Shafted (22 page)

But not liking Dex and not
loving
him were very different beasts, and her heart always overruled her head when she thought about leaving. So she stayed, praying for the day when the real Dex would reappear. And now that he’d gone and got himself banged up, she saw a glimmer of a chance that, with time to sit and think instead of always running, he might just re-evaluate his life and stop taking her for granted.

And it wouldn’t hurt him to be away from his interfering mother for a while, either. He’d been more distant than ever since he’d been staying with her, and Gaynor was sure that the old bitch had been slagging her off. She wouldn’t have minded if she’d actually done something to warrant it, but it seemed that just being another woman in his life was enough.

But there was time enough to worry about them and their stupid jealousy when she’d sorted Dex’s money out. So, taking a quick shower, Gaynor got dressed and made her way out to make her first pick-up. But she wouldn’t be taking the money to Nora’s when she got it – and Molly could kick off as much as she liked, because if Dex had wanted them to have access to it he’d have told
them
where it was.

Patrick went home a couple of hours later with two open-ended tickets to Amsterdam. He’d called in at Keith Hall’s office on the way back, to find out what was happening and make the cunt change his mind about the timing of his holiday. But he’d been too late, because Keith had already gone, and Dex’s case had been passed over to a woman.

Patrick wasn’t impressed by the thought of having a bird for a solicitor, but Kay Morgan soothed his nerves a little when she took him into her office and told him that she was well aware of Keith’s ‘special relationship’ with the Lewises and would endeavour to maintain it in his absence. She talked poncy but there was something ballsy about her, and Patrick came away with a grudging respect for her. He still wasn’t convinced that she’d get their Dex bailed when he went to court tomorrow for his preliminary hearing, but she was the only chance he had, so all they could do was cross their fingers and pray that she pulled it off like she seemed to think she could.

Sitting at the kitchen table now, with his mother and his older brother Jimmy, Patrick was chewing his nails to the quick, waiting for Kay to call. She’d set off for her first meet with Dex after talking to Patrick, and had promised to call them as soon as she was clear, to bring them up to speed and pass on any messages. All Patrick wanted to know was whether he needed to disappear
now
, or wait to hear if Dex had got bail tomorrow.

Their only other option was to intercept the vehicle transporting Dex to the court and spring him. But that would be major risky, and the police would no doubt be planning on stepping up their security in anticipation of them doing just that, so it wasn’t really feasible in any case.

At least the house was clean, so they didn’t have to worry about Nora getting caught up in anything if it went pear-shaped. And Molly had been sent back to her mother’s to keep her out of the way, while Molly’s little cousin Lyla had gone to stay with one of Nora’s nieces. With their Jason keeping an eye on Gaynor in case she tried to pull a fast one with the money that she’d refused to hand over, they were as sorted as they could be, so they just had to wait now and see what happened next.

And that was torturous – especially for Patrick, who felt like an animal trapped in a cage while the hunters moved in silently from the shadows.

Everyone jumped when a heavy knocking came at the front door.

‘I’ll get it,’ Jimmy said, waving his mother to stay put.

‘It’ll probably be Hilda,’ she said, reaching for yet another cigarette. ‘She said she might be popping in, and I forgot to tell her not to.’

‘Tell her to piss off if it is,’ Patrick called after Jimmy who was already making his way to the door. ‘I can’t be doing with her today.’

Nora tutted softly. She didn’t particularly want to see anyone right now, either, but she couldn’t half do with having her tea leaves read – just to set her mind at ease.

It wasn’t Hilda, it was Dex’s ex-wife Jane.

‘What do you want?’ Nora grunted when she saw her.

‘A cup of tea would be nice,’ Jane said, giving her ex-mother-in-law a sarcastic smile. ‘If you can manage it.’

Grumbling under her breath about uninvited visitors always pushing themselves on her when they were least welcome, Nora got up and filled the kettle.

Sitting down, Jane took a cigarette out of her bag and lit it, saying, ‘How’s it going, lads?’

Still chewing his nails, Patrick shrugged. He didn’t like Jane any more than he liked Gaynor. But then, he didn’t particularly
dis
like them, either. Truth be told, he felt nothing for either of them – other than a bit of dick interest, because they were both good-looking and sexy: Jane fair, like Molly, with the same big tits and sassy attitude; Gaynor dark-haired and quiet, with smaller tits and longer legs. He’d have given either of them a seeing-to if Dex weren’t around, but Dex would kill him without blinking if he as much as looked at one of his women. Maybe if Dex went down for a long stretch . . .

‘What do you want, Jane?’ Jimmy asked her coolly, having no such interest in her. She was nothing but his brother’s skanky ex, as far as he was concerned, and he didn’t trust her as far as he could throw her.

‘Just visiting my family,’ she replied nonchalantly, as if she didn’t know that she was about as welcome as a vulture at a plane crash. ‘Thought you’d want to know how Molly was getting on now she’s back home where she belongs.’

‘She’s only been gone a week,’ Nora snapped, bringing the teapot and four clean cups to the table and banging them down.

‘Yeah, and she’s already eaten all the bloody food I had in,’ Jane said, flicking her ash into the overflowing ashtray. Licking her fingertip when some of the ash landed on the table top, she picked it up and deposited it with the rest, saying, ‘So I need some money.’

‘You what?’ Nora gasped disbelievingly. ‘She’s
your
kid.’

‘And Dex’s,’ Jane reminded her tartly. ‘And I don’t see why I should be out of pocket just ’cos he’s had enough of playing happy families with her.’

Incensed, Nora shoved her sleeves roughly up her arms and jabbed a finger down on the table. ‘Now you just listen here, madam. We’ve had that girl for the better part of a year, and we ain’t had one single bloody penny off you, so don’t come here with your hand out expecting us to subsidise you, ’cos you’re not on.’

Sitting forward, Jane calmly poured herself a cup of tea. Stirring sugar into it, she said, ‘If you want me to keep her, you’ll have to help me out, that’s all I’m saying. The benefits don’t cover nothing these days, and I can’t afford a greedy teenager. Especially not one like her, who seems to think she deserves hundred-quid trainers every other week. I don’t know what you lot have been filling her head with, but she’s not the kid I used to know, I can tell you that for nowt. I’ve never met a more spoiled brat in me life.’

‘Yeah, well, maybe if you’d been a better mother we wouldn’t have had to give her stuff to make up for what she never got off you,’ Nora retorted.

‘Dex tell you I was a bad mother, did he?’ Jane asked calmly, smiling with her lips while her eyes blazed with anger. ‘That his version of why he took her off me, was it? Not that he put me in hospital and
had
to take her or she’d have been on her own?’

Gazing back at her, Nora shook her head. ‘You’re a piece of work, you are, Jane. You know full well why he did that, and you had no one but yourself to blame, so don’t come it with the poor little victim routine.’

‘So I shagged his mate.’ Jane shrugged. ‘Big deal. It wasn’t like
he
wasn’t doing it with every other bird in Manchester.’

‘He’s a
man
,’ Nora reminded her, as if that made all the difference.

‘Yeah, and I was his woman.’

‘Not enough of one, obviously, or he wouldn’t have had to get it from them other lasses.’

Sitting back now, Jane narrowed her eyes. ‘You call
me
a piece of work, Nora, but you’re ten times worse. It’s no wonder your Dex turned out the way he did with you filling his thick head with poison.’

‘And it’s no wonder your Molly’s turning into a slut, with you showing her how it’s done!’ Nora spat back.

‘Don’t you call my daughter a slut.’

‘Well, you keep your dirty gob shut about my son, then!’

‘Shut it, the pair of you,’ Jimmy barked, slamming his hand down on the table.

Reaching out to steady the teapot, Nora pursed her lips.

Looking at Jane now, Jimmy said, ‘Sling your hook, Jane, you’re getting nowt off us.’

‘Fine,’ Jane replied coldly. ‘Well, I’ll just send her back then, ’cos I can’t keep her on fresh air.’

Getting up now, Jimmy came around the table and leaned down so that his face was just inches away from hers. ‘Don’t play games with me, you slag. She’s your responsibility, so get your arse home and be the mother you’re supposed to be.’

Drawing her head back, Jane glared up at him defiantly. ‘Don’t you threaten me, Jimmy Lewis, or I’ll scream my head off, and all them coppers will come bursting in and—’

‘Coppers?’ Patrick squawked. ‘What coppers?’

‘Them what’s sitting in the van at the top of the road,’ Jane told him, still glaring at Jimmy.

Jumping up, Patrick rushed out of the room and ran up the stairs to look out of the bedroom window.

‘What are they doing?’ Nora asked Jane when he’d gone. ‘Are they watching this house or someone else’s?’

Shrugging, Jane said,‘How do I know? They were just sitting there when I drove past. I didn’t stop to ask them who they were after. But knowing this lot round here, it could be anyone, couldn’t it? Anyway, they’ve already got Dex, so what you worrying for?’

When Patrick came back just then, Jimmy gave a questioning jerk of his chin. ‘They still there?’

‘No,’ Patrick muttered, going to the back window and closing the curtains. ‘I don’t like it. Why would they be sitting there one minute, then take off as soon as
she
clocks them? And they haven’t gone to anyone else’s gaff, so they must have been watching us. I’ve got to get out of here.’

‘We’ve to wait for that solicitor to call and let us know what’s happening,’ Nora reminded him. ‘Anyway, they might not have been watching us. They could have just been checking out a car, or anything. Just sit down and chill out. We’ll know soon enough.’

‘I can’t chill out,’ Patrick snapped, pacing the floor now. ‘They could be coming after me.’

‘The solicitor would know if they were and she’d have told us,’ Nora said, more to convince herself that everything was all right than to convince him.

‘You can wait if you want, but I’m off,’ Patrick said, reaching into his pocket to check that the tickets and passports were still there. ‘I’ll stop round at Mooky’s, so ring us on me mobile soon as you hear anything. And if they keep our Dex, I’ll leave his ticket there.’

‘Wait,’ Jimmy said sharply when he headed for the door. ‘If they
were
watching us, they’ll have backed off ’cos she saw them, but they won’t have gone far. And they’ll be watching the back as well as the front in case you do a runner.’

‘So what am I supposed to do?’ Patrick yelled. ‘Just sit here and wait for them to bust us for fucking murder?’

‘Murder?’ Nora squawked. ‘No one mentioned fucking murder to me!’

Chuckling softly, Jane shook her head. ‘Oh, come on now, Nora, don’t tell me you don’t know what your lads get up to behind your back. Why do you think I was so glad Dex got sent down that time? I love the bones of the bastard, but when he starts threatening to kill
me
– and I
know
he’s capable of it – I’d have been an idiot not to be glad he was nicked.’

‘You shut it, you!’ Nora yelled at her, wondering why she was still here.

‘If you insist,’ Jane said, folding her arms. ‘But I
was
about to suggest a way for your Pat to get out of here without the coppers seeing him.’

That got everyone’s attention.

Swallowing hard because it stuck in her craw that she might have to be nice to Jane if this suggestion involved her smuggling Patrick out in her car, or something, Nora said, ‘How?’

Smiling slyly, Jane reached up and pulled the wig off her head. ‘He can wear this.’

‘What the fuck are you wearing
that
for?’ Nora said, looking at it like it was about to bite her. ‘It’s exactly the same as your own.’

‘Exactly,’ Jane said, shrugging nonchalantly. ‘I always wear it when I can’t be arsed washing my hair. And no one’s ever sussed it, so why not?’

Jimmy gave a rare laugh. ‘You know what, I think it might work.’ Turning to Patrick now, still grinning, he said, ‘Shove it on, our kid, and let’s see if you can pull it off.’

‘You can put my clothes on as well,’ Jane said, standing up now and slipping her pink faux-fur jacket off.‘Some of them coppers clocked me when I passed them, so they’ll think you’re me if they see you in this. You’ll have to leave me skirt unzipped ’cos you’re too much of a fat bastard to fit into it. And you’ll have a bit of a problem getting your feet into my stillys, ’cos I’m only a six.’

‘Fuck off!’ Patrick snorted, tossing the wig onto the table. ‘I’m no fucking tranny.’

‘You are if you want to get out of here before they come for you,’ Nora said in a no-nonsense tone. Looking at Jane now, she nodded. ‘Thanks, love. You’ve done us a big favour here.’

‘That’s what family’s for,’ Jane said, already stepping out of her skirt, unconcerned that Patrick and Jimmy were getting an eyeful of her sexy knickers. Dex hadn’t cared about all the men ogling her when she’d been lap dancing, so why would he care about his brothers ogling her now?

Looking thoroughly sulky, Patrick took off his jeans and slipped the skirt on. Reaching for Jane’s blouse when she pulled it off, he dipped his gaze, trying not to stare at her nipples which were clearly visible through the silky sheerness of her bra.