Dividing Line

by Heather Atkinson

  “Danny don't. He's not worth the hassle.”

  “You said yourself this guy's got a screw loose. People like that are unpredictable. He needs sorting.”

  “But not right now. Please stay with me.”

  After the fright she had she needs him with her. She presses herself against him and snakes her arms around his waist. His expression softens and he takes her face in his hands.

  “I'm not going to let anyone hurt you.”

  “I know you won’t.” She kisses him and his body responds forcefully, as it always does when she touches him.

  “Will that keep?” she says, indicating the chicken.

  “Yeah,” he grins.

  She smiles mischeviously and begins unbuttoning his shirt. Cupping her bottom he picks her up and sits her on the kitchen unit with one deft movement. Her legs go around his waist and they kiss deeply. Danny pushes up her skirt and presses his fingers to her damp panties.”

  “Always so wet,” he breathes.

  “Only for you.”

  He takes her face in his hands. “Only me, always,” he says, blue eyes full of determination.

  Despite what she endured with Steve she enjoys this forceful display of masculine possessiveness and nods and distracts him with a kiss.

  As she unzips his jeans they hear the front door open and slam shut.

  “Danny, you in?” calls Frank.

  “I wish he'd learn to bloody knock,” mutters Rachel as she and Danny hastily adjust their clothing.

  They walk into the front room to find Frank staring out of the window.

  “Not interrupting am I?” he grins, realising he obviously is.

  “Yes but never mind,” mumbles Danny.

  “Sorry son but I've got some news and it can't wait.”

  “I'll go and make some coffee shall I?” says Rachel tactfully.

  “It's alright love, you need to hear this too.” Frank still feels guilty for the appalling way he treated her. He sees now why his son loves her. She's a sweetheart and takes good care of his boy and she accepts the family for what they are and doesn't complain. Not like that dumb bitch Cathy. He can't wait for Alex to drop her, as he inevitably will. He just worries about her big mouth. Frank shakes himself out of it to concentrate on the task in hand.

  “It's Mikey. He's being released.”

  Danny's eyes widen with shock. “When?”

  “Next week.”

  “That can't be right. He was given eight years and he's only served six.”

  “Apparently they say he's cured, a changed boy. Well, man. He's twenty now.”

  “Who's Mikey?” says Rachel.

  “A stone cold psycho,” replies Danny

  “And unfortunately my sister Sharon's younger son and Jake's brother,” explains Frank. “She rang me in floods of tears, said she can't cope with him all over again. She wants me and Martina to take him in.”

  “You didn't say yes, did you?” frowns Danny.

  “What choice do I have? He needs a stable environment to come out to or they won’t release him.”

  “Good. Let him stay in there and rot.”

  “I can't do that. He's blood.”

  Rachel smiles affectionately at Frank. Beneath the violence and butch exterior there beats a good heart that just wants to protect his family. She knows he is sorry for how he treated her and she is now in his good books. Most astonishing of all she is now very fond of him, something that seemed impossible only recently.

  “What was he in for?” says Rachel.

  “He's not in prison. He's in a secure mental unit for some sick shit he did when he was fourteen,” replies Danny.

  “What did he do?” she says curiously.

  “I won’t go into details or you'll never sleep easy again knowing he's wandering the streets. Let's just say he did something that would make Hannibal Lecter shiver.”

  “The question is what the hell are we going to do with him?” sighs Frank.

  “Keep him locked up in the cellar if you ask me,” says Danny.

  “That's why I'm here. I thought Rachel might know someone who can help, a psychiatrist or something.”

  “If this unit is releasing him they must be sure he doesn't pose any threat,” she replies.

  “But you hear of it all the time, these mentals being let out to kill again. If you ask me the people running that place should be locked up themselves.” At the end of his tirade Frank takes a deep breath and paces the floor.

  Rachel looks from Danny to Frank then back again and wonders what this boy could have done that was so terrible it makes these two men uneasy.

  “All you can do is watch him closely for any strange behaviour. If you get worried then you can report him. Beyond that, nothing,” replies Rachel.

  Frank looks disappointed. This is what he’d been expecting but a small part of him had hoped she might have come up with a solution to get him out of this mess.

  “What has Mum said about this?” says Danny.

  “She told me I should find some compassion, after what the poor boy's been through. She says he was young and he might have changed.”

  “She could be right,” interjects Rachel.

  “I really hope you're right love. We'll watch him closely. I need all your help with this. The first sign of anything remotely weird and he's back inside.” He releases a weary exhale. “Right, well I'd better be off, I need to see Alex. He's going to hit the roof over this.”

  The moment Frank leaves Rachel asks Danny what Mikey did.

  “I really think you're better off not knowing," he replies.

  “If you don't tell me then I'll just Google his name. If what he did is as bad as you say then there'll be something about him on the internet, won’t there?”

  Danny sighs, realising she won’t let this go. “Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you.”

  She nods and they sit on the couch while he relates his tale.

  “Mikey was always a bit creepy, right from birth. He never smiled or laughed, he just sort of stared at you. As he grew up he played like the other kids but he never seemed to enjoy it like they did. He never got angry either, he was cold and emotionless. He freaked Auntie Sharon out big time. She would yell her head off at him for no reason just to try and get a reaction. Something. Anything. She'd be going mental and he would just stand there, staring at her. I know Alex can seem a bit cold too at times but that's just a front to hide his true feelings. With Mikey it's different. It's like he doesn't have any feelings, like he was born without them. When he turned twelve, it started.”

  “What did?”

  “Oh the usual budding serial killer shit. Torturing and killing small animals, that sort of thing. Auntie Sharon caught him a few times. Beat him black and blue she did.”

  “Where was Mikey's dad through all this?”

  “Who knows? He ran out on them when Mikey was three. Auntie Sharon blamed Mikey for that too, she said he'd freaked him out. He started to get into fights. The other kids thought he was weird and picked on him. He hammered the lot of them. He was into working out and got into boxing, he got pretty good too. Auntie Sharon took him to different psychiatrists but they all said there was nothing wrong with him, he was just a bit introverted. She begged them for medication but they all refused, said he was fine. Then she was proved right.”

  Rachel leans forward in her seat as Danny prepares to tell her what Mikey did. He really wishes he doesn't have to; he’s worried she’ll do a runner from his fucked up family.

  “At first we thought there was a virus going round. Auntie Sharon, Jake and two of their friends fell ill. Vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps, that sort of thing. At first no one thought anything of it. Then they got worse. Their hair started to fall out and their skin flaked off in huge chunks. They were all rushed to hospital where they found they'd been poisoned. With Arsenic.”

  Rachel's eyes widen. “Did Mikey admit it?”

  “No, he denied it to high heaven but they found a pile
of books hidden in his bedroom, all about poisons and famous poisoners. They also found the half empty vial of poison. He'd been putting it in their drinks for weeks until a lethal dose built up in their systems. Can you imagine it? He watched them take the poison, watched them get ill. How cold is that? It freaked us out because we were round there a lot in those days and Mikey would often make us cups of tea and fetch us beers. But he probably didn't have the balls to do it to us. Jake was the first to recover, he'd received the lowest dose, then Auntie Sharon. But it was Gavin Whittaker, Jake's best friend at the time, who got the worst of it. Turned out he had a heart defect no one knew about and he nearly died. Luckily he pulled through although he was never the same again. His girlfriend was poisoned too but she recovered.”

  Rachel is gobsmacked.

  “He tried to kill four people Rach and he served six years for it. Where's the justice in that? And that's why I'm so worried about him moving in with Mum and Dad because you can never trust a poisoner, even if he is reformed, because poison can be put in anything; food, drink, medicines, creams, shampoo, stuff that we all use every day without even thinking about it. They're going to be on pins the whole time he's there.”

  Rachel sees his point. She also wishes she hadn't asked.

  CHAPTER 6

  The Maguire clan is gathered at Frank and Martina’s house anxiously awaiting the arrival of Mikey Maguire. Martina is doing a last minute tidy up, fondly reminding Rachel of her own mother. Alex keeps vigil by the window while Cathy sits on the sofa, studying her manicured nails with a bored expression.

  At the sound of an approaching car engine they all look expectantly at Alex.

  “They're here,” he says grimly.

  Everyone gets to their feet and Frank enters the room. He is followed by a handsome young man who appears to be in knots with shyness.

  “Everyone, this is Mikey,” introduces Frank.

  He is not what Rachel expected. She’d imagined someone really creepy when in fact Mikey is a good looking boy-next-door type. He has dark hair like Danny’s but his has been chopped into a rather unfortunate bowl cut, probably standard at the institution he was in and his eyes are large and green. He is tall and slender, hands clutched before him nervously. Rachel finds it hard to believe he is the perpetrator of such an horrific crime.

  “Step forward boy, don't be shy,” barks Frank and Mikey instantly obeys. “You remember your Auntie Martina? And your cousins Danny and Alex?”

  Mikey looks at them wide eyed and nods. Although his eyes remain expressionless and his face mask-like, Rachel notices that he swallows nervously.

  “And this is Rachel,” continues Frank. “She and Danny are going to be married soon.”

  Mikey looks back at her steadily and acknowledges her with a slight nod.

  Cathy looks put out that Frank has skipped over her and she clears her throat.

  “Oh and that's Cathy,” ends Frank with a dismissive wave.

  Cathy's expression is thunderous and Rachel has to hide a smile, as do Alex and Danny.

  Martina steps forward and awkwardly embraces Mikey. He doesn't return the gesture, instead he just stands there, frozen. “Come on Mikey, we'll show you to your room.”

  God bless Martina, Rachel thinks to herself. She's really trying.

  They watch as Mikey follows Frank and Martina out of the room then Cathy starts to whisper maliciously.

  “Did you see that? Not a word, nothing. Creepy.”

  “Maybe he's just shy? We were all staring at him like he was something in a museum. He probably thought we were creepy,” replies Rachel, as usual irritated by Cathy's spite.

  “How can you stick up for him? He's a sick freak.”

  Rachel rounds on Cathy angrily, her black eyes glittering. Cathy takes a step back.

  “May I remind you that is your boyfriend's blood you are calling.”

  Cathy glances nervously at Alex, who looks down at her with distaste. This had not occurred to Cathy but then again, thoughts never really do occur to her.

  Martina appears in the room, looking angry. “Will you lot keep your voices down? We heard every word up there.” She plants her hands on her hips, looking cross. “Right, I'll go and get the dinner on,” she mutters through tight lips. As she moves into the kitchen she pats Rachel on the arm and smiles.

  They all sit round the dinner table eating and chatting animatedly, all except for Mikey. During the course of the meal Terry Maguire, Danny's uncle and Frank's younger brother, arrives. In true Maguire fashion he’s good looking too with thick brown hair and hazel eyes. He seems amiable and pleasant to chat to and Rachel likes him, although as with Alex she gets the impression he would be a formidable enemy if crossed.

  As she eats she watches Mikey with a stir of pity. He sits at the end of the table, head bowed, picking at his food slowly, almost mechanically. She knows what he’s done but he’s paid the price and will continue paying it for the rest of his life. He’s only twenty and she doesn't think it right he be written off just yet. She also wonders if a lot of his so-called coldness is actually due to intense shyness rather than anything sinister, a shyness that is now heightened by the knowledge that he disgusts everyone around him.

  “Could someone pass the vinegar please?” booms Frank.

  The bottle is nearest Mikey. He holds it out to Frank, who stares at it as though it’s a bomb. Everyone stops eating and the room goes silent. A bewildered Mikey puts the bottle back on the table and stares dejectedly at his plate.

  Rachel is torn. She is repelled by Mikey's crimes but she can practically feel the hurt coming off him. She knows he hasn't done anything to the vinegar so she picks up the bottle and sprinkles it liberally over her food. Then she passes it down the table to Frank who holds it gingerly, as though it will bite him. Rachel stifles a laugh as the most feared man in the city is freaked out by a condiment. They all stare at her with their mouths open as she carries on eating and she smiles at them broadly. When he sees that she’s fine, Frank reluctantly sprinkles a small amount of vinegar on his food.

  Rachel looks at Danny sat beside who grins, his hand caressing her knee beneath the table.

  After the meal Rachel helps Martina clean up. Cathy, idle as usual, retreats into the living room as soon as the meal is over to avoid doing any work, a fact which does not go unnoticed by Martina. Rachel begins in the kitchen while Martina clears the table in the dining room. Rachel opens the fridge door to put some things away and when she closes it Mikey is standing there, making her jump.

  “You startled me.”

  “Sorry, I didn't mean to.” He speaks quietly, as though uncertain of himself, his voice gentle and hesitant. “I...I just wanted to say thank you for sticking up for me earlier. It's a long time since anyone's done that. I appreciate it.”

  “You're welcome,” she smiles.

  She can see he is genuine and that it is taking a lot for him to talk to her. He avoids eye contact as he talks and wrings his hands nervously. This convinces her that her shyness theory is correct. As he returns to the living room she swears she sees the slightest hint of a smile playing on his lips.

  Danny, Alex and Frank look down at the mutilated face of Albert, their dead friend and accountant, in the police morgue. His body has suffered the same wounds they themselves inflicted on Simmy's brother so they can be in no doubt as to who did it and of what the old man suffered before he died. The knowledge only serves to intensify their rage.

  “Fucking cowards,” snarls Alex. “He was just an old man, not muscle."

  “That's precisely why they chose him,” says Frank sagely. “This will hurt our business. It's a smart move.”

  Danny frowns. “Simmy isn't smart, so how did he come up with this?” He looks at his brother and father and for the first time in his life a chill runs down his spine. “Something's not right. There's more going on here than we know.”

  “Maybe but first things first we take Simmy out,” seethes Alex. Danny can feel the fury radiati
ng off his brother in waves. He pities Simmy.

  Rachel is in town doing some shopping. Danny has given her a wad of notes to get a dress for her hen night, which is going to be a quiet affair given that most of her friends turned their backs on her when she started up with him. She is pleased with what she's bought; a beautiful black chiffon dress and a lovely pair of stilettos heels to match. She’s just wondering what to do for lunch when a commotion takes her attention. A group of three men in their early twenties whom she recognises as Montford lads have surrounded Mikey. They yell taunts and threats in his face but he just stares back at them steadily, his face expressionless as usual. This seems to enrage them even more. Everyone walks past ignoring it, not wanting to get involved. Rachel, incensed by the cowardice around her, strides up to the gang purposefully. She grabs one by the back of his t-shirt and drags him backwards, causing him to lose his footing and stumble.

  “What are you doing you stupid bitch?” hisses the Montford lad. “Don't you know who he is?”

  “Course I do you moron, I'm going to marry his cousin. Now leave him alone.”

  Recognition flickers across his face and some of his lairiness evaporates.

  “He's gonna get a good hiding,” he says, less cocky.

  “And you're going to give it to him are you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Go on then,” she smirks, knowing full well he's too afraid, not of her fiancé but of Mikey himself. Rachel watches him deflate before her very eyes.

  “Perhaps we should get Danny and Alex down here too, even things up a bit,” she says maliciously.

  The three men look positively frightened now.

  “Nah, there's no need to do that. No harm done.”

  “Cowards,” she spits. She looks to Mikey. “Hungry?”

  He nods.

  “Come on, let's get something to eat.”

  As Mikey walks past the Montford lads he raises his arm quickly, as though to strike them. They release girly cries of fear and leap back from him. Mikey runs his hand through his hair and Rachel laughs. They walk off, leaving the Montford lads red faced and seething.