Tainted Love: A gripping thriller with a shocking twist from the No 1 bestseller. Kimberley Chambers

Vin. Let’s just wipe it clean, eh? If by any chance the bizzies pay you a visit, don’t you think they’ll be even more suspicious to see you have a new mattress and your car has been stolen and found burned out? I know you’ve arranged an alibi for the three of us, but we’ll all be in shit-street if you keep setting fire to stuff. Me and Carl will clean the motor for you. Then let’s all get some kip.’

      ‘I read an article in the paper recently. It said in years to come, people will be getting nicked for crimes committed now thanks to advances in DNA technology,’ Vinny warned.

      ‘Vin, I can barely keep my eyes open. It’s been a helluva long night. Why don’t me and Jay give the car a clean, then we can all think a bit straighter once we’ve slept. Are you sure the Kelly brothers are good for our alibi?’ Carl asked.

      ‘Of course. If tugged, I’d better admit I had a beer in that boozer, in case anybody saw me. Then yous two picked me up from the flat in Jay’s motor and we drove over to Kent for a card game with the Kellys. That will account for Jay’s car being spotted along the A13 – not that it would have been.’

      When Vinny’s landline rang again, he pulled the plug out the wall. His mother had been constantly phoning while they were trying to clean the flat up, and Vinny guessed it was because she hadn’t been able to get hold of him for the past twenty-four hours and was worried. No way was he in the mood to talk to her now, or anybody else for that matter.

      ‘I’ll take your car, Vin, and drop it back this afternoon,’ Jay Boy said.

      Vinny was that tired, he felt stoned. He put his weary head in his hands. ‘I can’t believe my son is getting married on Saturday, and I’ve had to deal with all this shit.’

      Carl and Jay Boy glanced at one another, both thinking the same. If this ever came to light, they’d be going down as well. For a murder they did not commit.

      Michael Butler was having the twenty-four hours from hell. Katy had been far too besotted with him to have been seeing other blokes on the side, so if she was in the family way, it was most likely his. He’d been reaching for the phone to make the dreaded call to her when his mother had rung to inform him his sister had been stabbed to death. Michael couldn’t believe it. He might not have been close to Brenda in recent years, but he had when they were kids. She was the nearest to him in age, and he couldn’t believe their paths would never cross again. Growing up, Bren had been a vibrant, pretty girl and tears stung Michael’s eyes as he remembered the times he’d met her from school. Full of attitude she’d been, a true Butler. Should he and Vinny have done more to help her sort her life out in latter years? Well, that thought would haunt him for ever now. They had tried to help her a few times, but Bren was headstrong, just like they were. Perhaps they should have been more forceful? Made her go into rehab, God rest her soul. She was their only sister, after all.

      Nobody had been able to get hold of Vinny, so it was Michael who had the difficult task of accompanying his mother and aunt to identify Brenda’s body. The only good thing to come out of all this was that his aunt and mother seemed to have forgotten the stupid argument over his father.

      Michael spoke to the police officer alone, then walked over to his mother. ‘I think you should let me identify the body, Mum. You’ll have plenty of time to say a proper goodbye to Bren once the police have wrapped up their enquiries.’

      ‘No!’ A tearful Queenie clenched her sister’s hand and shook her head vehemently. ‘I gave birth to that girl and I need to see her for myself. You stay here, Viv’s coming in with me.’

      The police officer led Queenie and Vivian into a room. The whole place smelt awful, an unrecognizable stench that was obviously associated with death. When the man lifted back the shroud to reveal the face, Queenie put her hand over her mouth. There wasn’t a mark on Brenda. She looked asleep rather than dead. ‘I’m so sorry, Bren. I did love you. Please forgive me for what I said. I didn’t mean it. Of course I wish you’d been born,’ Queenie said.

      ‘She looks at peace now, Queen,’ Vivian pointed out.

      Tears rolling down her cheeks, Queenie nodded. ‘Yes. She does, bless her. Maybe being in heaven will do her a favour? I doubt she’ll be able to buy booze up there. She’ll be able to redeem herself and start afresh.’

      ‘I’m sure she will. Plus she’ll have your Roy, my Lenny, Adam and Molly keeping an eye on her. And our lovely mum. What’s gonna happen to Tara and Tommy though? Poor little ha’p’orths must be traumatized. We should go and pick ’em up, Queen, take ’em back to yours.’

      ‘They can’t live with me. I’ve got enough on me plate with Ava,’ Queenie said bluntly.

      ‘We can’t leave ’em with that tosser Dave. They’re not even his. And he’s an alkie,’ Vivian argued.

      ‘Best somebody tracks down Dean Smart then. He’s their bloody father,’ Queenie hissed.

      The copper and mortuary staff exchanged glances. They’d heard some strange conversations in their time, eavesdropping on family members as they identified loved ones, but never one quite as odd as this.

      Vinny Butler was disorientated as he sat bolt upright. Had he heard a hammering on his front door or dreamt it?

      ‘Vinny, it’s Michael. I know you’re in there ’cause I rung Jay Boy. Open the fucking door.’