Cutting the Cord Read online

  “She’s not coming, Freddy. She’s gone.”

  “What do you mean gone?”

  “She took off about half an hour after we left, with that Derek Collins fella.”

  “But how…”

  “How did I know? I ain’t daft, son. I knew exactly who you were talking about on Christmas Eve. I even know that those thug twin friends of yours jumped him Boxing Day night. Heard they gave him a good kicking an’ all. But the poor bastard was too suckered in by that whore of a wife of mine to walk away. Well, now he’s got her, the poor bastard. Now his troubles really do begin.” Freddy could hardly believe his ears. His dad knew! His dad hadn’t done anything to stop her? What in God’s name was going on?

  “If you knew, Dad…”

  “Why didn’t I stop her? Well, it’s like this, son. It’s not the first time. Christ, it’s not even the second time your mum has played around. Ever since I got with her she’s been playing me for the fool. We’d been dating for a few weeks when I found out she was engaged to some other sap. I walked away but she pursued me. Promised me it was all over. Like a fool, I not only took her back, but we were married within six months. By the time we’d reached our first anniversary she’d cheated on me twice. Twice, son.” Harry was close to tears, so he drew a deep breath and then continued his sorry tale.

  “I should have called it a day then but like the lovesick puppy I was I forgave her, though on the condition that we moved away. She reluctantly agreed. So, I took a job as a farm hand for Farmer Boyce. He was well into his sixties so there was no immediate temptation for Elsie. We lived in a small cottage on the farm for six years, blissfully happy. While we were there, you and your sister were born. Our cosy little cottage was quickly becoming a little too cosy.”

  “I remember collecting the eggs with Mum in the morning,” Freddy broke in. Harry smiled at the memory.

  “We moved not long after Anne was born, didn’t we, Dad?”

  “Aye, we did. We were rapidly outgrowing the cottage and your grandad had decided to retire. He and your grandmother bought their little bungalow, a mile down the road from the garage, and we all moved into my old family home and I took over the running of the garage.”

  “You sound sad about that, Dad. Didn’t you want to run the garage?”

  “Oh, I did, Freddy, more than anything, and of course Elsie was thrilled. She was moving back into a busy town. She’d be somebody, what with me now owning the family business and us living in the large four-bed detached house that came with it. But me, I had this awful feeling that our wedded bliss might not last. For a good many years thankfully, I was proved wrong. Elsie threw herself into turning the house into our family home and then Charlie came along so her hands were full. I’d finally let my guard down. Believed stupidly that all that carrying on was behind us but soon enough Elsie was back to her old ways.”

  “You mean there’s been someone before this Derek Collins came along?” Freddy didn’t want to let on that he knew about the World Cup affair. He was happy to just let his father get it all off his chest.

  “Another two to my knowledge, son. The first was a mechanic I’d employed called Roddy McCuskey. Quick-tempered red-headed bugger he was but a bloody good mechanic. Caught him and your mum up to no good in my office, of all places. I gave him a good hiding and sent him packing. Few nights later, he turned up at the garage smelling of whisky. He came stumbling towards me. I thought it was the drink and reached out to prevent him falling. I got a knife in my guts for that.” Freddy suddenly remembered the nasty scar his dad on the lower right side of his stomach. Harry had always told them it was an appendicitis scar.

  “We thought it best to tell you kids I’d been taken into hospital with appendicitis than the truth. Sorry, son.” Harry placed a tender hand on Freddy’s shoulder.

  “What happened to this Roddy guy?” asked Freddy.

  “Got two years in the nick.”

  “What did mum have to say about all of this?”

  “Told me she was pregnant while I was in hospital recovering from the stabbing. She admitted she had no idea who the father was. She was too far gone to have an abortion, so six months later our Janie was born.” Harry paused to let what he’d just said sink in. It didn’t take long for the penny to drop with Freddy. Freddy looked up into his father’s eyes. For the first time in his life, Freddy could see all the heartache in them. He embraced his dad. Holding him close to him. Never before had Freddy felt so much love and respect for his dad. He’d always been a mummy’s boy, favouring his mother over his father. But not now. All the love he’d had had been replaced by a burning hatred for her deep in the pit of his stomach. Freddy stepped back from his father before he asked the question he already knew the answer to.

  “So, Janie is Roddy’s daughter?” This instantly brought tears to Harry’s eyes, but he didn’t raise a hand to wipe them away. He just walked over to the two-feet-high walk that ran alongside the club’s car park and sat himself down.

  “He may be her biological father but I’m her dad and she’s my daughter. Your mother turned me into a liar and now I’m going to ask the same of you, Freddy. I’m going to ask that you never tell a living soul about Janie not being mine. It would kill me if she ever found out and destroy her life too. I’ve made it my business to keep tabs on that scumbag. Didn’t want him showing up causing trouble. Found out that within months of being released from prison he killed a woman. Beat her to a pulp. He’s serving life in Parkhurst Prison. Our Janie doesn’t need to know her father’s a murderer.” Freddy sat down beside his dad on the wall.

  “I’m beginning to understand why you’ve decided to let her go now, Dad.” Harry let out a spine-tingling chuckle. Freddy thought perhaps his dad was finally going mad.

  “Having another man’s baby didn’t stop your mother, Freddy. Oh! For a while she was all sorry and attentive to all our needs. But that’s not her way. She hates it when her needs don’t come first. She’s a selfish, lying, cheating whore and I should have sent her packing the minute I’d registered Janie’s birth. But she was like some sort of drug I thought I couldn’t live without, so I played the role she had me play. Only this time I wasn’t so naïve to believe she’d changed her ways. As the saying goes, ‘a leopard can’t change its spots’. I got wind she was planning to bugger off with this bloke called Sidney Riley. The plan was for them to slip away while we all were cheering on England in the World Cup final. I collared him in the park and beat the living daylights out of the bastard. Had to stop myself from killing the cocky bastard, I did. He took some convincing to fuck off and leave well alone. World Cup day I snuck up on Elsie as she was packing to leave. Told her that lover boy wouldn’t be showing up, so she’d best get unpacking and start thinking of her kids instead of herself for a change. And I’m not proud of it but I told her there and then that if I caught her playing away again I’d kill her. And believe me, son, at that moment in time I meant it. But here I am again! Folk round here called me the ‘Gentle Giant’. I called myself the GIANT FOOL. But not anymore, Freddy. She’s burnt her bridges with me this time. I wouldn’t have her back even if my life depended on it. I’m done with the whore. It’ll be 1970 in under an hour. A new year. A new decade. A new me. That worthless whore has taken up enough of my time, energy, life and money. From now on I’m going to invest all those things into you kids. I’m going to be all the parent you need. Now let’s go back inside. Get ourselves a drink and make a toast to Derek Collins for finally taking that evil mare off my hands.” With that, Harry stood up, swiped away the last remains of any tears and walked back into the club.

  Freddy sat for several minutes alone on the wall with everything his father had told him playing round his head. How could he have adored this woman so much? This woman who was prepared to dump her husband and kids for a few cheap thrills. Well, good riddance to her. He just hoped she had the good sense to stay away from them all, especially
sweet little Janie.

  FREDDY

  Summer 1970

  The months following the departure of Elsie hadn’t been easy at first for anyone. Rumours of Harry finally flipping out and killing his adulterous wife had been rife at first. Charlie and Janie had been taunted at school by spiteful children. Folk had tarred Anne with the same brush as her mother, openly calling her a little whore or slut. It had changed Anne and not for the better. Long gone was the sweet, caring young girl, to be replaced by a hard-faced bitch. As for Freddy, he’d been in more fights than he could count and had even been locked up on one occasion to cool off in the local police station’s cells. But, finally, things were settling down into a nice easy pattern. The rumours had stopped and been replaced by kindness and sympathy for Harry. Charlie and Janie were no longer taunted at school and now had more friends than they really needed. Anne, she seemed to embrace the new-found hardness in her, and Freddy had finally excised his demons and was working full-time at the garage alongside his dad and loving every minute of it. But then Tommy Higgins came along!

  Tommy Higgins was a couple of years older than Freddy, but his sister Joan had been a big friend of Anne’s before their mum had run off. Joan couldn’t stand the nastiness that Anne was always dishing out of late and had stopped calling round. Joan had recently been on the family summer holiday to Blackpool with her parents and while there she’d seen Elsie Arnold several times. Hence why Tommy had paid Freddy a visit. Joan had asked him to let Anne and her family know that, after a bit of holiday detective work, Joan had found out where Elsie was staying and working.

  “She’s working part-time at a big pub called The Manchester up on the front near the tower,” Tommy began to tell Freddy. “She’s living in a flat above a hairdressing salon called Betty’s. It’s on Windsor Avenue, a few streets away from the Pleasure Beach. She goes by the name of May Collins. Joan said a nice young barmaid there called Ruby Walters was very helpful. I’m only telling you all this because our Joan asked me to. Personally, I think you should just forget I ever said anything.” Tommy shook Freddy’s hand then left as quickly as he’d arrived, leaving Freddy in a dilemma. Should he tell his dad? Should he go see for himself? Or do as Tommy suggested and forget he’d ever heard a thing?

  Freddy fretted over what Tommy had told him for days. He just couldn’t shake off the way that she’d just packed up and started a whole new life for herself without any thought of the consequences it would have on all those left behind. The burning knot of hatred was back with a vengeance deep in his gut. Despite his better judgement, he just knew he had to travel to Blackpool. Track her down, like the dog she was, and tell her exactly what he thought of her. He doubted it would make the slightest difference to her but it sure as hell would make him feel a whole lot better.

  Ten days later, on a sunny Thursday morning, Freddy was sitting on the seafront railings opposite The Manchester. He felt bad about lying to his dad about where he was going and why, but he really thought it was for the best. He’d said he was going to Manchester to meet up with a girl called May he’d met when he’d gone to Rhyl for the day a few weeks back with the Taylor twins. However, he’d told Paul and Peter what he really was up to and they’d only let him go on ahead alone with the understanding they’d be joining him on the Saturday.

  At a little after ten o’clock a small brunette knocked on The Manchester door. Within minutes she was ushered inside. At 10:30am sharp the door to the pub was wedged open for business. Freddy remembered that Tommy had said she only worked part-time so Freddy assumed this wasn’t one of his mum’s shifts. He was just getting to his feet to go over and suss out the pub and this Ruby when his saw his mum come hurtling round the corner of the pub. She darted through the pub door shouting her excuses for being late that loud that Freddy could almost make out what she was saying from where he stood across the busy road. Freddy smiled to himself. Typical Mum. Last to clock in but first to clock out. Freddy set off to find some cheap lodgings. Elsie wasn’t going anywhere until afternoon chucking-out time.

  By two o’clock Freddy was back sitting on the railings eating an ice-cream. He’d found himself a lovely little B&B on Monrose Avenue, just a couple of streets away from the flat his mum was renting. Mrs Davidson had told him she ran a tight ship! Breakfast was at 8:30am sharp. Evening meals were at 6:30pm sharp! The front door was locked at 11pm sharp! No alcohol in your room. No unauthorised guests in your room. Accommodation had to be paid for in full on day of arrival. Freddy had paid for three nights for him and had also paid for a double room on the Saturday night for the twins. As Freddy waited for the pub to close its doors for the afternoon he came up with a plan. Today he would check out the rest of what Tommy had passed on. Tomorrow he would confront his mother, leaving Saturday free to have some fun with the twins.

  Within minutes of the door closing Elsie came out. She stopped to light a cigarette then headed off down the front in the direction of the Pleasure Beach. Freddy watched her disappear out of view then he walked across the road to the pub. He’d just reached the other side when out of the pub came the young girl he’d seen going in that morning. Freddy thought this must be the Ruby, Joan had mentioned. He quickly caught up with her.

  “Excuse me, Miss, I wondered if you’d be so kind as to help me,” Freddy began to explain. “Only I just saw you come out of The Manchester and wondered if you could help me, like. I’m only here for a few days and I promised my mum I’d try to track down her old mate May Collins for her. Mum heard she might be working here at the pub.” Ruby Walters stared at the handsome young man before her. He had the blackest hair and bluest eyes she’d ever seen but for some strange reason there seemed to be something familiar about the way he looked. And this was the second time this summer she’d been approached about someone asking after May!

  “Who’d told your mum that then?” Ruby asked. Freddy decided to embellish the truth a little.

  “Young girl with plaits. Came on holiday with her parents few weeks back. Goes to school with me sister. Told her she thought it was May serving behind the bar and a barmaid called Ruby had confirmed it. She hadn’t been too sure though as she’d only ever seen photographs of May with me mum.” Freddy could hardly believe how easily the lies slipped from his mouth. He was definitely his mother’s son, he thought. Ruby remembered the young girl. She’d stopped her by the toilets one lunchtime and asked who the older blonde lady was that she’d seen working there. She’d mentioned it being a friend or mum of someone then, but which way round she couldn’t recall. She couldn’t remember the girl’s name either, but she did remember those long thick plaits she’d had. She also remembered that the girl seemed unsure of whether she’d got the right person as well. Seemed a little dipsy, she recalled. That was probably why she’d never mentioned it to May. Not that she spoke much to her anyway. May was only interested in talking to men!

  “Your sister’s friend was right. May does work here but she only works the lunchtime shifts. Likes to keep her evenings free, does our May!” The minute it was out of her mouth, Ruby wondered what on earth had possessed her to be so spiteful about May to a complete stranger. Freddy noticed the look of horror on Ruby’s face at the realisation of what she had just said and started to laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” asked Ruby.

  “What you just said,” replied Freddy. “My mum said I’d have to look for her in the day as she wouldn’t be working in the evening if she knew May.” Ruby smiled at Freddy.

  “How long has it been since your mum last saw May?” enquired Ruby.

  “Good few years, I guess,” lied Freddy.

  “She’s not changed much then,” smirked Ruby.

  “Doesn’t look like it, does it?” offered Freddy. For several minutes, they stood on the pavement outside The Manchester, neither of them in a hurry to leave but both waiting for the other to say something. Freddy decided he liked this girl Ruby a lot and asked if she’d like to take
a stroll along the prom with him. She readily agreed and taking her hand Freddy guided her across the busy seafront road.

  They’d spent the rest of the afternoon together. They walked along the sand. Played the machines in the penny arcades and chatted away like lost friends. They’d parted back outside The Manchester at just before six o’clock. Ruby had to be back at work for seven and Freddy needed to be seated for his evening meal back at the B&B by 6:30pm sharp. They’d arranged to meet again the following evening at 7:30pm down by the entrance to the Pleasure Beach as it was Ruby’s night off. Ruby had agreed not to tell May that he was asking about her. He’d told Ruby he wanted to be a nice surprise for her. After his evening meal at Mrs Davidson’s B&B, Freddy set off to find a good spot by Betty’s Hairdressers where he could spy on the flat above without being seen. After walking around the area several times, Freddy settled on an amusement arcade that gave him a view of the side entrance to the upstairs flat and a good view of its windows at the front. He caught a glimpse of Elsie walking passed one of the windows almost immediately, so he knew she was still indoors for now.

  Derek Collins was the first to leave the flat. He was dressed casually, and Freddy could easily make out that he carried a darts case in his hand. He watched as Derek quickened his pace and headed off in the direction of the tower. Ten minutes later Elsie was out on the street. She was dressed to the nines and was heading in the opposite direction towards the Pleasure Beach. Freddy let Elsie get a good way ahead before he started to follow her. Elsie was moving along at quite a pace, but Freddy still managed to keep her in sight. Finally, she turned into the Pleasure Beach fairground. Freddy knew he’d have to get closer now or else he’d lose her. He quickened his stride and now was only a few feet behind her but with the fairground packed with holidaymakers he was sure he’d still be able to go undetected. At the funhouse entrance Elsie came to a halt and started to look around. Freddy dropped his head, pretending to read a nearby kiosk’s billboard. Slowly, after a few moments, he raised his head and looked for Elsie. His heart began to pound as, at first, he couldn’t find her. Then suddenly she was there, walking right by him, on the arm of a tall, thickset man in rather an expensive looking suit. Freddy was able to hang back at bit further now as the man was at least six feet five, meaning he was easily head and shoulders above the others in the crowd.