The Streets, page 19
‘I thought you said I was too old.’
He shrugged and grinned. ‘For some things, yeah, but I’ve been looking for another cleaner. I’ve got one already, but the house is too big for her to manage on her own. If you want the job, it’s yours, for cash . . . I tell you what, why don’t you come in and we can talk business?’
Lorni nodded eagerly. ‘Could you just give me ten minutes to take Jace back to Barney’s, then I can come right back – I could start this afternoon, if you want.’
Ned gave a lopsided smile. He winked at Jace. ‘Now why would I want the guest of honour not to join us?’ And then Ned put his arm round Jace’s shoulder and smiled to himself. Maybe things had a funny way of turning out right after all.
33
Cookie had been walking for hours. Her feet were throbbing and her clothes were drenched from the rain. Her head was a whirl of rushing thoughts and memories of Parker, her beautiful, beautiful boy.
The pull in her chest made it feel like her heart was about to stop. She was so tired, so tired of living without Parker by her side. She missed him. It was too hard. What she wouldn’t do for one last moment with him. To hold his hand, to feel his arms around her neck as she carried him. And each day got harder instead of easier. Each day was one more day without him.
Every morning she struggled to keep going because she had no other choice. Like she’d told Barney, finding Jo gave her a reason to get up each day . . . She shook her head. She didn’t want to think about Barney now, not on top of everything else. It hurt too much. She supposed that was another reason why she’d been wandering around for hours. She didn’t want to go home, and usually when she felt like this she’d phone Barney, but now she couldn’t even do that.
At one point she’d called Finn to come and pick her up. She’d been desperate to hear his voice, to see him. She’d even been planning to tell him what Barney had said. But he hadn’t answered, which, thinking about it now, was a blessing. There was enough trouble, enough tension between everyone without involving Finn. She hadn’t even begun to get her head around it all, or what she was going to do with the information.
And now there was a deep sense of betrayal inside her. She’d confided in Barney, he’d known everything, he knew even more now. But she’d loved him and she’d fallen for his bullshit, which made her so angry with herself.
After all this time, safeguarding herself against Ned, safeguarding against her memories and secrets, she’d let Barney in. Now she had to pray he kept his mouth shut about Parker . . . about Jo Martin . . . No, no, she didn’t have the energy to go there; everything was too confusing.
Cold and exhausted, she turned right, pulling her mobile out to check the time. When the screen lit up, she noticed there was a voicemail. She pressed call and heard Finn’s voice:
‘Hey, it’s me. I hope you’re OK. I saw your call but I was with Pearl and Ned . . . Listen, I want to see you. I need to speak to you about something, give you a heads up, but not on the phone, yeah? So call me, anytime . . . And Cookie, I’m here for you.’
Momentarily, she closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry. There’d been too many tears and they didn’t ever do her any good. So instead, Cookie took a long deep breath, clicked delete, and opened her front door.
Walking into the hallway, Cookie threw her wet coat and bag onto the Dutch velvet high-back winged chair in the corner. Then she dragged herself up the three polished wooden stairs. She came to a halt at the sound of voices, laughter, coming from the drawing room.
Opening the door, she stared in surprise to see Lorni, who appeared to have come over all girly and giggly, as Ned sat opposite her in front of the fire, recounting some tale or other.
‘Sorry, disturbing you, am I?’ Cookie snapped, then slammed out of the door but she was startled by someone coming out of the kitchen. ‘Jace.’
He carried a large glass of lemonade. ‘Ned told me it’d be all right,’ he said, sounding and looking worried.
Cookie nodded and spoke at the same time. Her words rushed out. ‘Yeah, yeah sure, of course, anything, baby. It’s lovely to see you.’
As Jace went to open the door, Cookie skipped forward to help him. She smiled. ‘These doors are heavy.’
‘Thank you.’
Before Cookie fully opened it, she looked at him, the image of Parker coming into her thoughts. ‘Jace, are . . . are you OK? I mean, if there’s anything you want, just ask. Yeah?’
He smiled back as Ned walked out of the drawing room. He ruffled Jace’s hair but stared at Cookie while he spoke. ‘Thought I’d have to send a search party for you, Jace . . . Go on back in and join your mum – I need to speak to Cookie. She’s been out all night, so I’ve got a bit of catching up to do.’
Jace hurried in. Once the door had swung to behind him, Ned grinned at Cookie. ‘Well, well, well, the dirty stop-out returns. What were you doing, hon? Who were you fucking?’
‘I don’t need this, Ned. If you must know, I had a row with Barney, OK? We’d gone down to a bar he knew, by the river, and then he pissed me off. I ended up walking home. I should’ve called you, and I’m sorry. OK?’ Then, baffled, she frowned. ‘Anyway, more to the point, what’s she doing here? What’s Lorni doing in my house?’ Cookie kept her voice low, not wanting Jace to hear her say anything negative about his mum.
Ned stepped closer to her. Putting his hand under her chin, he held it tightly, pushing her against the wall. ‘Jealous?’ He pressed his hard body into hers.
‘Jealous?’ She sounded incredulous and she wanted to laugh in his face, but she could see that Ned had been snorting: his eyes were wide and his pupils dilated. He also had a particular way of speaking when he’d been taking Charlie: slurred yet trying to sound like he was still in control. But ultimately the coke made him even more unpredictable than normal.
‘No, I don’t like her, and I don’t trust her either. There’s something about her I can’t put my finger on. And to tell you the truth, I don’t want strangers in my house,’ she whispered.
‘That’s fucking ironic, cos it’s you who feels like the stranger. You’re hardly here.’
‘Don’t exaggerate.’
Ned slammed her head against the wall but she didn’t react, knowing it would only make things worse. She felt his growing erection against her leg.
‘Tell me you love me.’
Her voice a dull monotone, she whispered, ‘I love you, Ned.’
He stroked her face. ‘Show me,’ he whispered back. ‘Come on, I want you to show me.’
‘Ned don’t, there’s a kid in there.’
Ned bit her neck then drew away. ‘He has to learn about the birds and bees one day.’
‘This ain’t right.’ She went to move away.
‘What the fuck do you think you’re doing?’
Without warning, he spun her round and scooped her hair to one side, exposing the nape of her neck. His breathing changed, becoming fast and shallow, and his teeth grazed her ear as he cupped her breasts roughly in his hands. ‘Take your jeans off.’
‘Ned—’
He pushed one side of her face against the wall. ‘Just fucking do it. And if you don’t want them to hear, you better keep your voice down and do as I say, understand?’
‘OK . . . OK.’ Cookie nodded, doing as she was told, desperately not wanting Jace and Lorni, who were only a few feet away, to hear.
Still facing the wall, Cookie stood in her shirt and underwear. She felt Ned pull her knickers to one side, then in the darkness of the hallway, she felt his penis enter her as he grabbed her round the throat with one hand, thrusting deeper, harder. ‘You’re mine, Cooks, no one else’s. If you look at anyone else, if you ever try to leave me, you know what will happen, don’t you?’
She nodded again.
‘Then say it. Say it to me, Cooks, tell me what will happen.’
‘You’ll kill me.’
He moaned.
‘Say it again.’
‘You’ll kill me.’
Moaning even louder and thrusting ever faster, he squeezed Cookie’s neck harder causing her to gasp for air. ‘That’s right, baby, I’ll break your fucking neck.’ At which point, Ned began to climax.
34
It was seven p.m. and it had already been dark for a few hours. A drizzle of cold rain fell over central London where Pearl, standing in Gray’s Inn Road dressed in her chinchilla fur coat, glared at Cookie through the open car window.
‘Pearl, are you sure you want me to drop you off here?’
‘I already said, didn’t I? I won’t be long, so don’t go away.’
‘I can’t park in the bus lane. Look, I’ll go and find somewhere I can pull up nearby and I’ll wait for you.’
Not bothering answering, Pearl drew her face into a tight line.
‘Fine, suit yourself. Call me on your mobile when you’re finished,’ Cookie said. ‘I’ll pick you up from wherever, OK?’
Pearl watched the car lights fading into the distance and she crossed the road. She hadn’t wanted Cookie to drive her, but there’d been no one else so she’d sat in the back not speaking, just staring. The other thing she hadn’t wanted was for Cookie to know where she was going; the less that little trollop knew the better.
She hurried along Sidmouth Street pressing her phone against her ear. ‘Ned, it’s me. I’m almost there.’
‘Good, now do as I said; check on Pete. He should be fine, but the guys went back and gave him a good old mouthful of diazepam to keep him quiet, cos he was sounding a bit off. They didn’t want him to start hammering on the windows or calling for help or any other stupid shit he might do. Though there’s a difference between quiet and dead. So make sure he’s still breathing, will you?’
‘And if he ain’t?’ Pearl asked, not particularly bothered either way.
‘Then call me. We’ll have to dump him in an alleyway, make it look like he’s overdosed – but that’s the last thing I fucking need right now.’
‘And being out in the freezing cold is the last thing I need! How come I have to do your dirty work? Couldn’t you have sent the boys round?’
‘They’re busy. Now do as you’re fucking told.’
The call cut off and Pearl, indignant, shoved her phone back in her pocket. Feeling the wind nipping at the back of her neck, she pulled up her fur collar.
Her thoughts drifted to Finn and the threat he’d made. She’d never seen him like that before. Ever since he was a kid, she’d thought of him as a bit of a wet weekend, although Ned reckoned he could pull it out of the bag when needed. But Finn still seemed a lightweight compared to her son, and she blamed her sister Ivy – God rest her soul – for that.
Ivy had spoiled him, wrapped him in cotton wool like he was a bleeding ornament, so it hadn’t surprised her when he’d come to live with her and Ned that Finn had been the kid who cried at school when he got bullied, cried when his dog died, cried when his friend left, cried whenever anyone got hurt. The teachers called it sensitive; Pearl called it being a pussy.
So when he’d threatened her last night, she’d not only been shocked but she’d taken it more seriously than she might have done if it had been anyone else. Finn’s threats certainly didn’t come lightly.
Turning right into Seaford Street, Pearl frowned then stopped in her tracks and glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes darted around the darkness, the flickering broken lights throwing out strange shadows. She could’ve sworn she’d heard something behind her, but she couldn’t see anything so she continued towards the estate.
Halfway along the deserted road, Pearl came to a halt again. That wasn’t her imagination; she’d definitely heard a noise. Not only that, it felt like someone was following her. She spun round and by the wheelie bins a few yards behind, Pearl caught a glimpse of something moving.
Her heart beat faster, but she told herself it was probably some rat or stray cat rummaging in the rubbish, though her thoughts couldn’t help flitting back to the threat Finn had made: I’ll get someone to shut you up permanently.
Cursing her nephew for an ungrateful little bastard, she placed the blame firmly on Cookie. The little trollop had not only got under his skin but under his covers as well; Finn had been blinded by pussy, it was simple as that. Maybe, with Cookie’s encouragement, Finn would go actually through with his promise to do away with her whether or not she opened her mouth to Ned. There was no telling.
Watching the wind pick up a clump of leaves and whirl them around in the gutter, Pearl shivered. Then, attempting to make herself feel better and to stop her imagination from running away with her, she told herself that she was being stupid; Finn wouldn’t dare get anyone to lay a finger on her . . . Would he?
Taking a deep breath and pushing her nephew out of her mind, Pearl felt the drizzle turn into rain and picked up her pace, hurrying towards the small estate at the end of the road.
Inside the block, Pearl put her key in the door of the maisonette, all the while trying to shake off the feeling that someone was following her . . . watching her. The door creaked open and she was met by the smell of damp, but she was relieved to be in the safety of indoors.
Trudging up the staircase of the maisonette, Pearl heard the echo of her footsteps banging against the bare wooden floors. The door to the lounge was open, so she waddled across to the bedroom door where Pete was being kept.
She pressed her ear against it, but she couldn’t hear anything. From what Ned had said, that wasn’t surprising. One diazepam was enough to knock her out, so no doubt Pete would be away with the fairies.
She unlocked the door and began to walk across to where Pete lay spark out on the bed. But halfway there she stopped and listened . . . What was that? She took a step back towards the direction of the sound she’d heard . . . There it was again . . . She was sure she could hear the floorboards creaking . . . Someone was coming up the stairs.
Breathing heavily, Pearl hurried out of the bedroom and back into the lounge; her heart was hammering and a chill ran through her. ‘Hello?’ It came out as a whisper, and Pearl cleared her throat, hoping to sound more confident next time: ‘Hello?’
There was no answer . . .
‘Finn, Finn, is that you?’ Pearl heard the fear in her voice. ‘Finn? Finn?’
Unaccustomed to being frightened, Pearl’s panic turned into anger. ‘Listen, you little fuck, you don’t bother me, and if—’
Pearl let out a gasp as the lights suddenly went out.
As she edged her way out of the lounge, she told herself that it was only the fuse box on the blink; after all, the flat was run down and in need of repair. Hearing nothing, she continued to creep along the small landing to the top of the stairs. She peered down, but it was too dark to see anything. ‘Hello?’ she called again, then jumped as a door slammed. This time there was no doubt that she’d heard footsteps. Too terrified to look around or listen before making her move, Pearl raced down the stairs and out of the door, running into the deserted road, hoping whoever it was wouldn’t follow . . .
35
Panting, Pearl scuttled along the road. It wasn’t until she came to the pub on the corner that she realized she’d forgotten her bag with her purse and phone in it. So she wouldn’t be able to call Cookie to come and pick her up, and she had no idea where she’d gone to park. But there was no way Pearl was going back inside the flat to get it. No way at all.
As she glanced towards the block of flats, a sudden noise from the communal entrance had Pearl running faster than she’d ever run in her life. She darted along at such a speed she struggled to catch her breath, but she was determined not to give way completely to her panic. Trying not to think about her pounding heart, her dry mouth and the sick feeling rising in her stomach, she focused instead on Finn’s parting words. Unable to keep up the pace, and thinking that she was going to be sick at any moment, Pearl came to a standstill, wheezing heavily and leaning against a wet brick wall to steady herself.
Even though she didn’t have her bag, Pearl decided to hail a cab; she’d pay at the other end. There was no way she could walk any further with her bunions feeling like they were on fire. The only problem was, there were no taxis in sight; the roads were deserted. Cursing with each step, she hobbled up the road. The wet chinchilla fur coat was weighing her down, and if she hadn’t paid nearly ten thousand quid for it, she might’ve dumped it in the nearest trash bin.
She could feel the sweat trickling down her back and she was wheezing so hard it turned into a coughing fit. As she spat out a large lump of phlegm, Pearl felt as if her lungs were on fire as well as her feet.
Ten minutes later and halfway up York Way in the freezing fog and rain, Pearl, still hoping to get a taxi, contemplated what she was going to say to Ned when she saw him. Certainly some choice words. Looking right to cross over, she froze. There was someone standing by the cycle rank. The figure was too far away for her to make out who it was and she couldn’t tell if they were watching her, but as she hurried across the road she glanced over her shoulder and saw they were heading her way.
Moving as fast as she could, her breathing short and shallow with the effort, fear flashed through her. Feeling like she was going to collapse, she pressed her hand against her heart as a searing pain gripped her. Knowing there was no way she could outrun them, she looked left and right, trying to find a hiding place. It was then that she spotted the walkway running down the side of a building, leading to the canal.
At the bottom of the slope, after another quick glance around, Pearl picked up her pace along the rubbish-strewn canal path. She hurried under the bridge, feeling the squelching in her shoes from where the rain had seeped in.
‘Hello, Pearl.’
The sound of the words behind her nearly knocked her over; her name being called made her freeze even though she wanted to run. Move. She had to move but she couldn’t, and she was too scared to turn round; not that it would have made much difference, the fog was so thick that she could hardly see a few feet in front of her.
