The Estate_Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold

by Karen Woods

  Diane’s eyes opened fully. They’d only been together for an hour or so. What happened to the romantic date he’d promised her? There were no flowers, no gifts, no love gestures. It was just a matter of taking her knickers down and letting him have his way with her. She watched him getting ready and rolled onto her side. “Get back in bed. Work can wait. We don’t get a lot of time together so let’s make the most of it.”

  John was already putting his trainers on. His sack was empty and that’s all that mattered to him. Melanie wasn’t really that big on sex at the moment. She was just getting used to the fact that it was part of a relationship. She’d started her periods now and was scared she would get pregnant. John had told her to get on the pill but as of yet she’d not plucked up the courage to go to her GP and ask for it. John nodded over at Diane. “Come on then, I have to lock up.” Diane was in a huff and started to get ready. So much for romance.

  Melanie was on the estate and she’d asked everyone if they had seen Diane but nobody had seen sight or sound of her. Johnny Thompson said he thought he saw her earlier but couldn’t be sure. He said she was with a guy. That couldn’t have been her though because she was on her own. Vanessa was flapping now, her heart racing like a speeding train inside her ribcage. “Where can she be? If we don’t find her in the next half hour I’m ringing the police.”

  Melanie zipped her coat up and agreed. “We’ll find her, she can’t be far, but I’ve checked all our mate’s houses and none of them have seen her.” Did she say she was coming to my house?”

  Vanessa closed her eyes, thinking. “Yes, she said she was coming to see you and the girls. I’ve told you how many times, I’m not going daft you know.”

  “It doesn’t make sense does it? Come on let’s walk around the estate one last time. You go that way, and I’ll go this way.” The two of them split up. Melanie could see a group of lads sat on a wall nearby. She hurried towards them. “Have any of you seen Diane?”

  One of the lads had his hood up and she couldn’t see his identity. They were all dressed in hats and gloves, shady they were. A deep voice replied to her. “She’s probably with John.”

  Melanie stood back in shock. Who was this gobshite, did she even know him? He pulled down his hood and her expression changed. “What the fuck are you back around here for you rat?”

  Lenny Jackson smirked at her and popped a cigarette into his mouth, he chewed the end of it, he was cocky. “That’s not very nice is it? I thought you might have missed me.”

  This guy had more front than Blackpool, no shame. “Fuck off Lenny. You know how I feel about you so save your breath.” Melanie stood forward again and repeated her question. “Have any of you seen Diane or what?”

  Lenny chuckled and nudged his mate in the waist. “Is she fucking deaf or what, I’ve just told her she’s probably shagging John.”

  Melanie sucked back the salvia in her mouth and spat into his eye. “Fuck you Lenny. What do you know about Diane anyway?”

  He wiped the spit from his eye with a single finger and flicked it down on the floor. “You’d be surprised what I know. Now fuck off before I give you a belt. I don’t normal hit girls, but I’d make an exception for you.”

  Melanie was already walking away, she shouted behind her so they all could hear what she had to say. “You’re a wanker Lenny Jackson. Get back to jail where you belong. You are a low life.”

  She was raging, steam coming from her ears. And, what the hell was he saying John was sleeping with Diane for? Did he know something she didn’t? She shook his comment off and trudged towards the park. This was the last place to look for Diane. Melanie searched around the area and from the corner of her eye she could see John trudging over the hill in the distance. She smiled when she saw him, he’d calm her down, he’d go and knock fuck out of that gobshite Lenny for speaking to her like that. Melanie stood where she was, she’d surprise him when he got nearer. Her eyes squeezed tightly together trying to focus on him. John turned back on the hill and waved at somebody. He started to jog now, getting nearer to her.

  “Oi,” she shouted as he ran passed her. John stopped dead in his tracks, he looked one way then the other not sure of where the voice had come from. Melanie stepped out and grabbed his arm. “Where are you off to in such a rush?”

  He swallowed hard and she could see she’d unnerved him. He stuttered as he swept his fringe back from his eyes. “I shit myself then. What are you doing hid away there?”

  Melanie sniggered. “I seen you at the top of the hill and thought I’d ambush you. I saw you waving to somebody, who were you with?”

  His cheeks started to turn bright red and he couldn’t look her in the eye. “Erm, my old mate from school. You don’t know him, Charlie, Charlie Ryder.”

  Melanie knew all the people John did and thought it strange that she wasn’t familiar with the name. “Charlie Ryder,” she repeated. “Where does he live then?”

  It was on top now and John became defensive. “Wow, what’s with all the questions all of a sudden?”

  “I’m just asking that’s all. What’s wrong with that?”

  John sighed and ragged his fingers through his hair. “I just don’t like answering to anyone. Don’t you trust me or something?”

  “Of course, I do. You’re just going way over the top with this. I only asked who it was. I won’t ask you anything again if you react like that.”

  Melanie stood looking at him waiting on some kind of an apology. He just growled over at her and started to walk away. “See you later, I’ve got things to do and people to see.” Melanie was ready to burst into tears. What had she done wrong, she’d only asked a question.

  Just then she heard someone shouting from across the park

  “Melanie, she’s here. I’ve found her!” Vanessa shouted.

  Melanie took a few deep breaths and sprinted over to them both. “Diane, where the fuck have you been? We’ve been worried sick about you? You were supposed to be coming to my house.”

  Diane was flustered, she stuttered. “I seen an old friend and just got talking and lost track of time.”

  Vanessa shook her head and gave her a mouthful. “We’ve been worried sick about you. We thought you’d collapsed somewhere. Next time you go out make sure you don’t get side-tracked. Look at my nerves with you, I’m a wreck.” She held her hand out and her fingers were trembling.

  Melanie was quiet, something in her gut told her things were not as they seemed. “So which friend have you been with?”

  She watched her closely, studying every inch of her. “Lesley Grimshaw. She used to come Morris dancing with me a few years back.”

  That was a lie and Melanie knew it. “I went Morris dancing with you and I don’t know her.”

  Diane was edgy. When she was lying she always looked down at the floor and Melanie clocked it straight away. Maybe she didn’t want her mother to know where she’d been, she’d ask her again later when they were alone. Vanessa was calming down. “Come on, let’s get home and have a nice pot of tea. It’s freezing out here. I need to warm myself up after the traumatic time I’ve just had. Honest, my heart is pumping in my chest.”

  Melanie linked Diane’s arm and started to walk with her. “I’ve got loads to tell you when we get in your house. Honest, you won’t believe it.” Vanessa was trying to listen in. She was a right nosey cow. Melanie clocked her and kept her voice low. “Someone has been keeping secrets, big secrets.”

  Diane gulped, and her legs wobbled slightly. “Secrets?” she said with an anxious tone.

  Diane got herself comfortable. Vanessa was in the kitchen making a pot of tea. Melanie was aware that Diane was quieter than normal. “Are you alright, do you feel sick or something?”

  Diane licked her dry cracked lips and answered her. “Yes, my stomach is in knots today. I think I need to get something to eat.”

  Melanie shouted into Vanessa. “Can you make Diane a sandwich or something she feels sick.”

  “Bleeding hell, can she
wait a minute. I just need to sit down and relax.”

  Melanie raised her eyes and smirked over at Diane. “She’s a right stress head sometimes. I’ll make you a butty if you want one.”

  “No, I’ll grab something later on.”

  The TV was on and Melanie was itching to tell her news. She heard footsteps going up the stairs and moved closer to her friend. “It’s kicked off in our house you know. You won’t believe what I’m going to tell you.”

  “Go on then, fill me in.”

  “My mam had a baby when she was fifteen years old. She had him adopted. William, she called him.”

  Diane sucked in a large mouthful of air relieved that the secret her friend was revealing was nothing to do with her. “How do you know this?”

  “She told me herself. Apparently, she met a gypsy boy on the fair and fell in love with him. They had sex and the rest is history. He never knew she was pregnant, she said.”

  “No way. So, where is he now?”

  “Not got the foggiest. I’ve told my mam that we should search for him but she’s having none of it.”

  “Did your dad know about her son.”

  “Did he ‘eck. He heard me and my mam talking, and she ended up telling him. He went ballistic. You should have heard him last night when he came home from the pub he was shouting and screaming all night long.”

  “I bet he was. How come she never told him before.”

  “She told me that her mother sent her to a convent and once she had the baby she handed it over to the new parents and that was it. She wasn’t allowed to talk about it again, ever.”

  “Your poor mother. How could she have carried that inside her head for all these years without telling anyone.”

  Melanie spoke in a low voice and her eyes welled up. “I don’t know. It must have been so hard for her.”

  Diane gazed out of the window and seemed to be in a world of her own. She knew exactly what it was like to keep a secret. Vanessa come back into the room and looked at them both, she’d been eaves-dropping and caught the end of their conversation. “Bleeding hell, so your mam has another son.”

  Diane snapped. “Mam, why are you listening to our private conversations. Don’t you dare breathe a word of this to anyone.”

  Melanie let out a laboured breath and shook her head. Diane’s mother was one of the biggest gossipmongers on the estate and she knew the moment she got the chance she would be filling the neighbourhood in about her family’s business. She had to make sure that whatever was said here today would stay inside the room. “Vanessa, my mam will go mad if this gets out and if it does I’ll make sure she knows it’s you who’s been telling everyone. You don’t want her knocking on your door, do you?”

  Vanessa sat down and shuddered. “My lips are sealed. I won’t say a word to anyone. The poor woman, my heart goes out to her.”

  Diane made sure her mother fully understood the situation. “Melanie’s mam will scratch your eyeballs out if you say one word about this. And I won’t do a thing to stop her if she does because you’ll deserve it.” The message was received loud and clear.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Donny sat with John counting the money out. “You’ve done well, lad. Here, take your money and spend it wisely.”

  John picked up the ten-pound notes and shoved them in his jacket pocket. He looked at all the money Donny had spread on the table and made a mental note of it. Why was he earning somebody else big amounts of money? The green-eyed monster appeared in his eye. He could set up on his own, get his own team going. He sat back and listened as Donny spoke to the other lad in the room. “Right, I need you to pick the weed up tonight. He will meet you at the Two Hundred pub. Make sure you’re careful because there will be a right few quid of it.”

  John’s ears pinned back, his heart was racing as he listened further. Jordan was around the same age as John, a bit of a geek and nothing he couldn’t handle. “What time am I meeting him?” the grafter asked.

  Donny checked the piece of paper he had scribbled on and replied. “Nine bells. Don’t be fucking late because this guy won’t wait. Just take the drugs from him and come straight back here to me so we can start bagging it.”

  There it was, all the information John needed. He cracked his knuckles as he watched Donny rolling a joint. The door opened and in walked Lenny. John sat up straight. Lenny pulled his cap from his head and sat down. He smiled over at John and couldn’t wait to start winding him up. “I seen Melanie yesterday, she was looking for Diane.”

  John felt his cheeks, burning. “And what,” he snarled.

  “I told her she was probably shagging you.”

  John pulled his shoulders back and confronted him. “What the fuck are you saying that to her for?”

  Lenny made sure everyone was listening while he dropped his bombshell. “Because it’s true isn’t it. I bet Gary doesn’t know you’re boning his missus does he?”

  John tightened his fists and gritted his teeth tightly together. “Stop chatting shit you ginger tosser. I’ve not been near Diane.”

  “Oh, are you sure because I saw you both in the alleyway having a very private conversation about the baby?”

  John’s ears pinned back, his chest was rising, and his eyes were budging from their sockets. “You’re mistaken. It wasn’t me.”

  Lenny let out a menacing laugh and nudged Donny in the waist. “He’s a fucking liar this one is. I heard every word. John is the real father of Diane’s baby not Gary. The scrote let his mate take the blame for his mistake. He even let his pal marry Diane too. How bad is that? I wonder what Gary will say when he knows what a dirty cunt you are. Oh, and Melanie. I wonder how she will take the news that her best friend is banging her boyfriend and that he is the real father of her child?”

  John ran at Lenny. He smashed his fist into his face and started to rag him about. Once Lenny found his feet this was a war zone. They were like two gladiators fighting in the arena. Donny didn’t seem phased by it all. Jordan and Donny just stood back and watched the fight. Donny was used to violence, he’d been in jail and watched many a battle. They needed to sort it out. And in his world, this was the only way to end any beef between two lads. Lenny seemed to be the stronger one, he head-butted John and sent him flying on his arse. Blood splurged from John’s nose and sprayed around the room. John was struggling to stand up, he was dizzy and unsteady on his feet. It wasn’t looking good for him. Lenny gripped him in a head lock and gave him a punch that put him on his arse. The fight was soon over and Lenny was the winner. John was in a bad way and Jordan came to his side to help him to his feet.

  “Come on now, leave it, you’ve had enough.”

  Donny agreed and pulled Lenny back. “It’s over. Turn it in now. You’ve done him.”

  John was punch drunk and needed help to walk out of the room. Lenny was still trying to get at him, to boot him up the arse, to knock him down one last time. To show this tosser he meant business. He shouted after him. “You know it’s true, you muppet. I heard the conversation in the alleyway. So don’t you ever take the high ground with me again otherwise I’ll be telling the world all about your little secret, do you hear me! I’ll make sure every fucking Tom, Dick and Harry knows what a shady fucker you are. I’ll have Melanie as my bird too, you don’t deserve her you wanker.”

  John was gone. Jordan dragged him from the room for his own protection. He would have been a sitting duck if he’d remained there. Blood trickled down the side of John’s head and his eyes were swelling with every second that passed. This was bad, very bad. Lenny paced around the room trying to calm down, his nostrils were flared, and his fists were still tightly squeezed at the side of his legs. “He’s a cheeky cunt. He thinks he’s above us all. I’ve a good mind to go around to Gary’s and tell him the truth. He’ll soon see that scumbag for who he really is!”

  Donny held a joint out to Lenny and he started to calm down. “Here, get a few blasts of that down your neck and chill. We have money to be earned here. We
don’t need any dramas. Fuck me, you destroyed him. I thought at first he was going to get the better of you, but you sorted him out good and proper, didn’t you?”

  Lenny sucked hard on the spliff and sat down, he was still raging and finding it hard to stop the rage filling his body. “The guy’s a prick. I swear, let him try and give me any attitude the next time I see him and he’ll get it again.”

  Donny chuckled and went back to counting the money.

  John stumbled through the estate. He found a quiet place and sat down on a wall. His head dropped and he was holding his ribs. He needed to get cleaned up, get rid of the dark red blood clotted under his nose. But, where could he go? There was no way he could go home; his mother would panic and want to phone the police. His dad would have a team rounded up within the hour and he would drag his son around to his attackers and make him fight him again and again until he won. John closed his eyes, his head was spinning.

  Melanie sat in the kitchen eating her tea when she spotted a shadow pass the window. She stretched her neck and spotted John at the front door. She was relieved because she thought it was the loan man knocking on for the missed payments. He’d been here twice already this week and the family were dodging him every time he came knocking. Her heart started leaping about in her chest. He never came to her house. John knocked at the front door and she started panicking as she looked around the house. Bleeding hell, there were pots in the sink, the living room hadn’t been cleaned. The house was a mess, a shit-tip. Heading to the hallway she straightened her clothes and took a deep breath. Melanie opened the door and tried to look relaxed. John was facing the other way and she couldn’t see his face.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit. You never come here. Were you missing me?”

  John turned around slowly, and she could see the blood still dribbling down the side of his head. “Can I come in and get cleaned up?”

  Melanie opened the door fully and dragged him inside. Everyone was out so there was no danger of anyone seeing him. The state of the house didn’t seem to matter anymore, she was more concerned about her man. “What the fuck has happened to you. Who’s done this?”