Tainted Lives

by Mandasue Heller

  Karen was melting, her heart quickening at the nearness of him.

  ‘You’d best go before Glen comes looking for you,’ she whispered, touching a hand to his chest.

  Closing his eyes, Vinnie inhaled slowly as if her touch had scorched him and he couldn’t bear to tear himself away.

  ‘Okay, I’ll go,’ he said huskily. ‘I’ll call you, soon. We need to sort this mess out once and for all. I need to do right by you. I can see that now.’

  Leaning back against the sink when he had gone, Karen exhaled shakily. She hoped with all her heart that he meant what he’d said. She was more than willing to give him a chance to prove himself, but she didn’t know if she could take it if he rejected her again.

  44

  West was embarrassed when he showed Sarah and Harry into his house. He had lived alone for far too long and hadn’t noticed how badly he had neglected the big old semi. Their presence made him see it through fresh eyes and he was appalled by the layer of dust coating everything in sight, the piles of papers, the heaps of clothes he had failed to carry upstairs after washing them . . . the smell of decaying food emanating from the kitchen.

  ‘Sorry about the mess,’ he said, going into the kitchen and opening the window. ‘I don’t spend that much time here.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it,’ Sarah told him. ‘It’s only a bit of dust. It’ll give me something to do.’

  ‘Where shall I put these?’ Harry asked, struggling in with his and Sarah’s suitcases.

  ‘First and third rooms.’ West pointed up the stairs. ‘Put Sarah and Kimmy in the back one, there’s two singles in there. Coffee, Sarah?’

  ‘That would be great.’ She gave him a grateful smile.

  Noticing how weary she looked, he showed her into the living room and told her to make herself at home. Carrying the drinks in a few minutes later, he smiled to see mother and child fast asleep on the couch. Drawing the curtains, he left them in peace. Given what they had been through over the past few days, he had no doubt that they could use all the sleep they could get right now.

  Going into the study, he called Jenny to let her know what was happening. He figured that Sarah would appreciate having another woman to talk to, and he knew how much Jenny wanted to see her. But if he were honest, it was also a ploy to get Jenny round here. He’d always known she was conscientious about her job, but he hadn’t realized quite how committed to it she was. Since hooking up with her again, he’d only actually seen her three times. The rest of their communication had been by phone because their shifts conflicted perfectly. When he was working she was sleeping, when he was free she was working. He couldn’t wait to retire and spend a full, uninterrupted day with her.

  Jenny broke her golden rule and called in sick. She hated taking time off work, especially now she was the boss, but the thought of seeing Sarah was too tempting to resist.

  ‘Where is she?’ she asked, giving West a cursory peck on the cheek as she barrelled through his front door less than an hour after receiving his call.

  ‘Living room,’ he told her, standing where she had left him with his arms spread. ‘Is that all I get?’

  ‘You’ll get the rest later,’ she called back over her shoulder.

  Awake now, Sarah jumped when the door flew open. Turning, she was shocked to see her old friend standing there. Getting up, she said, ‘My God, Jenny! What are you doing here?’

  Rushing to her, Jenny hugged her tight, then pushed her back and looked her over. ‘Look at you. All grown up and twice as gorgeous.’

  ‘With these bruises, I don’t think so,’ Sarah snorted softly. ‘How did you find out I was here?’

  ‘Tony told me, how d’y’ think?’

  ‘Tony?’ Sarah shook her head bemusedly. ‘But how? . . . What’s going on?’

  ‘Don’t tell me he hasn’t told you?’ Jenny turned to give West a scolding look.

  ‘Didn’t get much of a chance,’ West said, shrugging his jacket on. ‘Anyway, I’m sure you’ll bring her up to speed while me and Harry go to the takeaway. Hope everyone likes Chinese. See you in a bit.’

  ‘Well?’ Sarah demanded when they were alone. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘I’ll tell you later,’ Jenny said, kneeling down beside Kimmy who was still sleeping. ‘I want to have a look at this little girl of yours.’

  ‘She’s wiped out.’ Sitting down, Sarah gazed sadly down at her daughter’s face. ‘She hasn’t said anything, but I know she’s freaked out about the state of me. I had to tell her I fell down some stairs. I suppose you know what’s been going on?’

  ‘Yeah, Tony told me.’ Jenny exhaled noisily. ‘I didn’t expect you to look this bad, though. The bastard really did a job on you, didn’t he?’

  ‘Doesn’t matter now,’ Sarah said. ‘Kimmy’s safe. That’s all I’m bothered about.’

  ‘Yeah, well, just make sure you stay safe.’ Looking up at her, Jenny frowned. ‘Tony said you weren’t too happy about coming here. Said you were all for taking off and trying to make do by yourself. So what’s the deal with that?’

  ‘I just said it’s not their problem.’ Sarah was defensive. ‘I got myself into it, so why should they suffer?’

  ‘Because they’re your friends,’ Jenny told her. ‘We all are, and I thought you of all people would know the value of that. Look what you did for Harry when he needed you. Don’t you think he deserves a chance to pay you back?’

  ‘I hadn’t thought of it like that.’

  ‘Well, maybe it’s time you did. I’ve only met him once, but I know he’s a belter. And he’s really worried about the two of you.’ She nodded down at Kimmy. ‘Why don’t you put him out of his misery and let him look after you, just till it blows over with the dickhead who did this to you? You can’t tell me you’re not happy to see him again.’

  ‘Yeah, course I am,’ Sarah agreed.

  ‘Well, then,’ Jenny said, as if that concluded it. Gazing down at Kimmy, she smiled wistfully. ‘She’s an angel, Sarah. You don’t know how lucky you are.’

  ‘Oh, I do,’ Sarah murmured. ‘Believe me, I do.’

  The house came alive over the following week and West couldn’t believe the change that living, breathing people brought to the atmosphere. Sarah had cleaned the place from top to bottom, and Harry had turned out to be a dab hand in the kitchen. West was soon feeling the benefits of cutting out the burgers, pizzas and takeaways that had made up his diet for the past too many years.

  Jenny was still working nights, but her days were her own, and she liked nothing better than to spend them with her friends. Especially Kimmy, with whom she had formed a strong bond. Any excuse she got, she took the child out for walks, or whisked her off to the shopping centre to spoil her. It filled the childless space in her heart, and gave Kimmy a break from the house – and the others a chance for adult talk.

  Winding his outstanding cases down in preparation for leaving in three days’ time, West was in the radio room checking out an address when the report came in of a car sticking boot-up out of the River Medlock. He wasn’t paying particular attention when the controller took the registration number, but his blood ran cold when she relayed the owner’s name. Dropping everything when he heard that the divers had recovered a body, he ran outside and jumped into his car.

  Arriving at the scene some ten minutes later, he ducked beneath the tape and made his way over to where the body had been laid out on the grass.

  Gazing down at Karen Mullen, her pretty face bloated and grey, her unseeing eyes bulging from their sockets, West felt something snap inside him. She hadn’t been the nicest of people but he wouldn’t have wished this terrible death on her.

  Shaking his head, he approached the attending pathologist who was writing a scene report on the bonnet of his car. ‘What’s the verdict, George?’

  ‘At a glance, accidental,’ George Smedley told him, brushing his glasses back onto his nose with the back of a still-gloved hand. ‘She went out of control on the road back there, crashe
d through the fence and went in off the embankment, judging by the skid marks.’ He pointed across to the muddy slope on the far side of the water, where two deep grooves were clear to see all the way down to the water’s edge. ‘Did you know her?’ he asked then, wondering at West’s more than usual concern. Detectives were usually the least affected of all the attending bodies at scenes such as this, and West was hardier than most.

  ‘No,’ West lied. ‘It just winds me up when youngsters die like this. It’s so fucking pointless.’ Exhaling noisily, he glanced at his watch. ‘Best get on, I suppose. I only stopped to have a nosy. See you later.’

  Making his way back up the slope, he climbed into his car and drove home to tell Sarah the awful news.

  ‘That’s it!’ Sarah cried when she heard. ‘That’s the last fucking thing he’s getting away with!’

  ‘Calm down, Sarah.’ Harry held her as she sobbed. ‘We don’t know it was anything to do with Vinnie. Tony’s already told you it was an accident.’

  ‘No, it wasn’t!’ she yelled, jumping to her feet and pacing the room. ‘I know it was him, I just know it! She was pregnant, Harry – with his child. How could he do that?’

  ‘Because he’s an evil bastard,’ he murmured. ‘But there’s still no proof he’s involved. We’re just going to have to wait until the autopsy.’

  Going to the window, Sarah hugged herself and stared out at the garden. It was pointless waiting for the autopsy report. It was bound to come back with a verdict of accidental death, just as Pete’s killing had been classed as suicide. Whatever had happened with Karen, Vinnie was behind it, and Sarah had to put a stop to him – once and for all. But this time she really would have to keep Harry and West out of it.

  ‘Where are you going?’ Harry asked when she suddenly turned and stalked into the hall.

  ‘For a drive,’ she told him, her voice deadly calm as she pulled her coat on. ‘Don’t mind if I borrow your car, do you, Tony?’

  ‘Where you going?’ Harry asked, concern growing within him. ‘I’ll come with you.’

  ‘No.’ Gazing into his eyes, she shook her head. ‘I just need a bit of time alone. Will you look after Kimmy for me?’

  ‘Of course, but . . .’

  ‘I don’t think you should be alone just now, Sarah.’ West came into the hall. ‘You’ve had a nasty shock. Why don’t you come and sit down? I’ll get you a drink.’

  ‘I don’t need a drink,’ she told him, forcing herself to give them a tight smile. ‘I’m fine, honestly. Don’t worry. I won’t be long.’

  Walking out then, her back rigid, her head high, Sarah climbed into West’s car. It was time to set the final phase of her association with Vinnie Walker into motion.

  It wasn’t Vinnie’s day to visit Pam, but Sarah wasn’t taking any chances. Parking up out of sight, she settled back to watch the bungalow.

  After half an hour a woman came out and closed the door without locking it. Realizing that it must be the carer who, according to Vinnie, left about an hour before the men began their rota, Sarah waited until the woman had driven away. Then she slipped out of the car and walked quickly across the road.

  Letting herself into the bungalow, she locked the door and crept along the corridor. Pressing her ear against the bedroom door, she listened hard. The only sounds inside were the tinny voices of a chat-show host and his guests. Sure that Pam was alone, she tapped gently, then pushed the door open.

  Pam was peering at her suspiciously as she came into the room.

  ‘Hello,’ Sarah said. ‘I’m, er, sorry to disturb you. I don’t know if you remember me?’

  ‘I remember you,’ Pam said, frowning now. ‘What are you sneaking about for?’

  ‘I needed to talk to you, and I didn’t want anyone to see me.’

  Pam waved at the chair beside her bed and flipped the TV off with the remote. ‘You haven’t got long if you don’t want to see no one,’ she said. ‘My Glen’s due soon, and he ain’t best pleased today, so he might be a bit off with you if you’re still here. Girlfriends!’ Tutting, she rolled her eyes. ‘Good as gold till they get their hooks in, then whoosh! They’re off all over the place, doing all sorts. Do us a favour, love.’ She pointed across to the dressing table. ‘Pass us me fags. That carer thinks she’s a clever bitch putting ’em out of reach.’

  Sarah’s hands were shaking when she brought the cigarettes over. Peering at her concernedly, Pam said, ‘Get it off your chest, pet. I can see you’re upset about something. Is it your mam?’

  Sarah burst into tears before she could stop herself. Patting her shoulder, Pam let her cry herself out. Lighting two cigarettes then, she passed one to her, saying, ‘Right, what’s the bitch done?’

  ‘It’s not her,’ Sarah said. ‘It’s – it’s my ssister.’

  ‘Your sister?’ Pam prompted gently.

  ‘Her name’s Karen.’ Sarah continued shakily. ‘But you know her as Carina.’

  ‘Carina? . . . My Glen’s Carina?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Your sister? Well, I never. And her name’s Karen?’

  Sarah nodded. ‘I didn’t know she was calling herself Carina. Not for a while. I only saw her for the first time since we were kids the day after I saw you. She – she was at my mam’s. She looks after her, you see, because she’s really ill.’

  ‘Maggie is?’

  ‘Yeah. She’s got all sorts wrong with her and Karen goes round every day to see to her, and that.’

  ‘Well, I’m gobsmacked.’ Pam shook her head. ‘All this time I’d thought she was pissing off to see her fancy man, and she’s been doing that. I wonder if Glen knows? I’d best ring him and put him out of his misery. Daft sod’s been ringing all over the place looking for her ’cos she stopped out last night.’

  ‘She’s deeead . . .’ Sarah wailed, exploding into a fresh burst of tears.

  ‘You what?’ Pam drew her head back and stared at Sarah. ‘Are you sure?’

  Making a concerted effort to pull herself together, Sarah nodded. ‘Her car went off the road. The police pulled her out of the river this morning.’

  ‘Bleedin’ hell!’ Pam murmured, shocked. ‘It’ll break Glen’s heart, this. She was carrying his baby, you know. He only told me the other day. Proud as punch, he was. I never reckoned much to her, to be honest, but she’s been sweet as a peach since he told me the news. Aw, this is awful.’ Frowning with genuine sadness now, she shook her head.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Sarah said, taking a tissue from her pocket and wiping her nose. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you.’

  ‘Don’t worry about me,’ Pam told her, squeezing her hand. ‘She was your sister, you must be shattered. What’s she been calling herself Carina for, though, if her name’s Karen? I don’t get that.’

  ‘She wanted to change herself when she got away from Mam,’ Sarah explained. ‘She was going to tell Glen before they got married.’

  ‘Is that what you’ve come round for? To tell me, so I can tell him?’

  ‘Not exactly, no. It’s really hard to know where to start, but there’s something he should know. About Vinnie.’

  ‘What about him?’

  Raising her face, Sarah looked the old woman straight in the eye. This was going to be difficult. Pam loved Vinnie – she wouldn’t want to believe what Sarah was about to say.

  ‘I know you think the world of him,’ she said. ‘So did I, till I found out what he’s really like.’

  Narrowing her eyes, Pam nodded. ‘You’re good with makeup,’ she said, referring to the bruising that Sarah had tried to conceal. ‘I take it he did that?’

  Nodding, Sarah said, ‘He tried to force me to have his baby, but I said I’d never have one with him and he went berserk. I’d just found out that he’d raped me when we were younger, you see.’

  ‘Go on,’ Pam urged when Sarah paused for a little too long. ‘How does this fit in with Glen and your sister?’

  Sarah really didn’t want to tell Pam that Karen had been having an affair with Vi
nnie. Glen couldn’t hurt Karen now, but she still felt a need to protect her.

  ‘I wasn’t the only one he raped,’ she said at last. ‘Remember when you were in hospital? Well, he did it to Karen, too.’

  ‘For real?’ Pam asked quietly.

  ‘Yes.’ Sarah forced herself not to look away. ‘She was waiting for me when I got home the other week. She was going to warn Vinnie’s girlfriend what he was really like, but she didn’t know it was me. We both got a shock.’

  ‘I bet you did,’ Pam muttered, believing her. Not only because she instinctively liked her, but also because she remembered how quiet Carina had been when she’d visited the hospital the day after the stroke. She’d looked really peaky. The poor cow must have been going through hell.

  ‘Just tell me one thing,’ she said. ‘The babby . . . ?’

  ‘It was Glen’s,’ Sarah told her quickly. ‘She was absolutely sure about that. And she was so happy about it, but it was breaking her heart that she couldn’t tell him about Vinnie because she thought he wouldn’t believe her.’

  ‘Little bastard,’ Pam snarled, shaking her head. ‘She should have told Glen, though. He might have a temper, but he adored that girl. He’d have slaughtered Vinnie for that.’

  Peering at her, Sarah wondered at the ease with which she had accepted Vinnie’s guilt. But then she thought about Kimmy, and knew that she would take her word over anyone’s, no matter how much she had previously liked them. Blood was blood. And the same way she was putting Karen before Vinnie despite everything Karen had done to hurt her, Pam would put Glen before him, too.

  ‘Is that all?’ Pam asked, wearying now.

  ‘No,’ Sarah admitted. She opened her mouth to say more, but was stopped by the door opening.

  ‘How come the door was locked, mother?’ Glen asked. Pausing when he spotted Sarah, he said, ‘Oh, sorry. Didn’t realize you had a visitor.’

  Sarah’s heart was in her mouth. Glen Noble was a huge bruiser of a man, and his eyes were sharper than any she had ever seen. She was suddenly very afraid.