Cutting the Cord Read online

  Freddy followed them as they made their way through the crowded streets until they entered the doors of a rather impressive hotel on the front, called the Grand. Freddy had waited outside for half an hour before venturing into the hotel’s lobby. Inside was a large entrance hall, with a large curved reception desk in one corner and a rather busy bar area in the other. Freddy picked up a leaflet from a rack by the door and peering over it scanned the bar for Elsie and her new-found friend. They were nowhere to be seen. Cautiously, Freddy approached a bellboy heading for the front door and asked if there were any other communal areas. He was told that, no, there weren’t. There was only the bar and the dining room and that was closed for the evening. Freddy thanked the bellboy then followed him out the front door and crossed the road over to a covered bench and waited for Elsie to reappear. At just before 10pm, Elsie emerged from the hotel alone and was practically running off in the direction of her flat. Freddy once again began to follow her. She was clearly in a hurry to get back before Derek did. Freddy smiled to himself. It seemed his mum was still up to the same old tricks with Derek has she’d been pulling on his dad. Maybe it ought to be Derek Collins that he should be having the quiet word with instead of Elsie!

  ELSIE

  Elsie had the sneaky feeling that someone had been following her all evening. No one in particular had stood out to her until she’d taken the second peek out of Morris’s hotel window. There, across the road, sitting on the bench of the tram shelter, was the same guy who’d been there half an hour earlier. He obviously wasn’t waiting on a tram as they ran by every fifteen minutes. She’d taken a quick glance across on leaving the Grand and instantly saw the same guy. Elsie had a feeling she knew who it was!

  She’d had no time for a detour on her way back to the flat, she was running late as it was. Instead she quickened her pace and headed straight home. There had been no time to turn around, but Elsie just knew her shadow was still there. Elsie climbed the stairs to the door of the flat, never once looking back or down. Once inside, she turned on the kitchen light but made her way through the flat into the front room without turning on any more lights. She resisted the urge to move the net curtain out of the way to see the street outside more clearly. Instead she got as close as she could and peered out. There he was! Standing just inside the arcade opposite, smoking a cigarette. It was Freddy! Elsie wanted to run down and slap his face so hard for being such an interfering little shit! But Derek was due back any time now and she needed to change into her nightclothes and remove her make-up before he arrived home. She also needed to keep an eye on Freddy to make sure that he didn’t go talking to Derek.

  Elsie kept up her vigil at the window. Removing her make-up and changing into her nightie, keeping Freddy in her sights all the time. Eventually Derek came wobbling down the road. He’d no doubt had too much to drink as usual but thankfully he wasn’t a mean drunk. Well, not to Elsie at least. She’d lost count of the number of times he’d got into fights while drunk in their short time here in Blackpool. If Freddy was to confront him now he’d get a good hiding for his trouble. But Freddy had just watched Derek teeter by then had run off in the opposite direction. Elsie looked at the clock on the mantelpiece. It was five to eleven. Elsie suspected that Freddy was staying in a B&B close by. Most of them had eleven o’clock curfews, especially on young men staying alone. A plot began to form in Elsie’s mind. By morning it was already in action.

  From the kitchen, Elsie heard the 5:30am alarm go off for Derek. She listened as he practically fell out of the bed and then stumbled across to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Elsie set about making him a strong black coffee and buttered him a piece of toast. Five minutes later Derek entered the kitchen and slumped down at the table. He wearily lifted his head and looked at Elsie. Suddenly he was as sober as a judge. There across the table from him sat Elsie with a nasty-looking black eye. Elsie knew Derek was staring at her, but she kept her gaze on the cup of tea before her. Slowly she raised her head to look Derek in the eyes. He just stared back. Lost for words. Elsie reached across the table and held his hand.

  “Don’t fret, sweetheart,” she began. “It was an accident. As you turned over in the night you flung your arm over and it clouted me in the eye.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Derek meekly. Elsie gave Derek one of her best smiles.

  “I know you was drunk last night when you came home, darling, but you’d never hurt me, not intentionally anyhow, would you?”

  “No, no, I wouldn’t. I just don’t remember any of it. I’m so sorry, Else.”

  “No need to apologise. It was an accident and I’ll survive. Now, you best hurry else you’ll be late for work.” Elsie rose from the table and went to Derek. She gave him a hug and passionately kissed him then handed him his lunch for the day and saw him to the door.

  “You best phone in sick today, love,” suggested Derek. “Don’t think they’d want their prize barmaid turning up like she’s been fighting with the punters.” Derek was obviously trying to make light of it, but she knew deep down he didn’t want folk thinking he’d hit her.

  “Okay, Derek, if you think it’s for the best. I’ll get dressed and slip out to the phone box around nine with my sunglasses on. I’ll pop to the butchers and get us a couple of juicy steaks for tea. At little treat for us, as no doubt we’ll be staying in tonight.”

  “Good idea, Elsie, now I’ve gotta fly. See you around five,” and with that Derek was gone. Elsie smiled to herself. Her plan was off to a good start. While Derek had slept peacefully last night she had gotten out of bed and had gone into the kitchen. There she’d wrapped a tea towel around the wooden meat tenderiser, shoved another firmly into her mouth and then had whacked herself in the eye several times with the covered tenderiser. It had hurt like hell but the effect this morning was well worth it. She had the most swollen, blackest eye anyone had ever seen. Now for phase two of her plan.

  At quarter to ten, dressed in her work attire and donning sunglasses Elsie set off to work. By the time she reached The Manchester’s doors, she was positive that Freddy was hot on her heels. Elsie banged loudly on the doors and was rewarded by a quick response. She pushed pass Norman Fowler, The Manchester’s landlord, removing her sunglasses as she went.

  “Well, wonders will never cease,” proclaimed Norman as Elsie hurled passed him. “What do we owe this honour of you turning up for work early?” Elsie turned to face him, removing her sunglasses as she came face to face with him. Norman took a step back.

  “What the hell happened to you?” he asked.

  “Derek came home drunk again last night. He was in a foul mood. Started lashing out at me. He’s usually a crafty git though and rains blows to my body where no one ever sees but last night…” Elsie started to cry. Norman pulled her into his arms and let her cry on his shoulder.

  “I knew he liked a drink, Elsie. Even knew he liked to throw his weight around when he was drunk but I didn’t know he was into hitting women.”

  Elsie cried a few more of her crocodile tears then with a quiver in her voice replied,

  “He blames me. Says it’s all my fault. Says I bring out the worst in him. Last night I thought he was going to kill me. He was ranting on and on about some young lad he’d seen me with. Said I was making a fool out of him. Said we’d both regret crossing him. I haven’t slept all night. He told me not to come to work today. To phone in sick. To stay home, else there’d be hell to pay. I’m so frightened, Norman.” Elsie threw herself back into Norman’s arms and cried like a baby. Norman gently rubbed her back. He looked up to see his wife standing there.

  “It’s not what you think, Maureen,” Norman began.

  “Don’t go giving yourself a heart attack, Norman. I heard it all. Couldn’t help it with all that wailing and shouting she’s doing.” Maureen held out her arms to Elsie. “Come here, pet, let’s have a good look at ya.” Elsie moved away from Norman and slowly she turned to face
Maureen. Elsie did look a sight. Her face was streaked from where her mascara had run, and she had the most swollen black eye Maureen had ever seen.

  “Best go clean up your face then take yourself home and if you’ve got any sense you’ll pack your bags and put as much distance between you and that bastard Derek before he realises you’ve gone.” Elsie gave Maureen the saddest face she could muster.

  “I would, Maureen, but Derek has all the money. I’ve not got a penny to my name. I’d have buggered off before if I had. Have to hand him my wage packet unopened, I do. Got a friend up in Glasgow be happy to put me up just can’t get there.” Maureen had a gut feeling that what May was saying wasn’t all the God’s honest truth, but her big soft heart and her conscience couldn’t let her stand by and doing nothing. That nasty black eye hadn’t got there by itself and Derek Collins was well known for his explosive temper.

  “Go clean yourself up, then come into the office,” Maureen said and left the bar area.

  “Go on, May, do as Maureen says.” Elsie gave Norman a weak smile then scurried off to the ladies’ room. Once inside she gave herself a nice fat juicy smile before setting about cleaning her face up.

  It only took Elsie a couple of minutes to wipe the mascara from her cheeks, but she waited in a toilet cubicle for ten minutes as she didn’t want to appear to have got herself together so quickly. Slowly she made her way into the back office. Maureen was sat at the large desk writing in a ledger when Elsie entered. She quickly closed the book and then removed a rusty old tea caddy from an open drawer on the bottom-right-hand side of the desk, placing it carefully on the top. She wiggled the lid off the caddy then withdrew a small roll of notes from it, held together by a rubber band. She then replaced the lid and in one swift movement had returned the caddy to the drawer and closed it. Maureen held up the roll of notes to Elsie.

  “Here, take this, May, and get as far away from here as you can.” Elsie reached out to claim the roll but at the last second Maureen snatched it away.

  “I can’t say that I totally believe you, May. Something with you has never sat quite right with me, you might say. It’s like you’re always holding something back. What, I have no idea, but I’m going to help you out just this once. But I never want to see you or hear from or about you ever again, do you hear me? Because if I do, lady, that black eye won’t be a patch on what I’ll do to ya! Do I make myself perfectly clear?” Elsie nodded her head like an errant child. Maureen threw the money down onto the desk and reopened the ledger and began to resume her book work. Elsie retrieved the roll of notes, slipped it into her pocket, donned her sunglasses and left The Manchester pub without a backwards glance. As she made her way to the Grand Hotel, Elsie fingered the roll of money in her pocket and mentally patted herself on the back. Now for phase three, she said to herself as she entered the hotel and stopped to check that Freddy was still hot on her heels.

  Morris had been suitably appalled by what Derek had done to his beloved May. He’d quickly agreed to her plan for them to abscond that afternoon and head for his homeland of Ireland. He’d meet her at the train station on Waterloo Road at two o’clock sharp. Elsie was on a roll. Her plan so far was going better than she’d hoped. All she needed to do now was set the scene. She’d begin by knocking a few things around in the flat and by making sure that Freddy was well and truly out of the picture then get as far away as possible from this godforsaken place with good old rich Morris Connolly.

  The hairdresser’s downstairs was packed out. Fridays were blue rinse and set day and it seemed as if half the population of Blackpool was having its hair done in Betty’s today, which was brilliant news for Elsie. With hairdryers going flat out, water gushing in the sinks and the boiler rattling away, not to mention a dozen women or more shouting to be heard over all the noise, no one in the salon heard a thing as Elsie toppled furniture, smashed crockery and broke ornaments. She had planned at first on packing a few things but then decided against it. Instead she set about ransacking her drawers and wardrobe. Retrieving a pair of lightweight summer gloves from the floor, she put them on. Then, opening Derek’s bedside drawer, she took out his engraved flick knife and placed it in the pocket of her dress. Before heading out of the bedroom she checked her reflection in the mirror for any signs it was there. But, no, it was beautifully concealed. She crossed over to the front window and she could see Freddy in his all too familiar place now. Elsie smiled wickedly then exited the flat.

  There were two entrances into the amusement arcade, the one Freddy had been watching her from and one a little further up the street. Elsie made across the road to the arcade and walked by the first entrance, in which she knew Freddy was hiding, then hotfooted it into the next. Elsie had to be quick now. Freddy was just about to high tail it out of the arcade when Elsie planted her hand on his shoulder. Freddy reeled round, coming face to face with his mother. Elsie reacted quickly. She moved straight in for a full-on cuddle, nestling her head on his shoulder, and whispered in his ear.

  “Let’s just link arms, son, and head off back to the flat, where we can talk in private, eh?” Freddy nodded his head in agreement and linked arms with his mum and headed off towards her flat. To anyone watching them, they were like a pair of lovers meeting up for a date. No one batted an eyelid at the dark handsome young man leaving with the sexy blonde in sunglasses.

  Elsie led Freddy up into the alley that ran behind the hairdressers. She steered him past the gateway to the rear of the salon. Freddy hesitated for a moment but continued to let Elsie guide him further down into the deserted alleyway. They had almost reached the brick wall at the end of the alley when Elsie slammed Freddy up against the decaying rear wall of a derelict house. He slumped against the wall, wondering what his mother was going to say. But Elsie remained silent, just staring at him intensely behind her sunglasses. Freddy broke the silence.

  “Always full of the dramatics, eh, Mum?” he began. “You should have been an actress,” he mocked. Elsie reached into her pocket and drew out the knife then flicked open the blade. In one swift movement, she had plunged it into the unsuspecting Freddy’s stomach. Freddy stared in horror at his mum as he felt the burning incision of the blade penetrate his belly. Before reality had sunk in she had plunged the knife in again, twisting it as she pulled it out. Freddy grabbed the opportunity to fling his arms to his ruptured stomach to staunch the bleeding and fend off any further assaults. His head was spinning, and he could no longer hold himself up. He was sliding down the wall to end up sitting in a ruck on the cold, hard concrete. He was finding it hard to breathe. Using all the strength he could muster, he looked up at his mum.

  “Why?” he managed to get out. Elsie stooped down to meet her son’s dying gaze.

  “Because you just couldn’t stop sticking your nose into my affairs,” then Elsie laughed at her own joke. Freddy could feel his life’s blood draining out of him.

  “And this way, sonny, I’m well rid of that arsehole Derek Collins too. So, thanks for that.” Elsie straightened up, took one last look at her son, then walked back off to the flat.

  Freddy lay in the foetal position on the concrete. He knew his life was over, but he had no sorrow or thoughts for himself, only for little Janie. What chance in life did she have with both her parents being cold-bloodied murderers?

  Elsie made it back into the flat unseen. She had an hour before her rendezvous with Morris. She took the flick knife that she’d carefully held away from her dress and used it to slash open her free arm. Blood quickly rose to the surface and dripped out onto the bedroom carpet. With clenched teeth Elsie tossed the knife into the strewn clothing then quickly went to the bathroom to dress her wound and clean herself up. Twenty minutes later Elsie was scurrying down the back stairs and off to meet Morris. She’d bandaged her arm and had washed out Freddy’s blood from her gloves. They were now safely ensconced in an old waterproof make-up bag in the bottom of her handbag. Elsie hurried into the busy station and
headed straight for the line of public telephone boxes. She dialled Derek’s place of work. Putting on a London accent she asked for a message to be given to Derek as soon as possible. The message read “GET HOME ASAP YOUR WIFE IS ABSCONDING WITH HER LOVER”. Elsie replaced the receiver then headed back outside the station to wait for Morris. She didn’t have to wait long. He was early as usual. Elsie climbed into the passenger seat and Morris drove away from the station heading for the next ferry to cross to Ireland.

  DEREK

  Derek’s first instinct when he had been called into the boss’s office and given the message about May absconding with another man was to get back to their flat ASAP. His boss, Mr Saunders, had been happy to let him leave and, as he put it, “Put an end to this nonsense.” Once out on the street, Derek set off as fast as he could. His mind was in a whirl. Was it really true? Was Elsie at this very moment hot-tailing it away with another bloke? If so, how could Elsie do this to him? That answer came easy! That night when she’d thrown her case onto the back seat of his car and climbed into the passenger seat, she’d shown NO remorse. NO guilt. NO nothing. It was as if it was just a natural everyday occurrence to her. In all the months they’d been here together, she’d not spoken about the children she’d left behind. She had never shown an ounce of remorse or guilt for what she’d done to them. Derek suddenly found he was no longer in a hurry to get to the flat and stop Elsie from leaving. Just like Harry before him, he found he was happy to let her go. This new-found emotion left Derek craving a drink of the hard stuff. It was late afternoon so no chance of finding a pub open, but he did have the best part of a bottle of Scotch under the passenger seat of his Mini. He licked his lips at the mere thought. The Mini was parked up on a piece of wasteland three streets away from the flat. He felt for the keys in his pocket and caressed them fondly as he formed a plan. He’d take the car and its precious cargo down to a deserted part of the coast he knew and together they’d while away the rest of the day. Then, later in the evening, he’d go back to the flat. Hopefully, by then, Elsie would be long gone and then he’d make the decision on what to do next. Plan formed, Derek headed off to the wasteland and his car. Come 9pm, Derek was parked up on a deserted car park facing the seafront. The bottle of Scotch lay empty on the floor by his feet and he was sleeping like a baby slumped over the steering wheel of the car.