by Sam Fintz
SAM FINTZ
A MOTHER SCORNED
Copyright © Sam Fintz 2019.
Sam Fintz has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this Work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without the written permission of the author or publisher, and where permitted by law. Reviewers may quote brief passages.
This is a work of fiction. All names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or they are used fictitiously. If there are any resemblances to actual persons living or dead, or to any business establishments, events or locales, these are entirely coincidental.
www.samfintz.co.uk
Acknowledgements
My special thanks to these guys:
Robert and Sarah Cline
Adrian and Graham Lumley-Jones
You were especially generous and without your help and support this would not be possible.
There were of course others who were involved in bringing this to life. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
I have been overwhelmed by the support of so many people. It has truly been a great experience!
Last but not least, thank you to my partner Colin for his unfailing support and his faith in my ability, for all the hours of help with editing and rereads and for helping get the design and the book ready to go.
For my late mother Barbara, always in my heart.
Chapter 1
It was a particularly miserable day, even by Manchester standards. A bleary-eyed and clearly exhausted Rose Winters was huddled under the useless little black umbrella. She was struggling to hold it steady against the wind with her one good hand. She felt even more sad as she thought how cruel life was to bring her to this point. Her visible bruises had almost disappeared by now, but her heart was still very sore.
Her husband Jim’s coffin stood proudly above the grave. She chose the dark wood with the brass handles because he would have loved it. She had never felt so alone. Her son Stefan was still in ICU. He would still not speak to her. He was still in a critical condition, and hope and prayers were all she had.
Looking around at the people around the graveside, Rose was amazed that there were so many there on such a hideous day. She almost laughed as she thought that it was amazing what a buffet and a free drink can do!
As the coffin was lowered inch by inch, piece by piece Rose’s heart was breaking again. Into the grave all their joint dreams and plans went. As Rose threw a handful of wet soil on top, she couldn’t help but think about how much she still had to achieve and how empty her life would be from now on. She knew she had to focus on Stefan and his hopeful recovery. She also knew that Jim would have wanted it that way. Still, it was not going to be easy. Luckily, she had her neighbour Fat Pat to help. Fat Pat was standing just a few feet away from her looking skinny and bedraggled in her ill-fitting black dress and a raincoat that was a few sizes too big. She wasn’t known for her style, but she had a huge heart.
Once they had left the cemetery and gone back to the four-bedroomed detached house in Didsbury, Rose and Fat Pat busied themselves with putting out the food. Rose went into autopilot, unwrapping the vol-aux-vents and the sandwiches and putting the kettle on. As she was getting the cups ready and spooning out the coffee, she flashed back to the graveside and the soil she threw onto Jim’s coffin. With a sigh, she walked to the liquor tray and poured herself a stiff shot of Jura to stop herself from dissolving into tears. Any minute the hungry hoards would descend on her tidy home, dragging mud all over the place. She needed to be ready. Not only for them, but also for what lay ahead. This scared her the most. She didn’t know what lay ahead.
Fat Pat came into the room just then, bringing her back to reality and asked her if she needed anything. Gulping down the remainder of the single malt in her glass, she smiled and said: “No thanks. Let’s go face the crowds!”
Chapter 2
Three weeks earlier………………….
Jim had been looking forward to going to the Royal Exchange Theatre and dinner at The Rivals, the restaurant at the Royal Exchange that he had heard so much about. He had managed to get front row seats for the three of them. They were all going to make a night of it. He was dressed in his black suit with a pink shirt and decided against a tie, opting to flash a bit of his hairy chest that Rose loved so much. She looked gorgeous in her black and white two-piece with the pearls he had bought her when Stefan was born. Stefan decided on jeans and a simple linen jacket with a white t-shirt that accentuated his good build. He wore the loafers he had saved so hard for. The three of them looked so stylish as they stepped into Jim’s Classic Mercedes 500SE and headed off into the city. Jim was fastidious about his cars and had picked this one for its timeless sleek styling. The black sedan was so shiny after its weekly trip to the valet.
Jim was a careful driver even though he had 5 litres of power under the bonnet. As they cruised up Princess Road towards the city centre, the radio was playing Smooth Operator, his favourite tune. He was just thinking what a smooth operator he was indeed to catch all the green lights as he passed onto the junction with Wilbraham Road. Jim didn’t see the Ferrari until it was almost on top of him and the last thing he heard was Stefan shout “Look out!”
The Ferrari was doing at least 80 miles per hour as it ploughed into the side of the Mercedes sending it spinning across the junction. Jim had seen it coming just as it hit his Mercedes, but he wouldn’t have felt a thing as the impact snapped his neck in two. Stefan felt a jarring pain as he was knocked to the side by the sheer force and the only thing that stopped him from flying into the air was the seat belt, which he felt biting into his shoulder. As she was shoved hard against the door of the car, Rose felt the sheer force of the impact as well as her husband’s blood all over her before she slipped into unconsciousness. Stefan was not so lucky. He was very much awake and very much in pain.
Aiden Harrington scrambled out of what was left of his Ferrari. To the utter disbelief of the gathering crowd his first words were “What the fuck have you done to my car? I just got it!” The man could barely stand and the only things really propping him up were the vodka martinis and the cocaine that he had just devoured. He angrily grabbed the nearest person’s mobile phone and threw it to the ground shouting, “The next cunt to film me is going to get sued. Don’t you people have any idea who I am?”
Chapter 3
By the time Stefan got to the operating table Rose was conscious. She was so numb from the shock of the accident and the news that her beloved Jim was dead, and her son was on the operating table. The doctors had cleaned her up as best they could, and her arm was in plaster in a sling. She was just starting to realise how severe it all was and as the numbness started to recede, it was replaced with a pain she had never felt before. It felt like her arms and legs had been torn off and her heart had been wrenched out.
The doctors were fighting to repair the damage to Stefan’s spine. The impact had been so severe it had almost crushed part of his spine. At this stage it was uncertain if he would lead a normal life ever again. Time would tell.
Rose sat in the family waiting room. They had given her some scrubs to wear as her own clothing was soaked in Jim’s blood. She had asked one of the nurses to call Fat Pat who was now on her way to the Manchester Royal Infirmary to be with her. Rose felt so anxious and whilst she was in physical as well as mental pain, she couldn’t sit still. She kept thinking about Stefan and wondering how his life could ever be the same again. He had everything going for him and now that may all change
. She thought about Jim lying in the mortuary. Her beautiful husband taken away and her beautiful son in surgery……how cruel life can be. Why me, why us? What did we do to deserve this?
The sound of Fat Pat’s voice brought Rose back to reality. A reality she did not know whether she would be able to face. She could hear Fat Pat talking to the nurse at the reception. She got up and went out to greet her and the two women hugged like their own lives depended on it. “What’s the latest, love?” Fat Pat asked Rose.
In between tears and hysterics, Rose did the best she could to give her a quick rundown of what little she knew.
“Stefan is still in surgery and nobody has an idea how long he would be there. Why isn’t anyone updating me?” Rose asked Fat Pat. Rose still didn’t know if he was going to make it or what he would be like after surgery. It was a lot to deal with and despite her current state, she really was pleased that her dear friend was there with her.
Fat Pat went to get them some coffee, or what resembled coffee. When she got back, they just sat in stunned silence waiting for what they both hoped would be good news. Every time someone walked past the family room they froze as they thought it would be news of Stefan. The time seemed to drag on endlessly. Suddenly the door opened, and the surgeon stood in front of the two women who had stood up instinctively.
“Mrs Winters? I am Mr Sharman your son’s surgeon, please sit down,” the surgeon told them, gesturing to the chairs they had just vacated.
Chapter 4
Once the ambulances had left with the Winters family, the Police turned their attention to Aiden, who was standing just next to fence of the school, a few feet away from the traffic lights.
The officer in charge, Sergeant Steve Jones, faced Aiden and told him “Aiden Harrington, I have to caution you at this stage. I will be arresting you on suspicion of driving whilst intoxicated and dangerous driving. You do not have to say anything, but anything you say can and will be used….” He didn’t have time to finish his statement when there was the sound of a chopper overhead.
To everyone’s amazement, the Harrington Aeronautical helicopter swooped down and landed on the playing field in front of the school. When you are the Harringtons you don’t need permission to land wherever you choose. As soon as it touched down Malcolm Harrington and his lawyer Mike Chalmers jumped out and ran across to where Aiden was standing.
“Aiden don’t say a single word!” Mike shouted. “I will deal with this! Officers my client is coming with me.”
At that moment the mobile of Sergeant Steve Jones rang. It was his boss. His face tightened as he listened. He had heard this so many times before.
When he had finished the call, he turned to Aiden and said “Once we have breathalysed you and swabbed for drugs, you will be free to go. For now.” With Mike Chalmers watching their every move they quickly and nervously carried out the tests, which Aiden naturally failed. Sergeant Jones completed his caution and let Aiden go.
Smiling like a kid with a new toy, Aiden and Mike walked through the ever-growing crowd to join Aiden’s father and with the same extravagance, they were swept away in the helicopter leaving the police and the towing crew to clean up the mess Aiden had just created. This was Aiden’s M.O. Make a mess, walk away and have it all cleaned up. This was an everyday occurrence for Aiden, often to the dismay of Mike, who was inevitably the “cleaner”.
Malcolm turned to his son and said: “Speak to no-one about this. The only people you discuss this with are me and Mike. No press, no friends, no family, nobody. Are we clear?”
Aiden was looking out of the window of the helicopter. He just nodded. “It’s so good to be rich,” he thought, smiling to himself as he looked down on the sprawling city.
Chapter 5
After four excruciatingly long hours, Stefan Chambers was finally finished in surgery and moved to the ICU. The doctors had decided to keep him in a medically induced coma as any sudden movement could mean permanent and complete paralysis, although this was not completely ruled out yet.
As the surgeon explained this to Rose, she sat there dead still trying to take it all in. Fat Pat was holding her hand trying to reassure her. Her son could be unable to walk. Or worse, move at all. There was a large degree of damage in the spine area and the next few days would be critical. Rose was warned that his life was still not out of danger, so all they could do was wait and hope and pray. After the surgeon had fully updated Rose, he left the room. None of this would sink in. Or did she not want to face reality?
Fat Pat left Rose at Stefan’s bedside whilst she went to make some calls. It wasn’t going to be easy telling people that Jim was dead, and that Stefan was critically ill in hospital. But she put on her bravest voice and started calling.
Rose in the meantime just sat next to her son’s bed holding his hand. He was so warm, and his hand felt soft in hers. Just like when he was a small boy, which seemed so long ago now. All she could hear was the sound of the machines and the rhythmic breathing of the ventilator. All keeping her son alive.
“Please Stefan, fight this. I can’t lose you as well,” Rose whispered as she fought back tears unsuccessfully.
As Rose sat there, she suddenly realised that someone was going to have to pay for what they have done to her beautiful family and they would have to pay dearly. Nobody does this to Rose Winters. Nobody!
Chapter 6
At the Harrington mansion in Cheshire, Aiden was being dropped off by the company chauffeur. He suddenly felt quite tired, but this was no surprise considering the partying he had just done. Not to mention totalling his Ferrari. He would have to use his Range Rover until he could get a replacement. A minor inconvenience, yet still a pain in the arse. The Range Rover wasn’t as nimble as the other car.
In his bedroom he undressed and as he headed to the shower, he couldn’t help but marvel at his physique. It took a lot of work and a lot of money to look this good. Aiden was quite tall and had thick dark hair. He had striking features and he was muscular, but not overly so. He kept his body hair trimmed and tidy and shaved his pubic hair. His late mother who was American, had had the good sense to circumcise him as a baby. He always felt it was much tidier and cleaner. The girls (and some of the boys) loved it.
Whilst he warmed the shower and got some steam going, he went to his safe in the dressing room and removed a small bag of white powder. He spooned out a little with his gold spoon and snorted it, immediately feeling the rush he was after. He stepped into the shower and had a long and luxurious time in there, washing away any concerns he might have had.
When he finished showering, he got on the phone to Jason Packham, his best friend in the world and serious party partner. Jason wasn’t as tall as Aiden, but he was equally well-built and just as fastidious about personal grooming.
After two rings Jason answered, and the two arranged to meet at the Manchester One and Only Hotel, for dinner and drinks. Aiden said that he had some news for him, so they decided to meet alone for a late dinner and hook up with the rest of their mates at the Apothecary Bar after that. Aiden said they could arrange that afterwards but urged Jason not to be late as the news was spectacular.
Aiden went to his dressing room and picked out a preppy outfit and his Gucci loafers. He wasn’t in the mood for casual wear so this would be ideal. He was glad the butler wasn’t there to pick out his outfit today as he couldn’t really read Aiden’s mood very well, even after all these years.
When he was ready, he jumped into the Range Rover and sped out of the grounds of the estate. He couldn’t wait to see Jason’s face when he told him. This was better than anything Packham could have pulled! Way better!
Chapter 7
Aiden was in his own world as he drove along the M56 motorway. The Range Rover was cruising along at around 85 mph. Faster than he had been travelling when he crashed the Ferrari.
Feeling distracted, his mind wondered back to that afternoon at the penthouse apartment in the city that he used as his bolthole. Lately he had been sta
ying there a lot more. There weren’t many of them at the party but if you looked at the bar you would think he was expecting a bus load of lapsed alcoholics. He had a special mirrored table in the middle of the lounge that was ideal for lining up the cocaine. He had got enough cocaine to make a good number of lines on the table. When people arrived, they had to “check in” by snorting a line or two. Aiden always thought that was the best way to get things rolling, and what Aiden wanted he ALWAYS got.
He was a bit miffed that his best mate Jason couldn’t be there, but he soon got over that when his favourite power couple arrived. Carl and Emma were super rich thanks to their trust funds. As well as being gorgeous they could also party the whole night away. Today Carl was wearing tailored Armani shorts and a t-shirt, both of which left little to the imagination and Emma was in her signature black Chanel with Manolo Blahnik pumps. He hugged them both and got them to “check in.” Carl was clearly in a good mood as he snorted two lines. Things were looking up.
There were 10 people there by the time the food started coming out. There was sushi and caviar and lots of it, with more than enough Bollinger to wash it down. As usual Aiden had the serving staff dressed as skimpily as possible without actually being naked, just. It was on the cusp, just as everything was with Aiden. There were two girls serving the sushi and one young and very muscular young man serving the caviar with little silver spoons. His usual barman Will, was keeping all the glasses filled. The music was pumping out Ibiza chilled sounds and everything was perfect. Once the food was served the lights were dimmed and the staff disappeared, all except for Will. Everyone was talking and laughing, and things were starting to get a little cosy. Aiden’s parties were always like this.
