Lost Angel

by Mandasue Heller

  ‘Sorry,’ she apologised. ‘I’m not implying that our Ruth’s dirty or anything, but I was looking through the freezer for something to cook for your dinner and I noticed everything could do with a bit of a going-over.’

  ‘She’s been taking it easy for the past few weeks for the baby’s sake,’ Johnny told her. ‘Didn’t work, though,’ he added with a sigh. Then, rubbing his hands together, he said, ‘Anyhow, what was that about dinner?’

  ‘I take it you’ve been to Dave’s, then?’ Lisa laughed, guessing that he had the munchies. ‘I hope you remembered to go to the chemist before you got blasted?’

  ‘Check.’ Johnny patted his jacket pocket. ‘And I didn’t forget your smoke,’ he added, taking a tiny plastic packet out of a back pocket of his jeans and handing it to her.

  ‘Cool,’ she said, slipping it inside her bra. ‘I’ll have some of that after I’ve got you sorted.’

  ‘Cheers.’ Johnny grinned. ‘Has Ruth woken up yet?’

  ‘No.’ Lisa shook her head and moved him out of the way so that she could take a pan out of the cupboard. ‘But I was thinking I should probably put a plate out for her, just in case.’

  ‘Doubt she’ll eat it,’ Johnny said. ‘But the doctor said to try and persuade her. Something to do with the tablets and her stomach.’

  ‘What’s he given her?’ Lisa asked as she took three chops out of the microwave and tested them with her finger to make sure they had defrosted all the way through.

  Johnny took the chemist’s bag out of his pocket and pulled out the tablets. After staring at the label for several moments, he shrugged and said, ‘No idea.’

  ‘Give it here,’ Lisa said amusedly.

  ‘Hang on a minute.’ Johnny swerved to the side as she reached for the tablets. ‘I don’t give up that easy.’

  ‘Stop messing about and let me see,’ Lisa scolded, going for the packet again. But this time she stumbled and fell against him. They both held their breath – then, suddenly, their lips were locked together, and Johnny’s tongue was moving into her mouth.

  ‘Oh, Jeezus,’ he moaned, pulling away. ‘I’m really sorry, that was well out of order. You must think I’m a right bastard.’

  ‘Don’t be daft,’ Lisa murmured. ‘We’re both to blame.’

  ‘I was the one who made the move,’ Johnny said quietly. ‘You didn’t do anything.’

  ‘Let’s just put it down to stress and call it quits,’ Lisa said as she turned to put the chops in the oven. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Johnny said gratefully.

  ‘Right, why don’t you go and check on Ruth while I do the veg?’ Lisa suggested, back to her practical self. ‘And have a bath while you’re up there, ’cos you stink,’ she added with a cheeky smile.

  ‘Do I?’ He frowned and sniffed at his armpit.

  ‘You have been up all night,’ Lisa reminded him. ‘But you’re still nowhere near as bad as that Wazza,’ she added, wrinkling her nose as if she could actually smell the man. ‘Now he does reek.’

  ‘You’re not wrong there.’ Johnny grinned. ‘Don’t know why Dave let him move in.’

  Lisa raised her hand and rubbed her fingers together. ‘Dosh. Who do you think’s been paying for all the gear Dave’s been buying? He’s taking him for a right mug, if you ask me. But if Wazza’s stupid enough to fall for it, that’s his business. And don’t you go telling Dave I told you,’ she warned, giving him a mock-stern look. ‘I only found out ’cos I overheard Dave tapping him up.’

  ‘My lips are sealed,’ Johnny assured her. ‘Subject of Dave,’ he added. ‘He wanted to come back with me when I told him you were here.’

  ‘I hope you said no,’ Lisa squawked, a look of horror on her face. Rolling her eyes with relief when he shook his head, she said, ‘I know he’s your best mate, but he’s proper doing my head in. I’ve told him I’m not interested but he keeps phoning me, and turning up at the pub when he knows I’m working.’

  ‘He’s got it bad.’ Johnny laughed. ‘But how come you’re so dead set against him all of a sudden? I thought you didn’t mind the occasional get-together?’

  Only ’cos I couldn’t have you, thought Lisa.

  ‘It’s complicated,’ she said. ‘I know everyone thinks I’m a slag, and I won’t lie and say I haven’t had my fair share of boyfriends. But that’s all in the past. I’ve grown up since then and realised most of them weren’t even worth it.’ Shrugging, she added, ‘If our Ruth can find her Mr Right, I’m damn sure mine can’t be too far behind.’

  ‘Too right,’ Johnny assured her. ‘Anyhow, I’ll go and check on her.’

  ‘Yeah, and give me some bloody space,’ Lisa laughed, pushing him towards the door.

  When he’d gone, she closed her eyes and touched her fingertips to her lips. She could still feel the ghost of the kiss, still taste the sweetness of his tongue. This had started out as a game, but it had gone way beyond that now. All of her life, Ruth had only had to click her fingers for Frankie’s wallet to fall open at her feet, and she’d used that to try and make Lisa jealous, rubbing it in her face that they were rich and she was poor. But Lisa had got her own back by nicking out from under her nose any lad that Ruth showed interest in – even the ones that she hadn’t fancied in the slightest.

  Johnny had been a tough nut to crack but that had just made Lisa all the more determined. And now, at last, she’d made a breakthrough. But the victory wasn’t as sweet as she’d expected. When she’d started this she’d just wanted to have him so that she could feel superior to Ruth. But now that love had reared its painful head she didn’t just want a part of him, she wanted all of him – for keeps. But that could never happen, because Frankie would never allow it.

  Still, at least she had the memory of that kiss to see her through the heartache that was sure to come. And as long as she stayed on the right side of Ruth, she would be able to come round and see Johnny from time to time, which was better than nothing.

  Upstairs, Johnny had run himself a bath and he was lying in it now, cursing himself as the steam swirled up around his face. It had been stupid and dangerous to kiss Lisa like that, and all hell would have broken loose if Ruth had caught them. And it was totally his fault, because Lisa had done nothing to encourage him. She’d only shown concern for her cousin by trying to see what medication the doctor had given her, and he’d totally taken advantage.

  But it wouldn’t happen again. No matter how frustrated he was, how sexy Lisa looked, or how good she smelled, she was a no-go zone, and he’d be steering well clear from now on.

  12

  It was two weeks since Ruth had lost the baby and Johnny had done his best to be supportive. But the constant crying had done his head in, so he was more than ready when Frankie said he needed him to come back to work.

  It felt great to be back out in the open with his bucket and sponge, but the fun didn’t last long. At lunchtime Frankie called him into the office.

  ‘I need you to do the pickup tonight,’ he told him. ‘That idiot Del’s gone and got himself nicked, and Robbie’s bust his foot. So are you up for it, or what?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Johnny murmured. ‘I’ve never done anything like that before. What if I screw it up?’

  ‘If two gormless pricks like Del and Robbie can pull it off, I’m fucking sure you and your mate can,’ Frankie assured him.

  ‘Dave?’ Johnny frowned.

  ‘If that’s his name, yeah. You trust him, don’t you?’

  ‘Yeah, course, but . . .’

  ‘Good enough for me,’ said Frankie. ‘Tell him there’s fifty in it for him, and all he’s got to do is drive you there and hang around to make sure nothing goes wrong. Which it won’t,’ he added quickly. ‘You just go in, get the keys, and get back out of there – quick as, no fucking about.’

  ‘Go in where?’

  ‘The house, where d’ya fucking think?’ Frankie gave an irritated sigh.

  ‘You want me to burgle a house?’ John
ny gasped, praying that he would say no.

  ‘No, I just want you to break in and take a set of fucking keys off a hook,’ said Frankie. ‘It’ll be a doddle, or I wouldn’t ask you to do it. And there won’t be no one there, ’cos the family’s gone on a cruise.’

  ‘What if there’s an alarm?’

  ‘There is. But it won’t make no odds ’cos the gaff’s out in the middle of nowhere. No one’ll hear it, and by the time anyone cottons on the car will be long gone.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Johnny said uncertainly. ‘What about Ruth?’

  ‘Isn’t she still on them sleepers the doc gave her?’ Frankie asked. Shrugging when Johnny nodded, he said, ‘There you go, then. She won’t even know you’ve been out.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Johnny said again.

  ‘Son, I wouldn’t ask if there was anyone else I could trust to do it,’ Frankie told him, changing tack and making it sound like Johnny would be doing him a massive favour. ‘This needs doing tonight or I’m going to miss it, and there’s a load of money riding on it.’

  ‘All right,’ Johnny agreed reluctantly. ‘But I can’t speak for Dave. I’ll call round on my way home and see if he’s up for it.’

  ‘Go now,’ said Frankie, tossing a twenty onto the desk. ‘Take a cab. Just make sure you’re back here by twelve. There’ll be a motor parked across from the gates, and I’ll leave the key under the bush.’

  Johnny picked up the money and turned to leave. Hesitating at the door, he said, ‘What about the address?’

  ‘You’re holding it.’ Frankie grinned.

  Johnny turned the twenty over and frowned when he saw a Post-It note stuck to the back with an address scrawled on it. Not doing the pickup had never been an option; Frankie had known that he would do it from the start.

  ‘Memorise it, then get rid,’ Frankie ordered. ‘And don’t fuck this up, son. I’m counting on you.’

  Johnny nodded and went on his way.

  ‘Fifty quid?’ Dave spluttered when Johnny told him about the job. ‘Just for driving out to Altrincham and back? Count me in, matey!’

  ‘You’ll have to hang around while I find the key and get the other motor,’ Johnny told him.

  ‘No skin off my nose.’ Dave shrugged. ‘What time do we go?’

  ‘We’ve got to be at the yard at twelve,’ Johnny told him. ‘So I’ll come and get you in a cab at twenty to. And make sure you’re ready.’

  ‘Don’t you worry about me,’ Dave scoffed, reaching for his bong. ‘Me and that fifty quid have got a date – and I’m never late for dates.’

  They spent the next few hours smoking and listening to music. At six, Johnny tore himself away and headed home as if returning from a normal day’s work. He was surprised to find Lisa waiting for him in the living room.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked, looking around. ‘Where’s Ruth?’

  ‘In bed,’ Lisa said quietly. ‘I knew you were going back to work today, so I thought I’d pop round for a brew – make sure she was all right on her own.’

  ‘And was she?’

  ‘Not really. She was out on the street when I got here, screaming abuse at the old woman from a few doors down.’

  ‘You’re joking!’ Johnny’s brow crinkled. ‘Why? What was going on?’

  ‘She was drunk.’ Lisa folded her arms in a defensive don’t shoot the messenger gesture. ‘Still is, a bit. I pulled her inside and made her a black coffee, but she still had half a bottle of whisky so she wouldn’t drink it. I tried to take the bottle off her but she wouldn’t give it up, and the mood she was in, I thought I’d best leave it or we’d have ended up scrapping.

  ‘Where did she get whisky from?’ Johnny asked. ‘We’ve only got a bit of wine and some beers.’ He drew his head back as a thought occurred to him and looked around with narrowed eyes. ‘Has Rita been?’

  ‘Not while I’ve been here,’ said Lisa. ‘But I think Ruth went to the shop, ’cos she still had her shoes and coat on when I found her.’

  ‘What’s she playing at? She’s supposed to be resting.’

  ‘That’s what I thought. But I’m more worried about her drinking while she’s still on her tablets. They’re really strong – you’re not supposed to have alcohol with them.’

  ‘Jeezus.’ Johnny exhaled loudly and ran his hands through his hair. ‘It’s bad enough having to put up with her crying all the fucking time, but if she’s going to start messing about with her tabs an’ all . . .’ He gave Lisa a helpless look. ‘What am I supposed to do? I can’t watch her all the time. I’ve only just gone back to work – what’s Frankie going to say if I tell him I can’t come in tomorrow?’

  ‘She’s his daughter, he’ll want whatever’s best for her,’ Lisa assured him. ‘But you don’t have to do that. I can stay with her.’

  ‘No.’ Johnny shook his head. ‘It’s not your problem.’

  ‘I don’t mind,’ she insisted.

  A crash from the bedroom interrupted them. Exchanging nervous glances, they both darted for the stairs. Embarrassed when they collided and his arm brushed across her breasts, Johnny muttered, ‘Sorry,’ and ran on up.

  Ruth was on the floor. She giggled when Johnny came in and said, ‘I fell out of bed.’

  ‘Are you hurt?’ he asked, rushing to help her up.

  ‘Nothing a bit of loving wouldn’t cure,’ she purred, wrapping her arms around his neck. ‘Kiss me, Johnny. It’s been ages since you kissed me.’

  ‘Not now,’ he murmured, conscious that Lisa was standing right behind them. ‘Just get back into bed.’

  ‘Only if you come with me,’ she wheedled. ‘Come on, let’s make another baby.’

  ‘Shall I put the kettle on?’ Lisa asked, feeling awkward.

  Ruth’s head snapped around at the sound of her cousin’s voice. ‘You still here? I thought I told you to go!’

  ‘She was worried about you,’ Johnny told her, pulling her to her feet and pushing her gently onto the bed. ‘You’re not supposed to be drinking – or walking to the shops – when you’re taking those tablets.’

  ‘I had to get out,’ Ruth complained, sliding back obediently beneath the quilt. She flashed another glare at Lisa. ‘You can go now. Me and my husband want some private time.’

  ‘You need to sober up,’ Johnny muttered. ‘So Lisa’s going to make you a coffee while I get you sorted.’

  ‘I don’t want coffee,’ Ruth argued, reaching for the whisky bottle. ‘This is all I need.’

  ‘No!’ Johnny snatched it out of her hand. ‘You’ve had enough.’

  ‘Give it back,’ she demanded, pawing at his arm. ‘It makes me feel better.’

  He put it out of reach on the dressing table and pushed her down onto the pillows. ‘If you don’t want coffee, you can sleep it off instead.’

  ‘Stop treating me like a baby. I’m a grown woman, I can do what I want.’

  ‘Not while you’re still taking your tablets, you can’t.’

  Aware that she wasn’t going to get her own way, Ruth’s eyes flooded with tears and she gave Johnny a pitiful look.

  ‘You’re angry with me, aren’t you?’

  ‘A bit,’ he admitted, pulling the quilt up to her throat. ‘We’re both upset about the baby, but I’m trying to get on with things and this isn’t helping.’

  ‘You don’t understand,’ she whimpered, her chin wobbling now. ‘I just want my baby back.’

  ‘I know.’ Sighing, Johnny sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked her hair off her face. It felt wet, and he hoped to God that it wasn’t vomit. ‘Just try to get some sleep. You’ll feel better when you wake up.’

  ‘I won’t,’ she said plaintively. ‘I’ll never feel better again. I’ve lost my baby, and you don’t love me any more.’

  ‘Don’t be stupid,’ Johnny said patiently. ‘I just want you to get better. That’s all any of us want. Me, your mum, your dad, Lisa – we’re all worried about you.’

  ‘Will you lie down with me?’ Ruth sounded like
a lost little girl. ‘I’ll go to sleep if you hold me, I promise.’

  Johnny climbed onto the bed beside her and lifted his arm. She snuggled into it and laid her head on his chest.

  ‘Sorry. I won’t do it again.’

  A few minutes later she was fast asleep. Sliding his arm out from under her, Johnny tiptoed out of the room and closed the door quietly behind him.

  Lisa was in the kitchen.

  ‘Is she okay?’ she asked, passing a coffee to him when he joined her.

  ‘Flat out,’ he told her, sitting down.

  She took in the strained look on his face, and said, ‘You look wiped. Have you eaten anything?’

  ‘Not yet. But I’ll go to the chippy in a bit.’

  ‘What’s the point of wasting money when I can do it for you?’

  ‘No, you’ve done enough.’

  ‘We’re family,’ Lisa reminded him. ‘And family takes care of its own.’

  ‘You can’t half tell you’re related to Frankie,’ Johnny said amusedly. ‘He’s always banging on about that, an’ all.’

  ‘Yeah, well, he’s been more like my dad than my uncle,’ Lisa explained as she rolled up her sleeves. ‘I worshipped him when I was little. Just wish he’d let me sort his clothes out,’ she added with a grin. ‘He’s been wearing the same shit ever since I can remember, and it’s embarrassing.’

  ‘Yeah, what’s with the Elvis thing?’ Johnny asked. ‘I’ve always wondered, but I didn’t like to ask Ruth.’

  ‘No, don’t mention it to her.’ Lisa pulled a face as if that would be the worst mistake he could ever make. ‘Frankie’s God in her eyes.’

  ‘And she’s a princess in his,’ said Johnny.

  ‘Tell me about it.’ Lisa turned and pulled the freezer door open. ‘Burger and chips do you?’

  ‘Anything,’ Johnny said gratefully. ‘So . . . the Elvis thing? Is he just like a massive fan, or something?’

  ‘I don’t think so.’ Lisa switched the grill on. ‘I’ve never heard him playing his music, or anything. I think it’s just that he used to look so much like him when he was younger, and he cottoned on that women went crazy when he dressed like him. They used to fight over him, and everything.’