The Goldsworth Series Box Set

by Davie J Toothill

  Their mum barely paid them any notice, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, emotional even before they had got into the court room and heard anything that might make her upset. She had dressed up in her best clothes and she clutched her handbag to her chest, looking around as if she wasn’t sure how they had ended up here again.

  “Mum, why don’t you sit down?” Tyrese suggested, guiding her into a seat.

  He knew how long these things could take to get started, and he didn’t want her wandering around sobbing everywhere.

  “Should we try ringing Jessie again?” Keskia asked as she took a seat. Trent sat down beside her and shrugged dismissively.

  “She ain’t here, that’s her problem,” he growled. “So much for family, eh?”

  “Don’t say that,” Keskia chastised him, on the verge of tears again. “She might just be running late.”

  “Face it, she isn’t coming,” Tyrese snapped, and he felt guilty as his mum lowered her eyes to the floor and pursed her lips, trying not to betray her emotion.

  “Sorry mum,” Tyrese said, sitting down beside her and putting an arm around her shoulders. “Maybe you can try her mobile one last –” He trailed off, looking across the atrium.

  Shaniqua Curtis’ family had arrived. He recognised them at once. Aurora Curtis, huge with her pregnancy, guiding her frail mum in through the front doors, both dressed smart in black, looking anxious as they looked around. He considered getting his mum and brother out of sight, but then Aurora’s eyes fell upon them.

  She looked at him with open contempt. He lowered his gaze and heard his mother utter a quiet gasp as she too saw them. Somebody came forward and guided them away, and Tyrese felt relieved when they were out of sight.

  “That poor girl,” Keskia muttered. “And her poor mother.”

  Tyrese didn’t want to point out that Troy, the son who she had adored so much until so recently, was the cause of their grief. He held his tongue and kept quiet.

  * * *

  Sanjay trailed a hand down Adrianna’s slender stomach and smiled as she gave a soft moan as he slid one finger between her legs, then another. She looked at him, lips slightly parted, her blonde hair flowing across the pillow and down over her shoulder, and he felt himself stirring.

  He was expecting Fernanda round at the house later, so he couldn’t let Adrianna stay for too much longer, but she was so goddamn up for it he could hardly bring himself to send her away. He smiled at her and pulled her up against him, sliding a hand around her waist, feeling the heat of her against his skin.

  “How long do we have?” she asked him.

  “Not long,” Sanjay replied.

  Adrianna’s hands slid up his thighs and he knew he couldn’t ask her to go, not yet anyway. Sensing his torment, Adrianna eased him on his back and straddled him. Sanjay put a hand on her hips and another reached for her breasts. Adrianna guided him inside of her and closed her eyes, her fingernails digging into his chest as she let out a moan.

  The doorbell downstairs rang but Sanjay barely registered it as he thrust beneath her, her hair ticking his skin as she leant in to him, her lips searching for his. He heard footsteps on the stairs and was sure Amal would take care of the door.

  He was close and he shuddered against Adrianna, letting out a loud groan into her ear. Adrianna was smiling as she traced a finger along his forehead, wiping the bead of sweat from his brow. He smiled back at her, pleased they had such a good understanding of each other and what they both wanted from the other.

  Downstairs he could hear Amal’s voice at the front door, then a woman’s voice. He froze, his stomach dropping and his arousal gone in a second. Fernanda was here. She must have come early. Shit, he thought.

  Adrianna sensed his panic and climbed off him, rolling to his side, stretching out as she lay back in his bed.

  “I’ll stay here then,” she purred. “Out of sight, like always.”

  Sanjay clambered out of bed and pulled his boxers on, scanning the floor for his jeans. He pulled them on too and saw Adrianna’s bundle of clothes by the bedroom door, then glanced back at Adrianna, closing her eyes, looking content. He thought of the damp sheets, and knew that Fernanda would know at once if she came up here.

  “You’ve got to get out,” Sanjay hissed, hoping Amal could stall Fernanda for long enough at the front door.

  “What?” Adrianna asked, sitting up, looking put out. “Just get rid of her.”

  “I can’t, she’s my girlfriend,” Sanjay insisted. Adrianna gave him a frustrated look and then let out a sigh, swinging her legs out of bed and looking about for her clothes. Sanjay grabbed them off the floor and pressed them into Adrianna’s arms. He opened the bedroom door as he pulled a top over his head and ushered her out onto the landing, just out of sight of the front door.

  “I’ll be down in a second,” Sanjay called down, hoping Amal would heed the warning. He heard Fernanda mutter something, and ignored the look Adrianna gave him as he guided her to Amal’s bedroom, opened the door and –

  A creak on the stairs signalled Fernanda’s presence.

  “Who the hell is she?” Fernanda demanded.

  Sanjay was a few steps behind Adrianna. Fernanda glared at him as he turned to look at her. Adrianna turned too, blushing as she lowered the clothes in her arms to cover herself, exposing her breasts as she did.

  Hand on hip, Fernanda held Sanjay’s gaze. Amal appeared on the stairs behind Fernanda, an apologetic look on his face. Sanjay swallowed hard.

  * * *

  Jessie Banks looked at her phone and saw another missed call from her mum. She rolled her eyes, put the phone back on the bedside table and lay back against the pillows, putting the joint to her lips once more.

  She had no interest in what happened to Troy and it was annoying that her mum was trying to make her feel guilty for not being at the trial. It was his fault he’d killed someone, not hers, and she had no wish to be a part of any of it.

  The bedroom door opened and Corey stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, eyes disapproving as they always seemed to be lately. Jessie blew smoke out and flicked into the ashtray.

  “You’re not going then?” he asked.

  “No, what would be the point?” Jessie asked.

  There was still tension between them after their argument, and Jessie wanted to make things right between them, but something stopped her. He was giving up on her and that was something she couldn’t stand. The thought of being without him was too much for her to think about, and she put the joint to her lips again, hoping to numb the pain.

  “You could go shopping with Jazz then,” Corey suggested. Jessie shrugged, and they both knew it was a no. She felt bad for not spending more time with Corey’s sister, her best mate who she had once been so close with. Now they seemed so different, Jessie thought. Jazz was still studying, whilst Jessie had lost her babies and that was something Jazz could never understand. They had grown apart, she thought sadly, and there was nothing to be done about that now.

  “At least do something,” Corey said, almost pleading.

  Jessie looked at him, his imploring eyes, and wanted to reassure him, wanted to make things better for him, for both of them. She couldn’t bring herself to do it though. She was tired, she was sad, she had no fight left in her.

  “If you’re going to the shops, get me some more skins,” Jessie said, gesturing towards the almost empty pack of papers beside her.

  Corey sighed, shaking his head, and left, closing the door behind him. Jessie felt alone again in the bedroom, worried that each day Corey was drifting further from her, that soon she would be completely alone, with nothing and nobody.

  She closed her eyes and lifted the joint to her lips again.

  * * *

  Aurora felt eyes on her as she walked into the courtroom and helped her mother along a row of blue felt chairs and into a seat at the end in the gallery. Marlena had done her hair and make-up and hadn’t had a drink as far as Aurora knew, but Aurora knew that her
mum was craving one. Even she wanted one, she thought, thinking of the long day and weeks ahead of them.

  A low wooden bannister separated the public seats they were in from the rest of the courtroom, and beyond that a team of suited men and women were shuffling papers on two desks. She assumed that one was the prosecutor and one the defence, but she couldn’t tell them apart. She wondered if she had expected to see an evil-looking man at one, who she would know was the defence, but it wasn’t the case. She had asked herself at night how anybody could bring themselves to defend the actions of a killer, but it seemed that the defence here slept just fine.

  One was an Indian woman in a black suit and crisp shirt, hair tied back in a tight bun, conferring with an assistant. The other was a man with fair hair and a pleasant, round face, talking quietly with a younger man and woman who had their backs to Aurora. She couldn’t tell which was good or bad, which was defence or prosecutor, but she knew one of them would be fighting for justice for her sister, and the other trying to do everything they could to stop that from happening.

  To the left of the tables was the dock, and she was both looking forward to seeing the smug look on Troy’s face wiped off as he stood up there, but dreading having to see him again. On the right of the court was another bank of seating for the jury, and Aurora could only hope they would prove themselves decent people.

  The judge’s bench was at the front, flanked by the witness stand to the right and another seat to the left, which was occupied by a woman typing on a laptop.

  Aurora noticed the room was filling up more now and a low buzz of whispering filled her ears. She caught sight of Troy’s family coming down the aisle between the two sections of chairs and was relieved when they went to the end of a row on the other side, not looking at her.

  The court clerk stepped forward and cleared his throat, and silence quickly descended over the room. Aurora nudged her mum, who put her handbag down at her feet and tried to look composed.

  “Order in the court,” the clerk said in a clear, commanding voice. “All rise. The Honourable Mister Justice Harksaw.”

  Aurora rose to her feet with the rest of the room, and watched the judge come out of a door behind his chair, in red robes and white wig.

  “You may be seated,” Judge Harksaw said when he was standing at his seat. Aurora sat back down along with the rest of the room, and only the clerk remained standing, glancing up at the judge.

  “The case of crown versus Troy Banks, my Lord,” the clerk read from a sheet of paper on the desk in front of him.

  “Thank you,” Judge Harksaw nodded. “Are all parties present?”

  Aurora wanted to point out that Troy wasn’t here yet, the only person she really wanted to see in this courtroom, but that was not how things were done, she knew, as the man with the pleasant face stood up, smoothing his dark suit.

  “Yes my Lord,” he said, in a deep voice. “I am Aaron Lindhurst, and I am acting on behalf of the Crown in this matter.”

  Judge Harksaw inclined his head to him. Aurora knew now which side she was on, and hoped this man with a round face and no stubble would go for the jugular once the proceedings started.

  The woman on the opposing desk stood as Lindhurst sat.

  “My Lord, I am Bashira Khan,” the woman said. “I am acting on behalf of the accused, Troy Banks.”

  Judge Harksaw nodded again, and Ms Khan sat. Aurora looked at her, the woman who would be trying to evade justice for her sister, and hated her. She had a cold, calculating look about her, Aurora thought, and she hoped Lindhurst could handle himself against her.

  The clerk stood again, and Aurora knew that it was time for Troy to make his entry into court. Judge Harksaw looked over his glasses at the room before him.

  Aurora thought of how amusing Shaniqua would have found his appearance, and found it hard to believe, even now, that Shaniqua was really gone forever.

  * * *

  Amal looked at his brother standing on the landing with Adrianna and cleared his throat. Fernanda didn’t even turn to look at him, consumed with shock and anger at seeing Sanjay with another girl.

  “Who is she?” she demanded again.

  “Sorry, that’s Adrianna,” Amal said, slipping past her at the top of the stairs to step between his brother and the blonde. He turned to Adrianna, “I’ve told you not to walk around here naked when there are people about.”

  He nudged a confused Adrianna into his bedroom, and turned to look at Fernanda, putting his hands up in apology.

  “That’s your girlfriend?” Fernanda asked, looking from Amal to Sanjay.

  “Not my girlfriend,” Amal said quickly. “A girl I’m –” He trailed off. Fernanda rolled her eyes, her shoulders relaxing.

  “Too much information,” she said, shaking her head.

  Amal grinned at Sanjay, who was fast composing himself from nearly being caught out. He smiled back.

  “You’re just lucky it was Fernanda and not mum coming home,” Sanjay said, a mock-stern voice. Fernanda smiled at him, all her anger gone.

  “Yeah, okay,” Amal nodded, retreating to his bedroom and closing the door behind him. He heard Fernanda laughing and the creak of the stairs as Sanjay led her back down to the lounge.

  Adrianna was sitting on his bed, pulling her knickers up her legs.

  “That was a close one,” Amal groaned.

  “Tell me about it,” Adrianna agreed. “Lucky you were here.”

  Amal nodded, standing by the door and unsure of where to look, his eyes flickering to her breasts and then to the floor, thinking he wanted Shontelle and not this girl. She was his brother’s anyway, and she wasn’t his type, although she was fit, he had to give his brother some credit there.

  Adrianna pulled her bra on, saw Amal checking her out and gave him a playful smile. Amal felt himself stirring and averted his eyes, trying to interest himself in looking at the scuffed carpet at his feet.

  When Adrianna cleared her throat, he risked a look at her and saw she had finished pulling her clothes on. She slid her feet into her heels and stood up.

  “Guess I should show you out then,” Amal said, opening the door.

  “Not unless you want me to stick around,” Adrianna teased.

  He led her out of his bedroom and down the stairs. Fernanda and Sanjay were talking in the lounge, and Adrianna’s eyes narrowed at the sound of Fernanda’s laughter. Amal opened the door for her, and Adrianna stepped outside.

  “Not going to give me a goodbye kiss?” she asked. Amal blushed, and Adrianna smiled wickedly and sauntered off down the road. Amal watched her for a moment before closing the front door.

  He retreated to his bedroom, not wanting to see Sanjay and Fernanda all over each other. His thoughts turned to Shontelle, and he tried to force them away. She was already taken, and by his cousin no less. Still, he could not help but wonder if he would have been able to resist the temptation if it had been her instead of Adrianna stood before him in his bedroom.

  * * *

  Troy felt his stomach flip over when the greying guard gave him a nudge and rose to his feet. Troy followed and tried to swallow down his nerves, embarrassed to realise his hands were trembling, as the guard led him to the second door in the small antechamber, the one that he had been told led directly into the courtroom.

  They paused at the door and Troy tried pressing his palms against his legs, hoping the pressure of the movement would stop the shaking, but when he brought his hands up again, handcuffs clinking, his hands were still shaking. The second guard gave a small nod and opened the door. It swung inwards silently and the greying guard led Troy through the doorway and into the courtroom.

  There were people everywhere, but Troy was too focused on not tripping over that he barely glanced around, his surroundings passing in a blur of rising panic. He only had to walk a few feet before he realised where the guard was leading him to. The raised dock held two chairs and the guard motioned for Troy to climb the three steps and take a seat, before the greying
guard took the one beside him.

  The chairs were uncomfortable, but Troy felt relieved that he no longer had to walk. His panic began to calm as he regained his breathing and the greying guard looked him over, cautious, before settling his eyes on the judge at the front of the room. Troy looked around the room, seeing a few familiar faces amongst the strangers. Rush, his lawyer, was sat near the woman he guessed was tasked with defending him and he hoped for her sake she was good at her job.

  He saw his family too and felt reassured by that. His brothers might not have visited him lately, but at least they had come to see him here. He caught a glimpse of Aurora too, sitting beside a woman who must have been her mum, and he saw contempt in her eyes. There was no Clint beside her, and Troy felt pleased about that. He wondered how long it had taken Clint to realise his mistake and do a runner, forgetting all his good intentions to testify and try to be a big man.

  Aurora’s eyes held his gaze and he felt disquieted by her glare. He would teach her some respect once he was out of here, he decided. He would wait until she’d had the baby though, he thought. He didn’t want to have to fuck her when she was all fat and swollen.

  The judge cleared his throat and Troy’s eyes snapped back to him. He looked like a right mug, Troy thought, in his red robes and white wig. He could hardly believe this man would be presiding over his trial.

  “Troy Banks, please rise to hear the charge,” Judge Harksaw commanded, and Troy stood up, the handcuffs clinking at his wrists, his hands beginning to tremble again. Harksaw’s voice was not loud, but it seemed to reverberate around the silent room. “Troy, you are charged that on the fifth of October last year, you killed Miss Shaniqua Curtis, with intent, and thereby committed murder. How do you plead?”

  Troy swallowed hard.

  “Not guilty,” he replied.

  Nobody said anything, but he thought he had heard a few sharp intakes of breath from the public gallery, and he wondered if it had been Aurora or her mum, or perhaps his own mum. They should have expected nothing else, he thought.