Schemer

by Kimberley Chambers

  ‘Tyler! Get your arse in here now, you little bastard.’

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Tyler Jackman got out of bed and stretched his lithe young body. Tyler had light blond hair which he wore short and spiky. His eyes were the colour of a deep blue sea and his mum had told him recently that, facially, he was the spitting image of how his dad had looked when he was at school. Hearing a knock on his bedroom door, Tyler made a grab for his Nike tracksuit bottoms. ‘Hang on a sec, I ain’t dressed yet,’ he shouted out. Last night’s telling-off had gone pretty much as expected for Tyler. His mum and nan had given him a real stern talking-to, which had ended up with him being grounded for the foreseeable future.

  Thinking it was his mother at the door about to give him another earful, Tyler opened it cautiously. ‘Oh, it’s you,’ he said to his sister.

  Dannielle was extremely close to Tyler. For brother and sister they got on very well. ‘So, what happened, Ty?’ Dannielle asked, plonking herself on the edge of his bed.

  Tyler explained truthfully about his original altercation with James Woodcock. ‘Honestly, sis, he was laughing at me and all sorts. He really mugged me off in front of me mates and I had to show him who was boss. I had no intention of using the knife on him, honest I didn’t, but the look on his face was priceless when he saw it. Crying like a baby, the prick was. He won’t be larging it with me again, I’m telling ya.’

  Some of Tyler’s expressions and foul use of language shocked Dannielle at times. Most of the lads in Loughton were reasonably well-to-do and spoke quite nicely, but Tyler didn’t. He sounded like a little gangster. Her mum blamed herself for that, as they had lived on a council estate for a large chunk of Tyler’s life, before they’d had enough money to move into the nice house they now lived in. It wasn’t her mum’s fault, Dannielle knew that. After her dad had disappeared into thin air, their money had run out; being rehomed by the council had been the only road her mum could go down. Putting an arm around Tyler’s shoulders, Dannielle smiled at him. ‘What we gonna do with you, eh Ty?’

  ‘I tell you what you can do for me, sis. Have a word with Mum for me, will ya? I tried to explain that James ain’t the nice, shy boy she seems to think he is, but Nan was chirping in and neither of ’em would listen to me properly. Just tell Mum what I’ve told you, Danni, otherwise she’ll make me stay in forever more. I hate being stuck indoors, you know I do.’

  ‘I’ll smooth things out with Mum for you, on one condition.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘That you promise me you will never carry a knife about with you again. It’s so dangerous and you don’t want to end up in some borstal somewhere, do you? I don’t know if you know this story, but our grandad, our dad’s dad, stabbed our nan and ended up doing life in prison.’

  Tyler’s eyes opened like organ stops. This was the first time he had ever heard of this story. ‘What, did our grandad kill our nan, then?’

  ‘Yes, and Mum said he then spent most of his life in prison. Now, will you promise me that you won’t carry a knife around again with you?’

  Tyler immediately nodded. ‘I told Mum I’d already thrown the knife away, but I haven’t really. I will though, I promise. I don’t want to get into bad trouble. I’m too young to go to prison, Danni.’

  Ruffling her brother’s hair, Dannielle stood up. The story she had told Tyler was all true. She had wanted to shock him into seeing sense, and seemingly she had. As his big sister, Dannielle felt that it was her duty to keep Tyler on the straight and narrow and, hopefully, for the time being, she might have succeeded.

  Pam had been expecting nothing less than a barrage of abuse when she rang up Lin and suggested that she and David might move in with her for a while. Instead, all she got was a sweet, seven-word answer. ‘Are you sure you don’t mind, sis?’

  When Pam had given up work, Stephanie had insisted she had Sky TV installed. Pam had flatly refused, saying it was a waste of bloody money, but when Steph had surprised her with it on her birthday, saying she was footing the monthly bills, Pam had got hooked on it almost immediately. She loved The Jerry Springer Show and often watched back-to-back episodes for hours on end, but Pam knew that losing herself in other people’s problems was no substitute for dealing with her own. About to change the quilt cover in the room that Lin would be sleeping in, Pam darted into her own bedroom to answer the phone.

  ‘Look out the window,’ Cathy said, excitedly.

  Thankful that Stephanie had recently bought her one of them cordless phones in case of emergencies, Pam did exactly what Cathy had asked. ‘Oh, my giddy aunt,’ she exclaimed, as she watched Marlene and the big black man virtually having sex in the middle of the street.

  Cathy laughed. ‘What time your Lin and David arriving?’

  ‘Late afternoon,’ Pam replied, her face pressed to the window. Marlene was waving frantically in her direction and, not wanting to make herself look a fool, Pam opened the bedroom window. ‘Do you want me for something?’

  ‘I was gonna ask you the same thing,’ Marlene yelled.

  ‘Whatever do you mean?’

  ‘I mean why are you and that nosy old bat next door both staring at me out the fucking window? Ain’t you got lives of your own?’

  ‘Who you calling an old bat? You fucking old slapper,’ Cathy shouted, opening her window as well.

  Absolutely incensed by the brass neck of Marlene, Pam didn’t even notice Angela get out of her car.

  ‘For your information, my mother has a wonderful life of her own. She has daughters who think the world of her, and three grandchildren who absolutely idolize her. I wonder if the same can be said for you, Marlene. Hardly mother and grandmother of the year, are you now?’ Angela said sarcastically.

  When Marlene began screaming abuse at her daughter, Pam ran down the stairs to get Angela inside the house. Pam didn’t know what had shocked her the most, Angela sticking up for her, or her daughter having the front to slag off Marlene’s parenting skills when she had been the mother from hell herself. ‘Get in here now, Ange. She ain’t worth it,’ Pam hollered, as her daughter started to march across the road to have a face-to-face altercation with Marlene.

  Angela immediately came to her senses and changed direction. She had a pretty face and didn’t fancy having it damaged in a Dagenham street brawl. ‘You’re right, Mum. She isn’t worth it,’ she shouted.

  ‘Fucking old slapper,’ Cathy added, before shutting her window.

  ‘So, what you doing here?’ Pam asked coldly as she shut the front door. Aidan saw more of Angela now than he did of her and, even though Pam was pleased for her grandson, after bringing the boy up almost single-handedly, she found his closeness to Angela a bitter pill to swallow.

  ‘Well, that’s a nice greeting, isn’t it?’

  Pam stood with her hands defensively on her hips. Angela rarely visited her, so she must want something. ‘Come on then, spit it out. What you after?’

  Angela sat down on the sofa. ‘I’ve actually come to see you to try and build some bridges, Mum. Spending time with Aidan has kind of made me realize just how important family is, and I wondered if you could have a word with Steph for me. I know I was a bitch in my younger days, and I can’t blame Steph for hating me, but I’ve changed now. I can see the error of my past ways and I feel as though I am not only missing out on a relationship with my sister, but also my niece and nephew. I would like to wipe the slate clean and start all over again. I thought perhaps we could all go out for a family meal or something. I’ll pay for it, of course.’

  Pam was so shocked by her daughter’s heartfelt speech that, rather than sit on the armchair, she sort of fell on top of it. Was Angela playing another one of her devious little games? ‘So, what’s brought all this on, then?’ she asked suspiciously.

  ‘As I said, spending time with Aidan has just got me thinking about things. You’ve only got one family, Mum, I realize that now, and Steph and I haven’t spoken for bloody years. My fault, I know, but I wanna make things
right if I can. Will you help me do that?’

  Pam stared at Angela’s pretty face. Her daughter certainly seemed to have changed for the better since returning from Greece, and for once Pam believed that she was being genuine. ‘Your sister’s got enough on her plate at the moment, but I will have a word with her in the next week or so and try to sort out a truce between yous. I dunno how Steph will feel about it, but I’ll do me best.’

  Angela smiled. ‘Thanks, Mum. I had a lovely time with Aidan last night, by the way. He insisted on taking me out for a meal out of his first wage packet. He’s bought you a present and is bringing it round on Sunday. You should have seen all the girls in the restaurant looking at him, Mum. Aidan could have had his pick of ’em, honest he could.’

  Pam couldn’t help but chuckle. She was pleased that Aidan had bought her a present and was coming to visit her. At least he hadn’t forgotten about her completely. ‘What restaurant did you go to?’

  ‘Jailhouse Rock in Hornchurch. ’Ere, you know who I bumped into in there? I didn’t recognize her, but she recognized me. Tammy’s sister, the copper. Apparently, she came out of the actual police force and now just answers the emergency calls. She said that her and her husband had split up, so she had moved back to stay with her parents. She asked how Steph was and then told me that Tammy had just found out she was pregnant. She said since moving to Spain with Richard, Tammy had distanced herself from her family and was a bit up herself.’

  ‘Ooh, I’ll have to tell Steph that. Do you fancy a bit of lunch?’

  Angela stood up. ‘No, I can’t, Mum. Roxy and her husband are coming to stay with me for a couple of days and I need to get home and make a start on the dinner. I learnt how to cook whilst living in Greece and I really enjoy tampering with new dishes and stuff now. Tonight, I am attempting Lobster Colorado for the very first time. Christ knows what Roxy’s bloke will make of it. Dean is a typical chips-and-gravy northerner.’

  Pam chuckled. She had no idea what Lobster Colorado was herself, so could imagine the look on this poor Dean’s face when he was presented with it on a plate. She stood up and was stunned when Angela gave her a daughterly hug. ‘Christ! You ain’t ill, are ya?’ she asked, jokingly.

  ‘No, Mum. I’m not ill. I’m just grateful for the way you brought my son up for me, and I can’t thank you enough for being there for him when I wasn’t. You truly are a wonderful woman.’

  Absolutely gobsmacked by the change in Angela’s attitude, Pam was too choked up to reply.

  Stephanie listened in earnest as Dannielle explained Tyler’s version of events over his altercation with James Woodcock. ‘Honest, Mum, I know Ty’s not lying, but I still gave him a real big talking-to. He seriously didn’t have any intention of using that knife, I know he didn’t. He is just a typical lad who doesn’t like to lose face in front of his pals. You know how cocky young boys can be?’

  Remembering how Wayne was at school, Stephanie nodded sadly. ‘Tyler’s very much like your dad, in more ways than one. When I first met your father, he was a football hooligan, you know. He used to go over West Ham and get into gang fights and all sorts. I don’t ever recall him carrying a knife about with him, though. That’s what has scared the life out of me, Danni. Boys will be boys and all that, but carrying knives is not only stupid, but bloody dangerous as well.’

  ‘Tyler knows that now. Between me and you, I told him about our grandad ending up in prison for stabbing our nan to death. It frightened the life out of him, I know it did. Ty won’t be carrying no more knives, trust me. Don’t ground him though, Mum. You’re at work till late most days, I’m always round my friends houses or out gallivanting, and it’s not fair for him to be stuck indoors all alone. I can guarantee you, after my little speech, Ty will be the best-behaved boy in Loughton for a good few months.’

  Stephanie couldn’t help but smile. Dannielle was not only an angel sent from heaven as a daughter, she was also a godsend as a sister for Tyler. ‘OK. Tell him he’s allowed out, but he’s got to be in by eight. If he proves that he can behave himself, then after a month or so, I’ll let him stay out until his old curfew, nine.’

  ‘Thanks, Mum. Oh, and while I think of it, I want to ask a favour off you for myself.’

  ‘What now?’ Stephanie replied, pretending to be cross.

  ‘You know I told you my friend Mimi’s sister owns a pub in Chigwell?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Stephanie replied, half guessing what was coming next.

  ‘Well, Mimi’s sister said me and the girls can go in there now that we’ve left school. She said that we’re not allowed to be served alcohol, but as long as we behave ourselves we can have soft drinks in there. Can I go, Mum, please? The other girls have already asked their mums and they all said yes. You know you can trust me, don’t you?’

  Part of Stephanie wanted to say no. Danni was still a little girl in her eyes, but remembering that she and Tammy had been visiting pubs and drinking alcohol long before they were sixteen, Steph nodded. ‘Just be careful, though, and never leave your drinks unattended. There was some woman in the salon the other day telling me that her niece had got her drink spiked, and had then been sexually assaulted by some boy.’

  ‘Mum, I’m not stupid. I’ll only have a couple of Cokes and they won’t leave my side, I promise. I’m going to have a shower in a bit and start getting ready. I haven’t a clue what I’m going to wear.’

  ‘Are you going to this pub tonight, then?’ Steph shouted out as Danni galloped excitedly up the stairs.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Well, give me the name and address of it before you go. I don’t mind you enjoying yourself, darling, but I need to know where you’re gonna be.’

  ‘I will, Mum,’ Danni yelled, as she shut the bathroom door.

  Stephanie let out a deep sigh. Children were the most wonderful gift in the world, but with that gift came worry.

  Pam had expected Lin to be in a reasonably melancholy mood, but within a couple of hours of arriving, she seemed quite chirpy considering the circumstances. David was upstairs messing around on his PlayStation, which Steph had bought him to cheer him up a couple of days after his dad had died.

  ‘I’m a bit peckish, are you? I think I’ll make us all some sandwiches,’ Pam said to Cathy.

  ‘How’s your diet going?’ Lin asked her sister.

  Pam grinned. She had recently joined Weight Watchers and had now lost nearly two stone. ‘Yeah, good. I lost another three pound this week. Getting there slowly but surely. I’ve saved some of me points so I can have a couple of glasses of wine tonight. Anyone wanna join me in a tipple?’

  ‘Does the Pope pray?’ Cathy said, laughing.

  ‘Wine makes me depressed lately, so I’ll just stick with a beer, sis,’ Lin added, sensibly.

  ‘I’ll rustle us up some grub, then I’ll sort the drinks out afterwards,’ Pam said, heading off to the kitchen. Just about to butter the bread, Pam heard an excited yell.

  ‘Pam, quick. Come and look who’s just pulled up in a cab.’

  Thinking she had an unexpected visitor, Pam dropped her bread knife and ran into the lounge. ‘Oh my gawd! Looks like he’s here to stay for a while by the size of that suitcase an’ all.’

  ‘He’s more handsome than ever, ain’t he? I wish I was thirty years younger,’ Cathy said, chuckling.

  ‘He reminds me of an older version of Robbie Williams,’ Lin said, joining in with the fun.

  Grabbing her phone, Pam darted back into the kitchen and rang her eldest daughter.

  ‘You all right, Mum? How’s Lin?’ Steph asked.

  ‘Lin’s absolutely fine. ’Ere, you’ll never guess who’s just pulled up outside in a cab.’

  Steph had been dozing on the sofa and hadn’t really come to her senses yet. ‘Who?’ she asked, yawning.

  ‘Barry Franklin.’

  Stephanie leapt off the sofa as though she had just received an electric shock. ‘What the hell is he doing back?’ she hissed.

  ‘I don’t know, love, b
ut by the size of his suitcase, he’s staying for a while.’

  Stephanie felt a griping fear inside her stomach. Barry Franklin had toyed with her feelings, used and abused her, and left her emotionally scarred for life.

  ‘Are you OK, love?’ Pam asked.

  Stephanie was anything but OK. Dropping the phone, she ran to the toilet and was violently sick.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  After a sleepless night, Stephanie tried her hardest to act as normal as possible the following morning.

  ‘Are you OK, Mum? You don’t seem yourself,’ Dannielle asked, concerned. She had been chatting away about her great night out for the past half an hour now, and she could tell that her mum had barely listened to a word she had said.

  Hearing that Barry was back in England had knocked Stephanie for six. Every bit of pain and humiliation Barry had ever caused her had come flooding back into her mind, as if it had happened only yesterday. He had killed her fiancé, Steph was sure of that now, and had she not fallen for Barry’s deceit and slept with him, Stephanie would have told the police the truth. However, having her name dragged through the court, and the jury looking at her as though she were some stupid tart, was not something that Steph could have handled. Her children were her top priority, and if they had ever found out the awful truth of her sleeping with Barry just months after their father had gone missing, Steph would probably have tried to top herself again with the shame of it all. ‘I’m fine, darling. I just feel a bit peaky this morning, that’s all. There’s been a bug going around the salon and I think I might have caught it,’ Steph lied.