Lal, it"s me. Well, is he gonna do it?" Ed asked. Mentioning names on prison phones was a definite no-go, because you never knew who could be listening in.
Larry took a deep breath. He had good news and also some bad news for Eddie and was dreading telling him the latter. The good news is yes, he"s going to do it, Eddie. But I also have some bad news for you."
Spit it out then," Eddie said, immediately agitated. He hated bad news and he"d had enough in the past year to last him a lifetime.
Larry sighed. He was scared of Eddie"s reaction. The prosecution have informed me that Frankie has to stand up in court next week," he said bluntly.
What! No, she can"t," Ed yelled.
Listen, Eddie. This was always a possibility. I know it"s extremely unfortunate, but there"s very little I can do about it, I"m afraid."
I can"t have her face me in court. Do something Lal, anything," Eddie pleaded.
Larry spoke calmly but firmly. It"s out of my hands now, Eddie. I can w.a.n.gle most things, but not this. My advice to you is just be strong. I know it"s an awkward situation, but you have to face it head on. If you don"t, it could spell disaster for all of us."
Overcome by the horror of what he"d just been told, Eddie slammed down the receiver and punched the wall in temper.
Back in Rainham, Frankie"s initial shock over Jed"s behaviour had now turned into wrath. How dare he tell her that she wasn"t allowed to take her own baby out with her brother? Frankie decided enough was enough. She loved Jed immensely, but she needed to start standing up to him. If she didn"t, she would regret it in the future when he started treating her like some kind of doormat.
For the past few weeks, Frankie had felt like a prisoner in her own home. Alice hovering around constantly didn"t help matters. It was almost as though Jed had ordered his mother to keep an eye on her in his absence.
Frankie checked on the sleeping Georgie and then stared at herself in the full-length mirror. Since her pregnancy and her mother"s death, she had let herself go somewhat and she didn"t like what she saw in her reflection.
With fire in her belly for the first time in ages, Frankie put on her faded jeans, black ankle boots and black leather jacket. Jed had fallen in love with the girl she once was, not the girl she was now. She hadn"t worn make-up for months because Jed preferred her without it, but today she decided to put on some blue eyeshadow, black mascara and red lipstick. Sod Jed, she was sick of dancing to his tune. Let him dance to hers, for once.
Just about to finish her outfit off by putting on the gold sovereign earrings that Jed had bought her for Christmas, Frankie was disturbed by the sound of Alice"s coa.r.s.e voice.
Frankie. What you doing? You in there?"
Frankie grimaced and unlocked the trailer door. Joey was picking her up in a taxi at twelve and she still had stuff to do yet. Hi Alice. Do you want a cup of tea?"
Alice looked at her future daughter-in-law in horror. She was dressed and made up like a f.u.c.king tart and was obviously going out gallivanting somewhere.
What you got all that make-up on your face for? You"re not going out whoring while my Jed"s out working, I won"t put up with it."
Determined not to rise to the bait, Frankie kept her cool. My brother and Dominic are picking me up at twelve. They"re taking me and Georgie out for the afternoon."
Alice shook her head in disbelief. Jed had given her strict instructions to look after her granddaughter and Alice was determined to do just that. Now, you listen to me, you can go where you f.u.c.king well like, but that chavvie stays here with her nan," she said bluntly.
Frankie couldn"t believe what she was hearing. Georgie was her baby and she would decide what was best for her child. Struggling to be diplomatic, Frankie tried to keep the fury out of her voice.
Look, Alice, I don"t want to argue with you, but I"m taking Georgie out with my brother whether you like it or not. She"s my baby. I gave birth to her, remember?"
Alice"s lip began to curl with hatred. She"d always told her Jed to find himself a nice travelling girl and look what he"d ended up with. Gorjer girls like Frankie had far too much to say for themselves and Alice silently cursed her son for not listening to her advice in the first place.
Georgie let out a wail and, quick as a flash, Alice ran over to the cot and picked her up. I"m taking her indoors with me," she said, with a face like a rabid Alsatian.
As Georgie started screaming, Frankie began to lose the plot. Give me my baby or I"ll call the f.u.c.king police," she yelled as Alice opened the trailer door.
As the taxi approached the bend, Joey told the driver to slow down. It"s about fifty yards up on your right, mate."
Dominic squeezed Joey"s hand. Baby Georgie had become one of their main topics of conversation recently and both Joey and Dom were thrilled when Frankie had rung them this morning. They had cancelled their original plans, which were to go to a gay bar in Greenwich with their friends, Lee and Cliff. The opportunity to spend the day with baby Georgie was just too good an offer to refuse.
As the taxi pulled onto the drive, Joey"s mouth fell open. Oh my G.o.d, Dom, do something," he shouted. Alice was holding the baby with one arm and pushing Frankie with the other.
Dominic jumped out of the taxi and ran towards Frankie. Leave her alone. What"s going on?"
Frankie was hysterical. She won"t give me Georgie back," she screamed.
Joey had never been one for confrontation, but seeing the state of his sister, he felt his blood boil. He marched over to Alice. Give me the baby now," he yelled.
As Alice"s brazen manner momentarily faltered, Frankie s.n.a.t.c.hed the sobbing child out of her grandmother"s hands.
Go into the trailer and get Georgie"s carrycot, baby bag, my black handbag and phone. They should all be in the bedroom," she ordered Joey.
Dominic put an arm around Frankie"s shoulder and led her over to the taxi. You"re OK now. Me and Joey will take care of you and Georgie," he said comfortingly.
Alice was livid. She loved her granddaughter more than anything else in the world, but she hated her b.l.o.o.d.y mother. Gertcha, you f.u.c.king old rabbit"s crotch. I"m ringing my Jed right this minute to tell him what you"re up to. You don"t deserve a good boy like him," she screamed.
As Joey ran over to the taxi with Frankie"s belongings, he glared at Alice. You leave my sister alone, you horrible cow."
Alice burst out laughing. And what are you gonna do, you big poof? It ain"t natural what you are. G.o.d made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, you f.u.c.king b.u.mboy."
Frankie was distraught. Just drive, will you," she screamed, as Alice approached the car.
The taxi driver was an elderly man in his sixties. To say he was petrified was an understatement. Desperate to escape the woman who was now pummelling against his window with her large fists, he swung the car around and drove off like Ayrton Senna.
Joey told the driver to head towards the Albion pub.
I think we all need a drink after that, don"t you?" he said to Frankie.
Frankie handed Georgie to Dom and clung to her brother. What am I gonna do, Joey? I hate Alice, I"m so unhappy living there with her breathing down my neck all the time. And next week, I"ve gotta face Dad in court. I wish I was dead sometimes; I wish I could be with my mum."
Joey glanced at Dominic. Frankie"s predicament was way beyond his control and as much as he wanted to help her, apart from offering her a place to stay, there was very little else he could do.
A few hundred yards down the road, Joyce and Stanley were having one of their usual little tiffs.
You silly, bald-headed old tosspot. I told you you"d took the wrong turn off, didn"t I?" Joyce yelled.
Stanley sighed. Joycie had driven him mad this morning. He"d planned to meet Jock for a beer, but she"d insisted he drive her to the garden centre in Aveley. She"d then cost him over a hundred quid on plants, gnomes and accessories.
Can"t we do it tomorrow, Joycie? Jock wants me to go and look at a pigeon with him this afternoon," he"d pleaded with her earlier.
Joyce had been adamant that she wanted to go today. I want to get started on that garden as soon as possible. I want it to be a tribute to our Jessica this summer. You and Jock can discuss pigeons tomorrow. Today you"re taking me to the garden centre, Stanley."
Seeing a rabbit run across the road, Stanley winced as he slammed his foot on the brakes to avoid it. What the b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l are you doing? You trying to kill me or what?" Joyce shouted.
Stanley ignored her. There were times when he would gladly love to run over Joycie, but not some poor defenceless little rabbit.
I"m starving and I need a drink. Your driving makes me nervous, Stanley. Drive to that pub you know, the one on the roundabout along the A13."
Stanley nodded. You mean the Albion, my dear."
Watching Dominic and Joey fuss over the baby, Frankie flinched as her phone rang yet again. Jed had been ringing her constantly for the past half an hour and she knew that Alice had told him every little detail of their argument.
Leave it," Joey said, as Frankie debated whether or not to answer it.
Frankie sighed. I can"t exactly ignore him. I"m gonna have to talk to him at some point, aren"t I?"
Joey studied the menu, chose what he wanted and handed it to Dom. Go up the bar and order for us."
As Frankie cradled Georgie, Joey leaned towards her. What you gonna say in court? You know, about Dad?"
Frankie shrugged. I don"t know, I don"t want to think about it. The detective that came to see me was a nice lady and she said I don"t have to say anything bad. All she wants me to do is tell the jury that Dad never liked Jed"s family and was unhappy when me and him got together."
Deep in thought, Joey sipped his lager. He knew what he should do, but he didn"t know if he was brave enough to go through with it.
Frankie could read her brother like a book. What"s the matter?"
Joey shrugged. I feel I should come to court with you. Do you want me to book a day off work?"
Frankie squeezed his hand. Oh, yes please, Joey. I know you can"t stand up and speak for me, but even if you were there and I could look at you, it would help me get through it."
Joey nodded. OK, I"ll come."
Joyce punched Stanley on the arm as he pulled into the pub car park. You can"t park in between those two posh cars with your bleedin" old banger. Park over there, where it"s empty."
Stanley sighed as he reversed his Sierra out from between the Mercedes and BMW. Joycie could be so far shoved up her own a.r.s.e at times, it was a joke. Anyone would think she was Lady b.l.o.o.d.y Diana by the way she behaved. Moving over to the empty s.p.a.ces, Stanley turned the engine off. Ready, dear?" he asked, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Joyce waited for him to open her door and stepped out of the car. She held his arm. I do love you, Stanley, you know," she said fondly.
Inside the pub, Frankie"s phone was still ringing.
Can"t you turn that b.l.o.o.d.y thing off?" Joey asked. He hated Jed; he was frightened of him and Jed"s continuous hounding of Frankie was putting him off eating his fish and chips.
Frankie stood up. Unlike Dom and Joey, she hadn"t ordered any food. She"d had the morning from h.e.l.l and didn"t feel at all hungry.
Look after Georgie for a minute. I"m gonna ring Jed back, Joey. I have to."
Joey shook his head. Why don"t you come and stay with me and Dom? I worry about you, Frankie, living with that awful family, I really do."
Frankie touched her brother"s arm. Jed loves me and I love him. It"s his mother that"s the problem."
About to leave the table, Frankie froze with shock. Oh my G.o.d, Joey. Nan and Grandad have just walked in."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
Jed O"Hara was like a bear with a sore head. He had been trying to ring Frankie for just over an hour now and he was absolutely seething because the b.i.t.c.h wasn"t answering his calls.
His mum had been livid when she"d rung him up earlier. She"s a proper old wh.o.r.e, she is, all tarted up, she was, like a single girl. And the way she spoke to me, Jed! Hurt I was, f.u.c.king hurt. You"ve made a rod for your own back there, son. I told you you should have settled down with a nice travelling girl, didn"t I?"
As Jed tried to ring Frankie once again and got no answer, he threw the phone against the pa.s.senger seat in temper.
Sammy laughed. You wanna give her a right-hander that"ll stop her going out," he said, as Jimmy tried to calm his son down.
Jed was in no mood to be calmed down. He couldn"t believe that Frankie had done exactly what he"d warned her not to. As for shouting at his mother, that was unforgivable. He turned to his dad. Listen, when we get to the yard, I"m gonna borrow the motor and drive back home. I"ll find Frankie, sort her out and then I"ll drive straight back again."
Jimmy nodded sympathetically. He guessed what Jed might do, turned away and smirked. If Jed was with any other girl, Jimmy would have probably warned him to tread carefully, but seeing as it was Eddie Mitch.e.l.l"s daughter, Jimmy didn"t really care how far his son went to teach her a lesson.
Back in Rainham, Stanley was a bundle of nerves as Joey approached the table. He"d spotted Frankie and not wanting any more aggravation, had begged Joyce to let him drive her to another pub. His wife, unfortunately, had been as obstinate as ever.
We"ve got as much right to be in this pub as anyone else," she"d said, plonking herself at a nearby table.
h.e.l.lo Nan, h.e.l.lo Grandad," Joey said, with a hint of awkwardness. Usually, whenever he was in the vicinity, he would arrange to visit his grandparents, but today"s arrangements had been made with such haste, he hadn"t even thought of it.
This is a nice surprise. Planning to visit me and your poor old grandad later, was you?" Joyce asked sarcastically.
Joey sat down at their table. Dom and I didn"t know we were coming down until this morning. It was a last-minute thing."
How very convenient," Joyce mumbled cynically.
Don"t be like that, Nan. Frankie"s really upset, that"s why me and Dom rushed down here. The police are making her stand up in court to face Dad next week. In bits, she is."
Joycie softened slightly. That"s awful. What has she got to say?"
Joey shrugged. Why don"t you speak to her, Nan? The baby"s over there. Georgie is your great-granddaughter and she"s absolutely gorgeous."
Stanley turned to Joyce. Please, Joycie. That baby"s our flesh and blood. We can"t be in the same place and ignore Frankie or the baby, it ain"t right."
Joycie, who had knocked her first gla.s.s of wine back in record time, told Stanley to go up to the bar and get her another.
Shall I order us something to eat as well?" Stanley asked.
Joyce shook her head. She"d been starving earlier, but the situation she now found herself in had taken away any hunger. As her husband walked away, Joyce turned to Joey. How"s she getting on with that Jed and his family?"
Joey had always been extremely loyal to his twin sister, but for once he decided not to be. Between me and you, not great, Nan. The mother"s awful and has been giving Frankie a real hard time. Please try and build some bridges with her. Frankie needs us, I know she does."
Joyce had always liked to be needed. She was also glad that things weren"t that rosy in the O"Hara household. When Stanley returned from the bar, Joyce nudged her grandson. You go back over to Frankie. Give us ten minutes or so and me and your grandad will join you."
Eddie Mitch.e.l.l sat forlornly on the bunk in his cell. He hadn"t felt like talking to anyone since finding out he had to face Frankie in court. The thought of seeing his daughter again made him feel physically sick with guilt.
Stuart, his cellmate, was extremely worried about his pal. Ever since they had shared a cell together, Eddie had been vibrant and full of life, but today he seemed seriously depressed. Knowing there was nothing he could say to make things right, Stuart tried to think of something that might cheer Eddie up and snap him out of the trance he seemed to be in. He jumped off his bunk and smiled. Let"s go down to the TV room, Ed."