Strong Women

by Roberta Kray

  Jo, although the shock had sobered her up, was still too slow to prevent the double invasion. By the time it had registered properly, her two uninvited guests were already halfway up the stairs. She slammed shut the door, locked it and scurried up behind them.

  ‘For Christ’s sake, you can’t just …’ Jo’s objection faded as she walked into the living room. Susan’s companion had dropped her hood to reveal a small heart-shaped face with big blue eyes. A swathe of long, rather greasy blonde hair hung down to her waist. Jo, although she had never seen her before, didn’t have any difficulty in recognising who she was. ‘Oh shit,’ she murmured.

  Susan calmly placed her suitcase beside the sofa. ‘First things first. You don’t mind if the kid has a bath, do you?’ She looked at the girl and wrinkled her nose. ‘No offence, love, but you do whiff a bit.’

  Silver Delaney stood with her arms hanging limply by her sides. She seemed curiously impassive, disinterested or perhaps just disconnected from everything that was going on around her.

  ‘No!’ Jo said. She couldn’t believe what was happening. It was unreal, like something in a dream. Susan had brought the kidnapped girl here – here to her flat. Fear and confusion battled for precedence in her still slightly fuddled mind. ‘Nobody is doing anything until you tell me what the hell’s going on.’

  ‘Oh, don’t go into one,’ Susan said peevishly. ‘I’ve had a bad enough day as it is. Believe me, I wouldn’t have come near this place if I’d had any other choice. And I will explain, of course I will. For once I’m trying to do the right thing but …’ She tilted her head towards Silver. ‘You can spare a bit of hot water, can’t you?’

  ‘It’s not a bloody hotel,’ Jo snapped. What she really meant, although her dry lips seemed incapable of forming the words, was: What are you thinking of? What are you doing here? How dare you drag me into all this – again!

  Susan strode over to the window, gazed out for a moment and smartly pulled the curtains across. She turned back to Jo. ‘I’ll take that as a yes.’

  ‘No,’ Jo said. ‘You will not take it as a yes.’ And then, guiltily aware that she hadn’t even asked Silver how she was, she turned and gently touched her on the arm. ‘Are you okay? Are you all right?’

  The girl, recoiling from her touch, shrank back.

  ‘What have you done to her?’ Jo said, glaring at Susan.

  Susan gave an impatient sigh. ‘She’s fine.’ She frowned at Silver. ‘You’re fine, aren’t you, sweetheart? Tell her that no one’s hurt you.’

  Silver gave a quick short nod.

  Jo thought the girl looked abnormally pale but then she didn’t know what she normally looked like.

  ‘And you’d like a bath, wouldn’t you?’ Susan said.

  The girl obediently nodded again. Her voice was soft and compliant. ‘Yes, please.’

  Jo wasn’t sure what to do next. Had she been completely sober her responses might have been different – faster, smarter – but her brain, battling to overcome the disadvantage of too much alcohol, was still struggling to make sense of it all.

  ‘Well then,’ Susan said. She waltzed off into the bathroom, turned the radio on loud and started running the water. She beckoned Silver in. ‘Come on, love. There are clean towels in the cupboard and I’m sure we can find you something to sleep in.’

  ‘Sleep in?’ Jo echoed.

  Susan frowned at her. She waited until Silver was in the bathroom, until the sound of the radio and the running water drowned out any conversation, before closing the door and replying: ‘It’s almost half-twelve. Are you really going to throw us out at this time of night? Would you rather we slept on the streets?’

  ‘I’d rather the poor girl slept in her own bed,’ Jo huffed back. ‘What is she doing here? What are you doing here?’ Having Susan in the flat was bad enough but harbouring the kidnapped daughter of a violent gangster was verging on the crazy. She was beginning to get scared, very scared.

  ‘I don’t like it either,’ Susan said, ‘but there’s not much I can do about it.’

  Jo stared at her, incredulous. ‘What do you mean there’s—’

  ‘Don’t look at me like that,’ Susan said, sitting down on the sofa and curling her legs under her.

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Like you’re about to call the filth.’

  ‘And why shouldn’t I?’ Jo could feel her temper rising. She had to take control of this situation but wasn’t sure how. ‘She’s been missing for a week. No, she’s been imprisoned for a week. How exactly do you expect me to react?’

  ‘With a little calmness,’ Susan said. ‘Look, I’m trying to help the kid, not harm her. If you’d sit down and listen for a second you’d realise that. You call the cops and they’ll take her back to Daddy and then she’ll be in a hundred times more danger than she is now.’ She gave a disappointed shrug. ‘Unfortunately, it turns out that my partner wasn’t quite the man I thought he was. I can’t go into detail but let’s just say that home isn’t the safest place for her at the moment.’

  Jo perched on the edge of a chair. ‘You mean it’s someone in the family?’

  ‘Someone connected to the family.’

  ‘So you tell the police, you warn them about him.’

  ‘I don’t think so, sweetie. Anyway, I’m sure you don’t want to rot in jail for the next ten years any more than I do.’

  Jo felt a tightening in her chest. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Well, they’re hardly going to shake my hand and say thank you very much for bringing her in, are they?’ Susan smiled slyly. ‘If you grass me up to the cops, I’ll tell them that you were involved too.’

  Jo jumped up off the chair. ‘No way! Don’t be ridiculous! They won’t believe that.’

  ‘Really? As you may have noticed, I can be quite convincing when I want to be. In fact, I might even say that it was all your idea. If they check the hotel CCTV for when Silver was taken, they’ll find some pretty compelling evidence. I mean, you were at the hotel that night, weren’t you? You did keep Gabe Miller occupied in the bar.’

  ‘I-I’ll tell them about the laptop, about how you persuaded me to help.’

  Susan snorted. ‘And you think anyone’s going to fall for that pathetic story?’ She left a short pause before administering the killer blow. ‘And then, of course, there’s that other little matter: you did rent out a house in Kellston, a house where the girl has been kept for the last seven days.’

  ‘But I didn’t—’

  ‘Oh, I think you’ll find you did. You signed the lease and paid three months’ cash in advance.’ This time her smile was more triumphant. ‘Yeah, it took me a while to master that signature but, as you know, I’m very resourceful.’

  Jo felt like a noose had been put around her neck. She swallowed hard. These weren’t just idle threats. If Susan went down, she was going to make damn sure that she didn’t go alone.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Susan said brightly. ‘Having second thoughts?’

  Jo, unable to contain her rage any longer, almost screamed at her. ‘What did I ever do to you? I thought we were friends but … but you don’t even know the meaning of the word. Why the hell do you hate me so much?’

  ‘I don’t hate you,’ Susan said. ‘Don’t be so dramatic. It isn’t anything personal. I simply had to protect myself. You can understand that, can’t you?’

  Jo couldn’t. She didn’t understand anything about this woman whom she had once shared so many thoughts with. She made one last attempt to bring the nightmare to an end. ‘You can still take her home. We can drive her there right now, leave her at the gate. Or I can take her on my own. You can call her father anonymously and tell him what’s been going on.’

  Susan shook her head. ‘It’s not that easy. I can’t let her go, not until I’ve made some arrangements.’

  ‘What sort of arrangements?’

  But Susan didn’t answer directly. ‘I saved that kid’s ass tonight. If it wasn’t for me, she’d have ended up on a slab.
I’m sure of it. At least give me some credit for getting her out of there.’

  Jo glared at her. ‘If it wasn’t for you, she wouldn’t have been there in the first place.’

  ‘Has anyone ever told you how bloody self-righteous you are?’

  But there was something defensive in her tone that Jo immediately picked up on. She had a sudden flash of insight. ‘Saved her ass or saved your own?’ She saw a flicker of annoyance pass over Susan’s face and knew that she was right. ‘Yeah, that’s it, isn’t it? It’s not the girl you’re worried about – it’s yourself!’

  ‘Believe what you like,’ Susan replied, her voice cold and insolent. ‘It doesn’t make any difference to me.’

  Jo had heard enough. Something inside her snapped and she angrily rushed towards her. It was an instinctive reaction, fuelled by bitter resentment, and she had no clear idea of what she was intending to do. Whatever it was, it was almost instantly curtailed as she caught a foot on the corner of the rug, stumbled and fell forward. She put out her hands to break the impact but somehow they didn’t end up where she wanted them to be and the next thing she felt was a sharp crack to her forehead as it made contact with the edge of the coffee table.

  There was a peculiar silence. And then the pain kicked in. Jo groaned as she lifted her fingertips to a spot just above her left eyebrow and saw the blood. Groggily, she tried to clamber to her knees.

  ‘Don’t move,’ Susan said, disappearing into the kitchen. There was the sound of a couple of drawers being opened, of running water and then she was back. ‘Here, let me take a look.’

  Jo slapped her away. ‘Leave me alone.’

  ‘Well at least put this on it,’ Susan said, pushing a clean wet J-cloth into her hand. ‘Press it hard against the cut. It’ll stop the bleeding.’

  ‘What do you care?’ Jo said, but still did as she was told. She winced as the cloth came into contact with the open wound. Then, when she had got her breath back, she bared her teeth and snarled: ‘This is all your fault.’

  Susan knelt down on the floor beside her. ‘You’ll survive. I think it looks worse than it is. You feel sick or anything?’

  ‘No.’ The pain was starting to dissolve into a dull throbbing ache. ‘Yes,’ she corrected herself, darting a venomous glance in the direction of her erstwhile friend. ‘I feel sick that I ever met you, that I ever trusted you.’

  Susan sat back and sighed. ‘It wasn’t all a lie, you know.’

  ‘What wasn’t?’

  ‘You and me.’

  ‘Yeah, right,’ Jo said. ‘That’s why you decided to stitch me up, to threaten me and generally make my life a living hell. Which part of our glorious friendship, exactly, wasn’t one big fat lie?’

  Susan’s eyes widened a fraction. ‘I liked you. I still do.’

  ‘Huh?’ Jo said.

  ‘What I mean,’ Susan said, almost wistfully, ‘is that if it hadn’t been for … for certain circumstances, I wouldn’t have had to do the things I did. I wish I hadn’t involved you, I honestly do. If I could go back and change it I would, but …’

  ‘But it’s too late.’

  Susan lifted her shoulders and then slowly, perhaps even sadly, dropped them down again. ‘It’s complicated.’

  Just for a second, Jo thought she caught a fleeting glimpse of the Laura James she had once known. She remembered what Gabe had revealed at the pub, about how her sister had disappeared, had in all probability been murdered. That was enough to send anyone over the edge. It wouldn’t do any harm, she decided, to try and make a connection with her. ‘So why don’t you tell me about it?’ she said softly.

  Susan opened her mouth but hesitated. Suddenly her eyes grew dark and suspicious. ‘I don’t think so,’ she said, getting to her feet.

  ‘I wasn’t—’ Jo began.

  But just at that moment the door to the bathroom opened and Silver Delaney came out. She stood there, docile as a lamb, staring at them both. She had one towel wrapped around her head and another round her skinny body. If she was surprised to see Jo sitting on the floor with blood running down her face she didn’t show it. Perhaps it simply confirmed all her worst fears about Susan.

  Chapter Sixty

  The light that came through the window was gloomy and grey. Jo lay on the futon, squinting up at the sky. She had a throbbing headache, although how much of that was from the blow to her brow and how much from the bottle of wine was impossible to distinguish. She twisted up her wrist and looked at her watch. Ten to eight. Gradually, the events of the evening before began to filter back. A low moan shivered from her lips.

  Tentatively, she swung her legs over the side and sat upright. She didn’t feel great but at least she wasn’t nauseous. Her bare foot made contact with an almost empty glass of water, spilling the last remaining drops across the carpet.

  She rescued the glass and very slowly stood up. Her legs felt a little shaky but she was otherwise okay. She stretched out her arms, rolled her shoulders and flexed her hands. Yes, she was still in the land of the living. She slipped on a T-shirt and went through to the living room.

  Susan was sitting on the sofa with a mug of coffee in her hand. ‘Morning,’ she said. ‘How are you?’

  Jo ignored her and walked straight to the bathroom. She shut the door and locked it. Then, preparing herself for the worst, she went over to the mirror. The sight that met her eyes was not a pretty one. The inch-long gash was narrow and not too deep but the swollen flesh it nestled in was a vicious, ugly shade of purple.

  ‘Oh, great,’ she murmured. She looked like the victim of an angry man’s fist.

  With a sigh, she stripped off the T-shirt and climbed into the shower. While she washed and shampooed her hair, she tried to figure out a plan of action. After ten soapy minutes she had the basic foundations. It was not, she had to admit, the greatest plan in the world but it was the best she could come up with at short notice: When in doubt, call for reinforcements.

  Susan glanced up again as she came out of the bathroom.

  Jo, continuing to ignore her, went back to the study. She had let Silver Delaney sleep in her room last night – the girl, after everything she’d been through, deserved the meagre consolation of a comfortable bed. Susan hadn’t objected, volunteering to sleep on the sofa. This, Jo suspected, was more down to her desire to make sure that no one tried to creep out of the flat than any more altruistic motives.

  Jo towelled herself dry and got dressed in a pair of cream cotton trousers and a crisp white shirt. That she had had the presence of mind to grab some fresh underwear and a change of clothes before relinquishing her bedroom amazed her. It was surprising what you still remembered to do when you were less than sober, shocked to the core and suffering from mild concussion. What she hadn’t remembered, however, was the hairdryer. She sighed and ran her fingers through her short fair hair.

  She looked at her watch again. It was eight-twenty. The minutes were ticking by; it was time to set the plan in motion.

  As she walked from the study to the kitchen, Susan got up and followed her. ‘So I’m getting the silent treatment now?’

  Jo shrugged as she opened a jar, spooned a hefty amount of instant coffee into a mug and poured hot water over it. ‘What do you want me to say: It’s lovely to have you here? Hope your stay is a happy one? Please make yourself at home?’

  Susan folded her arms and leaned against the counter. ‘There’s no need to take that attitude. Have you put some antiseptic on that eye? It looks a bit—’

  ‘I really haven’t got time for this. I have to get to work.’

  ‘I don’t think so,’ Susan said, staring at her. ‘You’re not going anywhere.’

  Jo, although she’d been expecting it, pretended to be surprised. ‘Are you kidding? I have to be there. I’ve got one of the most important designers in the city turning up at ten o’clock.’

  ‘Someone else can deal with it.’

  ‘Like who?’

  ‘Like … I don’t know … whatshername, that bi
tch you were always going on about. Isn’t that her job?’

  ‘She’s on holiday,’ Jo lied. She didn’t even have to fake a frown. Thinking of Deborah, of the letters, of Peter, made her even more determined to get out of the flat as quickly as she could. ‘I’m not going to throw away the greatest opportunity Ruby’s might ever get just because you’ve decided to bring all your goddamn problems to my door.’

  ‘Forget it,’ Susan said. ‘You’re not throwing away anything. Just ring and reschedule and then call the shop and tell them that you’re sick.’

  Jo gave the coffee a stir, picked it up and took a gulp. She sighed as the caffeine kicked in. ‘And how have I got so incredibly sick since yesterday?’

  ‘Okay then, say you’ve got a family emergency, that you have to go away for a few days.’

  Jo raised her brows, a gesture she immediately regretted. A thin shooting pain ran sharply through her temples. ‘What, the kind of family emergency where I just have to nip over to Australia? My parents are the only family I’ve got and Jacob knows it.’

  ‘You’ll think of something.’

  ‘No, I won’t think of something because I don’t need to. For God’s sake, Susan, I’m not going to go to the police. You’ve made it pretty clear what the outcome would be if I did. You think I want to spend the next ten years in jail?’ She walked into the living room and glanced towards the door behind which Silver was sleeping. She lowered her voice. ‘All I want to do is go to work, keep my business running smoothly and try to forget about this nightmare for a few hours.’

  Susan hesitated but shook her head. ‘No, it’s better if you stay put.’

  Jo stood her ground. ‘Well, unless you’re going to wrestle me to the floor, tie me up and keep me prisoner, it really isn’t going to happen.’

  A tight look came into Susan’s eyes as if she was seriously considering the idea but faced with the prospect of having to keep two people captive, she eventually relented. ‘All right, but if you tell anyone, if you breathe a word …’

  ‘Who the hell am I going to tell?’ Jo retorted. ‘I’m not stupid!’ The one trump card she had at the moment was that Susan didn’t know that Gabe Miller was free. And he was the one person who might actually be able to sort this mess out.