, if that’s all right with you?’

‘Yes, I don’t see why not. You’ll be very welcome.’

‘I’ll tell her about this new girl, if you like. She’s bound to be upset,’ Jack said protectively.

Alice nodded; she too had concerns as to how Maddy might react to the news of another singer taking her place. It was a cruel thing to do.

But then Steve Drayton had always been a law unto himself.

In the alley, the girl was proving difficult to appease.

‘Move yourself, Ellen.’ Taking her by the arm, Steve Drayton drew her towards the back door. ‘They’ll be wondering where you’ve gone. Besides, I’m paying you good money to entertain the clients.’

She giggled. ‘I’d rather entertain you.’

He sighed, bored. ‘And you shall. But there’ll be time for all that later, when I get you home.’

An idea struck him as being profitable. He had seen the way his clients had drooled over his new singer. She was pliable enough; she was also besotted with him, so if he played his hand right, there was money to be made. No doubt his rough and ready counterparts would give a handsome sum for a few hours’ playtime with her.

The idea grew. I can’t see her refusing, the insatiable little slapper, he thought greedily, especially when she’s so keen to please me. Oh, yes! Putty in his hands, that’s what she was.

Her voice startled him. ‘Tell me you love me, Stevie, and I’ll go back inside.’

Irritated, he studied her for a minute, wanting to give her a slap and shut the bitch up, but controlling himself with an effort. He’d had as much woman trouble as he could take. ‘Of course I love you,’ he lied. ‘Why do you think I brought you out here?’

Her resolve melting, she looked up at him. ‘You’re not just making a fool of me … playing me along to get your own way?’

‘I would never do that!’ He cupped her small features and kissed her soundly on the mouth. When he released her, the smile on her face told him she was his for the taking.

‘So, we’re a couple then?’ She wanted so much to believe that.

‘Oh, absolutely.’ He had her right where he wanted her. ‘But we have to be discreet.’

‘Why’s that?’

While he fought to find an answer that would satisfy her without compromising himself, Maddy realised the girl was falling into his cleverly woven trap. She had seen how easily he had twisted her words. Morever, she could almost read his mind with his ideas of how he might eventually make money from this innocent.

With that in mind, she knew that even if it meant getting another beating, she could not keep quiet.

Taking a few deep breaths, she gathered her strength and began walking towards them, slowly at first, but then with purpose.

When Drayton glanced up and saw her, his face opened in astonishment. Pushing the girl aside, he turned, legs astride in that antagonistic stance she had come to know so well. ‘What the devil are you playing at? I thought I told you to sod off.’ His mean eyes boring into hers, he took a step forward. ‘Get the hell out of here before I lose my temper!’

‘That’s her, isn’t it – Songbird – the singer whose job I took?’ The girl’s cry pierced the tension. Curiosity turned to anger. ‘You said she’d left for foreign parts! You told me she would never come back – that she didn’t want the work. So, what’s going on? Look at the state of her – she needs an ambulance! Jesus, Steve, what have I got myself into here?’

‘Shut your trap!’ Turning on her, he issued a warning. ‘Do what you’re paid to do – get back inside and entertain the clients. I’ll deal with this.’

Unsettled, the girl looked from Steve to Maddy and back again. ‘So, you and me, Steve – are we a couple, or not?’

The sight of Maddy had been a shock. Why was she here, and why was her dress torn like that? She looked like a tramp off the streets. Was she ill, or drunk maybe?

Either way, there was something going on here that made her deeply uneasy.

Maddy turned her gaze on the girl and for a moment their eyes met. Recognising herself when she was younger and more foolish, Maddy offered her a warning. ‘Don’t trust him,’ she urged quietly. ‘He’s a liar and a thug. He’ll hurt you, just like he hurt me.’ She patted her stomach. ‘I’m carrying his child, but that didn’t stop him from beating me. Listen to what I’m saying – I’ve no reason to lie. He’ll promise you the world, but he’ll use you in every way imaginable. If you have any self-worth at all, you must get away from him – now. While you still can.’

Suddenly, he was on her. With the back of his hand he lashed out, knocking Maddy hard against the wall.

What he didn’t expect was the girl’s reaction. ‘LEAVE HER BE!’ she shouted, and clawed at his face. Steve was like a wild animal. Spinning round, he took Ellen by the shoulders and threw her towards Maddy.

With murder in his heart, he hissed, ‘You’re welcome to each other,’ and took a step towards them; but then was made to stop when a man’s voice called out to him.

‘You can deal with your women later, Drayton. For now, you and I have more important business to attend to.’

Swinging round, Drayton found himself confronted by four thugs. The big one, Den Carter, addressed himself to Ellen. ‘Get away from here, slag. And keep your trap shut if you know what’s good for you!’

Recognising her former boss, the girl didn’t need another warning. With Maddy leaning on her, she led her away. ‘I worked for him before,’ she whispered as they stumbled down the alley. ‘He’s a bad lot. He’ll make that scum Steve pay for enticing me away.’

At the top of the alley, they paused, long enough to see two of the minders pounce on Drayton and twist his arms up behind his back. Then as the big man approached, Drayton began blustering and threatening all manner of retribution. Suddenly, he broke free.

There was a lot of shouting and scuffling, followed by the unmistakable sound of gunshot; the big man stumbled backwards while the others fought with Drayton to secure the gun.

Seconds later, the club doors were thrown open and the alley was alive with people; some keeping a sensible distance and others too curious to stand off. ‘He’s got a gun!’ Trying

to herd them away, Raymond yelled a warning. ‘Keep back, all of you!’ But it was like trying to hold back a burst dam, as with morbid curiosity and a lot of drink inside some of them, the people surged forward to get a better look at the drama that was taking place.

Jack was up at the front, with Alice not far behind, though he urged her to keep her distance. ‘I don’t want you getting hurt,’ he said. Concerned for her safety and increasingly worried that Maddy might somehow be caught up in this too, Jack was taking no chances.

The whole terrible event seemed to happen in slow motion, and yet it was over in seconds. Mortally wounded, the big man was lying groaning on the ground, with Steve Drayton locked in fierce combat with his henchmen. When Alice and Jack came running forwards, Drayton was like a madman as he struggled to free himself. In the mayhem, two more shots rang out. Jack was the first to go down. Then Alice.

With no thought for his own life, Raymond ran to Jack, who appeared lifeless. Desolate, he turned his attention on Alice, taking her in his arms and comforting her as best he could until the older barman, Ted, tried to drag him away. ‘You can’t help her now, mate,’ he said kindly, and glanced down at Alice; bathed in her own blood and lying so still, she seemed beyond earthly help.

At first Raymond resisted Ted’s attempts to take him from her. But then, in tears and deeply saddened, he let himself be led away.

From the first day he had spoken with Alice, something had taken hold of his lonely heart. He had loved her from afar, waiting for his chance, hoping that one day she might see him

in the same light. And now, because of a man who did not deserve to wipe her shoes, his dream of taking care of Alice, and hoping she might come to love him, were ended.

At that moment, all hell was let loose as the shrill scream of sirens heralded the arrival of speeding police cars. People were running all over the place – it was chaos. And Steve still had the gun.

From a doorway at the top of the alley, the two women had seen it all. ‘My God!’ Shocked to the core, Maddy could think only of Jack and Alice. ‘They’ve been shot! I’ve got to go to them!’

Holding onto her, the girl kept her safe. ‘There’s nothing you can do now. Come away, there’s bad stuff going down. The police are everywhere. We’ll be interrogated. They won’t give us a minute’s peace.’ Desperate to put a distance between themselves and the authorities, she kept a tight hold on her new friend. ‘We need to get away before they see us. If we go now, they’ll never know we were here!’