Liar Liar

by Mel Sherratt

  THIRTY

  Seth decided not to go to Flynn’s nightclub. He strode through the corridors of the Royal Stoke in search of ward 17. He was thinking he’d be safer visiting in the afternoon slot. Maybe Caleb’s mum would be at work. He didn’t want to bump into anyone.

  He recalled what he knew about Caleb, how his dad had left when he was nine and his older brother was fourteen. He knew his mum worked hard and Caleb thought a lot of her even though he was doing something she wouldn’t be happy about. Seth had thought he was okay until he didn’t show on Monday. He should have delivered his package. It only made sense now why he had got to Harrison House and panicked.

  He reached the nurses’ station and put on his best smile. ‘I’m looking for Caleb Campbell?’

  ‘He’s in bay two, bed three,’ the nurse said after checking her computer. ‘Try the day room if he isn’t there.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Seth made his way across the ward to see bed three empty, so went to the day room.

  Caleb was alone, sitting in an armchair, his leg up on a footstool, his head down as he scrolled his phone.

  ‘Hey.’ He sat down next to him with a thump.

  Caleb almost jumped off the seat with fright. He looked towards the door that Seth had closed behind him.

  ‘I— Hey.’

  ‘I came to see how you are after your little … accident.’

  ‘I’m … I’m okay, thanks.’

  Seth smiled. ‘That’s good to hear. I assume you told no one that you saw who was driving the car.’

  Caleb shook his head.

  ‘Really? I hear you’ve been talking to the cops about me.’

  ‘I didn’t tell them it was you. I swear!’

  Seth pressed his hand onto Caleb’s bandaged wrist and began to squeeze.

  ‘Ow, man you’re hurting me,’ he squealed.

  ‘If you say anything else about me, I will dangle you over the second floor of Harrison House and drop you.’

  ‘I’m sorry! That woman detective put words into my mouth. I never told her anything.’

  ‘Great.’ Seth clasped his hands together. ‘So when you’re out, and up and about again, you can start work. I have some jobs lined up for you that I’ll have to get someone else to do for now, but even so, there’s lots for you to do.’

  Caleb pretended to be more interested in his phone.

  ‘Are you listening to me?’

  ‘I don’t want to do it any more,’ he spoke quietly.

  ‘I don’t give a flying fuck. You owe me.’

  ‘But—’

  Seth squeezed down on Caleb’s wrist again. ‘Listen here, youngster. If you ever cross me again, you might not live to regret it. You work for me now, and you don’t have any choice in the matter. This isn’t something you can start one day and finish when you feel like it. You do as I say. Do you understand?’

  ‘Yes! Please let me go. I—’

  The door opened and a young girl with short purple hair and wearing a striped onesie smiled at them. She pushed along a trolley with a drip attached to it.

  ‘Hi, Caleb,’ she said, sitting down on the other side to Seth. ‘I didn’t know you had a visitor. Hi, I’m Nancy.’ She waved at Seth. ‘Have I missed the beginning of the programme?’

  Not wanting to bring attention to himself, Seth stood up to leave.

  ‘Remember what I said, Caleb,’ he muttered. ‘Come back to work as soon as possible. In the meantime, I’ll come and see how you’re doing every now and then.’

  He left the room, pretty pleased with how his meeting had gone. That little bastard wouldn’t get the better of him. He would give him a month and he’d better be on his bike again.

  In the hospital toilets, he snorted a quick line of cocaine, pinched his nose and went back to his car. Now to sort out Luke Douglas.

  Caleb sat staring at the door long after Seth had gone. His eyes brimmed with tears and he wiped at them furiously to stop them falling. What had he got himself into? He thought he’d be able to earn enough cash for his bike and then stop. He wasn’t stupid; knew what he was carrying was dangerous to transport. If he was caught with it, he would be in trouble with the police. But he didn’t want to be stuck working for Seth forever.

  What was he going to do? Should he tell his mum? No, she would go mad with him. More to the point, she would be disappointed in him and he’d hate to see that.

  He would have to tell her though. She would know what to do. He couldn’t hack this on his own.

  ‘That was good, wasn’t it?’ Nancy said.

  Caleb had almost forgotten she had come into the room.

  He nodded. ‘Oh, yeah, it was cool.’

  ‘Do you want to play a game of cards or something? I’m so bored.’

  Caleb shuffled to his feet and reached for his crutches. ‘I’m tired. I’m going to have a nap.’

  On the ward, he lay on his bed, curled up on his side, his back to everyone. That way no one could see him crying.

  2012

  Ruby was at home. It was eleven a.m. and Lily had kept her awake for most of the night. She yawned as she cradled her in her arms, staring out of the window. The weather was cold but bright and breezy so she decided to take her out. It would do her good to get some fresh air. She popped her into the pram, tucking her in tightly.

  They were about to leave the flat when there was a knock on the door. Ruby opened it and before she could see who it was, she was pushed up against the wall, her head slamming into it.

  It was Dane, the man who had come at them in the car last night. His eyes flicked from hers to her mouth and she felt her heart skip a beat. His face was ravished with evil. She couldn’t tell if he was high or if that was his usual look. Why hadn’t she thought before letting anyone in?

  ‘Where is he?’ he asked, spittle covering her face as he moved in close.

  ‘He’s taken the car to be fixed,’ she replied, her voice coming in fits.

  His arm was across her chest and she yelped in pain as he pushed on it.

  ‘Tell him I want to see him.’

  She tried to nod her head but it hurt.

  Dane looked into the pram.

  ‘Please don’t do anything to her.’ Ruby began to cry. ‘What do you want?’

  ‘Finn needs to be taught a lesson about loyalty.’ He ran a finger down the side of her cheek.

  She screwed her eyes shut, trying not to see herself face down on a bed with him pumping into her from behind.

  ‘That attack on your car last night? It was nothing compared to what I’ll do to him when I see him again.’

  ‘Please, leave us alone. We don’t want any trouble.’

  ‘You don’t get it, do you?’ He pulled her closer. ‘If he continues to mess me about, there will be repercussions. And you don’t want that.’

  ‘Let me talk to him,’ she pleaded, hoping to get more time. At least if she had Dane out of the flat, she could get away.

  Finally, he let go. He leered at her, then nodded.

  ‘You tell him once he’s in, he’s in for good. And don’t even think of leaving. Because I will find you, and when I do, things will be much, much worse than if you had stayed, do you understand?’

  She nodded fervently. She wasn’t sure she could speak anyway. Terrified, she waited for him to leave. Then she sank to the floor and rang Finn.

  Finn came rushing through the door twenty minutes later. Ruby fell into his arms.

  ‘He threatened you and me,’ Ruby said through her tears, her hands shaking with fear. ‘And he’s mean enough to hurt Lily, I’m sure of it.’

  ‘What did he say to you?’

  ‘That he’d be back soon if you didn’t continue to work for him.’

  ‘That bastard.’ They sat down. ‘I can’t cope with this any more. He’s never going to let me go and I can’t risk him hurting you. It doesn’t matter if he chases us. Let’s get out of here on Friday as soon as I’m paid.’

  Ruby nodded, wiping her eyes. As they planned thei
r escape, it couldn’t come quick enough.

  THIRTY-ONE

  By the time Ruby heard the key go in the door, she was fuming. Even though it gave her the opportunity to throw the attention from herself, Luke had promised her he wouldn’t gamble again. He’d run up debt two years ago and it had taken them an age to pay it off.

  ‘What the hell has been going on?’ she barked, as Luke joined her in the kitchen.

  Wrong-footed, he seemed confused, as if he was trying to figure out why she was shouting at him.

  ‘I’ve just found out that you owe money to Seth Forrester.’

  Luke’s demeanour seemed to shift. ‘What happened on Monday had nothing to do with me.’

  Ruby poked him in the chest. ‘Have you been gambling again?’

  She watched his face drop. ‘Who told you that?’

  ‘Don’t lie to me. It’s written all over your face. Shelley told me that you owe money to Seth, and that he works for the Steeles. She says they’re not a family to cross. If someone is after us, I don’t think I can take any more. I have enough to worry about with Tyler.’

  Luke’s shoulders dropped at the same time as his eyes. Ruby groaned, wanting to slap him hard. But equally she was at fault too.

  ‘How much?’ she wanted to know.

  He shook his head.

  ‘How much?’

  ‘Just shy of five thousand.’

  She gasped.

  ‘I’ll pay it back as quick as I can.’

  ‘How exactly are you going to do that? We don’t have that kind of money.’

  ‘I’ve been doing extra hours at the club.’

  ‘Which led to you gambling?’

  Luke went quiet.

  ‘You promised.’

  ‘I know, but—’

  A hard rap on the door interrupted them.

  Luke glanced through the spy hole and cursed. He ran a hand through his hair and pulled the door open.

  Ruby groaned inwardly when she saw it was Seth.

  ‘What do you want?’ Luke said.

  She watched as he held his shoulders high, trying to make himself look taller. He was at least six inches shorter than Seth and had nowhere near his muscular capacity.

  ‘I suggest you remember who you’re talking to.’ Seth’s face was straight in Luke’s. ‘I call the shots around here and if I’m not mistaken, it’s you that owes me something and not the other way around.’

  ‘I nearly lost my son because of you.’ Luke threw a balled fist, landing it on Seth’s nose. ‘You sent someone here, didn’t you?’

  Seth responded, punching Luke in the mouth, followed by two swift hits to the stomach.

  ‘Stop it!’ Ruby cried. Luke had never been a fighter, and he’d certainly never dared to have a go at anyone like Seth before. But he had every reason to be angry after what had happened.

  ‘Shelley told me about the man who came to see you,’ Seth said. ‘But I had nothing to do with it.’

  ‘You would say that,’ Luke said between gasps for breath.

  ‘It’s the truth. But I wonder what the cops would think if they knew what really happened. Why you never told them he was dangled over the edge and—’

  ‘You’d better not say anything or else—’

  ‘Or else what?’

  Luke ran at him again. He grabbed Seth around the waist and pushed him into the wall. But Seth pressed his hands down onto his shoulders and forced him to move away. Luke cried out in pain as he squeezed hard.

  ‘Leave him alone,’ Ruby tried again, seeing Luke overpowered.

  ‘You need to tell him to stick to his payment plan.’ Seth looked from Ruby to him and back again. His smile was snide. ‘She doesn’t know, does she?’

  ‘I’ve just found out,’ Ruby replied.

  Seth nodded. ‘He owes me money and he thinks that your boy went over the railing because I sent a thug to do my dirty work for me. He needs to realise that rumours have a nasty way of spreading and if I hear anyone saying that I had anything to do with that fall, then I’ll push you over the railing myself.’ He grabbed Luke’s jumper and pulled him close. ‘Do you understand?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Luke’s lip was bleeding. ‘I hear you.’

  ‘Let him go,’ Ruby pleaded. ‘You’re hurting him.’

  Seth glared at Luke. ‘You’ve been nothing but trouble since I first met you. I want my money back by the weekend. All of it.’

  Luke balked. ‘I don’t have it.’

  ‘Then I suggest you get it from somewhere.’

  ‘I can’t—’

  Seth punched Luke in the stomach and he doubled over. Ruby cried out in anguish.

  ‘The weekend, remember.’ Seth left as quickly as he’d arrived.

  Ruby sat down beside Luke. ‘Are you okay?’

  Luke shrugged her hand away. ‘I’ll be fine.’

  She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to contain her anger as this wasn’t all his fault. ‘What did you do for him?’

  ‘I fetched and carried a few things, and then he wanted me to do more. I said no but he wasn’t too accommodating.’

  ‘You put our family in danger!’ Ruby couldn’t hold back her fear. This was like history repeating itself. Bile rose in her throat at the thought.

  ‘I’m sorry. I thought I had it under control. I borrowed a bit from Seth and you know how it is, I couldn’t pay him back and so he offered me more.’

  ‘That’s the game they trap you in. Why didn’t you tell me?’

  ‘I was too embarrassed, and I thought I could sort it out without you knowing. But now he wants me to do other jobs for him to reduce the debt. That’s what he’s been calling round for.’

  ‘What kind of things?’

  ‘Still fetching and carrying for him. The odd driving jobs.’

  She shook her head. ‘Our son is in hospital. You should be thinking of your family, not Seth!’

  ‘I have to pay off the debt.’

  When he wouldn’t look at her, Ruby stood up. Despite her feelings for him and the pain he was in, she couldn’t deal with this too. She was even more fearful about what would happen now.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Luke said. ‘I never meant for this to happen. I’ll go to Gamblers’ Anonymous or something.’

  ‘You said that before.’ Ruby prodded him in the shoulder. ‘I moved to Stoke with you so that we could start again after you messed up. We took a loan to repay your debt and we moved away to get you away from temptation. I liked it in Sheffield – I had friends and a job. I left it all behind because of you. And now look what you’ve done.’

  ‘Ruby, I—’

  She held up her hand. ‘I can’t bear to be in the same room as you right now. I’m going to the hospital to see Tyler and then I’m going to collect Lily from school. I don’t want to see you until I get back. And come to think of it, I might not want to see you then either.’

  ‘But—’

  She shook off his hand and stormed into the bedroom. She sat on the bed, holding in tears, shoving her fist against her mouth in case she screamed. She’d said she was going to confide in him. Why couldn’t she?

  And she was telling so many lies, she was bound to trip up soon. She didn’t leave Sheffield because of Luke. No, she’d been constantly looking over her shoulder and when it had been clear that she was in imminent danger, she had persuaded him to go, using what he’d done as an excuse to start somewhere else afresh. And now she was scared that her past was catching up with her again.

  She was getting in deeper and deeper, but she shouldn’t take her anger out on Luke. None of this was his fault. Okay, she’d found out about the money, but she was as deceitful as him.

  Because this was all her fault, not Luke’s.

  She had to find it in her heart to trust him with the truth at some point.

  THIRTY-TWO

  After updating Allie, Grace had rung Ruby Brassington to see if she was at home. She’d arranged a time where she could speak to her and Luke together. She wasn’t looking
forward to questioning them again, but things had changed.

  ‘Right, Frankie,’ she said as they parked up yet again in the car park of Harrison House. ‘I need you, myself too, to strip out the emotion and just do our job.’ She held up her hand as he went to protest. ‘I know, I know. I sound callous, but we’ll be nothing to anyone if we miss things by allowing this to get to us. Let’s sort this out for little Tyler.’

  Frankie nodded. They walked up to flat 114, residents checking them out as they stood watching on the walkways.

  ‘Is it true?’ a man asked as they went past his door. Grace turned to see he was in his thirties at the most, but with a lived-in face of someone in his sixties.

  ‘Is what true?’ she asked, stopping level with him.

  ‘That the boy didn’t fall? That some mad bastard hung him over the railing and dropped him.’

  ‘When did you hear that?’

  ‘Just now.’

  ‘From who?’

  ‘It’s all around the flats. How could anyone do that? You caught him yet?’

  ‘I can’t comment on the case, but rest assured we’re following up our enquiries.’

  Grace continued on her way and was soon sitting in Ruby and Luke’s living room.

  ‘How is Tyler?’ she asked when they were all seated.

  ‘Much better, thanks.’ Ruby smiled. ‘The consultant says he can come home tomorrow if he’s still doing well. He’s amazed at how quickly he’s bounced back.’

  ‘There’s a bit of bruising here and there, and his ankle is in a cast,’ Luke added. ‘There don’t seem to be any brain injuries to worry about but they’re keeping him in for one more night for observation. He didn’t shut up while we were there this morning, though.’

  ‘That’s great news, I’m really pleased.’ Grace’s smile was almost there. ‘But regarding his fall, I do need to ask you both some further questions. Clear up some anomalies.’ She paused. ‘Why did you lie to us about Tyler falling? We have witnesses coming forward to say something totally different happened. Are you sure there isn’t anything else you want to tell me?’

  Shifty looks passed between the couple but then they shook their heads.