The Traitor

by Kimberley Chambers

  ‘My family said the same and I wished I’d have listened to them now. What am I gonna say to Jed? Sammy’s bound to have told him what happened. I wish I had proof that Jed was at it as well – I could leave him then. This is such a mess, Kerry, and I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I really wish I wasn’t pregnant again.’

  Kerry squeezed Frankie’s hand. ‘Can I borrow your phone to ring my sister?’

  ‘I haven’t got it on me. It’s under the seat in the car and the battery’ll be well dead by now. Let’s walk down to that cab firm in the high street. We can get a taxi, go pick the car up, find a phone box, and then I’ll drop you at your sister’s.’

  Kerry gave a weak smile. ‘Thanks, Frankie, and I want you to know, whatever happens in the future, you are and always will be the best friend I’ve ever had.’

  Unaware of the heartache his sister was currently going through, Joey sipped his beer and smiled as Dominic pushed an excited Harry on the swing. Georgie was on the roundabout with three other little kids and seemed very hyper, considering she hadn’t yet eaten or slept.

  ‘Come and sit down at the table now, Georgie. I’ve ordered you and Harry burger and chips,’ he shouted.

  The sun was blazing and, enjoying the heat, Joey tilted his head so his face was facing its rays. He shut his eyes and as Madonna, who was perched on his lap, adoringly kissed his chin, he smiled.

  ‘Where’s Georgie?’ he heard Dominic shout, a minute or so later.

  Joey opened his eyes and looked at the roundabout. His niece was nowhere to be seen. ‘She was on there,’ he said, pointing to the apparatus. He immediately stood up and ran over to the other kids still sitting on there.

  ‘The little girl that was on here with you, where did she go?’

  ‘Don’t know,’ one kid mumbled. The other two looked at him blankly.

  As Dominic ran towards him with Harry in his arms, Joey felt a sense a panic. Surely no one could have snatched her. He’d only looked away for a minute or two, at the most.

  ‘You check inside the pub while I search out here. Check the toilets in case she’s gone in there, Dom.’

  The pub that they’d chosen to take the kids to had woodland nearby, so Joey ran towards it. ‘Georgie, Georgie!’ he shouted at the top of his voice. After a fruitless five minutes of peering behind trees, he ran back towards the pub.

  ‘Any joy?’ he asked Dominic hopefully.

  Dominic shook his head. ‘I’ve just been talking to the guvnor. He and the barmaids have looked everywhere. She’s not inside the pub, Joey.’

  Ashen-faced, Joey started to cry. ‘What are we gonna do? What am I gonna tell Frankie?’

  Dominic was also scared. Only last week there was an awful story in the paper about a young girl being snatched by a paedophile. ‘There’s only one thing we can do, Joey. We have to call the police.’

  Over in Rush Green, Frankie had just picked up her car and stopped at a phone box so Kerry could ring her sister.

  ‘Aren’t you going to ring Joey?’ Kerry asked her.

  ‘No. I’m gonna pop home first, see if Jed’s there.’

  Kerry and Frankie were both quiet on the journey to Pitsea. Kerry felt as if the bottom had fallen out of her world and Frankie was dreading going home, as she guessed that Jed would be there waiting for her.

  As Frankie pulled up outside Kerry’s sister’s house, she leaned over and hugged her best friend. ‘Keep your chin up and I’ll get your stuff and ring you as soon as possible. I’ve put your sister’s phone number in my purse.’

  Kerry opened the car door. ‘Thanks for everything, Frankie, and good luck with Jed. I’ve a feeling you’re gonna need it, mate.’

  Frankie felt sick as she approached Wickford. Sammy was bound to have contacted Jed and she wasn’t in the mood to listen to him or his bullshit.

  As she pulled up on the land, the first thing she saw was Jed’s Shogun. Seconds later he came out of Sammy’s trailer and walked towards her. ‘You all right, babe? I’ve been so worried about you, been ringing your phone all day, I have.’

  Picking up her bag and phone, Frankie pushed him away as he tried to hug her. ‘Me battery’s dead. I need to charge it.’

  Jed followed her inside the trailer. ‘Sammy told me what happened. Where are Georgie and Harry?’

  Frankie plugged her phone into the charger. ‘They’re with Joey.’

  Seconds later, Sammy burst into the trailer. ‘Where’s Kerry?’ he yelled.

  Frankie glared at him. ‘Get out of my trailer.’

  ‘Tell me where she is, Frankie. I’ve every right to know where my boys are.’

  Frankie stood with her hands on her hips. ‘You lost all your rights last night, you dirty, cheating scumbag. I’ve no idea where Kerry has gone and even if I did know, I wouldn’t tell you.’

  ‘I’m sorry. It ain’t what you think, Frankie. If I can see Kerry, talk to her, I can explain. I’ve been to the gavvers and got her charges dropped. I told ’em it was all my fault.’

  ‘Well, that’s fucking big of you! Both of yous are born liars. All these weekends you’ve supposedly been working away and I bet the pair of you have been out whoring.’

  Frankie pointed at her unusually quiet boyfriend. ‘Him with that slag Sally and you with that old dog you was with last night. And I bet the kid that was with you is your fucking kid. Animals you are, the pair of ya.’

  Realising that Sammy’s presence was riling Frankie to the point of no return, Jed ushered him outside. ‘Let me speak to her, smooth things over. I’ll find out where Kerry is for ya, don’t worry,’ he whispered.

  Jed walked back inside with his hands in a surrender pose above his head. ‘Whatever Sammy has done has nothing to do with me, Frankie. I was working last night. Ring me dad if you don’t believe me, he was working alongside me.’

  ‘You’ve probably already spoken to your dad and clued him up as to what to say. Don’t treat me like I’m some fucking idiot, Jed, ’cause I ain’t. You were with that Sally last night, I know you was, so just be a man and admit it.’

  Jed sank to his knees in front of her. ‘I swear I weren’t, Frankie. On my life, I wasn’t and I can prove it. Me and me old man had a drink in a little boozer in Norfolk last night. We were in there a good couple of hours and we were chatting to the old mush that runs it. Get in the motor now and I’ll drive you up there. You can ask the man for yourself if I was in there.’

  Frankie shook her head. Norfolk was miles away and she couldn’t be arsed. Deciding Jed could, for once, be telling the truth, she flopped onto the sofa. ‘You must have dropped Sammy round that bird’s before you went to work. Don’t insult my intelligence by pretending you know nothing about what he’s been up to, Jed.’

  Jed ran his fingers through his hair. Frankie believed he had been to Norfolk, so he decided not to push his luck. ‘Yeah, I did know about the bird and yeah, I did drop him round there. He met her in a boozer one night, her name’s Julie. I’ve told him he’s fucking mad and I’ve begged him to end it. “You’ve got too much to lose, Sammy. You’ll never find a girl as decent as Kerry,” I’ve told him.’

  ‘How long’s he been seeing her? Is the kid she’s got his?’

  Jed shook his head. ‘Nah, it ain’t his kid. I think he’s been seeing her about six months – well, that’s what he told me. I wasn’t there when he met her, he was out with his brothers. To be honest, Frankie, he don’t tell me much ’cause he knows I don’t agree with what he’s doing. I know I had a fling with Sally that time, but I could never have carried on seeing her behind your back. I couldn’t live with the guilt. Sammy’s a dinlo, I’ve told him that.’

  Frankie looked Jed in the eyes. His face was a picture of innocence and if he was lying, the bastard was a world-beater at it.

  ‘Where is Kerry? Is she OK?’ Jed asked in a concerned voice.

  ‘She’s fine. She’s gone to visit her cousin up north,’ Frankie lied.

  ‘Up north! Whereabouts does her cousin li
ve, then?’

  ‘I dunno. She did say, but it was a place I’d never heard of.’

  ‘Where you going?’ Jed asked as Frankie stood up.

  ‘I’m gonna ring Joey and go and pick the kids up.’

  Frankie switched on her phone and punched in Joey’s number. Her brother answered immediately, his voice full of panic. ‘What? I can’t understand what you’re saying, Joey. Talk slower, will you?’

  ‘What’s up?’ Jed asked, concerned.

  Frankie let out a piercing scream. ‘Georgie’s gone missing,’ she sobbed.

  Unaware of the chaos she had created, Georgie O’Hara had managed to climb up a big tree. It was the mention of burger and chips that had made her run away. Some days she felt incredibly hungry and would eat all day long, but there were other times when the mention of food made her feel tearful and agitated. Today was one of those days, hence her little adventure into the woods.

  About to climb further up the tree, Georgie stopped in her tracks as she heard the distinct tone of her father’s voice.

  ‘Georgie! Georgie girl!’ he shouted. His voice sounded upset and frantic.

  Georgie scrambled down and ran out of the woods as fast as her little legs would carry her. ‘Daddy! I’m here, Daddy,’ she screamed.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Eddie Mitchell opened his eyes, remembered what day it was and smiled. Five years he’d done, five long, poxy years and today was the day that he was finally set free.

  Ed stared at the ceiling as he reminisced over the time he’d spent in Wandsworth. He’d been a broken man on his arrival, his fatal mistake had cost him not only his freedom, but also his mind. Picturing Jessica’s pretty face, Eddie wondered if she could see him from heaven and, if that was the case, he hoped that she approved of Gina and was pleased that he’d found happiness again.

  Wiping a solitary tear from his eye, Eddie sat up. It was time to start concentrating on his future instead of dwelling on the past. Gina was coming to pick him up today and he couldn’t wait to spend some time alone with her.

  It was only last week that Eddie had admitted the romance to his two oldest sons.

  ‘We’ll be waiting outside the gates for you, Dad. We’ve decorated the spare room and we want you to move in with us until you buy your own place,’ Gary said.

  Ed hesitated, then told them the truth. ‘Look, there’s something you need to know, lads, but you can’t tell a soul – not yet, anyway. You know that private detective, the one that stood up for me in court?’

  ‘What, that Gina bird?’ Ricky asked.

  ‘Yeah, Gina. Well me and her have become really close. She’s the one that’s been visiting me and stuff and we’ve decided to move in together.’

  Gary looked at his father as though he had lost his marbles. ‘You’re having us on, right? You can’t be serious – you barely know the fucking woman.’

  Eddie glared at his eldest boy. ‘What I do with my life is my choice, got that? Gina is a wonderful woman and if it all goes tits-up between us, which it won’t, it’s my problem, nobody else’s.’

  ‘Where you gonna live? You moving into her place?’ Ricky asked, shell-shocked.

  ‘We’ve rented a place in the countryside. It’s a new beginning for both of us and I thought yous two would be pleased for me. Yous boys are both still young, you’re happy playing the field and so you should be. I’m knocking on a bit now and I just wanna be settled and part of a couple again. You understand where I’m coming from, don’t ya?’

  ‘Of course we do,’ Ricky said, nudging his brother.

  Ed turned to Gary. ‘What about you, son?’

  ‘I want you to be happy, so I hope it works out for ya, Dad,’ Gary replied grudgingly.

  Stuart waking up snapped Eddie back to reality. He could barely believe that the longed-for day had finally arrived.

  ‘You awake, big man?’ Stu asked.

  ‘Sure am. You OK, boy?’

  Stuart jumped off his bunk and smiled at Eddie. He was going to miss his pal terribly, but at the same time he was pleased that Ed’s sentence was over.

  ‘I don’t wanna sound like some soppy cunt, but I ain’t ’arf gonna miss ya.’

  Overcome by emotion, Eddie stood up and hugged the lad he’d grown so attached to. ‘I’ll write and visit and, before you know it, you’ll be out of this dump and working alongside me. Without you, Stu, I don’t think I could have got through this bit of bird, and I want you to know that I will be indebted to you for ever for that. When you get out, your life will change, son, I guarantee it.’

  Gina was nervous as hell as she drove towards Wandsworth. Visiting Eddie in prison was one thing, but being alone with him on the outside was different gravy. She’d had butterflies in her stomach for the last few days now, but all of a sudden they felt more like bats flapping about. Eating was also out of the question. Her appetite had gone AWOL recently and she hadn’t been able to eat a morsel since breakfast yesterday morning.

  Gina pulled up outside the prison and checked her make-up in the mirror. She was sweating a lot more than usual and she was sure this was to do with her nerves rather than the hot weather. From the first time Gina had met Eddie Mitchell she had dreamed of him throwing her onto a bed and making mad, passionate love to her. Hopefully, by the end of the day, her dreams would finally have come true.

  Oblivious to the fact that her father was currently strolling through the prison gates and into the arms of his new girlfriend, Frankie was having the day from hell. Alice and Jimmy had invited themselves over, and Alice’s obsession with Georgie was really beginning to grate on her. She nudged Jed and gesticulated to him to follow her into the bedroom.

  ‘What’s up?’ Jed asked.

  ‘Your mum, that’s what. She’s spent all morning playing with and fussing over Georgie, yet she’s barely glanced or spoken to poor Harry. I know she was always desperate for a girl in the family, but it ain’t right, favouring one grandchild over the other.’

  Jed sat next to Frankie on the bed, and desperate to keep the peace, put an arm around her shoulder. ‘She don’t mean it. Me mum loves Harry, I know she does. Anyway, me dad’s been playing with Harry, so he don’t feel left out.’

  As Alice’s raucous laughter echoed around the trailer once more, Frankie sighed. ‘I’ve got a really bad headache, Jed. Do you mind if I lay down for a bit? If I take some tablets and shut my eyes I should be able to get rid of it. Wake me up when we’re gonna have lunch.’

  ‘I’ll wake you in about half-hour. You can’t be rude, Frankie, my parents don’t come over here that often.’

  Frankie closed her eyes and was relieved when Jed slammed the door. She wasn’t tired and had lied about the headache just to get away from Alice. Wondering if Jed was slagging her off to his parents, Frankie tiptoed over to the crack in the door and put her ear to it.

  ‘Tell your nan and grandad what your dad told you to say to your teacher when she told you off, Georgie,’ Jed said proudly.

  Georgie stood up, put her hands on her hips and grinned at Alice and Jimmy. ‘Daddy told me to say, “Fuck off, you dinlo.”’

  Alice started to laugh so much she very nearly wet herself. ‘You’re a proper little O’Hara, Georgie girl, ain’t ya? Come ’ere and give your nanna a cuddle.’

  Absolutely seething, Frankie stormed out of the bedroom. ‘Don’t you dare encourage our daughter to swear,’ she yelled at Jed.

  ‘Where’s your sense of humour? I was only mucking about. Right, who’s hungry? Shall I go and get the fish and chips now?’ Jed replied, desperate to change the subject.

  ‘I want sausage, chips and a pie,’ Georgie shouted.

  ‘Get your mother a decent size bit of cod and I’ll have rock eel,’ Jimmy told his son.

  Jed glanced at Frankie. She had a right cob on, he knew that. ‘I’ll get Harry the same as Georgie, and what do you fancy, babe?’

  ‘I dunno. I think I’ll come with you.’

  ‘You can’t leave the kids,’
Jed said immediately. He didn’t fancy an earful and he’d promised to ring Sally.

  ‘I’m sure your mum and dad are capable of looking after them for ten minutes, Jed,’ Frankie said sarcastically.

  Angry that his preplanned phone call had now gone up the Swannee, Jed glared at her. ‘Move your arse, then, I’m fucking starving,’ he spat.

  Frankie put her trainers on, ran out to the Shogun and slammed the passenger door. ‘Don’t speak to me like shit in front of your parents and don’t keep laughing and encouraging Georgie to swear. It ain’t funny, Jed. If she repeats what you say, you ain’t the one who’s gotta stand up that school wishing that the ground would open up and swallow you. I’m sure, because of the trouble they’ve had trying to get Georgie in from the playground, that her form teacher, Mrs Lawson, thinks we’re bad parents as it is.’

  Jed started the engine. ‘Bollocks to Mrs Lawson. If she don’t like my family, tell her to go fuck her grandmother!’

  Eddie Mitchell grinned as Gina ran towards him and threw herself into his arms. He kissed her passionately and immediately felt an erection.

  ‘I want you so badly. Let’s go home,’ he said, his voice gruff with passion.

  Gina’s hands shook as she restarted the ignition. She had felt his erection rubbing against her and the thought of seeing it in the flesh sent shivers down her spine.

  ‘What do you think of my new car?’ she asked.

  Eddie laughed. The sporty BMW definitely suited her image. ‘How you gonna tail people in this? You’ll stand out like a sore thumb,’ he joked.

  Gina laughed. He knew full well that this car was for pleasure. She owned two other insignificant-looking motors that she used for business purposes. ‘I was up at the crack of dawn. I went to Tesco’s and I’ve prepared us a lovely salad for when we get home. You’re going to love the cottage, Ed, it really is adorable.’

  Unable to stop himself, Eddie put his hand on her leg and teasingly moved it up to her crotch. As her breathing deepened, he smiled.