Taunting the Dead (34 page)

‘There were a lot of people in The Potter’s Wheel that night. It could easily have been someone who had it in for me. Strange Stevie, Monty, Dave Shuff, Phil Kennedy, Pete –’

‘Phil Kennedy was there?’

‘Yeah, why?’

‘Oh, nothing.’ Shaun thought back to his lie to Carole about Phil being there. It seemed it had actually been true. ‘And you were in Derby, you say?’

Terry nodded. ‘I was with someone but it wasn’t Carole. Her name is Cathryn. I stayed with her that night, which is what I told the police. I have no idea why Carole would make up such serious allegations. It goes beyond belief after we’ve known each other for so long. Have you any idea why?’

Shaun suddenly felt embarrassed. Shit, what was wrong with him? Why hadn’t he come to Terry when Phil told him to do away with Steph? If he’d come clean, then maybe Terry would have sorted things out so that he wouldn’t have to look over his shoulder forever. He wondered if it would be too late to tell the truth now.

‘Phil Kennedy asked me to kill Steph,’ he blurted out in the end.

Terry’s chest rose up.

‘I didn’t do it.’ Shaun held up his hands. ‘I owed him money and he said if I killed Steph he would wipe out my debt.’

‘But that’s mad. Why would he do that?’

‘I don’t know. But if he was in The Potter’s Wheel that night –’

‘Phil said if you kill her, he’d wipe your debt out?’ Terry sat forward.

‘Yes.’

‘Why the fuck do you owe Phil money?’

Shaun lowered his eyes for a moment. ‘We got into a mess with the business. Phil bailed us out.’

‘Why didn’t you ask me? I would have helped you.’

‘How could I when I’m such a failure at everything I do?’

‘And did he wipe out your debt?’

Shaun nodded. ‘Not sure I believe him, though.’

‘Not sure I would either.’ Terry paused. ‘Look, I need you to go home to Carole. Don’t let on that you’ve seen me. Don’t let on that you know she’s lying. And don’t say anything to Phil either. Something isn’t right but I don’t know what yet. I need to think through what’s best to do next.’

‘You do believe it wasn’t me who killed Steph, right?’ Shaun needed to know before he left.

‘‘Course.’ Terry patted him on the shoulder before showing him to the door. ‘Now remember, keep quiet about this, yeah, until I’ve asked a few questions and done a bit of digging? I need to get to the bottom of this mess.’

Once Shaun had gone, Terry went back to the table and sat down. He banged his fists onto its surface. Why the hell had he involved Carole Morrison in this? He should have known that stupid bitch wouldn’t keep her mouth shut. Sure it was easy to fool Shaun into thinking he hadn’t known anything of what was going on. But Allie Shenton? He should have given her more credit. She must have wangled all that stuff out of Carole. And Cathryn had rung him to say she’d been over to Derby to question her. Luckily for Cathryn, she’d backed him up.

Hearing what Shaun had to say about Phil only confirmed what he’d been thinking too. The money Shaun had borrowed was his money, not Phil’s. He’d been making enquiries, checking the books over the past couple of days. There was money being siphoned off every week from each car wash. Little amounts some weeks, larger amounts other. Different amounts from each car wash, but a considerable amount over time. When he’d finished with Phil, well, he wouldn’t be able to talk again, that was for sure.

He frowned. Mostly he blamed himself for the mess, for wanting to stand in the shadows and watch Steph die. Make sure the bitch was really out of his life. Payback time for all the shit she’d put him through and all the mess he’d had to clear up for her. He couldn’t have her blabbing her mouth off about things, bringing him down. He certainly wasn’t going to put up with any bastard child either.

Terry punched in a number on his phone. First things first. Phil Kennedy could wait. He needed to make sure that Cathryn would keep her mouth shut, even if it meant shutting it for her.

‘Cathryn,’ he spoke when she answered. ‘We need to talk. I’m heading over.’

Shaun parked his car at the back of The Orange Grove. By this time it was seven thirty and he knew he should have been back for the evening session. But tough. Let the staff sort it out for once. Or Carole would have to look after things, despite the way she looked.

He heard a noise behind him as he locked his car. Phil Kennedy came out of the shadows. Great, just what he needed.

‘What do you want?’

‘Your debt’s not clear,’ Phil took a step closer and then another. ‘You didn’t kill Steph. The deal’s off. I want my money by tomorrow. All of it.’

Shaun shook his head. ‘I haven’t got that kind of money. Your lad is after me too but he’s not going to get any either.’

Phil smirked. ‘I know what Lee did but it doesn’t change things.’

For a moment, Shaun was thrown. Had Lee told Phil what he’d done? Or had Phil worked it out like he had?

‘Your dickhead of a son says he wants five grand off me or else he’s letting on to you that I didn’t kill Steph. So if it wasn’t me, then it must have been him. Unless,’ he smiled cockily. ‘Unless it was you.’

‘You don’t know anything.’ Phil came closer.

‘I know that I didn’t kill her.’ Shaun threw his trump card. ‘And what’s more, Terry knows that I didn’t kill her.’ Sure enough, he had Phil’s attention now. ‘Yeah, I told him everything.’

Phil head-butted him in the face. ‘I want my money back. All of it or I’ll fucking kill you, do you hear me? You’re lucky I don’t do it now, you useless piece of shit.’ He turned to walk away but as an afterthought, rammed his fist in Shaun’s stomach.

Shaun doubled over and dropped to his knees.

After catching his breath, Shaun got into his car and drove over to Georgia Road. Now that he knew Terry had his back, there was no way either of the Kennedys would get the better of him. How dare Phil threaten him too! Time to sort out this fuck-up once and for all.

He banged on the door of number twelve. A heavily pregnant girl answered. She looked him up and down and then squinted at him.

‘Yeah?’

‘Lee Kennedy. Which house?’

‘You the pigs?’

‘Do I look like a pig? Which house?’

‘Number eighteen.’ The door slammed shut before he turned away.

Shaun banged on Lee’s door next.

‘I hope you’ve got it all,’ Lee said once he answered.

Shaun pushed past him into the house. He walked down the narrow passageway and into the kitchen, not impressed with what he saw. The place was a dump. A loaf of bread left open, one fallen slice already drying up. A butter tub, its lid tossed to one side, sat with a knife stuck in it. There were beer cans and dirty dishes on every surface. The stench of something rotting assaulted his nostrils.

He turned to Lee who was hanging back in the doorway. ‘This place is a shit hole. How do you live like this?’

‘Quite easily,’ Lee replied. ‘What’s with the nose?’

Shaun put a hand to it. It stung but it came back dry. ‘Nothing you need to worry about.’ He pointed a finger at Lee. ‘You need to concentrate on what I’m going to tell you now. The same thing I’ve just told your father. I’ve been to see Terry and I’ve told him everything.’

Lee’s cocky attitude disappeared.

‘I told him how your dad set himself up as a loan shark, too. I bet Terry’s worked out how he could get so much money. He’s obviously been taking from somewhere he shouldn’t.’

‘Fuck! What did you say about me?’

‘He knows, Lee.’ Shaun folded his arms and smiled triumphantly. ‘He knows that it was you who killed Steph.’

‘No.’ Lee shook his head. ‘My old man says that I didn’t hit her hard enough. That I –’

Shaun paused. ‘So you admit to being there?’

‘He says –’

‘Don’t hide behind your old man! Act like a grown-up for once.’ Shaun couldn’t keep the disgust from entering his voice. ‘People like you make me sick. You swan around as if you own the place, never bothering how many lives you wreck in the process. Fuck, you even live off your family’s reputation. You’re a loser.’

‘You’d better be winding me up or else I’ll –’

‘Or else you’ll what?’

Lee lunged for Shaun, catching him on his chin. But it wasn’t enough to have an impact. Shaun punched him on the side of his face. Lee staggered back into the kitchen. Glancing at the knife in the butter, he pulled a drawer open, grabbed a larger one and turned, slicing it through the air.

‘Don’t come near me, you bastard!’

‘Watch out, you idiot!’ Shaun dodged the blade. It came at him again. ‘Watch out!’

‘This is all your fault.’ Lee moved round the floor after him. ‘If you’d had the bottle to kill her, then I wouldn’t be in this shit.’

‘I was never going to kill her.’ Shaun held up his hands in surrender. He stepped backwards towards the door. ‘Christ, put the knife down!’

Lee charged at him again. Shaun dodged to the right but Lee anticipated it. He thrust his arm forward and the knife went into Shaun’s stomach.

‘I said you’re not telling anyone anything!’ he cried, the knife going in again and again.

‘Stop.’ As blood rushed from him, Shaun tried to push Lee away but the knife seared his flesh again.

Lee’s eyes glazed over. ‘You’re not taking me down, you bastard.’

‘Stop.’ Shaun tried again but it only came out as a whisper.

‘Bastard!’ Lee shouted with every thrust. ‘Bastard! Bastard!’

Shaun clung onto Lee’s arms as his legs gave way. He slid down his body, pawing at his hands, his thighs, his knees. He grunted in pain as he sank to the floor.

But Lee continued with the attack. Screaming out in rage, he kicked Shaun in the stomach, then in the head over and over. Blood from the wounds splattered across the kitchen units; blood from his stomach pooled onto the floor.

Shaun gave one last groan as Lee’s boot came down on him again. Moments later, his life slipped away.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Lee waited for his breathing to slow down enough to think straight. The knife clattered to the floor as he loosened his grip. He held shaky hands palm up. They were covered in blood. He glanced at the floor, at the mess he had created. Nudging Shaun with his foot, he said his name. He knew he wouldn’t answer. Half of his face was unrecognisable. His ear was probably perforated. But he insisted on trying again.

‘Shaun!’ When there was no response, his legs buckled and he dropped down on the floor next to him.

Fuck, he’d done it again. What the hell was wrong with him? Trying not to look at the place where Shaun’s face had been, he rummaged through his pockets. There were a few notes in his wallet, which he threw to the ground in disgust. He hadn’t come with his money! Damn. That wasn’t enough to cover the petrol to get him out of Stoke.

He leaned back on the refrigerator and closed his eyes. This couldn’t be happening. If Terry Ryder got to him before he did a runner, he’d be for it. Not only had he killed his wife, he’d done in his mate as well. And this one wasn’t going to be so easy to cover up.

He opened his eyes. Fuck, he had to hide the body. Trying not to gag, he dragged Shaun across the floor. Slipping in the blood, it took all his might to get him up and over the step into the hallway. Sweat pouring off him, he opened the cellar door and hurled him down the steps.

He grabbed a towel to wipe up the blood but there was too much of it. All he managed to do was swirl it around. Realising it was hopeless, he pulled off his T-shirt and wrapped the knife inside it. At the bottom of the stairs, he took off his boots and socks and left them there. Then he ran upstairs with the knife. There was no time to spare but he couldn’t go anywhere until he’d had a shower. There was too much blood. He’d have to swill himself down.

After a frantic scrub, he quickly threw on another T-shirt, jeans and trainers. All the time expecting someone to knock on the door and catch him in the act, he bundled a few clothes into a holdall, followed by the knife. Then he grabbed his phone. The last thing to do was call his dad. Phil answered on the third ring.

‘I’ve killed him!’ he cried. ‘Shaun Morrison. He’s dead.’

‘What are you talking about? Hang on, let me pull over.’ A pause. ‘Where are you?’

‘Listen to me, will you?’ Lee paced the room. ‘I’ve killed him. He told Terry that I killed Steph.’

‘I know.’

‘I couldn’t let him get away with – what do you mean, you know?’

‘Word gets around Stoke. You should know that.’

‘But you told me that I didn’t kill her!’

‘Where are you?’ Phil asked again.

‘I killed him, Dad. I need to get out of here.’

‘Lee, where are you? Wait!’

Lee disconnected the call and legged it.

Phil flipped his phone shut and threw it onto the car seat. Halfway home, he turned back and parked up just off Cannon Street again. Wanting to keep his car away from the city centre, he walked quickly to the alleyway behind The Orange Grove and sneaked in. There was no sign of Lee or his car. Shaun’s car wasn’t there either. After a few minutes searching the shadows, he left. Lee must have arranged to meet Shaun and then something had gone wrong. It wasn’t even an hour since he’d thumped him right here.

Back in his car he sat for a moment to calm down, trying not to think of how this might have implicated him too. Of all the people to kill, why did Lee have to choose Shaun? Now that Terry knew everything, he was bound to think it had something to do with him.

He banged his fist on the steering wheel. This was all Lee’s fault. If he hadn’t interfered, Shaun wouldn’t have had the guts to go through with the job. And he would have had time to tell Terry that he couldn’t do it either.

He started the engine. No matter how much he thought about it, this didn’t look good. Ryder would be after his blood for sure now – and his son’s. He needed to find Lee and quick – before Terry found either of them.

And if he didn’t find Lee within the next twenty-four hours, then he was leaving Stoke without him.

Allie never gave a second thought to the state of Carole Morrison’s relationship debacle once back at her desk. Her head was buried in paperwork when Nick shouted to her.