The Downfall Series Box Set

by Edie Baylis

  Seth laughed. He doubted that very much. “Modest aren’t you!” He ground his cigarette out in the ashtray. “Right. Must shoot.”

  Eliza felt sick. She didn’t want him to go. Really didn’t want him to go. “When will you be back?”

  Seth sighed quietly. “Listen, you’ll be fine. We said you’d be looked after and protected and you will be.”

  “But...”

  “If I can’t be here then Digger or Barry will be.”

  Eliza pouted and swallowed down the disturbing urge to cry. She didn’t want Digger or Barry. She wanted Seth. She always had.

  BEN PASSED SHELLEY the salt and tried to maintain the inane grin on his face. He looked down at his plate in an attempt to decipher what on earth she’d dished up for him. It looked like fucking regurgitated road-kill.

  As if that wasn’t bad enough, he was also wriggling for a drink, but was forcing himself to put on the pretence of making an effort to kerb his intake. At least until he’d decided what to do with the stuff she’d brought back from Marie’s the other night.

  The stupid fat cow hadn’t even taken much he could use. However there was enough to do something with and that was the main thing.

  Ben watched Shelley shovel another forkful of whatever it was into her mouth and tried to hide his contempt. She was eating like a horse and would be the size of one at this rate if she didn’t watch it. He studied her face. She seemed a bit preoccupied. “Are you alright, sweets?”

  Shelley glanced up, her loaded fork paused mid-air. “Yes,” she snapped. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  Oh God, here we go... “No reason. You just seem a bit off. I was wondering if you were feeling ok?” Surely that was the right thing to say wasn’t it?

  Shelley looked back down at her plate. “I’m ok. It’s just, well – I’m worried about Natalie.”

  Ben studied Shelley. “What’s the matter with her this time?” he mumbled sharply.

  Shelley slammed her fork down on the table. “Look, I know you don’t like her, but she hasn’t been at work the last couple of days. I went to see her on the way back from Marie’s the other night and she was, well, kind of off.”

  Ben’s eyebrows knitted together. Shelley hadn’t said she’d been to Natalie’s. If that fucking moose had said a word then he’d fucking kill her. “Well, if she’s ill she’s not going to be herself is she?”

  Shelley shook her head. “She didn’t seem ill, just strange. She couldn’t even look at me.”

  She probably couldn’t handle your boyfriend had made her come good and hard that’s why... “No doubt she feels guilty for all those nasty things she said about me,” Ben remarked, determined to have a dig.

  “I think it’s more than that,” Shelley continued, still looking concerned.

  “Why do you women insist on there being more to it than there is?” Ben snapped, pushing his plate to one side.

  “What’s wrong with your dinner?” Shelley needled.

  That was it! He couldn’t stand it. Ben got up from the table and angrily pushed his chair back. “I’m not hungry anymore,” he snapped and walked across the room.

  He watched as Shelley got up from the table, one hand on her hips the other smoothing down her top over her rapidly expanding belly.

  “Where the fuck are you going now?” she screamed.

  “Out!” Ben cried and quickly left the room before he had to listen to one more word. He was going to get that drink and decide once and for all how best to use the information he now had on Marie.

  ERNIE GLARED FIRST AT Matt and then at Pete who were sitting like two overstuffed dummies in his chairs. Had they fucking moved in or something? “What did you say?” he snapped.

  Matt exchanged glances with Pete and readjusted himself in the chair awkwardly. He cleared his throat. “Boss, I asked what you wanted us to do next?”

  Ernie scowled as he bit the end off yet another cigar and spat it on the floor. “Something other than sit in my fucking armchairs would be a start!”

  “We’re just not sure where everything stands,” Pete said nervously. Both he and Matt felt Ernie had lost the plot since the fire. He’d done nothing apart from bite their heads off. They’d asked several times what the plan was and had been met with a stony silence. They couldn’t sit here for ever like spare pricks. “People are starting to talk.”

  Ernie’s head snapped up. “Talk? Talk are they? Well let them! Listen you pair of cunts, if you think Ernie Carter’s defeated and has lost the fucking plot, then say so now and then fuck off to find alternative employment.”

  “No, no one’s saying that Boss,” Matt interrupted quickly.

  The fact was, they were and it was getting embarrassing. The word on the street was that Ernie Carter had rolled over. People were laughing at him and them, courtesy of association.

  “We just want to know what your next move will be. I mean we have some ideas but wouldn’t dream of making any forward movement without your express instructions.”

  A sneer erupted across Ernie’s face. “Oh yeah and what are your grand ideas then?”

  Matt fidgeted uncomfortably. “Well... burn Benson’s club down for a start?”

  Ernie laughed viciously. “That’s original and oh so intelligent isn’t it!” he snapped. “Good job you’re too dumb to do anything off your own initiative isn’t it?”

  Pete scowled inwardly, fed up of Carter talking to them like a pair of twats. Sometimes he questioned exactly why he bothered being loyal to the trumped-up bastard.

  Ernie reached for his drink. “I’m waiting boys, that’s what I’m doing. Waiting. Bill is waiting as well – for my retaliation that hasn’t happened since the stunt he pulled with the fire and with Charlie.” A sly smile spread across his face. “I’m going to see him tomorrow and tell him that he’s won. That he can have Crystals and that I’m moving on.”

  Matt nearly choked on a mouthful of lager. “What? So you are throwing the towel in?”

  Ernie slammed his fist down noisily on the arm of his chair making both men jump. “Of course I’m not, you stupid bastard! The whole point is I want him to think that don’t I? Let him think he’s won.”

  “Then what?” Pete asked, thankful that for the time being at least they still had a job.

  Ernie rolled his eyes and tapped the end of his nose. “All in good time....”

  Matt and Pete exchanged glances once more whilst Ernie continued. “Once the next part of the plan is laid then I’ll fill you in, but put it this way – this time I’ll be hitting Benson exactly where it fucking hurts.”

  MAGGIE TURNED TOWARD the Glint hoping the large helpings of vodka she’d consumed had given her enough Dutch courage to pull this off. She pulled her jacket tightly around her to help protect her from the chilly evening air and glanced at her watch.

  She wished Dan had been more helpful but he hadn’t been. Quite the opposite in fact. She frowned. It had been his idea for her to get a job at the Glint in the first place, but last night when she’d told him she’d thought about what he’d said and was going to give it a go, he’d had a complete backtrack.

  She’d been quite annoyed. It had been alright a few weeks ago, so why not now? It was ok for him to be involved there, but not her? He probably didn’t want her to see what he was really up to. Or to see all the other girls he was shagging.

  That was probably also the reason she hadn’t been to his place for weeks. She’d said she’d pop round last night, but he’d almost choked on his tongue in his haste to say he’d come to hers instead.

  In fact he’d spent more time at hers than his lately. Something was going on and she would find out exactly what. She would also get to the bottom of why Digger had been hanging around and from what she could judge, it seemed the Glint held all the answers.

  Approaching the door to the club, Maggie stared at the burly doorman and felt her resolve fading. Reminding herself why she was doing any of this in the first place, she plastered on a smile and walked up the ste
ps. “Hi! I’d like to speak to someone about a job?” she smiled, trying not to feel self-conscious as the man’s eyes scrutinised her from the feet up.

  “What sort of job? Dancing?”

  Maggie nodded shyly.

  “Come in,” he said gruffly. “Marie’s around and she’s the one to speak to.”

  “Thank you,” Maggie muttered, following the man’s bulk into the bright foyer. She trailed him up the stairs and loitered when he disappeared into one of the rooms leading off from the wood-panelled corridor.

  The man quickly reappeared and held the door, nodding to Maggie to enter the office. “Marie will see you now.”

  Maggie smiled and walked through the open door. “Thanks,” she said, turning to see the door being closed behind her as the man left and his footsteps retreated back down the corridor.

  She looked around the room she’d entered. High-ceilinged with dark green velvet drapes, an expensive-looking desk complete with leather chairs and a green and gold reading lamp.

  A sofa sat in the far corner and there was a bookcase holding files of some description. The light-coloured walls hosted lots of framed photographs of scantily-clad beautiful women and well-dressed customers.

  Maggie searched around for the woman she was supposed to be seeing and saw her bent over, rummaging in the bottom drawer of the large desk. She felt a bit awkward and nervously cleared her throat. “Hello? Marie?” she said, stepping slightly forward.

  “Sorry, won’t be a moment. Just looking for a bloody invoice,” Jane muttered from behind the desk.

  Maggie stared at the woman as she sat up. She took in the piercing dark eyes and raven hair cascading way past the shoulders of the woman’s perfectly tailored suit. She thought she’d recognised that voice...

  A silent scream stuck in her throat and she raised her hand to her mouth. She must be hallucinating right? “J-Jane?”

  Jane quickly focused on the woman standing in front of her and smiled. “Maggie! Bloody hell! What are you doing here?”

  Maggie stood frozen to the spot. Her legs felt weak at the knees and she wobbled uncertainly as she tried to maintain her balance. Dizziness enveloped her in a wave and Jane quickly moved to her side and grabbed her to steady her from falling.

  “Come and sit down,” Jane said. “I’ll get you a drink.”

  Maggie shakily followed Jane over to the desk and gingerly lowered herself on to the chair which had been pulled out for her. She began to question her own eyes as well as her sanity.

  Her mind swam worryingly and she blinked several times in rapid succession. “Oh fuck, I’m sorry,” she babbled. “It’s just such a shock. It is you isn’t it? Jane? I’m not going mad am I?” She looked at the woman in front of her only to see her smiling widely.

  “Well Mags, I have to say it’s bloody good to see you and no, you’re not wrong. But...” she lowered her voice, “I’m Marie now. It’s important you remember that.”

  “M-Marie? But why? Why the fuck are you Marie? What’s going on?” she garbled almost incoherently.

  Maggie shakily took the drink she was offered and gratefully gulped the burning spirit down. “I, oh God, I....” she began crying uncontrollably. “I’ve missed you so much, Jane. When did you get out?”

  “Listen,” Jane hissed. “You really need to stop calling me that, Mags.” She lowered her voice further even though she knew full well no one else was in earshot. “Loads of things have happened. Stuff I can’t talk about here.” She sighed. “I’ve built a new life for myself, babe. I can’t have people finding out about my past. At all...”

  Maggie nodded mutely. She just didn’t know what to say.

  “I’m guessing you didn’t come to see me though, so why are you at the Glint? A job, Barry said?”

  Christ, she’d completely forgotten about that! Maggie shook her head fervently, trying the rid the fog that was creeping across every single brain cell. “Y-Yes, I did come about a job,” she muttered, then without thinking words spilled from her mouth like vomit.

  “I need a job here because I’m trying to find out what’s going on. There’s some weird shit happening. My friend, she was involved with this guy...”

  Maggie gulped at the remains of the vodka in her glass, hardly registering that the woman she knew as Jane was eyeing her suspiciously. “Digger’s in town and I think he’s associated with this club.”

  Jane moved forward in her seat suddenly. “Wait a minute. Digger? Are you sure? Are you sure it’s him?”

  Maggie nodded. “It’s him alright. You think I wouldn’t recognise someone who terrified the living daylights out of me?”

  Jane scrutinised Maggie intently, still easily able to detect the vulnerability visible behind the mask she’d desperately tried to overlay. She was telling the truth that was for certain, but they couldn’t discuss this sort of stuff. Not here. Not now. Christ.

  “Ok, look. You need to fill me in with everything you know, including anything and everything you’ve been told and heard about me.”

  Jane reached over the table and gripped Maggie’s hand. “You don’t need to put yourself through working here, Mags. It’s not your scene. I’ll tell you what’s been going down from my side as best I can.” Ok, so not everything, but enough. “But not here. We’ll meet tomorrow night.”

  Maggie nodded, feeling the walls beginning to close in around her and a cold sweat beading on her forehead. This wasn’t a dream. It was actually happening.

  “Give me your address, Mags.”

  Maggie was unsure how she managed to scrawl her address down on the piece of paper she was handed because her fingers were shaking uncontrollably.

  “Now one thing’s certain and that is you can’t breathe a word about me to anyone. Do you understand?” Jane’s voice was ice cold and left no confusion this was not a request. “I mean it Maggie. No one. No boyfriend, friend, no one. I’m trusting you won’t let me down?”

  Maggie knew full well she wouldn’t let Jane down. She knew what happened. “I won’t, I promise,” she whispered. “What time will you be coming?”

  Jane glanced at the address on the piece of paper. “Can’t say, It could be any time after 8, but I’ll be there before midnight at the latest. Make sure you have the place to yourself.”

  Nodding, Maggie shakily got up from the chair, surprised her legs were still working. “I’ll see you tomorrow then J.., er... Marie.”

  Jane smiled. “You will do.” She kept the smile on her face until she heard Maggie’s footsteps receding down the corridor.

  Letting out a long breath, she filled her glass almost to the top with neat vodka and sparked up a cigarette.

  Her forehead furrowed in concentration. Was it possible Digger was involved with Bill Benson?

  Jane sighed and took a long slug of her vodka. She needed to find out what was going on, but how on earth could she ask any questions without revealing her past?

  And what if Digger saw her? She’d definitely have to answer some questions then and she didn’t want to fuck up what she’d got. Christ!

  Jane wiped her hand across her forehead and sincerely hoped Maggie would stay schtum.

  FORTY THREE

  DAN STARED AT JIM AND Digger as they sunk pint after pint and scowled. He supposed it would be his round very shortly. Again. He hadn’t even finished his first pint and these two were already on their sixth.

  He just wasn’t in the mood. He’d been planning an evening with Maggie and had shown up at her place earlier. He’d even bought her a bunch of flowers. He must be going soft in the head.

  She’d been acting very oddly. She hadn’t even invited him in, just muttered about being snowed under with stuff and that she’d see him tomorrow. What was so important that he couldn’t be there or help with?

  Dan turned his pint around slowly on the beermat. Nothing, that’s what. Short of some other bloke on the scene....

  He scowled once more. Oh it was typical wasn’t it? Was this all to do with what he’d said a
bout her wanting to get a job at the Glint? He was only trying to protect her for God’s sake! Furthermore, he’d wanted to spend the evening with her and stay there rather than go home.

  His plan of asking Jim and Digger to find somewhere else to stay had failed. He just hadn’t got the balls and well, they were always pleasant to him so he couldn’t think of a legitimate reason as to why he didn’t want them there. Apart from the fact they scared him, but he didn’t want to think about that.

  Tipping the dregs of his pint into his mouth, Dan forced a smile. “Another one guys?”

  Deciding he’d go and try Maggie’s again after the pub shut, he walked to the bar.

  JANE NEARED THE ADDRESS Maggie had given her. She was caught up about what she was going to say and her mind was rolling. Seeing her old friend had brought back too many memories and she’d barely slept a wink last night thanks to this overload from the past.

  She’d done a couple of lines of coke and several tots of vodka before she’d left the club for the evening in the hope it would enable her to concentrate, but it hadn’t quashed her speeding mind to anywhere near an acceptable level.

  Jane was so distracted she hadn’t got her usual wits about her and was shocked when Ben stepped out from a doorway. “Ben!” she gasped. “What are you doing?”

  Ben smiled lazily, lust visible in his eyes. “Hi Marie, how are you?” he slurred, clearly well on the way to complete drunkenness.

  “Busy!” Jane snapped, attempting to move past him so she could continue her journey. She hadn’t gone to the trouble of leaving the club early just to be side-tracked by this prick.

  “Perhaps you won’t be too busy to hear what I’ve got to say,” Ben said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

  Jane’s eyes narrowed and quickly shook his hand away. “I doubt it, now please step aside and let me be.”

  Ben dropped his hand and leant casually against the wall of a shop. “I think maybe your boss at the Glint would like to know who you are... Mr Benson isn’t it?”