The Loner (12 page)

‘Yes, you are.’ Taking off her own smart jacket, Judy did the same. ‘Sometimes it’s as if you want to fight the world.’

Annie shrugged it off. ‘I bags first swig of the pop.’

Handing her the bottle of Tizer, Judy asked, ‘Is there anything wrong? ’Cause if there is, you know you can tell me.’

Judy couldn’t imagine there being anything wrong though, because Annie had a good home and a loving family. And as far as she knew, there was no one at school who gave Annie any trouble. In fact, they all seemed to steer clear of her, because of her trouble making antics.

‘There’s nothing wrong!’ Annie snapped, and she took a long drink from the bottle. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said lamely, handing the bottle back. ‘I don’t mean to moan and grumble, only sometimes I feel so trapped, I just want to take off.’

‘But why? And where would you go?’

There was a long pause before Annie answered, and for a moment it seemed as though she was ready to impart something; a secret that haunted her.

‘Annie, I know there’s something you want to tell me,’ Judy urged. ‘If it’s a secret, I won’t tell anyone- you know that.’

Shaking off the dark mood that threatened to envelop her, Annie took hold of Judy’s hand. ‘There is something I need to tell you,’ she said. ‘It’s just that – well, I want you to know that I could never be angry with
you
,’ she said quietly. ‘You’re the only friend I’ve got.’ Beyond that, she was not forth coming.

Still convinced that Annie was harbouring something too painful to speak about, Judy made a last attempt to get it out of her. ‘Promise me, Annie,’ she urged. ‘If you’re ever worried about anything, you would tell me, wouldn’t you?’

Instead of giving a straight forward answer, Annie replied disarmingly, ‘What is there for me to worry about?’

Judy gave it a thought. ‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘You’re really lucky, Annie. You’ve got an older brother, and you seem such a close family. I wish I had a sister or brother, but there’s only me, now Davie’s gone. Sometimes it feels really lonely, especially at night when I go up to my bedroom, and there’s nobody to talk to. Oh, I know I’ve got me mam and dad, and I love them madly, but it would be nice to have a sister.’

Annie hugged her. ‘And instead you’ve got me,’ she laughed. ‘A loud-mouthed, miserable sod who wants to fight the world. Is that what you’ retrying to say?’

‘You know that’s not what I’m saying.’

‘Well, consider me your sister. How’s that?’

‘That’s just fine.’ And now that it was settled, they sat down to enjoy their food.

For the next hour, they talked and laughed and exchanged confidences, about their favourite film stars and songs. Annie was dead smitten by Guy Mitchell, the handsome American vocalist. Both girls loved listening to
Two-Way Family Favourites
on a Sunday morning, when requests were played by Jean Metcalfe. You had to have someone in the Forces, though, to send in a request.

‘Ooh, I could listen to him all day,’ mooned Annie.

The two girls watched the barges go by, and waved to the man at the tiller, and when the food was finished, they picked up their coats and strolled along the canal towpath. ‘Hey, look lively, you two day dreamers! You’d best move, unless you want trampling to a pulp!’

Leading the horse along the towpath, the bargee had now here to go but onwards. Shafted to a wide strong harness, the huge powerful shire-horse was bent forward, using his great strength to draw the barge along in the water.

Leaping out of the way, the two girls went up on the bank and remained there, until the horse had pulled the barge to a wider part of the canal.

Suddenly, a brightly coloured ball came bouncing past with a little boy chasing it, and behind him ran a woman who caught the boy by the scruff of his neck. ‘What have I told you before, Charlie? You are not to run near the edge of the water.’

Her companion was obviously her husband and the boy’s father; tall and pleasant-looking, he appeared to be in his early forties and in his smart, double-breasted overcoat, he had the air of a successful businessman. ‘Charles! You listen to your mother and do what she tells you!’ Taking the ball from the child, he gave him a stern though not unkind scolding. ‘I intend keeping this until you learn to do as you’re told. It’s for your own good. Now get between me and your mammy.’ He tempered his rebuke with a forgiving smile. ‘You can still see the ducks without diving in amongst them.’

A moment later, with his mammy holding his hand on one side and his daddy holding his other hand, the small boy walked happily along the towpath.

Annie winked at Judy. ‘He’s a bit of all right, don’t you think?’ She gestured to the man. ‘I’ll bet he’s not short of a bob or two neither.’

Judy didn’t think the man was anything special. In fact, compared with Davie’s dad, Don, he wasn’t worth a second glance. Annie was right on one count though, because unlike Don, this man probably
was
worth a bob or two. But Don was far more good-looking for a man of his age; he was full of the Irish blarney, and he had a cheeky smile, just like Davie.

A fleeting thought crossed her mind. What if Don never found out what happened after he left, and what if he and Davie never saw each other again? She swallowed.

Annie linked her arm through her friend’s. ‘You don’t like the look of him, do you?’ she teased.

‘No, I don’t.’ Judy gave a shiver. ‘There’s something about him that gives me the creeps.’ A bit like your brother, she thought – but didn’t say so.

For a while the two girls just wandered and chatted, about this and that and nothing in particular, until Annie suddenly got very excited. ‘Look!’ She pointed to a spot on the other side of the river, surrounded by trees and away from the madding crowd; quiet and secluded, it was a favourite place with fishermen. ‘Isn’t that Lenny?’

Seated on a three-legged stool and lost in thought, Lenny didn’t see them. ‘Hey, Lenny!’ Annie’s distinctive voice sailed across the water. ‘Mind if we keep you company for a while?’

Looking up, Lenny waved them over. He had been feeling lonely, but the sight of the two friends brightened his day. He really liked Judy, though everyone knew she and Davie would be sweet hearts one day. But now Davie was gone, and though he was sorry for what had happened to Davie, he was glad Judy was still here. And as she crossed the bridge towards him, his heart was lurching all over the place.

‘Is there really a need for them to shout like that?’ The woman and her son had heard Annie call out and their attention was drawn to Lenny. ‘Such vulgar behaviour!’

As the girls ran across the bridge and through the field towards Lenny, the man discreetly slowed his step to steal another look at Lenny.

Sensing the man’s eyes on him, Lenny raised his head. For an instant they exchanged glances until unnerved, the man quickly looked away.

‘Stuart?’ His wife’s voice cut through his thoughts.

‘What?’

‘Do you know that young man?’ She had seen him scrutinising Lenny from a distance.

‘Of course I don’t
know
him, Janette.’ The man was obviously irritated. ‘Why in God’s name would I know him?’

‘Do you know the two girls then?’ The woman’s intuition told her that something was untoward. She recalled various other unsettling instances, when her husband had given her reason to doubt his word.

He scowled at her. ‘What’s the matter with you? Sounds like a blasted inquisition! I don’t know that young man, and I don’t know those girls. All right?’

‘I expect so, yes. And there is no need to swear.’

‘Good. So now can we get off home?’

As they walked on, Janette Fitzwilliam gave the impression that she was satisfied with his answer. But she did not believe him. She knew her husband too well. She saw how the colour drained from his face when he looked across the water and suddenly, what had started as a leisurely Saturday afternoon stroll in the park now seemed a frantic rush to get away.

Twice the man discreetly glanced back; his mind alive with dark, intriguing thoughts. His wife had her suspicions, he was sure of it. But for now, what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.

‘Does he know?’ she asked.

Annie shrugged her shoulders. ‘Don’t think so.’

‘Why don’t you tell him then?’

‘I will,’ Annie retorted, ‘when the time is right.’

‘If you really like him, don’t leave it too long, or some other girl will snatch him from under your nose,’ Judy warned.

‘Hmh!’ Annie showed her a bunched fist. ‘Just let them try, that’s all.’

‘You like him
now,
but I bet you’ll fancy somebody else before the week’s out.’ Judy had never met anyone more flippant than Annie.

‘I won’t!’

‘What about I an Lacey?’

‘What about him? Ow!’ Tripping over a stone, Annie picked it up and slammed it into the water. ‘Damned thing, I’ve stubbed my toe now.’

‘I thought you and Ian had taken a shine to each other?’

‘Naw.’ She made a grimace. ‘He’s not my type, and anyway, it’s
you
he’s waiting for.’

Judy smiled. ‘He’ll wait a long time then!’

‘You’ll see,’ Annie chuckled. ‘One of these days, he’ll start making his move.’

‘Then he’s in for a disappointment, ’cause I’m not interested in him, or any other boy for that matter.’

‘Except Davie, eh?’ Annie wouldn’t let it go.

‘Davie is my friend,’ Judy answered loyally.

Annie sighed. ‘All right, if you say so.’

‘I do say so, and I don’t want to talk about it any more.’ She loved Annie. If need be, she would risk her own life to save her. But sometimes, like now, Annie could be really invasive. She didn’t mean to be: it was just her way.

As they closed the gap between Lenny and themselves, Annie lowered her voice. ‘Just look at him,’ she whispered excitedly. ‘Isn’t he gorgeous?’ Her eager eyes appraised Lenny’s strong physique, and the way his thick mop of brown hair fell haphazardly over one eye as he bent to retrieve the keepnet. ‘Who wants Ian Lacey when you can have Lenny Reynolds?’ Annie said dreamily. ‘Lenny’s already finished with school, and he’s really ambitious. He’s already got his own fruit and veg stall on the market.’

She leaned over and whispered in her friend’s ear, ‘I’ve seen him on a Saturday morning. I hide round the corner and watch him. He’s really good at selling. The customers like him…they keep coming back. One woman said she’ll never buy her cabbages from anybody else, ’cause his are the freshest she’s ever had, and the cheapest into the bargain. Oh, Jude, I really do like him!’

Judy was about to giggle about the cabbages, but was glad she didn’t, for just then, Annie fell into a sudden dark mood. ‘Lenny is kind and decent,’ she said harshly. ‘Different from some people who don’t give a bugger!’

Her face contorted with rage, she quickly stooped to collect a handful of stones, which she then impatiently threw one after the other into the water, sending the ducks swimming away in all directions. ‘Some people love to hurt others. They don’t deserve to walk about free…don’t deserve to live!’ The last stone was hurled with such viciousness, it frightened the ducks into the air.

Reaching out, Judy took hold of her hand. ‘Annie, please don’t.’ She saw how nervous the ducks were. ‘There’s no need to take it out on them.’

When she looked up, she was surprised to see that the other girl was actually crying. ‘Who’s hurting you?’ she asked worriedly. ‘What’s going on that you can’t talk to me about?’

‘I’ve already told you – there’s nothing going on.’ Wiping her face with the cuff of her sleeve, Annie took to her heels and ran to where Lenny was collecting his fishing gear. ‘Packing up already?’ she complained. ‘I was hoping you might show me how to catch a fish.’

‘I might have done, but you’ve frightened them all away,’ he chided light-heartedly. ‘The ducks too, by the looks of it.’ Like everyone else he knew how unpredictable Annie could be. Added to that, she had a frightening temper, which was why she had few friends, except for Judy, who was always there for her, loyal and protective. ‘All right, are you, Jude?’ His eager smile was for her and her alone.

Judy returned his smile. ‘Yes, thank you, Lenny.’ Curious, she looked into his keepnet. ‘Did you catch anything?’

‘A few tiddlers,’ he replied. ‘Nowt worth keeping.’ At which he tipped the net into the water and watched the small fish swim away.

For the next half hour, the three of them sat and talked about Lenny’s market-stall, and his plans to open a shop one day. ‘I know how to buy cheap stuff and sell it out for a profit,’ he said proudly. ‘I learn summat new every day.’ He helped himself to a couple of leftover jelly babies.

A short time later, the three of them took a lazy walk to the spinney, and when they came out the other end, they sat on a fallen tree by the river’s edge and dipped their bare toes in the water.

‘I love it out here,’ Lenny confided. ‘I’d like to build a house right in the middle of a field, somewhere nice and peaceful, with plenty of animals, and I’d put a great big fence round it, so no one can get in.’

‘Except me?’ Annie hinted hopefully.

He laughed. ‘All right, except you…and Judy.’ While he talked to Annie, he was thinking of Judy, and when they walked on again, he walked next to her, while Annie pushed up to him on his other side. But he didn’t mind that.

‘Has anyone heard from Davie?’ he wanted to know.

‘Not yet,’ Judy answered. ‘Although he was at his mam’s funeral today. I didn’t get a chance to speak to him, though. But I might be going to see his grandad tonight. Happen he’s heard something.’

‘I’ll walk you there if you like?’

‘I’ll come too,’ Annie offered. ‘We could have fish and chips on the way back.’

‘That would be nice,’ Judy agreed, ‘but I expect I’ll be going with Mam and Dad.’

As always, Annie never missed an opportunity. ‘You can walk me to the chippie later if you like?’ she told Lenny. ‘I might even buy you a bag o’ chips.’

He laughed. ‘All right, if you like. I’ve got nothing else to do, and I hate staying indoors.’
He had good reason for preferring to be outdoors. But he could not discuss that with anyone.

Annie continued to flirt shamelessly with him, while he kept glancing at Judy. Annie seemed too intent on Lenny to notice, and Judy was lost in thoughts about Davie.

At the mouth of the river they went their separate ways. ‘See you outside the corner shop on Derwent Street at six o’clock!’ Annie wasn’t about to let him forget. ‘You haven’t changed your mind, have you?’

‘I said I’d be there and I will.’ It would give him a chance to find out how Judy felt about Davie, he thought. Annie had a big gob on her, and she couldn’t keep a secret. He said his goodbyes and took his leave. With his fishing rod slung over his shoulder, and his wicker basket swinging from his fist, he made a fine figure of a young man.

‘He kept looking at you,’ Annie told Judy. ‘If I didn’t know how besotted you are with Davie, I might have to fight you for him.’

When Judy looked taken aback, Annie flung an arm round her shoulder. ‘Sorry. I wouldn’t fight you, not even if you were to rip out my eyes and leave me for the crows,’ she laughed. ‘All the same…hands off Lenny. He’s mine!’

‘Annie?’

‘What?’

‘Where do you think Davie is now?’

‘Dunno.’

‘Do you think he’s safe?’

Annie shrugged. ‘Dunno,’ she repeated. There followed a brief silence, before she added cheerfully, ‘Look, I know how fond you are of Davie, but there are plenty more fish in the sea. You’ll soon forget him.’

But having said it, Annie knew different.

Judy would
never
forget Davie.

Even if, in the whole of her life, she never saw him again.