Free Tuppence to Tooley Street by Harry Bowling

door.
    Outside the night was dark, with a waxing moon peering out from heavy cloud. Johnny limped along on his bad ankle and Danny too found himself limping.
    Johnny started giggling. ‘You know what, if the birds could see us two now, we’d ’ave as much chance of pullin’ ’em as Biff Bowden’s dog’s got of winnin’ the Grey’ound Derby.’
    ‘I wouldn’t worry,’ Danny laughed, ‘yer don’t ’ave ter do it standin’ up.’
    ‘Don’t you be so sure,’ Johnny countered. ‘Elsie likes it standin’ up!’
    Three stone steps led up to Tony Allen’s house in Dock Street. The front door was ajar. It looked impressive with its varnished surface and brass knocker. Once inside the two men put the crate down in the hallway, and Danny looked around. ‘Christ! It makes a change ter see an ’ouse wiv electric light,’ he said, standing on one leg and flexing the other.
    Tony had already heard them and he came out into the hallway and nodded to Johnny. ‘Is this Danny?’ he said, holding out his hand. ‘Johnny told me about yer bein’ at Dunkirk. Must’ave bin ’ell. You just enjoy yerself, son. ’Elp yerselves ter drinks.’
    ‘Let’s go an’ chat up the birds, Danny, before Elsie gets’ere,’ Johnny grinned.
    In the large room there was a piano at one end, and there were gilt-framed pictures of mountains and lakes around the walls. Easy chairs were spread about the room. The red carpet was thick underfoot, and heavy velvet curtains kept the light in. A Japanese fire screen hid the hearth, and up on the high mantelshelf there were iron statues of rearing horses. The centrepiece was of gilt, and it caught Danny’s eye–nude figures were draped in various poses around the clock-face, and the whole piece was mounted on a marble plinth. Johnny noticed that his pal was staring at the ornament. ‘Yer don’t get somefink like that on Cheap Jack’s stall, do yer?’
    ‘All this mus’ be werf a fortune,’ Danny remarked, his eyes moving around the room.
    ‘Yeah, Tony’s got a lot o’ contacts apart from ’is bookie’s business,’ Johnny informed him. ‘In fact, ’e’s gonna put a bit o’ business my way later. I’ll tell yer about it termorrer–we can’t talk ’ere.’
    The room was getting full and the piano player began to tinkle away on the keyboard. People started singing and the drinks flowed. Elsie flounced in looking hot and bothered in her fur stole. She came over to Johnny and kissed him on the mouth. Soon after, Kathy came into the room escorted by Jack Mason. The two looked serious-faced, though Kathy relaxed slightly when Tony Allen went up to them. Danny sat in one corner of the room, his drink held in his hand. Johnny was joking with Elsie and occasionally he slid his hand over her behind as Elsie snuggled up to him. And when the piano player started playing a waltz she dragged Johnny into the centre of the room and almost smothered him in her ample bosom as she danced around dreamily. Danny watched the pair gyrating, and then his eyes turned to Kathy again. She was over in the far corner of the room, looking stern as she sat cross-legged in an armchair. Her escort seemed to be ignoring her as he talked animatedly with Tony and two other men. Danny tried to catch her eyes but she appeared to be avoiding his stare. A few more couples got up to dance and someone pulled Kathy into the centre of the large room. She waltzed around, looking bored with the whole procedure, while her partner acted as if he were taking part in a dancing contest. A middle-aged lady asked Danny if he would care to dance, but with a brief smile he told her that he had a stiff leg, and immediately he regretted having said it. The lady showed concern and started to explain her own medical history, but then someone grabbed her and whisked her off into the dancing group. Danny got up and refilled his glass. As he walked back to his chair Kathy and her partner glass. As he walked back to his chair Kathy and