by Woods, Karen
“No, just these last ten minutes. Kerry brought him back about half an hour ago. She said he’s been as good as gold.”
Vicky lifted him into her arms. Swinging him up to her chest she cuddled him. “Orr have you been a good boy?”
Declan was smiling now and wriggled to get back down to the floor. “Mummy come and look in here, they’ve got a Play Station. Can I have one?” Vicky followed him to the living room as he grabbed her hand pulling her with him. “Look mummy look,” he shouted. Declan sat down on the floor and continued playing on a ‘Playstation’ game.
Susie smiled at Vicky. “Sit down love. Do you want a brew?” Vicky nodded. Her mouth felt like sandpaper and she needed a drink to help her find her words again. Susie went into the kitchen and Vicky sat down. The house was mint and a million miles away from her depressing abode. Everything was polished and in tip-top condition. “Posh cow,” Vicky mumbled.
As Susie made the brews, Vicky prepared herself for some action. There was no way the slag was ripping her off; she was getting herself ready for war. Dragging her coat from her shoulders she placed it on the arm of the chair. Susie appeared at the door and was carrying two cups that looked hot. Bending her knees towards the table she looked at Vicky and gave her the eye. “Just grab two of them mats there love.” Vicky reached over and took two glass coasters from the centre of the table. “It cost a fortune this table, that’s why I don’t want any marks on it.” Vicky huffed and sat back in her chair. Susie went back into the kitchen and come back with a plate of biscuits. “Get some of them love,” she urged. “So how was it? Did you get the parcel in or what?”
Vicky’s face creased as she sat forward. Wriggling about in her seat she replied. “Yeah it was sound. That fucking screw, remember that one who fancied you?” Susie eyes opened wide as she nodded her head. “Well he was acting really weird. He kept staring at me. And when we were on the visit Tim said he had it in for him too. He spooked me out yanno?” Susie looked nervous as she pulled a cig from her packet. Lifting her eyes up, she offered Vicky one, with her own cig hanging from her mouth. Lighting the fags they both inhaled deeply.
“So did he get the drugs?” Susie continued.
Vicky nodded. “Yeah he did, but he said you should be paying me two hundred pounds not one.” Susie went red in the face, and couldn’t look at her. Vicky made a point of saying it again. “So is that right then, you should be paying me two ton a visit not one?”
Susie sat back in her chair; she looked agitated as she stroked her neck with her hand. “Nar it’s up to me what I pay for a drop, not Tim”.
Vicky was up in arms now and held nothing back. Her face was red and her arms were waving about in front of her. “Listen Susie, I’m taking a big risk taking drugs into the nick. Tim told me he’s gonna phone you later and tell you to pay me what I’m owed.” Susie bolted up from her chair as if boiling water was being poured over her and stood up. She was pacing about the living room shouting. Declan looked scared and moved to his mother’s side. “I want to go home now,” he whispered.
“Who the fuck does Tim think he is. I’m the one calling the shots round here, not him. I pay one hundred pound per drop, love. If ya don’t wanna do it anymore, then fair enough. There’s loads of people out there who would bite my hand off for that much cash for a drop.”
Vicky stood up and started to put her coat on. Her eyes burned into Susie. “Just give me what you owe me then. I’m calling it a day. It’s not worth it to me anymore.”
Susie snarled. “What, are you saying that you’re not doing anymore drops?”
“Correct,” Vicky hissed. “If you think you’re having me over, think again. Tim has told me what he told you to pay me, and you’re just taking the piss out of me. You must think I’m some kind of nob-head.” Vicky was in Susie’s face. “If you think you can rip me off, you’ve got another thing coming.” Her hand sat on her hip as her nose touched Susie’s. “You can think again sweetheart, I’m no dick.”
Declan was huddling next to his mother now getting ready to cry. Vicky was stroking his head at the side of her but her eyes were fixed on Susie.
Susie looked uncomfortable and searched for her handbag. Once she’d found it she grabbed her purse from it and pulled out a wad of cash. Counting out five twenty-pound notes she handed it to Vicky. “So you’re not paying me the rest?” Vicky growled.
“Am I fuck, Vicky. It’s up to you. Take it or leave it?” Vicky shoved the money into her coat pocket and scanned the area for Declan’s coat. Once she’d located it, she sat on the chair and helped him put it on. Susie was stood watching them both like a hawk.
Vicky made her way to the door holding her son’s hand. Susie was walking behind them and looked frustrated. The sound of Vicky’s heels clicking down the garden path could be heard. Susie looked like she wanted to say something. She stepped out from the front door but quickly jumped back inside. “For fuck sake,” she huffed as she slammed the door shut behind her.
Susie walked back to the living room. There was an eerie silence. Her mobile phone hadn’t rung for ages and she kept checking it to see if it was working properly. Lighting a cig she sat puffing away while she tried to gather her thoughts together. She looked stressed.
Vicky walked with haste and dragged Declan alongside her. She was fuming. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her mobile and tried to ring Tim. It was going to voice-mail all the time and she knew she’d have to wait until later that night when she could speak to him.
Feeling the cash in her coat pocket she smiled at her son. “Do you want a have a Happy Meal from McDonald’s?”
Declan was jumping about and he looked excited. “Yeah! I want one, I want one.” Vicky smiled at him with endearing eyes. Even though he was a handful she still loved him with all her heart. They both set off to get something to eat.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Tim sat in his cell and stared at the four walls. He was cracking his knuckles and wriggling his feet on the floor. His pad mate was on a visit and he was sat alone with his thoughts. Susie and Ashley were lying heavily on his mind and had been for many weeks. Every minute of every day he was plotting to ruin the pair of them. “Bastards,” he muttered under his breath as he dragged his fingers through his hair.
Looping his arms behind his head, he closed his eyes as his head sank into his pillow. Tim was in pain and you could see his hands gripping the grey bedding, tightly. “Bitch, bitch,” he whispered to himself. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked at the wall at the side of him. He could see Susie’s photograph looking straight at him. His face screwed up as he stared at it with piercing eyes. Bolting up from the bed he dragged the snapshot from the
wall as if it was on fire. Tim’s fist was turning white as he squeezed the photograph hard in his hand.
Tim looked anxious; he kept lying on his bed and then jumping back up as if he was practising a movement. At association he sprung to his feet and walked from his cell towards the phone. Heading down the landing, he swung his arms about at the side of him like a soldier going to war.
The prison was busy. Shouting could be heard all over the landing and the daily life of the prison system was in full swing. Tim stood behind an inmate and waited patiently to use the phone. He looked nervous as he stood with his back against the wall fidgeting. Finally after about five minutes it was his turn to make a call.
“Alright Helen, it’s me Tim.” His mouth pressed up close to the receiver as he whispered. “I need your help, sis. I need you to do a few things for me urgently. I need you to get my spare bank card from my Mam’s and draw my money out. I want every fucking last penny out of my account as soon as possible.” Tim stood relaying his instructions to his sister and by the end of the phone call a small smile appeared on his face. Once he’d said goodbye to Helen he went to join the rest of the convicts in the prison for association.
The prisoners were playing cards when he reached them and he looked eager to join in. Within minutes Tim’s mood
seemed to have lifted. He was laughing and joking with the other cons and he seemed like he was the life and soul of the party.
*
Helen marched to her mother’s house like a woman on a mission. The wind was howling and it had just started raining heavily. Pulling her hood up over her head she waddled onto the estate.
“What are you doing out in this weather? It’s freezing out there,” Tim’s mother exclaimed as she let her in. Helen sighed as she peeled her wet coat off. Throwing it on the small hall table she went straight inside the front room. Mary was still moaning. “You must be a butty short of a picnic coming out in this weather.”
“I know,” Helen nodded, “but I’ve got shit to do and it couldn’t wait.” Tim’s mother watched as her lard arse daughter plonked her damp body on the sofa. She was drenched from head to toe.
Mary could tell by Helen’s face something was on her mind. Even from being a small child she was always able to tell when she was up to something and today was no different. Helen was rubbing her purple hands together as she spoke to her mother. Her voice was loud and she sounded distressed. “Mam, our Tim wants me to get all of his money from his bank account, as soon as. He said you have the spare bank card for it.”
Tim’s mother shook her head and sat back in her chair. Screwing her face up, she held her head back and raised her eyes to the ceiling. “Over my dead body, am I giving you our Tim’s bank card. When I hear it from him then I will. You must think I was born yesterday.”
Helen sprang from the sofa waving her hands in the air. “Mam, Tim has rang me and told me to do it. Fucking hell, do you think I would lie about summat like that?”
Mary snarled and gave a sarcastic laugh. “Are you forgetting the last time you asked me for Tim’s money love? What was the money for again?” she chuckled and sat forward in her chair before she continued. “Oh yeah... You said the cash I was holding for Tim was to be given to you. ‘His orders’ you told me.” Her index finger was held up to her lip as if she was thinking. “Yep you told me, he said you could have eighty-quid from it didn’t you?” she sniggered. Staring right at Helen she continued. “But when I saw Tim, he said he’d said no such fucking thing. You were lying. And who did he go mad at?” she paused and pointed to herself. “Me, that’s fucking who, so there’s no chance I’m giving you a penny of his money without his say so.”
Helen dropped down on the sofa. Her mother was right. She had lied in the past to get some money but she was on her arse at the time, and needed some money to feed her kids. Helen was angry. “Mam I admit, I’ve told porkies in the past, but come on, our Tim is loaded and I didn’t have a pot to piss in,” she shrugged her shoulders as she continued. “I paid him back though didn’t I?”
Mary huffed and shook her head. “Yeah you did, but in fucking dribs and drabs. And I bet you didn’t pay him the full amount back did you? I know what you’re like. You’re forgetting I know you of old.” Helen marched about the living room, dragging at her greasy locks. Pulling the white crisp net curtain back from the window she stared from it looking like a wounded dog. As she leant on the windowsill she smiled as she watched one of the neighbours struggling to hold an umbrella up in the rain.
Tim’s mother lit a cig and sat back in the chair. She could tell her daughter was ready to have another go at her and prepared herself for round two. Helen disappeared into the kitchen to brew up as Mary started to read the newspaper at the side of her. Finding her horoscopes for the day she shouted into the kitchen to Helen. “Ay, my stars say I should be careful today, and not be foolish where money is concerned.”
Helen came back into the room and lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “Stop fucking lying mother. Sometimes you just go right over the top, yanno. You just wait for Tim to phone, and then you’ll know the truth.” A grin now filled her face as she placed her mother’s cup of tea on the table. Helen looked cocky as she continued. “Then, when Tim knows you didn’t give me the bank card you’ll be the one up shit creek not me.”
Mary reached for her brew as she replied. “Well that’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
Helen sat down and ripped open the packet of biscuits with a firm grip. Her mother watched her and sighed. “I thought you were on a diet?”
Helen shot her a look, “I’m having a couple of fucking biscuits with my brew that’s all. I’ve hardly eaten anything all day.”
“Little pickers wear big knickers you know?”
Helen blushed and threw the rest of the biscuits to the floor in temper. “Fucking hell, Mam. I’m stressed out and need a bit of comfort. Is that such a big sin?”
“I’m just saying, that’s all. You’re always moaning about your weight, so I’m trying to help you.” Mary held the newspaper up to cover her face. “A moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips,” she giggled; Helen could see her mum’s shoulders jerking about behind the newspaper.
“No need, mother,” Helen huffed as she shoved the rest of the biscuit in her mouth.
Helen had waited long enough now and she couldn’t wait to tell her mother about Tim’s phone call. Coughing loudly she let her know she had something to say. Mary dropped the newspaper onto her lap and looked at Helen. “What’s wrong?”
Helen licked her bottom lip. She knew she had her mother’s full attention. “Oh shag-bag has been at it again. I knew she couldn’t be trusted.”
Mary looked at her in surprise. “Who are you going on about now? Who’s a shag-bag?”
“Fucking Susie, that’s who. She’s only been sleeping with Ashley. Apparently it’s been going on for years!”
“Will you stop listening to gossip? Every fucking time I see you, you’re always the same, slagging someone off.”
Helen sat forward in her chair and cupped her hands together. “Not this time mother, Tim told me himself. This is straight from the horse’s mouth. I don’t know how he knows but he does.”
“I bet it’s someone telling lies. You know what it’s like round here. Susie loves our Tim to death.”
“Come off it mother, she loves the money he has, nothing else. She’s a grabbing cunt.”
“You’re just jealous of her, Helen. You always have been. You’ve never had a good word to say about her since our Tim met her.”
“Susie has always been the same,” Helen retorted, “and I know it’s her who grassed me up to the benefit agency.” Mary reached for her cigs. As per usual Helen didn’t have any and she bummed one from her.
Tim’s mother sat in silence for a minute. Licking her teeth she crossed her legs and sat looking at Helen. “You don’t know for sure Susie was the one who grassed you up. That’s just you presuming. Come on,” she puffed on her cig, “I mean you sit with all your mates all day calling every fucker under the sun. So it could be someone in your own circle of friends who bubbled you, not Susie.”
Helen nearly choked on her cig. “Why do you always stick up for her? You’re such a brown-noser. I just can’t wait until Tim phones and tells you the truth about her. She’s scum, end of.” Mary picked her paper back up from her lap and continued reading it. Helen could be heard puffing and blowing in the background. Sitting back in the chair Helen found the remote for the TV and found something to watch.
A few minutes later the house phone started ringing. Mary jumped up from her seat. Helen was going to answer it but her mother pushed her back in the chair with her hand and told her she would deal with it. The phone sat in the hallway and Helen was already leant forward in her chair trying to earwig.
“Hello son how are you?” Helen bolted from the chair and made her way to her mother’s side. She held one hand on the door frame as she listened to the conversation. Her face was smiling as she yanked her tracksuit bottoms up over her arse cheeks. “How do you know that Tim?” Mary asked in a distressed voice.
You could now see her shaking her head and running her fingers through her grey hair. “Oh well son. If that’s what you want me to do, then fine. Do you want me to get the money out for
Helen?” Mary was concerned as she continued. “I’ll get it out, but you will have to write me a cheque out because the cash machine only allows three hundred pounds a day.”
Helen held a concerned look on her face. “Tell him I will sign the check for him, I’m mint at forging his signature.” As soon as her mother placed the receiver down her daughter was on her like a rash. “Well then, what did he say? Did he tell you Susie was fucking about with Ashley?” Mary ignored her and barged past her back to the front room. Plonking herself on the chair she tried not to look at Helen. “So was I lying or what?” Helen piped up.
Mary looked flustered. “No, you weren’t, for a change. He wants me to draw the money out of the bank, but you can go and get it for me. I’m not going out in this weather.”
Helen chuckled and held her head back. “See, I told you that yo-yo knickers was at it. What are you saying now, who’s chatting shit?” Helen gave a victory punch into the air. You could tell by her face she loved every minute of Susie’s downfall and she wasn’t holding anything back. Mary looked worried. “He’s told me to write a cheque out in my name from his bank account for fifty five thousand pounds.”
Helen’s eyes nearly popped out of her sockets. “Fifty five grand! Our Tim’s fucking wadded.”
Mary blew hard as Helen watched her with eager eyes. “Right where’s his cheque book. No point in wasting any time is there?” Helen was bouncing about the front room looking anxious as Tim’s mother planned her next move. “Go upstairs in my bedroom and there is a red box under my bed. I think the cheque book in there.”
Helen bounded upstairs. She sounded like a herd of elephants. Struggling to bend down under the bed, she rolled onto the floor. Her arm was stretched out flat as she searched for the red box. Helen’s head was held to the side as she pushed her face deeper under the bed trying to locate it. She was struggling and moans could be heard. Dragging the red box out she shouted downstairs to her mother. “Mam... Do you want the box bringing down, or should I just get the cheque book out of it?”