Stephanie peered inside the two bags. One contained a big bottle of Strongbow Cider. The other, four cans of Holsten Pils and twenty Benson and Hedges. ‘Talk about memories of our youth. I haven’t drunk cider for years, nor do I really smoke any more,’ Steph said.
‘I don’t drink Holsten any more and I only ever smoke socially now, but what the heck? I bought a couple of Eighties tapes with me as well. I thought a night reliving our youth and doing the stuff we used to might cheer you up a bit.’
Stephanie couldn’t help but grin. ‘You are so thoughtful, Barry.’
‘Yep, I know I am. Now, tell me about Tam while I pour us both a drink. Do you wanna slurp the cider out the bottle like you used to? Or, you gonna use a glass like the lady you are now?’
Stephanie opted for a glass, then sat down next to Barry on the sofa.
Barry listened intently as Stephanie explained what had happened with Tammy earlier. His ears pricked up when Steph told him that Tammy had been insistent for the past few weeks that it was he who was responsible for Wayne’s disappearance, but he said nothing until Steph had finished telling her story in full. ‘I’m really shocked Tammy seems to have it in for me so much. I always got on all right with her while I was going out with you. It was Jacko, Potter and Cooksie who took the piss out of her being ginger and stuff, not me. She’s bang out of order blaming me for Jacko going missing. I didn’t even leave the club with him, you know that, so do the Old Bill.’
‘I know you didn’t, but Tam has this stupid theory that you somehow bumped into him on the way back to the hotel, topped him, then buried him in a nearby forest. I know it’s mental, but Tammy’s always had a vivid imagination. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, Bal, as when I told her that Angie was going to live in Greece, she said that she was running off to live with Wayne as well. Tam’s changed so bloody much since she met that Richard, I’m glad she’s emigrating now. Good riddance is what I say.’
Putting a casual arm around Stephanie’s shoulders, Barry kissed his ex-girlfriend on the top of the head. ‘Fuck Tammy and her ponce of a boyfriend. Chin up, you’ve still got me, babe. I’ll be your new best friend.’
Stephanie stared into Barry’s soft brown doleful eyes and, for the first time since she had got with Wayne, she saw what she had seen all those years ago. A handsome, kind, honest person, who would one day make a wonderful husband and father to some lucky girl.
Aware of the nostalgic way that Stephanie was looking at him, Barry debated whether to go in for the kill, but quickly decided against it. He knew Steph was warming to him, but she hadn’t completely fallen hook, line and sinker for him yet and he didn’t want to jeopardize the outcome of his plan. He stood up. ‘Right, I’ll put on the Eighties music while you pour us some more drinks. Tonight, Miss Crouch, you will forget all your troubles, because me and you are gonna party, girl.’
And party Stephanie and Barry most certainly did. Over the next few hours, they sang along to all the songs that reminded them of their teenage years, drank two bottles of Wayne’s expensive champagne after they had polished off the cider and lager, reminisced about old times and even got up and danced to a Duran Duran record for a giggle.
Stephanie knew that she was very drunk, but for the first time in weeks the smile on her face was genuine. Tomorrow, she would probably wake up and have the weight of the world on her shoulders once again, but tonight she was having a blast and that was all down to Barry Franklin. In her heart of hearts, Steph was sure that Wayne wasn’t ever coming back home again. What had happened to him would play on her mind forever, but one day she would have to move on with her life, whether she learned the truth or not. When Barry began singing along to ‘The Love Cats’ by The Cure, Stephanie laid her head on his shoulder. It had been years since she and Wayne had spent a night laughing, drinking, singing and chatting intimately like she and Barry just had, and it made Steph wonder if her relationship with Wayne had been as good as she thought it had.
Barry tilted Stephanie’s chin towards him. ‘What’s up? What you thinking about?’
Not wanting to slag off her relationship with her missing fiancé, Steph shrugged her shoulders. ‘I’m just thinking about how much I’ve enjoyed myself tonight. Do you have nights like this with your girlfriend, Barry? What’s Jolene like? Tell me more about her.’
‘Jolene’s only a baby and she wouldn’t be interested in the music we listen to or the subjects we talk about. She’s a lovely girl, but I wouldn’t say I have as much in common with her as I do with you.’
‘So, why are you with her then? Why don’t you go out with someone older who you have more in common with, like me?’
Treating Stephanie to his killer, intense stare, Barry smiled. ‘Do you want the truth?’
Steph could feel her heart beating at double its usual speed. ‘Yeah I do.’
‘The reason I don’t go out with someone older who I have more in common with, like you, is because there is only one you, Steph.’
About to ask Barry exactly what he meant, Stephanie stopped herself from doing so. Barry’s penetrating gaze told her all she needed to know. Over the course of the evening, Stephanie had drunk an enormous amount of alcohol so whether it was that, or the thought of spending the rest of her life alone that was affecting her judgement, she really didn’t know. What she did know was that, as she locked lips with Barry for the first time in years, it not only felt good, it also felt so bloody right.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Stephanie felt mortified when she woke up the following morning. Her last memory of the previous night was of her asking Barry to go to bed with her, and then bursting into tears when he said no. Gingerly sitting up, Stephanie put her aching head in her hands. She was fully clothed, thank God, but she could recall the heavy petting session with Barry getting rather heated at one point. Stephanie stared at the photo of her and Wayne on the bedside cabinet. It had been taken on her twenty-first birthday at the party Wayne had organized for her as a surprise. Feeling incredibly guilty and absolutely disgusted with herself, Steph felt the watery bile reach the back of her throat. She dashed to the toilet, and moments later was violently sick.
Barry Franklin was inside Dagenham East Police Station. He had received a phone call from his mother at seven a.m. this morning to inform him that she and Marge were getting charged with being drunk and disorderly and affray. With it being a Sunday, Barry had told his mother to use the duty solicitor, and then he had driven straight to the nick. Steph had still been in bed when all this had happened, so Barry had left her a note telling her he would call her later this afternoon. Last night was a bit of a blur for Barry as well. They had sat up boozing until four a.m., and even though Barry had been tempted to go to bed with Stephanie and shag her brains out, he knew he’d done the right thing by saying no. Taking advantage of Stephanie while she was drunk wasn’t part of his plan. He needed to reel her in more first, and it was a tad too early for him to make his move just yet. As his mother and Marge walked towards him looking rather bedraggled, Barry stood up. ‘Was the solicitor OK? What did he say?’
‘He just advised us to say no comment. He reckons we’ll get a hefty fine, but that’s all. No thanks to you running off and leaving us in the lurch, may I add,’ Marlene said, obnoxiously.
Barry led them around the corner to where he had parked the car. ‘Look, don’t be worrying about your fines, ’cause I’ll pay ’em for both of you. As for me leaving the restaurant, I can’t afford to be getting meself nicked over ’ere. Say it had turned really nasty and I’d got nicked for GBH or something? I can’t be having my passport taken away from me. I need to get back home to Spain soon.’
‘I can’t understand why you’re still hanging around in England? I thought you’d have gone back to Spain like a shot to get your grubby little maulers on my bloody bar. It’s that slag, Stephanie, that’s keeping you ’ere, ain’t it? You poking her, or what?’ Marlene asked crudely.
‘No, Mother. I’m not “poking her
”, as you so daintily put it. I’m still over here because I have a few loose ends to tie up. Once that’s done, I’ll be heading back to Spain immediately.’
‘What loose ends you got to tie up, then?’
‘Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about. Now, do you want me to drop you back at Marge’s gaff or somewhere else? You didn’t lose that dosh I gave you last night, did ya?’
‘The money’s still in my bag, I checked, and yeah, take us to Marge’s. I was saying to Marge while we were stuck in those pissy-smelling cells last night, that me and her could really do with a nice holiday abroad somewhere. Really cheer us up, that would.’
‘Don’t you dare blackmail him,’ Marge hissed in her friend’s ear. She had been appalled last night when Marlene had said she was going to. In Marge’s eyes, blackmailing your own flesh and blood was as below the belt as anything.
Barry sighed. He knew his mother was on his earhole for more money, and because he still felt guilty about nearly strangling her years ago, decided to be generous once again. ‘I’ll tell you what I’ll do for you. Meet me in Romford outside the Royal Bank of Scotland at midday tomorrow, and I’ll take you to a travel agent and book you an all-inclusive somewhere nice. I’ll pay for you and Marge and I’ll give you a bit of spending money. But, only on one condition.’
‘What?’ Marlene asked, sulkily.
‘If I treat you to this holiday, then I want you to stop banging on about me murdering Jake and Jacko. It’s bollocks, Mum, you know it is, and it’s embarrassing when people keep coming up to me saying you’ve said these things.’
‘Say yes,’ Marge urged, nudging Marlene’s arm. She hadn’t had a decent holiday for years and couldn’t wait to get stuck into all the free drink and food on an all-inclusive. Some people might not get their money’s worth on those types of trips, but she bloody well would.
‘OK, I won’t say it no more.’
‘Ain’t you got anything else to add to that?’ Barry asked, taking a sharp right turn.
‘Like what?’ Marlene asked, stroppily.
‘Like I’m sorry for saying it in the first place, and thank you son for paying for me and my friend to go on holiday,’ Barry replied. His mother was such an ungrateful cow at times. Always had been, always bloody would be.
Marlene felt her lip curl into a snarl. She had just spent the whole night stuck in a cell because her son had run off and allowed her to be arrested, yet she was now meant to grovel and thank him. ‘If it weren’t for me you’d never have been born, boy, so if I were you I’d just shut your trap and fucking drive.’
Barry smirked. That was exactly the kind of reply he had been expecting.
Pamela Crouch knew her daughter like the back of her hand. After trying to call Stephanie for the past few hours, as soon as she finally got through to her, she knew by the tone of Steph’s voice that something was dreadfully wrong. ‘Whatever’s the matter, love? Have you heard some news about Wayne?’
The mention of her missing fiancé immediately sent Stephanie into a blubbing mess. The guilt she felt was immense. Poor Wayne could be lying dead in a ditch somewhere, for all she knew. Too embarrassed to admit to her mother what had happened with Barry, Steph blamed the argument with Tammy for her upset.
‘Why don’t you come over ’ere and stay with me tonight, love? Aidan’s gone to Ireland with his dad and grandparents, so you can stop in your old bedroom. Lin’s coming for dinner and I know she’d love to see you. I ain’t at work tomorrow, either, so we can go out for lunch or something before you go home, if you want?’
Stephanie had read Barry’s note twice, then screwed it up and threw it in the bin. If Barry was going to ring this afternoon, she knew full well that if he didn’t get any answer he would turn up at her door, and she couldn’t bring herself to speak to him, let alone face him. She made her decision there and then. ‘I’ll have a quick shower, then I’ll be over, Mum.’
An hour later, Stephanie was driving over Dagenham Heathway hill when her phone started to ring. She pulled over. Seeing the caller was Barry, she waited for it to stop ringing, then turned the bloody thing off. She closed her eyes. ‘Dear God. I can’t be alone, I’m not strong enough. Please find my Wayne and send him home to me. Amen.’
Stephanie waited for her tears to subside, then continued her journey.
‘Mummy,’ Dannielle yelled, running out of the house to greet her.
‘You all right, darling? Where’s your brother? Has he been behaving himself?’
‘No, Mum. Tyler’s been naughty,’ Dannielle replied, honestly.
Pam gave her daughter a big hug as she walked into the hallway. ‘You OK, love? Don’t be worrying about Tammy. I’m sure she’ll be in touch before she goes to Spain.’
‘I’m not bothered if she rings me or not, to be honest. Has Tyler been OK?’
‘He had one little tantrum earlier, but he’s been fine other than that,’ Pam replied. She had marks on her already swollen ankles where the little sod had kicked her, but she wasn’t about to tell Steph that. Her daughter had enough on her plate as it was. ‘Do you want a cup of tea, love?’
‘No, but I could kill a glass of wine,’ Steph said, handing her mum a carrier bag. She had stopped at the off-licence on the way over and bought a couple of bottles.
‘Try and find out what’s a matter with Lin for me. She’s been ever so quiet since she got ’ere and she asked for a cuppa rather than a beer. Keith’s gone up the Vernon for a pint with Michael and I don’t think they’d had a row as they seemed friendly enough towards one another. She’ll talk to you,’ Pam whispered in her daughter’s ear.
Pam made sure everybody had a drink then sat down on the sofa. She was in hysterics as Cathy told Linda and Stephanie the story of Barry’s sister Chantelle, who’d had a fight in the street earlier with her ex-boyfriend. Pam and Cath had found it compelling viewing. It was pure comedy gold.
‘Talk about like mother like daughter. How that poor Barry ever got lumbered with Chantelle as a sister and Marlene as a mother, I will never know. He’s such a lovely boy compared to those two,’ Pam said.
Stephanie didn’t answer and was relieved when Dannielle asked, ‘What time will dinner be ready?’
When her mum and Cathy dashed out to the kitchen to start dishing up, Steph moved over to where Linda was sitting. ‘What’s up with you? Why aren’t you drinking?’
Linda took a deep breath. ‘If I tell you, don’t say nothing to your mum until Keith gets back, will ya?’
‘What’s a matter? You’re not ill, are you?’ Stephanie asked anxiously.
Linda grinned. ‘No. I’m up the duff.’
Barry was sitting in a restaurant in Hornchurch, tucking into a bit of steak. He had been trying to ring Stephanie for the past three hours and knew she must be purposely avoiding his calls. Pushing his plate to one side, Barry took a sip of his lager. As a lad he had fantasized over what it would be like to make love to Stephanie many a time, and for a long time after he had split with her, Barry had still had some weird obsession about her. He had hated Steph with a passion, yet he’d always slept with girls who reminded him of her in some way. He had slept with loads of other birds, too, ones who hadn’t reminded him of Steph, but it was the ones who had, whom he’d enjoyed the sex with more. Picking up his mobile, Barry tried both of Stephanie’s numbers once again. He knew she must feel embarrassed over what had happened the previous evening, so he motioned to the waiter to bring him the bill. Barry downed the rest of his drink and ran his fingers through his hair. Last night’s shenanigans had disturbed him slightly, and he knew that the quicker he did what he had to do and sodded off back to Spain, the better. Leaving thirty quid on the table, Barry stood up. It was time to pay Stephanie a little visit.
Back in Dagenham, Pam was in a state of incredulous shock. ‘Pregnant! Whaddya mean, you’re pregnant?’
Keith squeezed Linda’s hand. ‘Lin means that me and her are going to have a baby, Pam. What do you think she mea
ns?’ he asked.
Pam started to laugh. ‘You’re winding me up, you pair of sods, ain’t ya?’
It was now Stephanie’s turn to squeeze her mother’s hand. ‘Lin isn’t joking, Mum. She really is pregnant.’
‘But you can’t have a baby. You’re forty next month and how you gonna cope with your size, Lin?’ Pam stuttered.
Linda shook her head in annoyance. Seconds later she gave her elder sister what for. ‘You’re just like Mum deep down, ain’t ya, Pam? You pretend you ain’t, but I know that you are. I will always be grateful to you for letting me live with you when Mum died, but whenever I’m around you, I know you see me as different. And why? Because I’m a dwarf, that’s why. What you seem to forget, sis, is that I’m still a woman. A woman that unbeknown to you has craved to have the love of a good man and a child of my own for many years. I never told you that, why would I? I always knew you’d behave like this if I ever mentioned the fact that I wanted a baby. Well, let me tell you something. After years of being treated like a freak and a fucking outcast, my dreams have finally come true. So don’t you dare try and spoil this happy moment for me, Pam. Don’t you dare!’
Pam’s eyes welled up. ‘I’m not trying to spoil anything for you, Lin. I just worry about you, that’s all. Both you and Keith are heavy drinkers and surely there’s a fifty-fifty chance that your child might be born a dwarf. Have you even thought about that?’
Absolutely livid, Linda walked over to where Pam was sitting and pointed a stubby finger in her face. ‘Have I had a drink today? No, I fucking haven’t! As for the chances of my baby being born with dwarfism, so what if it is? I’m gonna love my baby whatever size, shape or deformity it might have. Even if it was born with no fingers or toes, or had Down’s Syndrome or something, I would still love that child more than any mother could. And do you know why? Because I know what it’s like to be different.’
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