by Shaun Baines
Ed stopped when Daniel’s laughter finally drowned him out. He waited impatiently, pouring another drink, cursing when he spilled it on his desk.
“Are you finished?” he asked.
Daniel held up his hands and regained control. “You’re right. It’s weird, but anyone could have done that. Why do you think it was Fairbanks?”
“Because you know what wise guys are like. They can’t keep their mouths shut. They’d be bragging all around town if they’d taken the piss like that, but no-one said a thing. Just like now.”
While Daniel deliberated over what he’d been told, Ed got up from his desk and joined his son on the sofa. “I’m not worried, you know? I was before, but I’m not now.”
Daniel snapped his head around to face him, as if he’d only just realised he was there. “What are you talking about, Dad?”
He placed a gentle hand on his knee. “You’ll catch this guy. I’m sure of it. You’re an extraordinary man, Daniel. Despite your faults.”
“My faults?” Daniel asked, his eyebrows arching.
“It slipped out. It’s the drink talking.” Ed tried to stand, but Daniel pulled him back down.
“I need to know everything if I’m going to catch Fairbanks. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
Ed nodded.
“So, keep talking. You said the pieces didn’t start to fit together until I walked in. What did you mean by that?”
“Let go. You’re hurting me.”
Daniel looked down at his hand circling Ed’s arm and then back into his eyes. “If you think this hurts, wait until I really get started.”
“I don’t know what I meant. Just let go, will you?”
His muscles screamed as Daniel’s fingertips buried deeper. He tried to prise the fingers free, but they were like steel. “It was the gun. It’s a Heckler, right? VP70? The one I gave you before you ran away?”
Daniel released him, studying his face. “I kept it to kill you, if I ever needed to. I thought that would be better than its original purpose.”
Rubbing his arm, Ed stared at the floor. “The gun was for a very specific job, which you refused to do.”
The gun was back in his face so fast Ed barely saw Daniel move.
“Do you want to talk about that job?” he asked.
He shook his head. “Let me tell you this and you can get the fuck out. Okay?” Ed felt the embarrassment creep over his face. No doubt Daniel noticed it too. He wasn’t accustomed to feeling shame. Not with the career he had, but when he saw Daniel’s gun and realised he’d brought this whole thing down on himself, it was something he couldn’t deny.
“It had to be completely untraceable and no-one could know you had it. I went outside the firm and found this kid who had what I wanted. He asked me what it was for. I lied and he knew I was lying.”
“It was Fairbanks?”
“I think he took a closer look at us after that. Found out you’d disappeared. That Scott was obsessed with finding you. They were weaknesses he could exploit. I brought him here as sure as blood in the water attracts sharks.”
“You’re unbelievable.” Daniel stood, pacing the room. He stopped to peer through the porthole into the grounds outside. Bear and Bronson wandered by the lakeshore. “I need you to call off your dogs. No more men waiting for me at train stations or coppers at the hospital.”
“Okay.”
“When I call, you come running with whatever it is I ask you to come running with.”
Ed nodded.
“I didn’t hear you.”
“Okay,” he said.
Turning away from the window, his son held the gun by its barrel. He approached softly. “You think you’re in control,” Daniel said, “but you’re not. You invited Fairbanks in and now you have no idea how to handle him. If it wasn’t for Eisha, I’d sit back and let him tear you apart, but no-one hurts my daughter and gets away with it.”
“What are you going to do?”
Daniel whipped the gun across Ed’s face. There was a wet crunch as the handle connected with his nose. Blood streamed over his lips and mouth. He pressed his hands over his face, feeling it pulsate with pain.
“Take my revenge,” Daniel answered. “You may not have laid a hand on my daughter, but you’re behind it. The only reason I’m not using this gun to shoot you is because I might need you in the future, but be warned. There’s a very real chance it’s on the cards.”
Tears blurred his vision, but he watched as Daniel turned to leave. “Wait,” he shouted and Daniel paused. “You won’t be able to do this without my help so make sure you keep me in the loop.”
“Why should I bother?”
Ed spat blood on the floor. The pain radiated down his jaw and around the back of his head. “Because you’re stupid, Daniel. You’re gifted, but you’re also so dumb, you can’t see what’s right in front of your eyes.”
Daniel made to strike him again and Ed cowered. “What are you talking about?” he asked.
“Guys like Fairbanks never do the heavy lifting themselves. He has help. Ask yourself why Fairbanks is so good at killing people, but he only manages to put your daughter in a coma. He can off some of my toughest guys, but he messes up when it comes to a little girl?”
Daniel didn’t look convinced, but Ed didn’t care. He’d given Daniel all the information he could, even the unpalatable truth that he was the cause of his own downfall. Leaning forward, he allowed the blood to flow freely from his nose. It pooled around his expensive shoes.
The office door opened and slammed behind him. He glanced at the round window that looked like the scope of a rifle. Ed had set his best weapon against Fairbanks. All he had to do now was wait.
Chapter Thirteen
Liz lived in a luxury apartment on the Gateshead side of the River Tyne. It was on the fourteenth floor and afforded her an unrivalled view of the Newcastle cityscape. There was a fifty-inch plasma screen on her wall, but it was seldom on. She preferred to watch the city where vehicles scuttled like ants or people no bigger than dots ambled along the promenade oblivious to her attentive eye.
It had been part of her settlement in her divorce with Ed. Noodles contested it, but her ex-husband signed away the deeds without a whimper. He wanted her to have a place of her own, somewhere the boys could visit and where he would be welcome from time to time. She often joked Ed was the perfect ex-husband. It was the husband part he struggled with. Sitting in her lonely vigil, it was a joke she made less often.
Unlike most new builds, her apartment was large and spacious. Her sitting room had floor to ceiling windows with enough room for two green leather sofas, a wing-backed chair in zebra print and a glass coffee table. The kitchen was state of the art with a double door fridge freezer, granite work surfaces and an oven she had used twice since moving in. There was her main bedroom with walk-in wardrobe, a guest room, two bedrooms and a bathroom with a sunken bath and whirlpool shower. There was a communal gym on the ground floor where she spent an hour every day.
Despite the open invitation, Ed rarely visited. In fact, she had few visitors. She occasionally entertained male friends, but not so often that they felt comfortable dropping by and her female friends never saw her outside of a restaurant or night club.
It was a surprise to see Monica sitting outside her door, her arms wrapped around her knees.
Offering her a seat and a drink, Monica perched on the edge of the sofa, watching the remaining drops of wine run into one another. Liz glanced at the round faced clock on the wall. It was ten o’clock in the morning.
“Do you want another?” she asked.
“Better not,” Monica said, sliding her empty glass away on the table in front of her.
Liz was fresh from the gym. She desperately needed a shower, but when she saw Monica, she knew it would have to wait. The sweat on her body was cold and made her shiver.
“Is there something up, Mon?”
Monica looked longingly at her empty wine glass. Liz’s instinct was to
get her a refill. They were kept women after all. Who would care if they got loaded before noon? It’s not like either of them had responsibilities, but something told her to delay her generosity.
She sat next to her on the sofa and listened to the dull roar of the city outside.
“It’s all gone wrong,” Monica said at last.
“What has, darling?”
Monica examined her fingernails. They were bitten down to the quick. Liz placed a comforting hand on the small of her back. “I know what it’s like living in that house, babe. You can tell me.”
Monica took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”
Something grabbed Liz by the throat. Her hand shrank away from Monica. She went to the kitchen. It was all she could do to disguise the sick feeling in her stomach. Her legs felt like rubber. With another bottle of Chardonnay in her hand, she returned to her seat. Liz took Monica’s glass and poured herself a generous measure.
The girl was talking, but Liz wasn’t listening. She guzzled her wine, but it went the wrong way and she choked. Spluttering, she saw Monica’s pretty face wet with tears, looking at her quizzically.
“Are you okay, Liz?”
Liz steadied herself with fortifying gasps of air. “How could you be pregnant?”
“What do you mean? You might live like a nun now, Liz, but you must remember how it works. How do you think I got pregnant?”
Fixing the girl with a hard stare, she saw Monica wither in her seat.
“I’m sorry, Liz. I’m sorry. I’m just so upset. I didn’t think this would happen.”
Liz had been prepared for someone like Monica to come along. Men were weak like that. They needed a woman in their life to feel virile. She never begrudged Ed re-marrying. After he gave her this apartment, it seemed petty.
“Does Eddie know about this?” Liz asked.
“Not yet. When we first got together I told him I didn’t want kids. I think that was one of the reasons he married me. He never wanted more than the family he already had and now Daniel’s back - “
“Daniel’s back?”
The question was met with silence. Monica stared at her open mouthed. That should have been the first thing you told me, you dopey cow and you know it, thought Liz.
“I haven’t seen my son in nine whole months,” she said.
Monica moved to pick up her wine glass when she remembered it had been taken. Liz clutched it to her body and leaned back into her chair to wait. Monica related the story of how Daniel had broken into Five Oaks, how he’d locked Monica in a cupboard and the murderous look in his eyes as he closed the door.
“I screamed and screamed for help,” she said. “My voice got hoarse.”
“Where was Bronson? I thought he was doing security.”
Monica glanced toward the kitchen. “Do you mind if I get myself a drink?”
“It’s not good for the baby,” Liz said. “So, where was he?”
“Oh, I don’t know. All I know was that I was in that cupboard for what seemed like hours. Eventually Daniel let me out, but he had a face like thunder. I love the boy. You know I do, but he’s changed.”
Of course, he’s changed, thought Liz. He’s been without his family for the best part of the year. How can a boy survive without his mother?
“By the time I got to my feet, he was gone. I ran up the staircase and into the office.”
Monica expected to see the worst. Ed was on the sofa, his back to the world. She looked around for some clue as to what had happened. When she saw the blood, she rushed to his side. He was breathing, but something was wrong. “Ed? Ed? Are you okay, baby?”
At the sound of her voice, he reached for her hand. She tried to get him to talk, but he wouldn’t say a word. Climbing onto the sofa, she lay beside him, her arm draped over his shoulder. They stayed that way until dark. Only then did he reveal his broken nose.
The cool wine slipped down her throat. Liz was cold, but knew it was her son who had frozen her insides. If he was back, then he was back for a reason. She had visited Eisha, but it was too difficult to see her connected to all those machines. The flowers she sent in her absence were from the best florist in Newcastle. They would suffice.
Daniel was out for revenge, which meant whoever had hurt his little girl was in serious trouble. He would dig and scratch away until he found what he was looking for.
She tapped the side of her glass, worried if he dug a little too deep, he might find something else.
“What am I going to do?” Monica asked.
“Are you going to keep it?” she asked.
The words were out of Liz’s mouth before she could stop them. Monica was horrified. “Jesus, Liz. Are you mad?”
She couldn’t believe she’d just said that. It came from the worst part of her; the part of her that had driven her to leave the family home.
“I’m sorry, Monica. I don’t know why I said that.”
Monica picked up her handbag. “Are you jealous of us?” she asked, getting to her feet. Liz looked up at the haughty expression on her face. For the first time since meeting Monica, Liz saw more than Ed’s piece of skirt.
“Don’t you get silly on me, girl. I’ve got everything I want right here. Why would I care about you and your life?”
“Because it was the life you once had. I’m not stupid,” Monica said. “I know Eddie still loves you in some sick, twisted way and I think you might love him too, but I’m his wife and I’m going to be the mother of his new child. You’re scared this might be the thing to push you out the nest completely.”
Liz was heavy in her seat, as if gravity was clutching her shoulders and forcing her down. She was gobsmacked. Monica had never spoken to her like this before. If she’d had, she’d have been gone long before now. “You’re talking out of your arse,” she said.
“Am I?” she said and stormed off into Liz’s bedroom. Monica returned moments later brandishing the photograph Liz kept by her bedside.
“I thought I’d find something like this. Ed has the exact same photo in his office. The Daytons pretending to be a normal, happy family.” Monica threw it at Liz and it landed by her feet. “You’re anything but normal, Liz. That’s why Ed is married to me and you live here, all alone, like the dried up old spinster you are.”
Liz could only watch as she marched to the door. As Monica reached it, she turned back to Liz one last time. “Did Ed ask your blessing to marry me?”
“What has that got to do with anything?”
“I know you, Liz. I know what you’re capable of. You wouldn’t have let me in if you thought I was some kind of threat. Did Ed ask for your permission?”
Liz drained the last of her wine and twirled the stem of her glass in her fingers.
“Your time is over, Liz.” Monica sniffed back an angry sob and left, slamming the door closed.
She looked at the view from her window. The city had changed. The buildings and traffic were the same, but her place within it felt different. She had given up being Ed’s wife, but Liz never relinquished her claim as a mother. She was still the matriarch of the Dayton family. It was the most important thing to her in the world and she wouldn’t give it up for anyone. By getting pregnant, Monica was wrestling the power from Liz’s grasp. Or at least thought she was.
Because Liz knew something Monica didn’t.
Ignoring her glass, she gulped from the wine bottle. She loved Monica in her own way, but she’d been a silly, little girl. She had been right about the Daytons, though. They weren’t a normal family. She’d thought she was marrying a man, but she’d been marrying into a house of vipers.
She’d have to play this one carefully, she thought. Liz could tell Ed about the pregnancy, but he’d think she was out to make trouble. He’d never really believed they were friends. Just like a man to be so short sighted.
Instead, she’d wait for Monica to tell Ed herself. It would test her limited patience, but it was the only way. There couldn’t be any doubts in his mind. Only then would Ed re
alise his darling, young Monica had slept with another man.
Chapter Fourteen
Daniel tried to understand why his daughter’s doctor was suddenly off sick.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you why he isn’t here,” the Ward Sister said.
She was in her fifties with tightly bound greying hair and a bosom swelling against her uniform. She reminded Daniel, not of the sexy nurses he fantasised about as a teenager, but of a drill sergeant with a chest full of medals.
The nurses’ station was opposite Eisha’s private room, comprising of a long work surface supporting two computers, one of which had a sign on its screen reading ‘Do Not Use. Maintenance Requested.’ Behind the desk, harried looking medical staff in crumpled lilac scrubs consulted files and sipped coffee from paper cups.
Had it been any other doctor, Daniel would have begrudgingly accepted their absence, but the Daytons had been topping up Dr Hilltop’s salary for years. He was theirs to call on night or day. If his daughter’s condition didn’t warrant Hilltop’s undivided attention, then Daniel wanted to know what did.
“I’m her father,” Daniel said. “I haven’t seen Hilltop anywhere near her.”
“I can assure you that Doctor Hilltop has been diligent to the upmost. Your daughter is in very good hands.”
“If I can’t see him, then I want to see her medical charts.”
The Ward Sister’s face reddened and Daniel knew something was wrong. She might have been able to bluff her way around a missing doctor, but now she was rattled.
She turned to seek support from the staff members behind her, but they were gone, off on their rounds. It was her and Daniel. The Ward Sister seized a sheaf of leaflets on mental health and fanned them out on the desk. “Mr Dayton, I could show you her charts, but with all due respect, would you be able to understand them? They are very complicated. It takes years of education that I don’t think - “
Daniel made to grab the Sister’s hair, but she jerked away. She stood in shock, open-mouthed and then remembered her training, reaching for the panic button. He leapt over the desk in time to sweep her hand away. She looked for an escape, but the area behind the desk was small and Daniel was large.
