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asked.
    ‘Yes, I'd better get a move on.’
    Sue plonked herself on the sofa, her tight dress riding up to reveal shapely legs. Maurice grinned as he said, ‘Hello, Sue.’
    ‘Watcha, Maurice. Do you know what this meeting's about?’
    ‘No, sorry, I don't.’
    His smile was warm and Norma felt a surge of jealousy. Unlike her, Sue was pretty, vivacious, big-busted and feminine. Norma glanced at her own reflection in the mirror over the fireplace, disliking what she saw. She was plain, her features too large, with only her long, wavy, auburn hair saving her face from masculinity. She hated her body too, and wished that she had Sue's curves, but when Maurice came to her side, she dragged her eyes away from her reflection.
    He dropped a kiss on her cheek, asking, ‘Where's Oliver?’
    ‘In the yard with Paul and Robby.’ ‘I'll pop out there to say goodbye.’ ‘He dotes on that boy,’ Sue said as soon as Maurice was out of sight.
    ‘Yes, I know. He's a marvellous father.’
    Maurice soon appeared again. ‘I'd best get a move on. See you later, ladies.’
    Sue giggled. ‘“Ladies”. Well, ain't that nice?’ she said as the door closed behind Maurice. ‘Mind you, he must know what the meeting's about.’
    ‘Probably, but you should know better than to ask.’
    ‘Yeah, that's what old face-ache said. I don't know why they have to be so secretive. We ain't stupid. We know they do jobs and we'd hardly go shouting our mouths off. It's been a long time since the last one, though – do you think they're planning another robbery?’
    ‘I don't know,’ Norma replied. She didn't want to get into this conversation, hating any mention of the family's less respectable sideline. Her parents thought the Drapers were common, but that was the least of it. If they'd known she was marrying into a family of thieves they'd have had heart attacks. Oh, why wouldn't Maurice listen to her? He was clever, mathematically astute and handled the business accounts. If they left the alley, and his awful family, he could get a decent job. She wanted a better life for her son, a respectable life where she could hold her head up high. Instead she was stuck here amongst this den of thieves. Maybe it wouldn't have been as bad if she could have made friends outside of the alley, but as soon as it became known that she was a Draper, she was avoided like the plague. Norma had dreaded Oliver going off to school, and her fears had been well founded when the other mothers made sure that their children gave him a wide berth. At first Oliver had seemed unaware of it, but had started to ask questionswhen he found it hard to make friends, ones she found difficult to fob off. It had helped when Ivy's elder boy started at the same school a couple of years later. Oliver had taken Ernie under his wing, but it still angered Norma that she and her son were tarred with the same brush as the rest of the Drapers.
    ‘Any chance of a cuppa?’ Sue asked. ‘I'm spitting feathers.’
    ‘Yes, of course,’ Norma replied, but as she went through to the kitchen her son came stumbling through the back door.
    ‘Mum! Oh, Mum,’ he sobbed. ‘He … he killed my rabbit.’
    Norma pulled her son into her arms, holding him tightly. She didn't have to ask who the culprit was, only saying, ‘What did he do, love?’
    ‘He said Shaker could fly and launched him like an aeroplane. Shaker hit the wall and now he … he's dead.’
    Norma's voice rose. ‘Sue! Sue, get in here!’
    ‘Gawd blimey, what's the matter?’ Sue asked, wide-eyed as she tottered on high heels into the room.
    Teeth grinding with anger, Norma spat, ‘Your son has killed Oliver's rabbit.’
    ‘No, Robby wouldn't do that.’
    ‘Huh, I didn't say which son, but I see you've jumped straight to Robby's defence.’
    Paul came running in the back door, face alightwith excitement. ‘He's woken up, Oliver! Shaker's woken up.’
    Oliver pulled himself from his mother's grasp and ran outside. Norma followed