by Mel Sherratt
‘No.’ Kathleen sat down on the settee and patted the cushion next to her. ‘I’m worried about Jade. I think she is up to something.’
He sat down. ‘Like what?’
‘I don’t know, but it involves the police.’
‘You mean she’s seeing Grace?’ Eddie shook his head. ‘I told her not to. I knew she’d get too attached.’
‘It isn’t Grace.’
Kathleen reached for her phone and brought up a photo. ‘Do you recognise him?’
Eddie studied the image he was shown. ‘That’s Alex Challinor.’
‘I saw Jade with him at the gym.’
‘Doing what?’
‘Just talking. They seemed to be having words, though. I asked her who he was, but she got angry and told me it was none of my business. I hope she isn’t falling for him. He’s the one on our books, isn’t he?’
Eddie nodded, knowing how much his mother loathed him keeping things from her. ‘And he’d better not be playing one of us against the other for more money.’
‘She has been splashing out lately. I know she’s bought Megan a new iPad – although she told me she’d bought it cheap from someone from the gym. It’s one of those large ones, a Pro or something. I’ve seen her in a few new clothes too.’ Kathleen gnawed on her bottom lip. ‘She won’t say anything, will she?’
‘She knows not to.’ Eddie’s voice was stern.
‘But she could get us all into serious trouble.’ Kathleen got up and paced the room. ‘Can you tell her to stay away from him, and Grace?’
‘I will. But you need to calm down.’
‘She could ruin everything.’ She paced some more.
‘You’re always looking out for yourself.’ He pouted.
‘That’s not true!’ Kathleen laid a hand on his arm. ‘You know how horrific it was, for us all, when your father was alive. Please don’t let the truth get out now. It would devastate us.’
‘Have you forgotten what he did?’ Eddie stood up.
‘I have scars that mean I will never forget.’ Kathleen’s hand moved to his face and she looked at Eddie with so much love that a lump formed in his throat. ‘We’re family,’ she added. ‘We have to stick together.’
Eddie nodded. He loved his mum as much as he despised her. None of them deserved what they had got from George Steele.
‘Leave it with me,’ he told her.
Driving home in his car, Eddie stopped at traffic lights and banged a fist on the steering wheel. Did Alex Challinor really think he could pull the wool over his eyes, use his sister to get what he wanted? Well, he could do that too.
He wouldn’t be taken for a fool by anyone.
Once Eddie had gone, Kathleen went to bed. Jade and Megan were staying over at Lorna’s house, now that the police had cleared it of forensics. It wasn’t what she’d wanted, but she wasn’t going to beg Jade to stay with her.
She tossed and turned, trying to sleep. She had always looked after her family the best she could, but even with George gone they were still falling apart. Now she relied more than ever on Eddie to help her, even though he treated her like a second-class citizen, as if she wasn’t capable of keeping anything to herself. But she had her life to thank him for many times over.
Almost at once, memories flooded back of one night in particular when he’d been ten years old. She had been asleep in bed and heard the front door bang shut. She’d frozen, wondering what George’s mood would be like. Would he be drunk and angry? Or would she get the nice happy George that showed himself every now and then?
He’d bounded into their bedroom, the door crashing into the wall behind it. She’d sat up quickly, turning on the lamp at the side of the bed.
‘Did you have a good evening?’ she asked.
‘What do you think?’ He yanked off the covers and threw them to the floor. ‘I was attacked by some thick bastard who is going to get the wrath of me when I next see him. Do you know what I’m going to do to him? I’m going to put my hands around his neck and squeeze real hard.’
He grabbed her ankles and pulled her down the bed. Hating the feel of him, she prayed he would be quick tonight. Sometimes it took him forever if he had brewer’s droop. Others it was fast and furious and she would be left bruised for days to come.
But this time it wasn’t sex he was after. His hands went around her neck as he mistook her for someone else.
He squeezed hard. ‘When I find out who it is, they are going to wish they’d never been born.’ Spittle flew from his mouth.
‘Stop!’ Spots came before her eyes and her chest tightened as she struggled to breathe. ‘George, stop!’
‘I’ll tear his eyes out and rip his teeth out one by one.’ George squeezed harder. ‘No one makes a fool out of me.’
Kathleen couldn’t speak. His weight bore down on her as he straddled her chest. She pawed at his hands with her own, her arms thrashing around as she tried to hurt him in some way. Stop him, take him out of his trance.
One arm went limp, and her mind flipped forward to the three children she had let down. She was going to leave them with this monster.
The monster who had ruined her life because she had been weak and unable to stand up to him.
The monster who had ruined their lives too, through no fault of their own.
But he would be the monster who would go to jail for her murder. That was a comforting thought as she closed her eyes.
She must have been seconds away from death when she heard footsteps behind her. The weight on her chest increased but the hands around her neck let go of their grip.
She gasped and coughed, trying to fill her lungs up with air again too quickly as George fell to one side and she scrambled from underneath him. She sat on the edge of the bed as the room came back into focus.
Eddie was standing in front of her, a hard-backed book in his hand.
Leon was cowering in the doorway, too scared to come into the room. Jade stood behind him.
‘Are you okay?’ Eddie asked, a tremor in his voice.
‘Yes, I’m fine. Go back to bed, all of you.’
‘But, Mum,’ Leon cried. ‘I heard—’
‘It’s fine, honey. Daddy’s a bit drunk, that’s all. Take your sister with you.’
Leon and Jade padded away, but Eddie remained by her side.
‘He’s going to kill you one day,’ he said quietly, tears in his eyes.
Kathleen couldn’t speak. Eddie had seen and heard way too much for his years. All the children had.
‘I won’t let that happen,’ Kathleen replied.
Behind them, George snored in a drunken stupor. She looked up at her eldest son, regret clear in her face. Her children shouldn’t have to see this, but what could she do? She had no choice but to stay. Besides, George wouldn’t remember any of it in the morning.
But they always would. Every one of them.
Now, Kathleen sat up in bed and began to cry. She rarely showed her emotions, wanting to be strong, but in private she never held back. George Steele had a lot to answer for – and he was still wrecking her family.
She couldn’t have that any longer.
FIFTY-NINE
It was nine p.m. when Grace finished for the day. At last, things were beginning to piece together. They’d received lots of calls from the public after Elliott Woodman’s death, and there had been several sightings of four youths running along Leek Road and into Leonard Avenue minutes after Leon Steele’s car had been returned to the gym car park.
Her phone rang as she was getting to her car. Simon’s name flashed up on the screen.
‘Hi.’ She held the handset between her shoulder and chin as she searched for her keys. ‘Sorry I haven’t had time to speak to you today. It’s been a tad busy again.’
‘I’m only just finishing for the night too. I rang on the off-chance you haven’t eaten and might want to grab a takeaway?’
‘Ooh, yes, I’m starving.’ The words were out of her mouth before she had time to think about
them. Really, sleep was what she needed most. There would be another early start in the morning and she wanted to have a bit of downtime to put her mind to work. But remembering the twinkle in his eye that she kept seeing made her stomach roll for more than just food.
‘Excellent. What do you fancy?’ he asked.
‘Something quick. Fish and chips?’
‘Right. Tell me your address and I’ll be with you soon.’
Half an hour later, they were full to bursting. They’d eaten on trays on their laps in the living room, amiably chatting about anything and nothing. For once it was great not to talk about work.
‘Nice place you have here,’ Simon said, glancing around.
‘Thanks, it’s not much but it’s beginning to feel like home.’
‘Do you ever get lonely?’
The air began to crackle with electricity, or at least that’s what it felt like to Grace. She was sitting a metre away from him, yet it was almost as if she could feel his warmth.
‘Of course I do,’ she admitted. ‘But I like my own company too.’ She laughed. ‘Which is good, considering the job I do. There aren’t many men who will put up with the hours I work. Don’t divorce statistics say that one in two marriages fail now anyway?’
‘Whoa, I was only thinking about dating each other,’ Simon joked. ‘You’ve married me off again!’
‘Oh, I—’ Grace blushed. She hadn’t realised he was talking about them. She thought he’d been asking in general. But then again, had she?
‘Coffee?’
She got to her feet quickly and reached for his tray.
‘Please.’ He smiled as he passed it to her. ‘White, one sugar.’
Grace went through to the kitchen and popped the dishes into the dishwasher. Two plates for the first time since she’d moved in. She grinned. It was nice having Simon here. She needed to get in touch with the rules of dating though. She’d had no idea he was flirting with her.
‘Need a hand?’
She jumped when she realised he was right behind her. When she turned around, there was something about the way he looked at her – they reached out and kissed each other at the same time. First it was tentative, but then it became more passionate. She wrapped her arms around his body, ran her fingers through his hair.
His mouth trailed tiny kisses down from her lips to her neck and she shuddered at his touch. She urged him to find her lips again. His hand slipped inside her top and a soft moan escaped her.
With no hesitation, she tugged at the bottom of his shirt, freeing it from his trousers. He undid the cuffs and pulled it over his head, throwing it to the floor. Then he took the bottom of her top and pulled it up and over her head. He threw that to the floor too, smiling shyly.
They moved back into the living room and dropped onto the settee. Once his hands found the button on her trousers, she took it as her cue to shimmy out of them, while he did the same with his own. She wanted him to feel her, to be inside her, to make her come alive again.
‘Wow, I had no idea you were harbouring all those tattoos!’ Simon laughed and pointed to his forearm. ‘I only have a tribal band and that hurt like hell so I didn’t get any more.’
Hearing him say that had a sobering effect. The first one she’d had inked was a small half-moon and three stars on her right shoulder. It had led to almost one a year since and now she had ten over various parts of her body that mostly couldn’t be seen unless she was naked.
The tattoos reminded her of who she was, even the ones she’d had done to cover scars of the past.
Simon didn’t know the truth about her. She couldn’t move forward until she’d told him, but she was wary in case he thought she’d tricked him purposely.
‘I can’t.’ She put her hand over his.
He stopped and sat up. ‘Oh,’ he replied.
‘I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. I … I just … it’s complicated.’
‘It’s okay.’ Simon reached for his trousers eventually. ‘You don’t have to explain.’
‘But I do!’ She touched his arm.
He turned to her after he’d pulled on his shirt. ‘Haven’t you slept with anyone since?’
Realising he thought she’d stopped because of Matt, she hated herself, but she played along with it.
‘I’ve had a couple of quick flings.’ She watched him recoil. ‘What’s wrong with that?’
‘Nothing. I was just wondering how you’ve gone without regular sex for that long. It’s okay when you’re married to fall out of love and not want it, but—’
‘My marriage ended when Matt died, not because we fell out of love. There’s a massive difference there,’ she retorted, standing up quickly.
‘Sorry, that came out wrong. I was talking about myself actually.’ Simon stood up too. ‘But don’t you miss the intimacy? I know I do.’
‘If you’re only after me for my body’ – she pointed to the door – ‘then you can leave right now.’ She stopped and broke out into a shy smile. ‘I’m sorry. I … I guess I wanted this to mean something. I don’t want to rush into anything we’ll both regret.’
‘I wouldn’t have regretted it.’
He dared to take her hand and she stepped closer to him. Put her arms around his waist. Thankful when she felt his arms around her, she breathed in his scent, pushing back the tears that were threatening to fall again. She wanted him to feel familiar. She wanted him to be someone she cared about. But she was so afraid he wouldn’t want to know her after he learned she hadn’t been honest with him.
‘Simon, I …’ But the words wouldn’t come.
‘I’d better go.’ He spoke into her hair. ‘Before I can’t stop myself again.’
Once alone, Grace closed the door and the house felt empty. She ran a hand through her hair and pulled on it as she glanced at herself in the hall mirror. Her skin was flushed, her eyes shining. But her mind was in turmoil. An image of Matt flashed up in front of her and tears welled in her eyes. Why had she used him as an excuse? Was it because she felt something for Simon, that she wanted a relationship with him to work so badly? She really did like him.
She groaned. She would be so embarrassed when she next saw him. But surely that was better than him being angry, feeling let down once he found out the truth?
‘Well, you certainly cocked that up, Allendale,’ she muttered. ‘What a bloody mess.’
SIXTY
MONDAY – DAY 14
Directly after team briefing, Grace walked across Hanley from the police station up to Stafford Street. Even though she was on the Elliott Woodman case, she wanted to speak to Allie about personal things.
It was nearly two weeks since Josh Parker’s murder and she and her team had worked flat out without any days off. It was usual practice in a case like this – long hours, all leave cancelled – and she could see how it was wearing everyone down. But what she did love, and admire, was the steely determination they all had to catch the killer before there was another victim.
Her phone went off. She’d missed a call from Simon, so he’d sent a message.
Can we talk about something personal? Are you free now?
She popped her phone back into her pocket, her cheeks burning as she recalled the embarrassing incident the night before. She’d had another restless sleep, another run and a weight workout before she’d finally dropped off for an hour around five a.m. She certainly wasn’t ready to speak to him about what had happened yet.
It wasn’t long before she was sitting in the reception and spotted Allie walking towards her. Allie had taken one look at her troubled face and shown Grace through into her office where they could speak in private.
‘I don’t really have anyone to talk to,’ Grace began, ‘and I … I’m in trouble. I think someone is out to get me.’ She took a deep breath and told Allie the connection she had to the Steele family, including what had happened yesterday with her DCI. It felt good to have someone to confide in, even if she shouldn’t.
Allie wasn’t as su
rprised as Grace had expected her to be though.
‘I kind of know who you are already,’ she grimaced.
‘Perry?’ Grace might have guessed.
‘It was Sam, actually,’ Allie admitted. ‘She rang me after she found out, wanted to chat about her feelings. Fair play for you to coming back to Stoke though.’
Grace’s smile was faint. She wanted to hear more about Sam, but she could tell Allie had loyalty to her old team and she admired her for that.
‘I’m wondering if you have any idea who might be causing trouble,’ she went on.
Allie leaned forward in her chair. ‘Well, I know my team well and I doubt it would be any of them. Alex is a bit of a snake, but even so. Then again, I haven’t been there since you started. How have you felt working amongst them? Have there been any bad vibes?’
‘I’ve made a few mistakes,’ Grace admitted. ‘And I know this probably sounds stupid to you, but I’m not sure I trust Nick. What’s he really like, Allie?’
‘You mean did I trust him when he was my boss?’
‘Yes.’
‘Absolutely.’ She nodded. ‘I’ve never had a problem with him, always found him fair, even when I went over the top at times. He can be a bit full on, though, if he knows of a weakness he can exploit.’
Grace sat for a moment. That made sense.
‘I just wondered if you could think of anyone who would work in the Steeles’ pocket, or be on their payroll?’ she asked. ‘I know it’s not hard to find out my address if someone follows me, but it’s spooked me out that someone could be watching me.’
‘Would you like me to have a word with any of them? Air your concerns?’ Allie suggested.
‘Thanks all the same.’ Grace shook her head. ‘But I have to do this myself, don’t I?’
Feeling a little better after chatting with Allie, Grace was back at her desk when another text message came in from Simon.
Sorry about the article in the paper today. I want you to know I had nothing to do with it.
She froze. What did he mean? Quickly, she went online and typed in the website address for the Stoke News. The first link on the homepage was about their case, but there, in a large header further down the article, was her name, revealing her to be the daughter of George Steele.
