Home Truths

by Susan Lewis

  Martin was listening with his eyes down, and for a moment she thought he might have drifted off until he said, ‘He’s ex-armed forces, is that right?’

  ‘Yes. He doesn’t talk about it much, but he was in the first Iraq war and came out suffering with PTSD. It went undiagnosed for a long time, as did the problem with his lungs; by then he was in a sorry state. He even spent a period in prison, I think for drugs, but I’m not sure. When he was released he was right back on the streets until he was taken in by the men’s shelter in town. Someone there saw to it that he received proper medical attention, and over time with the right care and encouragement he began to want to live again.’

  ‘And his progress was good enough to get him a place with Bridging the Gap?’

  She nodded, and paused for only a moment before deciding to go straight for it. ‘I don’t suppose you have any flats or studios that might be suitable for him?’ she asked.

  He sighed and shook his head. ‘I don’t have a huge portfolio of properties myself these days, and the places I do have are already rented on long-term contracts. But I’ll ask around and give it some thought. I’m sure we’ll be able to come up with something.’

  Angie’s eyes shone with hope. ‘That would be wonderful,’ she exclaimed. ‘And if you know anyone who might want to buy the properties I’m sure a really good deal could be done on price, because they’re not in a great state of repair and if they do want to carry out some work Hamish could help.’

  He smiled. ‘No promises,’ and draining his glass he looked up at the ceiling. ‘All seems to have gone quiet up there,’ he commented. ‘Do you think they’ve fallen asleep?’

  Angie went to check and discovered that the girls were watching YouTube videos with the sound down low.

  ‘Grace has been showing me some of the productions she’s been in,’ Alayna informed Angie. ‘She’s clearly very talented.’

  Grace was glowing. ‘Alayna’s waiting to hear about a job at the Royal Court in London,’ she told her mother, ‘but while she’s here she’s going to take me to meet some of the people she knows at the theatre in Kesterly. Isn’t that amazing?’

  ‘It certainly is,’ Angie agreed, wanting to hug Alayna for making this naïve, star-struck teenager feel special. To Alayna she said, ‘I think your dad’s ready to go home.’

  Alayna nodded. ‘Can we just watch to the end of this one? It’s only a few more minutes and then I’ll be down.’

  Leaving them to it, Angie returned to the sitting room and found Martin standing in front of the hearth looking at the family photos. ‘No news on Liam?’ he said, putting down the framed shot of her and Steve proudly smiling at their firstborn when he was only hours old.

  Realizing he’d guessed it was Liam because of how young she and Steve looked, she said, ‘Andee’s hoping to see someone this week that might be able to help. She’s the sister of one of the attackers.’

  ‘Then let’s hope it comes good,’ and his expression lightened as they heard footsteps on the stairs.

  ‘It was great to see you again,’ Alayna said, hugging Angie. ‘I’m so glad things have worked out the way they have. You’ve got a lovely home.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Angie smiled, hugging her back. She wanted to tell her the turnaround in fortune was all down to her dad, but sensed he’d probably rather she didn’t.

  ‘I’ll walk you to the car,’ Grace offered, clearly not wanting to be parted from her new idol just yet.

  As they started off down the path Angie was about to follow when Martin said, ‘Do you know Leanne Delaney?’

  Angie frowned as she thought. ‘The name rings a bell …’

  ‘She lives up at Ash Morley farm …’

  ‘And has the vintage shop, Glory Days, in town. I know who you mean, but I don’t actually know her.’

  He shrugged. ‘She’s throwing a party for her mother’s 70th next Saturday. I was wondering if you’d consider being my plus one?’

  Angie’s heart somersaulted. ‘Uh, um yes, I’d love to,’ she stammered. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Good,’ and tugging off his bow tie he followed his daughter out to the car.

  After they’d gone and Grace had finished gushing about Alayna, Angie stood in the middle of the room smiling. He’d made the invitation seem so casual, and she felt sure it was, but she knew already that Grace and Emma would see it as nothing less than a date.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  ‘So what did you make of that?’ Andee asked Barry Britten, the off-duty PC who’d just accompanied her on an unedifying mission into the worst streets of the Temple Fields Estate.

  ‘If you mean,’ he said, indicating right as they approached the Tesco roundabout, ‘did I believe the woman, then I honestly don’t know. Did you?’

  Andee sighed, and mulled over their short conversation with Alice Merino, Moggie’s much older sister. She’d had such a severe case of the shakes, and was so preoccupied by some grievance with a fellow hooker, that most of what she’d said hadn’t been worth listening to. However, she’d eventually admitted to knowing Liam, and she hadn’t shrugged off the suggestion that she’d had a soft spot for him. But as for sending a text to his mother …

  ‘Why would I do that?’ she’d asked, eyes flicking up and down the empty street as she took a deep draw of her roll-up. ‘I don’t even know the woman.’

  Sensing more disinterest than lies, Andee said, ‘So can you tell us where Liam is?’

  Alice coughed, and attempted incredulity. ‘How should I know?’ she wheezed, picking a strand of dyed blonde hair from her lower lip. ‘It’s been two years or more. He ain’t sent no postcards or emails, if that’s what you mean, and I don’t do social media.’ She took another drag on her roll-up. ‘I never had nothing to do with what happened to his dad, so if that’s what this is about …’

  ‘It isn’t,’ Barry told her shortly. ‘We’re just trying to find him. So where did he go after his mother threw him out?’

  Alice threw out her hands. ‘Two years ago, man, how am I supposed to remember something like that?’

  ‘Try,’ Andee pressed.

  After grinding her cigarette underfoot she said, ‘He came here, to me, all right, but he didn’t stay long and when he left he didn’t tell me where he was going.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Course I’m bloody sure.’

  ‘Did he go with someone?’

  ‘No idea, didn’t see him go.’

  ‘Can you make a guess as to where he might have gone?’

  Jigging about on her heels and still shivering in her fake leather jacket and micro mini she glanced up and down the squalid street again, probably worried her pimp was watching, Andee realized. Quite suddenly she said, ‘Can’t talk to you,’ and began walking away.

  Andee said now, ‘On the face of it I’d say we’ve just wasted our time, but she knows something, I’m certain of it. The question is, how to get it out of her?’

  Barry cast her a sidelong glance, as though suspecting she might already have the answer to that.

  Andee sighed and let her head fall back. ‘We made a mistake in approaching her here, on the estate,’ she said. ‘The handlers, and Shalik will be one of them, have eyes everywhere, and they won’t like any of their girls talking to the police.’

  ‘So do you want me to get her to meet us some place else?’ Barry offered. ‘Like cell number four at the station?’

  ‘Bit extreme,’ she replied, checking her phone as it rang. Seeing it was her old boss, DCI Gould, she clicked on.

  ‘Are you still on the estate?’ he asked curtly.

  ‘Just leaving.’

  ‘Did you get what you want?’

  ‘No, but we’re going to try again.’

  ‘No. What you’re going to do is stay clear of there for the next few days at least, and I mean well clear. Have you got that? Of course you have,’ and the line went dead.

  It was just after eight on Wednesday morning, while Angie was getting the ch
ildren ready for school, that Martin rang. Surprised, not only because it was so early, but because as far as she knew he was in London all week, she left the children to continue their breakfasts, and took her mobile into the hall. ‘Hi,’ she said, with what she hoped was the right degree of warmth for a friend who was also her boss. Please don’t be calling to say you can’t make it back in time for the party.

  ‘Sorry, can you hang on one sec?’ he asked, ‘I’m just about to go through an underpass and I’ll …’

  lose you? she added for him.

  As she waited she went to check the contents of Zac’s sports bag next to the front door, and wasn’t in the least surprised to find a kit that needed washing. Tossing it under the stairs to add to the load Emma had brought over last night, her own machine still being on the blink, she made a mental note to use some of her cash to get Emma a new Whirlpool asap. She was also, now she was the landlord, going to send a handyman to fix all the other problems in Emma’s house before he made a start on this place.

  ‘Are you still there?’ Martin asked, coming back on the line.

  ‘I am,’ she confirmed.

  ‘Have you heard the news this morning?’

  ‘No, I’m afraid in this house it’s either video games, loud music or grumbling to get us going for the day. Why?’

  ‘You need to put it on,’ he instructed. ‘Maybe not anywhere near Grace for the moment, but there have been a series of dawn raids across the country in something called Operation Springtime. Twenty arrests so far, apparently, and one of the mugshots they keep flashing up is this Anya – aka Besjana Ajeti from Albania.’

  Turning cold at the thought of this evil woman, Angie said, ‘Please tell me they’ve got her too.’

  ‘It seems they have. The operation is being compared to the one in Rotherham, but that’s the news channels; I don’t know if the police consider it in the same light, because this one seems to have a more international reach. But what’s important for you, for Grace and all the other kids who’ve been groomed by these bastards, is that the ring has been broken.’

  Angie was sitting on the bottom stair by now, taking it in and already knowing what she was going to ask next.

  As though reading her mind, he said, ‘Yes, Shalik’s properties were amongst those raided, and as far as I know he’s in a police cell right now, facing serious charges such as trafficking, pimping, grooming, it goes on. And this in addition to the fraud he’s already up for. I don’t know if they’ll ever be able to connect him to Steve’s murder, but you can be sure that POS is going down for a very long time.’

  Angie was waiting for the relief and satisfaction to sink in, to get a sense of justice taking its course, but right now all she seemed to be feeling was an overriding revulsion tinged with sadness, not only for the pointless loss of Steve’s life, but for Hari. ‘His father didn’t deserve a son like that,’ she said quietly.

  ‘No, he didn’t,’ Martin agreed. ‘If he’d known what was happening – and it must have been going on while Hari was alive – I’m sure he’d have disowned him, probably even shopped him.’

  Suspecting he was right, Angie decided to move away from the subject for now. She needed to think it through later, while she was alone, and she didn’t want Shalik swamping any more of this phone call. ‘Grace is seeing Alayna after school,’ she told him.

  Going with it, Martin said, ‘So I hear. I’ve warned my daughter not to be overwhelming, because she can be quite good at that.’

  ‘Grace is already overwhelmed and loving every minute of it. Lois is going along too. You know, you have a very special daughter who definitely takes after her father, because she hasn’t thought twice about taking a couple of wannabes under her wing and helping them to grow in confidence and feel OK about having dreams.’

  There was only silence at the other end.

  ‘Hello?’ she said.

  Nothing.

  ‘Hello?’ she said again. ‘Are you there?’

  Still nothing.

  Realizing they’d lost the connection she clicked off, and was about to go and hurry the children along when he rang again.

  ‘Sorry about that,’ he said. ‘I’m heading into an underground car park, but tell me first, has Andee managed to talk to the girl on the Temple Fields estate?’

  Angie said, ‘I haven’t heard anything yet. Have you?’

  ‘No, nothing, but with what’s going on over there right now I expect Andee’s decided to stay well away for the time being. Next question, are we still on for Saturday?’

  ‘Of course. I’m looking forward to it.’

  ‘Me too. I’ll call when I’m back and arrange a time to pick you up.’

  Later in the day Angie was at Hill Lodge with Hamish struggling to keep her mind off Martin and Shalik and all that was going on in her world, while watching the videos Sasha had posted on YouTube of Craig playing in his new band.

  ‘He’s not bad, is he?’ Hamish commented proudly. ‘A lot better than he was a few months ago, anyway.’

  This actually was true. ‘There’s obviously something about your favourite oldies that works for him,’ Angie smiled, touched by how impassioned Craig looked as he performed. This was new too, for he’d rarely shown emotion before.

  ‘It seems to be working out well for him up there in Bristol,’ Hamish said, closing down his laptop, ‘and that’s what really counts.’

  Sensing how much he was missing Craig, Angie wished she could tell him that she was bringing in another lonely and vulnerable young lad who needed a father figure. She was sure Hamish would willingly rise to it, but for the time being there wasn’t anything she could say about newcomers.

  ‘And what about you?’ he asked suddenly, visibly brightening. ‘If you don’t mind me saying, you’re looking very … sparkly.’

  ‘Sparkly?’ she laughed.

  ‘In the eyes. I was getting quite worried about you for a while, you just didn’t seem yourself. Not that it’s any of my business, but I got a feeling that things had changed when you decided to have a party, and not only with the house. By the way, I wish you’d told me what you were going through, because I could have been a better friend.’

  ‘You’re always a good friend.’

  Clearly pleased by that, he carried on as if she hadn’t spoken. ‘And now look at you today, pretty as a picture and mind not quite on what we’re doing, so I’ve been trying to work out if you’re in love, or maybe you’ve found that lad of yours?’ His eyebrows raised expectantly, making Angie wonder if he was hoping Liam might one day be his next surrogate son.

  Smiling, she said, ‘Neither, but someone is trying to help with Liam, and I’m hoping to have some news soon.’

  ‘That’s good to hear. Very good. I know how much it’s troubled you not knowing where he is.’ He gave an affectionate sigh. ‘You’re a good mother, Angie. There are plenty out there who wouldn’t care after what happened, but you’re definitely not one of them.’

  ‘And you’re a good friend,’ she told him again, really wanting him to believe it. ‘To me, to Craig, to everyone who comes here. You’ve made a big difference in a lot of people’s lives.’

  He seemed touched by her words, but quickly moved on. ‘I’ll put the kettle on if you have time for a cuppa before you go. Did you bring the fundraising files with you? I’ve had some ideas I think might work.’

  As Angie tried to conjure up an excuse for why she didn’t have them, her phone jingled with a text.

  You’ll have heard by now about the NCA raids on the estate, but I’ve already spoken to Merino’s sister and I’m sure she can help us. I’m hoping to speak to her again next week once all the chaos has died down.

  See you at the party on Saturday. Andee x

  Angie looked up to find Hamish regarding her, his smile full of fondness. ‘Yes, definitely sparkly,’ he told her with a little chuckle.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  Martin arrived at eight on Saturday evening as promised, pulling up beh
ind Angie’s van in his smart BMW, on the phone as usual, although he’d rung off by the time she reached the end of the path to get in the car. She was wearing a black, figure-hugging, over-the-knee silk dress, the classiest (she hoped) and most expensive she’d ever owned, with matching three-inch-high sling-backs and a small silver cross-body bag. Grace and Emma had helped to style her, using Emma’s credit card for now, trawling just about every online store there was and ordering practically everything they liked the look of, leaving her to return all the discards on Monday.

  ‘Wow,’ Martin murmured as she slipped in beside him. ‘You look lovely.’

  Glowing and tensed up with nerves, it only occurred to her then that maybe she should have invited him in for a drink. Too late, he was already turning around to drive back out of the street.

  To her dismay she couldn’t seem to think of a sensible word to say, so she embarrassed herself with, ‘You look lovely too.’

  His blue eyes shone with humour as he cast her a glance. ‘How’s everything at home?’ he asked. ‘Kids still settling in well?’

  ‘It’s almost like we never left,’ she replied. ‘For them, anyway, but I’m getting there. Did you have a good week in London?’

  ‘Mm, not bad. It was worth going, which isn’t always the case. Excuse me,’ he said, as his phone rang and Alayna’s name came up on the screen.

  ‘Hey Dad, just wondering if you’re coming back to the flat tonight or going to Grandma’s?’

  ‘I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it. Why?’

  ‘Because I’m inviting a couple of friends over later, and if you’re not staying here they can.’