John got into the driving seat and his brother moved round to the passenger side. It never ceased to infuriate David, the way he had to lean heavily on his walking stick to swing his gammy leg onto the foot-panel of John’s van to get in. His strength was in his upper body, which he demonstrated when he was able to lift his body weight by gripping onto the side of the door. He plonked himself down on the passenger seat. He was glad the garage was only a short distance from the flat as he hated using his wheelchair. Some days, though, he had no choice, particularly as he couldn’t walk far or stand up for long.
John drove from the rented garage onto a side road that skirted the Pembridge Estate. Passing Edgar House he suddenly slammed on the brakes causing David to lurch forward and nearly hit his head on the dashboard as the van came to a halt.
‘What was it, a cat?’ David asked as there was no other traffic and no one crossing the road.
John banged the palm of his hand on the steering wheel. ‘How many times have I asked her to stay away from those old cows? All they do is gossip and yak about nothing.’
At first David wondered who his brother was talking about, but looking up and across the road he could see their mother, her hair in rollers, and wearing her wraparound apron and carpet slippers. She was standing with her arms folded and nodding her head as she talked to a group of women standing next to a police ‘Appeal for Information’ notice about the Julie Ann Collins murder. They were all gossiping and giving a mouthful to a group of kids who were playing and shouting abuse at each other.
‘She misses doin’ her cleaning and having someone to chat to,’ David said in her defence.
‘You know why I stopped that. To top it all the stupid bitch came home with a fuckin’ policewoman the other day. I can’t wait to find another place and get out of this dump. When I’m gone she can go to her bingo and do whatever she friggin’ wants. But until it’s over she stays put, and you are supposed to be keepin’ an eye on her while I’m out graftin’.’
‘Lemme go and get her,’ David said as he pulled the door-handle.
‘No, just leave it. The old man says we should put her in a nursing home, and if she’s any more trouble that’s where she’s bloody well going.’
‘You can’t do that to her – she’s our mother.’
‘Yeah, but if she screws this up for us I’ll break her soddin’ neck.’
David ignored John, got out of the van and, using his walking stick to lean on, limped towards the group of women.
John leant over and lowered the passenger window. ‘She’s not getting in here, so you can walk her home,’ he shouted as he drove slowly past his brother.
Watching David walk made John apprehensive about using him on the job. He had mentioned his worries to his dad on a previous prison visit, but his father took the view that families should stick together and that David should be the lookout. His dad had also told him to keep the team numbers to a minimum, and only bring in people they knew they could trust with their lives. John just hoped that David’s lameness wouldn’t be a liability.
When David and his mother returned to the flat a few minutes later John was sitting in the kitchen working out the finances in a small black notebook. Hearing the front door slam he snapped it closed.
David walked into the kitchen. ‘Mum said Ma Phillips had to identify her grandson’s body last night. Apparently his face was all black and blue and she reckons the Old Bill done him in and dumped him in the Regent’s Canal.’
John yawned. ‘Can’t see why they’d bother to take him all the way there when there’s the River Lea right on their doorstep.’
Renee walked in, picked up the kettle and started to fill it with water. ‘You were out early this morning – do you want a cup of tea?’
David nodded, but John didn’t even acknowledge his mother.
‘John?’ she asked.
‘No, and what did I tell you about staying away from them women, Ma?’
‘I was, but then the police started knocking on doors looking for Eddie Phillips and asking questions about the murder. A detective even came round here and-’
John banged the table hard with his fist. ‘You didn’t say I was livin’ here, did ya?’
‘No, course not, I said it was just me and David, who was a cripple, and he left. There was so much going on I wanted to find out a bit more so I went to see Nancy Phillips. She lives at the far end of the estate. Her grandson knew the girl who was-’
‘I really don’t care,’ John interrupted, wishing she’d shut up.
‘Turns out he was the last to see her alive. They arrested him and then he ends up dead and in-’
‘The Regent’s Canal. I know already.’
‘Did she tell you as well?’
‘No!’ John snapped back at her. ‘Shut up, mind yer bloody business and stay indoors. You got a new colour TV now instead of that black-and-white one, so just sit and watch it.’
‘Did you want a cup of tea?’
