“Don’t assume the obvious. She’s a cunning bitch.” Had he once loved her? Drayton thought drowsily. For a second, sweet music – the sound of his Songbird singing onstage – filled his memory, as well as a vision of her seductive beauty, and her smile… The moment lingered, and caught inside it, he recalled the sensation of happiness. But then it faded, being quickly replaced by a black wave of fury.

“Look, boss, she’s bound to make a false move soon,” Danny whined. “We’re closing in, I can promise you that. It hasn’t been easy. Up to now, she’s either been very clever, or damned lucky.”

“Lucky, eh? Well, you listen to me, Danny Boy. I’m stuck here in this damned hellhole, having to rely on scum such as you. You say she’s been lucky. Well, you won’t be so lucky if the next time you come here, you haven’t done the job I’m paying you for.” He smiled that wicked, unstable smile. “I hope you’re getting my gist… Danny Boy?”

When Danny opened his mouth to answer, Drayton got up, sauntered over to the officer on duty, and without a backward glance, gestured to be taken out.

Behind him, Danny lost no time in getting outside to the fresh air, where he stood a moment, reflecting on Drayton’s increasingly odd demeanor. “Mad!” He scurried off down the street. “Mad as a bleeding hatter!”

There was no doubt in hs mind. Drayton had made a direct and chilling threat to him. “If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll get this job done,” he muttered. “He wants the girl and he wants the kid. Like he said, I’d better get the job done – and soon!”

Twenty-one

The day following Maddy’s phone call, Ellen had finalized her plans, right down to the last detail.

And now, on this Thursday morning, and still in her dressing gown, she bade cheerio to her grandfather, who was leaving for a day at the races with his old friend Jasper. “You enjoy yourselves,” she told them. “I’ll see you when you get back, Grandad.”

“I’m not sure I’m looking forward to it,” he confided when Jasper went to play pat-a-cake with Michael. “I had a real bad night with me left knee, and to be honest, I’d rather go straight back to bed.”

“Aw, you’ll love it.” Ellen wanted him out of the way. “You and Jasper haven’t been out together for months, not since he had his hip operation. But look at him – he’s raring to go now, aren’t you, Jasper, and once you’re there, you’ll have a wonderful time. So go on,” she said, handing him the bag of sandwiches and a flask, “take this. There’s enough in there to keep the pair of you going all day long.” And then some, she hoped.

After the two men had gone off in Grandad’s Rover, she carried Michael upstairs and put him in the playpen amongst a collection of his favorite toys. She then quickly rooted through her wardrobe. After some deliberation, she put on a burgundy-colored jumper and a pair of blue Levis, together with a short green anorak which she had last worn the night before she left for the bright lights of London town.

The garments still fitted her. In fact, if anything, they were a little loose, though that might work to her advantage, she thought. She then located a long-time favorite, a denim baseball cap, together with her sunglasses, and put both items in her coat pocket.

Next, she filled a large overnight bag with clean underwear, a couple of other jumpers and tops, two more pairs of jeans and a second pair of shoes. She then squashed in a pile of Michael’s freshly ironed garments, and a number of spare nappies and other necessities. Then, after pushing the lot down as far as she could, she zipped up the bag and set it aside, next to a carrier bag crammed with their toiletries.

She then got Michael dressed and ready, and carried him downstairs, where she strapped him in his pushchair with a biscuit to keep him quiet. She had a freshly made bottle of baby food, two rusks, a banana and two jars of Cow & Gate meals for later.

“Now, where does he put it?” Standing in the kitchen, chewing on her fingers, she tried to remember where her grandfather kept his “rainy-day” money. He had always been adamant; “You need to keep a bit o’ ready cash for emergencies. After all, banks don’t open on a weekend, do they?”

Suddenly it came to her. “Aha!” She distinctly recalled him mentioning something about… Hurrying to the hallway, she opened the understairs cupboard and stooping low, switched on the light. Peering into every shadowy corner, she could see nothing that might be a savings box, or biscuit tin.

Disappointed, she felt in every corner, cleared the shelves and tidied them up again, and still there was nothing. “I wonder…” Scrutinizing the old brown lino on the floor, she spotted a loose section and lifted it up. One of the wooden planks beneath was clearly shaped to form a lid.

Hooking her finger under the edge, she prized the board up, and there, nestled in the darkness, was an old baccy-tin. Inside, Ellen found a slim bundle of ten-pound notes; sitting cross-legged on the floor, she hurriedly counted them. “Two hundred pounds!” She sat there, feeling guilty and small, and for the moment unable to bring herself to take the money from her old grandad.

However, when Michael started crying, she came out of the spell. If only she didn’t have to do this, but her money had run out. She couldn’t resist treating the baby to expensive outfits, and hadn’t earned a penny for six long months, and so her savings had dwindled. The rent money from the house in Bethnal Green was spent almost as soon as it landed in her account.

She would pay her beloved Grandad Bob back as soon as she could, the girl vowed.

The baccy-tin was stuffed back into its hidey-hole, and everything was replaced as before.

Tucking Michael’s dummy into his mouth she left the baby and, running up the stairs two at a time, she collected the overnight bag and checked around to make sure she had not forgotten anything.

Satisfied, she returned downstairs and, after squashing the bag into the shelf beneath the pushchair, she went to the drawer and took out a writing pad and pen. It was time to tell some more lies.

Dear Grandad,

A letter just arrived from Maddy. She wants me and Michael to go to her straight away. Her aunt is home, and it seems she’s back on her feet again.

The thing is, she wants to be on her own now. Maddy has been offered a job at the local garden center, and has found a cottage to rent.

She loves the area, and thinks Michael and I would love it too. She asked me to tell you that she’s really grateful for letting her stay with you, and that she’ll come and see you every so often.

She sends her love,

I’m so excited, Grandad. She’s sent me the coach tickets, which she bought at the other end, so the baby and I have to go now, before you get back, because the coach leaves in half an hour. I’m sorry that it’s all so last-minute. I think her letter was held up in the post.

Anyway, you’re not to worry, it’s for the best. I’ll give you a ring when we’re settled.

She signed it with a kiss and left the note propped in front of the kettle, where he was bound to see it. Then she crossed the hall to the telephone table, where she picked up the address book and searched for a certain page; when it was found she tore it out by the roots.

The first note had been an outright deception.

The second was a betrayal of friendship and trust, borne out of coveting one person, and envying another.

She held the pen above the fresh sheet of paper for a brief moment, before disguising her handwriting to set down the words: