Standing up, she walked toward the altar, beside which the arc of candles burned like a beacon. Taking one out of the box, she lit it from another, before pressing it into the holder, where the flame flickered and grew, until the brightness hurt her eyes. “This is for you, Alice,” she murmured. “To light your way to heaven.”
She knelt on the footboard. “Goodbye, my Alice. I’ll never forget you, as long as I live.”
Making the sign of the cross, she prayed, “Keep her safe, Lord. She is one of Your special people.”
When a gentle hand reached over her to light a second candle, she saw that it was Ellen, and she was not surprised. “I’m sorry I ran away,” she told her. “I just felt I had to come in here.”
Ellen knelt beside her in the empty, echoing church, and together they prayed.
Maddy prayed for Alice’s soul.
Ellen asked forgiveness for the cruel deception she had played on Maddy.
A while later, the two girls crossed the busy main road into Euston station, where Ellen studied the noticeboard. “We’ll need to make two changes,” she told Maddy, “but we should be there in three hours or less.” She glanced at her watch. “We’ve got forty minutes before the next train arrives… time for food and drink.”
Starting at every sound, Maddy was visibly on edge. “You still haven’t said where we’re going.” She felt out of her depth. The past forty-eight hours had been like living through a nightmare. Back there in the alley and later at Ellen’s house, events had swept her along. Now that she was really on her way out of London, destined for unfamiliar places and people she knew nothing about, the reality of it all was unsettling.
“We’re going to my grandad’s house, in Blackpool,” Ellen explained. “I’ve already spoken to him, and he’s looking forward to seeing us.”
Maddy felt somewhat easier. Now that she had a name and a place, it didn’t seem such a frightening prospect.
Moreover, with Raymond having put her mind at rest with regard to Alice, she felt more able to focus on what lay ahead of them. She had lost Alice, but she had found a friend in Ellen, and she still had her baby. That much at least, she was deeply thankful for.
The old saying was right, she thought solemnly. A life out, and a life in. Poor Alice had been so excited about the baby, and now she would never see it. That was a desperately sad thing.
As they walked toward the café, Maddy swallowed another rush of tears, but just then, just for a split second, she felt the life within her quicken. “It’s moving!” she exclaimed. The tiny flutter in her belly came again, and she beamed. “He’s anxious to be out in the big wide world.”
Ellen took her by the arm. “That baby has a long way to go yet.” Because Maddy was still surprisingly slender, Ellen assumed there must be at least another six months of waiting. “You never said when the baby is due.”
Maddy made a mental calculation. “By my reckoning, I’m almost four months gone.”
“By your reckoning?” Ellen was slightly disturbed by Maddy’s comment. “Do you mean you haven’t been to the doctor’s yet?”
Maddy shook her head. “Not yet, no. I wanted Steve to know first.” Her heart sank. “Like a fool, I had an idea that he might want to come with me.”
Ellen groaned. “It’s not you that’s the fool,” she said grimly, “it’s him! But if there’s any justice, he’ll get his comeuppance and, if you ask me, it won’t be before time, neither.”
Maddy thought of Steve Drayton, and all those hopeless dreams, and was amazed at herself for being taken in by him. “Why did I let him get me pregnant?” she sighed. “I should have had more sense.”
“These things happen.” Ellen screwed up her face in concentration. “I’m on the pill, thank heavens! Anyway it’s late July now, so if, as you say, you’re coming up to four months, the baby should arrive about…” She gave a whoop and a holler. “Christmas! Think of that – a baby for Christmas!” she laughed out loud.
Maddy laughed with her. “Oh Ellen, that would be the best Christmas present in the whole wide world.” Then her smile faded. “He or she won’t have a daddy though, and what will I say, when the baby grows old enough to ask after him?”
Ellen thought it a very difficult thing, but, “All you can do is love and protect the baby – be the best mother you can,” she said wisely. “And maybe, when all’s said and done, that will be enough.”
Maddy hugged her impulsively for those beautiful words.
One thing she knew for certain.
For as long as she lived, whatever sacrifice was required of her along the way, or whatever danger might threaten, she would move heaven and earth to keep her child safe.
That much she knew.
From this day on, it was her goal in life.
Back at Scotland Yard, the activity following the shooting had been intense. With yet another briefing over, about twenty officers tumbled out of the incident room and hurried away to their desks; all but two – Detective Inspector Warren, and his colleague Sergeant Edwards.
Continuing on down the stairs to the pavement outside, the stockily built Sergeant commented, “That Superintendent Bates is a miserable bugger! Does he show any gratitude for us having nabbed some of the biggest villains in London? Oh no! And already we’ve had two press conferences, going over the same scenario. I tell you, not only is he milking this for all he’s worth, he’s running the rest of us into the ground. What the hell does he want – blood?”
“It’s no good complaining,” came the fed up reply. “You should know what he’s like by now. He wants every loose end tied up in a pretty pink bow, which he can then present to the prosecution, so he can claim credit for doing his bit.”
“But we’ve already established what happened. It’s gang warfare, pure and simple. Two lowlifes face each other down: one gets shot and killed; a man gets caught in the crossfire and a woman gets wounded. Moreover, there were enough witnesses to fill a courtroom; even Carter’s men spilled their guts to save their own necks. So, as far as I’m concerned, we’ve already tied up all the loose ends. I reckon it’s time to concentrate on other matters, such as keeping a wary eye on the villains who are already straining at the leash to rule the roost, especially now that Carter will be pushing up the daisies and Drayton is locked up.”
“You’ve learned nothing then.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“All I’m saying is, you must never underestimate men like that.” DI Warren knew from experience that there was always more going on than met the eye. “Being locked in a prison cell won’t stop a lowlife like Drayton from keeping his thumb on the pulse. He’s still in control, don’t you worry about that. And it won’t matter how many small-time thugs are straining at the leash, they’ve got no chance, because locked up, or loose on the streets, a man like Drayton is still top dog. Take my word for it. Nothing goes down without his say-so.”
The younger man glanced at him. “So, we’d best keep our wits sharp then, eh?”
“That’s about the size of it. As for the two singers who worked at the club, I for one wouldn’t mind clearing that one up. According to one of the regular clubgoers, Drayton got rid of his regular artist, in favor of a bright young thing who just happened to be working for Carter.” Pausing to light up his cigarette, he continued, “I’d like to meet up with these two girls and hear their side of it. We’re still trying to get an address for Ellen Drew. Delaney is missing from the Battersea flat – no one there has seen her for a good while.”
“Okay. But you’re surely not suggesting they had anything to do with what happened? I mean, it’s common knowledge that Carter and Drayton have been at each other’s throats for years.”
“I know all that. From the clubbers who witnessed the incident, we know enough of what went down in that alley, anyway. All the same, I’d still like to take their statements.”