Danger by Association: The Riverhill Trilogy: Book 3

by Heather Burnside

  “Alright, I can see you’re upset. I know you don’t want to be reminded about Jenny. It was a sad day when she died. Your mother and father were broken-hearted, and when you took that little boy away they were beside themselves …”

  “What do you mean?” Rita cut in before she had a chance to carry on.

  “Well, you weren’t here of course. You’d taken him all the way to Greece, but I was the one having to console them when they were missing him.”

  “You could have bloody well fooled me!” Rita snapped, unable to put up with her aunty’s venom any longer. “My dad couldn’t get rid of him quick enough. He was too frightened of him cramping his style. So don’t you go telling me they were pining for him! And as for you; we only bloody see you at weddings and funerals.”

  Her aunty was speechless following this outburst. Rita was about to continue but, before she could say any more, she felt a tug on her arm.

  “Rita, didn’t you want to go and talk to John and his new wife?” asked Julie. “There’s nobody with them now. Come on while we’ve got a chance.”

  Julie’s words brought Rita to her senses. She stood up, grabbed her handbag, slammed her chair underneath the table and walked away with Julie. As they were walking off, Rita could hear her aunty shouting after her, “That child should be here with his family; not miles away, living with a load of strangers. What you did was wicked!”

  “Did you hear that?” Rita asked Julie, “The cheeky cow!” Rita turned, about to retaliate, but Julie kept a tight grip on her arm.

  “Don’t rise to it, Rita. Don’t let her spoil your brother’s wedding. If you go back, you’ll be letting her win. Come on!”

  For a few moments Rita hovered, indecisive, but Julie’s insistent tugging at her arm persuaded her to keep walking. Rita didn’t head straight for John and his bride though. She was too annoyed, and needed to calm down first. She and Julie made their way outside the room where they found some ladies’ toilets in a different part of the hotel. Rita wanted to vent her anger without being overheard.

  Once they were inside, they checked the cubicles. While Julie tapped on each of the doors to make sure they weren’t occupied, Rita hammered and kicked at them. It was her way of letting go of her rage at the same time. She had just moved away from one cubicle and was attacking the next one when the door opened. A young woman emerged looking terrified. Without making eye contact, and not even stopping to wash her hands, she swiftly exited the ladies’ toilets.

  “Bloody hell, Rita; you’ve frightened the life out of the poor sod!” said Julie.

  This realisation caused a break in the tension and Rita stopped kicking at the doors, “I’m sorry, Julie. I didn’t mean to go off on one. But thanks for pulling me away; it’s a good job you did.”

  “I know you, Rita. I could see she was annoying you.”

  Rita fished inside her bag for her cigarettes and lighter while sounding off to Julie, “She’s a cheeky cow! What business is it of hers? I wouldn’t mind but when I was at home she hardly ever came to see my mam and dad, so what would she know?”

  Julie gave her time to let off steam. They knew each other so well that Julie could predict exactly how she would react. After a few minutes of venting, she began to settle down, “Eh, I hope Yansis and Vinny were alright being left with her.”

  “Don’t worry about them two; I’m sure they can handle her. She probably went off with her tail between her legs once you’d given her a piece of your mind.”

  “I’m not so sure, Julie. She’s a nasty old bitch by all accounts.” Rita then apologised again, now she was feeling calmer. “I’m sorry Jules, I didn’t mean to go off on one.”

  “It’s OK, Rita. It wasn’t your fault; I’d have felt the same.”

  “Look, I’m not gonna let that evil old cow get to me. This is our John’s wedding and I’m gonna bloody well enjoy it.”

  And she meant what she said. Once she had finished her cigarette and calmed herself down, they returned to the reception, passing her dad on the way. She couldn’t fail to miss him; he was so loud. But she wasn’t going to let that worry her.

  She could have become irritable watching him make an arse of himself, boasting loudly about his latest scam, but she wouldn’t. She could have focused on her dead sister, but she wouldn’t. No, she was going to make the best of things. After all, that was what she had come back to Manchester for: to enjoy her brother’s wedding. With that in mind, she and Julie went off to chat to Rita’s brother and to introduce themselves properly to Paula.

  Chapter 2

  Saturday 8th June 1996

  Raeni was making the most of some free time while the children were out. It was rare for her to have a bit of peace and quiet. She placed her cup of coffee on a side table and heaved her bulky form into the armchair, her chest wheezing. She didn’t bother switching on the TV, but sat there taking a few moments to reflect as she looked around her living room at all her reminders of home. The treasured mementoes she had gathered over time.

  Photographs of overseas relatives adorned the walls alongside those of her children. She glanced at a cushion, its cover embroidered with the map of Jamaica. She’d had it longer than she could remember; so long that its colours were now fading and the material was worn away at the seams. A couple of ornamental wedding presents Raeni had brought over in the sixties. Brightly painted bowls and plates that she valued too much for everyday use, and had kept as ornaments instead. Those ornaments had survived for over three decades.

  She began to reminisce, thinking of the people she had left behind all those years ago. She thought of her lovely sister, Rose, still over there, and her parents who’d lived out their lives in their homeland. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to afford the travel to attend their funerals so she could pay her last respects.

  On days like today she missed them so much; days when her burden seemed heavier than ever. She’d already lost her eldest son, Leroy, five years ago because of his involvement with gangs, and now her other sons were running wild.

  As she sat drinking her coffee, she wondered how it had all gone wrong. Life had looked so promising when Raeni travelled to Britain with Leroy’s father in the sixties. He was the one with the work permit, she was the one who was going to raise the children. She trusted him until he left her for another woman, with a young son to feed and no job. She didn’t have enough money for the fare home so she had to make the most of a bad situation; alone, just her and her child, in a strange country.

  Then, a few years later, she’d met Errol who’d taken an instant dislike to Leroy because he wasn’t his son. The poor child bore the brunt of all his disapproval until he was old enough to do something about it.

  One night, when Errol dished out too many smacks, Leroy turned on him. His festering resentment spilt over and he reacted aggressively, striking such fear into Errol that he packed his bags and left soon afterwards. Raeni had been on her own ever since, just her and the children.

  There was a change in Leroy from that day. Although still only sixteen years of age, he took on the role of family protector. He was constantly trying to prove himself as though he needed to reassure everyone that he was the tough guy, that no one would ever put on him again. Raeni guessed that it must have been around that time that he became involved with gangs. She knew no good would come of it, but was powerless to control him. In the end, she had no choice but to stand by while he followed a path of self-destruction.

  And to think, she’d travelled to Britain for a better life. Look where that had landed her. Her remaining two sons were on the wrong side of the law, hanging out with gangs. They were probably dealing in drugs and God knows what else, especially Jamal who was now her eldest. He didn’t tell her everything; he knew her feelings on the subjects of gangs and drugs. No matter what lies Jamal told her, she had a good idea what he got up to.

  Yes, she knew. Raeni had seen it all before with Leroy. And she worried about it every day. She tried to bring them up right b
ut what chance did she have? There were too many people outside the home who were poisoning their minds. Filling their heads with get-rich stories about drug money.

  Her only consolation was that she had given birth to two daughters: Laticia and Corine. At least they weren’t running around with gangs, although her youngest, Corine, could be a handful. She was still a teenager, though, and maybe she would grow out of it in time.

  Thankfully, Laticia was doing alright since she’d set up home with her boyfriend. He seemed a nice enough lad; pray to God that he treated her right and that she had found some happiness. At times she felt as though Laticia was the only one who kept her sane.

  ***

  Saturday 8th June 1996

  Rita had only had a chance for a quick handshake with John and Paula up to this point as they had been surrounded by eager relatives from leaving the church until they arrived at the reception. John was Rita’s only remaining sibling. She had always got on well with him and, not having seen him for years, she wanted to make the most of their time together.

  “Hiya, John,” Rita greeted, giving her brother a hug. Then, turning to Paula, she said, “It’s lovely to meet you at long last. I’ve been dying to meet the woman who’s brave enough to take him on.”

  “Ha ha,” said John.

  As Rita hugged Paula, John noticed Julie standing at Rita’s side.

  “Julie, I thought it was you. Bloody hell, it’s been a long time.”

  “It has,” said Julie, taking in John’s height and broad frame. “I think you were a cheeky teenager last time I saw you.”

  “Yeah, I was in the forces a long time, but I’ve been home for a bit now.”

  “Oh yeah, you’re with the police now aren’t you? PC Plod, is it, or do you have some other fancy title we have to call you?” teased Rita.

  Rita noticed John and Paula exchange a fleeting look before he replied, but she dismissed it as an affectionate glance between two people very much in love.

  “John will do,” he laughed.

  “I like your dress, Paula, and the bridesmaids look gorgeous,” commented Julie.

  They all soon became engaged in conversation, catching up on the missing years and keeping Paula entertained with anecdotes. When Rita and John began pointing out members of the wider family to Paula and telling her their backstories, Julie made a subtle excuse to slip away.

  Rita found that she got along well with Paula who introduced her to several of her relatives. Eventually it became evident that other people were also vying for the bride and groom’s attention.

  “Listen, I’m gonna get back to Yansis now,” said Rita, “But you’ll have to try and come over and meet him properly if you get a minute. When do you go on your honeymoon?”

  “We’re having a deferred one,” said John.

  “Why?”

  “Why do you think?”

  “Because we wanted to spend some time with you while you’re over here,” said Paula.

  “You’re joking!” Rita was touched. “You shouldn’t have delayed your honeymoon on my account.”

  “It’s no problem,” said John. “You’re only here for a couple of weeks, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, it’s fine,” added Paula. “We don’t have to go away straightaway so me and John decided that we would stay around till you’re back in Greece. You two have got a lot of catching up to do, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you and Yansis. In fact, we’d like you both to come for dinner. You can bring Daniel too if you want.”

  “Aah, that’s really nice of you, thank you. Right, we’ll catch you later then, and we can sort out the details.”

  Rita made her way back to Yansis, Julie and Vinny, stopping en route to chat with her mother. By the time Rita returned, she had calmed down. Because of her resolve to enjoy the wedding and deal with any problems when it was over, Rita put on an act of indifference. Looking at her, nobody would have guessed what was on her mind.

  As day turned into evening, more guests arrived. When the room was almost full, the DJ announced that it was time to get the bride and groom on the dance floor. Everybody broke into applause as the DJ played ‘How Deep is Your Love’ by Take That.

  “Bloody hell, Jules. I think we must be getting old. I still remember the original version of this.”

  “The Bee Gees,” they both said together.

  “Eh, we’re not too old yet, Rita. I’ll have you on that dance floor once the music speeds up a bit.”

  “Depends what it is,” she replied.

  As the sound of Take That faded, the music to Bobby Brown’s ‘Two Can Play that Game’ filled the room, and the girls were soon on the dance floor. That set the tone for the rest of the evening, and Rita put her troubles aside.

  ***

  Saturday 8th June 1996

  They had just arrived back at Julie and Vinny’s home, a substantial four-bedroomed Victorian semi-detached in the middle-class suburb of Heaton Moor. The house was in silence as Julie and Vinny’s children were staying overnight with their grandparents. Daniel had fallen asleep in the car so they were doing their best not to wake him up while Yansis carried him inside.

  “I’ll just help Yansis put Daniel to bed, then I’ll be back down for a chat,” whispered Rita.

  Yansis went straight to bed and when Rita came back downstairs without him, Vinny decided to go too.

  “I’ll leave you two to chat,” he said.

  “How are you feeling?” Julie asked Rita once they were alone.

  “Fine, it was a lovely day.”

  “Yeah, it was, but how are you really feeling Rita? You might put on a brave face to the rest of the world but you can’t fool me. I’ve known you too long.”

  A tentative smile crossed Rita’s lips, then she replied. “Oh, you know. It was never gonna be easy, was it? But it didn’t go too bad under the circumstances.”

  “Are you still annoyed with your aunty?”

  “A bit. She’s always been a nasty piece of stuff, and I could have done without that on top of everything else.”

  “Well, like you say, it was never gonna be easy but it’s over now.”

  “It’s not just that, Julie.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Rita took a deep breath before continuing. “I didn’t get round to telling you but, according to my mam, Raeni’s asked about Daniel a lot over the years. She made it clear she wasn’t happy about me and Yansis taking him abroad. It seems like, suddenly, every bugger wants a slice of him.”

  Raeni was Daniel’s biological grandmother although she had never seen her grandchild. Her son, Leroy, died before Daniel was born. Rita and Yansis then took on responsibility for Daniel; it was what Jenny requested before she too had passed away.

  “Ah, no wonder it struck a chord when your aunty started going on about you taking him,” said Julie.

  “No, it was after that when my mam told me. But, it’s not like I haven’t already thought about it in the past. I tell you what though, they can all say what they bleedin’ well like, Julie, but I know we did the right thing.”

  “Of course you did, Rita.”

  “Dead right! What sort of a life would he have had on the Riverhill? Dealing drugs and hanging about with gangs like his father? I’d already decided to steer clear of the place after what happened to Jenny, but I’m even more determined now. I don’t want Leroy’s family anywhere near Daniel! I don’t trust them one bit; I don’t trust anyone who’s related to Leroy.

  “I don’t blame you Rita,” said Julie.

  Chapter 3

  Sunday 9th June 1996

  They were taking advantage of a break between showers. Rita and Julie were sitting in the garden of Julie’s home having a chat. In another part of the garden the children were playing, accompanied by Yansis and Vinny who had left their seats to join in the fun.

  Rita heard a commotion at the far end of the garden followed by Daniel’s screeching. While Julie turned around in her seat, Rita leant to one side so she
could see behind Julie who was sitting opposite her. This afforded Rita an extended view of Yansis and Vinny chasing the children while Daniel, Thomas and Emily squealed with excitement.

  “We’re the Tickle Monsters,” shouted Vinny, in as scary a voice as he could muster. “We’re coming to get you, and when we catch you, we’re going to tickle you.”

  Yansis let out a loud roar, and they both pursued the children, with hands raised and fingers splayed.

  “They’re as bad as the kids, aren’t they?” said Julie, turning back to face Rita.

  “Never mind,” laughed Rita. “At least it keeps the kids happy. Daniel, Thomas and Emily seem to be enjoying it too.”

  A few moments of silence passed between them. Rita became pensive, running through the events of the previous day yet again. Julie was quick to pick up on her mood.

  “Are you still worrying about what your aunty said?” she asked.

  “What, Aunty Irene? A bit, yeah. She’s a spiteful old cow who seems to enjoy stirring up trouble, but I’m worried about Raeni too.”

  “Well, what do you want to do about it, Reet? Y’know, I suppose you could always take Daniel to see Raeni. It might just put your mind at …”

  Julie didn’t get a chance to finish what she was saying. “No fuckin’ chance!” Rita snapped. “Not after what happened to our Jenny. Have you forgotten all the shit I went through?”

  “Yeah but, it’s just …”

  “No way am I taking Daniel to see her. It’s not happening, not in my fuckin’ lifetime anyway! I couldn’t go through all that again. Daniel’s staying with me and Yansis, where I know he’s safe. I’m not letting him go anywhere near Leroy’s family.”

  Julie remained silent, choosing instead to turn and watch the children again. In the silence that followed, Rita’s mind began to wander. A mental image resurfaced. She and Yansis. Kneeling over the body. Feeling for a pulse. Blood clinging to their hands and clothing. Blood on the body. Blood on the carpet. Blood everywhere!

  She could feel her heart rate speed up as she pictured Jenny before they had taken her to hospital. Five years ago, yet the memory was as vivid as if it was yesterday. Rita could almost smell the excrement from the dead bodies that had littered the room. She tried to clear her mind but it wouldn’t go away.