Queens of Crime: 3-Book Thriller Collection. Kimberley Chambers

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СКАЧАТЬ and Roy, and unlike Vinny, he also had a heart. ‘If Dad is as ill as Roy reckons, then we have to be there for him. I know he wasn’t the perfect father and the way he treated Mum was bang out of order, but he certainly ain’t the devil. He was just a drunk and a womanizer, and if truth be known I’ve really missed him.’

      Vinny shook his head in mock disbelief. ‘You’re a sucker for punishment, Michael, you always was when it came to Dad. Changing the subject, who is this new bird of yours? It had better not be the tart whose parents used to run that café. You haven’t disobeyed my orders, have you, Michael?’ Vinny asked, his voice full of accusation and anger.

      Michael wanted to blurt out the truth, but he had sworn to Nancy only yesterday to keep their relationship a secret for the time being and he couldn’t break his promise to her. ‘No, of course not. My new girlfriend comes from Hainault and her name is Lydia,’ he lied.

      ‘Right, what I suggest we do is the three of us go and speak to Mum together. However she reacts, without us influencing her in any way, shape, or form is what we end up doing, OK?’ Vinny said. He then turned back to Michael. ‘As for you, if I find out you are lying to me, and this Lydia bird is just a figment of your imagination, there’ll be trouble, Michael, and I mean that with all my heart.’

      Mary Walker hugged her son and wished him a lovely time. Christopher had just been promoted in his scout group and now proudly wore a stripe on his shirt. Today, he was off on a camping trip.

      Donald put an arm around Mary’s shoulders as they both waved to Christopher. ‘What a fine child we have created there, my love. A pillar of society is Christopher. What a shame our Nancy doesn’t have the same values.’

      ‘Oh, don’t keep picking on Nancy, Donald. She might be a little more headstrong than Christopher, but so are most girls of her age. She is just finding her feet in life, that’s all,’ Mary insisted.

      ‘And do most girls of Nancy’s age tell blatant lies to their parents? You know as well as I do, Mary, that our daughter has some boyfriend on the go. So, why the big secrecy about him? He must either be a lot older than her, or he is some hellraiser from a damn awful family.’

      Mary turned to face her husband. Donald did have a tendency to let his mind run away with him at times. ‘Look, I am sure Nancy will tell us about him when she is good and ready. I bet the reason she is too frightened to say anything is because of your awkward match-making skills with that bloody Roger.’

      ‘What do you mean by bloody Roger? He is a fine young man, as well you know. That lad will make a fantastic husband and father one day.’

      ‘Yes, but our Nancy doesn’t seem to think so, does she, Donald? And do you know what? I don’t blame her for standing her ground one little bit. I wouldn’t fancy Roger if I was in Nancy’s shoes either. Have you looked at our daughter lately? She is a stunning young woman with a vibrant personality, so why should she settle for an average-looking, boring lad like Roger?’

      Donald tutted, shook his head in despair, then went out the back to do some stock-taking. He didn’t understand a woman’s way of thinking. Never had and never would.

      In the heart of Essex, Johnny Preston was in a pub that he didn’t usually frequent, deep in thought. It was over five and a half years now since he had left the hustle and bustle of London for the tranquillity of life in Tiptree and he had hated virtually every second of it.

      At first, it had been bearable. His family were safe. Nobody knew who they were from Adam, and that was all that mattered. Then, he’d had a massive fall-out with his sister over a bloke she had met on holiday at Butlins. The argument had turned nasty and Johnny had ended up hospitalizing his sister’s new beau. His mother had been furious, and when his sister had decided to move to Suffolk to be near her new man, his mum had opted to move there as well. Johnny was a man to hold a grudge, and had never spoken to his mother or sister since the day they had left Tiptree. He had bent over backwards to take care of them, and in his eyes they had thrown his kindness back in his face.

      Seeing a blonde bird who was standing at the bar smile at him, Johnny gave her figure the once-over then smiled back at her. He still had his good looks and had succumbed to many a one-night stand since moving to Tiptree.

      Trying to struggle with temptation, Johnny sank his pint and went to the toilet. It was all his wife’s fault that he couldn’t keep his penis in his pants. Deborah was a good wife, a great mother, but had let herself get so fat that physically she made Johnny feel sick.

      ‘Hello, handsome. I haven’t seen you in here before,’ the woman said, approaching Johnny as he walked back to his seat.

      Johnny grinned, then began a conversation while studying the woman closely. She was certainly no oil painting up close, but she was better than what he had on offer back home. Johnny glanced at his watch. He’d had far too much to drink to head back to London tonight now anyway. The best thing he could do to take his mind off stuff was drown his sorrows, have one last fling, and then tomorrow he could plan his revenge.

      Needing some space to clear his jumbled-up thoughts, Vinny told his brothers he had some personal business to attend to, and would meet them at their mum’s house that afternoon. Usually, Vinny would inform his brothers of any foul play he intended to be involved with, but for once he had decided to keep his cards close to his chest. What he had planned for Karen was a bit below the belt even by his standards, and apart from his pal Ahmed, whom Vinny trusted implicitly, the fewer people that knew about it, the better.

      Driving along the Whitechapel Road, Vinny spotted his mother walking along laden with carrier bags. He pulled over and opened his driver’s-side window. ‘Mum, jump in. I’m on my way to yours.’

      Queenie dumped her bags on Vinny’s back seat, and grinned as she saw some of the passers-by staring at her son’s new car. All her boys now had flashy top-of-the-range motors and that made Queenie extremely proud. ‘I’m glad I’ve caught you alone, Vinny. I need you to do me a couple of big favours.’

      ‘What?’

      ‘One, I want you to throw our Roy a surprise engagement family get-together, and secondly I need you to give our Lenny a job at the club. Vivvy’s been worried sick about him recently. She reckons he is picking up bad habits off them kids he mixes with at that school. He needs something to stimulate his mind properly, boy. Been performing something rotten since he found out his father’s been murdered. Keeps cocking his leg up in the air and pissing like a dog, he does.’

      Vinny turned right and pulled up outside his old club. ‘Looks a shithole now, don’t it, Mum? I’ve heard it might close down soon. Such a shame. Good little club that was when I owned it. Yeah, I’ll organize something for Roy. Just leave it with me.’

      ‘And what about Lenny?’

      Vinny turned to his mum and smiled. ‘How about I employ Champ as our little handy-man? He can do a bit of everything then. He can collect the bottles and glasses, help with changing the barrels and stocking the bar up. He can even do a bit of DJ-ing if it makes him happy.’

      Queenie hugged her son. ‘Oh, that’s brilliant, Vin. Vivvy will be made up. You’re a good boy, you are. Heart of gold, you’ve got.’

      ‘Talking of which, I’m giving Karen a job behind the bar. She wants to see more of Little Vinny, so I said she can pop round to yours for an hour or so to see him before she starts work. Is that OK? I don’t want her taking him out alone, and I won’t worry so much if you’re there to keep an eye out.’

      Queenie’s СКАЧАТЬ