‘Got a problem?’ she demanded.
‘Yeah, you,’ the woman replied coolly. ‘You should be ashamed of yourself, bringing a child out at this time of night without a coat. Poor thing must be freezing.’
Tina reached into the tray beneath the buggy and yanked out the little woolly blanket her mum had knitted. ‘There!’ She tossed it over Dylan’s legs. ‘Happy now, you nosy cow?’
The woman gave a scornful look and dismissed Tina with a waft of her hand. ‘Off you go, dear. I’ve got better things to do than trade insults with a skank like you.’
Tina wanted to slap her, but the woman had a tough glint in her eye and Tina had a feeling she’d come off worst if they got into a fight, so she swallowed her pride and pushed the buggy on. But she hadn’t gone more than a few yards when she heard a man say: ‘Right, I think that’s everything. I’ll ring Jake when I get a chance; let him know you’re in.’
Ears pricking up at the mention of that name, because it was too much of a coincidence for there to be two men called Jake connected to that house, Tina went round to the front of the pram and, squatting down, pretended to tuck the blanket around Dylan’s legs while she eavesdropped.
‘You’ve been fantastic,’ the woman replied, in a far sweeter tone than the one she’d used on Tina. ‘I could never have managed it without your help.’
‘No problem,’ the man said. Then – sounding a little embarrassed, Tina thought – he added, ‘Look, I know this is an awkward situation, and you probably think Jake doesn’t care about the baby. But he’s a good man, and I know he’ll look after you if you stick to the agreement.’
‘Don’t worry, I’m not stupid,’ the woman said. ‘If I was going to tell anyone, don’t you think my parents would know by now?’
‘Yes, well, it’s none of my business,’ said the man. ‘I just wanted you to know that Jake will do his bit, so you won’t have to face this on your own. And, um, I’m only round the corner if you have any problems with the house and can’t get hold of him.’
‘Thank you, that’s really sweet,’ the woman said gratefully. ‘I wish . . .’ Tailing off without finishing the sentence, she sighed. ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t be putting this on you. Like you said, it’s mine and Jake’s business, not yours. Anyway, thanks again for everything you’ve done tonight, and feel free to pop in for a coffee if you’re ever passing.’
When the man had climbed into his car and driven away, and the woman had gone back into the house, Tina stood up with a sly smile on her lips. Well, well . . . So not only was Jake screwing around behind Leanne’s back, he was having a secret baby with his bit on the side. Chrissie would be furious when she found out that her friend’s perfect boyfriend wasn’t so perfect after all. But Tina wasn’t about to waste a perfectly good opportunity like this by telling her. Not when she could go straight to the man himself. She just had to find him first – which might prove a little difficult since she had no idea where he lived. There was no way she could ask her sister without raising suspicion. But the fat man had said he only lived round the corner, so if Tina could find him, she’d be halfway there.
Excited by the thought of seeing hunky Jake again and letting him know that she’d discovered his dirty secret, Tina walked quickly on to the pharmacy. Relieved that it was still open and she wouldn’t have to waste time trekking into town, she picked up her mum’s tablets and rushed home.
*
After leaving Sally, Ben went straight home and jumped into the shower. He’d just got out and was drying himself when Jake turned up.
‘How did it go? Did you get it all moved?’
‘I think so,’ Ben said, rubbing his hair with a towel. ‘But if she’s left anything behind, you can go for it, ’cos I’ve done my bit.’
‘What you being so narky for?’ Jake frowned as he took a seat on the couch. ‘There wasn’t that much, was there?’
‘It’s not about how much there was; I just can’t face her parents again. Her mum was dead upset and her dad’s convinced I’m the father of her baby.’
‘Don’t worry about it,’ Jake said, unconcerned.
‘It’s all right for you,’ Ben replied irritably. ‘You don’t live around here, so you don’t have to worry about bumping into them.’
‘The baby won’t look anything like you, so her folks will realize it’s not yours as soon as they see it,’ Jake reassured him.
‘That’s if they ever see it,’ Ben corrected him. ‘She only told them she was moving out half an hour before I got there, and she still hadn’t told them where she was going when we left. Her dad practically asked me outright for the address, and I had to give him the swerve. I felt like a right bastard.’
‘Ah, well, at least that proves we can trust her.’
‘There’s no we about it, mate. This is your mess, not mine.’
‘You’re the one who told me to keep her sweet,’ Jake reminded him. ‘If I’d had my way, she’d have got rid of it weeks ago.’
‘Fine, blame me if it makes you feel better,’ Ben snapped. ‘But leave me out of it in future. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to get dressed.’
‘No one’s stopping you.’ Jake tossed a cigarette to him before lighting one for himself. ‘Hurry up, though, ’cos we’re going to see that flat I told you about.’
‘No can do.’ Ben clutched at the towel that was looped around his waist as he leaned over to get a light. ‘I’m taking my mum out.’
‘Can’t you put it off till tomorrow?’
‘No, I can’t. She’s been looking forward to seeing that new Julia Roberts film for ages. Or was it Sandra Bullock? I always get those two mixed up. Anyway, never mind who’s in it. I’ve promised to take her, and I’m not letting her down.’
‘Mate, you really need to find a woman,’ Jake scoffed. ‘People are going to start talking if they find out the only action you ever get is taking your ma out on dates.’
‘I happen to enjoy my mum’s company. And I don’t give a toss what anyone thinks about it.’
‘Good for you. But I bet you’d have a damn sight more fun if you were going with Chrissie instead.’
‘How many times do I have to tell you, she’s not interested.’
‘Okay, mummy’s boy, keep your hair on,’ Jake teased, grinning as he stood up at last. ‘Enjoy your date.’
‘Ha bloody ha,’ Ben drawled, taking a deep pull on his smoke.
‘I’ll pick you up first thing,’ Jake said as he headed for the door. ‘And make sure you’re ready, ’cos I’ve got a lot on tomorrow.’
Ben waved his agreement and went into the bedroom, leaving Jake to see himself out. Trotting down the stairs, Jake glanced at his watch. He’d told Leanne he would be late tonight, but he figured he might as well go straight home and surprise her now that Ben had bailed on him. And maybe he’d stop off on the way and pick up a bottle of something nice to celebrate getting the Sally situation under control. It had been a bit dicey for a while there, but now that things were back on track he could crack on with building his empire without having to worry about anyone throwing a spanner into the works.
21
Dylan had been asleep by the time Tina got home, so her mum had agreed to watch him for a bit, leaving Tina free to head back out and look for the fat man’s car.
She’d thought she would easily recognize it, but it soon became apparent that old bangers were the norm for that area, and it was impossible to pick his out from the rest.
Cold and footsore after forty minutes of fruitless searching, she decided to call it a night and try again in the morning. But she soon forgot her discomfort when she turned a corner and spotted a very recognizable car parked outside a house.
Glancing quickly around for a hiding place when the door suddenly opened and Jake strolled out of the house, she pulled her hood up over her head and darted into the mouth of an alleyway on the opposite side of the road. Unable to believe her luck, she had to think fast as she watched Jake climb into the car. Bracing herself
when he pulled away from the kerb and started heading her way, she waited until the very last second, and then lurched out of the alley and ran in front of him.
Screeching to a halt, Jake leapt out of the car.
‘Are you on a fucking death wish, you stupid bitch? I could have hit you!’
‘I’m sorry, but I’ve got to get away before he catches up with me,’ Tina cried, glancing fearfully over her shoulder. ‘Can – can you give me a lift? Please, I’m begging you!’
She’d managed to force out some tears by then, and her chin was quivering wildly as she clutched at Jake’s arm. Silently congratulating herself on a brilliant performance when he told her to get in the car, she had to force herself not to grin as she quickly clambered into the passenger side.
‘Thank you so much,’ she whimpered, sliding down low in her seat. ‘I didn’t think I was going to get away this time.’
‘Just tell me where you want dropping off,’ Jake said coolly.
‘Anywhere.’ Tina wiped her nose on the back of her hand. ‘As long as it’s away from him.’
When he set off, Tina bit her lip and looked him over from the corner of her eye. He was even more handsome than she remembered, and his aftershave smelled amazing. But she didn’t have time to sit here admiring him. She had to make her move before he decided he’d taken her far enough and kicked her out.
Taking the plunge when they’d left the backstreets and were heading towards the main road, she said, ‘You don’t recognize me, do you?’
Jake glanced round at her and shook his head. ‘Should I?’
‘I’m Chrissie’s sister,’ she said, waiting a beat to let that sink in before adding: ‘I met you when you gave her a lift home that day. You were with your girlfriend. Or at least I thought she was your girlfriend, but I heard you’re with someone else now.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Jake frowned. ‘I’m still with Leanne.’
‘Really?’ Tina affected surprise. ‘I’m sure I heard you were with some blonde girl now, and you’re supposed to be having a baby.’
Jake slammed his brakes on and swerved over to the kerb. Ignoring the angry honking from the driver who’d had to brake to avoid slamming into the back of him, he twisted round in his seat. ‘Where did you hear that shit?’
Tina’s heart was racing. She’d known there was a chance that the blonde and the fat man had been talking about a different Jake, but the anger in this Jake’s eyes told her that her suspicions had been spot on.
‘It doesn’t matter who told me,’ she said slyly. ‘But I’m guessing by your reaction that Leanne doesn’t know. And I’m betting you’d like it to stay that way. Am I right?’
Jake narrowed his eyes. ‘Is that supposed to be some kind of threat?’
‘Why would I threaten you?’ Tina feigned innocence. ‘Your girlfriend is my sister’s best mate, so we’re practically family.’
Jake breathed in slowly, then jerked his chin at the door. ‘Get out.’
‘Aw, don’t be like that,’ Tina wheedled, giving him a seductive look as she reached out to stroke his thigh. ‘I’m not going to grass you up or anything. I like you, and I reckon you like me, too, ’cos I remember the way you looked at me when we met that day. You could hardly keep your eyes off my tits. And if you play your cards right, you might just get to – aagghh!’ Squealing with pain when Jake seized her by the wrist, she contorted her body to ease the pressure. ‘Pack it in, man! That really hurts!’
‘That was your one and only warning,’ Jake hissed, tossing her hand aside after a moment. ‘If I hear you’ve been talking shit about me to your sister or anyone else, you won’t know what’s hit you. Now fuck off back to whatever hole you crawled out of.’
‘What, so you can go crawling up that blonde slag’s hole behind Leanne’s back again?’ Tina sniped. ‘Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Well, guess what . . . I don’t take orders from the likes of you and, soon as I get home, I’m going to get our Chrissie to set Leanne straight.’
‘You really think they’d believe a word you said?’ Jake sneered.
‘We’ll soon find out, won’t we?’
Tina reached for the door handle, but Jake activated the child lock before she could get to it.
‘Oh, it’s like that, is it?’ She turned back to him. ‘Suppose you’re gonna beat me up now, are you? Well, go on then, do it. But I’m still gonna tell. Unless . . .’ She paused and pursed her lips. ‘You could always pay me off.’
Jake stared at her without answering. He didn’t know how she’d found out about Sally and the baby, but she had, so now he was going to have to do something to stop her from telling Leanne. The way he saw it, he had two options: bung her the money she was asking for, and hope that would be the end of it; or drive her to a deserted quarry and bury her. And, right now, he was leaning towards the latter.
Taking his silence as a sign that he was considering her suggestion, Tina said, ‘What’s it to be, Jakey boy? I know you’re minted, ’cos this car must’ve cost a bomb, and that Rolex don’t look like a snide, so it’s not like you can’t afford to give me a bit of spends, is it?’
When he still didn’t answer, Tina flopped back in her seat and, pushing her sleeve up, rubbed her sore wrist.
‘Fine, don’t talk to me, then. But we can’t just sit here all night, so you’d best hurry up and decide what you’re going to do.’
A couple were walking slowly past the car, and Jake frowned when the woman stared in at him while the man checked out the motor. Tina, however, waved at them and made sure they got a good look at her face before turning back to Jake.
‘Can’t do anything to me now, can you?’ she declared victoriously. ‘Not now there’s witnesses who’ve seen us together.’
‘Shut your mouth,’ Jake snarled.
They sat in silence for several tense minutes, and Tina started fidgeting in her seat.
‘God, this is daft,’ she said after a while. ‘I know we got off on the wrong foot, but it doesn’t have to be like this. I reckon we could be friends, me and you.’
‘And why would I want to be friends with a blackmailer?’ Jake raised an eyebrow.
‘I wasn’t trying to blackmail you,’ she protested. ‘Well, not really. Truth is, I’m kind of desperate right now, so when I saw my chance I went for it. Can’t blame a girl for trying, can you?’
‘Desperate for what?’ Jake stared pointedly at the track marks he’d spotted on her arm when she pushed her sleeve up. ‘Smack, crack, or both?’
Blushing, Tina yanked her sleeve down. ‘I’m not a junkie, if that’s what you’re thinking. My ex used to force me to take it, but I’ve been trying really hard to get off it. It’s just not that easy with my mum and Chrissie having a go at me all the time. I’d do one if I could afford it, but my benefits got stopped when Chrissie grassed me up to the dole, so I’m stuck in this shithole. That’s why I thought . . .’ Pausing, she released a defeated sigh. ‘Well, you already know what I thought. I was going to sting you for a pile of dosh, then get the hell out of here.’
Jake gazed at her and noticed for the first time the gauntness of her cheeks and the deep hollows around her eyes. He’d remembered her as soon as she’d said who she was, but he would never have recognized her the way she looked now. Her lifestyle was clearly taking its toll on her looks.
‘Is that what you really want?’ he asked.
‘God, yeah!’ Tina replied without hesitation. ‘Why?’ She gazed at him with hope in her eyes. ‘You gonna help me?’
‘Maybe,’ Jake said, smiling as he restarted the engine and eased the car out on to the road.
*
Chrissie had a dreamy smile on her lips as she climbed out of the taxi later that night. She’d been to a leaving party for one of the girls from work, and they had ended up going on to a club afterwards. It wasn’t Chrissie’s usual scene, and she’d tried to get out of going, but her workmates had dragged her along. And she had to admit that it hadn’t turned out t
o be as bad as she’d thought it would be. In fact, she’d had a really nice time, thanks to the brother of one of the girls, who had already been at the club when they got there.
Blond, tall, and skinny, Gary was the complete opposite of any of the men Chrissie had dated in the past, and his bushy beard would ordinarily have turned her right off. But he’d been charming and funny, and she couldn’t deny that she’d been flattered that he’d chosen to sit with her instead of going after any of the younger, slimmer, prettier women who’d been there.
They had swapped numbers before she called it a night, and Gary had promised that he would call her to arrange a date. Chrissie wasn’t holding her breath about that, because she had no doubt that he’d have turned his attention to some other girl as soon as she left the club. But it had been a massive ego boost all the same, and she couldn’t wait to ring Leanne in the morning and tell her all about it.
No longer smiling when she let herself into the house and heard wails coming from the living room, she frowned when she walked into the room and saw her mum on the couch with a bawling, wriggling Dylan in her arms.
‘Thank God you’re back,’ Joan cried. ‘He’s been at it for hours and I’ve tried everything, but I can’t settle him.’
‘Give him here.’ Chrissie threw her jacket over the armchair and plucked Dylan out of her mum’s arms. ‘Where’s our Tina? If she’s in bed leaving you to deal with this, I’ll—’
‘She’s out,’ Joan interrupted, sagging against the cushion with relief. ‘She said she’d only be an hour, but it’s been ages now. And she’s not answering her phone.’
‘Why the hell did you let her go out in the first place?’ Chrissie demanded as she patted Dylan’s back. ‘You know what she’s like. She can’t be trusted.’
‘I’d sent her to pick my meds up,’ Joan admitted. ‘And Dyl was fast asleep when she got home, so when she asked me to watch him for an hour, I didn’t see any harm in it.’
‘That’s exactly why she asked, because she knew you wouldn’t say no,’ Chrissie chided. ‘You can’t keep giving in to her like this, Mum. You’ve got to toughen up before you end up having another stroke.’
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