Eve of the Isle (24 page)

‘What the bleeding hell do you want?'

‘Do you take lodgers?' Charlie called up.

‘Not at this time of the morning. Now bugger off.' The sash window came down with a crunch.

Charlie braced himself. He hoped that Jimmy would have better luck.

Eve felt herself being pulled up. The hands that were gripping her were rough and dug painfully into her arms. A light pierced her vision and she moaned as the daylight blinded her. Then suddenly she was blind again, but this time a cloth was pulled over her head. There were men shouting in an agitated way, but they weren't speaking English so Eve had no idea what they were saying.

Her wrists were bound and she was lifted and thrown like a sack of potatoes over a man's shoulder. He hurried along and she bounced up and down, driving the wind from her lungs. A moment later she was bundled onto a cart. She could feel the swaying and bumping over the cobbles, hear the horse's hooves clip-clopping.

Fear was paralyzing her. All she could do was lie there, her heart pounding in her ears.

There were voices again, close by. Couldn't anyone see her? Help her?

She tried to cry out, but the cloth smothered her cries. As fear overwhelmed her, a memory returned. She was at the Drunken Sailor. She was following the landlord along a dark passage. He was warning her to go away. Once more she was in that stinking room, amidst the smoke and the smell of many bodies. She saw the faces looking up at her and a tall man in the shadows. He began to walk towards her . . .

Eve screamed.

The cart had stopped and she was carried off.

Peg was sitting in her chair, staring at Archie Fuller.

‘Sorry to give you such a fright, gel.' He passed the smelling salts back and forward under her nose. ‘I only come to return Eve's baskets.'

Peg nodded. ‘I dunno what came over me. S'pose it was seeing them and not her.'

‘You took a bit of a turn.'

Peg grasped the bottle and took another sniff. She gave a half-hearted smile. ‘So you're the Archie Fuller from Covent Garden?'

‘And you must be Peg.'

‘Yeah. Did she tell you about me?'

‘'Course she did. Didn't ever talk about nothing else. It was always you and her boys. And business, of course.'

Peg was just beginning to see Archie clearly. There had been two or three of him at one point. ‘Look Archie, what was you telling me? Sit down a minute.'

‘Can't stop long. I've got someone waiting for me with a job lot of sugar.'

‘Did you say you gave Eve a ride yesterday?'

He nodded. ‘She wanted to go to the King Edward Park at Shadwell.'

‘Why was she going there?'

‘Said she had someone to see.'

Peg leaned forward. ‘Did she say who it was?'

‘No.'

‘Did she say anything else?'

‘No, but the funny thing was when I looked back she was walking past the park towards the water. Gave me a bit of a turn to tell the truth as I'd expected her to go in the gates. As she didn't say who she was meeting and didn't want me to hang around I thought to meself she might have a – well, you know, a romantic interest, it being the park an' all.'

Peg sighed to herself. If only it was a love interest!

Archie sat back. ‘So what's this all about then?'

‘It's a long story, Archie. Eve ain't come home.'

‘Well, maybe I was right then. She's got a fella.'

‘Not to my knowledge she ain't.'

‘Bet she don't tell you everything.' He smirked. ‘She'll be back.'

‘I hope so.'

‘After all it's only one night. And a lovely gel like her, well she's got to have an admirer or two.' He winked.

Peg was about to contest the point when she thought better of it. She didn't know Archie well and he wouldn't
understand. He seemed a nice enough bloke but he wasn't to know that Eve wasn't the sort to stay out all night and not say where she was.

‘You all right on your own here?' he asked as he rose to his feet.

‘Yes thanks, love. You get on.'

‘It's been nice to meet you, Peg. Eve thinks the world of you and her kids. She's a good girl and a hard worker. Don't you fret now. She'll be home soon.'

Peg managed a smile.

‘I'll see meself out.'

Once alone, she gazed at the empty baskets. Tears filled her eyes. If only Eve had talked to her more, taken her into her confidence. But lately they hadn't shared many chats. It wasn't like it used to be when the boys were younger. Now they were growing up, Eve seemed to have distanced herself. What was the saying? Out with the old and in with the new?

Peg put the bottle under her nose again. She coughed and sat there for some while thinking about what Archie had told her. Resting her head on the back of the chair she dozed.

The bottle was still in her hand when she heard a noise outside. Before she had time to get up from the chair, Jimmy rushed in.

‘What is it son?'

‘Is she back yet?'

‘Does it look like it? What in God's name has happened to your face?'

Jimmy put his hand up. ‘I got meself a shiner.'

‘How?'

‘I found Charlie at his dad's shop and we went in the van to Shadwell. We decided to knock on a few doors to ask about Singh. One bloke was about ten feet tall with a mush like the back of a bus. He took umbrage to me waking him up early and gave me a bit of a verbal. So I gave him one back.'

Peg sighed. ‘That sounds like you.'

‘Anyway, he clobbers me. I could smell last night's beer on his breath as he steps forward to hit me again. But then Charlie appears. He helps me up and tells me to go back to the van, but this big ox, he takes Charlie's shoulders with his great big Oliver Twists and is about to smash him too, when wallop! Charlie's knuckle is like greased lightning. The ox doubles up clutching his guts. He keels over and Charlie and me leg it sharpish back to the van.'

‘Charlie clobbered someone because they hit you?' Peg asked in disbelief.

‘Yeah, and it was a cracker.'

Peg took another sniff of the salts. ‘Where's Charlie now?'

‘Outside in the van. Says he's going straight up to the old constipation to tell 'em about Eve.'

Peg thought for a moment. ‘He'd better hear what I have to say first.'

A moment or two later, Jimmy returned with Charlie. ‘So you've had no success in finding Eve?' Peg demanded scathingly.

‘I'm afraid not.'

‘Jimmy tells me you're going up to the station.'

‘Yes, to report her missing.'

‘Will they send out a division to search for her?'

Charlie went red. ‘No, not exactly a division . . .'

‘How many then?'

He hesitated. ‘They might not get on it right away as she's only been missing since yesterday.'

Peg huffed. ‘So the answer is that no one is going to Shadwell on her behalf. Not today, or tomorrow. Well, they wouldn't, would they? She's only a flower-seller.'

Charlie looked uncomfortable. ‘You don't have much confidence in the law, Mrs – er – Peg—'

‘No I don't,' Peg agreed coldly. ‘But I know rules have to be followed and it might as well be you that does it as me and Jim would rather walk hot coals than consort with the law. However, I do have a bit of information of me own. You'd better sit down.'

When she had their full attention, Peg related word for word what Archie had told her. ‘So what do you think?'

‘Is this Archie to be relied upon?' asked Charlie.

‘Eve thought a lot of him. Gave her the chance to get back in business.'

‘That's good enough for me,' Charlie nodded. ‘If you've no objection to me delaying that report, I'll drive down to the park and retrace her footsteps. Perhaps someone saw her, or she spoke to someone – I'll do it whilst the trail is hot.'

‘I'm coming too,' said Jimmy.

Charlie shook his head. ‘No lad, you've done enough. Stay here with Peg and look after that eye.'

‘Sorry, mate. I want to find Eve.'

‘Go on, the pair of you,' said Peg, waving them off. ‘Two is better than one.'

Peg watched them leave, then rested back, her brow drawn together into a frown. So Charlie Merritt was a bit of a dark horse, was he? But coppers were coppers the world over. Jimmy was young and impressionable. It would take more than a few lucky blows to a beer belly to impress Peg Riggs. Like finding Eve, for instance. And then she might take another view of the law altogether.

Charlie stood with Jimmy at the entrance to the park. He narrowed his eyes at the velvet green grass that flowed down to the walkway that provided a perfect panorama of the Thames. It was now midday and the children were playing on the green lawns, some of them sitting on the granite base which formed a garden seat and portrait of the late King Edward the Seventh. To them, it was just another king, a face that they would see in the pages of their history books. All they were interested in was playing their games, throwing their balls and enjoying the freedom that the park afforded. But to older East Enders who had never experienced the countryside, it was a little piece of heaven

A ball came bouncing towards them. Charlie couldn't
resist booting it back; he wasn't too old to remember what it was like to be their age, to believe you were going to be the world's best footballer. He'd had only one intention as an eight year old. He was going to play for Walthamstow Avenue, score goals and win medals. One day, the lord mayor of London would shake his hand and as captain, he would be the one to receive the cup, raise it above his head and bathe in the glory.

He'd believed in his dream right up till the moment he damaged his knee. Even then, he'd thought in time he'd get fit to play again. But it wasn't to be.

‘Charlie?' Jimmy nudged his arm. ‘I gotta thank you for what you did for me this morning.'

‘What was that?'

‘You clobbered that pudding on my behalf.'

‘He was a darn sight bigger than you. And anyway, it was me that told you to go knocking on doors.'

‘I did give him a bit of lip.' He grinned. ‘I never seen a right hand land so quick as yours.'

‘I did a bit of boxing at school.'

‘Blimey, you done everything.'

Charlie smiled. ‘You like football Jimmy?'

‘Yeah, but I never played it. Didn't have the time for the outdoor life.'

‘What, even as a kid?'

‘You don't play games in an institution. You have to work for your supper. I was in the laundry, keeping the boilers going. Ran away when I was twelve. It was Peg that took me in and got me a job at the paint factory.'

‘You've had it rough, Jimmy.' Charlie felt a sudden deep gratitude for his own privileged upbringing: a mother, father, twin brothers and a regular schooling.

‘There's others 'as had it as rough.'

‘Like Eve you mean?'

Jimmy nodded. ‘It's a hard life being a flower-seller. And though her bloke was a decent sort, he was at sea most of the time. It was Eve that got all the flak with two little kids that looked a bit different.'

Charlie glanced at the street. ‘So she walked along here, right? But didn't go into the park.'

‘She went towards the river according to Archie. There's a lot of pubs down there. Three in this street alone. Do you reckon she went into one of them?'

‘Fancy giving it a try?'

Jimmy nodded and pulled his cap down over his face. ‘But this time I'm gonna let you do all the talking.'

Jimmy and Charlie searched all afternoon. They went in the pubs that were open and knocked on the back doors if they were closed. No one had seen Eve or knew the name of Singh.

When they entered the Drunken Sailor, the landlord was just opening for the evening's business. He gave them a furtive look.

Charlie leaned on the bar and looked around. There were two men drinking at the other end.

‘You new around here?' the landlord asked.

Charlie nodded casually as Jimmy stood beside him.

‘What's your poison, then?'

‘An ale apiece,' said Charlie, digging into his pocket for the money.

‘You're a young 'un ain't you?' He frowned at Jimmy.

Charlie laughed. ‘Don't worry, he's older than he looks.'

‘Ta very much,' said Jimmy indignantly.

Their drinks were served and as Charlie began to drink he saw the two men leave quickly.

The landlord smiled. He wiped his jaw with dirty fingers. ‘I'm sorry to say that my customers don't take fast to strangers.'

‘Why is that?'

‘You're in Shadwell, chum, not Westminster.'

Charlie glanced at the floor, which was covered in filthy sawdust, then his gaze drifted around the room; the tables were sticky with spilled liquor, and although the mirror behind the bar proclaimed the finest ales, the cloudy glasses said otherwise. The opaque windows were streaked with smoke and the faded red wallpaper had long ago peeled from the grime-ridden walls.

‘I'm looking for a young woman,' Charlie said quietly. ‘Dark hair and small in stature. She may have come in here yesterday looking for someone. Her name is Eve Kumar.' Charlie looked into his eyes. This man knew something. ‘The lascar seaman she was searching for is called Singh,' he persisted.

The landlord looked shifty. ‘We don't get many women in here.'

‘Then you'd remember her if you saw her.'

‘Mebee.'

Charlie pushed his drink to one side. ‘Listen, my friend, this girl has been gone for over twenty-four hours. She is now a missing person and I intend to discover what happened to her. Now, you either talk to me or the authorities.'

The landlord looked over Charlie's shoulder. ‘All right, so what if I saw her?'

‘So you did then?'

‘She came in here, bold as brass. I told her she shouldn't have been doin' that.'