‘I’m really sorry,’ Chrissie apologized, pulling the pram in over the step. ‘I’d have come for him last night if I’d known Tina wasn’t coming back, but I didn’t get home from the hospital till the early hours.’
Aware that she was blasting the wrong person, Mrs Ford said, ‘Yes, well, I appreciate that, Christine. And I hope you don’t think I’m annoyed with you, because I’m not. This is your sister’s doing, not yours. She always was wilful, but she needs to remember that she’s a mother now and she can’t come and go as she pleases. It’s not fair on the baby, or your poor mum.’
Chrissie nodded her agreement, but didn’t say anything as she unstrapped Dylan and lifted him out. She hadn’t paid him much attention since Tina had moved back in, but she was flooded with pity as she cuddled him now. Two years old, and he’d received more love and affection off his grandmother in the last few months than he’d ever had from his feckless excuse for a mother.
A little calmer now that the burden had been lifted from her shoulders, Mrs Ford asked, ‘Any news on your mum, love?’
‘She’s got pneumonia,’ said Chrissie, relieved that the cuddle seemed to be working and Dylan was starting to quieten down. ‘They put her on an antibiotic drip last night, and they reckoned it should start working really fast, so I’m hoping she’ll be home soon.’
‘Well, that’s good.’ Mrs Ford smiled. ‘Send her my regards when you see her, won’t you? And I’m sorry for taking my frustrations out on you just now, but I—’
‘There’s really no need to apologize,’ Chrissie interrupted, shifting Dylan on to her other arm when she felt liquid seeping out of his heavy nappy. ‘Tina was out of order, dumping him on you like that, and I’ll be having words with her when she gets home.’
‘Yes, well, good luck with that,’ said Mrs Ford.
Closing the door when she’d said goodbye, Chrissie gazed down at Dylan and sighed. He’d stopped crying and was resting his head on her shoulder, but his little chest was still heaving. She knew she was a poor substitute for his doting nana, but she was all he had right now, so she kissed him softly on the head and carried him into the living room.
After changing him and settling him on the settee with a bottle, Chrissie tried to call Tina, but it went straight to voicemail. Certain that the bitch had switched her phone off on purpose, Chrissie left a terse message telling her to get her arse home ASAP. That done, she rang work to let them know that she wouldn’t be coming in today, then rang the hospital to ask how her mum was doing. Relieved to hear that she was responding well to the antibiotics, she asked the nurse to let her mum know that she would bring some stuff in for her as soon as she had a chance.
Dylan was asleep by the time she got off the phone, so Chrissie went upstairs to have a quick wash and get dressed. The doorbell rang as she was coming back down, and she was surprised to find Ben on the step.
‘Aren’t you supposed to be at work?’ she asked, leading him into the kitchen.
‘I’ve already been,’ he said. ‘I actually went after I dropped you off last night. Or should that be this morning? Either way, I was too wired to sleep, so I thought I might as well catch up on some paperwork while my head was buzzing.’
‘Have you been there all night?’ Chrissie glanced over her shoulder as she reached into the cupboard for cups. Smiling slyly when he nodded, she said, ‘I guess that explains why you’re still wearing those disgusting trousers.’
‘What’s wrong with them?’ Ben frowned and gazed down at himself.
‘Would you like me to be nice, or honest?’
‘How about both?’
Laughing softly, Chrissie said, ‘Okay, I’m going to assume you’re colour-blind, ’cos that’s the only excuse for going out in public wearing puke-green pants. But this has got to stop right now!’ She yanked his shirt out of his trousers. ‘And don’t even get me started on them.’ She pulled a face and pointed at his shoes.
Before Ben could respond, the doorbell rang again. This time it was Leanne.
‘You said you were going to text me and let me know what was happening,’ she scolded, pulling Chrissie into a hug. ‘I’ve been worrying all morning.’
‘And night,’ Jake added mock-wearily when he joined them after paying the taxi driver.
‘Sorry,’ Chrissie apologized, waving them into the hall. ‘I didn’t get home till gone three, and our Tina dumped the baby on next door, so I had to take him in when I got up. Poor thing was bawling his head off, but he’s asleep now, thank God.’
She had led them into the kitchen by then, and Leanne exchanged a knowing look with Jake when she saw Ben finishing off the brews Chrissie had started. He was wearing the same clothes he’d been wearing the previous night, but his shirt was now hanging loose instead of being neatly tucked inside his trousers.
‘Ben’s just called round to ask if there was any news on my mum,’ Chrissie said pointedly when she caught the exchange. ‘Isn’t that kind of him?’
‘Very,’ Leanne replied facetiously.
‘All right, mate.’ Jake clapped Ben on the back. ‘Good night, was it?’
‘Very good, actually,’ Ben said innocently as he took two more cups out of the cupboard.
‘Okay, you two, pack it in,’ Chrissie said wearily. ‘He’s been at work all night, so just grow up and quit with the innuendos.’
Still smirking, Leanne and Jake took a seat at the tiny table.
‘How’s your mum?’ Leanne asked. ‘Was it her heart, like they thought?’
‘No, it’s pneumonia,’ said Chrissie, perching on a stool so Ben could take the third chair. ‘I can’t believe they didn’t pick up on it when the GP sent her in for those tests the other day. They’re just lucky she didn’t die last night, or I’d be suing the arse off them right now.’
‘It’s a good job your Tina was here to call the ambulance,’ Leanne said, smiling at Ben when he carried their teas over. ‘Is she still in bed?’
‘Probably, but not her own,’ Chrissie snorted. ‘She took off as soon as I turned up at the hospital and I haven’t seen her since. I’ve already had to take the day off work to look after Dylan, and there’s no way I can take tomorrow off as well, so she’s got till six, then I’m calling social services.’
‘You don’t mean that.’ Leanne frowned.
‘Don’t I?’ Chrissie shot back. Then, sighing, she rolled her eyes. ‘Course I don’t; my mum would never forgive me. And it’s not his fault, bless him. He didn’t ask to get lumbered with a waste of space like her.’
‘Is that him waking up?’ Leanne asked when she heard a muffled whimper coming from the next room.
Muttering, ‘Great! He’s only been asleep five minutes,’ Chrissie dragged herself to her feet and went to check on him.
‘She looks really stressed out,’ Leanne said quietly when she’d gone. ‘I think I’d better stay with her till Tina gets back. You don’t mind if we give lunch a miss, do you, Jake?’
‘Of course not,’ he assured her, reaching for his tea. ‘I’ve got plenty to be getting on with, so I’ll have this then get going. You going to the office, Ben?’
Stifling a yawn, Ben shook his head. ‘I went in after I dropped Chrissie off last night, so I should probably go home and get my head down for a couple of hours.’
Leanne and Jake exchanged another secretive smile, both still convinced that Ben was lying and had actually spent the night here. Sure that she’d get the truth out of Chrissie when they were alone, Leanne showed the men out as soon as they had finished their drinks, then popped her head around the living room door.
‘How’s he doing?’
‘He’ll be okay,’ Chrissie whispered, gently patting Dylan’s back. ‘Probably just missing his nana.’
When the boy’s eyes closed after a moment, and the snuffling quietened, Chrissie motioned Leanne back into the kitchen.
‘You look knackered,’ Leanne said, watching as Chrissie carried the cups to the sink and rinsed them out. ‘Anything you�
�d like to tell me?’
‘Like what?’ asked Chrissie, switching the kettle on to make a fresh brew.
‘About you and Ben.’
‘I’ve already told you, nothing happened.’
‘Well you looked pretty cosy when me and Jake got here. You all flustered; Ben with his shirt hanging out like he’d got dressed in a hurry.’
‘I’d just pulled it out when you got here, actually.’
‘You dirty mare!’
‘Behave! I’m talking about his shirt, not his soldier.’
‘Joking aside, you could do worse,’ said Leanne. ‘He seems really nice.’
‘He is,’ Chrissie agreed. ‘And I could have kissed him when I came out after seeing my mum last night and found him waiting for me. But he’s not my type, and I’m not his, so there’s no point trying to push us together.’
‘We’ll see,’ Leanne murmured, sure that Chrissie was exactly Ben’s type. Why else would he have spent the night in that hospital waiting room, and then come round here first thing to check on her, if he didn’t fancy her?
‘So, how was your first night with Jake as an official couple?’ Chrissie asked when she carried their drinks to the table. ‘Still think it was the right decision?’
‘Yes,’ Leanne said without hesitation. ‘I honestly do.’
‘Well, at least one of us is getting laid at last,’ Chrissie teased. ‘Just let me know when I need to start shopping for a hat.’
‘What was that?’ Leanne said, hearing a noise in the hall. ‘Dylan hasn’t got up again, has he?’
Chrissie listened for a moment, and shrugged when she heard nothing. ‘Probably just the post. Anyway, tell me about the meal. I was gutted I missed it. Was it good?’
*
Out in the hall, Tina hesitated at the sound of Chrissie’s voice in the kitchen. She’d hitched a ride after leaving the hospital last night, and the lads who’d picked her up had invited her back to their place for a party. Never one to turn down the offer of free drugs, she’d forgotten about the man she was supposed to be meeting and had spent the night snorting coke and having sex with the lads instead. But if she’d thought they were going to let her stick around to sleep it off this morning, she was sadly mistaken. The bastards had turfed her out at first light, and she’d been forced to make her own way home, even though she hadn’t known where she was.
Back now, her head pounding and her legs aching from the long walk, she’d already crept past Mrs Ford’s to avoid having to pick up Dylan and have him pester the fuck out of her, so there was no way she was hanging around down here to take shit off her sister.
She started to creep up the stairs, but forgot about the creaky one in the middle, and winced when the kitchen door flew open.
‘Don’t start,’ she muttered sickly when Chrissie walked out. ‘I’m not feeling well, so I’m going for a lie-down.’
‘Ah, you poor thing,’ Chrissie said sweetly. ‘Hard night, was it?’
‘A bit,’ Tina replied warily, wondering why her sister was being nice to her for a change.
‘Well, you’re home now, so you can have a rest,’ said Chrissie, taking her coat off the hook behind the door and slipping it on. ‘Dylan’s in the front room, but he’s only just dropped off so try not to wake him when you carry him up.’
‘Why’s he here?’ Tina frowned. ‘I left him with Mrs F.’
‘She brought him back,’ said Chrissie. ‘And she wasn’t best pleased, so I’d stay out of her way, if I was you.’
‘Can’t you take him out with you?’ Tina moaned. ‘My head’s killing me.’
‘No, I can’t,’ Chrissie snapped, dropping the act. ‘You’re his mother, not me, and it’s about time you started acting like it.’
‘I might have known you were just being sarky,’ Tina sneered. ‘You’re such a bitch. You can see I’m not well.’
‘Self-inflicted,’ Chrissie said unsympathetically, recognizing the signs of a drug comedown. ‘Move,’ she said then, marching up the stairs and pushing Tina aside. ‘I need to get my bag.’
Tina waited until Chrissie had gone into the bedroom, and then darted back down the stairs.
‘Tina . . . ?’ Chrissie rushed back out on to the landing when she heard the door opening and closing. ‘Don’t you dare sneak out!’
Furious to see that her sister had disappeared by the time she ran outside, Chrissie kicked the gate before making her way back into the house.
‘See what I mean?’ she complained. ‘She doesn’t give a toss about anybody but herself.’
‘No point getting upset about it,’ Leanne counselled, rising from her seat when Dylan started to cry. ‘Sit down and finish your brew; I’ll see to him. And I can watch him later if you need to go and see your mum.’
Chrissie nodded and breathed out slowly to release the anger. ‘Thanks, you’re a lifesaver.’
‘You’d do the same for me,’ said Leanne, pushing her gently into her seat.
14
Three weeks had passed since Ben had driven Chrissie to the hospital to see her mum, and he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. She was on his mind from the moment he woke in the morning until he climbed into bed each night. She still had that same sharp tongue that had earned her a reputation as being a tough nut when they were kids, but he’d seen humour behind the spikiness, and he liked that she was direct without being nasty. She was also rather attractive, he thought; with curves in all the right places and a smile that lit up her face in a way they never did with skinnier, more image-conscious girls. Sadly, she’d made it quite clear that she didn’t fancy him, so nothing was ever going to develop between them. But he was hoping that they could at least be friends. If he ever saw her again.
Jake had been busy in the weeks following the aborted meal, and Ben hadn’t seen much of him. So when he was woken early one morning by an out-of-the-blue phone call from his friend, he immediately thought the worst.
‘What’s up?’ he asked worriedly when he answered. ‘It’s not Chrissie’s mum, is it?’
‘Chrissie’s mum?’ Jake repeated, amused. ‘Man, you must have it bad if she was the first thing you thought of.’
‘You’re not usually up this early, so I thought something must be wrong,’ Ben muttered, feeling foolish. ‘She was really ill, last I heard, so I just thought you might have heard something.’
‘Well I haven’t, so I’m guessing nothing’s changed,’ said Jake. ‘Anyway, never mind her, do you want to hear my news?’
Ben sat up and pushed his wayward curls out of his eyes. ‘Go on,’ he said.
‘I’ve just bought a house,’ Jake announced.
‘Seriously?’
‘Yep. I’ve been toying with the idea of investing in property for a while, and this place came up, so I figured it was time to take the leap.’
‘Wow, that’s great, I’m really pleased for you. Where is it?’
‘Round the corner from you,’ said Jake. ‘It’s Leanne’s old place.’
‘Where that bloke got murdered?’ Ben spluttered, wondering if his friend had lost his mind. ‘You are joking, aren’t you?’
‘Why would I joke about something like that?’
‘Because someone got murdered in there,’ Ben repeated slowly. ‘No one’s going to want to live there after that, and they definitely wouldn’t be crazy enough to buy it if you’re thinking of selling it on.’
‘Which is exactly why I got it so cheap,’ said Jake. ‘I had a word with the owner the day it happened and told him I was interested. We met up yesterday to discuss it, and he almost bit my hand off when I made him an offer.’
‘I thought you said it was a wreck,’ Ben reminded him. ‘What if the bank refuses to give you a mortgage?’
‘I’m paying cash, so that’s not an issue,’ Jake said unconcernedly. ‘And the owner’s agreed to take care of the major repairs, so it’ll be set for new tenants as soon as that’s out of the way and you’ve given it a lick of paint.’
�
��Me?’ Ben replied incredulously. ‘Are you forgetting I’ve got a business of my own to run?’
‘Mate, I’m not being funny, but we both know it’s on its arse,’ said Jake. ‘I know you’re strapped, so I’m trying to do you a favour here. And it won’t be a one-off, ’cos I’m intending to buy a lot more places in the future. So, are you in, or what?’
Ben didn’t know what to say. He’d known that Jake was doing all right for himself, but he’d had no idea that his friend had enough ready cash lying around to buy a house outright. Ben’s business, on the other hand, was in serious trouble. Unlike Jake, who had flitted from one get-rich-quick scheme to another after leaving school, Ben had gone to college and studied to become an accountant – the most secure of all careers, he’d thought, given that money made the world go round. Unfortunately, the recession had put paid to most of the smaller businesses he’d handled when he first set out, and as larger companies tended to hire in-house accountants, he was now down to just a handful of clients. And the way their fortunes were going, he reckoned that most of them would be throwing in the towel before too long.
‘Mate, I need an answer,’ Jake cut into his thoughts. ‘Are you in, or do I need to look for someone else?’
‘Okay, I’ll do it,’ Ben agreed, wondering as he said it if he was going to be fit enough to paint a three-storey house by himself after spending the last few years getting fat behind a desk.
‘Good man,’ said Jake. ‘Now get your arse out of bed, ’cos I’ve just pulled up outside yours. We’re going to see the house.’
‘What, now?’ Ben frowned. ‘What about the police?’
‘They finished with it a while ago,’ Jake assured him. ‘And I’ve only got an hour, so get moving.’
‘Okay, give me five,’ said Ben, shoving the quilt off his legs.
*
A piece of crime-scene tape was still tied to the lamp post when they arrived at the house ten minutes later, and Ben shivered when he climbed out of the car and heard it flapping in the wind.
‘This is creepy,’ he muttered, casting a nervous glance at the downstairs window. ‘They reckon the old woman who lived in there found the body and called the police. Can you imagine if it had been Leanne who found it? Or, God forbid, that she’d been here when it happened and got in the way.’
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