By the end of September, the Haskins sisters were still perfecting their new songs. Benny had no time to help them and they hadn’t seen Bing again, much to Marie’s disappointment. She would have asked him to play for them on Elsie’s piano.
‘The band is too fast for us,’ complained Vesta on the last Saturday of the month as they hurried from the stage towards the dressing room. ‘It’s not our fault that we can’t keep up with them. Do you think Wally will give us the sack?’
‘No, he would have done so by now. Teddy hasn’t said anything, has he?’
‘He’s too gentlemanly to do so,’ argued Vesta crossly. ‘It’s Bing’s fault for giving us such difficult songs. He don’t even bother to play them for us.’
‘You told him you would get Benny to.’
‘Yes, but how was I to know that Irene would get herself killed? Everyone has been in a bad mood since.’
The chorus girls barely looked up as the twins walked in. They seemed to be discussing their routine and it sounded to Marie as if it hadn’t gone very well. Sal flopped on a chair, whilst Bev and Rose kicked off their high heels, blaming one another for missing the steps.
‘It wasn’t me,’ Bev insisted, ‘you danced out of step tonight.’
‘Only because everyone else did,’ replied Rose angrily.
‘It was her fault,’ said Sal, pointing at Joanie. ‘And we all know why.’
Joanie made a rude gesture and stood up. Marie saw her steady herself as she threw off her headdress. With shoulders slumped, she shuffled behind the screen.
‘Well, you’ve been here almost a month now; how do you like working for the Scoresbys?’ asked Bev.
‘It’s our dream come true,’ said Vesta with a blush.
‘It don’t take much to please you, then?’ Bev smirked as she rolled down her stockings. ‘But I’ll give you two credit, you ain’t done bad. Wally would have had you out by now if he wasn’t pleased.’
‘We don’t see him much,’ Vesta shrugged. ‘And we never see Leo.’
‘You don’t want to neither.’
‘Teddy’s very nice, though.’ Vesta blushed.
‘He’s lives at your place, don’t he?’ said Bev curiously.
‘Yes, on the next floor.’
‘Bet that’s convenient,’ said Rose sarcastically.
‘Teddy is always the perfect gentleman.’ Vesta looked offended.
‘You’ll learn,’ Bev sighed wearily. ‘In this big, wide world of temptation there ain’t many gentlemen left. And our Teddy certainly ain’t one of ’em.’
Suddenly Joanie stumbled out from behind the screen. ‘Leave them alone,’ she shouted in a slurred voice as she tried to grasp the back of a chair. ‘They’re just kids. Like we all were once. Just like Irene was before—’
Immediately the other girls stood up. Bev went across and grabbed Joanie’s arm. ‘Keep your voice down, you fool!’ she snarled.
‘Why should I?’ yelled Joanie, her eyes wild and unfocused. ‘I’m sick of seeing this happen time and again when we could do something about it.’
‘It’s too late,’ whispered Sal, poking a finger towards her. ‘We’re all in the same mess and bawlin’ your head off won’t help.’
‘I don’t care. I’ve had enough of lies,’ yelled Joanie, as Bev tried to calm her.
Marie watched open-mouthed as Joanie began to cry.
‘Stop it, for God’s sake, Joanie!’ exclaimed Bev.
Suddenly Joanie crumbled, as though all the life had gone out of her. She lay in a heap on the floor. ‘She was drinking before she got here,’ whispered Bev as she kneeled beside her. ‘She was supposed to be on the wagon, but Irene’s death set her off again.’
‘They were good pals,’ nodded Sal, as they all crowded round.
‘What did she mean about having enough of lies?’ Marie asked.
‘It was the drink you heard talking,’ Bev muttered. ‘Let’s get her into her ordinary clothes. Somehow we’ll have to get her out of the club. You and Vesta, drag the screen round us, in case someone looks in. Better still, when you’ve done it, go and guard the door.’
‘What if someone tries to come in?’ asked Marie.
‘You’ll have to think of something to stop them,’ shrugged Bev, returning her attention to undressing Joanie.
Silently Marie and Vesta walked to the door. ‘What did they mean about Teddy not being a gentleman?’ whispered Vesta after a while.
‘I don’t know and I don’t care,’ said Marie, listening to the shuffles, groans and whispers coming from behind the screen. ‘I’m more worried about what will happen if that door opens.’
‘Joanie should have known better than to get drunk.’
‘But Irene was her best friend, it’s understandable.’
Suddenly there was a hammering on the door. ‘What’s going on in there?’ a voice demanded.
‘Oh my God,’ Vesta breathed, clutching Marie. ‘It’s Teddy.’
Marie’s knees turned to jelly as the door opened. Teddy stood there, narrowing his eyes. ‘What’s all the racket about?’
Marie was filled with fear. She could hear her heart pounding loudly and wondered if Teddy could too. One step more and Teddy would be in full view of the screen.
‘It’s her!’ exclaimed Marie, turning to Vesta. ‘She keeps taking my things.’
Vesta’s eyes flew open in fright.
‘Give me back me new shoes!’ Marie grabbed a handful of Vesta’s hair and pulled.
Vesta screamed, holding her head. ‘Stop it, leave me alone! I ain’t got your shoes.’
Marie took another lunge and caught Vesta by the shoulders, shaking her roughly.
‘You’re hurting me!’ shrieked Vesta, trying to get away.
‘Stop that!’ ordered Teddy, sliding his hands around Marie’s waist. She shuddered as his fingers squeezed her.
Teddy held Marie against him. A smile formed on his face as she tried to wriggle out of his arms. ‘Well, well, I never thought you had it in you,’ he drawled, taking the opportunity to press her into him. ‘I must say I like to see a bit of spirit.’
Marie stared into his eyes defiantly. ‘Let me go, I wasn’t doing anything wrong.’ She felt sick at the smell of his hair oil. He held her even tighter.
‘Get out of here, Teddy, we’ll sort it,’ said Bev, coming up.
Teddy smiled, trailing his hands over Marie’s hips. Keeping her pinned against him, he muttered, ‘You’d better, or else you’ll have Wally to answer to.’
‘I told you, we will,’ insisted Bev. ‘Now get out, Teddy, as we’re all trying to change.’
Marie held her breath as Teddy hesitated. It seemed an eternity before he released her.
When he’d gone, Marie felt dizzy with relief. She smiled at Bev. ‘Thank you.’
‘What you did was quick thinking.’
Marie rushed over to Vesta who had collapsed on a chair. ‘I’m so sorry, Vesta. I had to make it look real.’
‘You could have warned me first,’ Vesta said angrily.
‘I didn’t know I was going to do it.’
‘Well, you pulled hard enough.’ She examined her head in the mirror. ‘I think I’ve got a bald patch.’
Bev laughed. ‘Don’t worry, it’ll grow again.’
A moan came from behind the screen. They all rushed back to find Joanie trying to stand up. Her coat was half off her shoulders. She fell back again, her head rolling sideways.
‘What are we going to do?’ whispered Sal fearfully. ‘We’ll never get her out in this state.’
‘She’s legless,’ agreed Bev worriedly. ‘Even if we carried her between us, they’d see.’
‘There’s a door in the room at the end of the passage,’ suggested Marie.
They all turned to stare at her. ‘How do you know that?’ demanded Bev.
‘I went up there by mistake one day.’ She couldn’t say that she’d seen Hector in the room working, as he’d asked her to keep it a secret.
‘Blimey, you risked it.’
‘I saw a door with two bolts on it. It must lead out onto the alley.’
‘I think we should tell Teddy,’ said Vesta suddenly. ‘He might help us if we told him the truth.’
Bev stared at her. ‘That bit of hair coming out of your head must have loosened your brains, love. No, your gentleman would go straight to Wally.’
Vesta gave a pout. ‘If you say so. But it sounds very dangerous to me, when it isn’t even our fault, it’s Joanie’s. I’ve had enough frights for one night.’
‘Yeah, me too,’ agreed Rose.
Sal nodded. ‘Joanie will just have to take what’s coming to her.’
‘Charming,’ said Bev in a cold voice. ‘And you two are supposed to be her mates? Well, thank God it ain’t me stretched out there.’ Turning to Marie, she raised a pencilled eyebrow. ‘Do you feel the same?’
Marie shook her head. ‘The two of us could do it.’
Bev grinned. ‘You’re on.’
As soon as Teddy began to sing, Marie and Bev dragged Joanie out into the passage. With her arms slung round their shoulders Joanie moaned loudly as she tried to stumble along.
‘Shut up, you silly mare, or we’ll drop you right here,’ Bev hissed.
Marie tried not to inhale the damp and musty smell of the passage as it grew darker and more suffocating near the end.
‘You know we’d be brown bread if Wally caught us?’ said Bev, trying to catch her breath as they hauled Joanie along.
‘I know, my dad warned me before.’
‘Your dad?’
‘Yes, he’s the handyman now.’
‘What, like Sid was? But don’t your dad act or something?’ Bev puffed.
‘Yes, but Wally got him to clear the rubbish instead. That’s how I came across the room. Only I couldn’t let on to Vesta as Dad asked me not to say he’s just the hired help. He knows Mum and Vesta would worry.’
Bev stopped and took a deep breath. ‘Blimey, that’s rotten of Wally. Your poor old man is living in hope for nothing.’
Marie didn’t answer. She was too busy trying to support Joanie’s weight as she slumped between them.
Finally they came to the room at the end of the passage. ‘Blimey, we’re done for if this door is locked,’ gasped Bev.
‘Dad said he was going to fit a new lock. But he might not have done it yet.’ Marie reached out to grasp the handle.
‘Thank Gawd your old man ain’t on the ball,’ sighed Bev when the door opened and they dragged Joanie inside.
Marie slid her hand down the wall to find the light switch. The plaster was damp and peeling and the room smelled of decay.
‘Where’s the door gone?’ Bev asked when the light went on. ‘I can’t see one.’
‘It must be behind those crates.’
‘We’ll never shift all them.’
Just then, there were footsteps. Marie froze. Joanie groaned loudly. Marie heard Bev’s angry rasp, trying to keep Joanie silent. Marie was too frightened to turn round. They held their breaths, waiting to see if it was Teddy or Wally.