Highbridge: The Beginning

by Phil Redmond

  Luke accepted the point and got into the car as Joey went back to the next one to join Natasha, but instead of getting in the car he held up his hand for them to wait a moment as he continued down the line of cars towards the sitting bikers. Natasha spun and immediately saw the fists clenching and unclenching and was out of the car just in time to see Joey stop, as the bikers saw him coming, kicked their bikes into life and rode off in the opposite direction.

  ‘What was that? Natasha asked as Joey slowly walked back but watching the bikers depart.

  ‘Paranoia, I think. Sorry. C’mon let’s get the next bit over.’

  • 11.00 a.m. Catholic Cemetery, Highbridge

  As Alan, the undertaker, lined the hearse up perfectly so that the coffin could slide out and be carried straight down the path to the freshly prepared grave, Joey was helping Natasha out of the car, and despite the circumstances was thinking how stunning she looked in the black Amanda Wakeley dress Sandra had talked her into buying at a bring-a-dress-to-sell charity night Sean had dragged them along to. However, as soon as she was out and the kids following he went off to the front of the hearse, where the priest was still sitting in the passenger seat texting on his phone. Joey raised his eyes in frustration as he yanked the door open and leaned in. Close. Too close for the priest. Invading his personal space.

  ‘Listen, you. I know you’re new and you have to stick to the script. But instead of faffing about on your phone, spend the time remembering my sister’s name. It’s Jane. But you kept calling her Jean. It’s Jane. Don’t say Janey. You didn’t know her. But get it right. Otherwise you’ll be in that grave with her. OK?’

  The startled priest could do nothing but nod.

  ‘So what is it?’ Joey asked.

  ‘Jane. Jane Nolan.’

  ‘Right.’

  With that Joey slammed the hearse door and walked back to join the others, passing an equally startled undertaker, who immediately looked to find Sean.

  Overall it went, according to some, as well as could be expected. The priest, everyone said, for a newcomer, had been extremely respectful and never once stumbled over Janey’s name, even apologising for having stumbled over it during the Requiem Mass. The graveside was surrounded by potted plants and small trees, making Janey’s final resting place, as the priest put it, appear an oasis of green in the otherwise austere cemetery now reliant on self-maintenance since the diocese had been forced to cut back the number of people employed caring for the spaces between the graves.

  As everyone made their way back to the cars, Joey took hold of Natasha’s arm. ‘I’m er… going to walk to the hotel, with Luke.’ He nodded towards the front car, where Luke was being hugged by Joey’s mum. ‘He wants to spend a moment or two alone by the grave.’

  Natasha knew it was only a ten-minute walk to Hilltops, where Sean had organised the after funeral drinks and food, mainly due to numbers.

  ‘OK.’ She leaned up and kissed him.

  ‘You look really sexy in black, you know.’

  ‘And here was I about to say don’t get too maudlin. But I never thought the first time I wore this would be for a funeral. See you back there.’

  She got in the car, and as soon as Joey’s mum got into the front car they moved off. Luke came back to Joey.

  ‘You ready?’

  Joey nodded and the two men turned and walked away. But instead of heading for the grave, they went in the opposite direction, towards the old but now unused chapel. Another look had passed between them at the graveside, when Luke had nodded to Joey and then at the cemetery gates, where Joey saw the two bikers from outside the church. This was more than curiosity.

  By walking behind the old chapel, Joey and Luke could go over the perimeter wall, then along the track that led down to Hillside farm but would bring them out on the road to the cemetery gates and, crucially, behind the bikers, now parked on the pavement out of sight of the entrance. Due to the sedate pace at which the funeral cars travelled, the last one was turning out and away from the bikers as Joey and Luke were almost upon them. Almost. But not quite.

  Just as Luke was about to reach out and grab the one nearer the road, the helmet turned as though checking it was clear to move off, but then jerked back to look directly at Joey and Luke. The engine was gunned, the bike lurched upward in a mini-wheelie and away down the road. Joey made a grab for the remaining bike, but when its rider saw his companion race away, its engine also roared into life and Joey was left grasping at thin air.

  ‘What do you reckon?’ he asked Luke, who was watching the bikes swerve out and pass the funeral cortège.

  Luke shook his head. ‘Someone with a guilty conscience, perhaps?’

  Exactly the thought that was going through Joey’s head as he looked down to see a nice line of mud and grit up the front of his suit.

  • 12.00 noon – Tree Tops Hotel, Highbridge

  In between people stopping to offer their condolences or share a story about Janey, Natasha was beginning to wonder where Joey and Luke were, while Sean was talking to his and Sandra’s parents about how, he had now learned from Natasha, Luke had forced the undertaker to open the coffin. His mum had shuddered at the thought and agreed that, despite her natural instinct to try and hold her daughter, their father was right to say they should remember her as she was. She was then talking about how good Luke had been for Janey, and how even better she had been for him, reminding everyone of his troubled youth, which had got him into too much trouble. Sean was thinking of reminding his mother that Luke, with Joey alongside him a lot of the time, never needed anyone to help him get into trouble, when he saw it crossing the room. Aunty Cat.

  She had obviously been festering since the confrontation with Natasha and was now brewing up for a fight. Sean’s dad spotted her at the same time and tried to turn his mother away, but once again it was Natasha who intercepted her, hooking her own arm in hers and guiding her towards the exit.

  ‘Excuse me,’ Aunt Cat said, pulling against Natasha but unable to break free. ‘I just want to say goodbye to my brother.’

  ‘I’m sure you do,’ Natasha said with a fixed and fake smile for everyone else. ‘But we don’t want you to say anything else you might regret, now do we?’

  The line was aimed not just at Aunt Caitlin, but at Sandra, who had spotted the confrontation and come to Natasha’s aid, upon which Aunt Caitlin quickly found herself out in the car park.

  ‘I’ll tell him you said goodbye,’ Natasha said, with a smile that belied the look in her eye. Just go.

  ‘I need to find Geoffrey,’ came the half-hearted defiant response.

  Natasha was just about to say he would probably be grateful she was gone when he came hurrying out of the door, having spotted Natasha’s interception. But instead of coming to his wife’s defence or assistance he simply nodded apologetically at Natasha and Sandra, resigned to yet another family embarrassment, and practically dragged his wife off to the car park.

  Sandra gave a satisfied grin and pointed back to the hotel as she went off. Natasha let her shoulders relax, looked at her watch and went for her phone. WHERE ARE YOU?!!!

  RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU came the almost instant reply. Natasha turned to see Joey and Luke approaching, much to her relief, although her face clouded over as she spotted the tiger stripe down the font of Joey’s suit. Then darkened further as Joey stopped, nudged Luke and then they both bolted off towards the car park.

  Natasha ran forward to get a clearer view of what they were up to, just in time to see the Q7 that had been parked outside Sean’s house earlier pulling away and Luke hurl himself through the air to grab one of the two bikers who had been parked behind it. As Luke, rider and bike went down in a clatter of metal and plastic, Joey ran round the front of the other bike and grabbed its handlebars, pulling in both clutch and brake handles. This time it was going nowhere.

  By the time Natasha arrived, Luke had dragged up his captive and was telling both bikers to remove their helmets. They did. To reveal two fresh yo
ung faces conveying nothing more than frightened innocence. And identical twins. Twin girls.

  This was unexpected. But not as much as what came next.

  ‘We’re sorry,’ said one.

  ‘We didn’t mean any harm,’ said the other.

  ‘Beth? Sarah?’ Natasha asked. Puzzled.

  Joey looked to Natasha for explanation. Then the penny dropped. ‘You our Finn’s girls? The twins?’

  They twins exchanged looks. At least he got that bit. Which was when the Q7 returned. As it stopped, the driver’s window slid down to reveal Aunty Caitlin. ‘What’s going on here?’ she demanded.

  Natasha was about to give her another mouthful about minding her own business when one of the twins, Beth, stepped forward. ‘It’s OK, Gran. Really.’ But the look that accompanied it said much more. It’s none of your business. You can go now. Which Gran understood straight away – she nodded and drove the Q7 away, leaving a scowling Natasha watching her go.

  Luke was catching up. ‘So you’re Joey’s second cousins?’

  ‘Yes,’ Sarah replied. ‘He and our dad are cousins.’

  ‘He’s inside,’ Natasha added, turning back, wondering why the girls hadn’t just come to the funeral themselves. The twins seemed hesitant and glanced nervously at each other. There was something they didn’t want to divulge or share. The look was one Luke had seen from Ulster to Helmand. I know something I should tell you, but can I trust you?

  ‘You can,’ was all he said.

  ‘What? Can what?’ Joey asked.

  ‘Trust us,’ Luke replied as he turned back to the twins. ‘You can. We only jumped you because we thought you might have something to do with …’ He tailed off.

  ‘No, no,’ Beth said quickly.

  ‘We loved Janey, she …’ Sarah added but once again hesitated and looked to Beth, the older by six minutes, they had been told.

  ‘Because,’ she said quickly, turning to Natasha, ‘he might have been here. She saved us from him.’

  ‘From who? What?’ Natasha asked, surprised.

  Beth turned back to Joey. ‘From your cousin Billy.’

  Now this was definitely not what they were expecting.

  • 15.00 p.m. – Joey’s Kitchen, Highbridge

  ‘It was quite a turnout, though, wasn’t it?’ Joey asked as he followed Luke and Natasha into the kitchen.

  ‘She was very popular,’ Natasha replied, touching Luke’s arm in sympathy. She automatically started clearing up the debris left from breakfast, but dropped the Volvo keys on the worktop. They had gone to pick it up from Sean’s on the way back from the hotel.

  ‘I’ll just go and get changed,’ Luke said from the doorway, before leaving them alone. Which was what Natasha had been waiting for.

  ‘Well?’

  ‘I know, Nat. I know what Big Bro said in the church.’

  ‘But were you listening?’

  Joey held up his right hand, as though willing to swear an oath. ‘You can get me a bible, if you like. I swear. I will keep my word. I won’t go near him, if he doesn’t come near us.’

  Joey went to the patio doors to let in the waiting Roscoe, who acknowledged him briefly before going to flop in his basket.

  ‘Well, keep to that promise. It’s for people like your old girlfriend to sort out.’

  ‘Superintendent Jardine was not any ex of mine,’ Joey protested.

  ‘Well, you had a thing for her, the way you’ve talked in the past.’

  ‘She was head girl. Everyone had a thing for her.’

  ‘Well, whatever her reasons, it was nice of her to drop in. Did she say anything about finding Janey’s car?’

  Joey shook his head. ‘Said she’d check when she got back.’

  Natasha nodded as she collected the dishes for the dishwasher. ‘Is Luke really OK, Joe?’

  Joey just shrugged. ‘But I guess he’ll work it through while he’s away. Not much option, really.’ He stood and watched her move about the kitchen for a moment. Once again wondering how he would, or if he could, cope if anything happened to her. She turned to catch him staring at her as she bent over the dishwasher.

  ‘And what’s that look for, Nolan?’

  He crossed and as she straightened up he took hold of her round the waist. ‘Gratitude.’

  She gave a smile of appreciation. And understanding. As she fell against his chest, smothering his face with her hair. And hugged him tightly. ‘And I don’t know how I’d cope either.’ She turned her face up and kissed him. Then again. And again.

  Eventually he broke and grinned. ‘Funerals are supposed to be great aphrodisiacs, you know.’

  ‘Is that right?’

  ‘So I’ve read.’

  ‘Where? In the latest IEE codes, is it?’

  ‘Electricity is what holds everything together,’ he replied, pulling her even closer.

  ‘And black is very flattering. But not now.’ She pulled away with a final quick kiss. ‘You’ve got to get changed and get Luke back. And leave me the suit. I’ll drop it in the cleaner’s when I go to get the kids.’

  He headed for the door, but stopped when she called. ‘Joe. I really don’t want you to do anything about Billy.’

  He went to protest again but she wouldn’t let him even start. ‘They said Janey faced him down. Threatened to give evidence herself about what he did to her if he ever went near them again.’

  Joey was about to try again but she carried on steamrolling him. ‘They also said he never did. He tried it on. They told Janey. She sorted it. Let it go. For Janey. Or her memory now. OK?’

  Joey realised he was caught. Despite what he had said, every instinct, every fibre in his body wanted to go and sort out his cousin Billy once and for all. He might not know who killed Janey but he knew where to find him. But he had kept his word to Janey then. Never to say a word. And he hadn’t. Not about what he had done. So he couldn’t now. Not even to Natasha. It was before their time. Yet she could see the hesitancy in his eyes.

  ‘Joe?’ she asked. ‘Promise me?’

  His mind whirred through all the options or forms of words he could use, but he knew she wouldn’t accept anything but an outright promise not to do anything. At last he nodded, but then found a caveat. ‘Unless … Unless I find out he’s been up to anything else.’

  ‘Joe, please.’

  ‘No, Nat. If he’s still some paedo and touches any of the family I’m not going to let it go. I won’t be able to. OK?’

  She hesitated. She just wanted him to promise not to start any trouble, but if his cousin had tried it on with Janey, then the twins, who knew what he might do in the future? Something should be done. But by the police, not Joey.

  Joey saw the doubt. ‘Think about Tan, or Lucy or Sean’s Megan. Christ, the twins even felt they couldn’t come to the funeral in case he was there. I swear. I won’t do anything, unless he tries something else. OK?’

  Finally Natasha nodded. She loathed the man anyway and perhaps that was what caused her to miss the fact that Joey had lost the word family in his promise. Now, in his mind, he was free to sort out cousin Billy if he did anything in the future that Joey didn’t agree with. He kissed her again and headed for the door before she could rein him in any more.

  ‘Do you know the thing that really cheesed me off today?’ Natasha called after he’d left, which naturally brought him back into the room. ‘I don’t mean upset me, or wound me up. But just hacked me off?’

  ‘Having to take on Aunty Catty because our Sean lost his bottle?’ Joey guessed, with a grin.

  ‘No,’ Natasha replied. ‘The fact that that cow’s got the car I want!’

  • 14.00 p.m. – Catholic Cemetery, Highbridge

  ‘Just get it for her, Joe. It’s only a bloody lease agreement.’

  ‘Which has to be paid for,’ Joey responded as he parked Natasha’s Volvo at the spot where the hearse had been a few hours earlier. Both had now changed. Joey was in his usual jeans and sweatshirt, while Luke was in uniform again ready fo
r the trip back but, at the last minute, had asked Joey to stop at the cemetery. He wanted that quiet moment they didn’t get earlier.

  ‘Suppose I could always go back on the road for a while. Rack a bit up on the big contracts in London.’ Then he laughed. ‘So she’d have to choose. Having me at home – or a new Q7?’

  ‘I wouldn’t push that one too far,’ Luke laughed. Really laughed. For the first time since Joey had picked him up. Until he spotted Joey’s preoccupied look. He was staring at a man standing by the grave.

  ‘What the … Hey!’ Joey shouted. It was enough. For cousin Billy. He turned, saw Joey and instantly started to run, or at least limp, away. Joey would have been on him in moments if he hadn’t been caught and held back by Luke.

  ‘Let it go. You promised Nat.’

  ‘I said I wouldn’t do anything unless he did something.’ Joey shot back, trying to pull his arm free of Luke’s grasp. ‘Well, he has. I told him to stay away.’

  ‘From the funeral,’ Luke stated, refusing to let Joey go. ‘And the family. Which he did. And he couldn’t have guessed we’d come back.’

  ‘What about what the twins said?’ Joey spat. Still seething.

  ‘They said Janey sorted him,’ Luke spat back, giving Joey’s arm a final shake to emphasise the point. ‘And what he does anywhere else, or if he does anything else, is not down to us.’

  Joey finally stopped pulling and gave a grunt of acceptance. Luke let go of his arm.

  ‘How … How can you just be … so cool about it?’ Joey asked.

  ‘I know. I know, Joe,’ Luke said with controlled anger. Then swept his arm towards the small mound covered in wreaths and flowers that now marked where the grave had been filled in. ‘Janey told me about it all. But it’s gone. Like her. And none of it is going to bring her back, is it? And the last thing anyone wants right now is to have you banged up by the likes of our old mate Hilary for kicking the crap out of your sicko cousin.’

  It was a statement that didn’t need any answer. Luke walked over to the grave and squatted down to look at the flowers. Joey took one last look to make sure his cousin Billy had gone and went to join Luke.