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‘Don’t worry, she’ll be OK in a minute,’ Jed soothingly told Frankie.
‘What’s a gorjer? I’m sure you told me once before, but I’ve forgotten,’ Frankie asked. She already knew from Jed’s expressions that dinlo meant stupid.
‘It just means a non-gypsy girl. You sit ’ere a minute while I go and sort it out,’ Jed said.
As Frankie sat alone in the dining room, she put her head in her hands. Apart from Jimmy, who didn’t say very much, Jed’s family were just awful, and for the first time since she’d met Jed, Frankie had doubts as to what she’d let herself in for.
Another person in the middle of a crisis was Raymond, who was currently pacing up and down his deceased sister’s living room. It was Polly’s mum’s birthday that night, and he was meant to be taking them to a select West End restaurant.
‘You ain’t gonna leave me here on my own with Nan, are you, Ray?’ Joey asked solemnly.
Shaking his head, Raymond sat on the sofa. His fucked-up family were doing his head in lately, and all their dramas certainly weren’t doing his relationship any good. Ray picked up his mobile. Polly was sure to be well pissed off when he told her he had to cancel yet again.
Desperate for a bit of privacy, Raymond told Joey to take the dogs out for a quick walk. As soon as the door slammed, he made the call.
‘I’m sorry, babe, but I don’t think I can get there tonight. Me mum’s ill; I’m round there at the moment. The doctor’s upstairs with her as we speak.’
‘Oh Raymond, you must come. It doesn’t matter if you get there late. What’s wrong with your mum? Is she really ill or is it just flu or something?’
Raymond rubbed his tired eyes. He loved Polly and would be devastated if she grew sick of his problems and binned him. He debated whether to tell his girlfriend the truth, but quickly decided against it. How could he tell her that his father had fucked off and his mother had taken a hammer to the old man’s pigeon shed? Polly’s parents had their faults. Her mum was a big drinker and her dad was a bit of a know-all but, compared to his own parents, they were reasonably normal.
‘I think it’s all the grief caught up with her. She had a funny turn today and fainted. Joey’s here on his own with her. I can’t leave him, Polly.’
‘Where’s your dad?’ Polly asked. ‘Can’t he look after her?’
‘No, he’s got a few problems of his own, so he’s had to go away for a few days. I’m so sorry, Polly. I’ll make it up to you, I promise, babe.’
Polly, for once, wasn’t so understanding. ‘I’m furious, Raymond, absolutely furious,’ she screamed, as she slammed the phone down.
Pissed off with events, Raymond went into the kitchen and poured himself a large Scotch. To say his life had been difficult recently was a huge understatement. Polly was the only thing that even got him through the days, and he knew it was time to reward her patience and perhaps propose.
Ray took a swig of his drink as he heard the doctor coming down the stairs. ‘Well?’ he asked hopefully.
‘I’ve sedated your mother and she seems comfortable. She’s probably just suffering from a mixture of stress and grief. Losing a child affects people in different ways and it might have caused a minor breakdown. I suggest we see how she is in the morning and go from there. I’ve done all I can for now, but she might need to be hospitalised for a short period. I know a very good psychiatrist and I’ll leave you his card just in case you need to contact him.’
Raymond thanked the doc and showed him to the door. Polly and her parents would be well impressed if they knew that his mother was on the verge of being shoved in a loony bin.
When Joey returned with Bruno and Buster, Raymond spoke to him gently. ‘Listen, mate, Nanny’s fine. The doctor’s given her something to calm her down. Now I think the best thing I can do is shoot over to your grandad’s and see if I can sort things out between them. You don’t wanna be stuck here with your nan and neither do I. If Grandad comes back, he can take care of her.’
Joey looked scared. ‘What if she wakes up while you’re gone? You’ve seen what she’s done to the shed, Ray. What if she goes off her head again?’
‘She won’t,’ Raymond said confidently.
Approximately half a mile down the road, Frankie’s night was going from bad to worse. Shannon was now extremely drunk and kept throwing nasty little digs her way. Jed was oblivious to what his sister-in-law was up to. He was too wrapped up discussing business with his dad and brother. As the three men stood up to leave the table, Frankie’s heart lurched. Surely he wasn’t going to leave her alone with his mum and Shannon.
Noticing her look of despair, Jed called her into the hallway. ‘What’s a matter, babe?’
‘Where you going?’ Frankie asked him fearfully.
Jed put his arms around her and squeezed her buttocks against his groin. ‘I won’t be long. I’m only going in the lounge to have a game of cards with me dad and Bill.’
‘Please don’t leave me on my own, Jed. Your sister-in-law really doesn’t like me. Ever since I said I thought she was pregnant, she’s been saying horrible stuff and giving me daggers. I feel like a gooseberry with her and your mum. I don’t really know ’em that well, so can’t I just go back to the trailer?’
Jed pulled away from her. ‘No, you can’t, Frankie. Me mum’s just cooked you dinner and if you fuck off, it’s rude. We’re living together now, so you’re gonna have to get used to our way of life. It’s the norm in travelling families for the women to sit chatting and the men to go off and do other stuff. You’ve gotta learn to mix better. If Shannon gives you a hard time, then give it to her back.’
Frankie’s eyes welled up, but in seconds tears were replaced by fire. ‘OK, I’ll be polite, but if she keeps getting on my case, then I’ll tell her her fortune. And as for your mum telling me she needs to give me cooking lessons otherwise you’ll leave me, if she starts again, I’ll tell her an’ all.’
Frankie went to walk away, but Jed violently yanked her back by the arm. ‘Say what you like to Shannon, but don’t you ever disrespect my mum, else you’ll have me to deal with.’
Shocked by the way he’d grabbed her and the look on his face, Frankie lowered her eyes. ‘Of course I won’t, Jed. I’m sorry.’
As Jed kissed her and went off to play cards, Frankie wandered back into the kitchen.
‘There you are,’ Alice said, patting the seat next to her.
Shannon glared at Frankie. ‘Now you’re back, gorjer girl, I’m going outside for a smoke.’
Alice smiled as Shannon left the room. ‘Between me and you, I’ve never liked Shannon that much. Old shitty drawers is my nickname for her. Jimmy’s great-great-grandfather was Irish, but why my Billy married an Irish tinker, I’ll never know. They ain’t decent travellers like us English ones. Scum, they are. Take no notice of her behaviour. She’s just jealous because you’re prettier than her,’ she whispered to Frankie.
Shocked by Jed’s mother’s kindness, Frankie was lost for words. She didn’t want to involve herself too much in family business she knew nothing about, and Alice had been all over Shannon like a rash earlier.
‘Where’s Jed’s other brother, Marky?’ she asked Alice.
‘Oh, Marky can’t make it. Rang up over an hour a go, he did. His youngest chavvie, Teddy boy, fell over. Got a big gash down his leg, he has, and they’ve taken him up the hospital.’
Frankie didn’t know how to react. ‘Will he be OK?’ she whispered.
Alice laughed. ‘Teddy’s a tough kid. He’ll be fine. You just worry about yourself and that grandchild of mine, Frankie. I dunno if Jed’s told you, but I can see the future. My grandma was the same, and her mum before her. It’s a gift that’s been passed down through the generations. You know I told you earlier that the nurse asked me if I wanted to know the sex of my child when I miscarried. Well, I already knew it was a girl. Jimmy didn’t believe me – that’s why I wanted ’em to confirm it. I also knew that my pregnancy was cursed. I kept telling my Jimmy, but he wouldn’t listen.’
Alice smiled sadly and held Frankie’s hand. ‘I know you’re having a little girl, Frankie. I can sense it, in fact I’ve never been so sure of anything in me life.’
Frankie’s eyes were as big as flying saucers. ‘But, how do you know?’ she asked. Alice was staring at her and completely freaking her out.
Alice chuckled. ‘Because I do. Now listen to me, I know you ain’t got your own mum to help out, but I want you to know I’ll be there for you every step of the way. I’ll teach you everything you need to know, and between me and you, that little girl will want for nothing.’
Frankie nodded dumbly.
Alice took another gulp of wine, then continued. ‘If you ever wanna talk to your mum, you just ask me, and I’ll sort it. I speak to the dead on a regular basis, you know. People come from all over to see me. It’s a gift, Frankie, a special gift.’
When Shannon walked back in, Frankie was actually pleased to see her. ‘I won’t be a minute, I’m just going to the toilet,’ she said as she ran out the room.
Frankie locked the bathroom door and put her head in her hands. Alice had given her the heebies. Thinking of her own mother, Frankie began to cry. She had never truly appreciated her when she was alive, but she did now. Feeling extremely disturbed by Alice’s comments, Frankie stared at the ceiling. ‘Mum, if you’re up there and you can see or hear me, I just want you to know that I miss you and I love you very much,’ she whispered.
Jed’s arrival stopped her from saying any more. ‘You in there, Frankie? Are you OK?’ he shouted.
‘Won’t be a sec,’ Frankie replied.
Wiping her eyes with toilet paper, Frankie quickly pulled herself together. Her mum was dead, her dad was in prison, and there wasn’t anything she could do to change that. As she unlocked the bathroom door, Jed took her in his arms.
‘I’ve finished playing cards now, so shall we go back to the trailer?’
Frankie clung to him. The whole get-together had been horrific from start to finish. The company, the conversation, and even Alice’s lamb stew had all left a bitter taste in her mouth. Jed’s family were not her type of people and, to put it bluntly, Frankie couldn’t get away from them quickly enough.
Raymond checked his watch as he sat in the restaurant with Polly and her family. He couldn’t be too long, it wasn’t fair on Joey. He had popped in to see his dad earlier and had begged him to return to the house in Rainham, but Stanley was having none of it.
‘You should have heard the things she said to me, Raymond. I hate to say it, but your mother is a wicked, vicious woman, with a tongue like acid. I want no more to do with her. She’s never supported me, all she’s ever done is put me down, and if it weren’t for her encouraging Jess to marry Eddie in the first place, your sister would still be alive.’
Surprised by the change in his usually mild-mannered father, Raymond had left shortly afterwards. Polly was ignoring his calls, and he needed to make things OK with her. His girlfriend had been delighted when he’d turned up unexpectedly at the restaurant. He’d been too late for the meal – they’d already eaten – but even so, Polly had made a real fuss of him.
Squeezing Polly’s hand now, Raymond smiled at her. ‘I’m gonna have to make a move soon, babe. I can’t leave Joey alone with Mum for too long.’
Polly was well over her earlier strop. ‘I understand, but thanks for coming, Ray. It means such a lot to me.’
Raymond said his goodbyes to her family and urged Polly to follow him outside, where he kissed her tenderly. ‘Keep Saturday free. I’ve got a nice surprise for you,’ he whispered.
Polly smiled. She just loved Raymond’s surprises.
Aware of his nan screaming obscenities and her footsteps plodding down the stairs, Joey was frozen to the armchair. His uncle Raymond said he wouldn’t be long, but he’d been gone for almost three hours.
As Joyce threw open the living-room door, Buster and Bruno cowered in the corner. They might be Rottweilers, but they were no match for Joyce.
Seeing the look on his nan’s face, Joey’s voice shook. ‘Are you OK, Nan?’ he stuttered. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘OK? OK? Do I look fucking OK?’ Joyce screamed.
Petrified, the dogs legged it out of the room, quickly followed by Joey. His hands were shaking as he dialled his uncle Raymond’s number. Unfortunately, for Joey, Raymond’s mobile was switched off.
‘Stop it, Nan, stop it,’ he screamed, as he heard the glass and china being smashed.
Joey peeped round the door and saw that she was trashing the room. ‘Please don’t do that, Nan. You’re really frightening me,’ he begged.
Joyce took no notice. Her eyes were glazed and she was away with the fairies. ‘Look at this photo, with your grandad and your father in it. Both arseholes!’ she screamed, jumping up and down on the frame.
Worried for his own safety and that of the dogs, Joey picked up the phone and dialled 999.
‘You have to help me. My nan’s smashing the house up, she’s gone loopy,’ he cried.
CHAPTER FIVE (#ulink_711f3110-9406-534f-80ad-a56f6e7f6756)
Eddie Mitchell sat alone in the prison canteen. He was fully aware that he was the centre of attention and that a lot of the lags were gossiping about him. He didn’t care, though, they could say what they liked, as long as they left him alone.
‘Do you mind if I sit ’ere, Ed?’
Ed looked up and nodded at Bertie Simms to sit down. Bertie had been good friends with Ed’s dad, Harry, and Eddie remembered him coming to the house regularly when he was a kid.
‘How you doing, Ed? I’m so sorry to hear about what happened.’
Eddie nodded and carried on eating his breakfast.
‘How’s Gary and Ricky doing?’ Bertie asked, not knowing what else to say.
‘All right. They’re coming up to see me later today. They’ve took over the business for me. They’ll do a good job, they’re good lads.’
Seeing Big Bald Baz and his cronies sniggering at them two tables away, Bertie leaned forward and spoke in a whisper. ‘Listen, Ed, I think you should know that Baz, your cellmate, has been taking the right piss out of ya behind your back. He’s been telling everyone that you’ve lost the plot, mate. Reckon’s he’s gonna do you in the shower room with a tool, he does. I heard him saying some terrible stuff about your Jessica the other day, and he was also taking the piss about your old man being murdered.’
Eddie digested the information, but said nothing. Inside he was fuming. How dare anyone say stuff about his beautiful wife, or his poor old dad? Couldn’t people just let them rest in peace?
‘We go back years me and you, Ed. I know what happened must be fucking awful for ya, but I also know you’re no man’s fool. Don’t let some shitbag like Baz mug you off. If you do, we both know that there’s many others in here waiting to jump on the bandwagon. Take my advice – sort it out before it’s too late.’
Eddie’s eyes wandered to the table where the laughter was coming from. He briefly locked eyes with Big Bald Baz, then quickly looked away. It was in that split second that Ed felt the fire return to his belly. He’d get through his stretch – he had to. He was Eddie Mitchell, for fuck’s sake.
Frankie sat nervously in the Albion pub. She hadn’t seen Joey since the night she’d left home, and she was both anxious and excited. She’d rung the house this morning praying that her brother would answer and, as luck would have it, he had.
‘Can you talk? It’s me,’ she’d asked cautiously.
At the sound of his sister’s voice, Joey had burst into tears. ‘It’s been awful here without you, Frankie. Nanny’s gone off her rocker and I’m so unhappy.’
Frankie told him to meet her at the pub at one o’clock and to pack some of her clothes in a sports bag. She also told him to charge up her mobile and bring the phone and her charger with him. ‘Oh, and Joey, don’t forget my new trainers, the Adidas ones.’
Because his uncle Raymond had come into the room, Joey abruptly ended the phone call. ‘I’ll see you at one then, Wesley,’ he’d lied. Raymond would have gone apeshit if he had known Joey was helping Frankie out. He blamed her and Jed for Jessica’s death and everything else that had happened since.
As soon as Joey walked into the boozer, Jed stood up.
‘I’ll leave yous two to it. Ring me when you want picking up,’ he told Frankie.
As Jed left, Frankie and Joey clung to each other.
‘I’ve missed you so much,’ Joey said, his eyes brimming with tears.
Aware that some of the pub regulars were staring their way, Frankie pulled away from her brother and sat down.
‘Did you bring everything I asked for?’ she asked, nodding towards the sports bag.
‘The only thing I couldn’t find was your Fila tracksuit top. I brought everything else, though.’
Frankie thanked him and went to get them both a drink. ‘Where’s my phone?’ she asked, as she handed Joey his vodka.
Joey found it for her, then launched into the story of their nan. ‘She just went bananas, Frankie. You wanna see what she did to Grandad’s pigeon shed. The doctor came and sedated her, but while Raymond was out she woke up again. She started smashing up the house and I was petrified.’
‘How is she now?’ Frankie asked genuinely concerned.
‘I don’t really know. I rang the police and they rang an ambulance. Ray had come back by the time the paramedics arrived. She was like a woman possessed, lashing out at everyone. She wouldn’t get in the ambulance, and I think they had to hold her down and give her an injection. I wasn’t there when they took her. I got a bit upset, so Ray sent me upstairs with the dogs.’
‘So, who’s staying with you now?’ Frankie asked. She was feeling more guilty by the minute for leaving Joey.
‘Ray and Grandad have been taking it in turns to stay at the house with me. Grandad wants me to live in Upney with him, but I don’t wanna leave the house. I hate Upney and I’ve got no friends over that way.’
Frankie nodded understandingly. She couldn’t believe that her grandparents had split up after all these years and, as for her nan going mad, the whole situation felt surreal. ‘Go and order us some more drinks and some food. I’ll have a quarter pounder with cheese and chips,’ she told her brother, handing him one of the twenty-pound notes Jed had given her.
