by Roberta Kray
‘Even if the guy is a vicious thug?’
‘Does that make it okay?’
‘Is it okay for some geezer to try and get into your boyfriend’s pants?’
Maddie gave a faint smile. ‘Well, it’s hardly polite, but there are better ways of dealing with it.’
‘Perhaps if you live on the Mansfield, you grab what you can when you can. Your prospects aren’t too great in a place like that. And your moral compass probably shifts a little when you’re stuck in a concrete tower all day with a kid to raise, bills to pay and no money for the meter.’
‘You’re defending her?’
He gave a shrug. ‘Just playing devil’s advocate.’
‘She didn’t have to live on the Mansfield. She and Zac could have moved in with my mum. There’s enough room in the house.’
‘And what about Bo?’
Maddie knew that her mother hadn’t been keen on Bo Vale. Kim Layne would put up with most things – she was as liberal as they came – but she drew the line when it came to dealing drugs. It was doubtful if any invitation for Greta to come and live in Morton Grove would have extended to her boyfriend. Everyone knew that Bo sold dope on the estate. ‘Greta could have still seen him.’
‘Maybe she didn’t want to go running back to her mum. It’s not always easy to admit you’re in trouble.’
Maddie speared a slice of mushroom, dipped it in the sauce and popped it in her mouth.
‘How’s the pasta?’ he asked.
‘Oh, lovely,’ she replied guiltily, realising how little notice she’d been taking of it. ‘Really nice. How’s yours?’
‘Mm, good.’
And Maddie was suddenly aware that it wasn’t just the pasta she was taking for granted. Here she was in a swanky restaurant with a funny, good-looking guy and all she was talking about were her own problems. She let her eyes roam over him for a moment, taking in his handsome face, his solid shoulders and the smart dark blue suit he was wearing. His shirt was white, and he had even put on a tie. ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘I’ve been droning on, haven’t I? Tell me what you’ve been doing today.’
‘Nothing as interesting as you. It’s been seriously dull in comparison. And if you’re suggesting that you’re boring me, you’re not. I want to hear about it, really I do.’
‘I think I’ve just about covered everything.’
‘It’s fascinating, though, isn’t it? Something that happened all that time ago and —’ He stopped abruptly, his mouth twisting.
‘What’s the matter?’
‘I didn’t intend that to come out, so… Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound callous. I know this is about your sister and what happened to her.’
‘You didn’t. I know what you meant.’ Maddie found that she liked him even more for considering her feelings. ‘The whole Cato thing is fascinating. Although it’s scary to think that he could be innocent. Imagine spending all that time in jail, being convicted of something that you didn’t do.’
‘Not a happy thought.’
Maddie gazed around the restaurant, which was somehow smart and rustic at the same time. It was ages since she’d been here. She thought it must have been when her father had last visited, back in 2012. The place was packed, with every table taken. ‘It’s busy,’ she said.
‘That’s because it’s the place to be on a Saturday night in Kellston.’
‘Come here a lot, then, do you?’
His eyes glinted with amusement as he looked at her. ‘Are you probing, Maddie Layne? Are you trying to discover if I often wine and dine beautiful young women in these pleasant surroundings?’
‘And do you?’ she asked, keeping her voice as light as his.
‘No,’ he said.
‘Well, I’m flattered.’
He picked up his glass, took a drink and grinned. ‘Although I haven’t lived here for long.’
‘Not that flattered, then.’
‘Hey, we gravediggers like to try and retain at least a modicum of mystery.’
‘It’s not working,’ she said.
He placed his hand on his chest. ‘Now you’re shattering my ego.’
‘Eat your spaghetti,’ she said. ‘You’ll get over it.’
A waitress walked past holding a plate in each hand and one balanced on her arm. Maddie followed her progress as the woman glided effortlessly across the room. It was only as she shifted her gaze a little that she noticed Solomon Vale sitting at a table near the window. He was sharing a candlelit supper with a very attractive black-haired girl. Was she his girlfriend? Maddie, curious, peered between the heads, trying to get a better look.
Rick glanced over his shoulder and back at her. ‘Should I be worried?’
‘Sorry?’ she said, focusing on him again.
‘You’ve been staring at that guy for the last thirty seconds. If I was the insecure type, I might start to get a complex.’
‘Ah, how sweet. Are you feeling threatened?’
‘What, just because the guy’s a little bigger than me?’
‘Yes.’
Rick grinned again. ‘Come on, then. Who is he?’
‘That,’ she said, ‘is Bo’s older brother, Solomon.’
‘Really?’ He turned to look again. ‘Not the kind of guy you’d want to get on the wrong side of.’
‘Best not get on his wrong side, then.’
Solomon, as if instinctively aware of eyes being on him, tensed and quickly glanced around the room. He saw Maddie, relaxed and raised his hand. She waved back. The girl he was with gave her a long, hard stare as if assessing the possible competition. Maddie smiled. The girl didn’t smile back.
‘Who’s the woman?’ Rick asked.
‘No idea. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her. Pretty, though, don’t you think?’
‘Ha!’ he said, shaking his head. ‘I’m not falling for that one. I learned a long time ago never to say anything complimentary about another woman.’
‘Someone trained you well.’
‘I trained myself. I’m a very fast learner.’
Maddie looked towards the table again. ‘I wonder who she is.’
‘New girlfriend?’
Maddie hoped not. There was something about the girl, about the way she’d stared, that she didn’t like. She thought about the conversation she would need to have with Solomon at some point. It wasn’t a talk that she was looking forward to. Would he simply dismiss what Cato had told her, or would he confront Adam Vasser? That could mean trouble and she didn’t want to be the cause of it.
‘So,’ Rick said, ‘you fancy a sweet?’
Maddie’s thoughts were still with Solomon. ‘Huh? Sorry?’
‘A sweet,’ he said. ‘Or coffee?’
‘Yes, a coffee. That would be nice. Thanks.’
‘Or…’ he said.
‘Or?’
‘You could invite me back to your place for one.’
Maddie inclined her head, studying his face. She waited a moment before replying. ‘Well, I could, but then you might get the wrong idea.’
‘If I was that kind of guy,’ he said. ‘But of course I’m not.’
‘Aren’t all guys that kind of guy?’
‘Isn’t that a sweeping generalisation?’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Doesn’t mean it’s not true, though.’
‘And here was me thinking I was the perfect gentleman.’
Maddie had to admit that he hadn’t tried to take advantage on what she had come to think of as the Day of the Box. The image of the dead impaled sparrow jumped into her head again. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to invite him back. With Zac staying at his grandparents’, she would be alone overnight and it would be reassuring to have some company for an hour or two.
‘All right,’ she said. ‘But just a coffee, okay?’
‘What, no biscuits?’
‘I’ll think about it.’
Rick asked for the bill, and when it arrived, Maddie went through the obligatory motions of reaching for her ba
g and offering to pay half. She was relieved when he refused; she couldn’t really afford it. Adriano’s, although not extortionate, wasn’t the cheapest place to eat.
‘No, this is on me. I invited you, didn’t I?’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Absolutely sure.’
‘Well, thank you,’ she said. ‘It was lovely. I’ve enjoyed it.’
As they left the restaurant, she waved goodbye to Solomon. This time the girl, who by now must have discovered who she was, gave her a thin but in no way friendly smile. Maddie found herself hoping that it wasn’t anything serious between the two of them.
Outside, the air was heavy. They had barely got a hundred yards down the road when they heard the first roll of thunder, quickly followed by a bright lightning flash. Maddie glanced up at the dark sky, regretting that she had left her umbrella at home. After returning from Thornley Heath, she had left it to dry in the kitchen and forgotten all about it.
At first, it was just a few big drops splattering on the pavement. And then, gradually, the rain gathered pace. Suddenly, the heavens opened. They began to run even though it was pointless. The rain was fast and torrential, a deluge that was impossible to escape. As if a tap had been turned on, it fell from the sky like a waterfall.
By the time they reached Morton Grove, they were both drenched. Stepping into the hallway, they shook themselves like wet dogs, laughing at the sight of each other soaked to the skin. Maddie rushed through to the kitchen, flicking on the lights as she went.
‘Coffee,’ she said. ‘We need hot coffee.’
‘You know what I think?’ he said, coming up to her as she switched on the kettle and started reaching for mugs.
She turned to face him. ‘And what’s that, Mr Mallory?’
He came very close to her and placed his arms round her waist. ‘I think the first thing we should do is get out of these wet clothes.’
‘I bet you do,’ she said, gazing up at him.
He pushed a sodden strand of hair behind her ear. ‘Purely on health and safety grounds, you understand.’
She smiled, about to wriggle out of his hold, when she suddenly had second thoughts. Perhaps it was time to stop running away from things, to take a risk, to grab a little happiness.
For Greta, all those opportunities had gone. Her life, all her hopes and dreams, had been snatched away from her. Sometimes there were no second chances.
‘Maybe you’re right,’ she murmured. ‘I mean, we wouldn’t want to go breaking the law.’
‘No,’ he agreed. ‘That’s the last thing we’d want to do.’
As he bent his head, she closed her eyes and felt his lips brush hers. Light kisses at first, slow and thoughtful, tender and coaxing, until he felt her respond, until he felt her need growing as forcefully as his. And then his hands began to roam over her abdomen, exploring her back, her thighs, her breasts, searing a path along every plane and curve of her body. With her senses reeling, with her breath no more than a moan, she gave in to desire and pulled him closer.
36
Adam Vasser prowled the backstreets of Kellston, keeping to the shadows. He didn’t want to go home, not yet. First, he needed to walk off the rage that was surging through his veins. And he needed to think. Yes, he had a lot of thinking to do. It was pissing down with rain, but that was a good thing. No one looked at you when it was raining; people kept their heads down or sheltered under umbrellas. And the fact that it was raining like this, wasn’t it proof that God was on his side, that He was taking care of him, protecting him?
His hoodie was up, but somehow the cold still leaked down the back of his neck. He needed a shower. He needed to get rid of the clothes he was wearing. Where could he dump them? In a bin, perhaps, in one of the alleyways. It was too wet to light a fire, and anyway, burning them was too risky. All it would take was one nosy neighbour peering out of a window and he’d be done for. Maybe the best thing would be to take a cab and dump them somewhere else.
He hissed out a breath. All of this was her fault, his bloody mother’s. If she’d told him, if she’d been honest, then none of this would have happened. Secrets and lies – that’s what it was all about – secrets and bloody lies. His gloved hands curled up in his pockets. He had a right to know that the bastard who’d killed his father was coming out of jail, but had anyone told him? No, of course they fuckin’ hadn’t. He’d had to find out like this. So who could blame him for getting mad? It was enough to try the patience of a saint.
‘Cato,’ he murmured, with his voice full of hate. What was ten years? Nothing. A drop in the bloody ocean. That shithead was still breathing, still existing, while his father was… his father was nothing more than grey, gritty ash. He recalled the feel of it running between his fingers in the graveyard. Flesh and blood turned to dust.
Why was everyone against him? What he couldn’t bear was people talking behind his back, laughing at him, sniggering. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t respectful. He’d only done what he had to, what his father would have done. The bitch deserved it. She’d had it coming. The way she looked at him, the things she said. Although, he still didn’t get why she’d been gabbling on about a ring. It hadn’t made any sense.
As he breathed in the dank wet air, a sudden shiver of alarm ran through his body. What if she’d already been found? The filth could be knocking on his door right now. He’d be buggered. He wouldn’t have time to get rid of the evidence. Her blood was on him, soaked into the white cotton of his shirt. Shit, what if…?
‘Calm down,’ he muttered to himself. Only fools panicked. He was smart. He was sly and invincible. He was shot through with brilliance. No one had seen him, and even if they had, they couldn’t have recognised him. It was dark and he’d had his hood up covering his face. No, nothing was going to go wrong. He would get away with it like he got away with everything else.
Adam slunk along Rose Avenue and cut through a side alley until he came out in Morton Grove. He stopped across from number 34 and stared at the house. There was a light on in the hall. Was she home, or was it just some pathetic attempt to deter burglars? He could imagine himself walking across the road, making his way up the short path and ringing the bell.
Maybe she was in bed. Maybe she’d forgotten about the light.
But not tonight. It wasn’t safe. You could only push your luck so far. There was no hurry, no rush. He pushed his hands deeper into his pockets, a smile catching the corners of his lips. ‘You’re next, Maddie Layne,’ he whispered. ‘You’re next.’
37
Maddie couldn’t stop smiling as she headed towards Violet Road. Her head was still full of the night before, her limbs aching with a deep, sensual pleasure. She recalled the smell of him, the touch of him, the sweet, easy rhythm as their bodies moved together. His kisses, as if imprinted on her lips, still lingered. Everything had been so right. She had slept in his arms and had never felt so wanted, so safe or so damn lucky.
Even the morning had been perfect. He had got up, raided the fridge and made scrambled eggs on toast. They had eaten it in bed, scattering crumbs in the crumpled sheets. They had drunk their mugs of tea and talked. And then they had made love again. Nothing so perfect, she reflected, could ever be wrong.
She had not wanted it to end, but time had eventually caught up with them. With Zac due to be picked up from his grandparents, the goodbyes had to be said. One day soon, she thought, the two of them would need to be introduced. Would Zac like him? Would he like Zac? Or was she getting ahead of herself? It was early days yet. Best to live in the moment and make the most of it.
‘I’ll see you soon?’ he’d asked, standing on the doorstep.
‘I’ll call you.’
‘Will you?’
‘I just said I would.’
‘I’m feeling insecure.’
She had stood on her toes and kissed him on the mouth. ‘No you’re not.’
‘Less than I was.’ He’d kissed her back, holding her face in his hands. ‘But don’t keep me wa
iting.’
‘Patience is a virtue.’
‘I don’t want to be virtuous.’
‘Me neither,’ she whispered, but quickly pushed him away before she succumbed to temptation again. ‘I’ll call. I promise. Now go.’
Maddie had watched as he’d walked off down the street, wanting to run after him and drag him back. It had taken every ounce of self-restraint to close the door and go inside. Even then she had almost changed her mind, thinking of how she could ring Alisha and tell her she’d be round later. It was only the thought of Zac that stopped her. He’d been none too happy about her date with Rick in the first place. If she failed to turn up on time, she would only make matters worse.
She was strolling past Shauna’s house when she remembered what Cato had told her about the blackmail. Would Shauna know about it? She might. If she’d heard about the stolen cars, she could have heard about that too. Maddie looked at her watch. She wasn’t due until midday and it was barely a quarter to. She could spare five minutes. Turning round, she retraced her steps and walked up the path.
The doorbell was answered by a sleepy-looking Shauna, still wearing her pyjamas. ‘Oh,’ she said. ‘It’s you.’
Maddie had had nicer welcomes, but she didn’t let it put her off. ‘Hi. Have you got a minute? I just wanted a quick word.’
Shauna, obviously suffering from one of her hangovers, pulled the sort of face that suggested she’d rather walk over red-hot coals. ‘Now?’
‘Unless you’re busy.’
Shauna wrinkled her brow as if trying to think of something she might be busy doing while still wearing her pyjamas. The effort was clearly too much for her. With a grunt, she stood back and waved her over the threshold. ‘You’d better come in, then.’
Maddie followed her through to the living room, as untidy as always but unusually quiet. The huge widescreen TV was blank. ‘No Kyle?’ she asked.
‘He’s at my mum’s.’ Shauna slumped down on the sofa and stared at her. ‘You want a brew?’
‘No, it’s okay. I’m not stopping. It’s just…’ Maddie sat down, trying to think of the right way of putting it. ‘Someone told me something and I wondered if you knew anything about it.’
