Alice beamed as she opened the front door. ‘Hello, Sally, I’ve been dying to meet you properly, love. Why don’t you and Lukey boy come and sit in the kitchen with me while Jed and his father talk business.’
‘Me and Dad ain’t got no business to discuss,’ Jed snapped.
Alice linked arms with Sally and glared at her son. ‘Sit in the front room and have a beer, then. Me and Sally want to get to know one another, and we ain’t gonna be able to do that with you and your father butting in.’
Knowing when he was beaten, Jed winked at Sally and followed his father into the lounge.
Unaware that Jed was currently playing happy families less than a mile down the road, Frankie was busy keeping tabs on her daughter.
‘Where is she now? She’s already had three hot dogs. She ain’t gone up to that barbecue again, has she, Kerry?’
Kerry craned her neck. ‘I can’t see her, mate, but don’t worry, she won’t have gone far.’
Frankie sipped her drink and said nothing. Whenever she took Georgie out, she had a habit of skipping off and getting lost.
‘There she is. Oh, you’d better go and get her, Frankie. Look what she’s doing.’
Seeing her daughter pick up a sausage that Joey’s dog had been nibbling, Frankie ran over and grabbed her by the hand before she could eat it.
‘Chuck that sausage on the floor. It’s not yours, it’s the dog’s and it’s all dirty.’
Georgie started to cry. ‘I don’t feel well, Mummy.’
‘I ain’t bloody surprised with the amount you’ve eaten. You’ve only got a little tummy, Georgie, why do you have to be so greedy, eh?’
Kerry laughed at the annoyance on Frankie’s face. ‘Is she OK?’
‘No, she’s a bloody pest. She doesn’t feel well now, the greedy little cow.’
Feeling as sick as a dog, Georgie sat on the grass and seconds later was violently sick all over her new party frock. ‘I’m sorry, Mummy,’ she wailed.
Frankie found some wipes in her handbag and tried to clean her daughter up. Not having much joy, she turned to Kerry. ‘She’s smothered in it. I think I’ll take her over to Alice and Jimmy’s. They’ve got spare clothes there, and Alice can give her a bath. We can pick her up on the way home. Look after Harry for me. I’ll be ten minutes,’ she said, as she dragged her troublesome daughter from the garden by the hand.
Joyce was highly embarrassed by the commotion. ‘Kids, eh? Makes you wonder how we coped, doesn’t it? Now let me get you both another drink.’
Rita waited for Joyce to walk away, then turned to Hilda. ‘What a greedy little horror that child is. I reckon it’s the pikey in it, don’t you?’
Hilda nodded. ‘She looks like a gypsy kid as well, don’t she? And as for Joycie’s dress, what a fucking eyesore that is.’
Rita burst out laughing. ‘I thought that. She looks like Bet Lynch, don’t she? And it looks a size too small on her.’
A few feet away from Rita and Hilda, Stanley was having a fabulous time. He was standing with his mates Jock, Brian and Derek from the pigeon club, Ralph and Sid, who he’d worked with on the buses and his two cousins, who he hadn’t seen for years.
Bored with the conversation revolving solely around pigeons, Ralph decided a change of subject was imperative. ‘So, tell me, Stanley, however did you end up in a house as fantastic as this one? You didn’t win the football pools after you took an early retirement from the bus depot, did you?’
Remembering how he and Joycie had obtained the house, Stanley’s mood darkened. ‘It’s a long story. I’ll tell you another time, but not today.’
Ralph playfully goaded his old colleague. ‘Come on, tell us now. We ain’t seen you for years, Stanley, and we want to know your secret. Last time I saw you, you were a meagre bus driver living in that council house in Upney. You must have had a change of fortune somewhere down the line, so what was it? I mean you don’t buy houses like this on a bus driver’s pension, do you?’
Stanley glared at his old pal. He’d been having a thoroughly good time until they had brought up the topic of how he’d acquired the house. With the brandy affecting his diplomacy, Stanley decided to be extremely blunt. ‘I thought you knew what I had been through – it was plastered all over the news and the papers. My daughter, Jessica, was murdered by her villainous bastard of a husband, who then gave me and Joycie this house out of guilt. Now, can we change the fucking subject?’
Alice and Sally were getting along like a house on fire. Unlike Frankie, Sally was passionate about cooking, was terrific company and would make a boy like her Jed a wonderful wife.
‘Have you ever met Frankie?’ Alice asked her.
‘No. The only time I’ve ever seen her is when me and my dad came to your house that Christmas.’
Alice laughed. ‘Shame Frankie never left Jed when she found out about you. Knows when she’s on to a good thing, that’s why. Never liked her, I ain’t. Lazy little cow she is, she can’t even cook. My Jed should be with a decent girl like you, Sally. You’d be a good little wife for him, you would.’
Sally beamed. Her own mum had died when she was a child. She had never got on with her stepmum, but she’d taken to Alice on sight.
‘Answer that,’ Alice shouted as the doorbell rang.
Seconds later an ashen-faced Jed ran into the kitchen, followed by Jimmy. ‘Answer it, Mum. It’s Frankie. What am I gonna do? I told her I was working.’
Alice took charge. ‘Leave it with me, I’ll get rid of her. Shut this door or go out the back. I’ll tell her you’ve gone to Cambridge.’
‘But me motor’s outside,’ Jed said.
‘Stop panicking. I’ll soon get shot of her. I’ll tell her you’ve gone with your brother Billy and he drove, for a change.’
Jed grabbed Sally’s hand. ‘Let’s take Lukey out the back, babe. I ain’t worried about Frankie – I couldn’t give a fuck about her – but I don’t want her kicking off in front of our son,’ he lied.
Alice opened the front door.
‘Why’s Jed’s motor here? He told me he was working,’ Frankie asked suspiciously.
‘He is working. Him and Jimmy went off in Billy’s motor to Cambridge. Is that what you’ve come round for, to spy on him?’
Frankie felt her cheeks redden. ‘No, of course not. I’ve been at my nan’s, she’s having a party for my grandad’s birthday. Georgie’s not well. She’s eaten too much and been sick all over her dress. I was wondering if you’d clean her up and look after her for me until later.’
Alice smiled as she took her granddaughter by the hand. ‘You go back to the party and enjoy yourself. Georgie can stay here tonight with us. I’ll let her have a kip, then bath her and make her all better. You can get Jed to pick her up tomorrow.’
Smelling a rat, Frankie insisted on picking Georgie up herself after the party had ended, thanked Alice and walked away.
Kerry apologised as she bumped straight into Stanley. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said, as she edged over to where Frankie was standing with Joey.
Kerry handed Frankie her drink. Frankie had been quiet all day, even more so since she had dropped Georgie off. She grabbed her friend’s arm.
‘Look, tell me to mind my own business if you want, but I know something’s wrong. Is it Jed? Have yous two been rowing again?’
Desperate to spill the beans to someone, Frankie picked up Harry and urged Kerry to follow her over to the big tree. Joey and Dom were standing nearby and Frankie didn’t want them to hear what she had to say.
‘I think Jed’s seeing that Sally again. He told me he was working today, yet his Shogun’s at his mum’s. I bet he’s took Luke over there, then he’s going back round that slag’s flat,’ she said bluntly.
‘What! No, never, Frankie.’
Frankie explained to Kerry about bumping into Stacey in Lakeside. ‘I’ve had all this once before and I know all the signs. I mean, how many times has Jed said he’s working nights in the past year or so? The bastard’s round at tha
t old tart’s place, I know he is. When he comes in from a night’s work, he ain’t even sweaty or dirty, Kerry. He goes out and comes home in his old work clothes, but knowing how devious Jed is, he’s probably got a change of clothes in his Shogun.’
Kerry stared open-mouthed at her friend. ‘Well, if what you’re saying is true, where is Sammy when all this is going on? Him and Jed go to work together and come home together, don’t they? It can’t be true, Frankie. Jed can’t be seeing that girl, not if my Sammy’s with him.’
Frankie shrugged. ‘Alice never mentioned Sammy. She told me Jed was out with his dad and brother. Listen, I know roughly where that Sally lives and it ain’t far from here. Why don’t we take a detour on the way home and see if Jed’s or Sammy’s motor’s outside there?’
Kerry shook her head. ‘We don’t need to spy on ’em, Frankie. Jed and Sammy are both out working to earn money for us and our kids, so let’s drop the subject, shall we?’
Joyce had opted not to book a band or a disco. She had made Raymond drag the stereo system and speakers into the garden for her and, in her opinion, the music she’d chosen to play was just right for the mixture of guests. As Joyce took off Bobby Darin and put on the Everly Brothers, she received her first complaint.
‘Nan, can’t we have something a bit more modern on?’ Joey asked her.
Joyce shook her head vehemently. She was tipsy now, the party had been a great success and everybody was thoroughly enjoying her choice in music.
Breaking into a verse of ‘Wake Up Little Susie’, Joyce linked arms with Joey and led him towards Stanley’s cousins. ‘Go and get Dominic and Madonna,’ she ordered him.
Joyce had never liked either of Stanley’s cousins or their sour-faced wives, but today, having been on the brandy and Baileys for the past few hours, she sort of liked everybody.
‘You remember my grandson, Joey, don’t you?’ she said as Joey, Dominic and the dog walked towards her.
‘I remember you, Joey. My, haven’t you grown. The last time I saw you, you were knee high,’ said Elaine, Stanley’s cousin’s wife.
Joey shook hands with everyone. ‘This is Dominic and this is Lady Madonna,’ he said, stroking the head of the Chihuahua.
Elaine made a fuss of Madonna and smiled. ‘So what are you up to these days, Joey? Are you working, love?’
Joyce smiled proudly as she entered into the conversation. ‘He’s gay.’
Elaine looked at her quizzically. ‘I beg your pardon?’
‘Our Joey’s a gay man, aren’t you, love? Dominic’s his homosexual boyfriend and they’ve bought themselves a dog because they obviously can’t have kids.’
Reasonably intoxicated herself, Elaine started to laugh. Joyce was having a wind-up with her, surely? ‘You are funny, Joycie, you always was,’ she giggled.
Joyce was furious. How dare this old bat laugh at her gay grandson? ‘Just because my Joey likes a bit of cock, doesn’t mean you can say what you like and hurt his feelings,’ she yelled.
Dominic looked at Joey in embarrassment and horror. ‘Madonna’s tired. Shall we take her home now?’
Red-faced, Joey grabbed his boyfriend’s arm. ‘Yes, let’s get out of here,’ he shouted.
Not ten feet away from Joycie, Polly and Raymond were in the middle of a vicious argument. Raymond had been chatting to Dougie for the past hour and had returned to find his wife steaming drunk and in a stroppy state of mind.
‘If you want to go home, then go. I’m staying here,’ Polly told him adamantly.
Raymond was furious. Polly’s mother was an alcoholic, who’d made a complete show of herself at their wedding by pissing herself in the middle of the dancefloor, and he was beginning to wonder if it ran in the genes. Seeing his dad look over, Raymond grabbed Polly by the arm. ‘We’re going home right now and that’s final,’ he shouted.
As Raymond dragged Polly past them, Kerry turned to Frankie. She had thought about what her friend had been telling her earlier, and bits of the story were starting to ring true.
Clocking her friend’s puzzled expression, Frankie smiled. ‘What’s the matter?’
Kerry shrugged. ‘I dunno, just thinking about what you said. You’re right about a couple of things.’
‘Like what?’
‘Like Sammy never comes home dirty, either. His clothes are dirty, but he always smells sweet. Surely if he was chopping lorries and vans up, he’d stink of sweat?’
‘Why don’t we drive down to Rush Green Gardens where that Sally lives? Jed and Sammy both said they were working tonight, so let’s see if they’re telling us the truth, shall we?’ Frankie suggested.
‘What about the kids?’ Kerry asked.
Frankie looked around. Kerry’s two boys and Harry were all fast asleep on a blanket on the grass. ‘I tell you what, I’ll ring Jimmy and Alice and tell ’em Jed’ll pick Georgie up tomorrow. She’s far too cute for her age and she would be the one to say something to Jed. The boys’ll be fine – they’re knackered; they won’t even know if we take a detour. Anyway, we’re only gonna drive there to see if we can spot a familiar-looking motor, ain’t we?’
Kerry chewed her fingernails. Decisions, decisions, decisions, she thought. She smiled at Frankie.
‘OK, let’s do it.’
CHAPTER THIRTY
Luke was sitting on Jed’s lap when Georgie woke up and ran into the kitchen. Desperate for his sordid secret not to come to light, Jed chucked his son over to Sally as though he was playing pass the parcel. He was annoyed with his mum for allowing Georgie to see him. How was he meant to explain that to Frankie?
‘Don’t mention no names,’ he hissed at both Sally and his mum.
With her sickness having now subsided, Georgie sidled over to Luke. ‘What’s your name?’ she asked shyly.
Before Luke could open his mouth, Jed made a grab for his daughter and handed her to Alice.
‘His name is John and his mum’s a friend of Auntie Shannon. You need a bath, Georgie girl. You smell like a fucking hospital ward,’ he said, kissing her on the nose. ‘And don’t tell Mummy you saw me here, will ya? You’ll get Daddy into trouble because he’s meant to be working.’
‘I won’t tell her, Daddy, I promise,’ Georgie said sincerely.
When Alice took Georgie upstairs, Jed stood up and urged Sally to do the same. ‘Come on, let’s get going.’
‘I can’t believe how alike they are, Jed. Can’t we stay for a little bit longer? I won’t mention Luke’s name, I promise.’
Jed put his arms around Sally and rubbed his groin against her. ‘I wanna get you home so I can fuck ya, you horny bitch.’
Sally giggled, then, as Jimmy walked into the room, pushed Jed away.
‘We can’t go until I’ve said goodbye to your mum and thanked her for the lovely day.’
Determined to leave before Georgie reappeared, Jed picked up Luke and grabbed Sally by the hand. ‘You’ll see me mum again. I’ll take the pair of yous out for lunch. Now, move your arse. You’ve got me that hard, me cory feels like it’s gonna burst.’
Frankie thought she knew how to get to Rush Green, but somehow she managed to get lost. When she finally found it, she wasn’t sure where Rush Green Gardens was, and drove round and round in circles.
‘Look, there’s a garage there, by them traffic lights. Pull in there and we can ask someone,’ Kerry suggested.
Frankie pulled into the forecourt and wound her window down. ‘Excuse me. Could you tell me where Rush Green Gardens is, please?’
The man filling his car up nodded. ‘Go out that entrance, do a right, go straight on at the traffic lights and Rush Green Gardens is a couple of hundred yards down on your right.’
Frankie thanked him and glanced at Kerry. The boys were fast asleep in the back, but both girls still felt nervous.
‘Look out for the sign for me,’ Frankie said.
Kerry nodded. Her guts were churning and she didn’t feel much like talking.
Frankie slowed down as she went through t
he lights. A boy racer in a kitted-out Cabriolet tooted behind her and she stuck two fingers up. ‘Fuck off, you prick,’ she yelled.
‘I think this is it. Go right here,’ Kerry urged her.
Frankie turned into the entrance. It was definitely a council estate and was made up of small blocks of flats. The road went round in a horseshoe and Frankie’s heart was beating like mad as she drove around it.
‘There’s Jed’s motor,’ Kerry screamed.
Frankie bumped the car up onto a kerb and turned off the ignition. ‘Fucking cheating bastard! What am I gonna do, Kerry? Should I find out where Sally lives and knock on her door?’
Kerry said nothing. If Jed was at it with Sally, then what the hell was Sammy up to? She squeezed Frankie’s hand. ‘If we knock on the door and create havoc, it ain’t gonna do us no favours. For all we know, Sammy might be in a pub while Jed has popped round to see Luke.’
Frankie shook her head. ‘They’re both up to no good, I bet ya.’
As a man walked past with a pit bull and looked inside the car, Kerry felt a shiver go down her spine. ‘Look, let’s go home before anybody sees us. We’ll put the kids to bed and then we can discuss our next move,’ she said.
Frankie restarted the ignition and, with tears in her eyes, drove off the estate.
Unaware that a spying mission had just taken place, Jed was in the middle of getting his end away.
‘I’m ready to come, but I want you to come first,’ he said generously, as he slid his tongue inside Sally’s vagina.
Hearing Sally groan and then feeling her shudder, Jed released his tongue and urged Sally to put her mouth around his rock-hard penis. Smiling, Jed sat up so he could watch Sally work her magic on him. Unlike Frankie, who always spat out his sperm, Sally liked to swallow, and observing her do so only added to the intensity and thrill of his orgasm.
He came, grinned and hugged her. ‘You OK, babe?’
Sally lay her head on his chest. She had grown to love Jed so much, it had begun to tear her to pieces every time he went back home. She circled her finger around his belly button.
‘I wish it could be like this all the time.’
The Traitor Page 28
