Midnight on Lime Street Read Free Page B

‘Can I talk straight, Evie?’
    ‘Course you can.’
    The older woman sighed. ‘Look, lass, you’re my best mate in th’ ’ole world, and I love you like a daughter, only you don’t own nobody. Even if you were me daughter,
I wouldn’t own you. Think back. We were on the game for years, love, we never had no pimp, just our own little ’ouse in Dingle, and you saved like buggery to get this place. I were
never no good at saving, and you minded me when I retired. But even though we liked being together and looked after one another, we didn’t own each other, did we? It’s wrong to sell the
girl on. And if you were selling some working girl, she’s not the right one. In fact, she’s a wrong ’un from top to toe, and well you know it.’
    Eve dropped her large head into plump hands.
    ‘I still ’ave the scar to prove it.’ Kate rubbed her forehead.
    ‘I know, Kate. But what I don’t know is how I undo it.’ She opened up about the bet, the horse and Baby’s attitude to the proposed move, her dislike for Southport, the
old man’s idea of watching her with other men. ‘She would object to that; I said the two of them have to negotiate terms. But do you remember the identical twins?’
    Kate nodded.
    ‘One finished with her and went to the bathroom, and the other one took his place for round two. She nearly blasted the roof off with her yelling that night, frightened other clients
halfway to death screaming that she wanted paying twice. The second twin had a slight cast in one eye, and Missy spotted it right away. I’m not sure she’ll agree to perform with Donald
watching. She’s that sharp, she should be kept in a locked drawer or a toolbox.’
    ‘You’re going to need to put a stop to it, Evie.’
    The big woman raised her head and shook it. ‘I can’t.’
    ‘Shall I talk to her, then?’
    ‘No. You never know which way she’ll jump, and she’s stronger than you. I’ve seen more flesh on a string bean, sweetheart, and you know she’s feisty at her best and
ruddy lethal at her worst. I must be losing my grip, Kate. Maybe it’s time for me to give up and turn myself into a bed and breakfast – we’re near enough to the main road between
Liverpool and Manchester.’
    Kate shrugged. ‘You’d not clear ninety to a hundred and twenty a week at that lark. This is what you know, Evie; this is what we understand. Men need women, and they can’t
always get them. In fact, the government should be behind us, because I reckon we save a fair few girls from getting raped.’
    Eve nodded. ‘An essential service. Try telling that to the bastards in charge. Yes, it’s time the world grew up, but that isn’t going to happen until I’m pushing up
daisies. Ring the bell, queen. And keep your ears open while they’re all eating, because I need to know what’s going on.’
    ‘I always keep tabs. You know that, Evie.’
    Kate left the room, and a loud bell sounded three times. One long ring meant fire or cops, two shorts in succession meant an unexpected daytime client who had made his own way here, while three
shorts summoned the girls to table.
    Eve tried to count her blessings, though she didn’t find many on this occasion, since her mind was fully occupied by speculation relating to Baby and Don. There had to be some way of
making herself and this place safe. Aside from throttling Don, Baby or both, there was no ready solution. Never mind. Kate would bring her meal soon, and Eve loved her food.
    The escape committee met behind a redundant air raid shelter on the top field. Grass on the top field was left untended, so the Brothers Pastoral seldom ventured up there, as
wild and damp herbage tended to wet their long, air force blue habits.
    But the boys got together not to discuss clothing; they were gathered to condemn their supposed saviours for bad behaviour. The orphaned, the abandoned and the unmanageable had been delivered
here to be fed, clothed and educated by men of the cloth in