by Alex Kane
She hesitated. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing. I’m just rough as a badger’s arse and I need a sleep.’
He kept his back to her as he sipped some water. Did he know she was keeping something from him? Did he know she was lying?
‘Fair enough,’ she said. ‘I’ll catch up with you later then? I told Scarlett I’d pop into the salon today to check in, see if they needed anything. Although I don’t think she really needs me around to run the place. She’s got everything covered. I feel like an imposter over there, if I’m honest.’
Eddie turned, smiled and gulped down the last of the water from his glass. ‘Sorry babe, I’m too rough. I’m heading to bed. I’ll see you in a few hours, yeah?’
Feeling rejected, Arabella smiled and nodded as Eddie kissed her on the cheek as he passed by and headed for the bedroom.
She didn’t know whether to be offended that he hadn’t noticed how shaken she was as she tried to hold everything in, or relieved that he hadn’t clocked on that something was wrong.
Within seconds, Arabella could hear Eddie snoring loudly, oblivious to the world. Oblivious to her.
The only thing that Arabella could do in order to keep her mind off what had happened was to go to the salon and carry on as normal. As normal as she could, anyway, considering she’d been released from prison just a few weeks previously and had inherited a business.
But first, she had to go back. In doing so, she might be able to remember what happened. By now, the police would be there. There would be forensics, possibly press. But she had to know.
Arabella quickly dressed, pulled her hair back from her face and tied it on top of her head before grabbing her phone and heading out of the flat. Roxanne had said she wasn’t to tell Eddie about what happened. But she didn’t say that she couldn’t go back and check things out for herself. If her mind wouldn’t show her the memory, then she had to create the image from the present.
Leaving the flat, she headed along the road and turned down onto the footpath. Stopping at the top, she listened. She’d expected sirens, voices, people, traffic. If there was a drama – a murder – then normally people rallied around to catch a glimpse of the action. But there was nothing.
Pulling her phone from her pocket, she opened the Google app and typed in ‘body Kelvin River’ and waited for the searches to load. Again, nothing.
Sliding the phone back into her pocket, Arabella started down the path, looking into the bushes and trees at either side. Her head thumped with each step she took, the alcohol clearly still in her system. Not surprising – she must have drunk her weight in the stuff, based on the hangover.
That was when she heard it. The cacophony of voices. A flashing blue light highlighted the end of the path and as she edged closer to the centre of the pathway, she saw a gathering of people. Police tape. Officers telling people to stand back to allow the police and forensics to do their job.
ShitShitShit. It was real. She’d killed that man.
Voices chattered excitedly and Arabella couldn’t help but overhear.
‘I heard he was walking along the path and someone pushed him down the embankment towards the river.’
‘Nah, apparently the guy who found him said his face was caved in. It’s definitely murder.’
‘Poor guy. No one deserves that.’
‘Apparently he was found a few yards from where it happened. Someone said he’d tried to crawl back to the main road for help and just died on the spot. What a way to go, eh?’
Arabella turned, clutching her throat. She couldn’t breathe as she retched over and over before finally she fell to her knees. Bile left her mouth, her body trying desperately to expel the horrific secret she was trying to keep inside.
‘Oh good god, are you alright, love?’ a woman said, her voice by Arabella’s left ear, a hand on her back.
‘I’m okay,’ Arabella shrugged her off and got to her feet before running back to the flat.
Once inside, she locked herself in the bathroom and bit hard on her bottom lip while texting Roxanne.
I need to see you. NOW! Meet me at the salon later. A
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Staring at his mobile phone, DS Billy Dyrsdale shook his head. He thought it might be good to see his old mate again. They’d been so close, like brothers. His memories of their friendship were all good ones. But their lives had gone down very different paths. Billy had always wondered why that was. Possibly because Jez had lost his parents at a crucial time in his life. Billy remembered how his family had taken Jez in, like he was one of their own. He and Billy had been best friends growing up, Billy’s mum was friendly with Jez’s mum. She’d later told Billy that she felt it was her duty to take care of Jez. However, as much as Billy and Jez were friends, they’d always had different lives planned. Billy had always wanted to become a police officer, whereas Jez had always aimed to earn as much money as he could, no matter what the job entailed. It would seem that both men had achieved their goals.
Almost twenty years had passed by since they’d last been together in the same room. They’d spoken on the phone on the odd occasion, sometimes video called. They never fully lost touch. Their worlds were always so far apart, but now Jez needed information from Billy on a professional level. Usually, the police were the ones looking for the informant, but on this occasion, it was the criminal.
He picked up his coat and headed to the front door. It had been a long time since he’d been to their old local. It had been a long time since he’d lived in Dunmuir, having moved away before going to police college.
As he drove to the pub, he thought about how Jez would try to manipulate him into giving up information. Billy wasn’t stupid; he knew that if Jez truly wanted to, he could turn on him. He did have dirt on him after all, from when they went on that boys’ holiday. The one where Jez had decided he wouldn’t use his return ticket.
Thinking back to that time in Majorca, Billy winced. It was a mistake, a drunken and stupid act where he’d allowed himself to lose control. He could just about remember what he’d done. If he could change things, go back and undo it then he would. Of course he would. Jez covered for him, got rid of the body and the CCTV from the club so there was no comeback. He’d gone with Billy to the airport and made sure to get him on the first flight back to Scotland the next day. If it wasn’t for Jez, Billy wouldn’t be where he was now.
Stopping at the red light at the end of the scheme where he used to live, Billy felt his stomach flip. Could he do this? Could he walk into that pub, the west end bar and sit in the company of his old mate, knowing that Jez could throw that night in his face if he didn’t get his own way?
If what Billy did back in Majorca got back to his boss, he could lose his career. He could lose everything. Yet equally, if he didn’t show up to meet Jez, things could go the same way. This was always going to come back and bite him one day. His former best friend held his biggest secret and that scared him, because even though twenty years had passed, there was still a friendship there that could be destroyed by the secret between them.
The light turned green and Billy drove along the street, pulling into the pub car park. As he got out of the car, the smell of cigarette smoke hit him almost immediately. Without seeing them, he knew that there would be a gathering of the regulars outside the front entrance, smoking and talking about the bets they’d put on at the bookies directly across the road from the pub.
He walked towards the pub, head held high. Some of these people used to be his friends. In a way they still were, they hadn’t fallen out as such, just lost touch over the years and he’d gone on to live a very different lifestyle to them. They’d been born in the scheme and would die in the scheme.
‘Jesus Christ!’ One man said. ‘Here, Stevo. Look who it is!’
Billy recognised him as Marty Crawford, one of the lads he used to hang around with in his teens. He was also one of the lads on that holiday. As was Stevo.
‘Boys,’ Billy replied. ‘Long time no see
.’
‘You’re not kidding,’ Stevo replied, patting Billy on the back as he exhaled cigarette smoke into the air. ‘What brings you round these parts?’
Perfect, Billy thought. That question itself meant that Jez hadn’t arrived yet.
‘Not much, just catching up with some family,’ Billy lied. ‘How’s things?’
‘Awe you know, same shite different day,’ Stevo replied. ‘So, how’s the police game treating you? Put away any bad bastards recently?’
Marty Crawford laughed and took a long draw on his cigarette. ‘Here, were you involved in that post office shooting up the town last year?’
Billy shook his head. ‘Sorry boys, I can’t talk about my job.’
‘Och, that’s shite,’ Stevo said. ‘Good to see you, big man. You coming in? Can I get you a pint?’
Before Billy could answer, all three men turned as a taxi pulled up next to them. As the door opened and Jez Kennedy stepped out, Stevo and Marty fell silent.
‘Boys,’ Jez said before closing the door. Reaching in, he paid the driver and Billy watched as Stevo and Marty looked on in shock. They weren’t expecting their old mate to turn up at the same time as Billy.
‘What the fuck year is it, Stevo?’ Marty asked. Billy detected a hint of nervousness in his tone.
‘Ha,’ Stevo laughed. ‘Last time we were all together was Majorca, two thousand and one. Not that I can mind much of that holiday, right enough. Was smashed for two weeks straight.’
Good, Billy thought. That’s the way it should be.
As the taxi pulled away from the pub, Jez held out his hand to Billy as a smile crept across his face. Billy shook it and returned the smile.
‘Good to see you Jez,’ Billy replied.
‘What the hell are you doing back?’ Marty said, as Jez shook the hands of the other men.
‘Bit of this, bit of that. You know how it is.’
‘Naw, we don’t. You never came back from Majorca and we’ve not heard a peep out of you since. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do, boys. I’d better phone the missus and tell her the sesh is on and I’ll not be home till tomorrow,’ Stevo replied.
Marty and Stevo laughed. Jez smiled but shook his head.
‘As much as I’d love a sesh, boys, I’m not here for long and I’ve got a lot of things to do.’
Marty and Stevo shrugged.
‘Aye, fair enough, big man. I’ve got to go to the job centre to sign on anyway. If I’m not there by two they’ll not give me my money. If you’re still here when I get back, surely we can have a pint? Old times’ sake?’ Marty asked. The nerves in his tone were gone now.
Jez smiled. ‘Aye.’
Stevo and Marty shook hands with Billy and Jez before disappearing across the road and heading into the bookies. Billy wondered if Marty spent all his dole money at the bookies and the pub. He certainly had the glowing red nose to prove a lot of his cash went on booze.
‘So, shall we?’ Jez said, motioning towards the entrance of the pub.
Billy stepped inside his old local and even though he’d heard that the place hadn’t changed, he hadn’t expected to feel like he was walking back in time. The walls had the same yellowing tinge, the dark mahogany wooden beams still stretched across the ceiling. The same old village images hung in dusty frames that could be the same age as the pub itself. But when he turned towards the bar, he couldn’t quite believe that the same person was stood there, cleaning glasses and pulling pints.
‘Jeanie still works here?’ Billy said in wonder.
‘Bloody hell, she’ll die with this place,’ Jez whispered. Billy couldn’t help but laugh.
‘What you having?’ Billy asked Jez.
‘Pint. Peroni if they’ve got it on draught?’
‘In here? If the décor and the bar staff are the same after twenty years, then I doubt you’re getting that. At best I’d say you’re getting Tennents on draught,’ Billy replied as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket.
‘Get me a bottle then. I’ll grab us a table.’
Jez moved towards the seating area and found a quiet spot in the back corner. Billy stood at the bar, waiting for Jeanie to serve him and wondered if she would recognise him.
‘What can I get you?’ she asked.
‘Two bottles of Peroni, Jeanie.’
Her eyes didn’t flicker at the mention of her name. Instead, she fetched the beer and took Billy’s cash. Carrying the beers to the table, Billy sat down across from Jez and passed him a bottle.
‘Cheers,’ Jez said, taking a large gulp. ‘So, how’s things?’
‘Aye, good. And you?’
Jez nodded and it was clear they were both feeling the tension of having been separated for so long, with such a big secret hanging between them. Billy couldn’t stand it.
‘Just get to the point, Jez. What you after?’
Jez gave a wry smile. ‘You know what I’m after. The bastard fooled me, fooled the lot of us over in Spain and I’ll be fucked if he gets away with it. He has one hundred grand of my cash and I want it back. But worst of all, he took my ma’s wedding ring, thieving little bastard. I want info on Woods. I need to know where he is.’
Billy took a breath and shook his head. Straight to the point then, Billy thought. ‘You know I can’t do that, Jez. If I find that information for you and he turns up dead, how’s that going to look? Folk around here aren’t stupid. They’ve seen us together now. They know who you are, what you do. They know what I do, for Christ’s sake. The connection would be made before this Woods character even took his last breath. It’s police corruption, pure and simple. Sorry but I just can’t help you.’
‘Funny that. You were quite happy for me to help you out back in the day when you killed that lad from London. You remember, don’t you? How you stamped on his head? How I got rid of the body – sorry I meant how we, as in me, Marty and Stevo, got rid of the body. And I took care of the footage from the club, made sure you were covered? Don’t you think you owe me a favour?’
And there it was. The very reason that Billy wouldn’t be able to say no. But he had to. He couldn’t put the investigation at risk. It would come back to him. He’d be done with perverting the course of justice.
Billy shook his head. ‘Yes, I do remember. And yes, I’m always grateful. You think I don’t regret what I did that night? You think I don’t regret taking those drugs, getting off my face and killing someone? I didn’t ask you to help me, Jez. You did it because we were like brothers. But you couldn’t handle the fact that I got my shit together and chose the career I did. I know you never approved of my choice, that you’d have preferred I was into the life you live. It’s not me, Jez. That night wasn’t me. I was off my face on drugs and you’ve been planning on using it against me ever since. Tell me, are you going to throw Marty and Stevo under the bus too? Aren’t their lives shit enough here without sending them to jail because of something we all did?’
Jez shook his head, ran his tongue across the front of his teeth. He was angry that Billy wasn’t backing down. But he would use that anger to get what he wanted. Billy knew how Jez worked.
‘Och, like Marty and Stevo will even remember. They were just as fucked up as you were that night. They’ll have drunk so much over the years that their cells will be so fried they’ll remember fuck all from that night. But you do.’
Billy said nothing, just sipped his beer quietly. How could Jez think that they wouldn’t remember moving a body? That was probably one of the reasons they were in such a state these days. No jobs. Alcoholics. He only had to look at their noses and the state of their clothes to know they were in a bad way. And how had they felt about being part of it back then? Jez wouldn’t have given a toss, so long and he and Billy were in the clear. Billy felt like shit as he thought about how he’d played his part in not only killing a man, but potentially wrecking the futures of two others. He sensed that Jez shared no part in his guilt.
‘Fuck Marty and Stevo. They were just handymen back then. Co
me on, Billy. We were like brothers growing up. We lived together, remember? You needed me that night and I was there for you. I need you now, Billy. This isn’t some little thing. Cole Woods has taken the piss right out of me. I can’t let him get away with that. Now, I know he’s here. I know you have information on his whereabouts. I don’t need anything else. Just a location. That’s all. Then we can go our separate ways again. You won’t have to see me again.’ Jez paused for a long moment and Billy knew there was something else coming that he wasn’t going to like. ‘Unless you want that CCTV footage of what you did that night to fall into the lap of your boss. Or the press?’
He felt his jaw fall open, almost touching his chest.
‘Tell me you’re joking?’
‘Do I look like I’m fucking joking? You don’t think for one minute I didn’t take out some kind of insurance on myself that night, Billy? Come on, what do you take me for? I made sure that I was covered if I ever needed to be.’
Billy’s stomach felt like it had dropped out of his arse. How could Jez do this? Even back then he was thinking about himself.
‘But you’d be implicating yourself, too?’
‘No, I wouldn’t. I’ve fixed a copy that leaves me out of it.’
‘I can’t fucking believe you. Why? We were best mates. Brothers. Why back then did you think that you would need to use it against me?’
‘It wasn’t about using it against you. It was about using it for myself. It’s not personal. It’s business.’
‘Fuck off, Jez, business,’ Billy spat. ‘You wouldn’t dare do this to me.’ His words sounded powerless as he said them. Would Jez really destroy him just to get his hands on Cole Woods? Jez wasn’t one to be messed with. Never had been. When they were teenagers, the majority of the lads at school were either scared of Jez or wanted to be in his gang just to stay on the right side of him. But Billy knew the real Jez, the one that only he got to see. The softer side of the young lad who’d lost his parents too young. Maybe that side of him had disappeared over the years.
‘Try me,’ Jez replied, resting back on the seat and taking another large gulp of beer. ‘Just try me.’
