The Downfall Series Box Set

by Edie Baylis

  “Police?” Jane exclaimed. “I’m not the police. Who on earth said that?” How could they think she was a copper?

  “There are dates and times listed here which states when you’ve been present at the police station on Granger Road. The sender also states you’re moving around under a false name and there is documentation to prove this.”

  Bill’s eyes narrowed and Jane knew he was watching her every move. “Bill, I can’t believe you think I’m an undercover cop!” She began to smile. It was ridiculous. “This has got to be from this bloke who’s been hassling me. He’s gone a bit crazy.”

  “A boyfriend?” Bill asked.

  Jane stiffened, feeling Seth’s accusatory gaze switch to her. “N-not a boyfriend as such.”

  “The trouble is Marie, the dates and times which have been listed correspond with when you’ve had to ‘nip out’.” Bill’s voice was getting louder, more threatening.

  “I can assure you I’m not a...”

  “You’re not being truthful Marie,” Bill roared. “You’re hiding something. I can see it in your face. The information states Marie Sutherland is not your real name. IS THAT TRUE?”

  Jane opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

  “IS IT FUCKING TRUE?” Bill screamed, slamming his glass of whisky on the desktop.

  “Yes, that’s true,” Jane replied quietly.

  Barry flung himself from his seat and yanked Jane from her chair by her throat. “You fucking bitch! I’ll rip you apart! Let your fucking copper friends sort that out!”

  Jane struggled for breath as Barry’s hand tightened around her windpipe.

  Suddenly Seth appeared at Barry’s side. Prising his hand away he slammed him up against the wall. “Fucking leave her, Barry!” he roared.

  Barry looked at Seth incredulously, his eyes gleaming with rage. “What the fuck are you doing? She’s a bastard traitor! Just because you want to fuck her!”

  “I saw how you looked at each other last night. I saw them, Bill. Hey everyone, Jim wants to bed the fucking copper!” Barry raised his arms theatrically.

  Seth moved forward to strike Barry, but Bill stepped in. “ENOUGH!”

  He stared Seth in the eyes and lowered his voice. “If this is true and she’s filth she needs to be taken out, regardless of what your dick says. She’s already admitted lying about her name.” Bill’s eyes narrowed further. “And I thought better of you. Thinking about skirt when my Sheila lay dead in front of you.”

  “That’s not the case Bill,” Seth spoke calmly and turned towards Barry. “For a start, for those of you that don’t know, my name’s not Jim. It’s Seth. Seth Wright.”

  He turned towards Jane, his eyes burning. “And she,” Seth pointed, “is Jane Ellerton. She’s not a cop – undercover or otherwise. She’s my wife and I haven’t seen her for five fucking years.”

  AFTER THIS REVELATION, Bill had sent Digger and Barry out whilst Seth and Jane had been asked to remain where they had been subjected to a myriad of questions.

  “So why did you two part?” Bill asked Jane.

  “I stabbed him when he tried to shoot me,” Jane answered matter of factly, ensuring any emotion was omitted from her voice.

  “Is that what you went down for?”

  Jane shook her head. “No. That was for attempted murder on my stalker ex.” There was little point in trying to hide anything anymore.

  Bill nodded. “And if the police start digging here because of your presence?”

  “I’m only on licence for a few more months. No reason why they should. I’ve kept my nose clean.” Jane continued, but knew she owed him an apology. “I should have told you and I’m sorry.” She was. Truly. She should have been straight from the start.

  Seth leaned forward in his chair. “Bear in mind Bill, I’m just as much of a risk. There are many warrants out for me, hence the ‘Jim’ thing.”

  He was unsure why he’d felt the need to try and fight Jane’s corner. She’d always managed to do that well enough on her own. Feeling her glance at him, he steadfastly refused to allow any expression cross his face.

  Bill sighed. How come he’d managed to get landed with not one, but TWO of them actively on the police radar? By rights he should get rid of them both pronto. They were definitely a liability, but Seth was shit hot and Marie, or Jane as she really was, was proving to be well worth her mettle.

  “And this Ben guy? The boyfriend?”

  Jane’s eyes narrowed. “He’s not a boyfriend, but I’ll sort it.”

  Seth tried to ignore the urge to clench his fist. Boyfriend? He wanted to kill him, the cunt.

  Bill clasped his hands together, looking at Seth and then Jane. “And what about you two? There’s obviously a lot of unresolved issues and I need people who are focused, not distracted.”

  Seth crossed his arms and smiled. “It was a shock seeing each other last night. We thought each other dead, but I can assure you there’s nothing here to dilute my work. My involvement with Jane ended a long time ago.”

  Seth’s words sliced like a knife in butter through Jane’s heart. So he had no feelings for her anymore and had got on with his life? Lucky him.

  Setting her jaw in a straight line, she ensured her face gave away no hint of the turmoil she was feeling and smiled. “Same here. I’ve moved on. You’ll get no problems from me arising from our shared history.”

  The words came easily from her mouth, but burnt treacherous lines in the back of her throat. Well if Seth could do it, then so must she.

  Bill stared at Seth and Jane a moment longer. He didn’t buy what either of them said. Their mutual need for each other was humming like tuning forks, but what choice did he have? He was too far down the road with Carter to swap his people out. Especially ones like them.

  He’d just have to gamble that the police stayed away and Seth and Jane could control their resentment, desire or whatever was fuelling them and not let it encroach on their ability to think straight.

  BEN WAS GNASHING HIS teeth together so hard it could be heard even over the sound of the car engine.

  “Will you stop that!” Shelley snapped, her hand resting on her bump. She adjusted the seat belt again, unable to get it comfortable. “Can’t you at least pretend to be interested?”

  Ben slapped the button on the stereo, blindly trying to turn the radio up to drown out her nagging voice. Interested? No he couldn’t pretend to be bloody interested.

  He had too much going on. Why the hell did he have to come to this? It was only a goddamn scan, for Christ’s sake. Impatiently he accelerated hard into a roundabout.

  “For God’s sake!” Shelley wailed as the seat belt dug painfully into her stomach causing a volley of movement from the baby inside. It was no use. Ben was making no effort at all.

  “Don’t you even want to find out whether it’s a boy or a girl?” she moaned. She was spending a lot of the time feeling disappointed and hurt again. Ben had blatantly gone back on everything he’d promised.

  “You shouldn’t even be driving. You had all that Tequila this morning,” Shelley ranted. “Look at you! You’re still half-pissed. It’s embarrassing. What will the nurses think of you?”

  Ben gripped the steering wheel harder. “How the hell did you expect to be driven to the fucking scan then? You were the one who insisted I take you and come as well, so make your bloody mind up!” he roared, wishing he hadn’t bothered returning after dropping the letter off at the Glint.

  He’d got things he needed to do today and he also wanted to go and see Marie to see if she’d had a change of heart yet, but instead he was stuck here. With her. He glanced irritably at Shelley. She made him sick she did. Totally bloody sick.

  Shelley glared at Ben and her hand moved protectively over her belly. None of this was helping her state of mind. She was feeing unattractive at the moment and he wasn’t doing anything to make her feel less so. He hadn’t even slept with her in three days. “We’re going to be late now as well by the looks of it,”
she griped.

  “Oh, shut up!” Ben muttered, feeling himself beginning to sweat. He was gagging for another drink. Slamming his foot down on the accelerator, he shot forward and angrily swerved around the car in front which was driving slower than he’d liked.

  “BEN!” Shelley screamed in panic.

  Ben didn’t see the car that pulled out of a side road and as he wrestled with the steering wheel to remain in control, he couldn’t avoid the vehicle from slamming into his passenger side.

  SETH SNORTED ANOTHER line of coke and swigged greedily at his eighth pint, glad he was feeling the effects of the alcohol. He forced a smile at Chantal and Eliza who had made it their business to sit uninvited at his and Digger’s table.

  He knew Eliza had been trying to get back into his good books since her bitchy comments the other week, but much to her disappointment he’d found it extremely easy to refuse her advances and hadn’t touched her with a bargepole. His mind was very much on Jane, but like she’d said, she’d moved on.

  The knowledge was festering within Seth like an open sore and he resented Jane still had the pull on him that she’d always had. Her very presence fired every single nerve ending in his body.

  Seth glanced at Digger. He’d hardly said two words today either and he felt in his bones that the man was lying. He knew something and this was all going to shit. Sighing, he pulled himself to his feet, well aware Eliza was staring at him. He walked off in the direction of the toilets, but as he rounded the corner he came face to face with Jane.

  Feeling his heart jump into his mouth, Seth nodded civilly and made to walk past her.

  “Seth...” Jane put her hand on his arm, feeling him recoil immediately. Trying not to show her hurt she looked up at him standing angrily in front of her. Her eyes followed his jaw line down to the little smattering of hair visible underneath his open collar.

  “What is it, Jane?” Seth said brusquely, his line of vision stuck on her mouth as she’d spoken his name. He wanted to kiss her. Kiss her badly. Kiss her so hard she couldn’t breathe. “I’m busy.”

  “When are we going to talk about this,” she asked, conscious her voice was breathless.

  Seth tried to override the primal lust racing inside him. “What is there to say? I think we both made ourselves clear earlier didn’t we?” He needed to get away from her. Needed to get away NOW.

  Jane tried to mask her disappointment and stopped the instinctive urge to run her hand down his chest. Trace her fingers along his face. Bite his lip.

  “Like Bill said, we need to get on with our jobs,” Seth moved forward, signifying the conversation was over. He had to before he pushed her against the wall and wrapped her legs around his hips. “We don’t need to go over old ground. Just let one of us know what the upshot is with your boyfriend and his blackmail stuff, yeah?” Seth spat.

  “I’ve already said he’s not my boyfriend,” Jane said quickly, berating herself for feeling the need to justify anything.

  “Whatever,” Seth muttered, walking back towards the club. Fuck it. He’d use the toilet later.

  His anger was pounding. Knowing Jane was close behind him only fuelled his rage and impotence to stop the unwanted feelings swamping him.

  Approaching his table, Seth glanced around and saw Jane about to walk past and before he could change his mind, pulled Eliza up from her chair and kissed her passionately.

  Jane froze to the spot, the urge to rip that woman from Seth’s arms and smash her face into the floor overwhelming. Instead, she propelled her legs to continue walking. She needed to get back to her office. She wouldn’t let him see the tears falling from her eyes.

  Sensing Jane had passed, Seth released Eliza, who fell back on her stair stunned, and breathless.

  Getting back to her feet, Eliza happily put her arms around Seth’s waist, tilting her face up towards his with the need to feel his tongue work its magic in her mouth again. “Hey babe, shall we go back to mine then?” she winked.

  Shaking her away, Seth grabbed his jacket from the seat. “Fuck off Eliza,” he growled and walked from the club. He needed some air.

  SHELLEY FELT BLANK. She lay on the hospital bed and stared numbly at the white ceiling. She didn’t feel too bad physically. Just severe bruising and a broken rib. It could have been a lot worse they’d said.

  Silent tears coursed down her face. How could it be worse? They hadn’t been the ones who’d witnessed an ultrasound passing over their bellies and finding no sign of a heartbeat had they?

  “I’m so sorry,” the doctor had said after he’d been fetched to confirm the radiographer’s suspicion that the machine had detected flat line. There was no heartbeat. Her baby was dead. Ben had killed their baby.

  Shelley gritted her teeth and painfully pushed herself up onto her elbows and winced as pain shot through her ribs. Against her better judgement she lifted the green and white hospital gown up to her chest and stared at the deepening black stripe of a bruise that spanned the width of her stomach.

  “Seatbelts should always be worn under your bump in case of accidents,” they’d said knowingly whilst they’d signed the paperwork confirming the death of her unborn child.

  Didn’t they think if she’d have known that she’d have made sure she’d put the fucking thing in the right place? Too late now wasn’t it? Too fucking late.

  Even though she knew she shouldn’t, Shelley was unable to stop herself from rubbing her hand over her bump. She could still feel her baby. A boy apparently.

  Maybe they were wrong? She prodded her belly, desperately willing the movements she’d got so used to feeling miraculously start again, but there was nothing.

  A nurse approached and looked at Shelley kindly. “Shelley, do you want to take these for me and then we’ll just have a little feel around inside to help this get started,” she smiled, handing over a cup of water and two pills.

  Shelley watched the nurse wheel a trolley across. It was no use. Her baby was dead and they were going to induce her. Now.

  “Where’s Ben,” Shelley asked quietly, feeling very afraid. He’d left the room ages ago, muttering something about going to fetch a coffee.

  The nurse faltered then smiled sadly. “I’m afraid he’s gone, love. He told me to tell you he had stuff to do.” The spineless bastard. She’d seen plenty of those before.

  Shelley closed her eyes and began to sob loudly and openly, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

  The nurse grasped her hand. “I know, sweetheart. I know, but you’re better off without him. Come on, time to be brave. Let’s get this over with shall we?”

  FIFTY

  JANE SAT AT HER KITCHEN table and poured herself another glass of vodka. As she unsteadily tipped up the bottle, some spilt on the table top and she put her sleeve in the wet pool, uncaring.

  Yes, she was drunk, but she couldn’t have cared less. Unable to reconcile her mounting feelings of despair, she wiped at her reddened eyes angrily, damned if she’d cry again.

  She would end up with nothing at this rate if she wasn’t careful. Although extremely grateful Bill had given her a second chance despite not being upfront with him about her past, she knew if she allowed the way she felt for Seth to infringe on anything then she’d be kicked out.

  She knew more than most there was little room for emotions or sentiment in this game, but Jesus, she loved him still. In fact it was physically painful. She was just as much in love with him as she always had been and there was nothing she could do about it.

  Jane shakily lit up another cigarette off the back of the last one aware she was chain-smoking, but she needed to do something to keep her hands busy and to deflect from the fact she was shaking. What a fucking mess!

  Seeing Seth kissing that woman had been horrific. It had been even more horrific when she’d realised it was Eliza. She’d reinvented herself somewhat that was for sure and it was plain to see anything she may have meant to the woman had long since departed. Although she was well aware Eliza had always had a
thing for Seth, Jane was hurt that she clearly hated her so much to do what she had.

  It had taken all of her power to walk past and not react. Maybe she should just leave this place and move on? She was unsure how much longer she could keep up this masquerade and it had only been one day.

  The way Seth was behaving was hurting as much, if not more than when she’d believed he was dead.

  Jane pulled her hair away from the pool of vodka that it was trailing in on the table and clumsily tied it into a loose ponytail. God, she needed to get a grip.

  BEN WALKED ALONG THE road feeling a lot better. The afternoon he’d spent in the pub had quashed the minute trace of guilt he’d felt for leaving Shelley at the hospital on her own. He was dreading what she’d be like when she got out. Bloody moaning at him no doubt. Whining and blaming him for everything.

  It wasn’t his fault that fucking car had come out of nowhere. No one could have avoided it. It was an accident.

  Besides, he’d needed to make himself scarce as soon as possible before anyone picked up the alcohol on his breath. It didn’t matter if the cops showed up now because it was more than feasible and purely understandable he’d been drowning his sorrows wasn’t it? His baby had died for fuck’s sake, so he was bound to be upset right?

  No one could now prove he’d had alcohol in his bloodstream at the time of the crash so he was home and dry. The same couldn’t be said for his bloody car though. The stupid bitch making him rush.

  He hardly ever used his company motor for personal journeys and predictably on one of the first times he had, it had got written off. He was bound to get some form of disciplinary because of it, but at this precise moment in time that was the least of his problems.

  He should probably phone the hospital to see how Shelley was doing, but very quickly decided that could wait until tomorrow.

  Rounding the corner onto the road where Marie lived, Ben took a deep breath. He’d been looking forward to this all day. Reaching her front door, he knocked loudly three times and stood back to wait.