Vinny opened his eyes. Even at his young age, he knew he’d done something bad and was in big trouble. ‘Do you hate me, Mum?’

Queenie had always thought of Vinny as her perfect son. Until today. Nevertheless, she still held him close to her chest. He often slept in the bed next to her. Roy slept in Vinny’s old cot nearby and now his mother was dead, Albie was sleeping downstairs. ‘I could never hate you, Vinny. But what you did today was very wrong. Promise me you’ll never do anything like that again to your brother. Brothers are meant to stick together, have one another’s backs.’

Vinny didn’t have a clue what his mother was talking about but could sense by her and his dad’s reaction earlier that he was in the doghouse and must never put a pillow over Roy’s face again. ‘Sorry, Mum. I be a good boy from now on. Promise.’

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

‘Once upon a time in the middle of the jungle, a lioness gave birth to a cub.’

‘Yeah,’ Vinny giggled. ‘I bet I know his name.’

‘No, you don’t,’ Queenie winked, knowing full well Vinny had memorized her special bedtime stories word for word. Roy was asleep and was too young to understand them anyway.

‘This was Queenie the lioness’s second cub. Not quite as special as her first cub, as first cubs are always the most important. But Roy was Vinny’s little brother and it was Vinny’s duty to protect him from all the other nasty creatures in the jungle.’

‘Like dogs and cats, Mummy?’

‘No. Like spiders and snakes. Vinny was the older cub you see, the one destined to become king of the jungle, so he needed his brother to help him become king.’

‘But why?’ Vinny asked, putting his thumb in his mouth.

Queenie tapped Vinny’s thumb. ‘Only babies suck their thumbs and you’re a big boy now like Vinny the lion, aren’t you?’

Vinny patted his chest. ‘Yeah, I’m a big boy. Does Vinny turn out to be king of the jungle like that other story you tell me, Mum?’

‘Only if he takes care of his younger cub, Roy. He needs Roy to help to protect him, see.’

A bit perplexed, Vinny was about to ask another question when there was a knock on the front door.

Scooping her eldest in her arms, Queenie was surprised to see Patrick O’Leary standing on her doorstep. Never had he visited her at this address before, she always saw him round his mum’s. His expression looked grave. ‘Whatever’s wrong? It’s not your mum, is it?’ panicked Queenie.

Patrick sighed. ‘Can I come in?’

‘Bed now, Vinny,’ ordered Queenie.

‘Not tired.’

‘Do as I say. Now!’

Knowing he was still in his mother’s bad books for trying to suffocate Roy, Vinny did as he was told for once.

‘Sit down, Patrick. D’ya want a cup of tea?’

‘You got anything stronger, Queenie? I’ve had the day from hell.’

Queenie opened a bottle of Albie’s bootleg brandy.