The Betrayed by Kate Kray Page B

up. ‘It’s so out there! My mother, the major sex symbol. It’s so wild!’
    Rosie gave her a reassuring smile. Although she was relieved that Ruby was taking it so well, she was reminded how young and naïve her daughter was. Bless her, she really didn’t understand the dark, dangerous world that her mother had entered.

    Meanwhile, in Maidstone Prison, Johnny sat on the bunk in his cell, staring at the white envelope in his hand. He knew it was from Rosie – he recognised her neat handwriting immediately. He turned the envelope slowly in his hands, over and over again. Considering how their last face-to-face had gone, he honestly hadn’t expected any more letters from her.
    He scrutinised the envelope as it turned, as if he could somehow divine its contents without opening it. Was it a ‘I’ve made a terrible mistake – I love you’ letter? Or the ‘I want a divorce’ letter? Let’s face it, it’s probably the second one .
    Johnny saw that his palms were sweating again, so he wiped them on his trousers before sliding a finger under the flap and tearing open the envelope. Pulling out the white, sweet-smelling paper, he began to read:

         Dear Johnny,
         I hope you are well. Ruby is fine and doing extremely well at school, she sends her love and a big kiss. I expect you’re wondering why I am writing this. Well, I have some good news – no, fantastic news. You know how hard I trained to become an actress, well all that training and hard work has finally paid off. I have been cast in a leading role in a new period drama, playing Eliza Dolittle in My Fair Lady. I know you have never given my career much thought, but to me it’s the big break I have been dreaming about.

    Johnny took a breath and held it. So far so good.

         I wanted to write and tell you out of respect to you, so you wouldn’t hear the news from someone else. As you can imagine, Rube is totally ecstatic at the prospect of having a famous mum.
             There is a second reason for me writing to you, Johnny.

    Here we go , thought Johnny, it’s the big heave-ho . With hands that were beginning to shake – with some kind of emotion, but he suspected it was anger – he continued to read…

         As you can imagine, I will be getting some coverage on television and in the red tops. For obvious reasons, your name and predicament will be mentioned. Not by me, but by prying journalists trying to dig the dirt. The production company will put a spin on the story and minimise the impact. I have been assured it will be dealt with better if I come clean about the story myself, rather than wait for it to break. You being in prison is something we cannot hide, so we will have to deal with it when it comes. But I promise you that I will not bad mouth you in any way, shape or form.

    Johnny shrugged. He didn’t care if people knew that he was in prison. Why should he? It was just an occupational hazard and came with the territory.

         There’s something else that might come out in the papers. Something that you might not like, Johnny, but I have decided be honest with you. I worked a couple of nights at the Keyhole Club in Mayfair. Not doing anything wrong, but in the office doing the books .
             Well, I’m signing off now, Johnny. Ruby is running late, and I have to learn my lines. I will write again, and let you know when your famous wife will be on the TV.
             Take care, ’bye for now
    Rosie and Ruby.

    Obviously, Johnny knew exactly what the Keyhole was all about, but he didn’t for one minute consider that Rosie would work – as in ‘work’ – there. But as for shuffling some papers in the office, well, Johnny could accept that. In fact, he wondered why Rosie felt the need to mention it at all.
    The most important aspect of the letter was what it didn’t say: it wasn’t the ‘Dear John’ that he’d be dreading. He re-read it four times, searching for something,