Tainted Lives

by Mandasue Heller

  ‘Do you need anything?’ Harry asked Sarah when they were in the suite. ‘An ice pack, or something?’

  ‘No, I’m fine,’ she assured him. ‘It’s nowhere near as bad as it was.’

  ‘Jeezus!’ he hissed, shaking his head, his eyes filled with pain and anger. ‘I didn’t think he’d do this. I’m so sorry I interfered.’

  ‘It’s not your fault,’ she told him in a whisper. ‘Really. It wasn’t about you. There’s other things going on, but I don’t want to talk about it in front of Kimmy. She needs a nap. Is there somewhere she can lie down?’

  ‘Yeah, sure. The bed’s just through there.’ Harry pointed through a door into the bedroom.

  ‘Right, let’s talk,’ West said when Sarah had settled Kimmy into bed. Sitting down, he handed her a cigarette while Harry ordered coffee from room service. ‘Did you tell Vinnie what Harry told you?’ he asked, leaning towards her to give her a light.

  Sarah shook her head. ‘I didn’t get a chance. When I got home my sister was there. That’s what this is all about.’ Taking a deep breath, she told them what had happened.

  ‘Bloody hell,’ Harry said when she had finished. ‘He really is a bastard. So the whole time he’s been seeing you he’s been sleeping with your sister? And now she’s pregnant, and it might be his?’

  ‘And he thinks he’ll make it all go away by getting you pregnant,’ West joined in, shaking his head with disgust. ‘That’s low.’

  ‘Did he . . . hurt you?’ Harry asked.

  ‘No,’ she murmured, unable to meet his pained gaze. ‘I was unconscious.’

  Harry’s eyebrows rose, but he didn’t say the words that were on the tip of his tongue – that history had repeated itself.

  ‘Can I make a suggestion?’ West ventured gently. ‘Get yourself to a clinic and get yourself checked out.’

  Frowning, Sarah gazed up at him, not understanding.

  ‘Diseases,’ he explained gently. ‘I know it’s not something you want to think about, but under the circumstances you can’t be taking any chances.’

  Sarah wrapped her arms around herself as a shudder passed through her. Looking at Harry, she said, ‘You know all that stuff you said about him. It was true, wasn’t it? You weren’t just saying it to make him look worse?’

  ‘It was true,’ he replied quietly. ‘I know it sounds strange, the hypnosis and everything, but I’ve had flashbacks since I heard the tape and I’ve actually remembered a lot more.’

  Fetching the coffee in when it arrived, West poured three cups and handed them round.

  ‘I don’t know what you make of it,’ he told Sarah. ‘I didn’t believe it myself when Harry first approached me, but I’ve spent the past few days with him and I’ve changed my mind.’

  ‘I don’t just think it’s true,’ Harry said. ‘I know it is. I can even remember the smell of his breath when he was saying it.’

  ‘What exactly did he say?’ Sarah needed to hear the words again – to solidify the hatred growing within her heart.

  ‘That he was punishing me for lying about your address – just like he’d punished you for treating him like dirt. And he was glad you thought it was Chambers because you’d belong to him one day, and you’d be grateful to him for protecting you.’

  ‘I don’t understand why he told you anything.’ Sarah frowned. ‘He must have known you’d tell.’

  ‘I think he meant to kill him,’ West interjected. ‘Harry was barely breathing when we got to him. The bastard had forced a couple of pills down his throat. He knew that Harry wouldn’t remember anything if he survived.’

  ‘I still don’t understand why he admitted it. It doesn’t make any sense.’

  ‘Because he’s a psychopath,’ West said. ‘Not full-blown or he’d have no fear, but this is typical borderline behaviour. They have a compulsion to see the results of their handiwork, but they’re smart enough not to say anything that would land them in it. It was probably eating away at him that he couldn’t tell you that he’d had you. Watching you suffer was obviously enough for a while, but when you pulled that knife on him you probably turned him on and made him want you again. That’s the only thing they respect, you see – danger.’

  ‘Which is why he likes working for Glen,’ Sarah murmured, beginning to understand. ‘Karen reckons he won’t admit to the baby because he’s so scared of him.’

  ‘Actually,’ West said, ‘I think it’s more likely that he just doesn’t want her. He’s fixated on you. She’ll have been a convenience – a dangerous one given that she’s Glen’s woman, but that will be the kick that kept him going back for more. And now she’s threatening to blow his cover it’s not fun any more. Did you tell him you knew about her, by the way?’

  ‘No.’ Sarah shook her head. ‘I wanted to protect her.’

  ‘Good job, considering what he did to you. But I think you should warn her, just in case. He’s not going to be pleased when he realizes you’ve escaped. It might be a good idea to get her over here and let her see what she’s messing with.’

  ‘Can we trust her not to say anything?’ Harry asked. ‘I don’t want to risk having Vinnie follow her and get his hands on Sarah again.’

  ‘I don’t think she’d say anything if I asked her not to,’ Sarah said. ‘But I don’t know her number. It’s in my phone, and Vinnie took it.’

  ‘All the more reason to warn her.’ West’s tone was dark. ‘If he goes through your numbers and recognizes hers, he’ll put two and two together. Can’t you remember it?’

  ‘No.’ Sarah shook her head. ‘Oh, hang on,’ she said then, getting up and going to her case. ‘She wrote it down for me. It should still be in my jeans pocket.’

  ‘Ring her,’ West urged when she found it. ‘If she hasn’t told Glen yet, she should agree to meet you here without telling them anything.’

  ‘Use this.’ Harry tossed his mobile to her. ‘My number doesn’t show. It’ll be safer.’

  Taking a deep breath, Sarah tapped in Karen’s number.

  ‘Karen?’ she said when it was answered. ‘It’s me. Are you on your own? . . . Good. I need to speak to you, and it’s urgent. Can you get away? . . . No, it’s got to be right now. I’ll, er, meet you in town. Do you know the coach station? Well, I’ll be there in half an hour. Please don’t tell anyone. I’ll explain everything when I see you.’

  Karen frowned when she didn’t see Sarah. Parking her car she walked around the coach station three times, glancing at her watch every few seconds. If this was a wind-up she wouldn’t be too pleased.

  ‘Karen?’ a man said just when she was about to give up.

  Turning, she saw that it was the policeman who had called at her mother’s house looking for Sarah.

  ‘Not you again,’ she snapped. ‘Are you following me or something? I’ve already told you I don’t know where she is, so just bog off and leave me alone.’

  ‘You mightn’t know where she is,’ he said, taking her arm. ‘But I do. She’s waiting for you. Come on.’

  ‘Get off me,’ Karen hissed, refusing to move. ‘Do you want me to start screaming? I will, you know!’

  ‘I bet you would as well,’ he chuckled, taking his mobile from his pocket and ringing Harry’s number. ‘It’s me,’ he said when it was answered. ‘Put her on for a minute, will you?’ Handing the phone to Karen then, he waited while she spoke to Sarah.

  Handing the phone back, Karen glared at him. ‘All right, I’ll come with you.’

  ‘Good girl.’

  Karen was a little shocked by Sarah’s battered condition, but she didn’t let it show. She was actually quite pleased. It certainly threw doubt onto the so-called love that Sarah claimed Vinnie felt for her. He would never have done something like this if he felt that much for her. Yeah, he had gripped Karen by the throat and threatened her, but that was nothing compared to this. It was perfectly obvious who he felt the most for.

  ‘Know what I think?’ Karen said when Sarah had told her everything. ‘I think you just can’t
admit that you were wrong about him. He doesn’t care about you, so you’re trying to turn me against him.’

  ‘Did you see him today?’ Sarah asked.

  ‘Yeah, why?’ Settling back, Karen lit a cigarette and casually crossed her long legs.

  ‘Didn’t he say anything?’

  ‘About what? You?’

  ‘I take it you haven’t told him about me, then?’

  ‘I presume you told him yourself, hoping to put him off me.’ Karen gave a small triumphant smile. ‘Looks like it backfired, though, doesn’t it?’

  Shaking his head, West went to the bar to pour himself a stiff drink. This girl was a piece of work. It amazed him that she shared Sarah’s blood.

  Sarah sighed wearily. ‘Vinnie didn’t do this because of you, Karen. He did it because I said I’d never have his baby. He threw my pills away to force me, but I got mad and pushed him too far. If he could do this to me, what do you think he’d do to you if you pissed him off?’

  ‘He doesn’t love you,’ Karen retorted smugly. ‘So that argument doesn’t work.’

  ‘Yes, he does,’ Harry cut in authoritatively. ‘He always has, and he always will. And I should know. He used to beat me black and blue until Sarah agreed to meet up with him after she left the home. She didn’t get in touch for six months, but he still left me alone because he was waiting for her. Doesn’t that tell you how much he wants her?’

  ‘No, it just tells me they were kids, but he’s grown up now.’

  ‘And progressed from childish thuggery to man-sized violence,’ West snapped, pointing at Sarah. ‘You think that’s acceptable? He beats your sister to a pulp and locks her in a flat so that she has to lower her child out of a window to escape, and you think it’s all right because, in your twisted head, you think it means he loves you.’

  ‘She doesn’t know what he’s really like.’ Sarah jumped to her sister’s defence. ‘He’s a real sweet-talker when he wants to be.’

  ‘Sure she knows.’ West cast Karen a dirty look. ‘He’s already told her he doesn’t want her, but she’s willing to trade off your misery for whatever little piece of him she can get. She’s out for herself, all the way down the line.’

  ‘Hey, I don’t have to justify myself to you,’ Karen yelled.

  ‘Can we please stop arguing and sort this out?’ Sarah cut in. ‘Karen, I don’t care who Vinnie goes with, but he’s too dangerous for you. He killed my husband.’

  ‘Prove it.’

  ‘Unless he says it again, I can’t. But that doesn’t mean I don’t believe it. And you should too. You said yourself that you thought he meant it when he threatened you.’

  Karen couldn’t argue with that, but she wasn’t about to admit it.

  ‘You know it’s the truth.’ Sarah reached for her hand. ‘Why don’t you let us help you before he ruins your life like he’s ruined mine? And what about Glen? Have you told him yet?’

  ‘I have, actually.’ Karen gazed at her sister coolly. ‘He asked me to marry him and I said yes, so I don’t need your help, do I?’

  ‘And what about Vinnie?’

  ‘I love him.’

  ‘Oh, for God’s sake, this is ridiculous,’ Sarah snapped. ‘You keep changing your mind from one minute to the next. You’ve just said you’re going to marry Glen, so where does Vinnie fit in?’

  ‘Why don’t you just keep your fucking nose out of my business?’ Karen yelled. ‘Everything would be all right if you hadn’t turned up! You’ve left him now, so stop acting like this has got anything to do with you.’

  ‘It’s got everything to do with me,’ Sarah yelled back. ‘Look at me, Karen. Look what he did to me.’

  ‘You asked for it.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘You heard me,’ Karen hissed spitefully. ‘You always had a nasty streak, didn’t you? And you said it yourself – you pushed him too far. Well, that’s what you get, isn’t it? Maybe it’ll teach you to keep your big mouth shut for a change.’

  ‘You’re not seriously saying this is my fault?’

  ‘That’s exactly what I’m saying. You just couldn’t take it that he loves me, not you, so you tried to poison him against me. But that didn’t work, so now you’re trying to turn me against him. Well, forget it! Me and Vinnie love each other and nothing you say is going to change that. Just stay out of my life from now on.’

  Gazing back at her coldly, Sarah said, ‘If that’s what you want.’

  ‘It is.’ Getting up, Karen stalked to the door.

  ‘Sorry I made things worse for you,’ Sarah called after her. ‘I won’t bother you again.’

  ‘Good!’

  ‘Bitch!’ West hissed when Karen walked out without a backward glance.

  ‘We’ve got to get Sarah out of here,’ Harry said. ‘If Karen tells Vinnie where she is, he’ll come after her.’

  ‘You’re right,’ West agreed. ‘Best book her into another hotel.’

  ‘I’ll ring around,’ Harry said, getting up and going to the bureau for the phone book.

  ‘No, wait.’ West slapped his forehead. ‘What am I thinking of? She can stay with me – you both can. I’ve got loads of room, and it’ll be safer. He’d only track you down if you booked in somewhere else.’

  ‘No.’ Sarah shook her head. ‘Thanks for the offer, but this isn’t your problem. It’s me he’ll come after. It’s best if I just take Kimmy away.’

  ‘Where to?’ Harry demanded, offended that she was shutting him out. ‘Have you got the money to start up somewhere else?’

  ‘Not really, but I’ll manage. I always do.’

  ‘I won’t let you do it.’ Harry was adamant. ‘You’re my best friend, Sarah. And friends don’t turn their backs when the going gets tough, they stick together and help each other out.’

  ‘I agree,’ West chipped in, folding his arms. ‘Like it or not, Sarah, we’re all involved. And if you’re too proud to take help for yourself, you’d better have a good hard think about that little girl of yours. Are you going to force her to have a shit life, running from town to town, with you always looking over your shoulder just because you’ve got something to prove?’

  They were harsh words, but they hit Sarah where it mattered most.

  ‘All right,’ she conceded. ‘But I’m not happy about dragging you into this. And if he finds out where we are, I’m going – and I won’t be telling you where.’

  Glen and the guys were lounging around in the living room when Karen got home. Smiling, she went across to the couch and sat beside Glen, waiting for an opportunity to have a quiet word with Vinnie.

  It was almost an hour before Glen ran upstairs to have a quick shower before going out for the night. Getting up, Karen asked Vinnie to help carry the dirty glasses into the kitchen.

  ‘I know about Sarah,’ she said when they were alone. ‘It’s a long story, but I’ll tell you everything later. Make an excuse to go home early, then give me a ring and I’ll come round.’

  ‘Not to mine, you won’t.’ He looked horrified by the suggestion. ‘And what do you mean, you know about Sarah?’

  ‘She’s gone,’ Karen told him, running water into the sink to cover their voices. ‘And she isn’t coming back. I was talking to her just before I came home.’

  ‘How?’ Vinnie demanded belligerently. ‘You’d best not have been round there saying anything to her.’

  ‘No, I haven’t.’

  ‘What do you mean, she’s gone?’

  ‘Look, just wait till I’ve told you everything before you go jumping in at the deep end.’

  ‘Where is she?’ Vinnie’s face was livid now as he crossed to Karen and grabbed her arm in a steely grip. ‘Tell me, or I swear I’m gonna hurt you!’

  ‘Get off me!’ Karen hissed, fear creeping in now as she gazed up into his rage-filled eyes.

  ‘I’ll kill you if you’ve said anything to turn her against me,’ he hissed back, his voice so low that it was barely audible.

  ‘Don’t threaten me,’ she retorted icil
y, injured pride making her turn nasty. ‘Unless you want me to shout for Glen? I’ll scream my head off and tell him you were trying it on with me. Try me if you don’t believe me,’ she went on, blinking rapidly now, bringing tears to her eyes. ‘Look, I’ll be crying in a second, and I’ve got marks on my arm where you’ve been forcing me up against the sink. Who do you think he’ll believe?’

  ‘You fucking bitch!’ Vinnie tossed her arm aside. ‘I’ll make you pay for this.’

  ‘I don’t see how,’ she snarled. ‘I’m having his baby. Do you really think he’ll take your word over mine?’

  ‘You said it was mine.’

  ‘Well, it’s not. I got the dates wrong. It’s Glen’s.’

  ‘What kind of game are you playing?’ Vinnie demanded, glaring at her confusedly. ‘What are you trying to achieve?’

  Leaning back against the ledge, Karen shook her head slowly as she rubbed her arm. ‘I really don’t know, Vinnie. Maybe I just needed to see what you would say if you knew about Sarah.’

  ‘This isn’t finished,’ he hissed, pointing a warning finger at her. ‘Not by a long shot. If she’s gone when I get home, I’ll be coming after you. You’ll never dare tell Glen what we’ve done, and I won’t give you a chance to drop me in it with him. You won’t know what’s hit you.’

  Smiling sweetly when Glen called him just then, Karen said, ‘Run along, there’s a good boy.’

  Vinnie bit down on the anger surging through him. He couldn’t afford to leave it like this. He’d been stupid to get into this kind of argument with her with Glen so close. If she opened her mouth, he was dead.

  ‘Look, I’m sorry,’ he murmured, turning on the sincere eyes.

  ‘Pardon?’ Karen gazed back at him uncertainly. She wanted to be angry, but he had never apologized to her before. Not for any of his cruel words, not for any of the times when he had hurt her deeply.

  ‘I said I’m sorry,’ Vinnie whispered, taking a step towards her, his stare burning into her soul. ‘It was just the shock of it all. But it could be for the best – her leaving, I mean. It wasn’t really working out. My heart wasn’t really in it.’