The Vine Cross (The Vine Series Book 1)

by S P Dawes

  “Why?”

  “I’ve no idea. Like I said, I wasn’t there. But she was in a right mess the next day. I believed her. She told me that after they’d...you know, they told her to pin it on me or…,” he stopped and looked away, remembering something about that night.

  “Or what, Mr Belmont?” Jesse was running out of patience.

  “They’d kill my daughter,” Nick quickly interjected.

  “How old was your daughter?” asked Jesse cautiously.

  “Six months,”

  Jesse shook his head in desperation for the woman married to him.

  “What’s this about? Is Hayley OK?” Nick inquired, concerned.

  Jesse didn’t answer as he scribbled in his notebook. “How long did you know Hayley?” He quizzed, looking back at him, shuffling nervously.

  “We started seeing each other about six months after she began here. She left about a month after the attack. She withdrew the complaint the day after. Unfortunately, people didn’t make her life very easy for her after that, and I tried to stay clear.”

  Course you did, thought Jesse, spineless waste of space. “Why did she withdraw?”

  Nick shrugged. “I told her I’d lose my job, so she said she’d leave instead.”

  “How did she find out about your wife?”

  “They told her.”

  Jesse stared at him to continue, his jaw tightening.

  “The people who attacked her, said to stay away from me because I was a married man.” Nick dropped his shoulders, embarrassed, shuffling slightly on the spot.

  “So, they told her to tell your boss, that you did it, or they’d kill your daughter?” Jesse clarified.

  “I know it sounds crazy,” he explained.

  Jesse thought it sounded like a woman trying to put her foot down and scare her husband into shape. Something that would be easy enough to do with the guy in front of him. He was weak and pathetic, for allowing a young girl to be brutally attacked because he couldn’t keep it in his trousers, and then she’d still done everything to protect him and his daughter. Repaying her by staying away, rather than trying to support her just to make his life easier. No wonder she found it difficult to get close to people.

  Jesse took his pocket notepad back out and jotted a couple of things down.

  “Thankfully, they hadn’t added to her scarring, which was a relief. She said it was pretty superficial.”

  Jesse kept his eyes on the pad while his blood heated. He disliked the bloke more with each passing second. The pressure on his pen was going to snap it soon. “Superficial, to what extent were her injuries?” He asked, looking across to him, trying to remain calm.

  “Broken nose, split lip, black eye, grazing and stuff.”

  Jesse listened to how he just reamed the injuries off like they were only a shopping list. “Superficial?” He couldn’t help but let his annoyance show.

  Nick straightened up, shifting again, “I didn’t mean it wasn’t bad, I just meant she had worse scars. I’m sure it was nothing compared to them.”

  Struck by how heartless this guy was in front of him, Jesse couldn’t understand what the hell she had seen in him, in the first place? “What scars are you referring?” He wasn’t sure whether to ask. But he was here, and this bloke was happy to run his mouth off about her.

  “Well, she’s kind of covered, isn’t she?”

  Jesse just stared at him. He hadn’t noticed anything. He tried to remember if he’d ever seen any flesh other than her face and hands.

  “Her back. It looks like a bear attacked her, and she has this brand,” he said, pointing to the base of his own spine.

  “A brand?” Asked Jesse.

  “Yeah, she has this circular burn type thing on her spine, like what cattle have.”

  “Did she ever tell you how she got that?”

  Nick shook his head. “She refused to talk about it, but I got the feeling she didn’t come from a great family life.”

  Jesse held his tongue. Not only was this guy happy to let his teenage fling take the heat, he was already aware of her family mistreating her in the past, people who should have protected her.

  “I’m gathering no one got detained for the assault?” Asked Jesse, knowing the answer, but he just wanted to see if any more information fell out of his mouth.

  “No, the CCTV was useless. Out of shot.”

  Jesse turned to leave.

  “When you see her, tell her I’m sorry?”

  Jesse had no intention of mentioning this, but he nodded anyway and left.

  Jesse stood outside the supermarket. It was early evening, but still light because of the time of year. He’d only wanted to drop in after his shift because he couldn’t get her out of his head. Plus, he was sure there was more to her story than what Caitlyn thought she knew. He leant up against the wall, feeling sick. He didn’t know if it was from talking to that sleaze ball or because he’d found out things about Hayley that he really had no right knowing. Jesse ran his hand through his hair, contemplating what to do, while making his way back to the car he left parked in the police station.

  When he got home, he heard voices coming from the living room. Opening the door, he saw Rob sat on the sofa.

  “Hi, what’s going on?” Rob rarely made visits without Caitlyn. When he did, it was always to ask for something.

  “Your brother just came round for a chat,” said his mum, picking up on the question in Jesse’s tone.

  Jesse shared a look with his dad that told him he had been thinking the same thing. “Right, well, I’m just going to get changed.” He re-opened the door he’d just come through, but before he left, his brother piped up.

  “Actually, I need to ask you all something?”

  Jesse rolled his eyes. He knew it. Turning back to his dad, he leant on the armchair while Rob tried to piece together what he wanted to ask.

  Rob leant forward and put his mug on the coffee table in front of him, looking from one to the other. “There’s a person at work who needs a room, and I was wondering if you’d mind lending out my old bedroom, just until they get on their feet?” His brother watched his parents look to one another and then Jesse.

  “Why would Mum and Dad want to put up with someone they don’t even know?” Jesse asked, annoyed that he’d even asked them. This was their time to worry only about themselves, not taking in every waif and stray. He already felt bad about having to move in himself. But until the house sale came through, he was coasting.

  “Because she’s got nowhere else to go!” Rob pleaded.

  “She?” Asked his father, wondering where this conversation would end up.

  Rob looked down sullenly, then back up to his mum. “She’s being chucked out of her place; she’s got nowhere to go. I feel terrible for her. She’s lost her deposit and won’t be able to afford another until she’s saved some wages, and I just hoped you might give her a bed until she earned it.” He could see his mum soften as she laid a hand on his knee.

  “Why can’t she stop at yours, you’ve got two bedrooms?” Asked Jesse, willing his mum not to give in so easily. He didn’t relish sharing the house with a stranger or seeing his mum rush around after one all day.

  Rob looked at Jesse pleadingly.

  Jesse just waited with his arms folded across his chest.

  “Caitlyn won’t agree,” he answered solemnly.

  Jesse and his dad exchanged looks again and their mother caught them, scolding them with a look of her own, whilst Rob stared at the pile of the pink carpet.

  “Why is she losing her place, Rob?” His mum asked gently.

  “Some nutter chucked paint over everything,” he explained to her.

  Jesse stopped leaning on his dad’s chair and stood up. His dad watched him stiffen next to him. His mum was cooing over his brother’s revelation while Jesse turned a shade paler.

  “Jesse?” His dad asked, looking at him, alarmed.

  Marie and Rob turned to him as he tried to compose himself, running his
hand over his chin.

  “Hayley?” He directed the question straight to Rob, oblivious to his parents not being in on what was going on. “She can’t stop here.”

  Their parents looked from one son to the other, trying to work out what wasn’t being said.

  “Can I talk with you outside?” He asked Rob sternly.

  Outside, with the back door closed, Jesse hissed, “are you crazy?”

  “She needs a room,” pleaded Rob. He reminded Jesse of a scolded child, having had his hands caught in the cookie jar.

  “She might do? But you don’t even know her, and you’re prepared to have Mum and Dad let her move in. She could be anyone?” Jesse couldn’t believe how inconsiderate of their safety he was being.

  “Come on! She’s a girl I work alongside. She’d hardly the Yorkshire ripper, is she?”

  “No, but she’s worked with you for two months. And in the last week someone has robbed your workplace, her home got vandalised, and your girlfriend says she falsely accused someone of assault!” Jesse put his face up to the sky and paced the patio outside. He felt bad using the assault thing, because he knew more about it than Rob did. But he couldn’t let on or tell him anything he had found out in case it got back to Hayley, he’d severely over stepped boundaries there.

  “Oh, come on!” Rob exclaimed. “That’s all gossip, you know what places can be like?”

  “Your girlfriend started it!” Jesse noticed his raised voice, feeling like a petulant child, the moment the words left his lips. But his brother was being naïve if he thought this wouldn’t backfire. A girl moves in to his parent’s house, who his fiancé already thinks he’s having an affair with, who clearly has a chequered past, was just asking for trouble. Regardless of the fact a detective was living there.

  “Look, you know I’d take her in if I could, but with Caity’s feelings towards her, it wouldn’t exactly work out. I know it’s not ideal, but she’s got no one else.” Rob was pleading to his conscience and he hated feeling manipulated, something his brother had always done far too easily.

  Just then the back door opened and their dad stood, leaning on the door frame, waiting for an explanation. Rob looked to Jesse.

  “What’s going on?” Asked his dad calmly.

  “Nothing,” answered Jesse, looking away again, leaning on the wall for support.

  The silence between them was brittle, and if he didn’t want this to turn into something more, he would have to fill in the gaps for his dad’s sake.

  “Nothing,” his voice softer whilst giving his brother a look of discontent. “I just don’t want you putting up with all his pathetic mates.”

  “Sounds like she’s had a rough time. I’d have thought you’d be more supportive, being a copper.” Jesse got the urge to smack his brother in the face, nodding at his dad like he was the one being unreasonable.

  “Just looking out for you, Dad,” he answered, tapping him on the shoulder whilst walking back inside.

  This time he ran straight up to his room. He wasn’t against helping Hayley out. He didn’t want to be insensitive, but it felt like she had a heap of baggage to bring along for the ride and he just didn’t want it landing on his parent’s doorstep. They were good people, too good sometimes. He realised he was probably over thinking it, but that was better than going into something half-arsed and then being surprised, or worse, disappointed. She was a firework waiting to go off.

  Chapter 9

  The next day Hayley arrived at work as usual, and started mixing the ingredients for the carrot cake she knew needed baking and icing in time for service. Rob walked in behind her, pulling a steel stockpot off the shelf near the oven.

  “You had any luck finding anywhere yet?”

  She shook her head.

  “I’ve spoken to my mum and dad and they said you’re welcome to rent out my old room.”

  Hayley smiled before shaking her head, “No, it’s fine, I’ll sort something out.” She didn’t want to intrude on anyone, especially someone she didn’t even know. But she appreciated the offer. It was nice to know somebody wanted to help.

  “Well, they’re not taking no for an answer. I told them what happened to your place, and they said they’d love to help. Besides, they’ll charge you a minimal amount and it’ll give you time to save up again.”

  “I appreciate the gesture, I really do. But I can’t move into your parent’s house.” Hayley grabbed the scales out from underneath the table.

  “Come with me tonight, meet them and then decide.”

  Hayley looked at him with an expression that told him she knew she was beaten.

  “I’ll drive you back after work, stop five minutes, and if you don’t want to take them up on their lovely offer, then I’ll back off.”

  “OK,” she sighed. “I suppose I can look.”

  Rob smiled and went to the fridge for the bag of bones being stored there to start the gravy off.

  The rest of the day went smoothly. Ash and Ben turned up at twenty past eleven, for the beginning of service and everything was ready to open. The orders flew out at the usual speed. They prepped in between tickets to take the pressure of the afternoon and the next day’s chores. Hayley was told to go to lunch as the last ticket for starters left the kitchen. Ben had already been for something to eat, so he was now layering the coffee-soaked sponge fingers in an oven-proof dish. Steve was on top of the dishes and wiping down.

  Lorraine came hurtling through to the kitchen holding one of the popular dishes from the buffet. She had her apron curled around her fingers and was clearly running out of time before severely burning them. Crashing into Hayley just leaving the kitchen, she dropped the dish, but not before emptying the left-over contents down Hayley’s jacket. As the ovenware smashed, everyone turned to see what the noise was.

  “Shit! I’m so sorry.” Lorraine tried to pat Hayley’s top down with a nearby tea towel, but it was only smearing the oil from the roasted vegetables.

  Turning, Hayley saw Caitlyn attempting to stifle a laugh, as she was waiting on her desserts.

  Ash looked over, turning red. “Why the hell are you bringing them through here?!” He shouted directly at Lorraine.

  At sixteen years old, she looked like she might burst into tears any second. She’d not long been in the job; it was only to cover summer holidays before she started college. Hayley doubted anyone had even explained to her to leave the dishes where they were for the Chefs to collect, she’d probably thought she was being helpful.

  “It’s OK, I’ll clean up before I go to lunch.” Hayley was looking to Lorraine, trying to tell her telepathically to go before Ash’s tongue stung her any more, whilst also feeling the heat of the oil on her skin.

  “That’s all very well and good, but who will replace the dish!” He thrashed his tea towel on the table and walked out of the kitchen, pushing past Rob as he went.

  “I’m so sorry…”

  Mortified, Hayley felt awful for Lorraine and pointed to a dustpan and brush under the sink. “Grab me that.”

  Lorraine did as she was told and passed it to Hayley, who set about trying to clear the mess off the floor. The young woman picked the bigger pieces of crockery up with her hands and threw them in the dustbin near the door.

  “Thanks,” said Hayley when she’d finished. “Next time, let us know if they need collecting, OK?”

  Lorraine nodded and sniffed as she fought hard not to cry anymore.

  “Wash your face before you go back out.”

  Nodding again, she turned to leave, running down the stairs outside.

  Hayley poked her head back in the kitchen as Ash walked back in with a new serving dish. “I’ve cleaned it up, but it’s slippy. So, watch your step!”

  Ash and Rob nodded, and then she made her way back downstairs. The oil on her jacket had seeped through and it was still warm, so she went to the locker room to remove her whites and put another one on. When she was outside her locker, she realised the oil hadn’t only soaked her jacket,
but it had also gone through her t-shirt. So, pulling her outer layer off, she slung it in the wash basket across the other side, and then checked no one was around before pulling her T-shirt over her head. Checking her locker for her spare T-shirt, she realised it wasn’t there, so grabbed her neatly hung fresh chef’s jacket off the hanger.

  “Jesus Christ!”

  Hayley spun around, seeing Rob had entered the locker room. Holding her jacket up across her chest, as she was fully aware, she stood in front of him with only her bra on.

  “Sorry,” he turned around, and she quickly placed her arms in her whites, pulling it across, buttoning it as quickly as her fingers would allow.

  “What happened?” Asked Rob, still not facing her.

  “What did you want?” She deflected. She didn’t want him to know what a total mess she was. They were something she had to live with, but not something she wanted to share.

  “Oh, I just came down for some oil.”

  She pulled it down from on top of the locker and tapped him on the arm with it; taking it, he then gingerly turned. Hayley was tying her apron back on around her waist, double looping it from the back.

  “Hayley, are you OK?”

  “Rob, can we not discuss it?” Rob stared at her, with pity.

  “Say nothing,” she added.

  Rob shook his head, “No, of course not.” He had a look of shock and pity on his face. Something that might not disappear for a while. But as long as it didn’t bring any interest down on her from other people, she could live with it, just. “But are you… is that recent?” she watched him struggle with what he’d seen.

  “No, it’s not. Its old news, so no need to worry, OK?” But he still stood in front of her, looking lost. Walking up to him, she nudged his hip with hers “Get back to work before Ash sends out an army.” He turned round and headed upstairs as Hayley opened the outside door and walked to the staff room, praying for a non-eventful lunch.

  Sitting with her salad, moving it around, she wondered how she could have been so stupid? Why didn’t she just use the toilet to change her top in? No matter how many times she went over it, he had seen them. It wasn’t likely to be something he’d forget, as long as he didn’t make it public knowledge. She didn’t want to have to witness looks of sympathy or to be cross-examined over what had happened and why. It would just draw her back to a time she was better off forgetting, besides the pity looks were the worst.