The Mersey Daughter (Empire Street #3)(38)



Rita noticed with a groan that the back wall could do with repairing. It must have been all the explosions shaking it; several bricks had been dislodged. She didn’t have time to do anything about it now, but she’d add it to her list of chores. Maybe Pop or Danny could help her, or at least ask someone who was handy. She wouldn’t know how to start.

Turning from her improvised shelter, she felt a prickling at the back of her neck, as if she was being watched. She straightened up and gazed around, but there was nothing out of the ordinary, just the same old back yard. Don’t be daft, she told herself. It must have been a breeze. That, or you’ve spooked yourself by thinking of what Winnie is doing to get her sherry money. Don’t let yourself imagine something when there isn’t anything there.

She was about to go back inside when she heard a faint noise, a slight scuffling, maybe like a stone being struck along the paving. Again she turned anxiously and gazed around.

Suddenly there was a flash of movement to her left and she wheeled about, catching sight of the culprit. It was a tortoiseshell cat, leaping from the side wall on to the galvanised roof. Insolently it came to a halt and sat there, watching her intently with its big hazel eyes.

Rita breathed out heavily. It was the creature that usually hung around the end of the road by the Sailor’s Rest. Obviously it had decided to broaden its territory. Well, not a lot she could do about that, and as long as it didn’t try to get into the dustbins or come inside after scraps it wasn’t really doing any harm. ‘Go on with you, puss,’ she said half-heartedly, clapping her hands at it. It didn’t move, and then stretched before settling down in a patch of sunlight.

It’s all right for some, muttered Rita to herself, returning to the shop to relieve Ruby. What I wouldn’t give for a nice morning nap in the warmth. Fat chance of that.

Danny groaned as his supervisor down at the Gladstone Dock gave him yet another tedious list of crates to check. He’d done nothing but check crates in the warehouse all week. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself that this was vital for the war effort, he was bored out of his mind. The supervisor didn’t help. The man had done the same job for years and was self-important and petty. Nothing was ever right for him. Even if Danny completed his latest task in double-quick time, the man would find fault with the exact angle of his ticks on the form.

Gritting his teeth, he picked up the detested clipboard and made his way to the doorway of the warehouse to begin at the first aisle.

‘All right, Dan?’

Danny spun round and saw a figure silhouetted against the brightness of the sun’s glare. For a moment he struggled to make out who it was, but it didn’t take long to work it out.

‘What do you want, Alfie?’ he asked wearily. ‘I’m working, as you can see.’

‘So am I, Dan, so am I,’ Alfie said easily, taking a long drag on his cigarette. ‘Just thought I’d pop by and see how you were getting along. A little bird told me you were back at work. Does that mean you’re feeling better? Not too much better, I hope. That’d spoil our little arrangement.’

‘Thanks for your concern, Alfie,’ Danny said, his voice heavy with sarcasm, ‘but, as you damn well know, we have no arrangement, little or otherwise. So you can sling your hook and get back to wherever you’re pretending to work.’

‘Danny, Danny.’ Alfie held up his hands in mock surrender. ‘That’s no way to treat an old friend. I was just enquiring after your health. And making sure exactly where you were.’

‘What’s it to you?’

‘So I know how to find you if I need to,’ said Alfie. ‘Just in case anything urgent should arise, if you know what I mean.’ He ground his cigarette butt into the ground with precise aggression.

Danny briefly shut his eyes. As long as he worked on the docks, Alfie would have an excuse to come and find him at any time. Was there to be no escape from the man?

‘Oh aye, here comes trouble,’ Alfie said brightly. ‘That’s your boss, isn’t it? Looks as if someone’s shoved a bee up his arse, I’ve never seen him move so fast. What you been up to then, Dan? He’s got a face like thunder. And look over there, that’s top brass, that is. Oh Danny, have you been a naughty boy? Time I wasn’t here.’ He turned lightly on his foot and sped off, not waiting to see what the supervisor wanted.

Danny drew himself up straight. He couldn’t imagine what this might be about, but it must be serious. He squinted towards the uniformed man in the distance, and could make out a gleam of gold on his jacket. Not your average naval officer, then.

‘Mr Callaghan, come with me,’ the supervisor ordered, slightly out of breath and red in the face. His face betrayed controlled fury. ‘I don’t know what you’ve been doing but you’ve been summoned to go immediately with Lieutenant Commander Sykes here. You’ve left me in the lurch good and proper, and you’d better come back with a bloody marvellous excuse.’ He held out his hand. ‘Give me that clipboard.’

Utterly baffled, Danny did as he was asked. His heart sank. Had Alfie set him up? What on earth was going on?





CHAPTER FIFTEEN


‘Kitty, you look lovelier than ever.’ Elliott’s warm eyes met Kitty’s as they came to a halt outside the famous old pub near Hampstead Heath. The sun had just set over the treeline and the last of the birds were calling their cries at dusk. The warmth rose off the pavement and it seemed for an instant that all was at peace with the world.

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