Danger by Association: The Riverhill Trilogy: Book 3

by Heather Burnside

  A short while later she rang her mother, half suspecting she might give something away during their conversation. Willing her to give something away, although she didn’t know how she’d cope if she did. She couldn’t bear the thought that someone in the family had taken Daniel, but maybe it was better than some of the alternative scenarios that were running through her mind.

  “I was just going to ring you,” said Joan. “You’ll never guess what … we’ve got one of those bleedin’ paedophiles living near us. It’s all over the estate. I wonder if it’s the same one.”

  Rita was shocked. The estate could certainly be classed as local in terms of its distance from the hospital. As her mind tried to process this new information, her mother continued talking, “Yeah, according to Big Bertha someone gave him a right good hiding. The neighbour saw him coming out with blood on his clothes, and it was him that told her.”

  “Hang on Mam. Who told who what?”

  “The bloke that attacked him. He told the neighbour that she had a paedo living next door, and now it’s going all round the estate.”

  When Rita heard about the paedophile being attacked, she knew it was the same man.

  “Rita, are you still there?”

  “Yeah, yeah, it’s just a shock, that’s all. Where does he live anyway?”

  “I’m not sure. Somewhere near the main road, I think.”

  “Well, that’s a big help, Mam. Whereabouts?”

  “I don’t know, do I?”

  “What about Big Bertha; will she know where he lives?”

  “I don’t know. What do you want to know that for anyway?”

  “So I can check him out, of course.”

  “Don’t be so bleedin’ daft, Rita. You don’t go messing about with them sort of people. The police have probably questioned him anyway.”

  Realising that she wouldn’t get any more information out of her mother, Rita finished the call as soon as she could and went to tell Yansis the news.

  “I don’t need John’s help now. I’ve got a good idea where he lives,” she said. “He’s on the bleedin’ Riverhill!” She then explained what her mother had told her, adding, “I’m going there to see if I can find out his address.”

  “Rita, you are not to go! It is too risky.” Then, dropping his voice so Julie couldn’t overhear them from the kitchen, Yansis continued, “It might lead the police back to John. He could get in a lot of trouble for what he did.”

  “I’m prepared to take the chance. It’s more important that we get Daniel home safe. Now, are you coming, or what?”

  “No, Rita. I won’t do it.”

  “Right, sod you then. I’ll go on my own.”

  She knew Yansis expected her to back out when he wouldn’t go with her, especially as she didn’t drive. But she had shocked him. She was determined that she was going. Nothing would stop her and, if he wouldn’t take her, she would just have to get the bus.

  Chapter 26

  Saturday 22nd June 1996 - Daytime

  “Oh, it’s you again,” said Ged’s older sister, Irene, eying him suspiciously. “I’d have thought it was the bloody bailiffs, the way you’ve been hammering on the door. And what were you doing snooping around the house yesterday? Her next door told me.”

  “Sorry, but I was worried about you.”

  “You, worried about anyone, Ged Steadman? That’ll be the day.” She pulled the front door aside, enabling him to pass.

  “Well, what’s your excuse this time?” she asked, once they were indoors.

  He braced himself, ready for one of his sister’s rants and choosing his words carefully to lighten the mood. “Do I have to have an excuse to visit my big sister? I just care about you, that’s all.”

  “Well, that’ll be a first. And I’ll have less of the big sister act, if you don’t mind. You don’t care about anyone but yourself. You’ve not been round here for years, and now, all of a sudden you can’t keep away. That’s when you’re not pestering on the phone. What is it you want, Ged? Is it money you’re after?”

  “No, is it ’eck. We’re alright for cash, me and the missus.”

  “Aye, on one of your fiddles again, are you?”

  “Aw, don’t be like that sis.”

  “Don’t you ‘sis’ me! I want to know what’s going on. Why do you keep ringing? Umpteen calls I’ve had from you.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t have to keep ringing if you’d answer the phone, would I? It’s only ’cos I care.”

  “Don’t try that with me again. I’ve told you, the only person you care about is Ged Steadman. I don’t know how your poor wife’s put up with you all these years. I suppose it was your idea to send the child to Greece, wasn’t it? Would bringing him up have got in the way of your lifestyle?”

  “No! It was what Jenny wanted. I swear, she said so before she died. Joan told me.”

  They stayed silent for a few moments, Ged shuffling uncomfortably in his chair, but relieved that his sister seemed to have run out of steam. While he allowed her time to calm down, he was thinking up excuses that would enable him to check out her house. Maybe offer to help her with the DIY. Examine the condensation on the windows, and raise concerns about mould and wood rot. Offer to take a look at the cellar too. Yeah; that would do the trick.

  He was about to walk over to the living room window when something registered with Irene.

  “Hang on a minute,” she said. “I know why you’re here. It’s about the child, isn’t it? You think it’s me!”

  “Nah, don’t be daft.”

  “You do, you think it’s me! That’s why you’ve been pestering ever since you and Joan came to visit. How dare you suggest that I’d do a thing like that. Get out! Get out of my house.”

  “Irene, it’s not like that, I swear,” Ged pleaded but he was wasting his time. Irene had rumbled him, and she wasn’t prepared to tolerate his presence any longer.

  “You heard me, get out of my house before I call the police!”

  When Ged failed to convince her otherwise, he had no choice but to leave. He could have kicked himself. He’d been hoping to have a good look round.

  For the past few days he’d been ringing at odd hours, trying to find something out. He thought he might catch her off guard, maybe hear Daniel’s voice in the background, or something else that might give the game away. The trouble was, after the first couple of calls, she stopped answering the phone. So he’d tried calling round on spec; and look where that had got him.

  He wasn’t even sure he suspected Irene. He shouldn’t suspect her because she was his sister when all was said and done. But his chat with Joan triggered something. Joan was right, Irene was an oddball. He remembered how she was when he was a kid. Perpetually angry. Bitter at being jilted. Maybe she was sad because her chance of motherhood had been snatched away.

  He’d played it down with Joan. There was no point upsetting her when there might be nothing to it. And he had taken a look round the house while they were there, just like he’d told Joan. But then he’d remembered that Irene had a cellar, and now he wouldn’t get a chance to check it out.

  He decided not to involve the police; they weren’t exactly the best of friends. He’d had a few close calls in the past, and the thought of placing a call to the cops made him shiver. Besides, he didn’t really suspect Irene, did he? If he sent the coppers round there, she’d go ape shit, and things were already bad enough.

  ***

  Saturday 22nd June 1996 - Daytime

  Yansis had pleaded with Rita not to go to Maurice James’s house even blocking the door so she couldn’t get out. In the end, she pretended to give up on the idea, but then she sneaked out unnoticed. He thought she was taking a relaxing bath.

  She suspected that he’d come looking for her once he noticed she was gone so she didn’t wait at the nearest bus stop. Instead she walked to the previous one, knowing he was more likely to head in the direction of the Riverhill Estate when he didn’t spot her.

  By the time he realis
ed her deceit she would be on the way there. She would also stay on the bus for an extra stop just in case Yansis came to the Riverhill to find her.

  In her preoccupation with giving Yansis the slip, Rita hadn’t given much thought to her actual encounter with the paedophile. By the time she arrived at the Riverhill Estate, the reality kicked in. She walked quickly and with purpose, anxious to find the paedophile and get this meeting over with as quickly as possible.

  Rita’s first stop was Big Bertha’s house. She had been Joan’s friend for years and Rita assumed that she still lived at the same address. Despite knocking at the door for several minutes, there was no reply. In her desperation, Rita also tapped on the window, then returned to the door and shouted through the letterbox. There was no response. She stood back from the house, surveying the upstairs windows from the edge of the pavement. There didn’t appear to be anybody in.

  Next, she tried the local pub, The Brown Cow, on the off chance that Big Bertha might be there. She searched around the pub but there was no sign of Big Bertha. Rita wondered if anybody else there might be able to help. But there was nobody she knew.

  It was ten years since she had lived on the Riverhill, and she didn’t recognise anybody in The Brown Cow. She toyed with the idea of engaging someone in conversation so she could find out more about the paedophile. But asking a total stranger where the local paedo lived would have seemed strange by anybody’s estimation. Not to mention the suspicion it would arouse.

  She stepped outside the pub, glancing around her while wondering what to do next. Who did she still know in the area that could tell her something?

  Then it occurred to her. Debby.

  Although Debby was an old friend, Rita hadn’t intended to get in touch with her during this visit to Manchester. Debby’s husband, Carl, had been involved in the same episode that had taken the lives of Jenny and Leroy five years ago. It had left Debby a widow at the age of twenty-four, and a single mother to two young children. The incident that robbed her of her husband had also cut off her supply of heroin, which she depended on daily. Carl had been her supplier.

  She’d let Rita down badly too, by omitting to warn her that her sister’s life was in danger, until it was too late.

  If there was any way Rita could have avoided seeing Debby, she would have done so. But she didn’t know of anybody else she could ask. And she was desperate to get Daniel back.

  When Debby answered the door, Rita was greeted by the same all-pervading stench that she recognised from her previous visit. There was the same atmosphere between them as well; an impenetrable gulf, which they attempted to bridge by stilted, polite chat.

  “Oh, it’s you. I didn’t know you were back,” said Debby.

  “Yeah, I’ve been staying at Julie’s. How are you?” asked Rita noticing that, despite the stench, Debby at least looked healthier. Her face and figure were more rounded and her cheeks were no longer gaunt and pale. She guessed that Debby must have got herself off the drugs since her supply had dried up.

  “Not bad thanks. Are you OK?”

  “Yes thanks. What about the kids? Are they alright?”

  “Yeah. They’re out playing somewhere.”

  Rita noted that Debby’s children would still be under the age of ten and a look of dismay flashed across her face.

  “Do you want to come in?” asked Debby.

  “No, it’s OK. I’m sorry, I can’t stop. I just came to ask you something. I need some important information.”

  Debby frowned and thinned her lips quizzically.

  “I believe there’s a paedo on the estate who was beaten up,” said Rita.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Do you know where he lives?”

  “Why do you want to know that?”

  Rita took a deep breath before speaking, “I think he might have my son.”

  “Shit, you’re joking!”

  “I wish I was. I want to go round there and check him out.”

  “Course. He lives on Spinner Avenue, up the other end, near the main road. Do you want me to come with you?”

  “No, it’s OK. But Debby, don’t say a word to anyone, OK?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “It’s just important. Please don’t let me down.”

  She felt like adding ‘this time’ to the end of the sentence, but she resisted.

  “No, course I won’t.”

  “Oh, and Debby,” added Rita before she departed. “Do me another favour … keep an eye on your kids. You never know who’s knocking about, and you can’t be too sure.”

  “Oh, I know. I always ask ’em where they’ve been but the cheeky little sods are full of lies.”

  Rita walked away. Debby might be off the drugs but there was nothing more she could do for her. You couldn’t change people unless they wanted to change. Aside from that, she had her own problems to deal with.

  When Rita reached Spinner Avenue, she sensed the tension mounting. Her heart was racing and her mouth felt dry. She approached cautiously, keeping to the other side of the street so she could watch from a distance before reaching the house. Thankfully, she didn’t spot any sign of Yansis on her way there.

  As she progressed up the street, she spotted a disturbance. It was at the far end: the end of the street where the paedophile lived. A crowd of kids were making a racket, and a woman was shouting. She drew closer and took in the scene. It became obvious which house the disturbance was coming from. She stopped several metres away so she could watch without the crowd noticing her.

  This had to be the paedophile’s home, and Rita soon discovered what the commotion was about. It was a pastime for the kids. Chucking bricks at his doors and windows. Throwing litter on his garden. Banging on the letterbox and jeering. The woman was telling them to move on. Rita guessed that she was more bothered about the noise than the paedophile’s feelings.

  Rita moved closer, and stared in shock. She took in the abusive graffiti, damaged fence, broken glass in the garden and boarded up window. ‘Oh my God, John! What have you done?’ she thought, on realising the man was being persecuted as a result of John’s actions. She didn’t have much time for paedophiles but, nevertheless, it disturbed her.

  Rita continued walking. There was a pathway leading out of the other end of the street and onto the main road. That was where she was headed. It was too risky. If she called at the house, she would leave herself open to suspicion for the damage to the property. Apart from that, it suddenly hit her just how much she would be putting John at risk. And she couldn’t do it.

  ***

  Saturday 22nd June 1996 – Daytime – Daniel

  Daniel didn’t see the woman again. He slept eventually, but fitfully. The medicine helped him nod off. As soon as he awoke, his crying returned in response to the omnipresent pain in his arm. His coughing and wheezing were still evident, although not as bad as the previous night.

  When the cellar door opened, and Daniel saw the man, he disguised his sobbing with a suppressed whimper. The man didn’t like him crying.

  Without speaking, the man placed a plate of food on the floor next to Daniel. He then changed the pot and left the cellar, locking the door once more.

  Hunger forced Daniel to explore the contents on the plate: a piece of dried-up toast with a thin smattering of spread. Although he had rejected the food at first, he soon learnt that he either had to eat it or go hungry. The aroma of toast mingled with the other smells in the room: mustiness, grime and stale urine.

  He forced the food down, helped by sips of water from a grubby cup that the man had also left. Its dryness made him cough more, and he emitted crumbs of half-chewed bread. They stuck to his clothing, and smudged his lips and cheeks. The crumbs remained; there was no caring adult to wipe them away.

  After Daniel finished eating, he sank back on the bed, shedding tears of distress as he longed for the time when he would see his mummy and daddy. He took hold of the blanket once more, hugging it close to his body and chewing on the corner. How he wish
ed his parents were with him so he didn’t have to feel scared anymore. Then they could take him back to Greece to see his beloved Giagiá and Pappoús.

  Chapter 27

  Saturday 22nd June 1996 - Evening

  John was running late for no particular reason. When he thought about it, maybe he was subconsciously putting off his meeting with Inspector Smithson. He’d been playing out the scenario in his head during his journey to work. He had to be very careful how he worded things. Mustn’t give anything away. Nobody must find out about his maverick cop act or the fact that he had known about Raeni’s suspicions for the past twenty-four hours.

  “Alright John?” said his friend Tony when John arrived at work. “Skin of your teeth today, eh? You’d better get a move on. We’ve got a busy night ahead of us.”

  “What d’you mean?”

  “Lightnin’ raids. We’re gonna hit the buggers tonight,” said Tony, rubbing his hands together. “Smithson’s gonna come and give us our orders soon. He’s in a meeting with the CI at the moment.”

  “Ah, right.”

  John put his gear on while Tony followed him around, eager to impart details of the forthcoming raids.

  “We’re targeting the Moss Side gangs. Probably hit ’em at dawn when the buggers are asleep.”

  The mention of Moss Side drew John’s attention. He remained silent as Tony continued his monologue. “Long overdue if you ask me. The whole bloody thing’s been getting out of hand. It’s about time our citizens felt safe on the streets.”

  After a while, Tony noticed John’s stunned silence. “You alright, mate?”

  “Yeah, just in a bit of a rush, that’s all.”

  “Eh up, Smithson’s here. Come on. Grab the rest of your gear.”

  John quickly fastened his trousers and followed Tony to an area where a team of special task force officers were assembled for a meeting led by Inspector Smithson.

  “Right. Is everybody here now?” asked Smithson, glaring at John who had just entered the room. “Then let’s begin.”