While Maddy was looking out of the window she noticed a car parked on the other side of the road. It was a blue Astra, an older model by the looks of it. Maddy thought no further about it and went back to her work.
An hour later and Maddy took another break. She was so tired that her concentration was waning. Maddy was also aware that time was marching on and she was still nowhere near finishing her article. It was now five o’clock and she would soon have to start cooking as she’d received a text from Andy to say he’d get Rebecca back for teatime.
Maddy looked out of the living-room window again, relieved that there was no sign of Andy yet. But then something else caught her eye. There was that car again; the blue Astra, parked across the road. And there was somebody sitting in it. She didn’t recognise it as belonging to any of her neighbours and it seemed strange that the driver would have been sitting there all that time. Unless he’d gone away and come back again.
Curious, Maddy peered inside the car but she couldn’t see much from her place at the window. The car was parked facing the wrong way, with the driver’s seat on the opposite side of the car, so it was difficult to tell whether it was a man or a woman driver. Whoever it was, they were wearing a baseball cap and had their jacket collar pulled high. At least, it looked like a jacket from where she was standing but it could have been a hoody.
For a few seconds Maddy hovered at the window, puzzled as to why the car was parked there all that time but unsure what to do. The driver glanced in her direction, only momentarily. It was a man, she thought. But it was difficult to tell. Whoever it was, they only turned their head for a minute, then drove off.
Relieved, Maddy went back to her desk, hoping to get some more work done before her daughter returned home. She’d just have to grab them a quick tea and then finish the article once Rebecca was in bed.
*
Gilly was parked outside Maddy’s home, waiting to catch a glimpse of her. It seemed ages before he saw her at the window and then she was only there for a moment before she disappeared again. He looked once more at the immaculate house and as he did so his mind drifted.
He thought with bitterness about the life he could have had if he had carried on along his chosen pathway. It had all been mapped out for him. From a good school in an affluent middle-class area and on to university, then a junior position with a reputable company before working his way up the career ladder.
But he’d blown it after he’d been caught selling dope in his university halls of residence. The university had thrown him out and his parents had subsequently disowned him. He’d tried to tell them it was only a minor drug, but they wouldn’t listen. As far as they were concerned he’d brought shame on the family and that was that.
Since then he’d been looking after himself and making a living whatever way he could, and now all he could do was dream about the life he could have had. The sort of life Maddy had. Part of him was enamoured with her; another part resentful. But all was not lost. He’d find a way to get what Maddy had. It was just a matter of time. He’d not quite worked out what his plan was yet, but he’d think of something. In the meantime he would continue to watch Maddy and find out as much about her as he could.
While he sat there daydreaming he eventually saw Maddy at the window again and this time she stayed there for a while. Curious, he turned to face her. Shit! She’d spotted him. He quickly turned away again, hoping she hadn’t seen too much of his face.
But it was only a moment’s view, with his baseball hat and the top of his hoody obscuring a lot of his face. Nevertheless, he was taking no chances. He started the engine and put the car into gear. Then he was gone. He’d come back another day and hope she didn’t catch sight of him this time.
17
Gilly and Crystal were both in The Rose and Crown, but Gilly wasn’t with Crystal. He was currently chatting to another of the girls, Amber, at the bar while Crystal sat and watched from a table a few metres away. A couple of the other girls were sitting with Crystal, having a few drinks and a chat before they went to work, but Crystal wasn’t really listening to Ruby and Angie, an older prostitute, as they discussed their latest clients. She was too busy watching what was going on at the bar, and she was becoming increasingly annoyed.
She saw Gilly speak to the barmaid. While the barmaid went to fetch drinks, Gilly turned to Amber and said something and Amber giggled in response. Then the barmaid returned with two drinks and Gilly paid for them. He put one of the drinks down in front of Amber. It was a short, golden-coloured, possibly a whisky or a brandy with soda. Gilly’s drink was also golden-coloured but darker; he was drinking it straight.
Crystal looked down at her own glass of lager, which was almost empty. The bastard had only bought her one drink since she’d come in over half an hour ago. She’d been trying to make it last, knowing she was short of cash but wary of asking him for more. But now, as she watched him with Amber, her anger was making her bold. She decided she would go to the bar as soon as she had emptied her glass, and ask Gilly to buy her a drink.
‘Are you fuckin’ listening?’ asked Ruby, catching Crystal’s attention. ‘Or are you too busy watching them?’
‘What? Yes,’ said Crystal, looking at Ruby, although she hadn’t heard a thing she had said.
For the next ten minutes Crystal joined in the conversation with Ruby and Angie. She didn’t want to upset Ruby. Nobody upset Ruby if they knew what was good for them. She had a vile temper and took offence at next to nothing, and you never knew just when she was going to turn on you.
Having the excuse of an empty glass, Crystal was just about to get up and go to the bar when she saw Gilly down the remainder of his short and leave the pub, tapping Amber affectionately on the back before he went. Crystal got up from her seat and rushed out of the pub after him. Sod Ruby! Gilly was off somewhere again and she wanted to find out where.
Crystal was outside the pub just in time to see Gilly getting into his car. She shouted his name but he either didn’t hear or he chose to ignore her. Unperturbed, Crystal dashed out into the road. A car swerved to avoid her and she heard the driver hurling abuse. It slowed her down though and by the time she was out of the way of the car, she saw Gilly driving off. She chased after him but it was too late. The car was too fast and he was soon well away.
Crystal stood outside the pub for a few moments, confused. There was no doubt in her mind that Gilly was up to something, but she couldn’t understand what. She still had an inkling that Gilly was playing around with one of the other girls, and the way he had acted with Amber made her even more suspicious. What she didn’t get was why he was going off elsewhere. Unless that was for her benefit and he had secretly arranged to meet Amber later.
With that thought in mind, Crystal went back into the pub in a rage. By this time Amber had moved from the bar and was sitting with the other girls having a laugh. Crystal was so angry that she was determined to tackle Amber whether Ruby was there or not.
‘Just what the fuck do you think you’re playing at, Amber?’ she demanded.
All the girls stopped talking and looked up at her.
‘What you on about?’ said Amber.
‘You and Gilly. I’m not stupid! I saw what you were like with him. Going to yours later, is he?’
‘No!’ said Amber, with attitude.
‘Don’t tell fuckin’ lies!’ said Crystal. ‘I saw what you were like with him. Shoving your fuckin’ tits in his face.’
‘Bollocks!’ said Amber. ‘You’re just fuckin’ jealous cos you’re not his favourite any more.’
‘I fuckin’ am,’ said Crystal. ‘He’s still my bloke so you can keep your fuckin’ mitts off.’
As she issued her warning, Crystal waved her fist in Amber’s face. Amber quickly pulled her head back. Then Ruby got up and stood between them, her tall frame dominating Crystal’s personal space.
‘Back off, Crystal,’ she warned. ‘You don’t fuckin’ own him! If he ain’t interested in you any more then he ain�
�t fuckin’ interested. Right?’
Crystal knew better than to pick a fight with Ruby so, despite her anger, she lowered her fist and stepped back.
‘I’m going to work,’ she said, turning away from the girls.
As she walked out of the pub Crystal was seething with anger. It was bad enough that Amber had flirted blatantly with Gilly in front of her, but to have Ruby turning on her was just too much. Crystal was gutted about Gilly. She knew she was losing him and it seemed as if there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.
But she wasn’t giving up without a fight. As she made the short trip on foot to Minshull Street, Crystal went over everything in her head. He was still seeing her, but his visits were becoming less frequent. Did that mean he was seeing someone else as well? He was certainly flirting enough with Amber. But if he was seeing Amber then where did he keep disappearing to in his car? It just didn’t stack up.
Deep down she knew that he’d changed towards her ever since he’d killed the man that had abused her. But why was that her fault? She hadn’t asked him to drive the man out to the country and then threaten him! So, distancing himself from her didn’t seem fair.
Eventually she decided that if she was to uncover what Gilly was up to then she would have to start by tackling him about it. He wouldn’t like it but tough! He was her man and it was about time she found out just what the hell he was up to.
18
Aaron walked into the offices of the car-hire company to pick up the car he’d ordered over the phone. It was a BMW and at the lower end of the range, but he was familiar with the model and decided it would be OK. There was no way he was hiring a Porsche; that would have been far too expensive.
The clerk behind the desk went through the documentation with him then got him to sign a form. ‘Come on, I’ll show you where it’s parked,’ he said, leading Aaron out of the office.
Aaron glanced over the car. It looked good. He’d opted for the red model as it was more eye-catching than some of the others. They also had a few of them in stock, which meant that he could hire the same type and colour of car each time, and just swap the number plates for a set of his own while he had the car. The clerk gave him a quick rundown of how everything worked, then handed over the keys.
‘Thanks,’ said Aaron, grinning.
He got behind the wheel, ready to start the car. The dashboard looked good too and so shiny new, he was impressed. Hopefully Maddy would be impressed too, as long as he remembered to remove all the hire-company stickers. Then he could easily pass it off as his own.
*
By the time Gilly walked into The Rose and Crown the next night Crystal had already worked herself up into a state. She was dreading confronting him but knew it was something she had to do. His lack of interest was getting to her and she knew she wouldn’t settle until she’d had it out with him.
When she saw him walk to the bar she left the girls she’d been sitting with and joined him. He looked down at her, spotted the half-empty glass of drink in her hand and turned back to the barmaid.
‘Don’t bother asking if I want one, will you, Gilly?’ she said, sarcastically.
Gilly turned back around and glared at her. ‘What you fuckin’ on about? You’ve already got one!’
‘Yes, but it’s half empty.’
‘Tough! Now get off my fuckin’ case and let me get served.’
He turned back to face the barmaid who was waiting to take his order, and ignored Crystal. As she stood next to Gilly she noticed people looking at her, and felt humiliated. They’d obviously noticed the way Gilly had spoken to her and the way she was being ignored. Gradually her embarrassment faded and was replaced by anger. How dare he snub her!
Once Gilly had got his drink he turned towards her once more. ‘Are you still fuckin’ here?’ he asked. ‘What do you want?’
‘A word.’
‘Well, go on, then, but make it fuckin’ snappy! There’s other people I want to see in this pub as well as you, y’know.’
‘Amber isn’t here!’ she snapped.
‘What the fuck are you on about?’ he demanded, pulling his shoulders back and glaring at her once more.
Crystal visibly flinched, almost losing her nerve at the sight of Gilly hovering menacingly over her. She glanced over his shoulder, spotting two customers behind him, paying rapt attention to the heated exchange, and knowing that he’d be even more annoyed if she showed him up in front of other people. ‘I – I think we’d best go outside to have a chat,’ she said.
Gilly slammed his pint on the bar. ‘Go on, then,’ he said, nodding his head towards the doorway then following her out. ‘But this better be fuckin’ good if you’re dragging me outside.’
All the way to the door, Crystal could feel her heart pounding. Now that she’d broached the subject she knew she had to go through with it, but she also knew that Gilly wasn’t going to be pleased.
Crystal stepped onto the pavement then turned until she was facing Gilly, who failed to stop quickly enough, so that they were almost touching. As she prepared to speak he stayed where he was, invading her personal space. He scowled at her as he waited to see what she had to say.
‘Sorry, Gilly, but they were all nosying at the bar and I didn’t think you’d want them to hear our private business.’
She was capitulating already.
‘Just fuckin’ get on with it, will you?’ he said.
‘OK, well, to be honest, I didn’t like the way you were flirting with Amber the other day,’ she began, pausing to assess his response before continuing.
Gilly pulled his chin back and sniggered in disbelief. ‘Are you for fuckin’ real? You mean to say you’ve brought me out here just to tell me that?’
‘N-no,’ said Crystal. ‘It’s not just that.’ She could hear her next words forming inside her head as though her mind wanted her to voice them despite her trepidation. ‘I, well, it’s just, I wanted to talk to you about how you’ve been with me lately.’ She rushed the words out but she’d started now so she pushed herself to finish. ‘It’s not been the same, Gilly,’ she said, her tone pleading. ‘You hardly ever come back with me these days and when I saw you with Amber, well, I wondered, y’know, if you were seeing her.’
‘No, I’m not!’ he snapped. ‘But even if I was, it’s none of your fuckin’ business. You don’t own me and I can do what the fuck I want. Now stop wasting my time over shite. I’ve got a fuckin’ pint on the bar going flat.’
He turned away from her and started walking back into the pub. Feeling brave, Crystal called after him. ‘What about where you keep going in your car?’
He swivelled round, and Crystal could see by the look on his face that he was furious. ‘What the fuck do you know about that?’ he demanded, grasping hold of her top in both hands and pushing her roughly against the pub wall.
‘N-nothing,’ she said, gasping with fright as her back slammed against the coarse bricks. ‘I just wondered where you keep going. I thought you might be seeing someone else.’
‘What the fuck if I am?’ he shouted, ramming his fists harder into her shoulders as he pinned her back. ‘And how the fuck do you know I go out in my car?’
‘I’ve just seen you once or twice, that’s all.’
‘Have you been fuckin’ following me?’
‘No, no! I’ve just seen you drive off in your car, that’s all,’ she cried.
He released his right hand and slapped her sharply across the face several times until tears sprang to her eyes, and she lifted her hands to cover her stinging face.
‘You must have fuckin’ followed me out of the pub!’ he yelled.
‘No! I mean, only because I was going out to work anyway. I just happened to see you get in your car, that’s all.’
He grabbed hold of her top again and held her fast against the wall, bending until his face was only a few centimetres from hers. ‘From now on,’ he said, through gritted teeth, ‘you mind your own fuckin’ business about where I go. Is that cl
ear?’ He relaxed his hold then pushed her back again to emphasise his words. When Crystal stared back in shock, he repeated himself. ‘I said is that fuckin’ clear?’
‘Yes,’ she said.
‘Right. Well, you make sure you keep your fuckin’ nose out in future. If I want to be with you, I will, and if I don’t, I fuckin’ won’t. Do you get that?’ he yelled into her face.
By this point her legs had gone weak and it was only the force of Gilly’s hold that kept her standing still. ‘Yes,’ she sobbed. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.’
He let go of her and looked at her with distaste. ‘I’m going back to drink my pint and you can stay out of my fuckin’ way before I really lose it!’ he said, before walking away.
Crystal took a few seconds to compose herself before following him back into the pub. This time she sat at the table of girls and avoided the bar area where Gilly was standing. Nevertheless, as she had walked back inside The Rose and Crown she’d felt as though all eyes were upon her. Even though no one had witnessed what had just happened outside the pub, they could probably tell from her flustered appearance and the look of fury on Gilly’s face.
Crystal had achieved nothing but upset and humiliation. Her confrontation with Gilly had been a waste of time. Rather than finding anything out, all she’d got off him was a few good smacks. But why shouldn’t she ask him where he got to? He was supposed to be with her when all was said and done.
As she mulled things over Crystal became angry with herself for backing down when he was so obviously in the wrong. Not only that, Gilly’s reaction told her that he was definitely up to something that he didn’t want her to find out about. Eventually, feeling dejected as well as angry, she decided that if Gilly wouldn’t tell her where he got to then she’d just have to find out for herself by following him. But that would be difficult without money. She didn’t have a car at the moment so the only way she had of following him would be by taxi.
Crystal couldn’t risk involving anyone else. After her previous confrontation with Amber and Ruby, and now this latest set-to with Gilly, she didn’t want to make an even bigger fool of herself. No, it was best if she did this alone. As things stood she couldn’t afford taxis, but she’d soon get round that one by pocketing some of her earnings and not telling Gilly. Stuff him! If he’d treated her better, then she wouldn’t need to follow him in the first place.
The Mark Page 8
