“You alright, mate?” Brandy asked, eyeing Zoe closely.
“Yeah, I’m fine, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Dunno, you just look funny,” Brandy said, “You want to talk about it?”
“There’s nothing to talk about, let’s just enjoy the party,” Zoe stated firmly, although it wasn’t entirely the truth. She was still shaken after her encounter with Serena that morning. “Free booze, so we might as well.”
“That’s the spirit,” Trent laughed, leaning closer to her.
Zoe smiled at him. Trent Banks was a womanizer, that she knew. But he was so damn good looking, how could any woman refuse him? Those eyes, that cheeky grin, and those muscles. He’d be good in bed, that was plain to see.
Brandy rolled her eyes. The way Zoe was looking at Trent, the smile would soon be back on her face. She turned her attentions to Troy, who had just finished rolling a joint. That was one of the perks of being associated with drug-dealers, there was never a shortage of good weed. Or marijuana, as the posh teachers at school called it. Screw them and their lectures, she thought, half of them were smoking it after school every day, so why shouldn’t they?
“Want a puff, babe?” Troy asked, lighting the joint, and blowing a large cloud of smoke into the air.
Brandy nodded, and took it between her fingers.
Across the room, Clint watched the couple with interest. They did make a good couple, he could see that much. But he’d never taken to Brandy, and he couldn’t quite work out why. He felt a pang of jealousy when Brandy passed the joint to Zoe, and kissed Troy tenderly on the lips. Not jealous of them, no. Jealous that they could show their affection, whilst he hadn’t been allowed to bring Aurora. Then he found himself wondering if, had Aurora been invited and had agreed to attend, whether they would have shared their first kiss tonight. The thought made him stir, but it also made him feel pensive. If only she could’ve been here, he’d be able to find out.
Tyrese lumbered over to him and sat down on the edge of the armchair. He looked stoned and drunk, which he probably was, considering Brandy had said he’d been smoking and drinking all day.
“You alright, mate?” Tyrese slurred.
“Yeah, I’m good bro,” Clint nodded, shaking his hand, “You?”
“I’m fucking wrecked,” Tyrese said, and laughed.
His girlfriend, a pretty black girl with long dyed-blond hair and enormous breasts, joined them and perched herself in Tyrese’s lap. Her miniskirt barely reached her thighs, and Clint caught a glimpse of her lacy pink thong. He averted his gaze, and caught Zoe’s eye.
“Want some, Clinty?” Zoe laughed. She rose to her feet and passed the joint to him. It was nearly all gone, but at least it was something.
Instead of returning to her seat, Zoe disappeared into the crowd of people in the room, and Trent quickly went after her. No prizes for guessing what they’d be getting up to, Clint thought dryly.
Brandy appeared through the crowd, and sat down beside them.
“How you feeling Clint?” she asked, not sounding like she cared, “I heard about your dad running off again.”
Clint looked surprised, and Brandy quickly filled him in, “Troy told me this morning.”
“Oh right, well, it ain’t like it’s a big deal,” Clint said, “He’s a useless twat at the best of times.”
“My dad was like that,” Brandy sighed, “The best thing that ever happened to mum was when he run off with his brother’s girlfriend.”
Tyrese laughed. “Some family reunion that’ll be!”
Clint sniggered, and Brandy ignored them both.
“So, Mercy, I heard you went shopping today,” Brandy said, “Get anything nice?”
Then Clint understood why she’d come over. Brandy wanted to make an impression on Mercy, find out what it was like dating a gang member. Typical Brandy, he thought to himself, always an ulterior motive.
“I always get nice things,” Mercy replied coolly, seeming to read Brandy’s motives as well, “What would be the point in buying them if they weren’t nice?”
Brandy caught the distaste in Mercy’s voice, but hid her embarrassment, and continued.
“Do you go up to Oxford Street when you go shopping?”
Mercy sighed, “Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don’t. It depends where I want to go.”
Brandy nodded, looking fascinated, “We should go together sometime.”
Without giving a response, Mercy rose to her feet and made excuses to go and get another drink, and Tyrese followed her out, winking at Clint as he went past. Brandy looked humiliated, and Clint didn’t catch her eye as she rose to her feet and returned to Troy’s side. Clint didn’t know whether to feel sorry for her or laugh at her.
He was interrupted from his thoughts by a pretty blond girl, who sat down in Tyrese’s now vacant seat. She smiled at him, flashing perfect white teeth. Clint silently sized her up; she had a nice body, and a pretty face.
“Hi, I’m Stacy,” she introduced herself, “I’m new round here, what about you?”
“Clint,” he replied, “And I’ve been living round here for ages.”
“So your mates with Troy, then?” she asked, sounding genuinely interested.
“Yeah, we go way back,” Clint said, “Been mates since we were little kids.”
“That’s so cool. You must be jealous though, you know, him being in a gang now and you still trying to get in.”
“Nah, I ain’t fussed,” Clint answered truthfully.
“Aw, that’s cute,” Stacy giggled, and her arm brushed against his.
He felt his body tense, and he found himself stirring. As if sensing this, Stacy looked at him and smiled again, this time a little more flirtatiously.
“Listen, Clint, I’ve got some vodka and beers back at my place,” Stacy said softly, “We could always slip back there for a while. Nobody here’s going to notice if we’re gone for a bit.”
Clint could read between the lines. Whether she had vodka and beer at her flat, it wouldn’t matter. It was an excuse, they both knew it. She was inviting him back for a shag, and normally he’d have been well up for it. But for the past week, his feelings for Aurora had deepened. Even though they weren’t in a relationship, it would feel like he was betraying her if he went back to Stacy’s.
“Well?” Stacy asked, sounding anxious, and slightly frustrated.
“Nah, I’ve got beer here,” Clint eventually replied. “But thanks anyway.”
Stacy shrugged, “No skin off my nose.”
With that, she rose to her feet and went to talk to Tamar, who looked over her shoulder and winked at Clint. Clint laughed. He guessed Stacy was desperate, if she was trying it on with Tamar. Amal joined him, and Stacy turned her attention to him. After all, even Clint could see that Amal was a better looking guy than Tamar. Clint realized his beer was finished, and headed off to the kitchen to get another.
Troy watched him go, and wondered what was up with him. He’d seen that blond girl flirting with him, and any other time, Clint would have been off with her within seconds. But not tonight. He found himself wondering if Clint still wanted to bring Aurora, and then thought about just letting him invite her. Aurora wouldn’t like it, they’d argue, and that’d be the end of them. But no, Troy reasoned. It was too risky, having her around. Clint was his mate, and he’d eventually understand that not getting close to her was better for everyone, even him.
When Clint returned, he joined Tamar and another guy whose name Troy couldn’t remember, and Clint seemed happy enough. Good on him, Troy thought. He was probably forgetting all about Aurora already. Then something did surprise him. Amal and that blond girl were leaving together. He waved, and Amal winked and returned his hand to the girl’s nice round bottom. Lucky bastard, Troy thought. After seeing all these beauties around the flat tonight, he hoped Brandy was in the mood later.
* * *
Aurora sat in her bedroom, quietly listening to the sounds of her mother preparing for bed. She’d apologized
first thing in the morning, and Aurora had instantly forgiven her. She’d tried to explain why she’d flipped out, but Aurora had told her not to. They hadn’t talked about it since, although her mum hadn’t taken any of her pills today, at least not in front of her. And that suited Aurora fine.
She looked out of the window, at the flickering lights of the city as it came to life. It was strange, she thought, wondering about other people’s lives. She’d always liked looking out of her window. She could see down the streets that surrounded the Goldsworth, the passing cars, the people walking in the dark, illuminated by the streetlights. She often found herself making up stories for the people she saw, where they were going, where they’d been. It was a game she’d played with Shan when they were both younger, too. They’d both loved it. Now though, it was just her to play it.
She thought about Clint, and what he was doing tonight. Probably with Troy, she thought. He always was. Not that it bothered her much; Clint had a life of his own after all. But she couldn’t imagine having a relationship with Clint, not when he spent so much of his time around Troy and Brandy. She pushed the thoughts of Clint from her mind, it made her too anxious, and she wanted to have a relaxing night.
It was getting late, and she decided to go to bed. Tomorrow would be a long day, that was for sure. Tomorrow evening would be exactly a week since her sister’s death, and she wasn’t looking forward to it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
When Aurora woke up, light was shining through the window. She rubbed her eyes and wished she’d had a better night’s sleep. Then again, what had she expected? She’d thought too much about Shaniqua, and thought too much about Clint, too. And then she’d found herself thinking about her mother, and then her father, and then she’d had a restless sleep, filled with dreams she’d forgotten straight away. The flat was still quiet, so she guessed her mother was still in bed. She hoped her mum would get a good night’s sleep anyway, God knew she needed it.
She slipped out of bed, and went into the kitchen, where she began making breakfast. She tried to make the food as quietly as possible, but with such old appliances, and a toaster that sounded as if it was about to take off into space as it cooked, she soon heard her mother’s grumbling.
When her mum came into the room, she looked dazed, but the bags under her eyes, that Aurora had noticed last night, had gone. Maybe she did get a good night’s sleep then.
“What you making?” Marlena asked, going over to the kettle to make some tea.
“Breakfast,” Aurora replied, then added, “Egg and toast, you want some?”
Marlena nodded as she took a tea bag out the pot.
“Good night’s sleep?” Aurora asked.
“I wouldn’t say it was good, but it was something,” came the reply.
“Can I ask you something, mum?”
Marlena looked at her suspiciously, and eventually answered, “Yeah, go ahead.”
“When’s Shan’s funeral?” Aurora asked quietly.
“Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Aurora repeated, incredulous, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you worrying,” Marlena answered, “It was better that way.”
“What were you going to do then, mum?” Aurora asked, her temper flaring, “Tell me on my way to school? Write it on a post-it and stick it to the fridge and hope I found it in time?”
“Of course not,” Marlena replied hesitantly, “I don’t know when I’d have told you, but I would of.”
“Yeah, if you’d been sober enough to remember.”
“Now, there’s no need for that,” Marlena snapped, “Under the circumstances –”
“What fucking circumstances?” Aurora interrupted, nearly shouting, “We’re both in the same circumstances, but you don’t see me downing vodka every two minutes! Or popping pills like they’re actually going to make a difference.”
“Oh no,” Marlena said angrily, shaking her head, “Oh no! Little miss perfect wouldn’t drink or take antidepressants, no. Instead, you’ve decided to run around screwing every boy on the estate who’ll have you.”
“What?” Aurora shrieked, “How dare you! I’ve never –”
“Never had sex? Hah. I know exactly what you and that Clint have been up to,” Marlena retorted, pointing her finger viciously at her, “I tried to warn you on Friday, but you wouldn’t listen. So what do you do? You run off to him, I’ll bet. Don’t think I don’t know. What’d he do? Give you a shoulder to cry on, yeah? Then what? Let me guess. He had you on your back, and now he’ll want nothing to do with you. Serves you right, and all.”
Aurora shook her head, tired of the arguing. Her voice felt hoarse, and her heart was pumping hard. She’d rarely argued with her mother before, and now twice in two days. Whatever those antidepressants were, they were doing something to her alright. Not what it said on the bottle, though.
“For your information, mother,” Aurora said coolly, trying to keep her voice from shaking with anger, “I went to Sasha’s on Friday night. She’s my friend, unless you think I’m a lesbian as well as a whore. I haven’t seen Clint since he walked me home on Friday, not that it’s any of your business.”
She turned off the toaster and walked out of the room, slamming the kitchen door behind her. She quickly went into her bedroom, closing the door. She wanted a shower, and then she was getting out of here. Perhaps after a few drinks, her mother would’ve cooled down enough to have a proper conversation without starting an argument.
In the kitchen, Marlena lit up a cigarette with shaking hands. She wasn’t sure whether they were shaking from anger or the antidepressants. Either one was a possibility. How dare her own daughter say those things to her! Whatever was wrong with Aurora, Marlena knew what the problem was. Clint Jackson. That boy was having a negative effect on Aurora, and it needed to be stopped before it got out of hand. Whether she’d had sex with him or not, Marlena wasn’t so sure now. But either way, things couldn’t be left to get out of hand. And Aurora had made it clear that any advice would be discarded like a sack of shit, so Marlena would have to do it herself. She’d have breakfast, have a few drinks, and then she’d make sure that Aurora wouldn’t be meeting that boy anymore. She wasn’t exactly sure how she’d achieve this, but she knew it had to be done. And she’d have to be the one to do it.
* * *
Serena watched Jenkins’ face as she once again explained her progress on the Shaniqua Curtis case. When she’d finished the report, for the third time, Jenkins sat in silence, rubbing his temple with a balmy fist.
“So, let me get this straight, Patterson,” Jenkins said, sounding frustrated, “In the week you’ve had this case, you haven’t made any progress at all.”
“Sir, with all due respect, I believe I have made progress.”
“Well, you have no evidence. No murder weapon. No witnesses. No suspects.”
“I do have suspects,” Serena protested, “I’ve got some leads.”
From beside her, Casey quietly sniffed. Jenkins’ gaze turned to him.
“What’s your view on this?” Jenkins asked.
“I think, with all due respect, that Miss Patterson has been, well, frankly, floundering.”
Serena swore under her breath, and once again thought how much she despised Casey. And to think, she had actually been starting to warm to him.
“Sir,” Serena interrupted, before Casey could do any more damage, “This is the Goldsworth we’re talking about. It’s taking time to get through to the witnesses, but there are witnesses. I’ve questioned one, and she’s about to break. I just need a bit more time, that’s all.”
“You questioned Zoe Taylor?” Casey asked, surprised, “Without me?”
“I went yesterday morning,” Serena replied, enjoying the fact that Casey wasn’t as clued up as he thought he was, “It was a spur of the moment thing, I didn’t have time to contact you.”
“You can’t seriously be saying she knows something?”
“She knows a lot more
than she’s letting on,” Serena stated, “And I’ve been working on her. She’s on edge right now, it’s only a matter of time before she comes clean.”
“Right, well,” Jenkins said, looking from Serena to Casey, “You have one more week, and if there’s no clear leads, backed by evidence, then I’m pulling you both off the case. And I suggest you sort out your differences, it’s no good having partners squabbling like schoolchildren.”
“Sir, I hardly think we’re squabbling –” Casey protested, but Jenkins cut him off.
“Whatever you think is of no concern to me. Just break that case. Now go, both of you.”
Serena left the office, Casey on her tail.
“Well, we’ve got more time at least,” Serena said when the door had closed behind them.
“What do we do now?” Casey asked quietly, obviously still offended by Jenkins’ harsh dismissal of his opinion.
“We wait until tomorrow,” Serena stated firmly, “Marlena told me that the funeral’s been arranged for tomorrow morning, and I want to be there. Then, we increase the pressure on Taylor.”
“I guess that might work,” Casey conceded quietly.
* * *
As the hot water washed over her, Aurora felt her anger ebbing away. She still didn’t want to be around her mother, not yet anyway. But her shower seemed to numb the pain slightly.
She turned the taps, stepped out onto the cold tiled floor, and began towelling herself dry. Looking at herself naked in the mirror, she wondered whether Clint ever thought about her body. She felt slightly embarrassed, thinking of a dream she’d had a few days before. Clint had kissed her lips tenderly, and then kissed her neck. And then her chest, then her stomach, and then his kisses had gone lower, and she’d woken up, sweating and feeling unusually hot.
Perhaps she should go round to his flat, and see what he was doing today. Then she thought again, he’d probably be out with the lads, playing football or something. No, she’d see if Sasha was in. That way, she didn’t have to dress to impress, and God knew she would if she went to see Clint.
The Goldsworth Series Box Set Page 11