Many a Tear Has to Fall, page 11
Maggie took her eyes off them for a moment. ‘A couple I know.’
‘Where are they?’
She went to point them out but they had vanished. ‘They’ve gone now. I’ve known Pete for years. He’s the twin brother of the bloke I used to go out with. He and his wife were married just before Christmas after an on-off relationship that went on for years.’
‘You’re kidding!’
‘No, it was due to religion. Her father was against the match. She’s a Catholic like you and he’s a Proddy like me.’
‘I thought you might be a Proddy when you realized I was a Catholic.’
‘You don’t have to sound like I come from another planet,’ said Maggie, feeling her colour rising.
He flushed. ‘I didn’t mean to. The last time I went to church was Bernie’s funeral, and I can’t remember when before that.’
‘I didn’t go at all while I was in London but since I’ve been back up here, I sometimes go with Emma and Owen. My brother goes only on high days and holidays.’ She sipped her drink. ‘I wonder if they’ve been up to Lenny’s place.’
‘Who?’
‘My friends.’
‘Oh. What’s this Lenny’s place?’ he asked.
Maggie told him, adding, ‘Lenny is a friend of the actress, Dorothy Wilson. He was one of the first to get a jukebox up that way, but he also has live music now. It could be that my friends have been to a live performance of the group I told you about when we were at the Cavern.’
Maggie took another sip of wine. ‘Seeing Pete and his wife outside Pollard’s has got me wondering whether they’re having a baby. Not long married after a long wait. It’s possible.’
‘I think it’s best not to rush into these things. I certainly wish Bernie and I had waited. Not that I’m not fond of Jerry, but sometimes I definitely think it’s best to wait,’ he said, downing the rest of his beer before glancing at his watch.
Maggie also glanced at her watch and gasped, ‘I’m going to have to go. I don’t want to be leaving it to the last train in case I miss it. My brother would have a fit if he knew I was going to be walking up the lane so late. It’s going to take me some time getting to Exchange Station.’
‘You’re making him sound like my br-father,’ corrected Tim hastily. ‘Surely you can get a train at Central Station that’ll connect you to the Southport one?’
She made no reply, busy putting on her jacket. Fortunately the bill had already been paid and they were soon out of the restaurant and heading in the direction of Lewis’s.
‘D’you want to meet up again?’ asked Tim.
‘If you like, but I doubt I’ll be able to for a couple of weeks. Perhaps you can give me your phone number and I can ring you?’
He hesitated. ‘I’m on a waiting list waiting to be connected and I’d rather you didn’t ring me at my mother’s. What about giving me your brother’s phone number?’
Maggie did not immediately reply, thinking her brother would not be too pleased if an unknown man rang up asking for her. ‘I can’t remember his number off the top of my head,’ she lied.
Tim hesitated. ‘Give me his address then?’
Maggie knew she could hardly tell him that she couldn’t remember that either, so she wrote down Jared’s address on a scrap of paper and gave it to him. She wondered if he was expecting a kiss. Then, as if he had read her mind, he leaned towards her. Their lips met, his asserting some pressure, and then they drew apart. She let out a trembling breath. ‘See you soon,’ she said brightly.
‘I’ll be in touch.’ He watched her as she hurried away before striding off in the direction of Renshaw Street. He had almost reached the bus stop when a couple emerged from The Vines pub on the corner near the Adelphi Hotel. His heart seemed to leap in his chest as he recognized his sister Peggy. She was with a bloke whom he recognized, having seen him for the first time the day of the motorbike accident in Blackpool in which Bernie had suffered her head injury and Tim a broken arm. He had forgotten the bloke’s name.
As if sensing his eyes on them, they glanced in his direction. Had they recognized him? He was taking no chances, and turned and ran in the direction of Central Station before doubling back into Renshaw Street by taking a short cut up the alley next to Lewis’s. Only when he was convinced he was not being followed did it occur to him that most likely neither of them would recognize him with the beard.
He should never have panicked. Feeling a right fool, he strolled the rest of the way to the nearest bus stop where he could catch a bus to Lark Lane. Once on the bus, he determined to put his sister and the man accompanying her out of his mind. But it proved to be far from easy. What if they had seen him? Might they start looking out for him in earnest?
Thirteen
‘You’re not going to believe this,’ said Peggy, following Marty into the house.
‘What aren’t I going to believe?’ asked her brother, glancing at Pete who was just behind her.
‘We think we saw your Tommy,’ Pete said.
Marty froze. ‘Where?’
‘We were coming out of The Vines near the Adelphi and I’d swear it was him, despite the beard,’ said Peggy.
Marty’s eyes glinted. ‘You didn’t get to speak to him by the sound of it.’
‘Did we heck,’ said Pete, removing his jacket and hanging it up. ‘He shot off like a rabbit being chased by a weasel.’
‘He realized you’d seen him?’
‘He must have, from the way he took off,’ said Peggy. ‘Talk about greased lightning. We were never going to catch him.’
‘I’d have had a go if it hadn’t been for this damned leg,’ said Pete bitterly, rubbing his gammy leg.
‘You’re absolutely certain it was him?’ Marty said, pushing wide the kitchen door and going inside.
‘It was him all right, and he was standing at a bus stop,’ said Peggy firmly. ‘One where you get the bus heading in the direction of Aigburth or Princes Park.’
‘Who does he know who lives there?’ Marty muttered.
Peggy shrugged. ‘Let’s be honest. We never knew half his friends, even when he was a kid. Besides, what’s he doing up here without getting in touch with us? He’s up to something.’
‘We’re going to have to keep an eye on Jerry,’ said Irene, taking them by surprise.
Peggy stared at her. ‘I didn’t realize you were here.’
Irene wiped her hands on her apron. ‘I’ve been doing some messages and then I took the kids to the park. They’re upstairs right now. I heard most of what you’ve said and, if you don’t mind my saying so, you shouldn’t talk about this in front of Jerry, or even Josie.’
‘Perhaps we shouldn’t mention it to Mam either,’ said Marty.
Peggy nodded.
‘What if …’ Irene stopped abruptly.
The other three stared at her. ‘What if what?’ asked Marty.
‘Nothing! I just had a stupid thought,’ said Irene.
‘Say it!’ he urged.
Irene said hurriedly, ‘What if Tommy didn’t return to London when he left Jerry here, but only said he did so that you wouldn’t go looking for him here in Liverpool.’
Silence.
‘Would you say it’s the sort of trick he might play on you?’ asked Pete.
Marty hesitated. ‘Depends what he has to gain by it. He could have mates here whom he could talk into giving him a helping hand.’
‘We don’t know any of this for sure,’ Peggy said. ‘The only thing we can take a guess at is that he thinks we might have seen him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made a run for it. Let’s just wait and see if he turns up here or at Mam’s.’
They all agreed.
‘I’ll put the kettle on,’ said Irene. ‘And while we’re on the subject of Tommy, are we going to do anything about finding out if Bernie is really dead?’
‘You mean that if he has lied about going back to London, then he could have lied about that, too, and Bernie is alive in London?’ said Peggy.
‘Exactly,’ said Irene.
Marty shook his head. ‘I have my doubts as to whether our Tommy would lie to Jerry about his mother being dead if she’d just walked out. I know Tommy’s gone off the rails a few times, but I just don’t think he’s that cruel, and I can’t see the point of him telling us Bernie’s dead if she isn’t.’
‘Pride,’ said Irene, folding her arms across her chest. ‘He wouldn’t want you knowing she’d walked out on him. Anyway, I’d still like to get my hands on her death certificate. I’m fed up of waiting on other people to give us the go-ahead to get married.’
‘So am I, love,’ said Marty. ‘But it can’t be much longer now. I’ll have another word with Father Francis and I’ll check out Tommy’s old haunts to find out if anyone has seen him.’
Irene was not as convinced as Marty that Tommy would not lie to his son if it would serve his purpose. After all, she had asked herself more than once what kind of man dumped his son on his brother’s doorstep without a by-your-leave! Then it had occurred to her that Bernie might just possibly have written to one of her sisters telling her all her troubles. But which sister? And then there was also her niece, Monica, who had often babysat for Marty and Bernie when they had lived in the grandmother’s house together. It had been a while since they had seen Monica, but Irene knew she was involved with Tony Gianelli’s music group. Apparently she had the kind of voice that Tony deemed worthy of the odd number. So it was possible Irene might find news of her at the Gianellis’ house, where the group generally practised and which was only a short distance away across the canal from Marty’s house. She decided to pop over there as soon as she had some free time.
As it happened, the following Tuesday evening, the group were in the Gianellis’ front parlour, rehearsing for the evening do of a wedding. There had been more changes in the line-up since Irene had last heard them play, and she only recognized Tony Gianelli, who had a heavenly tenor voice, and Nick, Bobby’s stepbrother, who played guitar, washboard and the ukulele.
Irene had mixed feelings when she saw that Monica was also there because she might be about to make a big mistake by talking to her about Bernie. She was rather an attractive girl, not pretty exactly, but she had nice eyes and a smiley mouth. Good hair, too.
Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and Irene went over to her. ‘Monica, you’re just the person I want to see,’ Irene said brightly.
The girl reached for a glass of water on a stool nearby and downed half of it. ‘Does Marty want me to look after Josie while the pair of you have a night out? It’s some time since I did that. What with Peggy and her mother being willing.’
‘Let’s sit down,’ said Irene, sinking on to the nearest sofa.
Monica sat on its arm. ‘So what is it you want?’
Irene spoke casually, ‘I was wondering when did any of your family last hear from your Auntie Bernie?’
Monica shrugged. ‘Mam and I haven’t heard from her at all. I’m sure Gran hasn’t either.’
‘Not even at Christmas?’
Monica shook her head. ‘The whole family are fed up with her. Gran never stopped going on about Aunt Bernie spoiling Christmas for her. In the end, one of my uncles took Gran to Ireland and she still hasn’t come back. She’s staying with her brother on his farm near Donard in County Wicklow. We’ve only had the odd scribbled postcard since she went.’
‘No sign at all of her coming back?’
Monica screwed up her face. ‘I can’t see Gran staying there forever. The farm is in the middle of nowhere, and besides, one of my aunties is having another baby and she wants Gran there. She hasn’t said she’ll come yet, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she’s back in Liverpool in time for the birth.’
In a way that news was a relief to Irene. ‘When is the baby due?’
‘Late summer, I think,’ replied Monica. ‘I suppose it’s a waste of my time asking if Marty’s heard from Tommy?’
It was on the tip of Irene’s tongue to tell the girl that Tommy had been in touch and dumped Jerry on them because Bernie was dead. But fortunately, at that moment, Nick came over and sat down beside her.
‘So how did that number sound to you, Irene?’ he asked.
‘I thought it sounded fab.’
His face lit up. ‘Great.’
Irene stared at him, thinking that he was going to break a few hearts before he was much older. ‘How’s the family?’
‘Everyone’s fine, although Dad’s not too happy about his sister, my Aunt Hester, and Uncle Ally emigrating to Canada. I am, though. One day I plan on going there myself and it would be useful having family over there.’
Irene was tempted to ask why he wanted to go so badly, but he had not finished talking and her ears pricked up at the mention of Maggie. ‘Bobby was telling me that Betty’s cousin Maggie called in at Lenny’s place not so long ago.’
‘Was she on her own?’
‘Apparently. Bobby said that she had put on some weight and was wearing this fantastic silk twill suit. She wanted to get in touch with Dorothy Wilson and thought Lenny might be able to help her. As it was, Bobby was able to tell her that she was in America and wouldn’t be back over here until autumn.’ He added casually, ‘I could have told her that much. Dorothy Wilson keeps in touch with our family. You do know that she, Dad and Mam knew each other when they were younger?’
Indeed, Irene did know that Detective Inspector Sam Walker and his wife Lynne had been acquainted with the famous actress since their early teens. Maggie’s cousin Betty had provided her with that snippet of information, and lots more besides.
She wondered what Maggie could want with Dorothy Wilson. Just as she wondered how Monica would react if she overheard her whispering to Nick to pass on the word to the inspector that Tommy McGrath was back in town. But only too easily she could imagine Marty’s reaction if she took such a step. He might be angry with his brother, but there was a bond between them that was not easy to break. Irene might be utterly fed up of waiting to be Marty’s wife, but she knew that she was going to have to leave it to Marty to find his brother and to get at the truth about Bernie.
Fourteen
It was some weeks later and Maggie had returned to Formby, hoping that Tim would be in touch. Jared had driven up to the cottage and so she had decided that it would be a good idea to leave the couple and Owen to enjoy a weekend to themselves now that Ally and Hester had vacated the cottage.
Come Monday, Maggie went shopping in preparation for Jared and Emma’s return and arrived back to discover her brother’s car in the drive. She wasted no time entering the house and found Emma in the kitchen, sorting out washing.
‘So you’re back,’ Maggie said. ‘You’re earlier than I thought. The traffic must have been good.’
‘Hester phoned yesterday. She wanted to ask whether we’d like to join a party that she and Ally are having in their cabin before the ship sails.’
‘I thought they’d have sailed by now.’
‘They would have done, only both the Canadian Pacific and Cunard lines had ships damaged in the St Lawrence River. Due to ice, would you believe – at this time of year! Hester and Ally’s liner, the Empress of Britain, was one of those needing repairs in Gladstone Dock, so that’s why they’re behind with all their plans. So you’re invited to the party too if you want to come. God only knows when we’ll get to see them again once they leave,’ said Emma.
‘At least Canada is much nearer than Australia.’ Maggie began to unpack the shopping. ‘When is the party?’
‘Tomorrow. It’s a spur-of-the-moment event.’
‘Right-i-o. So will Jared be taking me up to the cottage next weekend?’
‘Yes, but Owen and I will go with you again. If the weather is good it could get quite busy.’
‘Will there be more day-trippers than when the school summer holidays begin?’ Maggie asked.
‘If the weather’s good there’ll be plenty. Even if it isn’t sunny and warm, we could still get a good turnout,’ said Emma. ‘And there’ll be visitors to the abbey as well. During bank holidays and the summer months during which I hope you’ll feel able to cope alone some of the time. I really do need your help with me being pregnant.’
Maggie thought about the ruins of the fourteenth-century Cistercian building, which had suffered destruction during the dissolution of the monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII. Suddenly she felt nervous just thinking of all that was expected of her once she was left completely on her own, and whether she would come up to scratch. But, of course, she was not going to be on her own yet. Her spirits lifted as she remembered Hester and Ally’s farewell party. She must choose something really stunning to wear as, unlike her cousin Betty, Maggie had never been on an ocean liner before.
‘It’s some ship,’ said Maggie, awestruck. ‘This cabin is fantastic. In fact it’s enormous. It has to be first class.’
Hester’s half-sister Jeanette told her, ‘Actually, it’s a stateroom. Hester was left some money by the Welsh woman she lived with when she was evacuated to Whalley during the war, so she and Ally decided to blow it and enjoy a bit of luxury. He thought it would make her feel better about going. She felt bad enough leaving Liverpool and the job she loved in the police force to live in Whalley.’
‘Well, I think it’s well worth it,’ said Maggie, looking at herself in a mirror.
‘What’s well worth it?’ asked Nick, coming up behind them.
Maggie looked up at him. ‘This stateroom! If one has to go by sea, it’s definitely the way to travel.’
‘It won’t be long before the aeroplane supersedes ships like this,’ Nick said, plonking himself down on the double bed. ‘It stands to reason. They’ll get people to their destination much quicker, and that’s what a lot of travellers want these days.’
‘Irene Miller has flown,’ said Jeanette.
‘I didn’t know she had wings,’ Nick said, straight-faced.
Maggie giggled. ‘I’ve always fancied having wings.’
‘I bet she and Bobby wished they could have flown to America the other year,’ Jeanette put in. ‘They had a real rough crossing going to New York and, after reaching there, they still had hundreds of miles to get to California to stay with Betty. Fortunately, Dorothy let them use her hotel suite in New York for the night so they could have a good rest.’
