Beyond Death (13 page)

‘I suppose you have to be strong if you have three kids. We probably just didn’t notice when we were young.’

Ron didn’t have a clue what Claire was talking about and told her so. She explained herself and he was exasperated.

‘That’s all very well, Claire and I’m so glad that you’re impressed by your mother.’ She missed the sarcasm. ‘But, we need to come up with a plan to get the muggers caught so that my wife can get better.’

‘But I thought you didn’t want her to go and work for the charity?’

‘I want her to be well and happy and if that means she spreads her wings, well so be it. And anyway, your mother and my wife will look after each other, I can sense it,’ he winked at Claire. ‘So down to the business in hand. Catching the muggers.’

Claire listened intently while Ron explained his plan.

‘So, let me get this right. Because we can’t catch them ourselves, you want me to contact my brothers and ask Jim to use his girlfriend as bait so that they can catch the muggers?’

‘In a nutshell, yes.’ Said Ron.

‘Have you totally lost it?’

‘Look. We have to do a bit first and track them down. You don’t need to contact the twins before then.’

Even though Claire couldn’t believe what she was hearing, she knew that she’d go along with Ron’s plan and help him as much as she could. She hated the fact that the people who’d attacked Val were still at large and that other women could also be in danger.

‘They’re bloody cowards, Ron and I’ll help if I can,’ seeing his smile was all the response that Claire needed. ‘But before we go looking for the baddies, can we go and visit my father to see how he’s getting on?’

Although impatient to find the muggers, Ron knew that he wouldn’t have Claire’s full attention until she’d seen her father. Having no choice, he agreed reluctantly and they soon found themselves in the twins’ apartment.

The three men were in the lounge having just finished their Chinese takeaway. Claire was pleased to see that her father was in clean clothes and that some colour had returned to his cheeks. He was still overweight but looked as if he’d lost a little and didn’t have that desperate look about him.

Graham still hadn’t explained how his second family had come about. He was on the mend and the twins judged that the time was right. Jim nodded to his brother without his father seeing.

‘So what’s our sister like then, Dad?’ asked Tony and Graham smiled.

‘Fifteen and impulsive.’

‘Like Claire.’ Said the boys and Graham laughed at their response.

‘Very much so. She looks like Claire too, but taller and her hair’s light and straight,’ he paused for a second, considering. ‘They share the same sense of humour, although Mel can be more serious.’

Claire was curious and looking forward to seeing Mel. The twins liked the picture their father was painting and were anxious to meet her.

‘I don’t know when I’ll be able to arrange that.’ Graham explained that Mel had been furious when he’d told her about them and had refused to speak to him since.

‘Understandable I suppose.’

‘So they didn’t know about us either?’ asked Jim.

‘Carol did. But we never got around to telling Mel. Then after Claire went.’ He took a moment to compose himself again, finding it difficult with every mention of his late daughter’s name.

‘I was sick of living a lie and your sister’s passing made me realize what a bastard I’d been to everyone.’ He waited for his sons to disagree but they said nothing.

‘The day your mother threw me out was the day I was going to come clean and explain everything to her.’

The twins looked sceptical.

‘Honestly, it’s the truth. But I can understand why you wouldn’t believe it after everything else that’s happened. You can imagine how amazed I was when I discovered that your mother had known about Carol and Mel for some time.’

Their mother had been evasive when explaining the situation to them and the twins had suspected she knew more than she’d let on. They nodded, encouraging their father to continue.

‘Mel’s furious with both of us and even refuses to see her mother at weekends. Carol’s spoken to the mother of one of Mel’s friends and allowed her to stay there.’

The twins looked confused so Graham added. ‘She’s at boarding school you see.’

It made sense now. ‘So she’s at school during the week and stays with a friend at weekends. She must feel as if nobody wants her.’ Said Tony and Graham protested.

‘It’s not like that, son. She knows that I adore her but I’m trying to do what she wants and to give her some space.’

They weren’t convinced. They remembered what Claire had been like as a teenager - stroppy and pretending to be confident to hide all of the real insecurities that she’d felt. Both thought that what their half-sister needed was to know that her parents loved her.

‘Can you give us the school details so we can arrange to meet her?’ Jim took out his phone ready to Google the details.

‘Um, that’s not such a good idea.’

‘Why?’

‘Because Carol told me that Mel is to have nothing to do with any of us. That includes me, you two, and your mother.’

‘But, Dad,’ Jim was trying to contain his anger. ‘She’s our half-sister whether Carol likes it or not and she may want to meet us. Surely it has to be Mel’s choice?’

Their father refused to budge and the twins didn’t want to push him, for fear of a lapse into his former state of depression.

‘Beer anyone?’ Tony passed them each a bottle and they settled down to watch the match. The discussion about their half-sister was over for the moment but Tony was already figuring out how he could interrogate a number of computer programmes and people he knew to get the details they needed about their sister. They would find her and visit her. Their mother wouldn’t be happy but they knew she was preoccupied looking after her new friend, so didn’t plan on telling her for now.

Graham had a feeling that his sons would use their own means to find Mel and he was secretly glad. He knew that he was being cowardly but had kept to his part of the bargain as far as Carol was concerned, so at least his conscience was clear on that small detail.

*****

Claire considered what she’d heard but wasn’t entirely satisfied.

‘Why didn’t they ask him why he wanted an affair in the first place and what made him and Carol decide to have a child? What went wrong with my parents’ marriage? Why didn’t they ask him that? Didn’t he think my mother would find out? Why didn’t he just tell her and ask for a divorce? What about both of them deceiving us, only his is the worst? Why...’

‘Enough!’ shouted Ron, ‘I don’t know why they didn’t ask those questions. Perhaps your father wouldn’t have answered them or perhaps they think what’s done is done and it doesn’t matter now...’

‘But of course it matters. I have a sister that I’m never going to meet. And their marriage has been a lie for at least fifteen years and they should have told us.’ She angrily wiped away a tear and folded her arms. ‘So much of my life was a lie Ron and they should have bloody well told us.’

‘I’m sorry, Claire,’ He took one of her hands and held it. ‘I can understand you being annoyed, but you can’t change the past. People have to live their own lives and make their own mistakes, Claire and, hopefully, learn from them.’

‘I know you’re right but it doesn’t make it any easier to bear. I seem to have been constantly angry since we’ve been here, Ron and I wonder if any of the people I loved when I was alive were totally honest with me.’

‘Your mother was trying to protect you, Claire. I know that because I’m a parent and that’s what we do, so don’t be angry with her. Although it takes two to make a marriage, your mother didn’t deserve to be treated the way your father treated her, and she doesn’t deserve your anger now.’

Claire knew that made sense. ‘And my brothers always looked out for me. I so hope I don’t find out that they’re gangsters or spies or something.’

Ron laughed and Claire gave him a look. ‘I’m serious you know.’

‘Stop being such a drama queen and let’s go and find these muggers.’

They were both surprised that instead of arriving on Earth they found themselves on the cream sofa, Gabriella sitting waiting for them with a folder in her hands.

‘I have something to show you.’ She said looking down and Claire and Ron followed her direction.

*****

Ken was breathing again but knew straight away that he wasn’t in a human body. He tried to take a breath but even that felt strange. Suddenly, he was able to look around him and discovered that he was in a water world packed tightly with silvery fish. One or two near him changed direction and Ken felt himself move with them. Okay, so he was part of the shoal. As the shoal moved one way then another Ken saw a number of large shadows. He kept moving with the other fish and noticed it was getting brighter above the water. He wondered what was happening and felt himself being pushed tightly into the fish nearest him. He didn’t have to swim, the momentum of the others took him forward and gave him time to have a proper look around. He saw a number of dolphins moving back and forth and the realization dawned that his shoal was being herded into shallow waters. He knew how clever dolphins were and hoped that they’d recognize him as a former human and not eat him. He didn’t have time to think further as they were now in shallow water and a few dolphins had started beating their tails on the silty seabed. A ring of mud appeared and he was startled by the panicked fish around him who were jumping into the air to avoid the mud ring. Unable to help himself his body took off, and the last thing he saw was the open-mouthed dolphin smiling happily at him. Ken tried shouting that it was a mistake and that he used to be human. The pretty mammal took no notice and halved his body before swallowing it in a few gulps.

The scene below Ron and Claire disappeared and they looked at Gabriella waiting for the explanation.

‘See what happens when you’re a bad person.’

‘But he’s not a thief or murderer, Gabriella. He was a good mate to me and looked after me by giving me a job.’

‘You weren’t the only one he was looking after.’

Ron was confused at Gabriella’s enigmatic response and Claire thought there must be more to this that they weren’t aware of. Not being one to keep her opinions to herself, she voiced her concern.

‘He must have done something terrible that you don’t know about, Ron. What has he done?’

‘Very perceptive, Claire. What I need to know is whether you think his evil should be forgiven?’

‘Why are you asking me, Gabriella? He hasn’t done anything to me?’

Ron shook his head. ‘Nor me.’

‘You’re both wrong. Claire. Let me show you something first.’

They watched as the scene below them unfolded. Two girls of indeterminate teenage age were in a taxi with a large man. They didn’t recognize any of them. They were all laughing and joking and discussing the party they were about to attend. The man was promising lots of fun, free booze, food, dancing and anything else they might want. The girls were excited about sneaking out when they should have been in the school, doing their homework. Claire watched with a feeling of unease and her intuition served her well as they saw the car leave the party later on. The girls seemed unnaturally quiet and Claire noticed their faces were very pale and they looked shocked and sad. The big man was still smiling and laughing and the girls appeared upset to Claire, one of them leaning against the side of the car, trying to be as far away from the big man as she could get. When he smiled and told them to cheer up, the other returned his smile, but it was forced and didn’t reach her eyes.

‘What’s he done to them and what’s this got to do with me, and Ron’s boss Ken?’

‘The large man in the car is known to the criminal fraternity as Big Ed. He uses his considerable charm to groom girls and when they trust him, takes advantage of their naivety to convince them they’ll have a wonderful time at his parties.’

‘Oh my God,’ said Ron, ‘he’s using them as teenage prostitutes?’

Gabriella’s eyes answered the question and Claire’s hands flew to her mouth in horror.

‘These girls think they’re going to a free party and instead they’re getting raped?’

‘Yes in a nutshell, but it’s not that simple, Claire. Their drinks are spiked and by the time they come round they only know what’s happened by the way they feel. Some of them he uses once – his so called clients like young, fresh girls – the girls who are dependent on drugs are used on a regular basis and he provides them with their
hit
in return. It doesn’t take long for them to feel worthless and he collects them every week and puts them through the same hell. Even the girls who are only used once are threatened with consequences if they tell anyone what’s happened. Inevitably, they’re too scared to tell anyone.’

‘I still don’t understand...’

‘Ken worked for Big Ed. Your newly discovered sister was involved but had a bad feeling about the night they were being taken to their first party. She had the presence of mind to insist that the taxi was stopped and she got out. She only tried drugs once by the way and that was enough for her.’

‘So Mel and these girls...’ Gabriella put her hand up to silence Claire.

‘These girls, Claire are nothing to do with your sister. He has already used her best friends, but won’t be using them again because they’re too damaged by the experience and of no further use to him.’

For once Claire was lost for words. Ron wasn’t and he banged a fist on the sofa arm in fury.

‘So the bastard who I thought was my best mate was knowingly taking young girls to be deflowered! No, raped, and being paid to do so?’

Gabriella nodded sadly.

‘And you want to know whether we should forgive him?’ asked Claire.

Gabriella nodded again. ‘He’s shown some remorse and the Committee will decide whether he should be given another chance. They want the opinion of some of the people whose lives he’s affected.’

‘I say let the bastard suffer...’

‘There’s more, Ron.’

‘I don’t need to see anything else, my mind’s made up. He deserves all he gets.’