Classic Bestsellers from Josephine Cox: Bumper Collection. Josephine Cox

come!’ Straight-faced, legs astride and arms folded, the two prison officers waited. ‘The sooner this is over the better,’ exclaimed the taller of the two.

      ‘Poor devils,’ replied the other. ‘It can’t be easy for them.’

      ‘Listen to yourself, man! Not getting soft, are you?’

      ‘Nope. Just getting older, I guess.’

      While one prison officer opened the gate, his colleague kept an eye on the long line of visitors as they filed by him.

      When the last was inside, the two of them followed behind. ‘Straight ahead if you please.’ A swift but careful search of belongings and one by one the visitors were allowed through. ‘No canoodling, and no devious whispering.’

      Spying the familiar cap of fair hair, Maureen hurried to be with her husband.

      ‘Arnold …’

      ‘Oh, Maureen, you don’t know how good it is to see you!’ The man’s broad shoulders were slightly stooped, his blue eyes sad, and now, when he spoke, his voice trembled with a deep-down regret. ‘It’s like I’ve been in this place for a hundred years,’ he said. ‘You can’t imagine how I count the minutes till you’re here.’

      Under the watchful eye of the officer, they exchanged a brief kiss, but it was a kiss that spanned the emptiness between them; a kiss that said, ‘In spite of everything, I love you still.’

      ‘SIT DOWN!’ The officer’s voice rang out, and everyone who had been standing quickly sat down, including Maureen and her husband.

      Glancing warily at the officer, he wrapped his long fingers round Maureen’s. ‘Are you well?’

      ‘Well enough, I expect.’ There was a certain bitterness in her tone, but he either did not detect it, or chose to ignore it.

      ‘And the boy … is he well?’

      Maureen’s quick smile warmed his heart. ‘Johnny’s doing fine,’ she answered. ‘You’ll be amazed at how confident he’s grown.’ All thanks to Amy, she thought proudly.

      The man’s eyes lit up at her news. ‘Aw, Maureen, that’s wonderful news!’ His gaze went instinctively to the door. ‘Where’ve you left him?’

      ‘He’s with Amy, the young woman from the corner shop. Remember I told you about her? You should see them together. It’s a joy to watch.’

      He dwelled on her words for a moment. ‘How in God’s name did she get through to him, when nobody else could?’ He knew how painfully shy Johnny had always been. ‘Anyway, what’s she like, this Amy?’

      ‘I already told you. She’s about twenty-five, I reckon … not what you might call a natural beauty, but pretty enough, with her thick mop of brown hair and those twinkling eyes. Lovely nature, though …’

      ‘Are you sure you can trust her with the boy?’ he asked warily.

      ‘Absolutely. Or I wouldn’t leave him, you know that.’

      ‘You haven’t told her about me, have you?’

      ‘No.’

      ‘You mustn’t tell anyone.’

      ‘I won’t.’

      ‘When the boy eventually gets to school, his life won’t be worth living if word gets round that his daddy’s a gaolbird.’

      ‘You don’t need to tell me that, Arnold,’ she replied.

      Momentarily silent, he bowed his head. When he looked up there were tears in his eyes. ‘I didn’t do it,’ he said. ‘You do believe that, don’t you?’

      She nodded. Of course Arnold had done nothing on purpose. But that wasn’t really the point. She felt she had to say something. ‘Well, I don’t think you meant to do anything, Arnie. But you have been known to lose your temper – get carried away. But I’ll always be waiting for you when you come out, you know that.’

      He held her hand. ‘What would I do without you, eh?’

      She chuckled. ‘Fall apart at the seams, I dare say.’

      In a serious voice he told her, ‘I do love you.’

      ‘Only because I’m fool enough to stand by you.’

      He shook his head. ‘No. It’s because whatever I’ve done and however many women I’ve bedded, there’s never been anybody like you.’

      ‘Does that mean I’m stupid and gullible?’

      ‘Not gullible, no. Loyal and long-suffering, and true to your marriage vows. Not like me, and not like the flippant women who take me to their beds behind their husbands’ backs.’

      ‘Tell me the truth,’ she asked quietly, ‘have you ever loved any of them?’

      ‘Never!’

      ‘Not even Sylvia Hammond?’

      ‘Especially not her.’

      ‘Did she love you?’

      ‘Good God, Maureen. A woman like that! She doesn’t know the meaning of the word “love”.’

      ‘You sound disappointed.’ Something in his voice, some regret or anger, made her curious.

      He dismissed her implication with a vague answer. ‘Women like her are two a penny,’ he said. ‘She was no different from any of the others. Just another woman looking for a bit of excitement.’

      Maureen had seen the pictures in the paper and had her own opinion. ‘She’s very stylish, and beautiful … not like me.’

      He touched her hand gently. ‘You’re right,’ he murmured, ‘she’s nothing like you. Stylish and beautiful maybe, but there’s nothing worthwhile on the inside. She’s just a greedy, selfish woman, never satisfied with the grand life she leads, and with never a thought for the good man who works his guts out to provide it all. And look at you! You’re left on your own, caring for Johnny and the pair of you struggling to make ends meet. And it’s all thanks to me and my bloody wandering!’

      Maureen couldn’t argue with that. ‘I hope after this you’ll mend your ways when you get out?’

      He took a deep angry breath. ‘I’ll be an old man with whiskers before you see me on the outside!’

      Maureen changed the subject slightly. ‘It’s tragic what happened to her, all the same. They say her mind is gone, and there’s nothing they can do about it.’ She had often wondered, ‘What made her say it was you that did it?’

      ‘I’ve no idea.’ He sounded puzzled as well. ‘All I know is, I was well fitted up.’

      ‘Even so, you must try and put it out of your mind, or it’ll drive you crazy.’ She didn’t like the way his fist was clenching against the table. ‘Let it go, Arnie. Please! Just let it go.’

      ‘I can’t “let it go”!’ This time he banged the table. ‘When I find the bastard who put me in the frame, I swear to God, I’ll swing for him.’

      ‘Ssh!’ Pressing her finger to her lips, she warned, ‘The officer’s watching you.’

      In a moment the officer was at the table. ‘All right, Stratton, on your feet. NOW!’

      Watching him being taken away, Maureen despaired. ‘Dear God! What’ll become of us?’

      With a heavy heart she followed the wives outside.

      ‘They all claim to be innocent, that they’ve been fitted up, or that somebody had it in for them, or they couldn’t help themselves.’ Walking back to the tram-stop, the same woman who had walked alongside her on the way in fell into step with her now. ‘They’re all guilty as buggery, yet they’ll deny the responsibility time and