Dante felt his pulse quicken, he had to be careful not to trip himself up, but he could not resist the urge to play games with this detective.
“I’ve seen a lot of things,” he said, with a casual shrug. “You wouldn’t even believe the half of them. And who knows? Maybe I do have that money stashed away. Maybe I burnt it. Maybe I gave it to a fucking charity. What do you think of that?”
He held Patterson’s gaze and was startled when she stood up abruptly, chair legs scraping across the floor. He frowned, frustrated that the break from his routine had not lasted half as long as he had expected. Following Patterson, her colleague stood up too.
“Is that all?” Dante asked, trying to hide his disappointment.
“We’re done,” Patterson said, turning her back on him and walking across the visiting area towards the doors, her lapdog close behind her.
“Well you know where I am if you change your mind,” Dante called after her.
* * *
“What did you make of that?” Carl asked, when they were safely ensconced back in his car, staring at the prison walls in front of them. He put a hand on the steering wheel, looking at her.
Serena looked out of the windscreen, thinking over Dante’s words, his behavior.
“He doesn’t have the money,” she said firmly. It was just an instinctive feeling, but she knew she was right. “But I bet that he had it at one point. There was no surprise, no reaction. He took the money, either from Ritchie before his disappearance, or directly from Jasper and then let Ritchie take the fall for it.”
“So who does have it then?” Carl asked, eyeing her closely. “Bolton?”
“That would be my guess,” Serena said. “Maybe Bolton and Dante had a deal to split it, and one of them got greedy, changed their mind. Or maybe he stole it off Dante.”
“Listen, I never met him, but I know Bolton Smith,” Carl sighed, and Serena turned to him, surprised. “His girlfriend Charley, the mother of his son. She is Asher’s sister.”
“Asher?” Serena repeated.
“My partner,” Carl clarified. Serena looked at him, and then nodded. “Life partner.”
“You didn’t think to mention that before we went in there?” Serena asked. “What if Dante had recognized you? Does your boss even know about this connection?”
“Of course he does,” Carl said, sounding affronted. “I wouldn’t let it cloud my judgement. And for someone whose been so distracted with a past case that they only bothered to look at the files last night, I think you’ve got some nerve making accusations about my professional conduct.”
Serena nodded, realizing that she had offended him.
“I’m sorry,” she said, meaning it. “I didn’t -”
“It’s fine,” Carl said, turning the car engine on. “Let’s just get back to the station.”
* * *
Brandy felt her stomach constrict and her heart beat faster as she approached the entrance to the court building. The main entrance had large panels of glass, and she could see people already inside, standing around, no doubt waiting for court to commence. She wondered how many of them were waiting for Troy’s trial, whether they knew that she was due to give her evidence, would judge her and condemn her.
Aunt Bo pushed the pram, Frazer asleep from the bus journey. Her mum looked agitated to be in such close proximity to authority, and for once Brandy thought they were thinking along the same lines. Deanna had done her make-up and tied her hair back, and she looked almost presentable in black trousers and a white blouse. At least she wasn’t in a mini-skirt with her tits hanging out of her top, Brandy thought, still concerned that it was a mistake to have brought her along.
“You’ll be fine,” Aunt Bo assured her as the automatic doors slid open for them and they walked inside. She gave Brandy a smile. “It will all be over soon.”
Brandy wished that was the case, but she couldn’t bring herself to believe it. She was sure that the Banks brothers wouldn’t see it that way, and she was dreading having to set eyes on them.
To get past the atrium, they had to go through a security check, and Brandy was waved through after showing the letter she had received from the prosecution services. She saw someone in a suit rush off, letter in hand, and wondered what he was up to. She waited on the other side of the security desk whilst Aunt Bo fumbled with the pram, lifting Frazer into her arms whilst Deanna haphazardly folded the pram so it could go through the scanner.
Brandy felt eyes on her and scanned the faces for anyone she knew. She spotted Aurora and her mum standing a few feet away, and Aurora held her gaze for a moment, as if daring her to back out of the agreement they had made. Brandy felt sweat on her hairline and wiped it anxiously, feeling hot despite the air conditioning.
She looked down the corridor and spotted the Banks brothers. Tyrese and Trent were talking, and Tyrese happened to look in her direction, mid-sentence. He stopped talking and glared at her, and Brandy looked away quickly, aware of the commotion that Aunt Bo and Frazer were causing, a queue forming behind them. They would surely see the baby, and then it was only a matter of time before they realised that he was Troy’s son.
Not daring to look back at over at where she knew Tyrese and Trent were standing, she tried to calm her breathing, wiping her forehead again. The pram was reassembled on the other side of the security desk, and Aunt Bo put Frazer back down, his head rolling, undisturbed from his sleep.
That was something at least, Brandy thought, wondering what might have happened if he had been awake and crying. That was a sure-fire way of getting Tyrese’s attention.
A woman in a suit greeted them, introducing herself as Mandy from the witness care team. She was short and white, with cropped grey hair and lines around her eyes. She gestured for Brandy to follow her, and Brandy was relieved when she led her away from the corridor that Tyrese and Trent waited down, watching her as she went. Aunt Bo pushed the pram behind her, one eye on Frazer and the other keeping a close watch on Deanna, who was already starting to get agitated, itching to get away from the courtrooms.
Mandy opened the door to a small waiting room, and gestured for them to go inside.
“This is our witness room,” she said. “You can wait in here until you’re called in. I can bring you your statement, if you like, to have a look over.”
“Don’t bother,” Brandy said, sitting down in one of the uncomfortable chairs.
Mandy smiled again and left them in the room, Aunt Bo fussing over Frazer again and Deanna looking at the door as if planning her escape.
“You can go if you want,” Brandy shot at her, “I didn’t want you to come anyway.”
Deanna opened her mouth to respond, but Aunt Bo talked over her.
“Don’t be like that,” she said firmly. “We’re all here as a family.”
“Some family outing this is,” Deanna groaned, but remained in her seat.
Brandy looked through the thin strip of glass that ran the length of the door. She could see people passing, probably beginning to fill up the courtroom now. Her palms were slick with sweat and she felt panic flutter within her again.
The Banks brothers went by, and Tyrese looked into the room, eyes narrowed. Brandy’s breath caught in her chest, and she wondered if she was really going to risk her life just because of a stupid mistake.
She rose to her feet and wiped her palms on her trousers, hands shaking hard now. On unsteady feet she went to the door and opened it, ignoring Aunt Bo when she asked where she was going.
Hardly able to control her thoughts, Brandy hurried down the corridor and pushed her way into the toilets. She stood over the sink, hands gripping the sides, breathing hard, her shirt drenched in sweat. She looked into the mirror and realised she was terrified of going inside the courtroom.
* * *
Aurora watched the door to the toilets swing shut behind Brandy and hesitated. Somebody bumped into her and gave her a frustrated look as they continued on into the courtroom. Marlena looked at her quizzically.
&nb
sp; “Aren’t you coming in?” she asked.
“You go in,” Aurora said, making up her mind. “Save me a seat, I just need the bathroom quickly.”
Marlena shrugged and followed the throng of people going through the large double doors into the public gallery. Aurora took a deep breath and crossed the corridor, wondering whether it was the right thing to do. She knew Brandy must be nervous, but she didn’t want her backing out, not when she was so close to doing the right thing. Brandy’s evidence would be the crucial testimony, she knew, and she couldn’t allow her to threaten the chance of justice for Shaniqua just because she was getting cold feet.
She pushed the door open and saw Brandy standing by the sink. The water wasn’t running, and her grip was tight on the edge of the basin. She glanced over her shoulder, panic-stricken, and frowned when she saw Aurora standing there.
Stepping into the bathroom, Aurora heard the door close gently behind her. A bank of toilet cubicles stood to one side of the room, the doors closed, and Aurora hesitated, not wanting to be overheard by anyone but knowing there was little time to say her piece.
“I saw you come in here,” Aurora said, approaching Brandy. Brandy made no attempt to move, but Aurora saw in the mirror’s reflection that her eyes had narrowed. It was obvious she wanted to be alone, but Aurora couldn’t let it drop. “I just wanted to see if you’re –”
“Wanted to see if I’m doing all right?” Brandy sneered. She didn’t turn to look at Aurora, just stood staring into the mirror. She shook her head. “Yeah, right. I know why you’re here. You wanted to make sure I’m not going to do a runner.”
Aurora couldn’t fault her. She was right.
“Can you blame me?” Aurora asked. She leant against a sink, keeping a little distance between them. “You can help get justice for my sister. Of course I want you to stay, to do the right thing, to –”
“Put my life on the line for your dead sister?” Brandy finished for her. She snorted. “Whatever I do, whatever happens in court, it ain’t going to bring her back to life.”
Aurora swallowed, willing herself not to get angry with her, though her words had hurt her.
“I know that,” she said. “But Troy doesn’t deserve to get away with it.”
“Maybe not,” Brandy conceded. “Just don’t act like this is going to be easy for me, like I owe it to your fucking sister. I don’t owe her shit, okay?”
Aurora gritted her teeth.
“You don’t think so?” Aurora asked, leaning closer to her. “Remember what you told me, when you finally confessed? You said you were the one who started the argument, you were the one who got Troy riled up, you as good as told him to –”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re right,” Brandy snapped, turning from the mirror and glaring at Aurora. Aurora saw anger mixed with her fear. “Let’s all just fucking blame me. I wasn’t holding the knife though. I never stabbed her.”
“And would Troy still have stabbed her if you hadn’t been there?” Aurora demanded, taking a step closer, her own anger flashing. “You might have served a few months, paid your dues in the eyes of the law, but we both know you owe my sister this much at least.” Brandy looked contemptuous, but she didn’t speak. Aurora pressed on, “I don’t care how scared you are. I don’t care if you’re about to goddamn shit yourself, okay?” she hissed. “You’re going to go into that courtroom, and you’re going to tell everyone what happened. You’re going to tell them the truth.”
Aurora realised she had stepped closer to Brandy. Brandy looked cornered, but she didn’t make an attempt to flee. She held Aurora’s look, then lowered her eyes to the floor, turning back to the mirror.
“You can’t tell me what to do,” Brandy said quietly. “If I give evidence –”
“When you give evidence,” Aurora corrected her firmly. “Because if you don’t tell the truth and do your bit, then I’ll tell Troy’s brothers about your son.” Brandy looked concerned, and Aurora pressed her advantage. “You know, Troy’s son? The one you’re so desperate for him to never know about. If you want to keep that a secret, you’ll get your act together and get in that courtroom.”
“You wouldn’t tell them,” Brandy said, but her voice betrayed her unease.
“Not if you do the right thing, no,” Aurora said. “But if you don’t, then –”
A toilet flushed from one of the cubicles and Aurora froze. Brandy glanced over her shoulder, and Aurora could tell from her face that she was nervous, that she knew her threats were not idle.
Aurora was about to speak again when the cubicle door opened, and Brandy’s eyes widened. Aurora turned, following her gaze. She saw why Brandy looked so mortified. Keskia Banks, Troy’s mother, stood there, and from the look on her face Aurora could tell that she had heard every word they had been saying.
* * *
Serena and Carl drove back to the station in silence. She was relieved when he parked up on the street outside and caught sight of Casey lingering by the entrance.
She gestured for Carl to go up without her, and he did not hesitate in leaving her downstairs.
“What’s wrong?” Serena asked, eyeing Casey’s expression. “Did you talk to Jenkins about what I told you to?”
She had asked him to report Amal and Tamar for failure to appear in court and see what could be done to pressure them into testifying.
“Yeah, I talked to him,” Casey said. Serena knew what was coming from his expression. “It’s not good news, Serena. We don’t have the time or resources to prosecute every witness who fails to respond to a court summons.”
“So, they just get away with it?” Serena demanded, shaking her head and balling her fists. “God, what is wrong with the system when -”
“A police officer can go around, twice, to a person’s house and threaten to arrest them without authority or a warrant?” Casey asked, raising an eyebrow. “Amal Siddiqui’s mother called in, and she wasn’t happy. She was fuming.”
“I didn’t threaten him,” Serena argued.
“That’s not how she painted it,” Casey said. “Anyway, Jenkins had already decided nothing was going to happen to them before she made her complaint.”
“Complaint?”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine,” Casey assured her. “Jenkins pretty much dismissed it. He’s got your back, if you can believe it. Just don’t go doing anything like that again, okay?”
“I won’t,” Serena said, though she was not even sure if she believed herself.
Casey rolled his eyes, bid her goodbye, and retreated down the street. Serena watched him go for a moment and then strolled into the station, remembering the sour air between her and Carl as she went up the stairs.
She wondered, for the first time since she had arrived, if she would not be better off calling it a day and slinking off back to Cornwall. No, she thought, she still had work to do here, and besides, she knew that she had to see justice be handed down to Troy Banks.
* * *
“You had Troy’s baby and you didn’t think to let any of us know?” Keskia Banks asked, and Brandy saw the shock and anger on her face. She ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head. This was the last thing she needed. She shot Aurora a dark look. If she’d only kept her mouth shut. “What gives you the right to keep something like this from him?” Keskia demanded.
Brandy snorted.
“Rights?” she laughed. “What fucking right did he have to know anything?”
“Troy is his father,” Keskia insisted. “Of course he had the right to –”
“He gave up his rights when he went into prison,” Brandy said, shaking her head. She clasped the rim of the sink behind her, her escape blocked by Aurora and Keskia. Aurora had gone quiet, looking from one to the other, and Brandy wanted to push them both out of the way and run.
She had known it was a mistake coming here, bringing Frazer to a place like this. If only Aunt Bo had fucking listened, but it was too late for that.
“Don’t act like you’re a saint, B
randine,” Keskia said, anger flaring. “Don’t forget I know you. And from what I’ve heard, you’re the one who put him up to –”
“Oh, here we go,” Brandy snapped. She had wondered when Keskia would leap to her son’s defence. She glared at Keskia. “You ever considered that Troy’s the way he is because you never bothered to tell him off? You always treated him like a little prince, like he couldn’t do anything wrong, so don’t go blaming me.”
“He was a good boy until you –”
“What, when he used to smack me around? Was it my fault then?” Brandy interrupted, hand on hip. Her fear had turned to anger. “Was it my fault when he went and snorted cocaine? When he shot Sasha and her boyfriend, that my fault and all?”
“Those charges were dropped,” Keskia said firmly.
“That doesn’t mean he didn’t do it,” Brandy said.
“Anyway, whatever he might have done,” Keskia said, brushing off her words, “It doesn’t give you the right to keep something like this from him.”
“I have every right,” Brandy snarled. “My son is never going to know who his father is, I’ll make damn sure of that.”
“You can’t do that, I’ll get a lawyer and –”
“Let’s just calm down,” Aurora interrupted, taking a step forward, so she was almost between them. Keskia’s looked surprised, as if she had forgotten she was even there. “There’s no need to –”
“Fuck off,” Brandy rounded on her. “This is none of your business.”
Aurora looked affronted, but she backed off towards the door.
“Right, well,” she said timidly, hand on the door handle.
Brandy wished Keskia was as easy to get rid of. Aurora hesitated. “Just don’t forget, you’re in court in a few minutes.” She gave her an imploring look and was gone.
When the door had closed again, Keskia turned back to Brandy, her eyes pleading. Brandy hated this woman, and she hated her sons even more.
“I know you’re angry, but that boy will know his father,” Keskia warned her, swelling up with indignation. “I’ll make sure of that.”
“Over my dead fucking body,” Brandy retorted, and Keskia looked shocked.
The Goldsworth Series Box Set Page 102