The Betrayed (20 page)

There was no reply.

‘Rube, Mummy’s home!’

Andrew came down the stairs, a broad smile on his face. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, kissing her on the mouth and neck. She responded equally as passionately, holding him tightly.

‘Mmmm… it’s so nice to be back, ‘she said. ‘So where’s Ruby? My little star.’

‘She’s gone to Lucy’s for the night. We’re all alone,’ he whispered.

A bolt of desire flickered through Rosie. She pressed herself against him, and found him already hard.

‘I think you’d better go back and lock the front door,’ she said, kissing him again. ‘Just in case Ruby pops back for something.’

‘Consider it done.’

By the time Andrew returned from locking the door, Rosie had removed her shirt and camisole top, and was reaching behind her to unclasp her bra. Andrew watched her undress.

‘It’s good to have you back,’ he said, huskily.

Rosie let her hair fall loosely around her shoulders, and felt the erotic sensation of air on her bare skin. As Andrew kissed her, she gave a gasp of pleasure and slid her hand into his hair. She wanted to be naked with him, right now… his body over hers. Neither of them had any thought of time as they finished undressing, and began to make love on the floor. Tenderly at first, then even violently.

Later that afternoon, Rosie’s phone buzzed, informing her that she had a text. ‘Going to stay at Lucy’s for weekend have taken my uniform back after school Monday x.’

Rosie’s heart sank. She had really missed Ruby, and was disappointed not be seeing her for another couple of days. Still, she consoled herself that at least she would be able to spend some quality time alone with Andrew.

After a long, intimate weekend, Monday morning arrived along with its usual list of chores. Rosie had an audition for a feature film at two, so Andrew agreed to collect Ruby from school and pick something up for their tea.

Rosie kissed Andrew on the cheek. ‘You’re
so
wonderful. What would Ruby and I do without you?’

‘Well, you’re my girls,’ he said softly. ‘Aren’t you? You’ve made me happier in the past weeks than I have been for a very long time.’

‘I’m glad,’ said Rosie, with a lump in her throat. ‘You’ve done so much for us. I’m just sorry that you have deal with all of Ruby’s friends… all that giggling.’

‘I love it, really,’ he said, smiling. ‘It’s all part of family life.’

Andrew parked the Range Rover as near to the school gates as possible. He was a little early, and waited patiently for the last bell of the day to ring. Eventually, the pupils started spilling out from the main gates. He watched intently, his eyes darting between their face, trying to spot Ruby. She walked out of the gate alone, looking tired. She looked across the road and, as soon as she saw Andrew’s car waiting, she dropped her head and hurried away, towards the dual carriageway. Andrew leapt out of the car, as fast as a whippet, and ran over to her.

‘Ruby!’ he called out, as he approached. She quickened her pace but within seconds he had grabbed her arm, and spun her around. ‘We need to talk.’

‘I’ve got nothing to say to you,’ she hissed, trying to wrench her arm away.

‘People are staring,’ he told her calmly, a thin smile fixed on his face. ‘So, unless you want to cause a scene –’

‘I don’t care!’ she screamed.

‘Yes you do. Now, come along.’

Ruby reluctantly went over to his car and climbed inside, making sure that she was in the back. She didn’t want to go anywhere with him… she didn’t want to go back to that house. She hated it with every cell in her body, she didn’t want to set foot in it again. She put on her seatbelt and stared out of the window.

‘Now, listen to me,’ Andrew said, as they drove along. ‘Don’t you think you’re being selfish?’

She didn’t reply.

‘You’re acting like a selfish, spoilt little brat. Don’t you think your mother wants to see you? She’s been worried. You know she’s been having headaches?’

Ruby just kept looking out of the window, digging her fingernails into her palms. She wanted to scream, to tell him to leave her alone and her mum alone… but she couldn’t speak. Tears were stinging her eyes. But Andrew wasn’t about to stop. Wasn’t what he had done bad enough?

‘You’re mother has sacrificed a lot for you,’ he continued. ‘You’ve always been the centre of her world, you know that.’

The rest of the way home, they drove in complete silence.

The moment that they arrived back, Ruby ran upstairs into her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

She didn’t come downstairs for tea that evening either, no matter how many times Rosie called her.

‘It’s probably best to leave her,’ Andrew said, as he and Rosie ate the chicken chasseur that she had prepared. ‘I expect she’s sulking because you went away with Aunt Madge and not her.’

‘You’re probably right,’ said Rosie. But she was confused – Ruby had never behaved like this before. ‘Teenagers, huh?’

After dinner, Rosie tapped on Ruby’s bedroom door.

‘Can I come in sweetie?’ Trying the handle, Rosie was quite shocked to find it locked. ‘Rube, open the door.’

Inside, Ruby slowly got off the bed, went over to the door, and unlocked it. Seeing the concern on her mum’s face, she had a strong urge to hug her, but she fought it off and sat back down on her bed, and stared straight ahead.

Sitting beside her, Rosie looked at her daughter’s face. She looked pale and troubled, and it was obvious that she’d been crying. Lifting her chin up, Rosie asked gently, ‘What’s up, chicken? Whatever’s the matter?’

Ruby was desperate to tell her. The silence was killing her. Earlier, when she had crept out of her room and heard her mum talking with
him
, she had felt so full of guilt and self-loathing that she had even considered suicide… getting the bus to Notting Hill tube and jumping in front of a train. Looking at her mum, she knew that this pain wasn’t something that a cuddle could fix… not like when she used to be afraid of the dark, or when Dad first ‘went away’. Still, she did want to tell her… but how could she? Ruby was well aware of how much Andrew meant to her, she had never seen her mum this happy before. She didn’t want to ruin that for her.

Rosie’s heart was breaking as she watching Ruby’s chin quivering. Her little eyes were full of hurt. For a few seconds the two of them sat perfectly still, not even breathing, just looking at each other in perfect silence. Ruby was, finally, on the verge of telling her everything when the moment was interrupted by footsteps on the stairs. Ruby drew back into her shell again.

‘Where are my girls?’ came Andrew’s voice from outside.

‘We’re up here,’ Rosie answered.

Sticking his head around the bedroom door, he said, ‘Ah! Here you are. What are you two doing up here?’

Rosie felt Ruby tense up, and put a reassuring arm around her.

‘We’re just talking,’ Rosie said.

Suddenly, Ruby jumped to her feet, and started stuffing bits and bobs into her overnight bag.

‘Aunt Madge has asked me to stay with her for a couple of days. She’s had one of her turns, and Dibble needs a dog walker.’

It took her under a minute to pack, and the moment she finished, she pushed past Andrew, taking care not to touch him. In a flash, she was tripping downstairs, and then Andrew and Rosie heard the front door slam.

‘Phew!’ Andrew sighed. ‘She’s in a mood.’

Despite Andrew’s best efforts to reassure her, Rosie was by now really worried. It was so out of character for little Ruby… and why wasn’t she talking to her? They had
always
shared their problems.

Britley House is an old, grimy, tower block in East London. Back in the Sixties, when the flats were considered modern, it was generally a safe place to live. But the years had taken their toll and nowadays the building, with its dimly-lit stairwells and walls covered with graffiti, had an uncomfortable, even dangerous, feel about it.

Aunt Madge had lived there, in a first floor flat, throughout her married life and beyond, deciding to stay on even after Uncle Bill died. ‘The only way I’ll ever leave this place,’ she always said, ‘is in a box.’

On the surface, it seemed like an unsafe place for Aunt Madge and Dibble to stay, but none of the youths who loitered around at night like feral dogs would dare say one word out of place to her or anyone visiting her. She had, through Rosie, a link to the name of Mullins, and everyone in the East End knew better than to disrespect that. So that night, when Ruby made her way up the stairwell, past the noisy teenagers drinking cheap cider and smoking joints, they all stepped silently out of her way.

Aunt Madge welcomed her inside – her flat felt warm, cosy, safe. After making them a cup of tea, Aunt Madge sat down in her well-worn armchair and put her feet up on the pouffe. Dibble took her place in front of the gas fire, with one bar blazing orange. Ruby sat on the other chair, quiet. Aunt Madge eventually broke the silence.

‘What’s up, Rube?’

Ruby shook her head, unable to answer.

‘Is it school? Are you being bullied?’ she asked.

‘It’s nothing, ’Ruby mumbled, ‘I’m just tired. I think I’ll go to bed now.’

‘Aren’t you going to finish your tea?’

‘I don’t really feel like it. Good night.’ Ruby got up, leaned over, and kissed her on the forehead.

‘Night-night, sweetheart,’ said Aunt Madge. ‘Sleep tight. Don’t let the bed bugs bite.’

Ruby lay down on her bed and started crying. She cuddled her pink teddy, Mimim, and pushed her face into the duvet to muffle the sobs. She just wished she could go back to how it was a week ago. But she wasn’t crying just because of what happened, Ruby was also scared about what
would
happen. Andrew seemed capable of anything… would he do it again? He might even
kill
her, she thought. But then, at least, he wouldn’t be able to do things to her any more and this horrible feeling would go away.

She had been prepared to tell Aunt Madge everything, but she hadn’t been able to find the words. Who did she know that she could tell
anything
? Who would believe her?

In a locker in a gym in Florida, a mobile rang. It wasn’t until an hour later, when Stevie had finished her aerobics class, that she picked up the message. What she heard stopped her in her tracks – it was the sound of someone sobbing down the line. She couldn’t make out any words apart from her own name, but the crying sounded like someone’s heart was breaking. She pressing a key, and played the message back again. After looking at the call log, her suspicions were confirmed… it was Ruby.

‘Rube, darling? It’s Auntie Stevie,’ she said, when Ruby answered. ‘I didn’t wake you did I?’

‘No.’

‘Are you okay? I just got your message. What’s wrong sweetheart?’

‘Nothing, I’m okay.’ She still sounded close to tears. ‘Aunt Stevie, when are you coming home? When are you coming back to London? I miss you?’

‘Not for a while, sweetie,’ Stevie said. ‘What’s wrong? Is it Dad?’

‘No, no… it’s okay. Everything’s cool. Sorry I called, but –’

‘I’m
always
happy to hear from you, Rube. Don’t apologise.’

‘I have to ring off now, Auntie Stevie.’

The line went dead. Stevie immediately selected ‘Rosie’ from her list of contacts, and pressed ‘call’. Rosie answered on the second ring.

‘Rosie? Great, you’re there,’ she said. ‘I thought you might be on set.’

‘No, we’re finished shooting,’ Rosie said. ‘So what’s up?’

‘Well,’ said Stevie, hesitantly, ‘I’m not sure. Ruby left me a message earlier. I couldn’t make out what she was saying, she was sobbing so hard. I rang her back but she said she was cool. Is she at home?’

‘No, she’s at Aunt Madge’s,’ Rosie said, with a sigh. ‘Something’s going on with her. But she won’t tell me anything. She’s been acting really weird lately. I don’t know… maybe it’s school… too much homework or maybe the school. Could it be a boy? Whatever it is, she won’t eat with us – she’s locking herself in her room. I just don’t know what’s wrong.’

‘That doesn’t sound like her at all.’

‘No. To be honest, I’m losing patience with her. I don’t want to sound unsympathetic – I’m not – but I can’t imagine what she’s got to complain or be upset about.’

‘Poor little lamb, she’s obviously having a tough time of it lately. Someone needs to spoil her a bit… and if a Godmother can’t do that, then I don’t know who can. I’ll take her shopping next time I’m over. Look after her. I have to go. Give my love to Andrew.’

After she rang off, Rosie was puzzled. Why on earth would Ruby ring Stevie in America? What was going on with her? She had to get to the bottom of this.

The next morning, after breakfast with Aunt Madge, Ruby switched on her mobile phone and punched in a six-digit number.

‘Oh, yes,’ she said, as her call was answered. ‘Can you get me the number for… Mullins Business, I think it is. It’s in Limehouse.’

‘I’ve got a “Mullin’s Export”,’ said the voice after a few seconds. ‘Shall I put you through?’

‘That’s it,’ said Ruby. ‘Yeah, put me through please.’

As the phone rang, Ruby wondered if this
really was
the right thing to do.