The Boy with the Latch Key

‘They can’t have …’ Archie was stunned. ‘She’s innocent. Why doesn’t anyone believe us? If she took that money where is it?’

‘She said she was innocent but the stolen cheques were found in her desk and a sheet of paper on which she’d been practising the manager’s signature – and there was ten pounds missing from the cash box too. Only she and Reg Prentice had the key … and he was the one that drew attention to the missing money.’

‘Then he took the money and he put those things in Mum’s desk, I know he did,’ Archie said belligerently. ‘It ain’t fair. Mum ain’t a thief …’

‘If it were up to me I’d give her the benefit of the doubt,’ Sergeant Sallis said. ‘I’m truly sorry, lad. I wish there was something I could do, but the evidence went against her. She got a light sentence because of her previously good record and with good behaviour she might be out in a year or less.’

Archie felt the rage building inside him, but he wasn’t going to rage at Sergeant Sallis. Twice, he’d let him see his mum for a few minutes, and he wasn’t supposed to do that, Archie knew.

‘How can I see her?’

‘I’m not sure they will let you visit at the prison,’ Sergeant Sallis said doubtfully. ‘You’re still a child in the eyes of the law – but I’ll find out for you, and if there’s a way I’ll get you a visiting order, and if not I’ll get you the proper address so you can write to her and send her a little parcel.’

Archie swallowed his anger and bewilderment and thanked him. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked away, shoulders hunched defensively. It was hell being a kid with no parents. If he’d been older he could’ve stood up to those people who’d labelled his mum a thief; she’d told Archie she was innocent and believed she’d been set up and she’d whispered a name. For some reason Reg Prentice had had it in for his mum, but she hadn’t told him why; instead she’d told him to keep it to himself and not make trouble.

‘If you go round there and accuse him it will only make them think you’re a troublemaker, Archie. You have to stay strong, look after June for me, and I’ll come back and find you when I can …’

Tears were burning the back of Archie’s throat. He wished there was something he could do to comfort his mother, picturing her sitting in a cell, either alone or with other women – women who were thieves and worse. How she would hate it! Sandra Miller had always done her best to keep her children honest, clean and decent, and she’d been that way herself. Archie didn’t believe for one moment that his mother had stolen those cheques or any money either. Someone had wanted to punish her and one day Archie was going to find out why and when he knew for certain … Reg Prentice had just better look out, that’s all.

For the moment he had to take care of his sister. Archie was well aware June had been in trouble at school. He’d taken her to task over it, telling her what a fool she was to let others provoke her. He knew she was getting a lot of bullying at school, other girls jeering at her because her mother was locked up for theft and calling her names. Archie had endured some of the jeering himself, but he’d ignored it, squaring up to one of the boys and asking him if he wanted to make something of it. Because Archie was older and stronger than his sister, he’d succeeded in quietening the bullies, but June was different. She didn’t like to be the object of scorn, and she was upset because their mother had gone away. Archie had tried to tell her it wasn’t Mum’s fault, but he didn’t know whether she believed him or not.

He kicked angrily at a discarded can, lingering at the edge of the market. He didn’t want to go back to his room at the orphanage; he hadn’t made many friends there and he missed the life he’d known before his mother was arrested.

‘Hey there, young ’un,’ a voice said and he saw Billy Baggins coming towards him. ‘Got nothing to do?’

‘I went to visit Mum,’ Archie said. ‘They’ve moved her to prison …’

‘I’m sorry about that,’ Billy said. ‘My brother is in prison, you know. I felt ashamed the first time, but he’s no good – it’s different for you. Sergeant Sallis told me he doesn’t think your mum got justice.’

‘She’s not a thief. I know she’s not …’ Archie shuffled his feet moodily. ‘I’m going to try and visit her in prison, but I might need an adult to go with me – if they’ll let me at all …’

‘I’ll go with you if they’ll give us a visiting order,’ Billy offered. ‘Just keep believin’ in her, mate. It doesn’t matter what the world says, as long as you know the truth …’

‘Thanks, Billy,’ Archie said. ‘I wish I could run as fast as you.’

‘I don’t run as much as I used to. I’m too busy working these days,’ Billy told him. ‘Look, do you want to earn a few bob?’

‘Yeah – what do I have to do?’

‘See that man at the fruit and veg stall?’ Archie nodded. ‘You tell him Billy Baggins sent you and he’ll give you a job trimming stuff and clearing up the rubbish. I used to work for him, but I’ve got other things to do these days. He’s a fair man is Ted Hastings; he’ll treat you right. I’ve got to go now. I’m takin’ a mate to help clear his house and move him into a new council place …’

Archie thanked him and watched as he strode off, looking for all the world as if he were king of all he surveyed. He thought he’d like to be like Billy one day, but he didn’t think he could win cups in running or football. He hesitated, and then approached the man on the stall Billy had pointed out. Archie hadn’t anything else to do with himself for a few hours, and a few extra shillings would come in useful if he did get to visit his mother …

It was the stuff of nightmares, but even in her worst dreams Sandra had never seen herself in prison; she wasn’t the sort who broke the law and one of the worst things of all was being labelled a thief in the eyes of the world, even though she knew she hadn’t touched that money. There was no doubt whatsoever in Sandra’s mind that Reg Prentice had set her up because she’d threatened to go to the boss with her complaints. How he must be laughing now and how she hated him for doing this to her; it was her anger against him and the others who had turned against her, people she’d thought her friends, that made it possible for her to bear the humiliation.

Sandra wasn’t sure which part of the nightmare had been the worst: her arrest and the look in the eyes of people who believed her guilty; the time she’d spent in the police cells, her trial or her arrival at the women’s prison. The sound of that metal door clanging shut behind her, the stench, and the knowledge that she was shut in this foul place for months on end would’ve broken her if she hadn’t been so angry. She’d always believed in British justice and until sentence was pronounced she’d believed she would be declared innocent and set free.

Sandra had still been in a state of shock when they took her down from the dock and put her in a van with other women – women who were hardened to crime and laughed, jeering at the guards and swearing in a way that made Sandra wince. She could hardly believe that it had really happened, and because of that she’d endured the strip search, the showers during which the women huddled together, watched over by a warden who looked as if she’d never smiled in her life. She’d seen her things taken away and put in a box for which she’d had to sign, and she’d been given a shapeless grey sack that, belted in the middle with a tie, might just look like a dress.

All of that was bearable because she was angry. It was only when they’d pushed her into a cell and locked the door on her that Sandra began to tremble and the useless anger became a nameless fear that made her want to scream and scream, shouting her innocence out loud, and yet she didn’t because some inner instinct told her that the only way to endure this was to keep her thoughts to herself – to live for the day when she was released. Shouting abuse as some of the others did wouldn’t help, nothing would alter what was happening to her and being abusive would only make things worse.

‘So what did you do then?’ the only other occupant of her cell asked. ‘I’m in ’ere fer sellin’ it on the streets – wot ’ave you done, ducks?’

Sandra had hardly noticed the woman, or girl as she now saw, because she couldn’t have been more than seventeen surely. She had bleached blonde hair, dark eyebrows and lashes and pale skin, which was blotched in a few places with red patches.

‘They say I stole money and cheques from work,’ Sandra said. ‘I was set up by a man who hates me because I told him to get lost.’

‘Yeah, I know that sort,’ the girl said and pulled a face. ‘It were one of them that got me started on the game. I ’ated him and got away from him when I found Dicky; he’s a pet and saw me right …’Ere, you ain’t got a fag, ’ave yer? I’m gaspin’ fer one and the buggers don’t give us enough ter last the week …’

‘I’m sorry, I don’t smoke …’

‘Don’t let the buggers know that,’ the girl said. ‘Or you won’t get yer ration. Fags are bloody gold dust in ’ere, love. If you don’t want ’em there’s plenty do, and you can trade ’em for privileges, see … There’s women in ’ere that can make yer life ’ell if they want, or if they take to yer, they can make it easier.’

Sandra nodded, warming to the girl despite her unkempt appearance. She probably looked much the same herself now, because she hadn’t been able to dry her hair properly after the shower, and she hadn’t brought anything in the way of cosmetics into the prison with her. Archie had brought her a comb and toothbrush to the police cells, but apart from those and a bar of prison-issue soap she had nothing of her own.

‘Is this your first time inside?’

‘Nah, third, but I’m only in fer six months this time – four if I keep me nose clean …’

‘I’m Sandra.’ She offered her hand and after a moment the girl took it and grinned. ‘I’m glad I’m sharing with you …’

‘Mo, they call me, but me name’s Maureen,’ the girl said and laughed. ‘Tell the truth, I don’t care what they call me. I do what I’m told and keep out of trouble. If I were you I’d do the same. It’s no use complaining, whether it’s the screws or the other lot. You just have to put up with it until they put you out of the front gate and tell you not to come back.’

‘I shan’t be back,’ Sandra said. She wanted to say that she would soon be released and that her friends would prove her innocence, but she didn’t know who her friends were any more or even if she had any …

‘I didn’t think to say last time so I thought I’d better come round and tell you,’ Sergeant Sallis said to Sister Beatrice later that day. ‘Archie Miller came to the station and asked to see his mother, brought her a bag of fudge – and I had to tell him that she’d been sent down for eighteen months. I’ve told him I’ll try to get a visiting order, but I doubt they will let him see her; he’ll have to be accompanied, even if they’ll allow it.’

‘That would be no problem, one of my carers could go,’ Beatrice said and frowned. ‘However, this means I shall have to move him and his sister to Halfpenny House, because I can’t keep them here for that length of time.’

‘Archie isn’t going to like that,’ Sergeant Sallis said. ‘I’d take the lad to visit myself and I’m prepared to vouch for him – but I can’t promise anything …’

‘Well, I’ll delay it for a week or two but if we get more children needing to be admitted, Archie will have to be moved, and his sister …’

‘Now that’s the other thing …’ Sergeant Sallis looked grave. ‘We’ve had a complaint about June Miller. Apparently, she and an older girl …’ he consulted his notebook, ‘Betty Goodge, currently residing next door, were seen stealing lipstick from Woolworth’s this morning …’

‘Are you certain it was June Miller?’ Beatrice frowned. ‘I know Betty Goodge is a convicted thief. If she was older she would be in prison – and that is probably where she belongs. I understand she is a bad influence on the other girls next door …’

‘Sometimes you get a bad one,’ Sergeant Sallis sighed heavily. ‘It seems to be bred in them and no matter how many chances you give them they won’t change. I’ve told Miss Saunders and she said that Betty was already on a warning so I dare say she may find herself on the way to the remand centre before she knows what has happened.’

‘Will you leave June to me, Sergeant?’

‘Yes, of course. It’s why I’ve told you. We don’t have any proof she actually stole something. She was with Betty Goodge and that was enough to bring me here, but perhaps if you talk to her she will see the error of her ways.’

‘I think I may have to send the children away after all, for June’s sake,’ Beatrice said. ‘I shall tell Archie that if he wishes to visit his mother he may do so and St Saviour’s will fund his fares to the prison and back to Halfpenny House. It is not ideal, but if the girl is in danger of being corrupted the sooner she is moved the better, and I do not think separating them would be the right thing.’

‘No, I am certain it would not,’ he agreed. ‘Well, I’ll get off home then. I know I can leave it to you to sort things out …’

‘Here, shove it in your pocket, June,’ Betty hissed as she handed her a fistful of lipsticks she’d snatched off the counter in Woolies. ‘We’d better make a run fer it or they’ll nab us …’