Journey's End (34 page)

Seeing this, and with Leonard shouting that it was the man who had been following Vicky, the two older men made a lunge for Trent. In the ensuing confusion, Edward Trent pointed the gun at them, Lucy was thrown aside, and as she went down she managed to pull on his leg, enough to unbalance him.

That was when the two men darted forward.
Caught in this trap, Trent was like a madman. While Adam tried to get the gun from him, Trent smacked him with a vicious blow on the side of his head. As he fell, Leonard went for Trent, the gun discharged itself and Leonard fell to the ground, where he lay still and silent, seemingly lifeless.

‘Jaysus, Mary and Joseph! They’ve killed him!’ Bridget had appeared, and her appalling cry rang through
the air. Scurrying into his car, Trent made a dash for it.

He was heading for the open road when two police cars rammed him. Blinded by the persistent pain in his temples, he felt so terribly weary, he tried to reach for his gun but his strength was ebbing fast. Quickly now the police moved in.

‘You left a trail of unhappy people behind you,’ the officer said as he handcuffed him. ‘Stealing
cars, breaking into offices and causing trouble in the public house. We have a lot of questions needing answers – and so do our friends in Liverpool,’ he stated. ‘There’s the woman who says you beat her up. She also says you killed her sister. And now we’ve got attempted murder. Well now, that should be enough to be going on with, don’t you think? It’ll be the gallows for you this time, chummy.’ Snapping
shut the handcuffs, he threw Trent unceremoniously into one of the police cars.

Behind them, the ambulance took Leonard away, with Vicky beside him and his family following.

‘Don’t you die on me, Leonard Maitland.’ Vicky’s tears fell on his quiet face.

He didn’t hear her.

He had no sense of her nearness.

The guests watched him being taken away. ‘Dear God, let him be all right.’ Lucy was still
shaking, her mind in turmoil. ‘Edward Trent said we had things to talk about, and then we’d be together forever.’

She felt desperately afraid for Leonard. Poor Vicky was in a terrible state. ‘We must go to the hospital,’ she said to Adam.

Then, with Adam’s arms around her, she felt safer and more at peace than she had been for a long time. ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. ‘Sorry for everything. It’s
all my fault.’ It frightened her to realise how any one of them might have been killed.

‘No, Mother, it isn’t.’ Mary too, was shaken, but deeply thankful that Lucy was safe.

‘Leonard … and Vicky,’ Lucy murmured again. ‘We must go to them.’

Adam looked at Mary, as though seeking her approval. ‘Please take her,’ the new bride told him. ‘We’ll wait for news.’ There was little else they could do.

It had been touch and go.

With the bullet lodged in his chest, Leonard had undergone dangerous surgery to remove it.

A fortnight later, Vicky having spent every possible moment at his bedside, Leonard finally turned the corner to recovery.

‘I love you,’ Vicky told him on this bright April morning.

‘And are we forgiven?’ he asked weakly.

Vicky nodded. ‘You were right and I was wrong. It was
what Barney wanted. I understand that now.’

On a glorious day in midsummer, Lucy made her usual visit to St Andrew’s churchyard. She knelt by Barney’s little cross and she told him everything that had happened.

‘At last, our hearts are settled and we’re able to get on with our lives,’ she said. ‘Abbie and Stuart are already planning a future together, as are Ronnie and Amy. Vicky and the rest
of the family have resolved their differences and have returned to America, though of course we’ll always keep in touch and hope to see each other again before too long.’

She laid her posy of flowers on the grave and as she arranged them she carried on talking, though somewhat shyly. ‘Adam has asked me again to marry him, and this time, I’ve said yes. We’re getting old now, Barney, and we need
each other. He’s a good man, as you know. I do love him, but not in the same way I loved you. I will always love you, deep in my soul. That’s where you will always be, my Barney. I can never change that, nor would I want to. Vicky and I have reached our journey’s end now, and we are reconciled. We both love you, oh so much, and we will never forget you. Our four children will love and honour you
always. Goodbye, my darling. Goodbye.’

Suddenly a small voice spoke from beside her. ‘Is your Barney in Heaven?’ The little girl was blonde-haired and blue-eyed, with the look of an angel.

Lucy smiled. ‘I hope so, yes.’

‘That’s where my grandad is,’ came the reply. ‘He was very special, my grandad. Was your Barney very special too?’

Lucy took the girl by the hand and walked her back to where
her mother was waiting. ‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘My Barney was very special.’

With a smile, she handed her back to her mother, and walked on.

Mary met her, and escorting her to the gate she said, ‘I’ve got something to tell you, Mother.’

‘Have you, dear? And what’s that then?’

‘Ben and I … we’re having a baby.’

Filled with emotion, Lucy turned to look at her. ‘A baby!’ The tears fell and suddenly
the two of them were embracing. ‘Oh Mary, my love, congratulations!’ She glanced back at Barney. ‘Did you hear that, my darling?’ she asked him silently. ‘Your daughter is going to make you a grandad.’

They strolled on, talking and laughing, and feeling so incredibly happy. ‘A grandchild,’ Lucy sang. ‘Oh Mary, your daddy would have been so happy.’

‘He is,’ Mary said. ‘Look!’ She pointed to the
skies. ‘Do you think he’s given his approval?’

Filled with wonder, Lucy looked up to see the most beautiful rainbow!

Six months later, Mary gave birth to a sturdy little boy. They named him after his grandad, for he was strong in character, brave in heart. He was a fine boy, with his grandfather’s blood flowing through him. In the years that followed, Barney would have been proud of his grandson.

Here was a special man in the making.

Another Barney.

PRAISE

Once in a while we are blessed with the friendship and love of someone who is uniquely special. When I was an infant and my mother gave birth to her fifth baby boy, I loved him from the moment I saw him; as we all did. She named him William, but he was always known to us as Billy.

Small and sturdy, with the funniest, most mischievous little smile, he was a rascal from the start. He grew
up to be a fine man, with high principles and a fierce passion for family. He was at times infuriating, aggravating, bossy, but immensely lovable. He was our Billy, one of us and we all respected and loved him, without reservation.

A short time ago we celebrated his sixtieth birthday; it was a wonderful evening, with everyone there and our Billy in the midst of it all, laughing, teasing, innocently
flirting, showing off his beloved grandchildren and happy to be with family and friends.

A short time later, he fell ill and, with very little warning, was all too quickly gone from us. With the memories of his birthday party still strong in our minds, we found ourselves mourning the loss of a much loved and very precious man.

God bless you, Billy boy, and keep you safe until we meet again.
We’ll talk about you and love you, and keep you proud in our hearts.

Most of all, we’ll miss you desperately, our one and only Billy. There will never again be anyone like you.

OTHER WORKS

Also by Josephine Cox

QUEENIE’S STORY
Her Father’s Sins
Let Loose the Tigers

THE EMMA GRADY TRILOGY
Outcast
Alley Urchin
Vagabonds

Angels Cry Sometimes
Take This Woman
Whistledown Woman
Don’t Cry Alone
Jessica’s Girl
Nobody’s Darling
Born to Serve
More than Riches
A Little Badness
Living a Lie
The Devil You Know
A Time for Us
Cradle of Thorns
Miss You Forever
Love Me or Leave Me
Tomorrow the World
The Gilded Cage
Somewhere, Someday
Rainbow Days
Looking Back
Let It Shine
The Loner
Songbird
Born Bad
Divorced and Deadly
Blood Brothers
Midnight
Three Letters