by Roberta Kray
‘You could have a long wait.’
Her father gave a grunt and leaned forward to retrieve the Financial Times from the coffee table. She saw his eyes flash with anger as his gaze fell on the copy of Socialist Worker she had deliberately left lying underneath. On the front cover was a tirade about Neil Kinnock’s suspension of the Liverpool District Labour Party after a Trotskyite militant group had tried to take control.
‘What’s that rag doing here?’ he snarled. ‘What have I told you about bringing that rubbish into this house?’
‘It’s not a rag,’ she replied calmly. ‘Just because you don’t agree with its views, doesn’t make it worthless. Anyway, if I was you I’d be keeping a close eye on the enemy. It’s always good, don’t you think, to know what they’re up to?’
‘What they’re up to, my dear, is anarchy. And come the revolution, they’ll be chopping off your head as well as mine.’
‘Maybe,’ she said. ‘Maybe not.’
He gave a thin, mirthless laugh. ‘Imagine they’ll spare you, do you? Well, I wouldn’t be too sure. In case it’s slipped your mind, you’re living in this house too, using its electricity and gas and water, eating the food I put on the table and happily spending my money. And that, my darling daughter, is what is known as collaboration.’
Mona gave a shrug. ‘We’ll see.’ In truth, she wasn’t exactly gripped by the far left either. Although she’d briefly dabbled, she’d found the people tedious and, in their own way, as egotistical as her father. She only feigned an interest in order to wind him up.
As he flicked to the back of the Financial Times and began studying the share prices, Mona’s thoughts drifted away from her father and on to Sadie Wise. They were going to be good friends, the best, she was certain of it. It wasn’t often that you met someone and felt an instant connection. They had understood each other right from the off, creating a bond that could never be broken.
It had been an impulse to jump off the train and follow her out of the station and on to the street. But it had been the right thing to do. Now she knew where Sadie was staying, she could arrange to accidentally bump into her again. They could go for a coffee or a drink in the pub. Maybe she could even help her look for Eddie. Yes, it would be fun, the two of them searching together.
But then Mona frowned. Of course she couldn’t do that. What if someone saw them? It would blow the whole arrangement out of the water. She had to be cautious, careful, to tread softly. Still, there was nothing to stop her from going to Kellston and checking that Sadie was okay. She would just have to keep her distance, that’s all.
Mona’s gaze slipped back towards her father. A tiny smile played around her lips. She felt the usual shudder of revulsion but this evening, at least, her disgust was moderated by the knowledge he would soon be dead.
5
Sadie woke up on Saturday morning, surprised that she had slept so well. The traffic had eased off after midnight and she’d fallen asleep shortly after. She stretched out her arms and yawned. Suddenly the pleasure she felt at being well rested was replaced by a dull feeling of dread as she recalled the arrangement she’d made with Nathan Stone. What had she been thinking? But there was nothing she could do about it now. She couldn’t cancel. She didn’t even have a phone number for him.
Shivering in the cold morning air, she got out of bed and turned on the fire. Then she grabbed a towel and her wash bag before padding along the landing to the shared bathroom. Thankfully it was empty. Her plans for taking a shower, however, were instantly thwarted by the discovery of yet another meter. If she wanted hot water, she was going to have to pay for it.
Sadie muttered a soft curse and trotted back to her room, hoping no one would nip in and take her place while she was gone. Apart from Velma’s and her own, there were two other rooms on this floor but she had no idea if they were occupied or not. From the bowels of the house, she could hear a thin clink of cutlery and the clatter of plates. Breakfast was being served.
The bathroom was still vacant when Sadie got back. She fed the meter and turned on the shower, disappointed but not entirely surprised to find that the flow was hardly torrential. After locking the door, she stripped off and stepped into the water. At least it was hot and she was able to have a proper wash. She’d meant to shower last night – there was something about trains that always made her feel dirty – but hadn’t got around to it. She’d felt so tired that she’d just had a wash and gone to bed.
Once she was scrubbed clean, she dried herself off, brushed her teeth, pulled on her pyjamas and scurried back to her room. Quickly she got dressed, wondering what she was going to wear that night. What did people wear to the dogs? All she’d brought with her were jumpers and jeans and they weren’t going to be suitable. What was it Stone had said? Presentable. Which meant she was going to have to go out and buy something new, an added expense she really didn’t need.
Her stomach gave a rumble, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten last night. She’d intended, despite the no-food rule, to grab a sandwich from the high street and take it back to Oaklands, but in the end she hadn’t bothered. After the meeting with Stone, her appetite had gone.
Downstairs, she made her way to the dining room. It was a dim, rather gloomy room with a lot of dark brown furniture. The wallpaper was brown too. The only other person there was a plump bespectacled middle-aged man. He lifted his eyes from his copy of The Times and gave her a nod. ‘Morning.’
‘Hi,’ she said.
‘Not much of a day,’ he said, glancing towards the windows.
‘No. It looks cold out there.’
There were six square tables in the room but only two of them were set for breakfast. Sadie hesitated, but then chose the empty one. She didn’t want to be rude but she wasn’t in the mood for making small talk either. There was a packet of cornflakes on the table, a jug of milk, a few slices of toast, butter and marmalade. No sooner had she sat down than Mrs Cuthbert appeared.
‘Tea is it?’ she asked.
‘Thank you,’ Sadie said.
Mrs Cuthbert retreated to the kitchen. And then the only noise was the gentle rustle of the man’s newspaper. Sadie poured some cornflakes into a bowl and added milk. As she scooped the cereal into her mouth, she gazed around the room again. There were two long windows, their panes spattered with rain, and a lamp in the corner with a beige tasselled shade. The worn carpet had a swirling pattern of browns and fawns. With little else to occupy her mind she found herself thinking about Eddie. She wondered where he was and what he was doing now. Sleeping off a hangover, probably, if past history was anything to go by. When they’d been together he’d rarely got up before eleven.
A few minutes later, Mrs Cuthbert came back with a stainless-steel pot of tea. She placed it on the table without a word and instantly disappeared again. Sadie finished her cereal, buttered a piece of toast and poured the tea. She was hoping that Velma might come down so she could pick her brains about Nathan Stone. But then again, maybe there were things it was better not to know. She wasn’t looking forward to the evening. It loomed ahead like some terrible ordeal.
Sadie was also feeling bad about not saying anything to Joel as regards the meeting. It wasn’t a big deal, she told herself, and when she’d talked to him on the phone she hadn’t even known about going to the dogs. But would she tell him about the night out? She was aware that she ought to, that in a good relationship there were no secrets, but she also suspected that he wouldn’t be happy about it. She had the feeling that when it was said out loud it would sound much worse than it actually was. Here she was, in Kellston for barely five minutes, and already she was going out with another man. It might be ‘strictly business’ but, no matter how she explained, it would still sound dubious.
‘Eddie,’ she muttered. ‘This is all your damn fault.’
‘I’m sorry?’ the man behind her said.
Sadie turned, smiled and shook her head. ‘Nothing, I was just… It’s nothing.’ She gazed out of the window as she
finished her tea. When it became obvious that Velma wasn’t coming, she left the dining room, went back upstairs, collected her jacket and prepared to face the dismal weather.
Outside, the icy wind and rain blasted her face as she walked to the corner. She put up her umbrella and pushed her chin down into her scarf. There had been a market, she remembered, when she’d been here with Eddie. Perhaps she could pick up something smart and cheap – if those two things ever went together – for tonight. Would they be under cover at the track or standing around outside? She had no idea but didn’t much relish the thought of watching a load of dogs run round in circles while she slowly froze to death.
The high street was shabby and dilapidated with a lot of the shops boarded up. At the far end, three tall concrete towers loomed over the area. Even from a distance they seemed cold and inhospitable, like high-rise cells for the poorer residents of the area. She presumed they had been built in the Sixties but they were already showing signs of wear, the exteriors stained a dirty shade of grey from the traffic fumes.
It didn’t take her long to find the market and once she’d got into the centre of it her spirits began to rise. There was music and life here, hustle and bustle. The mingling smells of frying onions, soup and curry wafted in the air. Many of the stalls were selling festive decorations, tinsel and baubles, glittery angels, snowmen, stars and dancing Santas. There were strings of fairy lights, crackers and candles. She couldn’t help but smile as her gaze took it all in.
She and Joel would be spending Christmas together, and maybe – if everything went according to plan – it would be their last Christmas before they became Mr and Mrs Hunter. Sadie Hunter. She repeated the name to herself, liking the sound of it, liking the way it made her feel.
The market had a temporary cover stretched over the top, providing much-needed shelter from the elements. She walked up and down the aisles, feeling the warmth of the crowd as she drank in the atmosphere. There were plenty of clothes stalls and she rummaged through the goods on offer, checking out the prices.
After an hour of looking at skirts and shirts and dresses, she eventually settled on a pair of black trousers and a silky, rose-coloured, scoop-necked sweater. She suspected they’d both fall to bits after a few washes, but they’d do for tonight. The trousers were smart enough and the sweater was pretty without being too revealing. She paid over the money, took the carrier bag and pondered on what to do next.
It was as she was making her way back towards the high street that she first felt it, a hot prickling sensation on the back of her neck. Someone was watching her. She stopped, quickly turned her head and stared, but the crowd was thick and dense and constantly shifting. She scanned the faces, searching for the one. Maybe it was her imagination. Maybe she was just jumpy about tonight, her nerves playing tricks on her. And yet… She automatically rubbed her neck, still unable to escape the feeling that someone’s eyes were on her.
For a while she stood there, rooted to the spot. She felt assailed by something cold and menacing. A shiver ran down her spine. She wanted to get away but it took an effort to force her legs to move again. With her mood abruptly altered, she hurried out of the market, crossed the road and took sanctuary in a café called Connolly’s.
The place was packed, full of Saturday shoppers, and it smelled of fried bacon, cigarette smoke and wet coats. But at least it was warm and dry. A few seconds passed before she finally spotted a free table. She glanced towards the door, checking that no one had followed her in. Of course they hadn’t. She was stressing over nothing. What was wrong with her? But she knew what was wrong. In her desperation to free herself from Eddie, she had made a deal with a total stranger and now that decision was starting to scare her.
When the waitress came, she ordered a coffee and tried to relax. Her worries, however, refused to go away. Instead they tumbled in on her, making her pulse race and her hands go clammy. What if Nathan Stone was some kind of psychopath? Maybe there wasn’t any business meeting tonight. Maybe it was all a set-up so he could lure her to some lonely place and…
Sadie took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. She was overreacting. Velma would never have sent her to see him if he was that much of a danger. Her heart skipped a beat. Unless Velma was in on it too. It wasn’t as if she really knew the woman. Maybe she worked with Stone, procuring girls for him. Maybe she —
Sadie’s thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of coffee. She thanked the waitress, lifted the mug to her lips and took a grateful gulp. The caffeine seemed to restore some sense of balance to her mind. No, she didn’t really believe that her neighbour was involved in anything sinister. Sometimes you had to trust your instincts and hers were saying that Velma was sound.
Her gaze roamed around the room, settling on this person or that before quickly moving on. There was no one she recognised. Why should there be? She was a stranger here. And hopefully, before too long, she’d be back on that train and heading for home. If Stone came up with the goods tonight, she might even be able to see Eddie tomorrow. She could imagine the expression on his face when he opened the door to find her standing there.
The rain was lashing against the steamy windows. Sadie took her time over the coffee, not wanting to leave before she had to. She felt safe in the café now that her anxiety had started to recede. Everything would be okay if she kept her head and didn’t panic. She could handle Nathan Stone. He was just a bloke like any other. If she’d tolerated Eddie for all those years she could manage one evening with a lousy jumped-up gangster. Couldn’t she?
The rain had eased a little by the time she left. As she sloshed through the puddles, she tried to maintain her restored sense of calm. For some reason she couldn’t fathom, she still felt the urge to keep glancing over her shoulder. It was like a nervous tic she couldn’t quite shake off.
‘Stop it,’ she murmured. ‘There’s no one there.’
Still, she was glad when she turned the corner on to Station Road and the guest house was in sight. She broke into a trot, eager to get inside. Oaklands was unlocked and she stepped into the empty hallway, closed the door firmly behind her, jogged up the two flights of stairs, opened her room, dropped her bags on the bed, leaned her wet umbrella against the wall and went over to the window.
Sadie folded her arms as she gazed down on the street, watching the people pass by. It was still hours before she was due to meet Nathan Stone. She decided that the sensible thing to do was to let Velma know about the arrangement. That way there would be at least one other person in the world aware of who she was with tonight.
She was about to do just that when her gaze suddenly fixed on a girl going into the station. She couldn’t see her face, only the back of her head, but the short spiky hair was familiar and so was the black suede jacket. She gave a start. Was it? Could it be? She leaned forward, pressing her nose against the glass, but already the figure had passed through the entrance and disappeared from view.
Sadie continued to stare, a frown gathering on her forehead. It had been Mona Farrell, she was sure of it, except… no, she couldn’t be certain. Lots of girls had that punk hairstyle these days. Lots of girls had black jackets with fur around the collar. And what would Mona be doing in Kellston? Other than the market – and she couldn’t really see Mona shopping there – the area didn’t hold much in the way of attractions.
Sadie’s hand instinctively rose to the back of her neck again. She felt a stirring in her guts, a twisting. Was it possible that… But quickly she pushed the thought aside. The girl couldn’t have followed her here. Why would she? That was just crazy. And yet she had seemed a bit crazy, unbalanced at the very least. All that talk of her father and how she wanted to…
With a small shake of her head, Sadie turned away from the window. She was on edge, that was all, nervous and jumpy. A passing resemblance was what it had been. Nothing else. She had enough real-life problems without inventing new and imaginary ones.
6
By a quarter to seven, Sadie wa
s dressed, her hair combed and her make-up done. Now all that was left was to wait for Nathan Stone to put in an appearance. She’d already turned off the fire and a thin chill was starting to creep over the room. She rubbed her arms, impatient for him to arrive. The sooner he got here, the sooner it would be over. Butterflies had invaded her stomach again, making her feel almost queasy.
She was back by the window, watching out for the car. According to Velma, it was a black Daimler, and there couldn’t be many of those around Kellston. The only place he could pull in was at the bus stop and she kept her eyes firmly fixed on the spot. She intended to get downstairs the minute he showed. She didn’t want him coming to the door like he was picking her up on some kind of date.