Rotten to the Core

by Casey Kelleher

Emma didn’t hear the front door open, or her name being called, she didn’t feel a pair of big arms wrap themselves around her as she was lifted up and the rope loosened. She was out cold.

  He hoped that he had reached her in time. He called an ambulance after making sure that she was breathing, he saw the envelopes on the table. He put them in his jacket pocket, then went and sat next to her until the ambulance arrived.

  29

  Billy was ready. He had followed Jay for the best part of a week and was sure he had seen it all; it was time to put things into motion. Today was Jay’s day of reckoning. Billy had everything he needed on the guy; he had had to call in a few favours, but now it was all in place. He thought he deserved a fucking Oscar for his acting skills with Tanya, but he knew that if he waited it out, she would dig herself into a deeper hole. Well, she was going to be wishing that she could jump in the bloody hole too in a moment. He grinned as he got out of his car and walked around to the passenger side; opening the door for Candice to get out, he took another look at her and smiled. Seeing her dressed like this of an evening in the gentlemen’s lounge was the norm for him, but at this time of the morning, in his street, she looked obscene, like she had just finished filming a porno. He had told her to wear the most provocative outfit she owned and had laughed when he picked her up from her flat this morning. She had tottered towards him in six-inch heels and the smallest bit of fabric Billy had ever seen, which had the cheek to label itself as a dress; it was way too much for this time of the morning, in fact for any time of the day full stop. As well as looking very slutty, she was tanned and glossy, just as they had discussed. Tanya would go nuts when she saw Candice.

  “Okay, babe; I’m ready… let’s do it.” Candice winked as she took his hand, and they both walked towards the front door.

  Hearing a loud, squeaky laugh coming from her hallway and the front door closing loudly, Tanya sat up and pulled her robe around her; she had been chilling out to a bit of Jeremy Kyle on telly whilst lounging on the sofa, enjoying her first coffee of the day. Billy hadn’t come home again last night, but by the sounds of it he was now and he had company. She could hear the laughing in the kitchen now; getting up, she decided to go and see who was making that awful noise. Laugh: it sounded more like a fucking cat getting strangled.

  Walking into the kitchen, a gobsmacked Tanya was not sure exactly what was going on but had a feeling that Billy had lost the plot.

  “Oh hi, Tanya, do you fancy a coffee? I was just making one for Candice here. Oh, actually, I expect you’d rather a glass of wine, wouldn’t you, I mean it is after all almost ten in the morning.” Billy had the kettle on and was acting as if nothing was up, but his shirt was undone and so was his belt, she noticed, and he had bright pink lipstick marks on his cheek. Looking at the tart sitting on her granite worktop Tanya’s blood started to boil.

  “Who the fuck are you?” she glared at Candice, sitting in her kitchen with everything hanging out, like some kind of slapper; well, at least the girl was wearing knickers, thought Tanya, noting that they, like everything else this girl had to offer, were on display.

  Candice looked Tanya up and down as if she were a five foot seven, walking, talking turd.

  “I’m Candice.” Short and simple: no explanation.

  Something was not right.

  “Well, Candice, what the fuck are you doing sitting in my kitchen looking like a dog’s fucking dinner?” Tanya bellowed now, starting to feel really unsure of what was going on.

  “Ah, Tanya, Tanya, calm down will you.” Billy passed Candice a cup of coffee.

  “Told you she could be a narky bitch in the mornings, didn’t I?” He winked at Candice now. “Don’t listen to her, I think you look fucking tasty, babe, good enough to eat.” He licked his lips and the room was once again filled with Candice’s loud dirty laugh.

  “What the fuck?” Not being able to finish her sentence Tanya lunged for Billy, her cheeks were flaming, how could he try and humiliate her like this, bringing this cheap little slut into her house and talking to her like this? Billy grabbed Tanya’s wrist, just in time to stop her fist coming down on him.

  “Get her out of my fucking house, Billy, how fucking dare you.” She was so angry, she could feel tears stinging her eyes; she was determined not to cry in front of them both, especially not Candice who was sitting there looking like the cat that had got the poxy cream.

  “That’s just it, though, Tan, it isn’t your house, is it? It’s mine, isn’t it? On paper.” He looked at her seriously. Tanya felt sick. He knew. She didn’t know how or when it had happened, but he had found out. It was the only explanation. As if reading her mind, he grinned at her, a grin that didn’t reach his dark, narrowed eyes.

  “You might want to go and get dressed, Tan; you have a busy day ahead of you, love. You’re moving out.”

  She wanted to scream and shout, cry and beg; she couldn’t give up everything and walk away. This was her home; she had decorated every room, made it her own, and she loved it. But she was not going to put on a show, not while that slut was watching her, no fucking chance; Tanya would be a laughing stock if this got out. She would keep her dignity and accept it. The game was up, and she would have to leave, there was no fighting Billy once he made his mind up, and the house was in his name, so she didn’t have a leg to stand on.

  “Oh don’t you fucking worry mate, I’m off. You think you can bring some cheap little slut in here to our home? Well, you know what?” Turning now to face the girl on the worktop, she shouted, “You’re fucking welcome to him.” She glared at Candice who still had the cheek to stare back smugly at Tanya.

  “Oh I know I’m welcome to him, babe, I’ve been “having” him for months now; thanks for your generosity though.” She fluttered her eyelashes and blew Billy a big pouty kiss.

  Tanya could restrain herself no longer and lunged forward to slap the little tart, but Billy had seen it coming and jumped between the two.

  He had warned Candice about Tanya, told her what had been going on with her and his sister’s boyfriend, and even though cheating was an everyday occurrence round these parts, even though Billy had been at it with her, Candice was disgusted at what she had been told about the state Billy had found Emma in a few days previously, she found it hard to believe all that poor girl had been through, she knew part of Billy’s plan to sort Jay out, and had been more than happy to help him get his plan into action. Sitting here now, face to face, she could see what a cold-hearted bitch Tanya was, and that she also deserved whatever she got; Candice was actually really enjoying winding her up.

  Billy took Tanya by the arm and marched her upstairs and stood in the doorway of their bedroom while she packed a few bits into a bag and threw on some clothes. He could see that she was fighting her rage and her tears, but he felt no sympathy for her; they were over, she had treated him like a mug and now she was leaving: end of.

  Tanya put as much as she could into the bag then looked around the room, wondering what would happen to the rest of her stuff. She hoped that she would be able to come back and get it when things had calmed down. As angry as she was, she was going to bite her tongue until she had her stuff back. Billy’s eyes followed hers around the room, and once again, as if he was inside her head, reading her thoughts, he said in a cold voice: “I’ll send it all on to you,” then he followed her back downstairs and held the front door open for her.

  Candice couldn’t resist one more dig; after all it was what Billy was paying her for this morning, to rub Tanya’s nose in it.

  “Toodle-doo, babe, nice meeting you.” She waved from the front doorway, as Tanya walked down the path, then grabbed Billy by his shirt and gave him a passionate kiss, before closing the door with her stiletto-clad foot.

  30

  She was fourteen, but Jade knew that she looked older than that. Once she had her slap on, with her hair done, and was wearing the right clothes she always got let in to the local clubs. Once she even got into The Manor, an over twenty-ones c
lub. It had been easy. It helped that she was tall and blonde and most of the door staff were men, and men were so pathetic like that. She could have any boy at her school she wanted, but she didn’t want any of them, because that’s all they were: boys.

  Her mum would kill her if she knew half the things Jade did while she was slogging away at work all week. Jade had become a master at hiding her secret life from her mum. She rarely bothered going to school anymore, she always got up and dressed and made out she was going, but as soon as she had walked around the block she would go back, reaching home in time to see her mum’s car nipping off down the road. Most days Jade would just sit around on her laptop, checking out Facebook or watching crappy daytime TV. She was bored. Bored with her so-called mates who all seemed immature compared to her. She wanted excitement. Maybe, just maybe, she had found it.

  Jay was lying in bed next to Jade; he was smoking a joint. Her mum would go ape if she could smell smoke in the house, but she hadn’t wanted to sound like a silly little girl and ask him to put it out, she wanted him to think she was grown up. Besides, she would open the window when he left, and spray air freshener, maybe her mum would think she had actually done some housework for a change. Jay rubbed her leg with one hand, and flicked his ash onto her bedside cabinet with the other. Jade’s room was a mess, looking around she wished that she had tidied it before he had come around, as it looked like a typical teenager’s bedroom. She had told him she was sixteen, although she wasn’t sure he believed her, but he didn’t seem to mind if he did realise she was younger. Her body still wasn’t as developed as she would have liked, and she had thought that that would have given it away. She had boyish hips and her boobs, she was barely filled an A-cup bra. She had also little sexual experience before she met Jay. A fumble with a fourteen-year-old boy behind the bins at the back of the school disco did not count as an “experience”. It had all been so quick and awkward, she hadn’t really been sure in the end if they’d actually had sex or not. Dean Woods had been one of the hottest boys in school, but lying on top of her on the cold damp ground that night and panting like an over-excited dog he had been anything but hot, at one point she thought she was going to have to stop and draw him a map. The whole thing had been embarrassing, they had avoided each other ever since.

  So when she and Jay had first slept together it was a whole different game.

  She met him at the parade, across from her school. All the kids in her year went over to the shops at lunchtime and spent most if not all their lunch money on cigarettes or joints or anything else that was on offer. Jay was a bit of a face; if you wanted some gear, he was your man, and all the kids knew it, and if Jay wasn’t around he had a few Year Elevens selling stuff for him. Jade had spent many a lunchtime batting her heavily mascaraed eyelashes in his direction, and although she had seen that she had caught his attention, he hadn’t approached her, which made her try harder.

  It was by chance that they were at the same party on the estate; some lad’s parents had gone away for a weekend and the place was heaving. Jay was doing some deals in the kitchen with a few of the older boys from Jade’s school; when he was finally on his own, Jade had made her move. She hadn’t realised at the time how she seemed like she was offering it on a plate, but Jay could obviously see right through her, and within the hour they were upstairs in a bedroom. Jade had been frightened at first, she had felt out of her depth. He had known what he wanted, and although he asked if it was her first time, to which she told him it wasn’t, he must have known.

  He had taken her hard on the bed, on top of the coats and jackets that had been dumped on there, at one point she had wanted to ask him to stop, it was hurting her. But she kept telling herself that this is what she wanted: a real man; excitement. It had been over before quickly, then she had come downstairs with Jay, and had been given a few looks from her schoolmates as if she had gained a new kind of respect from them, she was with Jay, after all.

  That had been a few weeks ago, and now she was more than used to Jay’s sexual demands. She wondered if he was officially her boyfriend, whether maybe he loved her; she was hoping that that was the case, but not wanting to sound childish she didn’t ask, she would wait and see where it went. She was far too shy to ask him about his feelings; besides, that was playground stuff.

  So far their relationship consisted of being in bed, but that is what all new relationships were like, right? Not getting enough of each other? He hadn’t told himself anything about himself, though, and hadn’t asked her much about herself, but they had plenty of time for all that stuff, she guessed. He had just mentioned introducing her to some of his friends one night, at some party, so maybe they were in a proper relationship. He wanted to show her off. Smiling, she put her hand under the duvet and rested it on his.

  “Make us a coffee, would you, Jadey?” Removing her hand, he patted her naked arse, as she got up to wrap her gown round herself before going to the kitchen to make him one. Seeing his phone flash, he noticed he had three missed calls.

  “Alright, Tanya,” he said, picking up the call before it rang out again,

  Tanya was crying, and he found it hard to understand what she was saying.

  “What do you mean, he knows? Who knows what?” Jay asked.

  “Billy: he must know about us, Jay, he’s thrown me out; I’ve got nowhere to go.”

  “Alright, where are you now? I’ll come and get you.”

  After calming her down and getting her to say where she was, Jay put his clothes on. Jade came in with a mug of coffee.

  “Where are you off to?” She couldn’t help but sound disappointed; she had thought she would have him to herself for a few more hours.

  “I’ve got to go, babe.” He pulled his jeans on and didn’t look her in the eye. He had got what he had come for, and she might be a pretty face but she had nothing interesting to say. He would definitely have a few friends who might be interested in her, though; she seemed to be easily persuaded so she should be easy to convince.

  “I’ll call you in the week, babe. Let you know about that little party I’m organising?”

  Glad that he was arranging to see her again, Jade perked up.

  “Okay, babe, you do that; can’t wait.” Waving him off, as he walked down the front path towards his beamer, she felt pleased as punch with herself, already selecting party outfits in her head.

  Jay got in his car and drove off to pick up Tanya; he had no idea how Billy had found out, but he knew that if Tanya was in the shit he would be more so. He decided that he would take her back to Emma’s flat and she could stay in the spare room; it wasn’t ideal, but as he had been given little notice, it was all he could sort out, and he was sure Tanya wouldn’t mind if it were just for a few days. Emma wouldn’t know what day of the week it was, let alone who Tanya was, the girl was off her head all the time. He would cancel her punters and keep it low key while Tanya was there. He needed to pop back there, anyway, he hadn’t been there for the best part of the week and Emma owed him her week’s earnings.

  Driving faster, his head was spinning; he didn’t know what to do about his job, or Kate. None of it made sense: how could Billy know? Or maybe he didn’t; maybe he had had enough of Tanya? Surely Billy would have had it out with him, too. Jay knew how Billy had had a thing with one of the girls from the lounge at Goldie’s when he used to be there; a little blonde bird, Candy or something. Maybe he didn’t give two shits about Tanya and had just ended it, or maybe he’d just traded her in?

  As he pulled up outside the newsagents where Tanya was standing with a Louis Vuitton suitcase, mascara running down her cheeks, he knew he would soon find out.

  31

  Billy was dreading this, but he knew it would be the only way, once and for all, that Kate would actually listen. He had to make Kate physically see the damage that Jay inflicted on people, and how that scumbag had no qualms about walking over anyone in his way.

  Billy had already spoken to Sonia, and she had agreed with everythin
g that he said; Jay had gone too far and needed to be taught a lesson. Billy had got to her house first thing that morning; luckily Sonia always got up at the crack of dawn, at least a few hours before Kate, so they had had the chance to talk things through, and the stuff that he had told her had shocked her to the core. She had been disgusted by what Billy had told her about the poor girl he had found trying to hang herself, how Jay had drugged her and used her to make money for him, and that he had other girls out there in the same state made Sonia ashamed to be his mother. Sonia had been even more disgusted when she had heard what Jay’s father had done all those years ago to Billy and Kate’s mother; it made her sick to her stomach. She had known Den had been capable of vile things, it was one of the reasons she had got out in the first place. She could understand now why Billy hated Jay so much. She wondered if when she had walked out on Den all those years ago, things would have been different if she had taken Jay with her. Maybe he wouldn’t have turned out as repulsive. She couldn’t help feeling guilty, that somehow she was partly to blame for her son’s ways. He was Den all over again, so maybe no matter what she had done differently he would have turned out this way, maybe it was in the genes. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree, they said, and in this case the apple was rotten to the core.

  Sonia had agreed to change the locks, and decided that as of that moment she would disown Jay. Billy had said that he would send one of his guys round for a few days, just in case Jay returned home and thought he would try his luck, and that way he would know that Sonia meant it: he was no longer welcome here; he wasn’t her son any longer.

  Sonia had suggested that Billy should break the news to Kate and hopefully they would be able to comfort the poor girl. Pouring Billy a mug of hot tea, she placed it down on the table, and sat down to join him as he drank it.

  “I honestly don’t know where I’m going to start, Sonia, this is going to break Kate’s heart. I don’t know how much more she can take.” Billy had known all along that Jay was no good, but his sister would never hear a bad word said about him. Well, that morning when she finally came downstairs, bad words were all that would be worthy of the bloke.