Lizzie's War (8 page)

*

‘Right,' Ed said when she told him the next day. ‘I'll go round this evening and sort things out with Oliver, Lizzie – and I'll be walking you to the stop every night now.'

‘That man warned me that he'd always be there, waiting for me,' Lizzie said. ‘Do you think I should go to the police?'

‘It's disgusting, threatening a decent girl like you – and you a widow…' Ed said. ‘I can't see that going to the police would do a lot of good, Lizzie. They might come round, take a statement and keep watch for a few nights – but that sort knows to stay in the shadows when coppers are about. He would wait until they gave up and then come after you again. If we want protection we'll have to pay for it – and once
that type
get their claws into you, you might find yourself in a worse place.' Lizzie knew he meant the criminal types who would offer protection to a business for payment. ‘It might be that someone is trying to put the squeeze on you – a protection racket…'

‘Oh no, not that,' Lizzie groaned. ‘Surely they wouldn't bother with us – we've only just started to trade. We don't earn enough to make it worth their while – do we?'

She knew that some businesses in London did pay protection money to racketeers, but they usually went after club owners and successful restaurants and pubs. As yet she was only a small wholesaler and if she had to pay protection money she might as well close her doors. Lizzie didn't feel that it was a petty criminal threatening her – but someone with a personal grudge, and the only person she could think of was Harry's uncle.

‘Who knows?' Ed shrugged. ‘First off I'll pay Oliver a visit and warn him to leave you alone and then we'll see. I could ask around a bit. I've kept out of their way, but there was a time when I knew people – the wrong sort of people, Lizzie. I could see if some of my old contacts have heard anything…'

‘Just talk to Harry's uncle,' Lizzie said, ‘and then we'll see…' She wasn't sure it would do much good, but as long as Ed kept his temper and didn't hit him it surely couldn't make things worse. Ed wasn't usually a bad-tempered man, but she knew he felt protective of her and it had upset him to hear that she was being threatened.

*

Ed met her the next morning as she arrived at her premises and told her about the row he'd had with his former employer, Lizzie was speechless and then she started to laugh when he told her the reason for their quarrel.

‘Oh, Ed, that is just so ridiculous that it would be funny – if it weren't so serious. He must be losing his mind… to accuse us of having an affair!'

‘He means it, Lizzie, and he's tellin' everyone who will listen that we're lovers…'

‘How could he be so unfair?' Lizzie asked. ‘I do love you as a friend and I respect you as a colleague, Ed – but I'm not in love with you and you aren't with me either. It would be an insult to Madge's memory to think you would do something like that so soon after…'

‘That's what I told him, Lizzie,' Ed said, a tiny pulse throbbing in his neck. ‘To say such a thing about you… I'd have thumped him, but to tell you the truth he looks ill. I think he's taken on too much and he can't cope – and he's let Harry's death fester inside him until he's so bitter he can't see the truth even if it's in front of him.'

‘Yes, I think that must be his problem,' Lizzie said. ‘He's working too hard, worried about his business and grieving all at the same time. I understand the bitterness, but sending someone to threaten me…'

‘No, I don't think that was Oliver,' Ed said and looked thoughtful. ‘I asked him straight out and said we were going to the police and he looked shocked. Told me he would ruin your business if he could by blackening your reputation, but he swore he hadn't sent someone to break your shop window or threaten you…'

‘Did you think he was telling the truth?'

‘Yes, I did think so…' Ed hesitated, then, ‘He almost looked upset at the thought. Told me I should go to the police because there were some nasty types about…'

‘What did he mean by that? Lizzie wondered aloud. ‘I think I shall have to talk to the police – and perhaps you should ask people you know, see if anyone has been noticed hanging around…'

‘Mary has gone home with Mum,' Beth greeted Lizzie with the news when she walked in that evening. ‘The hospital let her go because she promised to stay with Mum for a while, until she feels better again.'

‘I'm glad she's out of the hospital. If they'd decided she needed treatment at a mental institution…' Lizzie shuddered at the idea. ‘Thank goodness for that, Beth.'

‘Mum said she'll have the children again as soon as she can – but we could leave them with a neighbour for a while if you need me back in the showroom.'

‘I'm not sure,' Lizzie said. ‘What do you feel, Beth? Perhaps we should interview a few people or look for a nursery?'

‘Mum will have them again soon. I just thought you might feel I was letting you down?'

‘I want you back at work, of course I do,' Lizzie said. ‘But I'd rather you stayed here to look after the children until your mum can take over again, love. I don't trust other people with our babies…'

‘All right then,' Beth said. ‘You're the boss…'

‘We do everything together,' Lizzie said. ‘I was thinking we ought to have them all christened soon, ask the vicar if he will do it all on one day. Perhaps the twins' birthday in June…'

‘Lovely idea,' Beth said. ‘It would cheer us all up to have something nice to think about…' She yawned and stretched. ‘Do you think Hitler's lot will let us have a bit of rest tonight?'

‘God knows what will happen if they don't soon let up,' Lizzie said. ‘Did you hear the news? Half of London was on fire this morning, one of the worst raids we've had since the Blitz started.'

‘The papers say Hitler's claiming it's in reprisal for us bombing their towns. I don't know who's to blame, I just wish it would stop…'

Lizzie shook her head and went upstairs because she could hear one of the children crying. Betty was sleeping peacefully and Lizzie resisted the urge to pick her up and cuddle her. Jenny was fretful and when Lizzie touched her forehead, she discovered she felt a bit hot so she picked her up and took her downstairs.

‘She's awake again then,' Beth frowned as she saw that Lizzie had brought her daughter down. ‘It took me ages to get her off and…' she broke off as the doorbell rang. ‘I'll go – it might be Bernie…'

Lizzie was sitting nursing the baby when Mary walked in. Her eyes went to Jenny, who had quietened, her eyes closed and for a moment a look of sheer envy showed on her pale face, but in an instant it had gone.

‘I came round because Mum said you were staying off work to look after the children,' she said. ‘I wanted to tell you there's no need. Mum can come round here or have them at home. I'm going back to my house tomorrow.'

‘But the hospital let you go because you promised to stay with Mum…'

‘Who cares what they said,' Mary shrugged. ‘I'm fine now, Beth. Can I hold Jenny for a bit?'

Beth hesitated and Lizzie knew she wanted to refuse, but she met Lizzie's eyes and then nodded. ‘All right, but Lizzie has just got her to stop crying. Please don't upset her.'

‘She's hot, probably teething,' Mary said and there was resentment in her eyes as she looked at her sister. ‘I do know a bit about children. I was on the children's ward until I got pregnant.'

‘I'm so sorry for your dreadful loss,' Lizzie said as she handed over the baby. ‘It's very hard for you… if there's anything we can do…'

‘Oh, well, I suppose it happens,' Mary said carelessly, but she looked down at the baby with such intensity that Lizzie felt a jolt of fear. It just wasn't natural that she should look at her sister's child that way.

‘Come up with me and we'll put her back in her cot,' Beth said. ‘Come on, Mary. She needs her sleep…'

The two sisters went up the stairs together. Lizzie made a fresh pot of tea but Mary refused the offer when she came down. ‘No thanks, I've been drinking tea all day. Remember what I said, I'm going home so you can bring them round to Mum and go to work – it's quite safe…'

Lizzie and Beth looked at each other as she left. It was obvious to both of them that Mary still wasn't right, even though she was pretending she was over the worst.

*

Beth washed her hair before she went to bed that evening. She hadn't much time to look after it lately, because of all the visits to the hospital and having three young children to care for. She was in two minds about leaving the children with her mother, because something kept niggling at the back of her mind – something in the way Mary had looked at Jenny.

She knew that Lizzie had noticed it too, but being Lizzie she hadn't said anything. Beth didn't want to worry her, because Lizzie had enough to cope with. Beth was well aware that the business wasn't doing as well as it had at the start – and she knew her friend was hiding something, even though Lizzie wouldn't say what. Once things were back to normal she'd get it out of her – but was it too soon to return to work? Yet no one could force Mary to stay at home and be fussed over if she didn't want it.

Beth was thoughtful as she sat drying her hair. It had got a bit long recently and she ought to have it trimmed; it was less trouble when it was shorter, but she'd let it grow because Bernie liked it long and shiny – like spun gold, he said when he'd come round a few weeks earlier and found her just after she'd washed it.

Bernie was pressing hard for marriage. Beth couldn't blame him, because he'd been patient for a long time, but she still didn't feel like giving him an answer. The truth was that he was good to her and she found it useful when he ran her about in his car – but did she want to be his wife?

Beth knew she would have to give him an answer soon. It would make sense to say yes, because she wasn't likely to find anyone else to take her on with another man's children. The man she'd once believed she was in love with certainly wasn't interested; he'd been angry because she'd fallen for Mark and had his twins. Tony had told her bluntly when she was pregnant that he wouldn't be such a fool. Beth sighed and a sharp surge of regret went through her. Tony had been so impatient because she wouldn't go to bed with him; they'd quarrelled, and he'd stopped coming round, and that was when she'd gone to the party at Mr Winters' house and met Mark. Sometimes she wished she'd never met Mark, never fallen in love with him – and if she could go back, she certainly wouldn't be as careless again. She had loved Mark but she'd been too reckless and it had been a heavy price to pay, losing him too soon and having to bear the shame of her condition. Yet she loved the twins and wouldn't be without them, which was a complete contradiction and made her laugh and throw off her reflective mood.

She had time enough to make up her mind, and she wasn't sure what she was waiting for; it was just something inside her that held her back every time she was on the verge of telling Bernie that she would marry him. Perhaps she was a fool to hesitate; her parents had made it clear they thought she should marry him for the sake of her children.

They would be a year old in June and were already difficult to control. When they started running around and getting into mischief they would be a handful and she wasn't sure whether her mother would cope, which would make it difficult for Beth to work. Perhaps they did need a father and at least Bernie was prepared to take them on, which a lot of men wouldn't.

*

‘You told me you'd soon have her in the palm of your hand,' the man in a suit said glaring at the thin man with the scar on his cheek. His light topaz eyes glittered with anger. ‘I haven't seen any signs that she's running scared. In fact, I've reason to believe that she intends to carry on regardless of your efforts…'

‘I smashed her winder, got a floosy of mine to steal from her – and I give her a warning the other night afore she caught the tram. If yer give me the word, I'll mark her,' Norm muttered and fingered the knife he always wore strapped to his arm inside his left sleeve. ‘One word and she's dead.'

‘If you so much as touch her with that knife, I'll make sure the cops know where to find you,' Norm's employer muttered. ‘I want her scared. I want her out of business – but I want her alive and unmarked. Is that clear?'

‘Yeah,' Norm scowled, annoyed because he wanted to do more than throw a scare into that defiant little bitch. He could just imagine her struggling, clawing at him with her nails while he thrust into her and then…' Norm licked his lips, because he knew the pleasure it would give him to cut her – tiny cuts that went on and on for a long time and in the end one swift sharp one across her throat. Just the way he'd done for the lying whore Nancy after she'd run to the police with her tales of a beating. Nancy was at the bottom of the river now, good riddance. The police were looking for Norm but they hadn't cottoned on that Nancy was missing. Who would miss one more little bitch? Once he'd got the money this devil had promised him, he would be off to another big city where he could start over…

‘Do some more damage to the shop,' his employer instructed. ‘I want her out of business and I'm running out of patience.'

Norm regarded him curiously. No one who didn't know the secret side of this man would guess at what he did in the shadows. Openly respectable, he was a cruel devil and Norm respected him because he knew what he was capable of if pushed to take action himself. He liked to keep his hands clean and paid others to do his dirty work, but Norm had seen him in action once with the girls that worked for him, and he'd never forgotten it. It was at one of his houses that Norm had first met Nancy, the pretty little whore who had thought she could make a fool of him, and if this man knew what he'd done to her, he'd slit his throat soon as look at him, because the bitch was a good earner on her back for her master. If truth were told, there was something about him that sent the shivers down Norm's spine. He wasn't afraid of much, but he'd take care to stay on the safe side of this one and not just because he hadn't been paid yet.