The Downfall Series Box Set

by Edie Baylis

  Jane swung around. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Ben laughed thinly. “Oh, you didn’t realise I knew you worked there? I know everything about you.”

  Jane stared at Ben, trying to read into what he meant. He was obviously bullshitting. There was no way he could know about her past.

  Seeing the fleeting flash of panic, Ben smiled once more. “Yep, I know about your involvement with the police and why. And I know about Jane...”

  Jane blanched. Shit! How? She tried to feign indifference and laughed sarcastically. “Oh God Ben, is that the best you can do? Seriously? Nice try, but it won’t work.”

  Ben stepped closer and put his hand gently on her face. “Oh but you’re wrong, beautiful. Your dodgy boss would love to be informed about what I know...”

  Jane grabbed Ben’s hand and slung it away vehemently. “What the fuck are you trying to do? What’s your problem? Grow up and get on with your life!”

  Ben’s eyes ran slowly up and down her slender figure. Her scent and the desire to delve his tongue deep inside her were taunting him. “Marie or should I say, Jane,” he slurred. “You can make everything right again really easily. I don’t have to fuck your life up you know...”

  Throwing her head back, Jane laughed loudly. “Are you trying to blackmail me with this bullshit? For fuck’s sake! Get out of my way, you clown!”

  Ben watched her angrily stalk up the road without even glancing back. The urge to follow her and drag her into the nearest alley and give her a good fucking was really strong, but decided he wouldn’t give her that pleasure.

  Anger coursed through him in waves. He was fed up of being rejected. She’d never get anyone better than him and it looked like she needed to be reminded of that.

  Shrugging his shoulders, he placed his hands in his pockets, turned on his heels and walked back the way he’d come. It was easy wasn’t it? He’d make sure this Mr Benson got his letter tomorrow and then see how long it was after that before Marie had a change of heart.

  ELIZA STARED AT HERSELF in the bedroom mirror and continued brushing her hair. She eyed the hint of her roots coming through and made a mental note to get them touched up over the next few days.

  Maybe she could even get Ernie to cough up for it? She should at least be getting some perks from having to bed the old bastard again, however small.

  On the upside, after receiving a message from Barry to come to the club this morning, she’d been very pleased with the offer Bill Benson had put on the table for her.

  Being in charge of a club was just what she’d wanted. It was even better that it was Crystals. The final insult to Ernie Carter. The only catch was she was expected to keep touching base with Ernie – starting from today.

  Barry had made it clear they were watching her closely to ensure her safety and to make sure Ernie didn’t pick up on her involvement with Benson, but she wasn’t stupid and could read through the lines.

  As well as ‘ensuring her safety’ they were watching her like a hawk to confirm she was keeping Ernie’s bed warm. The problem was Ernie was keeping her very much at arms’ length.

  Eliza shuddered recalling the feel of his calloused fat fingers groping and squeezing at her breasts. He’d been meticulous in ensuring nothing had been discussed in her presence or in earshot. So at this present moment in time she was having to go down on the wrinkled old fool and let him grunt on top of her for zilch information.

  Eliza scowled and applied some lip gloss to her inflated mouth. Pursing her lips together she winked at her reflection. At least she was still hot as fuck.

  “I’LL NEVER GET USED to calling you Marie,” Maggie said as Jane downed another vodka. She felt slightly better knowing she wasn’t the only one struggling with the past. She’d thought she’d reached a turning point in her life where she’d got over it all, but the hard truth was she hadn’t got over anything.

  “I’d rather you did, Mags,” Jane said.

  Maggie smiled. “I’ll try.”

  “So, what do you know?”

  “That night, you know, the night you...” Maggie swallowed, gulping nervously at the vodka, not knowing where to start. “I hadn’t seen you for a few days so I went round your flat finding it deserted. I knew straight away something bad had happened. I then heard you’d been arrested for mowing Paul down.”

  Jane nodded. “Shame I didn’t finish him wasn’t it?” she winked.

  Maggie looked up. “Is it true you parked up outside the police station waiting to get arrested?”

  Jane sparked up a cigarette and smiled. “Yep.”

  “But why?”

  “I just couldn’t see the point anymore.”

  Maggie fiddled with a strand of her hair. “Then Digger told me you’d killed Seth.”

  Jane blanched. “Please don’t talk about him,” she whispered. She knew these questions were on the cards, but hadn’t taken on board how she would feel actually being asked them. She reached into her bag and began cutting lines of coke.

  Maggie eyed the rows of white powder lined up on her kitchen table. So Jane was still on the gear then? “But did you?”

  “I sat there for hours willing him back to life before I left. There was no movement and he wasn’t breathing. The rest is all a blur,” Jane muttered.

  “When did they find him?”

  “I don’t know. Digger found him. I thought you were going to get charged for Seth as well as Paul, but Digger put it around that he’d been done by a gang.”

  “I probably should have been charged. I never denied it. I just wasn’t asked.”

  “And you think Seth would have wanted that? He loved you too much.”

  Much to Maggie’s surprise a tear slipped slowly down Jane’s cheek. She tried to lighten the mood. “You two were fucking unhinged, babe!” she laughed.

  “Please can we drop this now?” Jane said, refilling her glass.

  “God, Eliza fucking despised you for it,” Maggie continued without thinking. “Still we all know who she wanted didn’t we!”

  Jane lined up more cocaine, desperately needing to numb the drowning feelings in her brain.

  “I tried to visit you. Several times. You didn’t once answer any of my letters or requests for VOs. I was heartbroken. I missed you so much.”

  Jane shook her head. “I couldn’t have had anyone visit me.”

  “Why not? I loved you. Digger loved you. We all loved you. Still do. We wanted to see you and make sure you were alright.”

  Jane suddenly slammed her glass down on the table causing vodka to splash everywhere. “Alright?” she screamed. “How the fuck could I have been alright? I killed the man I loved.”

  Shit. Maggie’s eyes quickly darted around the room, half expecting Jane to kick off at her and her nervousness returned like someone had flicked the light switch on. Her courage to ask the questions which had haunted her for years was fast diminishing. “Sorry babe, I’m sorry. I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

  Trying very hard not to spiral out of control, Jane gritted her teeth and forced her mind to spin back into a position where she could at least attempt to think rationally. “It’s all about you then still is it I see?” she said, the bitterness clear in her voice. “You want to know why I didn’t answer your letters?”

  “Yes I do, babe. It’s bothered me for years. Did you hate me for what I did?”

  “What you did?” Jane laughed hollowly. “What were you supposed to have done?”

  Maggie stared at the floor. “Oh you know, there were plenty of times I wasn’t there for you when I should have been and you were always there for me.”

  Tears started flowing freely down Maggie’s face. “Remember Zed? I moved away with him when I couldn’t get to see you. It was obvious you didn’t want me and I was devastated.”

  Jane smiled sadly, guessing she did owe her friend some kind of explanation. “I’m sorry, Mags. It wasn’t you. I just couldn’t face seeing anyone.”

  “I can’t i
magine you being locked up. You were always such a free-bird. A butterfly.”

  Jane smiled. “Well they caged me in the end didn’t they? I wasn’t in a good place and wasn’t for some time.”

  She remembered the time well. There had been a part of her that had desperately wanted to see Maggie, but knew her friend would have struggled seeing the woman she’d always seen as infallible behind bars and at breaking point.

  Jane tried to smile. She might as well tell her. It didn’t change anything. Not now. “You’d have had a shock with my new look if you’d seen me when you sent that last VO Mags.”

  “Oh no! You mean they wouldn’t let you have any hairspray?” Maggie joked.

  “Well yes, that and because at that point I was as heavily pregnant as it gets...”

  The smile fell from Maggie’s face like a stone and the glass she was holding dropped from her hand and smashed on the floor. “You’ve got a child? Seth’s child? Oh my God, Jane!”

  “Not any longer. They took her.” Jane murmured.

  “Who did? Who took her?” Maggie sputtered.

  “The fucking authorities, that’s who,” Jane spat. She stood up. She needed to go. This conversation was over.

  FORTY FOUR

  BILL PLACED THE PHONE back onto its cradle and smiled widely at Sheila who glanced up from some paperwork.

  “Phil ok?” Sheila asked.

  Bill nodded, pleased to see the happiness in Sheila’s eyes. They’d been given the news earlier today that thanks to it being a cash sale, their house purchase was due to complete in two weeks and Sheila was itching to start packing up stuff from both his house and from hers.

  He was also more than happy. Apart from the house, the visit he’d got from Carter earlier had been music to his ears. He’d derived immense pleasure filling Phil in about it and had chuckled so much as he’d described Carter’s hang-dog squashed expression that he still had tears in his eyes.

  Oh yes, he’d made sure he’d squeezed as much humiliation out of Carter as possible and had thoroughly enjoyed every second.

  If only the man could have dug himself a hole he’d surely have crawled into it. The shame colouring his cheeks as he’d been forced to verbally admit he was defeated was enough to heat the room.

  “You can have Crystals, Benson. It’s over,” Carter had muttered.

  “Always nicer to do things amicably isn’t it, Carter?” Bill had replied cheerfully.

  “You’ve won,” Carter had continued clearly trying to contain his anger. “As soon as I’ve tied up a few loose ends, I’ll be moving on. I’m done in this town.”

  Bill had nodded, again trying to keep a sombre expression on his face rather than laughing as Carter admitted his total and utter failing. “Just the way things go,” he’d said patronisingly, determined to rub in as much pain as possible.

  Phil however hadn’t been quite so enamoured when he’d learnt what had been said. “Are you sure this isn’t some form of set up?” he’d asked.

  That had also crossed Bill’s mind. There was something that wasn’t sitting quite right about any of it which was nagging him, but at the end of the day it didn’t really matter. Even if, like both Sheila and Phil suspected, Carter didn’t take this up the arse, the reprisals wouldn’t be anything he couldn’t handle.

  There wasn’t much else that could be taken from the man anyway, apart from his life and that would be happening without a doubt. He just wanted to let him wallow in his own self-pity and public humiliation a little while longer before removing him.

  “Sheel,” Bill said, diverting her attention away from the paperwork. “I just want to say that if anything happens to me, the club’s yours. Make sure you keep Marie and bring Phil and Jim on board too. They can do the work whilst you get the profits.”

  Sheila blanched and got up. She walked over to Bill’s desk. “What the hell are you saying that for?” she cried. “Do you know something I don’t?”

  “Whoa!” Bill stood up and grasping her by the shoulders, pulled her into his chest. “Of course not! You should know by now that I tell you everything. I hide nothing from you, Sheila and never have,” he smiled. “You know I spoke to the solicitor today about the house completion? Well it crossed my mind that I should make sure you’re the beneficiary of my estate.”

  “But why would you suddenly feel you needed to do that? That’s a sign that is!”

  Bill laughed and kissed Sheila gently on the mouth. He could see tears forming at the back of her eyes and felt like his heart may burst with love for this woman. “Come on! What do you think I am? Mystic Meg? It was a sensible thing to do whilst I was on the phone to the solicitors that’s all.”

  “I don’t know, Bill. I have a bad feeling about Carter.”

  Bill laughed and playfully slapped Sheila’s backside. “Come on you. Get yourself home. You’ve done more than enough for tonight.”

  Sheila shook her head. “I’ll wait until you finish.”

  “I’m going to be another hour or so yet. Get yourself back and get a nice bottle of wine ready and the bed warm, yes?”

  “Ok,” Sheila smiled, squeezing his hand.

  “I’ll ring down and get Barry to arrange one of the lads to drop you home.”

  Putting her hand on her hips, Sheila scowled. “No you fucking well won’t Bill! I think after all this time I can look after myself don’t you?”

  Bill put both his hands up in mock surrender. “Ok, Ok, you win!” he laughed.

  JANE WALKED STEADILY back towards the Glint. She knew she’d got the evening off, but there was a couple of things she needed to double check about the girls’ rota for tomorrow nights’ line-up.

  Actually, it was an excuse. The evening with Maggie had been a lot harder than she’d anticipated and she needed to find something to deflect her swirling mind.

  She hadn’t expected Maggie to show up here of all places. In fact she hadn’t banked on encountering anyone from her past ever again. Maggie had transported her back to a time she’d tried so hard to move on from.

  Jane had known it would be difficult, but hadn’t truthfully counted on it being that difficult or painful. She could discuss anything apart from Seth and the baby and she’d done both tonight and it had knocked her sideways.

  Then there was Ben. Jane glanced over her shoulder, keeping an eye out in case he decided to jump out from the shadows again.

  Putting her hand in her pocket, her fingers closed around the butt of the pistol. It was an untraceable one – no serial numbers and just touching the metal made her feel more in control of the situation.

  Jane sighed. She needed to come clean with Sheila and Bill about who she was in case Ben carried out his threat. It would be better coming from her rather than someone else. Plus maybe when she’d filled Bill and Sheila in about her background, well most of it, then she could safely find the answers as to Digger’s involvement.

  That decided it. She’d request a meeting with them first thing tomorrow.

  Glad to see the façade of the Glint come in to view as she rounded the corner, Jane smiled. She needed to get her mind off all of this shit.

  ERNIE HAD BEEN WAITING by the market for over two hours and was as stiff as a board. Although his Jag was comfy, it still did his arse no favours being stuck cramped up in a car seat for so long. He was well aware he could be waiting a couple more hours yet before the opportunity he needed arose.

  Taking a sip of coffee from the flask he’d had the foresight to bring, he grimaced finding it lukewarm. He glanced in the rear view mirror. Nothing going on back there.

  All he had to do was bide his time. Running his fat fingers across his chin, he trained his eyes back to the corner of the market which was the spot he needed to watch. The urge for revenge was so strong he could taste it and he’d wait all night if he had to.

  Ernie mentally ran through his plan for the umpteenth time and impatiently ignored the stirrings in his crotch. The urge to start kneading himself through his trousers to reliev
e the constant state of semi-arousal was tempting, but he knew if he did he’d have no choice but to release his frustration himself and he didn’t want to do that. Not tonight.

  Hearing the faint clack of heels on the pavement in the otherwise quiet stillness of the early morning, his ears pricked up and he sat frozen in alertness and anticipation, all his senses heightened.

  When Sheila appeared around the corner Ernie’s heart upped a gear and began thundering in his chest. This was it. It was time to exact revenge on Benson.

  A wide smile erupted across his face. Remaining immobile he hardly dared breathe as he patiently waited for her to get closer.

  Sheila had a soft smile on her face and seemed pleasantly lost in her own daydream as she drew level with the bonnet of the Jaguar. Wasting no further time in case she happened to glance in the window, Ernie leapt from the car.

  Sheila tried to scream but didn’t get anything out before Ernie clamped his pudgy hand over her mouth. With no time to lose, he dragged her backwards across the pavement.

  As she flailed around, kicking and scratching like a wild woman, Ernie frowned. He’d forgotten she was unlikely to allow herself to be accosted without a fight.

  “Don’t resist me, Sheila,” Ernie growled, delivering a well-aimed punch to her temple.

  Watching her drop to the ground like a sack of potatoes he thought about finishing it here. His throbbing cock would certainly appreciate it, but also knew that would have been plain stupid, so as planned he opened the boot and unceremoniously threw Sheila inside.

  Jumping back in the Jaguar, Ernie fired the engine and smiled as he accelerated towards a factory on the south side of the industrial estate. This was good. That part had taken literally less than a minute. It was all going nicely to plan.

  MATT LIT ANOTHER CIGARETTE and stared miserably at the few he’d got remaining in his packet. “How much longer is Carter going to be? I’m going to run out of fags soon,” he moaned.

  Pete continued picking his nose and mindlessly stared out of the van window at the deserted loading bay around the back of the factory. “How do I know? Whenever he’s ready I guess... As usual...”