The Streets, page 28
Cookie’s head was spinning; this wasn’t how she thought it would go. It wasn’t Jo who was supposed to know who she was, it was supposed to be the other way round. She held her head, trying to get her breath. ‘How, how do you know? How do you know what I look like?’
‘I saw you in the playground that day. I saw you looking for Parker. I watched you for a while and I wanted to speak to you, I wanted to talk to you. I thought you looked nice. I thought you’d make a nice friend.’
Triggered by her words, Cookie dashed over and grabbed hold of Jo’s top. ‘No, no, you don’t get to say that to me.’ Tears streamed down Cookie’s face. ‘You don’t tell me that you saw me before you took my son. You don’t tell me that I looked nice. You’re sick, you’re sick.’ She banged Jo against the wall and Jo didn’t do anything to resist. ‘Did you think you could hide forever?’
‘No, I’m pleased you know. I wanted to tell you. I’ve wanted to tell you for so long, but I never could bring myself to, because I enjoyed being your friend. I liked being close to you, and I knew once you realized who I was, you wouldn’t want to be my friend anymore.’
‘Friends? You’re sick, you’re fucking sick. What is the matter with you? How could you do this to me – because yes, yes, I loved Natalie so much. Natalie was my friend. You made me love her because she was my brilliant friend, the friend that helped me, the friend that I spoke to when I was feeling down, the friend that made me laugh so hard I almost weed myself. But she wasn’t real, was she? Because the real Natalie is Jo Martin, the same Jo who took my son. Who killed my son.’ Cookie’s face curled up, tears and snot running into her mouth. ‘Oh my God, you kissed me. You sick, sick bitch.’ She slammed Jo against the wall again and screamed at her.
Cookie looked down and shook her head, then she whispered, ‘Why? Tell me why you hurt him. Why did you take Parker away from me? He was my baby.’
‘I didn’t mean to. I mean, I didn’t know what he was going to do . . . I don’t think I did, the truth is I don’t know, but I don’t think you know what real fear is. I was fourteen and I was scared. I was so scared of him, Katherine. He was like a monster to me, and he’s still up here, in my head.’
Cookie pointed to herself. ‘Don’t tell me I don’t know what real fear is – that day when Parker went missing, that was real fear. And Parker – Parker would have had real fear when you took him. And every day being with Ned, trying to stay alive, that’s real fear, so don’t try to tell me anything about fear, Jo. You aren’t the only one who owns it,’ Cookie screeched, almost choking on her tears.
‘You and me are so similar, Katherine – our lives are very much the same.’
‘I am nothing like you. Understand that. I am nothing like you. I couldn’t do the things you did.’ Cookie was weeping, her whole body shaking.
‘I didn’t let him hurt Parker. I didn’t. In court they said because of the fire they couldn’t tell if Parker had been touched, abused, but he wasn’t. I swear he wasn’t. I would never have let that happen. I tried to help him, I really did.’
‘You took him away from me, so why would you help him?’
‘Because I’m not a monster, no matter what they say about me. It wasn’t how everyone thinks it was. I swear I tried to help him . . .
‘Parker, come on Parker. Come on, that’s it, I’m going to take you home.’ Trembling, Jo crept into the bedroom, making sure that her dad didn’t wake up, though he’d passed out drunk, which she hoped meant she had a little more time.
Her dad had been celebrating Parker’s arrival, drinking more than the ginormous amount he normally did. Then Jo had listened to him call some friends, inviting them to come and have some fun, to party. That’s what had made her come to get Parker; that’s what had given her the courage to take him home to the girl she’d seen in the playground, because Jo knew exactly what her dad’s friends were like – she knew what happened at those parties and she didn’t want Parker or Grey anywhere near them.
Parker ran towards her, and Jo took his hand and then picked him up, tiptoeing along the landing, desperate for her dad not to hear, hoping he was still asleep on the couch. She was trembling but Parker made her feel better; the way he’d wrapped his arms around her neck to hold on to her was something Grey never did.
At the top of stairs Jo stopped. She could smell smoke, fire, but she continued making her way down the stairs, wanting to get Parker out as soon as she could – but at the bottom, when she opened the door, the heat held her back as if it were her jailer, making sure she didn’t escape while her dad slept.
Jo held onto Parker, trying to get through the burning flames, but the smoke was thick and choking, wrapping round them like a snake and making it hard to breathe. ‘It’s OK, Parker, we’ve got you. Me and Grey have got you, we’ll keep you safe, we won’t let him near you, we promise . . . Parker? Parker?’
She coughed and Jo could see the smoke had made Parker sleepy, which she thought was a good thing because now he wouldn’t know there wasn’t another way out, and at least this way Jo knew for certain that her dad and his friends wouldn’t ever be able to be near Parker. And happy with that thought, Jo and Grey slowly walked back up the stairs and she laid a sleeping Parker on the bed and then she waited to burn . . .
‘So you see Katherine, Parker wasn’t scared, he had me and Grey, and he just fell asleep, he didn’t know about the flames, he didn’t hear the fire brigade battle to try to get us out, he was asleep.’
Before Cookie could say anything else, Lorni rushed in. ‘You’re here, you’ve found her, has she told you? Has she told you where Jace is?’
Cookie shook her head, realizing that she hadn’t even asked.
‘Cookie? Did she tell you?’ Giving up on trying to get an answer from Cookie, Lorni stepped towards Jo and demanded, ‘What have you done with him? Jo, what have you done with Jace? I swear, if you’ve hurt him, if you’ve done anything to him. I—’
Jo struggled to her feet, bleeding profusely. ‘I haven’t done anything, I swear . . . Lorni, you’ve got to believe me. Ned took him.’
‘Ned? What would Ned want with him?’ Cookie looked at her in disbelief.
‘He did; it was Ned that knocked me about. I tried to stop him, I swear, Lorni, but in the end I wasn’t any match for him. I’m so sorry.’
Cookie blinked and looked at Jo properly. She hadn’t even thought about what had happened to her – all she’d been thinking about was Parker. ‘But why, why would Ned take him? That’s what I don’t understand.’
Jo shook her head. ‘I dunno. He said something about taking Jace to see his friend Simon. Earlier, before Ned got here, Jace told me that Ned was supposed to be taking him to a party with Simon – he was upset that Ned hadn’t showed up.’
Cookie felt her blood running cold. ‘Simon Draper?’
‘I don’t know,’ Jo said truthfully.
‘Was Sid with him?’ Lorni asked.
‘Sid? Who’s Sid?’ Cookie frowned.
‘Sid. Ned’s nephew.’
Panic surged through Cookie and she shook her head. ‘Ned ain’t got a nephew.’
‘But last week he showed up here with Sid, and I let him take Jace for a “boys’ day out”,’ Lorni said, looking and sounding scared. ‘Where do you think he’s taken Jace?’
‘The only reason Ned would take Jace to Simon would because of the sort of parties he sometimes holds,’ Cookie said, trying to hold back her fear.
‘What sort of parties?’
Cookie looked at Jo and then at Lorni. ‘You don’t want to know.’
‘Tell me!’ Lorni screamed. ‘What sort of parties?’
‘They’re sick ones, Lorni, sick ones . . .’
‘Are you sure I shouldn’t come?’ Lorni stood by Cookie’s car as Cookie started the engine.
‘No, it’s best you don’t. I know what Ned’s like, I know what Simon’s like, and besides, what if I’m wrong? What if Jace comes back and there’s nobody here?’
‘Are you sure we shouldn’t call the police?’
Reversing out of the tight parking spot, Cookie nodded. ‘Believe me, this time I’d be only too happy to involve them if we could, but it’s too dangerous. Simon’s got bent coppers who tip him off, and if he gets word the Old Bill are on the way, you’ll never see Jace again. But Lorni, I promise you, I promise that if Jace is with Ned and Simon, I’ll bring him back to you. I might not have been able to bring my boy back, but I promise I’ll bring Jace.’
Lorni nodded.
Revving the engine and about to set off, a thought hit Cookie. ‘Where’s Jo gone?’
‘I don’t know. I left her in the kitchen but she’s probably gone now. Run off somewhere. Are you all right?’
‘I will be once I bring Jace back,’ Cookie called back as she set off down the road at top speed.
55
The route to Simon’s house in the heart of Kent was one Cookie knew all too well. She’d been taken there on numerous occasions, dozens of times in fact, back when Ned was pimping her out to men. The memory of those parties still gave her nightmares; she’d had things done to her that left her unable to walk for days. And if Simon had taken Jace, if Simon really was having a party, Cookie knew there was only one place he was going to host it. And with that in mind, she pressed her foot on the accelerator, pushing the Range Rover to its limit as she sped down the motorway.
A few miles outside the village of Penshurst, Cookie parked the car and turned the lights off. Simon’s mock Tudor mansion was no more than a couple of minutes’ walk, but that was only if she took the direct approach, walking down his long tree-lined driveway. Her only hope of getting Jace out alive depended on not being seen. So, pulling up the hood on her jacket, Cookie set out across the fields.
In the back of Cookie’s Range Rover, Jo sat up. She watched until Cookie had disappeared into the darkness, then clambered over the back seats and let herself out of the passenger door. As she did, she stepped on something hard lying in the footwell: a gun. Slipping it into her pocket, she took off in the direction Cookie had gone.
In the darkness, Cookie dashed through the woods, stopping at any noise while trying to ignore the panic rising inside her. She was drenched from the rain, and the sodden undergrowth kept wrapping itself round her legs, slowing her down, but finally she made it to a wooden fence and beyond it the neatly mowed lawns of Simon’s estate. Yelping as a piece of barbed wire tore her trousers and dug into her flesh, she cleared the fence and ran along the overgrown path, sweat trickling down her spine. She didn’t stop until she came to a large oak tree. Using the tree for cover, she surveyed the house, all lit up for a party, and the cars parked outside . . . including Ned’s Bentley and the distinctive blue Rolls-Royce which she knew belonged to Simon Draper.
Ducking, she ran across to the rose garden wall, pushing herself against it, feeling the cold stones on her back. She looked towards the front door and counted, five, six men, talking, laughing, drinking.
Desperate not to be spotted, Cookie took cover among the thorny rosebushes, making her way on her hands and knees towards the back of the house, where she knew there was another entrance. But her heart sank as she spotted one of Simon’s henchmen smoking a cigarette by the back door.
Trying to remember the layout of the mansion, her gaze scanned the house and her stare rested on a ground-floor window that was wide open. She glanced around, listening, making sure no one was coming. Taking a deep breath, she raced across to the window and clambered inside.
The room led into a corridor, and Cookie crept along listening out for voices, her heart pounding. She peeked into the lounge: it was empty. Moving as quickly as she could, Cookie made her way further along the corridor, listening at every door before checking inside.
By the stairwell, Cookie heard voices both in front of her and behind her. Thrown into a panic, she searched for a hiding place, but seeing nowhere she opened the nearest door and slipped inside, finding herself in the large library.
She raced towards the window, but it was locked. She pulled the curtains aside, searching for a key, then turned to look where else it might be hidden. It was then that she saw him. In the corner of the room, sitting in a chair looking dazed and upset, was Jace, bare chested and wearing only boxer shorts.
‘Jace!’ she gasped. ‘Jace, oh thank God.’ She rushed to him, kneeling in front of his chair and immediately he flung his arms around her. She felt him shaking and she squeezed her eyes shut to stop her tears. ‘Are you all right, Jace? Did someone hurt you, did someone touch you?’ she said, taking off her jacket and placing it over his shoulders.
Jace shook his head, but he didn’t speak. Anger and hatred for Ned and Simon surged through her. ‘I’m going to get you out of here, OK? But we need to hurry.’
She grabbed his hand and ran to the door, listening for sounds of movement. Praying that the coast was clear, she took a deep breath, opened the door and prepared to run.
‘Cookie? What the fuck are you doing here?’
Halfway down the corridor she heard her name and she turned and saw Simon Draper standing there. About to run the other way, she heard voices coming from that direction, so her only option was to push Jace, who was crying in terror, back into the library.
She slammed the door pressing her body against it, then her eyes darted around and she ran across to the small table by the bookshelves.
‘Jace, help me move this. Grab the other end.’
With Jace’s help she picked up the table, carrying it to barricade the door.
‘Cookie, what the fuck do you think you’re doing?’ Simon’s voice boomed out from the other side. He rattled the handle, trying to barge his way in.
Pressing her body against the door in the hope of holding Simon back, she whispered to the boy, ‘Jace, Jace, get that chair! Get the chair and smash the window, smash it, honey, and then you run, you hear me, you run and keep on running. Do it!’
As Cookie pushed her weight against the door, Jace grabbed the wooden chair and smashed it against the window, but it didn’t break; the chair seemed too heavy for Jace to swing properly and he didn’t have the force to do any real damage. ‘Try again, Jace! Try again. I can’t hold him for much longer. That’s it, baby—’
The table they’d used as a barricade crashed to one side and Cookie flung herself out of the way as Simon barged in.
Jace screamed and ran behind Cookie, who stood facing Simon.
‘Well, this is a nice surprise; I was telling Ned only the other day that it’s been too long since I’ve seen you. Maybe once you hand me the boy, we can get reacquainted. I’m sure Ned won’t mind.’ He winked.
‘You’re not having him. You’ll have to kill me first.’
Simon pulled a face. ‘Seems a shame, but OK . . . Jace, come here, son. We’ve got a deal ain’t we, mate? Come on.’ He held out his hand.
‘Don’t listen to him, Jace.’
‘He ain’t got a choice,’ Simon snarled. ‘Now fucking come here, Jace, stop wasting my time.’ Simon raised his voice. ‘Now!’
Jace was shaking, his eyes full of fear. He went to move towards Simon but Cookie grabbed hold of his arm. ‘You don’t have to do what he says.’
Simon took a step nearer. ‘I think he does . . . Come here.’
‘Leave him alone, Simon.’ Cookie began to back away.
‘You heard her.’ Jo appeared in the doorway. Glaring at Simon, she nodded to Cookie, who stared back at her wide-eyed with shock, then she gave the briefest of smiles to Jace. She kicked the door closed behind her. ‘Now where were we?’
‘Who the fuck are you?’
Jo grinned. ‘Someone you wish wasn’t here.’ And before Simon could react, she sprang forward and smashed the butt of the gun in his face, shattering his nose.
‘Fuck, you . . .’ But Simon’s words were cut off as Jo brought the gun down again onto his head, pounding it, once, twice, the gun’s cold metal gouging into his flesh, the blood spurting out.
Simon dropped to the floor and Jo, panting with exertion, turned to Cookie, who was holding Jace against her, shielding him from the sight.
‘We’ve got to get out of here. We’ll go through the window.’ Jo picked up the chair and did what Jace was unable to do, shattering the window into tiny pieces.
‘Quick, Jace, you go first,’ Cookie urged, and Jace nodded encouragement as he stepped through the jagged glass, followed by Cookie and then Jo.
The cold air hit.
‘Cookie! Cookie! Where the fuck are you!’
‘That’s Ned.’ Cookie whispered, her voice shaking. ‘He must have heard Simon say my name.’
‘We’ve got to go, come on.’ Jo pointed to the woods and they took off, running as fast as they could, the angry voice of Ned ringing out in the darkness behind them.
Cookie glanced at Jace, his face full of fear, then turned away, images of Parker’s frightened eyes flooding her mind.
‘Cookie!’
Ned’s voice seemed to be getting closer and she pulled Jace along even faster. She looked around her, but it was so dark she could barely see anything. She couldn’t even make out where Jo had got to.
‘Cookie! Cookie!’ Ned bellowed out her name again as she and Jace skidded and tripped on the mud. He was definitely getting closer; she could feel him bearing down on her.
‘Come here! Where you going, Cookie? You know you can’t get away from me; you know there ain’t anywhere you can go that I won’t find you.’
She was too afraid to turn around, but his voice sounded closer than ever and she could hear the sound of his running feet. ‘Cookie! Don’t you run away from me, don’t you fucking do that!’
Then she felt his hands on her shoulders and she heard Jace scream as she fell face first to the ground.
‘Get off, get off!’ She fought back, but Ned was too strong. He flipped her over to face him.
‘You ungrateful fucking bitch, I gave you everything I could, but it still ain’t it enough, is it?’ He put his hands round her neck and started to squeeze. ‘I told you, didn’t I? If you ever left me, I’d kill you. I told you, Cookie, you’re mine – why couldn’t you have just listened?’ He squeezed even harder, her eyes bulging as the air was cut off. ‘Say you love me, say you love me, Cookie.’ But Cookie couldn’t say anything as Ned pressed ever harder and she felt herself blacking out, her life slipping away.
