by Mel Sherratt
‘Oh.’ Ruby nodded. ‘How did you find out?’
‘I found a box under the bed with a few thousand in it.’ Shelley pulled her handbag nearer and took out the envelope. She showed Ruby the money inside.
Ruby’s eyes widened. ‘Have you asked him about it?’
‘No, I … well, I thought I might leave and take it with me. Severance pay for putting up with the bastard.’
‘But won’t Seth come after you?’
‘Oh, I’ll be long gone by then. I’ve had enough of his controlling ways. He’s a bully and I can’t take it any more.’
‘Where will you go?’
‘That’s just it. I don’t have anywhere.’
‘Can’t you go back to your parents?’
‘They disowned me a long time ago.’
‘But stealing money from Seth isn’t the answer.’
‘I know, but I need it.’ Shelley bit at her bottom lip before speaking again. ‘Could you look after it for me?’
‘No.’ Ruby put down her mug and shook her head.
‘It wouldn’t be for long, I promise.’
Ruby stood up. ‘I can’t believe you’d ask me to do anything like that. I’ve had the police all over the flat for the past few days. I’ve had my son in hospital and my life on hold.’
‘Sorry. I guess I’ll have to hide it myself and hope he doesn’t find it before I leave.’
‘You mustn’t do that either,’ Ruby objected. ‘You’ll end up living your life on the run. You’ll be looking over your shoulder, wondering if Seth has found you and what he’ll do to you. Because he will come after you, he won’t just forget about it and move on. Men like him don’t. You’ll be in danger and—’
‘Is that what happened to you?’ Shelley interrupted. ‘That man who dropped your Tyler over the side, is he after you?’
‘I … I …’ Ruby looked away. Should she tell Shelley what had gone on in her life before she came to Stoke? She had never trusted anyone with her secret, not even Luke. She decided it was too risky.
Shelley put down her mug too. ‘If you can’t help me, then that’s fine. I’ll do it myself. But you need to sort out this man. I know Seth would help if you wanted me to ask him.’
‘We don’t need anyone’s help.’
‘Are you sure? You only have to say the word and you can feel safe forever.’
‘Like you do?’
Shelley’s laugh was awkward.
Her story didn’t add up to Ruby. What was she playing at? She checked her watch and picked up the two mugs.
‘Time I was getting ready to go to the hospital,’ she said. ‘I’m so excited about bringing Tyler home.’
Shelley stood up and placed a hand on Ruby’s arm. ‘If you need a loan, let me know. There’s more than enough for the two of us to get as far away from Stoke as possible.’
Ruby said nothing.
When Shelley had gone and Ruby had locked the door behind her, she sank to the floor and burst into tears. She hadn’t got a single friend she could rely on. It was clear to her that Seth had sent Shelley round to dangle the carrot about the money she wanted Ruby to ‘keep safe’. Maybe he thought they would steal it, use it to pay their debt, therefore putting themselves more in it.
Or he was after lending extra money to them. Seth would add it to the five thousand Luke already owed and then he’d put interest on it and before they knew it, it would be ten thousand and they would be running from two sets of people then if they left.
She wiped at her eyes. It was time to get serious about things.
2012
Finn was in hospital for over a week. His wounds on the outside were healing well, but he became more paranoid as the days passed, wondering who might be waiting for him when he was discharged.
Ruby had changed his mind about leaving eventually. During her visits, they had planned for his release. She had packed as much as she could into three suitcases and tomorrow they were going to take a train to Wales. They had a bit of money to tide them over. They would go somewhere a little remote where they might not be found. Ruby didn’t mind moving. She was willing to do it for Finn and Lily’s safety. She could get a job, they both could, and start again.
On the morning Finn was due to be released, Ruby almost bounced along the corridor towards the ward as she pushed Lily in her pram, asleep for now. She panicked when she found an empty bed, then smiled. He must be in the day room. They would obviously need his bed.
But he wasn’t there when she looked.
‘Do you know where Finn Ridley is?’ she asked one of the nurses sitting at the ward desk.
‘He’s gone, love.’ The woman frowned. ‘He discharged himself last night. Just after you’d been to visit. I thought you knew.’
Ruby shook her head. ‘He told me it was today. Were you here when he left?’
‘I was. A man came to collect him.’
‘Did he say his name?’
‘I don’t think so. He was burly, I’ll give him that. Quite scary looking actually.’ She put a hand to her mouth. ‘Oh, sorry. Is he a friend of yours?’
‘What did he look like?’
‘Tall, heavy built; too many tattoos for me if you don’t think I’m being rude. That thing on his neck.’ She screwed up her face.
Feeling the blood rush to her head, Ruby held on to the desk for support.
‘Are you okay?’ the woman asked, resting a hand on hers. ‘You’ve gone so pale.’
‘Yes, I’ll be fine. It’s just very hot in here.’
‘It’s always hot in here.’ She smiled. ‘Would you like me to see if he left any details?’
Ruby nodded and waited. But there was nothing.
Where was he? Had Dane got hold of him again?
She raced back to the flat with Lily but he wasn’t there. She tried him several times on his phone over the course of the day but there was never any reply. In the end, she left a message.
‘Finn, ring me. What’s going on? I need to know you’re safe!’
It was two days later before he called. During this time, Ruby had been going out of her mind. Wondering if he was coming back or if he had gone for good.
‘Where are you?’ she cried, so glad to hear his voice at last.
‘I can’t tell you, Rube.’
‘Why not?’
‘It’s best that you don’t know.’
‘But I want to see you. Are you coming home soon?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Don’t do this to me! I want to be with you.’
‘You can be – soon, but not yet.’
‘When?’
‘I’ll keep in touch. I’ll let you know once it’s safe.’
‘But how long will that be?’
‘I’m not sure.’
‘No, Finn, please. Don’t leave me here. I want to be with you.’
‘And I want to be with you, but it’s not safe yet.’
‘What do you mean? Has Dane threatened you again?’
There was a pause down the line. ‘I love you, Ruby. So, so much. I love Lily too. But don’t you see, that’s why I can’t come back yet. If I do, he’ll hurt you next.’
‘We were going to Wales.’
‘We can still go.’
‘When?’
‘In a few weeks maybe. When I’ve given Dane time to think I’ve done a runner without you.’
‘But the nurse said he came to see you.’
‘He did, which is why I had to leave without you. I wasn’t waiting around for him to return.’
‘You’re sure I can be with you soon?’
‘Yes, just hang on for a little while. Six weeks at the most and I’ll find a way to get you out of there. You can meet me somewhere. Can you do that? Can you wait for me?’
‘Promise me you’ll be in touch soon?’
‘I promise. You look after yourself until we’re together again.’
Tears were pouring down her face now, her voice breaking as much as his. In frustratio
n, she disconnected the call. She tried to retrieve his number but he had withheld it. It would most probably be a burner phone. Finn wasn’t stupid.
They would both lay low for a few weeks. Six at the most, he had said. She could do that. She could wait for him. And then they would be together again.
FORTY
Shelley let herself into the flat to find Seth coming out of the bathroom and heading towards the bedroom. She’d hated lying to Ruby and setting her up. But she needed to get out of this mess now that she didn’t trust Seth, and the only way to do it was to provide the proof of what he was up to.
‘I’ve just been to see Ruby, plant the seeds like you told me to about her borrowing money,’ she said, all bright and breezy when she felt nothing of the sort.
‘Did she take the bait?’ Seth towel dried his hair.
‘I’m not sure. But I have a feeling they’re so scared that they’re ready to do a flit.’
‘Not until I get my money back. When are they going? Not today?’
‘I doubt it. She was getting ready to go to the hospital to collect Tyler. She didn’t tell me anything else. I reckon it will be the weekend, though. She needs to know that Tyler is okay first.’
‘You’re a clever woman.’ Seth pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. She hoped he didn’t want to take things further. She couldn’t stomach him at the moment.
But then his demeanour changed.
‘What’s that?’ He pointed to her bag.
She glanced down and gulped. In her haste to check to see if her text message to Eddie had been answered, she’d forgotten to zip up her bag. The envelope containing the money was visible.
‘Oh, it came today – I was going to tell you about it now. It’s an envelope full of money and a strange message written on it.’ She pulled it out and handed it to him. ‘“I will not play your game,”’ she added. ‘What does that mean?’
Seth grabbed her around the throat and pushed her up against the wall. ‘Have you any idea how worried I’ve been since the old woman copped it? You should have given this to me straight away.’
Shelley scrabbled at his hands. ‘Seth, let me go. You’re hurting me.’
But he squeezed harder, his eyes darting back and forth across her own. ‘When did you get this?’
‘This morning. I—’
‘Liar! You couldn’t have got it today because the person it was last with was dead last night.’
Shelley cursed herself for slipping up. She still tried to pull his hands away.
‘Think about it, you stupid bitch. I gave her some money to keep her mouth shut and her nose out of my business after I beat up Milo Benton. She saw it all, along with everything else she was always going on about. I gave it her so that she would owe me. But now, she’s dead and I thought she had the money in her flat and it would lead the cops to me and—’
Shelley tried so hard to keep a poker face. Was Seth actually saying that he had been involved with Mary’s death? She’d thought he was a little over the top at times, hurting her more than necessary on occasions, and his temper snapping at the smallest of things. But murder?
She wrestled herself free as she felt his grip lessen slightly, and went to walk away.
‘Where are you going?’ he demanded, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. He sliced his hand across her mouth.
She cried out as her head cracked to the side with the force. Fear gripped her as she realised he was coming at her again. When Seth was in a mood like this, he was capable of hurting her in a bad way, the red mist descending. She’d seen it with him before, several times, when he’d attacked one of the boys for not delivering a package on time, or if they had come up with some excuse as to why they hadn’t done as he’d told them. She put her hands up to protect herself as much as possible.
‘Actually, I don’t want you here.’ Seth dragged her towards the front door, fumbled with the lock and at last opened it. Then he pushed her out so hard that she fell to her knees on the ground.
‘Stay out of my fucking flat, you piece of lowlife,’ he seethed.
Without looking back, Shelley picked herself up and ran along the walkway, trying not to cry out and bring attention to herself.
Seth slammed the front door. His hands curled up into fists and he knew if Shelley knocked to come back in, he would smash her in the face. He’d worried about that money since last night and all along the stupid bitch had hid it in her handbag.
Then he stopped. If he had the money back, then the police wouldn’t have any clues to go on as to who murdered Mary. He smiled as everything sank in. He took the money from the envelope and hid it in with the rest of his cash in the bedroom.
He went through to the kitchen and took out his lighter. He flicked it on, stood over the sink and put the flame to the envelope. There was no trace of Mary Stanton here now. No trace at all.
FORTY-ONE
The planned community meeting about Tyler Douglas’s fall was still going ahead that afternoon, even though there had been no safety issues as was first thought. Now that the official press conference to say that Mary Stanton’s death was being treated as suspicious had happened, it would be easier to talk to people in one large group as well as going door-to-door.
Grace followed Allie into the main hall of the local church, their job to appease the tenants of Harrison House. There were rows of chairs set out and two rectangular tables together at the top of the room. Apprehension began to set in when she saw how many people were sitting in the seats. At a quick guess there must have been at least fifty. Were they coming to help or hinder? Were they thinking of Mary or was Tyler Douglas’s accident playing on everyone’s mind too?
By her side, she could see Frankie’s knee bouncing up and down.
‘What’s up?’ she asked him.
‘I’m nervous about this,’ he replied.
‘About talking to the public?’
‘No, just the meeting. There seems to be a bad vibe.’
‘Someone has been murdered. There’s nothing good about that.’
The room was noisy, people milling around. But as Allie stood up, a call for quiet went around.
‘Okay, everyone,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’
Grace settled into her seat, Perry on the other side of her. It seemed everyone’s eyes were on them.
‘As you may know, we have now officially confirmed that the woman who died yesterday was Mary Stanton,’ Allie began. ‘She was sixty-nine years of age and had lived in Harrison House for five years.’
‘Two falls in one week can’t be a coincidence,’ a man shouted up from the back.
Allie held up a hand for quiet but someone else chipped in.
‘Disgusting, if you ask me,’ a woman on the front row said, folding her arms and nodding her head for all to see.
Everyone began to speak at once then.
‘We don’t feel safe now.’
‘First the boy was dropped and now a woman has fallen to her death. Something’s going on.’
‘We daren’t come out of our own homes.’
‘Someone’s out to get the residents of Harrison House, aren’t they?’
Frustration tore through Grace as they went off on a tangent. The meeting should have been about the investigations, and not about the residents, but she could understand their annoyance. She was thankful when Allie raised her hand again and asked for quiet.
‘I get that everyone is upset and feeling vulnerable,’ she humoured. ‘But we don’t want second guesses. We don’t need rumours. We want to know if anyone saw anything that can help us to establish what happened.’
‘I saw nothing,’ a teenager from near to the back smirked.
‘Yeah, me too,’ his friend sitting next to him added.
‘I know you all feel intimidated,’ she went on. ‘I’m sure coming forward is something that doesn’t sit well with you, but this is the death of an elderly woman who you all must have seen on a regular basis.’ Allie paused. ‘This mee
ting was set up after Tyler Douglas’s accident but, while we have you all in one place, we want to ask – did anyone see anything they feel they want to tell us about either episode?’
The room dropped into silence.
‘It doesn’t matter how small.’
‘You have enough CCTV to go at,’ someone shouted. ‘Why do you need us to do your job for you?’
‘Because the cameras don’t cover everything. We rely on the eyes and ears of the public—’
‘Doing your jobs for you.’ A man near the aisle shook his head. ‘If you ask me, you don’t have a clue what went on.’
‘Yeah, you’re pissing in the wind,’ a woman shouted.
The meeting wound up shortly afterwards. A lot of the crowd left as soon as they had finished speaking. Most of the outspoken tenants had gone too.
‘Why is it that everyone thinks we don’t want to find out what happened?’ Grace said as she helped Allie stack up the chairs. ‘It’s in everyone’s interests.’
‘We’re doing our job to the best of our abilities but obviously people in Harrison House “never saw anything”. I hope they remember that the next time one of them needs our help.’
Grace stacked the last chair on the pile. ‘It’s just so exasperating at times. The public should want to help us. I wish they could see that we’re not the enemy.’
‘Some people are extremely helpful – others are not at all. But we police them all the same and eventually we find that piece of information, the golden nugget that helps us solve the case.’ Allie leaned closer to Grace. ‘And then the lot of them can go to hell. But don’t tell them I said that.’
Grace stifled a chuckle. ‘I think it’s time for a chocolate break, don’t you? I haven’t had time to grab much today.’
Shelley ran across the car park and down Rose Avenue, the road that ran along the side of Harrison House. She stopped at Eddie’s vehicle, climbing into the passenger seat.
‘What’s so important?’ he asked, the look on his face clearly showing he was annoyed that she’d bothered him.
Shelley hadn’t intended to but she burst into tears and pointed to her face.
