Slur: The Riverhill Trilogy: Book 1

by Heather Burnside

  Vinny, totally embarrassed by this blatant proposal, was anxious to make himself scarce so he turned towards Julie and said, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ then dashed away.

  As he made his way back towards his group of friends, Rita shouted after him, ‘See you around, big boy,’ and then looked at Julie with a mocking grin on her face.

  Julie was furious and made no attempt to hide her anger as she fumed, ‘Just what the hell do you think you’re playing at?’

  ‘Oh just a bit of fun Julie, that’s all. Keep your hair on!’

  ‘Fun, is that what you call it? Playing up to him more like! I’m surprised you didn’t just ask him to give you one there and then!’

  ‘Oh give over Julie; I only wanted to embarrass him for a laugh, that’s all. You do remember what laughing is, don’t you?’

  ‘Stop being so bleedin’ sarcastic, I don’t mind a laugh as you well know but I do mind when somebody flirts with my boyfriend! Anyway, I’m surprised you can have a laugh after what’s happened.’

  ‘Oh lighten up Julie! What’s happened has happened and you aren’t going to change anything by walking around with a face like a wet weekend. Anyway, I thought you weren’t that bothered about Vinny. You seem more interested in that fella from work.’

  ‘I’m still going out with Vinny, and just because I’ve been on a date with someone-else, it doesn’t give you the right to snatch Vinny from under my nose!’ Julie’s voice began to falter as she continued. ‘I just can’t stop thinking about Amanda and you’re carrying on as if nothing’s happened. How do you do it Rita?’

  ‘By taking my mind off it, that’s how Julie,’ Rita replied. ‘There’s a lot of bad things happened to me in my life and if I let them get to me I’d have cracked up a long time ago. You’ve just got to get on with life Julie and try not to let things get to you.’

  ‘That’s easier said than done!’

  ‘I know, it takes practice. I haven’t forgotten about Amanda and I never will. But I’m buggered if I’m going to let it mess up the rest of my life, and neither should you!’

  Julie managed a faint smile as Rita continued. ‘We haven’t done anything wrong Julie; we’ve got nothing to feel guilty about! Somebody gave Amanda drugs. It wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t that cow Jacqueline. She’s probably giving you a hard time so she can cover her own tracks. If I were you I’d give her what for!’

  ‘You’re not me though, are you?’

  The two girls gazed at each other in silent acknowledgement of their differences in character until Rita broke the silence by taking Julie’s hand and saying, ‘Come on Jules, no hard feelings, eh? Let’s go and have a dance, cheer ourselves up.’

  Despite her efforts to cheer herself up, however, Julie failed and she ended the evening extremely drunk and downhearted. She couldn’t remember how she got home but recalled falling into bed in a drunken stupor. She slept for the next ten hours. It was the best night’s sleep she had had for the last week. However, she did not wake up feeling refreshed. She woke up with a dry throat, a blinding headache, and feeling both physically sick and sick at heart.

  Her thoughts were troubling her. She was amazed at Rita’s resilience and couldn’t help but think that if Rita had recovered so well from such a traumatic week, then maybe she could have recovered just as well from the guilt of being Amanda’s killer. Instead of feeling upset, worried and ashamed as Julie did, Rita was reacting with indifference interspersed with periods of anger and aggression. Were those the reactions of a guilty person perhaps? Or, worse still, a murderer? Could Rita have slipped something else into Amanda’s drink without anyone knowing about it? But how would Rita get hold of drugs? Her sister, of course; she did go around with some pretty dodgy characters. But why would Rita want to do it? Bitterness? Resentment?

  Apart from that there was the way that Rita was so quick to blame Jacqueline. It seemed that every time they discussed Amanda’s death, Rita tried to point the finger of suspicion at Jacqueline. Did she genuinely suspect Jacqueline or was she trying to divert attention?

  Then Julie mentally chided herself for thinking in such a way. The events of the last week must have taken their toll if she was beginning to suspect her best friend who she had known for years.

  Chapter 15

  Saturday 28th June 1986

  Vinny was pleased to see Julie on Saturday night. When he opened his front door, he had a beaming smile on his face. As she stepped inside he showered her with compliments. ‘You look gorgeous tonight love. I like your blouse, is it a new one?’

  Julie guessed that this was Vinny’s way of cheering her up and trying to make up for their argument of a few days ago. She returned his smile, attempting to appear relaxed.

  He offered her a drink. Julie had only just recovered from her hangover from the previous night’s overindulgence, and now had a very dry throat. The thought of sharing one or two bottles of wine with Vinny didn’t appeal. What she would have preferred was a long, cool, refreshing glass of water. However, she didn’t want to spoil Vinny’s plans for this evening, so she accepted the proffered glass of wine.

  ‘Well, where did you get to last night?’ she asked.

  ‘Pete met this bird he fancied and we ended up going to another club so that he could be with her. He was like a little lamb following her everywhere. I left them to it in the end and came back here. I think I was a bit in the way. From what he told me today he’ll be seeing her again.’

  ‘He sounds keen.’

  ‘Yeah, he is.’

  Then Vinny changed the subject. ‘It was a good match today. We won 3 –1.’

  The subject of football had never appealed to Julie but she feigned interest. ‘Oh that’s good.’

  Julie downed her glass of wine, which made her thirstier. ‘Vinny, would you mind if I had a glass of water?’ she asked. ‘I’m a bit dehydrated from last night.’

  Vinny obliged. ‘Good night then, was it?’ he asked.

  Julie was unable to disguise her shock at such a question and it was now impossible to retain her polite, relaxed façade. ‘You haven’t got a fuckin’ clue have you?’ she asked vehemently.

  Vinny, in his ignorance, was stunned. He couldn’t understand what he had done to provoke such an attack but he didn’t wish to get into yet another argument. Vinny had planned a lovely evening for them both, an evening of relaxation, drinking, chatting and ultimately, seduction.

  He replied cautiously. ‘What’s the matter love, what have I said?’

  ‘We were drowning our bleedin’ sorrows,’ Julie snapped back. ‘A friend of ours has just died, remember, and we’ve had the bad luck to have been accused of killing her!’

  Vinny raised his hands in mock surrender, ‘OK, I’m sorry, I didn’t think.’

  Then he paused for a moment, giving further thought to the situation before continuing. ‘Look Julie, I know you’ve had a hard time of it, and in my own way I’m trying to cheer you up and take your mind off things, that’s all.’

  Julie replied, stonily, ‘Some things just won’t go away.’

  Vinny’s response was to take Julie in his arms and stroke her hair, ‘It’s OK. Things will get better, I promise you.’

  ‘Well, that’s you and Rita that seem to think so. I just wish I could feel that confident about it.’

  ‘Don’t mention Rita to me! You should have heard the stick I got from my mates about the way she was carrying on last night. Rita the Man Eater they call her. How do you put up with a friend like her?’

  ‘She’s all right really. It’s all just a big laugh to Rita, her way of taking her mind off things. Pete’s just got a downer on her because she dumped him.’

  ‘It’s not just Pete, Julie; all the lads think she’s a tart.’

  ‘Oh yeah, and where do you think they’ve got that idea from? Pete, of course! Leave Rita alone. From what she tells me she’s been through a lot. That’s probably why she’s like she is.’

  ‘Well I’d watch her if I were you!’r />
  ‘Why, is she a threat?’

  ‘Not with me she isn’t; I wouldn’t touch her with a barge pole! Besides, I’m happy with what I’ve got,’ he said, as he planted a kiss on her cheek.

  After a few minutes of comforting Julie and feeling her become more relaxed in his arms, Vinny placed his hand under her chin and turned her face up towards his. He then kissed her passionately on the lips and she responded. He ventured further, undoing the buttons on her blouse.

  Julie could feel Vinny becoming aroused but she was unable to respond. Usually the touch of his hand on her breast would send shivers down her spine and a tickling sensation in her stomach, but now all she felt was irritation. She tried to persuade herself that she would enjoy it once she got in the mood, but it was hopeless. The dark thoughts that tormented her mind also negated her bodily sensations. She felt cold, indifferent and unresponsive. Eventually she decided that there was no point going further and she struggled free of Vinny. ‘It’s no good Vinny, I can’t.’

  ‘Why not, I thought you were up for it?’

  ‘Well I’m not. I can’t explain it Vinny, I just don’t feel in the mood tonight.’

  ‘Well,’ he replied, becoming angered at her rejection. ‘There’s nowt like leading me on and then dropping me, is there?’

  ‘I wasn’t trying to lead you on Vinny! I thought that if we carried on I might come round to it, but I can’t. I’m not in the mood tonight, that’s all. What’s wrong with that?’

  Vinny was reduced to silent contemplation. Julie, his Julie, had changed during the last week and he was finding it very difficult to come to terms with her alter ego. He didn’t attempt to make further conversation, fearful of upsetting her again. Instead he sat drinking his wine and flicking through a newspaper that had been lying on the coffee table.

  Julie was also in a state of contemplation. She didn’t want to be here. She wanted to be on her own, moping and miserable. Vinny’s behaviour was annoying her and she knew that it was unfair to take her feelings out on him.

  She decided that it would be better for them both if she left. ‘Vinny, can you order me a taxi please? I want to go home.’

  ‘I don’t want you to go home Julie. You don’t need to go home!’ Vinny pleaded. ‘It’s OK, we don’t have to have sex if you don’t want. We can just watch a film or something. I just want you to be with me Julie.’

  Hearing Vinny plead in this way almost reduced Julie to tears of guilt and frustration, and she couldn’t hide the emotion in her voice. ‘I’m sorry Vinny, but the way I feel at the moment, I’m just making both of us miserable and it isn’t fair to you.’

  Vinny conceded and ordered her a taxi. As she left his home, he kissed her on the cheek and said, ‘Bye love, hope you’re feeling better soon.’

  Julie managed a reticent smile as she walked to the taxi. ‘I’ll ring you when I am,’ she assured.

  Vinny watched as the taxi took Julie away. When he thought about their shambles of an evening, he felt anger and disappointment at himself. Why did he always have to botch things up? He knew what she had been going through and had been determined to make the evening good for her. He had hoped to take her mind off her troubles while she was with him, but he hadn’t succeeded.

  Vinny thought about her parting words. ‘I’ll ring you when I’m feeling better’ was what she had meant. He understood that this was her way of telling him not to bother ringing her while she was in this frame of mind; his only choice was to wait for her call.

  --------------------

  Sunday 29th June 1986

  It was Sunday evening and Julie sat alone yet again in her bedroom. She had finally gained the solitude that she had craved all weekend, but it brought no comfort. Instead she was tormented once more by her own thoughts; the atmosphere of Friday night, the way she had upset Vinny, how much she missed Amanda and worries about what was to become of her and Rita. “And if all that wasn’t bad enough,” she thought, “I’ve still got work to face tomorrow!”

  She got changed into her nightshirt and as she lay in her bed she tried to prepare herself for yet another night of troubled sleep.

  Chapter 16

  Monday 30th June 1986

  When Julie arrived at work on Monday she wasn’t feeling at her best. Apart from not getting much sleep during the night, thoughts of such a terrible weekend were still fresh in her mind. Norma, perceptive as ever, picked up on how she was feeling straightaway.

  ‘Bad weekend again was it?’

  ‘You bet!’

  ‘I expected it,’ said Norma to Julie’s surprise. ‘Well, I know you Julie and you’re not the sort of girl to go out and have a whale of a time after what’s happened.’

  Norma’s sensitivity touched Julie as she replied. ‘It’s everywhere I go Norma. When I go out with the girls they’re trying their best not to mention it, which only makes it worse. The people in our local were ready to hang us on Friday night. Rita totally lost it and attacked this silly cow who was giving us grief. And to make matters worse, I’ve fell out with Vinny.’

  ‘Oh you haven’t, have you?’

  ‘Well not so much fell out as I just can’t be bothered at the moment. He doesn’t seem to understand what I’m going through. Nobody does. This weekend was nearly as bad as the previous one. In fact, I think the only good part of last week was Thursday night.’

  Despite her stresses, Julie began to look all dreamy eyed again as she thought about her date with Mike.

  ‘Talk of the devil,’ said Norma and before Mike was within earshot, she added, ‘I bet he’s come to ask you for another date.’

  Julie followed Norma’s line of vision and watched in amazement as Mike flew past, completely blanking her.

  ‘It’s because of Amanda, isn’t it?’ she asked Norma, the disappointment evident in her voice.

  ‘Perhaps not, it might have nothing to do with that. He’s maybe just late for an appointment, that’s all.’

  ‘No, I’m not stupid Norma. I know what it is. He doesn’t want to know me ’cos he thinks I killed Amanda.’

  As Julie’s face adopted a pained expression, Norma didn’t contradict her or offer any further assurances about Mike.

  Later that day when Norma returned from a late lunch break she brought some news with her. She broached the subject with Julie, ‘It’s the funeral on Thursday. There are rumours that the company will be operating with a skeleton staff and we’ve to tell all callers that someone will get back to them the following day due to special circumstances.’

  ‘Oh,’ was Julie’s initial response. Then she followed it with, ‘Are you going?’

  ‘Not if you want to. There’ll have to be at least one of us here to man the switch.’

  ‘Oh yeah, they’ll welcome me with open arms, won’t they?’

  ‘I see your point Julie, but it doesn’t seem fair. You were Amanda’s friend and you’ve just as much right to be there as anyone.’

  ‘It’s not worth it Norma. It was bad enough in the pub on Friday, and they didn’t even know Amanda. Imagine what the reaction of Jacqueline and her cronies will be, not to mention that bloody Les and Amanda’s family? They’ll all think I’m guilty.’

  ‘Are you sure you’ll be all right here if I go?’

  ‘Yeah, I’ve no choice have I?

  Norma remained silent for a few moments, at a loss as to how to respond. Finally she said, ‘You look all in love. Have you not been sleeping either?’

  ‘Not much.’

  ‘Well we’re not very busy at the moment so why don’t you go and have a coffee? There’ll be no-one in the canteen at this time so you won’t have that to worry about.’

  ‘Are you sure Norma?’

  ‘Of course, go on! I’ll manage’

  Julie arrived at the canteen without encountering anybody. She felt relief at being able to go somewhere without facing everybody’s anger and accusations. She sat there for a while staring out of the window, just her and her cup of coffee. Becoming pensive,
she couldn’t help but recall the dismal events of the last two weekends. When she realised how such thoughts were controlling her mind, she tried to break free of them but they wouldn’t disappear. She shook her head vigorously from side to side in an attempt to banish those thoughts. Still they would not go away.

  Julie realised that spending time on her own was a mistake. She needed to keep busy! That was the only way to take her mind off things. She left her cup of coffee half empty and shoved her chair back under the table, her irritation showing.

  On the way back to the switchboard she stopped off at the ladies. Jacqueline was the last person she expected to see there, and Julie felt a surge of fear pulse through her body as Jacqueline and her friend halted their conversation and scrutinised her. Instead of the verbal onslaught that Julie was expecting, however, Jacqueline merely grasped her bag from the sink surround and breezed past her, saying to her friend, ‘Come on, we don’t want to be seen with a murderer, do we?’

  Julie was dumbstruck. For some reason they had seemed anxious to get away. This was uncharacteristic of Jacqueline; Julie had expected another confrontation. She shrugged and turned towards the mirror. Shocked at the sight of her pale reflection, she spent a few moments applying make-up before entering a cubicle, where she shut the door.

  And there it was! Staring back at her. Forgetting what she had come into the ladies for, she dashed out, screaming in horror.

  It took Norma several minutes to calm her down, and even then, the only coherent words she could get out of her were, ‘in the toilets… a cloth.’

  Eventually, when Julie had calmed down enough to carry out her duties on the switchboard, Norma decided to go to the toilets to find out for herself what great terror was lurking there.

  Norma was unable to spot the cause of Julie’s disturbance at first and thought that maybe Julie had had another encounter with Jacqueline. It wasn’t until she went inside a cubicle that she spotted the words, ‘JULIE QUINLEY IS A MURDERER’ emblazoned on the back of the door, in huge letters, which covered its entire length and breadth.