Songbird. Josephine Cox

her words. Morever, she could almost read his mind with his ideas of how he might eventually make money from this innocent.

      With that in mind, she knew that even if it meant getting another beating, she could not keep quiet.

      Taking a few deep breaths, she gathered her strength and began walking towards them, slowly at first, but then with purpose.

      When Drayton glanced up and saw her, his face opened in astonishment. Pushing the girl aside, he turned, legs astride in that antagonistic stance she had come to know so well. ‘What the devil are you playing at? I thought I told you to sod off.’ His mean eyes boring into hers, he took a step forward. ‘Get the hell out of here before I lose my temper!’

      ‘That’s her, isn’t it – Songbird – the singer whose job I took?’ The girl’s cry pierced the tension. Curiosity turned to anger. ‘You said she’d left for foreign parts! You told me she would never come back – that she didn’t want the work. So, what’s going on? Look at the state of her – she needs an ambulance! Jesus, Steve, what have I got myself into here?’

      ‘Shut your trap!’ Turning on her, he issued a warning. ‘Do what you’re paid to do – get back inside and entertain the clients. I’ll deal with this.’

      Unsettled, the girl looked from Steve to Maddy and back again. ‘So, you and me, Steve – are we a couple, or not?’

      The sight of Maddy had been a shock. Why was she here, and why was her dress torn like that? She looked like a tramp off the streets. Was she ill, or drunk maybe?

      Either way, there was something going on here that made her deeply uneasy.

      Maddy turned her gaze on the girl and for a moment their eyes met. Recognising herself when she was younger and more foolish, Maddy offered her a warning. ‘Don’t trust him,’ she urged quietly. ‘He’s a liar and a thug. He’ll hurt you, just like he hurt me.’ She patted her stomach. ‘I’m carrying his child, but that didn’t stop him from beating me. Listen to what I’m saying – I’ve no reason to lie. He’ll promise you the world, but he’ll use you in every way imaginable. If you have any self-worth at all, you must get away from him – now. While you still can.’

      Suddenly, he was on her. With the back of his hand he lashed out, knocking Maddy hard against the wall.

      What he didn’t expect was the girl’s reaction. ‘LEAVE HER BE!’ she shouted, and clawed at his face. Steve was like a wild animal. Spinning round, he took Ellen by the shoulders and threw her towards Maddy.

      With murder in his heart, he hissed, ‘You’re welcome to each other,’ and took a step towards them; but then was made to stop when a man’s voice called out to him.

      ‘You can deal with your women later, Drayton. For now, you and I have more important business to attend to.’

      Swinging round, Drayton found himself confronted by four thugs. The big one, Den Carter, addressed himself to Ellen. ‘Get away from here, slag. And keep your trap shut if you know what’s good for you!’

      Recognising her former boss, the girl didn’t need another warning. With Maddy leaning on her, she led her away. ‘I worked for him before,’ she whispered as they stumbled down the alley. ‘He’s a bad lot. He’ll make that scum Steve pay for enticing me away.’

      At the top of the alley, they paused, long enough to see two of the minders pounce on Drayton and twist his arms up behind his back. Then as the big man approached, Drayton began blustering and threatening all manner of retribution. Suddenly, he broke free.

      There was a lot of shouting and scuffling, followed by the unmistakable sound of gunshot; the big man stumbled backwards while the others fought with Drayton to secure the gun.

      Seconds later, the club doors were thrown open and the alley was alive with people; some keeping a sensible distance and others too curious to stand off. ‘He’s got a gun!’ Trying

      to herd them away, Raymond yelled a warning. ‘Keep back, all of you!’ But it was like trying to hold back a burst dam, as with morbid curiosity and a lot of drink inside some of them, the people surged forward to get a better look at the drama that was taking place.

      Jack was up at the front, with Alice not far behind, though he urged her to keep her distance. ‘I don’t want you getting hurt,’ he said. Concerned for her safety and increasingly worried that Maddy might somehow be caught up in this too, Jack was taking no chances.

      The whole terrible event seemed to happen in slow motion, and yet it was over in seconds. Mortally wounded, the big man was lying groaning on the ground, with Steve Drayton locked in fierce combat with his henchmen. When Alice and Jack came running forwards, Drayton was like a madman as he struggled to free himself. In the mayhem, two more shots rang out. Jack was the first to go down. Then Alice.

      With no thought for his own life, Raymond ran to Jack, who appeared lifeless. Desolate, he turned his attention on Alice, taking her in his arms and comforting her as best he could until the older barman, Ted, tried to drag him away. ‘You can’t help her now, mate,’ he said kindly, and glanced down at Alice; bathed in her own blood and lying so still, she seemed beyond earthly help.

      At first Raymond resisted Ted’s attempts to take him from her. But then, in tears and deeply saddened, he let himself be led away.

      From the first day he had spoken with Alice, something had taken hold of his lonely heart. He had loved her from afar, waiting for his chance, hoping that one day she might see him

      in the same light. And now, because of a man who did not deserve to wipe her shoes, his dream of taking care of Alice, and hoping she might come to love him, were ended.

      At that moment, all hell was let loose as the shrill scream of sirens heralded the arrival of speeding police cars. People were running all over the place – it was chaos. And Steve still had the gun.

      From a doorway at the top of the alley, the two women had seen it all. ‘My God!’ Shocked to the core, Maddy could think only of Jack and Alice. ‘They’ve been shot! I’ve got to go to them!’

      Holding onto her, the girl kept her safe. ‘There’s nothing you can do now. Come away, there’s bad stuff going down. The police are everywhere. We’ll be interrogated. They won’t give us a minute’s peace.’ Desperate to put a distance between themselves and the authorities, she kept a tight hold on her new friend. ‘We need to get away before they see us. If we go now, they’ll never know we were here!’

      But Maddy wasn’t listening to reason. All she could think of was her injured friends. ‘Let me go!’ Frantic, she tore herself away. ‘I need to go to them.’ And no matter how hard she tried, the girl could no longer restrain her.

      As Maddy rushed down the alley, total confusion was unfolding all about her. Police were everywhere; some grappling with the thugs, others handcuffing Drayton, and people were being ordered to get inside, where they should remain for questioning.

      The first ambulance drove in and attendants tumbled out, armed with all manner of equipment. Maddy saw how one of them went straight to the big man, now lying silent in a pool of blood, looking up and shaking her head to indicate there was nothing to be done for him. And then they moved on to Jack, who was crumpled against the far wall.

      Maddy got to Alice first. ‘Alice … it’s me, Maddy.’ Tenderly holding her hand, she looked down on that dear, still face and her heart broke. ‘You’ll be all right,’ she promised brokenly. ‘They’re here to help you.’

      Turning, she shouted over the chaos, ‘OVER HERE – please hurry!’ But her cries fell away in the wake of all the confusion. Through the hordes of people being herded back to the club, she could see ambulancemen tending to Jack, and others bringing out more equipment and stretchers.

      Terrified that assistance might come too late, Maddy sobbed, ‘Alice, please don’t leave me,’ devastated when it seemed that the injured woman was beyond hearing her. ‘We need you,’ she pleaded. ‘Me and the