The Mark

by Heather Burnside

  *

  It was late when Gilly arrived home at his flat on the main road in Levenshulme. It was situated above a kebab shop, which was sandwiched between a discount off-licence and a charity shop. An ever-present aroma of cooking and grease from the kebab shop wafted up the stairway and into Gilly’s home.

  It was in a noisy area. Because of its location on the main road, the sound of passing cars never stopped. At night Gilly could hear people in high spirits, or some of them arguing, as they made their way home from the surrounding pubs, restaurants and takeaways. Then there were the youths who hung about outside the off-licence. They didn’t worry him too much though. Most of them were aware of his reputation and he only had to open his window for the kids to move on even before he spoke.

  Inside his flat was a small hallway with doors leading off to the living room, bedroom and bathroom. Gilly made his way into the living room, which had a doorway in the far corner through which was a small kitchenette. The living room had little in the way of comfort. Its only furniture was an old sofa, two mismatched armchairs and a 1970s teak coffee table with an oval glass insert. A huge widescreen television dominated one wall, its pristine presence mocking the spartan furniture in the rest of the room.

  Despite the lack of luxury, Gilly did his best to keep the place clean and tidy. As soon as he arrived home, he walked into the bedroom and hung his coat on a peg behind the door. Then he went back to the kitchen and fished around in the cupboard where he kept his supplies.

  He lit up a spliff and settled back onto his sofa to watch some TV. After a while he could feel himself becoming more relaxed and at ease with the world. Eventually he drifted off to sleep. For precious minutes the outdoor sounds and sparse environment were forgotten as his dreams transported him. In his mind he pictured the attractive blonde with her subtle sexuality, stylish motor and nice home, and a warm glow lit him up from within.

  Despite his surroundings, Gilly wasn’t willing to accept this lifestyle as his due. Unlike his sometime girlfriend, Crystal, Gilly aspired to greater things. The fact that he squandered his earnings from prostitution on drugs and booze was lost on him. To Gilly the difference between Maddy’s home life and his own was startlingly apparent. He wanted what she had. And, somehow or other, he would find a way to get it.

  6

  It was the evening of Maddy and Clare’s big night out. Maddy had mixed feelings about the evening ahead. She thought it might be a let-down, just like many of the other nights out she’d had since being single. Despite her doubts, however, she couldn’t help but feel some enthusiasm. It would make a nice change from going out locally and there would perhaps be more men to choose from.

  By the time they arrived at the first pub, the excitement of the evening ahead had taken hold and they were giggling like a couple of teenagers going to a school disco. They ordered drinks at the bar and went to sit down. It wasn’t long before they were joined by a balding man with an overenthusiastic smile and stuffy dress sense.

  ‘Do you come here often?’ he asked, and Maddy steeled herself for a few minutes of boredom.

  Thankfully he eventually picked up on their lack of interest and left them alone.

  ‘Hurrah!’ whispered Clare. ‘I thought he was never going to go.’

  ‘I know,’ laughed Maddy. ‘He was cramping our style a bit, wasn’t he?’

  She gazed round the room, her instinct to look for attractive men, but the only ones she noticed seemed to be in couples. ‘Shall we go to the next pub?’ she asked Clare, noticing that both their glasses were almost empty.

  ‘Aw, I like it here,’ said Clare. ‘Let’s just stay for one more and then move on.’

  ‘OK,’ said Maddy before heading to the bar.

  Maddy had worked her way to the front of the queue when she felt a presence beside her. She glanced to her left and spotted a really good-looking guy. Tall and blond, he returned her gaze and smiled. ‘I bet you thought you’d never get to the front,’ he said.

  ‘Yeah, it is a bit busy tonight,’ said Maddy, smiling back.

  For the next few minutes they made small talk until Maddy was served. She collected her drinks and smiled at him again before heading back to Clare.

  ‘Hang on a minute,’ he said.

  ‘What?’ asked Maddy, feeling a bit awkward standing there with her hands full while other customers waited for her to pass so they could get nearer to the bar.

  ‘It’s OK, I can see you’ve got your hands full,’ he said. ‘I’ll come over later.’

  Maddy felt a tingle down her spine as she took in his handsome features and dazzling smile. ‘All right,’ she said, before making her way back to Clare.

  ‘I saw you, chatting to that hunk at the bar,’ Clare teased.

  ‘I know, he’s gorgeous,’ said Maddy. ‘A bit young though.’

  ‘So what?’ said Clare. ‘That doesn’t usually bother you. Go for it. You only live once.’

  ‘Oh, I dunno,’ said Maddy. ‘Maybe he’s like that with all the women. Anyway, he said he’ll come over so we’ll wait and see.’

  For the next half-hour Maddy and Clare remained at their table until their glasses were empty. Maddy was secretly hoping the hunk from the bar would come over but, although she could see him watching her, he didn’t make a move.

  ‘Are we moving on?’ asked Clare.

  ‘Erm, maybe just one more,’ said Maddy.

  ‘You’re incorrigible,’ said Clare, tutting jokingly. ‘Go on, then, just one more and if he hasn’t made a move by then, we’re going.’

  Maddy was thrilled when the man came straight over as soon as Clare went to the bar. He introduced himself as Aaron and continued to chat to her until Clare returned. Then he asked for her phone number. Maddy knew she really shouldn’t. After all, she’d only just met him and hadn’t had chance to find out much about him. But she was tempted and, as Clare had said, you only live once. So, against her better judgement, she gave him her phone number.

  It was late when they headed home, with Clare dropping Maddy in the taxi before continuing on her way. Thank God Becky is staying at her dad’s tonight, thought Maddy, on noticing the time. She was in good spirits as she thought about the gorgeous man she had met, called Aaron. She couldn’t resist checking her phone to see if he had texted her yet. He hadn’t but, then again, it was a bit early. He had only left her a couple of hours ago.

  She locked up and shut the front curtains, which she’d inadvertently left open before going out, forgetting that it would be dark outside by the time she got back. Maddy didn’t notice the man sitting in a car opposite her house, watching her. And, even if she had done, she wouldn’t have been able to describe him because he had a baseball hat pulled low over his forehead to hide his features.

  *

  The following day Maddy checked her phone for the umpteenth time. She had been trying to finish the exposé about prostitution but was finding it difficult to concentrate as her mind kept drifting back to the gorgeous man she had met. To her delight she had received a message from Aaron. Maddy quickly read the words that appeared on her phone screen.

  Hi, I’m Aaron. I hope you remember me from the pub last night. I’d love to meet up with you and go for a drink if you fancy it. Please text me and let me know.

  As she read the message a buzz of excitement shot through her. Aaron had been one of the best-looking men she’d seen last night. He was young, tall and slim and had blond hair in a trendy style, shaved in at the sides and longer on the top. He also had perfectly formed features, including lovely blue eyes and a nice smile. In fact, in Maddy’s opinion he was a bit of a Matt Goss lookalike and she smiled at the thought.

  Checking that Rebecca wasn’t within hearing distance, she picked up her phone and rang Clare.

  ‘Guess what?’ she asked. Before Clare had chance to respond, she added, ‘I’ve got a message from Aaron, that guy I met last night. He wants to take me out.’

  ‘You lucky bugger,’ said Clare. ‘I wish I could
have met someone like him. When are you seeing him?’

  ‘Don’t know. I’ve only just seen the text. I thought I’d tell you first before I message him.’

  ‘Go on, then. What are you waiting for? Good luck and let me know how you get on.’

  ‘Will do,’ said Maddy, cutting the call then going to her contacts and adding Aaron’s number.

  Without waiting any longer she sent him a text.

  Hi, I’m Maddy who you met last night. Thanks for your lovely message. I’d love to go for a drink and get to know you a bit better. I’m free Friday night if that suits.

  Then she put down her phone and waited.

  7

  Crystal was standing at her usual spot on Minshull Street when a red Toyota pulled up and the driver wound down the window. She approached the car.

  ‘Do you wanna do business?’ she asked.

  He was ugly, with a huge beer belly hanging over the top of his trousers, but in her profession that wasn’t an unusual sight. ‘Yeah, blow job,’ he said. ‘How much?’

  ‘Twenty quid,’ said Crystal.

  ‘OK, get in.’

  Crystal held out her hand and, once the man had given her the money, she pulled open the car door and plonked herself down in the passenger seat. As soon as she was inside, the driver locked all the doors. That was the first sign she was in trouble.

  ‘What the fuck are you playing at?’ she demanded.

  The driver ignored her and kept his eyes on the road while Crystal continued to protest, demanding that he stop the car and let her out. It was only a few minutes before they arrived at an industrial area on the other side of Deansgate where Manchester met Salford. The driver turned into a desolate side street and parked the car.

  Knowing that she wasn’t going to escape before the customer had got what he came for, Crystal took a condom out of her handbag. She held it out towards the man while she waited for him to unzip his trousers.

  ‘You won’t be needing that,’ he said, grinning lewdly at her.

  It was then that Crystal noticed the smell of alcohol on his breath and a musty smell from his well-worn clothing. His teeth were rotten, his skin pockmarked, and there was something distinctly weird about him. As he grinned, his face didn’t seem to fall naturally; instead the lines of his features were hard, like an overstated parody of a human being. Crystal had dealt with some strange people in her working life but this guy topped them all. He really gave her the creeps!

  ‘I won’t do it without,’ she said, feeling a tremendous sense of trepidation. ‘And you’ve only paid for a blow job.’

  ‘You’ll do as I fuckin’ say!’ he snarled as he reached his hand over to the switch at the side of her seat.

  Crystal felt the seat tip back and, before she knew it, she was lying flat on her back. The beast of a man had slipped his hand under her miniskirt and was groping the tops of her legs with his grubby hands.

  ‘Get your fuckin’ hands off me!’ she yelled, but it was no use.

  She could feel her flimsy knickers being yanked from her and heard the material tear. Crystal carried on struggling and trying to push the man away from her but she was losing the fight. He was too big and strong. As she fought desperately to escape his clutches the man withdrew his hand and started raining punches on her head and torso.

  Crystal lifted her hands in front of her face to try to protect herself. She was too late; her face and body were already beginning to swell and bruise. While she tried to recover from the shock assault, she felt the man heave his bulk roughly on top of her and she let out a scream.

  *

  Later that evening Gilly was standing at the bar in The Rose and Crown when he heard Crystal shouting his name.

  ‘Gilly, Gilly!’ she yelled, tugging sharply on his sleeve.

  Gilly spun round and was about to admonish Crystal for her heavy-handedness when he caught sight of her face.

  ‘What the fuck?’ he demanded, taking in her black eye and bloody nose. ‘Who the fuckin’ hell did this to you?’

  He could feel his temper rising. In Gilly’s mind it was all right for him to knock his girls around; it was just his way of keeping them in line, as far as he was concerned. But if anyone else abused them he took it as a personal slight. They were his girls and anyone who got out of line with them was also taking the piss out of him.

  ‘My last punter. I came straight back to tell you,’ she said, pulling down the neck of her top to reveal heavy bruising to her shoulder.

  ‘Who was he? What was his name?’

  ‘I don’t know. Clients don’t usually give us their names, do they?’

  ‘Didn’t you suspect something was fuckin’ wrong when you got in the car?’

  ‘I… well, not at first, no. He seemed all right when I got in the car. But then he locked the doors. He’d paid for a blow job but he wanted full sex. I told him it would cost more but he wanted it for the same price. When I told him no he just fuckin’ took it anyway and then started laying into me with his fists. Then he made me hand over all my cash.’

  ‘Bastard! That’s my cash he’s nicked. I hope you used a fuckin’ condom.’

  ‘I wanted him to but he wouldn’t. He said he wanted it bareback.’

  ‘Shit! Right, well, you can get yourself down to the fuckin’ clinic tomorrow and get checked out. I don’t want anyone saying my girls aren’t fuckin’ clean.’

  Gilly could see Crystal’s bottom lip quiver but she knew better than to cry. Street girls didn’t cry; they were hardened to it. And his girls especially didn’t cry, not if they knew what was good for them. He couldn’t be doing with all that emotional bullshit.

  ‘What did this bastard look like anyway?’ he asked. ‘And where did he pick you up?’

  ‘He was big and ugly, with dark hair and a beer belly. And there was something really creepy about him. He picked me up at my usual place on Minshull Street.’

  ‘Where did he take you?’

  ‘I dunno, somewhere near Salford where there’s loads of cash and carries. Then he dropped me back at Minshull Street after.’

  ‘What car was he driving?’

  ‘A red one. Big. A Toyota, I think. It had one of them little badge things on the back with a funny T.’

  ‘Right, I want you to keep your eye out and if you see his car again you get straight on the fuckin’ phone to me. All right?’

  As Gilly spoke to her he was furiously hitting the keys on his phone.

  ‘What you doing?’ asked Crystal.

  ‘Putting the word out. What d’you think I’m fuckin’ doing? I don’t want that bastard getting his hands on any more of my girls. And as soon as anyone spots him I need to know, so I can fuckin’ go after him.’

  ‘Oh, all right,’ said Crystal, who then hovered around the bar area waiting for Gilly’s next move.

  Once he had finished texting, Gilly put the phone back into his pocket and fixed his eyes on Crystal. She was staring up at him, as though pleading for his sympathy and, just for a moment, he actually felt sorry for her.

  ‘I suppose you’d better have a drink,’ he said, summoning the barmaid.

  ‘What? You mean I don’t have to go back to work tonight?’ Crystal asked.

  ‘No, knock it on the head for tonight,’ he said.

  ‘Aw, thanks, Gilly,’ she said, reaching up to him and flinging her arms round his neck.

  ‘All right,’ he said, pulling her arms away then letting them drop as though breaking free of his chains.

  *

  It was another three hours before Gilly and Crystal left The Rose and Crown. During that time the only first aid Crystal received was when a barmaid fetched her a wet cloth to clean her face. Crystal then held the blood-stained cloth over her bruised eye to reduce the swelling.

  Gilly plied her with brandy till she was feeling tipsy, and Crystal was making the most of it. She snuggled up to him while they stood at the bar and felt his arm around her shoulders. Crystal knew it was the closest she’d get to any
sign of affection from Gilly. As the night drew to a close she realised that she didn’t want to go back home alone. Although the brandy had helped to anaesthetise her, she was still shaken from her ordeal.

  ‘Are you coming back, Gilly?’ she asked.

  Gilly grinned at her. ‘All right, then.’

  Crystal left The Rose and Crown feeling much more upbeat than when she had entered. She smiled as she looked forward to a night snuggled up in bed with Gilly, who she saw as her lover and protector.

  8

  It was late when they arrived at Crystal’s home, a rented two-bedroomed 1970s terraced house in Longsight, a couple of miles from the city centre. Crystal giggled as she searched for her front door key and let them inside. She kicked off her shoes in the hall.

  ‘Aren’t you gonna put the fuckin’ light on?’ asked Gilly, searching for the switch on the wall.

  ‘Shush,’ said Crystal, holding her finger to her mouth then giggling again as she let out a hiccup. She pointed drunkenly up the stairs. ‘Candice is asleep.’

  Gilly felt a stab of guilt at the reminder of the daughter who he had denied. ‘You mean you’ve left her on her own?’ he asked, incensed.

  ‘No choice,’ whispered Crystal. ‘My mam couldn’t have her. Anyway, she’ll sleep through most things, Candice.’

  Gilly looked at her with contempt. He was already regretting coming back. Candice was an inconvenience that he preferred not to think about. While she was out of his mind, he could continue to live out his pretence that she wasn’t his, but being in the same house as her brought back the realisation that she probably was.

  Gilly knew the reason he’d come back, just as much as Crystal did. Like any other man, he had his needs and he knew that Crystal would be only too eager to satisfy them. But he also knew that he wanted something to help him along his way and deaden the pangs of guilt that had besieged him.