“We couldn’t find a match,” the officer admitted.
“Hallelujah,” the lawyer cried out. “Now that you’ve admitted you have no evidence can we wrap this up?”
“No evidence?” the officer asked, incredulous. “The murder weapon was found in your client’s bag.”
“I was framed,” Sanjay said. “I know who did it.”
The two men fell silent, staring at him.
“I must advise -” his lawyer started, but Sanjay held up a hand to stop him, focused on the officer.
“Come on, surprise me. Who did it?” the officer asked.
“My cousin, Naz,” Sanjay replied. “He boasted about it after he’d killed him.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“The partial print on that gun,” Sanjay said slowly, “See if it matches Naz’s prints. I’ll bet you it will.”
The officer looked interested now.
“You’ll give a statement to this fact?” he asked.
“Of course,” Sanjay said. “Naz deserves to be locked up for what he’s done.”
The officer nodded as he scribbled something down. Sanjay tried his hardest not to smile to himself. They had both worn gloves in the playground whilst they handled the gun, but later that evening Sanjay had passed the gun to Naz ever-so-briefly whilst he’d still been in a state of shock, too quick for Naz to pull his own gloves back on.
As he had been arrested, Sanjay knew that Naz had tried to frame Amal, had grassed them up. He had half-expected, hence his back-up plan in case his cousin tried to do the dirty on them. Thankfully, he thought, his suspicions had paid off.
He leant back in his chair and relaxed whilst the officer went out of the room to send some uniforms out to arrest Naz. Sanjay wished he could have been there to see the look on his cousin’s face when he realised what had just happened.
* * *
“We’ll have to visit you up in Manchester,” Zoe said excitedly, gripping her mug of tea tightly. “Me and Sienna can come up for a weekend or something.”
“Yeah, definitely,” Aurora said.
She had been worried about telling Zoe that she was leaving, but her friend was happy for her. Aurora sensed that she was hiding some of her emotion, but she was grateful that she was being positive anyway.
“Maybe Tamar can come up with you too,” Aurora said knowingly. Zoe blushed. “Don’t play coy with me, Zoe Taylor. I saw you two all loved-up last night at the wedding. Things are going well for you, and I’m really happy for you both.”
“Thanks, Aurora.”
“I didn’t really know what to think of him at first,” Aurora admitted, finishing her cup of tea. “But he’s been a good friend to Clint, and he’s been good for you. He’s a good guy, Zoe, and you deserve that.”
Zoe laughed, but Aurora knew that her friend was pleased by her words. If anyone deserved a break, a peaceful life, it was Zoe.
“I should get going,” Aurora said, taking her mug to the sink and rinsing it. “I left mum to pack and look after Angel. She might be going up the walls.”
Zoe stood too and showed her to the front door.
“You and Clint deserve the best,” Zoe said, as she pulled her into a tight hug. Aurora heard her voice crack with emotion and saw Zoe wiping tears from her eyes when they broke apart. “You go on and enjoy your fresh start.”
Aurora smiled, feeling tears brimming at the corners of her eyes, and waved her goodbye as she walked away from the flat.
As she crossed the courtyard downstairs, Aurora almost collided with Brandy. She looked stressed out, inhaling deeply on a cigarette, scowl on her face. She did not look happy, and the look soured further when she caught sight of Aurora.
“What are you looking at?” Brandy snapped, tossing the cigarette to the floor.
Aurora pitied her.
“Brandy, give it a rest,” Aurora said quietly. “Whatever you’ve done, I don’t have a problem with you anymore, life is too short for that, so just drop the act.”
“It’s not an act,” Brandy argued.
“Whatever it is, I’m not after a fight,” Aurora shrugged. “I’ve just been to see Zoe. Saying goodbye. Me and Clint are leaving London.”
“Didn’t you try that before?” Brandy sniggered. “How did that work out for you? Not so great, if I remember, seeing as you’re back in this shit hole.”
“This time it’s different,” Aurora said. “We’re not running. This is a fresh start. A new beginning. It looks like you could do with one of those, too.”
“We can’t all get what we want,” Brandy said, lighting another cigarette. “We’re not all perfect, you know, like you and your precious boyfriend.”
“Husband,” Aurora corrected her. She showed her the ring, unable to help herself.
“Oh, congratulations,” Brandy sniggered. “You decided to upgrade him from babyfather then. I guess my wedding invitation must have gotten lost in the post.”
Aurora considered her. She had hated Brandy for so long, but now she did not feel anger towards her. She just felt sorry for her, puffing away on her cigarette, looking like she held the weight of the world on her shoulders.
“You’re not a bad person, Brandy” Aurora sighed. “You might be a selfish bitch, and I can’t deny that I’ve spent a long time hating your guts, but you’re not bad. You’ve just made bad decisions, really bad decisions, but you get a second chance too now that Troy’s locked up. Stop making bad decisions, be a good person. What you do now he’s gone, that’s what matters.”
Brandy looked away, inhaling deeply on her cigarette, and said nothing.
“Goodbye, Brandy,” Aurora said, and walked away, feeling pleased that at least she had said her piece, pleased to be leaving her in the past, along with the Goldsworth and all the bad memories it held for her.
* * *
Brandy crushed her cigarette under her foot and looked at Aurora’s retreating back. She considered calling after her, telling her what she had only recently discovered, revealing the truth about her father’s wandering eye, that her precious daddy was her father too, that they were half-sisters, but she said nothing.
She let Aurora walk away, kept silent, until Aurora had gone from her sight.
It would change nothing, Brandy knew, and Aurora was far better off never knowing the truth. It would not bring back her father, or Shaniqua. It would not make Aurora and Brandy any closer. They would never be anything remotely like sisters, so what was the point in making her suffer the burden of the secret too?
Brandy sighed. She wondered if Aurora had really meant what she had said, that she was not a bad person. She had the chance to make things right, do the right thing for once. Aunt Bo’s words drifted through her mind again, and she wondered if Aurora would still think she was a good person if she knew that she was giving away her child.
Lighting another cigarette, Brandy headed home, bracing herself for what she knew she had to do.
* * *
Kojo heard Clint’s voice in the kitchen and went to join him and his mother. He was surprised to see tears in his mother’s eyes and tensed at once.
“What’s going on?” he asked, looking from one to the other. “Is it dad?”
“Clint’s come to say goodbye,” his mum replied, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, and squeezing his shoulder. “They’re going back to Manchester today.”
Kojo looked at his brother.
“You don’t want me to -”
“Don’t worry,” Clint laughed. “We’re not dragging you with us this time.”
Kojo nodded, relieved, though part of him sensed the change in his brother. Last time, Clint had been so protective of him, and Kojo had resented him for it. Now Clint had other priorities, and though Kojo was pleased, he also felt alone. He no longer had his brother’s protection. He had nobody to look out for him except himself now.
“When do you leave?” Kojo asked.
“This afternoon,” Clint replied. His mother nodded,
her lips pursing as she fought not to cry again. “Don’t worry, we’ll be back to visit.”
“Yes, you will,” his mum said, smiling. “And we can visit you too.”
Clint nodded, but Kojo wondered if they really meant what they said. He knew as well as they did that their father would never make the trip to Manchester to visit, and that their mother would not go behind his back and make the trip without him. And if Clint came back, it would be to see Aurora’s mum, not them.
“My boy, all grown up,” his mum was saying. “I’ve got a little something for you, Clint, before I forget. Just don’t tell your father, you know how he is.”
She bustled from the kitchen, leaving Kojo alone with his brother. Her words brought back his earlier thoughts. They all knew what dad was like, he thought. But was he like him too?
“Clint, do you think I’m like him?” Kojo asked before he could stop himself. Clint looked at him, confused. Kojo hesitated. “I mean, like dad. Angry, like him. I mean, my temper and stuff. Am I turning into him?”
He heard the fear in his own voice, but he could not help himself. Clint came over to him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
“You’re not like him,” Clint said. “Everyone gets angry, Kojo. Dad chooses to take it out on mum, on his kids. You’re nothing like him.”
“What if I am though?” Kojo asked. He could not bring himself to tell his brother about the Polish girl, about Scarlett. “I mean, you never put up with his shit. You tried to stop him hitting mum. You stopped him coming after me. I never did. I just sat and did nothing when he went after mum.”
Clint looked at him, his eyes concerned.
“Dad is just a weak, pathetic excuse for a man,” Clint said firmly. “You think he’d pick a fight with a guy his size? No, he chose to take it out on his wife, a woman who would lay down and die for him, and that’s how he repays her. He’s chosen his path. You’re grown up now, Kojo. It’s time to choose yours.”
“What if I choose the wrong one?” Kojo asked.
Clint smiled, squeezing his shoulder.
“It’s never too late, if you think you’re on the wrong one,” he said. “Look at me, everything I got caught up in. But I changed, I did the right thing. You’re a smart lad, Kojo, and a good one. You’ll make the right choices, don’t worry.”
Kojo nodded, and Clint hugged him. Kojo remembered the times his brother had hugged him, reassured him that everything would be okay, felt tears sting the corners of his eyes.
Their mum came back in and they broke apart, though Clint gave him a reassuring smile. Kojo felt relieved. He watched as his mum gave Clint a framed photograph. Mum, Clint and Kojo smiled up from the photo. It had been taken years ago on a sunny day they had spent somewhere in the countryside, a rare day out that had not been marred with anger or violence, far from the Goldsworth.
“Thanks, mum,” Clint said, his voice thick with emotion as he looked at the photo.
Kojo looked at his own face, so young, so bright. He had been so innocent back then. He thought on Clint’s words. It was never too late, he told himself.
* * *
Brandy walked back into the flat and heard Aunt Bo murmuring reassurances to Frazer from the living room. She tried not to listen, not wanting to start second-guessing herself again.
She went into the kitchen and pulled out her phone. She scrolled through her contacts and found the number she had saved for social services. Her finger hovered over the call button. She could not bring herself to dial, even though she knew it was the right thing to do, the best thing for Frazer.
Her mum staggered into the kitchen. She had discarded her weave, and she was not wearing a top, her bare breasts exposed. Brandy saw the bruises on her stomach, and the faint needle marks that had caused them.
“You never seen a pair of tits before?” Deanna snapped, catching Brandy looking. She quickly looked away, returning to her phone, what she had to do. “What you staring at that for?” her mum asked. “You got some fella, have you?”
“It’s social services,” Brandy replied.
“You better not be thinking about reporting me,” Deanna snapped, dashing forward, grabbing at the phone. “After everything I’ve done for you, this is how -” She stopped, looking at Brandy, brow furrowing, as if remembering last night’s conversation through her drug-fuelled haze. She stepped away, and Brandy relaxed a little. Deanna leant against the counter, lighting a cigarette. “It’s about the little one, isn’t it?”
Brandy nodded, not looking at her mum.
“You call them, report yourself for neglect or something, and there’s no going back,” Deanna said quietly, sucking on her cigarette. “You know that, right, girl?”
“I know, that’s the point,” Brandy said.
Her mum shuffled over to her, leaning close, and Brandy tensed again. Her mum put an arm around her shoulders, and the gesture surprised Brandy.
“You should call them,” Deanna said quietly. “You do the right thing. Don’t pay any mind to Bo. She spouts so much shit out her mouth you’d think she’d sucked on a raw chicken. You know what’s best for that kid.” She gestured around the kitchen. “And it ain’t this.”
Brandy nodded. She took a deep breath and pressed the call button.
Her mum kept her arm around her shoulders, blowing smoke across the kitchen, as Brandy put the phone to her ear.
“I’d like to report a case of child neglect,” Brandy said firmly, when the operator answered. She glanced at her mum, who nodded reassuringly, squeezing her shoulder.
Brandy swallowed hard.
“It’s urgent. You need to send someone to take that kid away before it’s too late.”
* * *
“You stay safe, you hear me?” Marlena said, hugging Aurora tightly to her.
Aurora hugged her mum back. She had sensed a change in her mother, a rejuvenation, since the trial, and she hoped that her mother would not relapse into alcohol and depression when they had gone, when she was alone again.
“You too, mum,” Aurora whispered in her ear, squeezing tightly, as people around them boarded the train, bustled along the platform.
Her mum let go and stood back. Aurora saw the tears in her eyes, felt her own tears sliding down her cheeks. Marlena hugged Clint.
“You look after my girls,” she said.
“I will,” he promised her.
Marlena kissed Angel goodbye on the forehead, and then an announcement over the speakers cut through the moment. Clint fumbled with the suitcases, getting them onto the train. Aurora took Angel into her arms, as Clint came back for the pram, folding it with muttered curses as he struggled with it.
“I’ll see you again soon,” Marlena said.
Aurora nodded, not wiping away her tears, as she boarded the train and followed Clint to their seats. Angel chirped happily, oblivious to the goodbyes. Marlena appeared at the window, waving and blowing kisses to them.
“Bye, mum,” Aurora mouthed through the glass. “I love you.”
The train began to move, and Marlena waved from the platform.
Clint squeezed her hand, and Aurora closed her eyes as her mum faded into the distance.
* * *
Kojo was anxious as he knocked on Scarlett’s front door. He had not told her he was coming over, had not wanted her to make excuses not to see him. He had to do this, whilst he still had the nerve, had Clint’s words loud in his head.
“What do you want?” Shontelle asked, sighing as she opened the door and saw him standing there. “I don’t know what’s going on between you, but she’s not been herself today. You’d better not upset her.”
“I’m not here for an argument,” Kojo said quietly. “Please, I don’t want a fight.”
Shontelle groaned, but held the door open for him.
“She’s in her room,” she said as he stepped into the flat. “If I hear one raised voice, I’m calling my dad.”
Kojo nodded in understanding and went to Scarlett’s bedroom. H
e opened the door slowly, saw her sitting on her bed, a book in her hands.
“Hey,” he said, shifting on his feet, as he closed the door behind him.
“I didn’t expect to see you,” Scarlett said, putting the book down, taking off her glasses, and patting her hair awkwardly, as if embarrassed by her look. “Sorry, I didn’t wash my hair or anything yet,” she said.
“Don’t worry about it,” Kojo shook his head. He stood in the room, not making a move towards her. He had to do this now, he thought. “I wanted to say sorry. For everything. I never should have -” He trailed off, unable to voice what he had done to her. Scarlett blushed, looking down at her book.
“You don’t have to apologize,” Scarlett said softly. “You were angry, I upset you. I never should have -”
“Stop,” Kojo said quickly, waving off her apologies. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. It’s my fault. I did what I did, and there’s no excuse for it. You shouldn’t feel guilty, shouldn’t blame yourself, shouldn’t make any excuses for me.”
“I just understand the situation,” Scarlett said. “I know that -”
“No,” Kojo interrupted. “Never let anyone treat you the way I have, Scarlett, I mean it. You deserve someone a lot better.”
“Kojo, don’t say things like that,” Scarlett gasped, panicking. “I like -”
“I’ll just hurt you,” he said. “I won’t mean to, never, but I will. And you don’t deserve it. I don’t want to be my dad.”
“What are you saying?” she asked.
Kojo swallowed hard. This was difficult, he thought.
“We can’t be together,” he said. “I can’t put you through that. I’ve done things, Scarlett. Bad things. You’re an amazing girl. You’ll find someone else, someone better.”
“No, I don’t want someone else -” Scarlett cried, jumping off the bed and coming to him. She reached for him, but he kept her at arm’s length, knowing it would be harder if he let her hold him, let her touch him. “Kojo, please,” she begged.
“It’s over,” Kojo said firmly.
He ignored her cries and left the room, closing the door behind him. Shontelle eyed him with suspicion from the kitchen as he walked down the corridor and out of the flat.
The Goldsworth Series Box Set Page 151