A Lesser Evil - Lesley Pearse [45]
He didn’t stop to see if Fifi agreed or disagreed, he was off down the stairs taking them two at a time. Fifi felt a little sick; she’d heard so many stories about Alfie Muckle getting back at anyone who opposed him, and some of them at least had to be true.
Going back into the living room with a glass of squash for Angela, she looked out of the window. Dan was banging on the Muckles’ door, and as she watched Molly answered it. Even though the window was open, Fifi couldn’t hear what Dan was saying, but then his voice was soft and deep. But she did hear Molly bellow out for Alfie, and a second or two later he appeared beside her in the doorway. He had his braces over a grubby-looking vest, and the expression on his face was one of surprise to see Dan on his doorstep.
Fifi could hear Dan’s voice now, but not what he was saying, and Alfie backed up into his hall as if afraid of being struck. He appeared to be protesting, perhaps denying he hit Angela, and Molly had got in behind him, her stance one of someone poised for flight.
Whether there was any substance to Alfie’s fearsome reputation or not, next to Dan he looked pathetic. Dan was a good eight inches taller, fit, powerfully built and over twenty years younger. He looked capable of tearing Alfie apart, but he had said on many an occasion that he despised men who resorted to brutality to make a point. Yet on the other hand Fifi knew he felt very strongly about cruelty to children, because he’d been subjected to it himself. So when she saw him lunge forward and grab Alfie by the shoulders she involuntarily covered her face with her hands.
Hearing no shouting or sounds of fists, she peeped through her fingers and was astounded to see that Dan was merely shaking Alfie, their two faces close together. Then he let him go, and turned on his heel to return home.
The Muckles’ door was immediately slammed shut, and Fifi flew back across the room and down the stairs to meet Dan in the hallway.
‘Shush!’ he said putting one finger to his mouth. ‘We don’t want Angela frightened.’
‘What did you say to him?’
Dan shrugged. ‘Just that if I ever see another injury on the kid again I’ll break his neck.’
‘But he’ll take it out on her when she goes home!’ Fifi exclaimed. ‘You’ve made it worse for her.’
‘No, I haven’t. I know his sort, I meet them every day on the buildings, bloody bullies picking on people who can’t defend themselves. But put them up against someone who can fight back and beat them and they shit themselves. He knows I’ll have him if he lays another finger on Angela. He won’t take the risk.’
Fifi wanted to believe him, but if it was that easy to make Alfie Muckle toe the line, why hadn’t someone done it before?
Dan must have picked up on her disbelief. He put his arms around her and kissed her nose. ‘Stop worrying. I told him Angela was staying with us for the rest of the day, so let’s feed her up, play with her and give her a nice time. I’ll take her home later and I promise you he won’t lay into her.’
Dan took Angela home just after six. They’d had the picnic Fifi had planned in the flat, sitting on the floor, because Angela was in no fit state to be taken out. Later Fifi washed her hair for her and put it up in bunches with blue hair ribbons. They’d played snap, and Dan had put four nails into the end of a cotton reel and showed her how to do French knitting with some wool because they had no toys, children’s books or even coloured pencils for her to use.
But Angela seemed happy just to be there. She didn’t speak much but she snuggled up to Fifi and grinned shyly at Dan.
With clean, well-brushed hair she looked a lot better, but Fifi was appalled by the way she ate. She was like an animal, tearing at the food and stuffing it into her mouth which remained open as she chewed. Fifi wished she could bathe her and wash her filthy clothes for there was a sour smell wafting from her that made it hard to cuddle her.
Dan didn’t seem to notice any of this. But as he said after he’d taken