by Diane Ezzard
Being a busy-body, I loved hearing anything juicy. When I was small, I listened in on my parents’ fights. I had to check out their conversations in case I was the reason for the disharmony. It was always about money and trying to make ends meet. Both Mum and Dad blamed each other for overspending. I hated that time. It was never a happy home. I suppose that listening to others became second nature, something I always did, but this was different.
Adrenalin flooded into my body like an intravenous drip. I didn’t understand why I felt scared. It wasn’t as though anyone knew I could hear them. Perhaps it was the fact it was the Duggan household I was listening in on. I was afraid of the consequences if we got caught.
Chopping up the onion in silence, I listened hard to the crackling sounds. There’d been no movement all morning. Like an idiot, I allowed Jack to persuade me to listen to this thing all day. He hoped his surveillance bug might uncover something interesting. I was having kittens worrying it might get found and traced back to Jack.
So far, no one had surfaced this morning. They weren’t early risers in the Duggan household. I’d have preferred to listen to the radio while I prepared the lasagne for tonight’s meal, but I was a sucker for offering to help Jack.
I threw the mince in with the onions and let them sweat it out together. Thinking I heard footsteps over the system, I turned the dial up a notch and reached for a wooden spoon in the top drawer. Directing my ear closer to the machine, I listened hard. I must have been mistaken. I continued with my cooking and stirred the mixture around in the pan. The pan sizzled but this time I heard a noise as someone burped over the airways. I smiled, wondering how they’d feel if they knew they were being listened to.
“If you can do the bathroom when you’ve finished in here, Jade.” Jade? What was going on?
“Sure thing, Maggie. Are there any more cloths?” That was definitely Jade’s voice.
“Yeah, third drawer down,” Maggie shouted. There were some banging and rustling noises. I listened hard. The system went dead again. Twenty minutes later there were more noises, running water, cupboards opening, crockery clanking. More time lapsed and I heard Jade’s voice again.
“Do you want me to make you some toast, Maggie?”
“No, I’m not hungry but you can take Dom and the lads some. They’re over in the billiard room. Dom said they didn’t want to be disturbed. He told me he had called an emergency meeting. I don’t know what it’s about. I don’t get involved with his business dealings. Make sure you knock first.”
“Okay, will do.”
There was silence for ten minutes, then I heard footsteps and Jade spoke.
“Dom went ballistic when I popped my head around the door. He screamed at me to get out. There was smoke coming out of his ears. He was fuming. He looked like a kettle ready to boil. I only asked if they wanted any toast. He didn’t have to behave that way.”
“I warned you,” Maggie said. “He’s not in a good mood today. I’d stay out of his way if I was you.”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but there’s no need to take it out on me. When I tried to speak, he shoved me out of the room and slammed the door in my face.”
“Welcome to Dom’s world.”
“But it’s not fair, I was only trying to help.”
“Look, you earn good money here and we don’t pay you to ask questions or moan. Steer clear of him if you know what’s good for you.” Jade huffed and puffed and there were more clattering sounds. There was nothing else of interest.
I wasn’t sure what was going on, but Jack would be interested in this development. He returned to my place two hours later and I couldn’t contain myself any longer with the news.
“You’ll never guess what.” I grinned.
“What?” His eyes widened as he chewed on some gum. I recounted what I’d heard. “Well, well, well. Jade’s working as a cleaner. No wonder she wasn’t in when I went to see her. She was over at Dom’s farm. How brazen can you get? Surely she’s not sleeping with him right under Maggie’s nose?”
“Well, it sounds like she’s wormed her way into their good books.”
“She wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of Maggie, I tell you. That woman is as tough as old boot.”
“She’s playing a dangerous game.” Jack nodded.
“I’ve heard some other news. Here, put the radio on. I don’t know if it’s linked to our infamous Duggan family. Let’s have a listen. It should be on soon.” He glanced at his watch then turned on the radio. There were several reports before the one Jack wanted me to listen to. He turned the dial up a notch.
“Three people have been arrested after what is described as the largest drugs seizure in Lancashire’s history.” I raised my eyebrows. “Drugs worth twenty million pounds have been seized at Birch services on the M62. Police described the colossal haul of class A drugs as one of the largest they have seen. A substance believed to be cocaine was discovered hidden inside a van that was stopped in a routine search yesterday morning. The vehicle was travelling towards Yorkshire. Three men remain in police custody after being detained on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs. This is the second time in as many months that police have foiled a major drugs ring in the area.”
“I wonder if it’s anything to do with the Duggans?” I asked.
“Wait, wait, there’s more,” Jack said.
“Detective Chief Superintendent David Barker, head of crime at Lancashire police stated — we’re in the early stages of our investigations. I am confident that taking these huge hauls out of society will go some way into disrupting the organised crime groups in the area. The criminals involved have no scruples. They prey on the most vulnerable people in our communities. The corrosive effect of illegal drugs on our local area cannot be understated. Behind every single drug deal, there is heartache and misery for those affected. As a force, we are committed to tackling the problem and targeting those involved. I am sure the public will see this as a positive step in our fight against the illegal drug trade in Greater Manchester and further afield. We are aware that removing such a large haul from the streets may impact on health agencies and we are liaising with them closely to minimise potential problems. I commend my officers for their diligent work and would like to thank those involved publicly for their dedication in tackling this major issue in today’s society. Our fight against serious and organised crime will not stop. Any information that members of the public can provide in helping bring to justice anyone involved will be treated as always in the strictest confidence.”
“Wow, what do you think?” I looked across at Jack.
“If the Duggan brothers are involved, trouble will be around the corner. Birch services must be on their patch, being so close so I reckon they will be like wasps at the end of summer now, looking for their targets. They won’t be happy, and they will be gunning for someone. I can’t believe these large busts would be down to random searches. The police must have had a tip-off.”
“If someone shopped them, I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes,” I said.
“Maybe it’s time for my good friend Snakehips to pay back the favour he owes me after I was set up.”
“Do you think it’s wise involving him?”
“Oh yes. I’ll find out now where his loyalties lie. If he knows anything, then he owes me that much to let me know.”
Chapter 36
Sophie
Bury is a place where people know each other’s business. Many of the women who came to the centre knew one another and if they didn’t, they soon made friends there. Christine was doing a stalwart job organising the social enterprise she and Steph set up. It sprang up in no time. Steph and Tim put a chunk of money in to help get it off the ground. Steph was back in London now. A lot of the day to day front line work was down to Christine, while Steph prepared the bids for funding. She spoke to Christine daily. Her plan was to come up as often as she could to see how things were running. The centre had temporarily donated a free r
oom to their organisation to help the project. It wasn’t ideal because of the rules around men attending, so they could only use it in the evenings. I went over to check things out if I wasn’t helping Jack.
I walked in and was surprised to see Marcus’s mum, Justine talking to Christine. She looked a mess. Her hair was lank. She shook. Her complexion looked gaunt, and her bones protruded through her thin acrylic jumper. Christine had an arm around her shoulder, comforting her.
“I need to find Marcus as soon as possible. I can’t have this happen to him as well.” She covered her face with a large handkerchief and blew her nose. She’d been sobbing.
“Can I get anyone a drink?” I asked. Both ladies nodded. I left them and went through to the kitchen. Christine joined me a few minutes later.
“Have you heard the news?” she whispered.
“What news?” I shook my head.
“About Toby.”
“Sorry, you’ve lost me. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Toby is Marcus’s eldest brother.”
“Oh, that’s right, yes. Why? What’s happened?”
“He’s been found dead.”
“No!” I put down the kettle and put both my hands over my mouth, my eyes wide open. “Poor Justine,” I said sitting down trying to take in the news.
“She’s devastated, poor woman. I’m sorting out some support for her. If she’s left to her own devices, she’ll probably OD on drugs. She is in a bad way right now.”
I phoned Jack straight away.
“Are you any further forward with finding Marcus, Jack? We’ve got to find him ASAP. This poor woman is in a terrible state.”
“No mother deserves that to happen to their child. It’s unthinkable. I’m shocked. The poor woman. I can’t imagine how I would cope if anything happened to one of my two.”
“I realise you’re busy, but if you can find out anything, it may help find Louie.”
“Don’t worry. I’m looking into the Duggans’ drug dens. They have a few houses around the area. I’m working my way around them.”
“You be careful, Jack. Don’t let them know what you’re doing. We don’t want any more warnings like that petrol bomb.”
“Okay, love. I’ll be as discreet as I can.”
After speaking to Jack, I went back to chat with Christine and Justine. Christine was still comforting the distraught mother. I sat opposite them and leaning forward, I took Justine’s hand.
“Words cannot describe how sorry I feel for your loss, Justine. We will help find Marcus. I can’t imagine what you are going through right now, but I want you to know we will give you all the support we can. I’ll give you my number and you can phone me any time, morning, noon or night. You mustn’t suffer alone with this.”
Justine dried her eyes and thanked me. Slowly she spoke about Toby through her sniffles.
“I had high hopes for him. He loved his sport when he was at school. As a kid, he was a great little footballer. I hoped he’d play for Bury one day or even Manchester United, but it wasn’t to be.” She started to cry again. “No mother should have to see their child die before them. I’d have preferred it if they’d killed me. Why is life so unfair?” she wailed. Christine tried to calm her down.
“We’ll help you through this, Justine. We’ll give you all the support we can. It will take time. Have the police said anything about what happened?” she asked. Justine shook her head. I felt a pang in my stomach as I thought about Christine’s own heartache with Louie still missing. She wiped a solitary tear off her face. “We’ll get through this together, Justine.” I watched as Justine’s expression changed. The fight seemed to leave her in that instant.
“I’ve got to stop using.” She nodded. I squeezed her hand. “It’s drugs that got my Toby killed. They’re evil. I have to do something for his memory.” Her eyes and lips narrowed.
“I’ll be here for you, Justine. There’s a lot of help available nowadays. I can put you in touch with organisations who can help you get clean.”
“I’ve got to do it, for Toby’s sake.”
“And for the rest of your children. They would be so proud to see their mum turn her life around.”
“I need to do it for them, don’t I?”
“And for yourself, love. Even making the decision to quit, Justine, Toby will be looking down on you now, proud of his mum.”
“I miss them all so much. I’ve been a bad mother.”
“You’ve made mistakes, but you can’t continue to condemn yourself for that.”
“I don’t deserve a good life,” she sniffled.
“Don’t say that, Justine. Of course, you do.” Christine said, putting an arm around her shoulder.
“If you want to stop taking drugs, it will be the most worthwhile thing you could do with your life. It won’t be easy, but trust me, it will be worth it.”
“Do you know what happened to Toby?” Christine asked.
“His body was found by a dog up at Rivington Pike in Bolton. He must have been dead for a while. No one knew.”
“Oh, Justine.” I put my hand over my mouth.
“I hadn’t seen him for months. It’s ironic that this happened, and he was only down the road from me.”
“Have the police given you any more information?”
“They’ve not said a lot. He had been shot, but you know how it is with these drug dealers. There’ll be a wall of silence. Any witnesses will be intimidated. They’ll be lucky if they catch anyone for it. The scum bags will get away with it. Toby’s life will have been in vain.”
“You can’t think like that. Try to think of your happy memories of Toby, the boy before he got into drugs.” Justine pulled her tissue into small pieces. Her sniffing continued.
“I have grieved for Toby for a long time. Ever since he was arrested for shoplifting when he was twelve. I knew I’d lost him even back then. He was no longer the innocent little kid I pushed on the swings, squealing with delight. Once in his teens, he became an abusive thug. He was expelled from school and I couldn’t handle him.”
Justine didn’t paint a positive picture of having kids. I wiped out any brooding on my part to start a family as I listened to her tales of woe about bringing up her children on benefits.
“You’ve not had it easy, Justine.” She nodded.
“You’re right. He changed as soon as he became a teenager. Up until then, he’d been affectionate. You know, he picked me flowers and stuff like that.” She laughed. “They may have come from other people’s gardens, but it was the thought that counted. Within a year, he became my worst nightmare. I couldn’t control him. He was always shouting obscenities at me. He was like a caged animal. I had to let him go.”
“No one blames you, Justine,” I said.
“Oh yes, they do. So, they should. I was a rubbish mother and now I’ve paid the ultimate price, losing a son.”
Chapter 37
Jack
My mobile rang. I answered on the third ring.
“Jack North,” I said.
“Hi Jack, it’s Mike Harper. How are you doing?” I could tell from his tone that this was no social call.
“What’s up, Mike? You got any news?”
“Yeah,” he said in a long drawn out tone. “Have you got time to stop by the office?”
“Sure. I can make time. Can’t you tell me over the phone?”
“I’d prefer to talk to you in person. It’s sensitive. It’s that Toby kid. I believe you’ve been involved with the family?”
“That’s right. I can be over in an hour?”
“Great, I’ll see you then.”
I didn’t have time to get too intrigued as the phone rang again as soon as I ended the call from Mike.
“Jack North.” This was becoming something of a hotline.
“Jack, it’s Marcus. I need to talk to you.” His voice trembled.
“Marcus, where are you, kiddo?”
“I… I… Can we meet somewhere?”
“Sure, name the place.”
“Just near the chimney in Burrs Park, would that be okay?”
“Course, I’ll come straight over. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Sophie had left my clean washing on a chair in the bedroom. I picked up a pair of jeans and a casual top. No time to pick up any food, so I’d grab something later. I raced out to my car and drove the few miles down the A56 to the meet location. When I pulled up, three other cars were in the car park.
I peered over at the stone chimney. I couldn’t see anyone. Locking my car, I headed up the path that ran alongside the river. A couple walking their dog smiled, and I greeted them with a nod. I looked out towards the sculpture of a troll and spotted a youth dressed in dark clothing. With my hands deep in my pockets, I walked towards him. His head hung low but as he glanced my way, I saw the recognition in his eyes. As I approached, he threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stamped it out with his shoe.
“Shall we walk?” I asked, more as a command rather than a question. Marcus nodded. His eyes looked hollow, dead inside. I had seen that look before. With robotic movement, he walked alongside me. “You look like you could do with a good meal. Shall we go to McDonald’s?”
“I… err….”
“It’s okay, I haven’t been followed.” Even though it wasn’t cold, he drew his jacket close to his chest.
“Come on, lad, I’m sure you’ll feel better with a Big Mac down you.” It might mean I would be late to see Mike, but I had to look at my priorities and right now Marcus’s welfare and my angry belly came first.
We drove up the road to the retail park and waited in line at the drive-thru. After collecting our order, I drove along one of the cobbled backstreets and pulled up. We tucked into our paper bags. The smell of chips would no doubt linger in the vehicle long after we’d finished eating. It would give Sophie something else to complain about.