The Downfall Series Box Set

by Edie Baylis

  Lomond repositioned himself slightly in his chair feeling an erection forming with the thought of sinking his teeth into her pert young breasts. Christ, how he enjoyed making the stupid bitch beg. The best was when he fucked her so hard she cried, whilst pretending she wasn’t.

  He didn’t even mind he was being asked to go on sojourns into posh strip clubs to start the cat off amongst the pigeons, although he didn’t understand all the ins and outs as to why, but the more things he did for Eliza and Digger, the more indebted they became and soon he’d have a handy bit of leverage.

  That Aiden bloke who worked alongside irritated him and although it hadn’t been part of his original plan, Steve realised if he played his cards right, he could side-line him, then get his hands on his heroin dealings. He smiled. He’d got it all planned. Fuck. He’d make a bastard mint from this.

  Lomond smiled happily at his pint. It was all going very well indeed.

  Digger looked up, a thin trickle of sweat making its way down between his shoulder blades. “I think our enquiries are having the desired effect Steve, so well done for that.”

  When he’d caught up with Aiden this afternoon he’d said his brother Alan had confirmed Lomond’s visit to the Limelight on Wednesday had caused the required reaction compared to his attempted effort. It had created ruction within the top ranks too. So much so that Seth Wright had been present with Miller this morning.

  Digger took another slug of his pint and folded his arms across his chest. He fixed his gaze on Steve Lomond. “There’s something else I need you to get onto as a matter of urgency.”

  Lomond grinned exposing his blackened teeth. “No problem. What is it that you need me to do?”

  Digger frowned. Eliza had been so happy after receiving that letter earlier and he hadn’t liked to ruin her day by dropping a nuclear bomb on her joy about what Aiden’s brother had heard Miller and Wright discussing.

  He shoved a cigarette in his mouth. “I need you to arrange a meeting with Seth Wright and masquerade as a private investigator who goes by the name of Carl Mulligan.”

  Eliza would go loco when she learnt what had occurred. They needed to act quickly he knew that, but firstly he needed a damage limitation plan in place to soften the blow when he broke the news.

  SEVEN

  TINA WOKE SUDDENLY and immediately wished she hadn’t. Last night had been one of her rare nights off and she had gone slightly over the top. Her head felt like it had been filled with concrete and someone had smashed all of her teeth in with a plank of wood during the night.

  She groped blindly at the rickety bedside table and with a sinking feeling the memory of finishing the last of her gear seeped into her mind. Slight panic radiated as she remembered how much was outstanding on Aiden’s slate. If she couldn’t get something together in the next hour or so for a fix she’d be well and truly in the crap.

  She glanced towards the thin blue curtains gingerly held up with drawing pins and surmised it must be fairly early. Was she supposed to be doing anything? Christ, she was even unsure of the fucking day!

  Pushing herself up against the ripped vinyl headboard, Tina glanced at the man lying face down the other side of her bed and scowled. She eyed the pair of stained tracksuit bottoms and the faded grey hoody in a heap on the floor and sighed. For God’s sake. Her eyes traced over his skinny frame and shrugged. She had no idea who he was but it hardly mattered.

  Forcing her aching body from the bed Tina unsteadily grabbed the man’s clothes from the floor, her nose wrinkling up when a blast of body odour assaulted her nostrils. She rifled through his pockets hoping to come across a wrap or two of something, but there was nothing.

  As withdrawal tremors begin to make themselves known, Tina knew she’d have to locate Aiden very soon and plead to his better nature to allow her further credit. She had to get some money from somewhere. She’d spent virtually the whole of last week on the lookout for potential contenders to up Eliza’s numbers. She had to get more girls on the books. She needed that raise. It was the only way she would survive.

  Despite the long hours trawling around her usual haunts of bus and train stations, subways and shopping centres, for once she’d failed to even pull in one girl. Not only was she desperate for the cash, but also paranoid she’d get sacked on top.

  Swigging the last inch of warm flat cider from a two-litre bottle Tina stared despondently at the damp wall of her room. She’d still heard nothing from Anna the snobby little slag. Absolutely jack shit.

  Would she actually have to physically go to her bloody mother’s house and get Anna’s whereabouts out of her? It was getting very close to the point where she’d quite happily break into the old bat’s house and sell what remained of her crummy furniture to get some money together.

  Ignoring the greasy skinny man in her bed who was beginning to make sounds of regaining consciousness she quickly slipped from the room.

  Walking into the girls’ kitchen and noticing not one of the lazy tarts had yet bothered surfacing, Tina pushed the overflowing ashtray to one side of the table and ignored what looked like a small pile of congealed baked beans stuck to the top of the scratched table top.

  She glanced around for something to drink and saw some cheap supermarket-own lager on the floor in a carrier bag. Helping herself to a can she sat down at the table and rolled a cigarette in her shaking fingers. Lighting it she hoped it wouldn’t make her feel any sicker than she already did.

  Tina pulled the local paper across the table and aimlessly flicked through the dog-eared pages, scanning the endless boring articles. Leafing through, she stopped suddenly at the entertainment, business and society pages. No way! Was that ANNA?

  Tina focused her eyes as best as she could on the photo swimming in front of her eyes. Yes, it was definitely her. OH MY GOD! The picture was taken at that posh club Aiden got invited to the other week and she was pictured with none other than the notorious Seth and Jane Wright.

  She squinted at the photographer’s caption:

  ‘...A fabulous night was had by hundreds at the Limelight club for Linda Miller’s birthday. Linda, pictured with her husband Jason, celebrated in style along with Seth and Jane Wright and their gorgeous son, Toby - accompanied by his nanny, Miss Anna Slater...’

  So that was what Anna was doing? Nanny for the Wrights? Tina smiled happily. The lucky bitch had fallen on her feet this time hadn’t she? Everybody knew how bloody rich the Wright’s were. For God’s sake - she herself had been forced to listen to Eliza banging on about the pair of them for what seemed like centuries. About how fucking lucky and sorted they were. About how they’d only got where they were today at her expense and that the pair of them owed her big time. Oh yes, she’d heard it countless times.

  This was good. It appeared there may well be a God after all. Tina smiled conspiringly to herself. Now Anna definitely couldn’t give her that old welly she had no cash. The Wrights wouldn’t be paying her peanuts to look after their precious son that was for certain. She grinned. She’d be having some of that - unless her darling sister wanted her to arrive at her place of work on a regular basis in front of her posh employers that was.... Yes, she’d get a nice regular sum from her snotty sister for this one.

  Tina glanced at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. Eliza would be surfacing soon and she’d insist on a meeting. The woman would be most interested in hearing what she’d got to say.

  MAGGIE WATCHED JANE slip her feet into a stunning pair of designer toe-post sandals with the daintiest of kitten heels. The deep gold leather set off the slight tan she sported.

  The shop assistant kneeling at Jane’s feet ensured the shoe fitted perfectly and smiled graciously. “Would you like to stand up for me now Mrs Wright and have a little walk around to see how they feel? Beautiful choice I must say,” she gushed.

  Maggie fought back a giggle watching Jane roll her eyes at the assistant’s bowing and scraping, knowing full well she’d never get used to being waited on.

  Jane
took two steps forward in the sandals before stopping and kicking them off. “Yep, these will do nicely thanks,” she said quickly.

  “Does Madam not want to try on some other colours? Perhaps a colour for different outfits? We have a dark purple pair which would go just right with the dress I saw you wearing in the paper last month.”

  Jane gritted her teeth. “No thank you. Just these will be fine.” Putting her hand in her bag she retrieved her purse and pulled her bank card from it.

  The woman almost curtseyed and taking the card, thanked Jane profusely. “If you’d like to come to the till when you’re ready?”

  As the assistant wandered off to box up the shoes, Maggie looked at Jane. “So how much are they?”

  Jane shrugged. “Haven’t a clue!”

  Maggie laughed. “How bloody funny! How times have changed!”

  “Tell me about it!” Jane grinned. “It’s worth it just for the amusement value. If only they knew eh?”

  Maggie smiled. It was true. It wasn’t that long ago that store detectives frequently followed them around any shop they went in. Apparently they looked the ‘type’ who would steal. Now Seth and Jane were one of the most well-respected and connected couples in the city, people fell over themselves to be involved with them. What they didn’t know was that Seth and Jane were exactly the same as they’d always been.

  She’d been extremely worried when Jane had returned to Seth. She’d been convinced their relationship would be as damaging, dangerous and toxic as it was previously. She hadn’t believed for one minute Seth would do things properly this time. How many times had she heard him promise Jane that? This time though he’d delivered what he’d promised and even though she’d spent the last two years on edge waiting for the shit to hit the fan, it hadn’t. Both Seth and Jane were happy. In fact, so happy sometimes Maggie thought she must be hallucinating the entire thing.

  Obviously they were still very much embroiled with the firm, the club and all the unsavoury dealings that went on within, but from everything she’d seen these days they both had a lower involvement with incriminating activities. Maggie was exceptionally glad about that being as she had been less than enamoured when Dan had been given a proper job with the firm, graduating quickly into Seth’s right hand man.

  It had done her a favour though. After Dan’s money started rolling in she’d made the decision to quit work completely. Dan had supported her fully as he knew it would help her nerves immeasurably and it had. Now she was so much more relaxed and happily spent most days pottering around the lovely house they’d purchased.

  After collecting the shoes from the till, Maggie enviously eyed Jane’s figure in a clingy blue top, tight black trousers and knee-high stiletto boots as she followed her to the department store’s restaurant where they each ordered a sandwich and glass of wine.

  Jane sipped at her drink. She’d had that dream again last night. She’d watched Grace being slapped around and left alone in the dark with nothing to eat. She’d been a horrified silent observer watching her daughter sob in anguish in a corner of the cold, bare room.

  She’d woken up, barely able to breathe – her own sobs stuck deep in her throat and it had taken a few minutes to get her bearing enough to confirm it had only been a dream.

  Jane had spent the rest of the night lying awake staring at the ceiling and thinking about her first born. What if the dreams were trying to tell her something? What if it was true and it was happening somewhere right now?

  The need to get her daughter back was gradually suffocating her and the gnawing feeling was getting worse. She hadn’t said anything to Seth when he’d woken. What was the point? She knew he’d got people on the case.

  EIGHT

  “FUCK ME TINA, YOU’VE put the icing on the cake here,” Eliza said happily as she poured herself the fourth gin and tonic of the afternoon. What an amazing piece of bloody luck!

  Tina grinned, more than pleased her news had gleaned such a positive response. “So what do you want me to do then?”

  Eliza rolled her eyes. “Well, I would have thought that was obvious to most people,” she snapped. “The first thing is to get in touch with your fucking sister.”

  Tina stared at Eliza, not happy she was still speaking to her like a piece of shit even though she clearly wanted what she could offer. “I have tried but I’ll try again.”

  “Not just try again Tina. You’ll do it. I want to hear you’ve seen her by the end of the week,” Eliza said getting irritated. Couldn’t the stupid tart see how important this was?

  Tina studied her dirty fingernails unsure how she would get Anna to meet her by then when she hadn’t even acknowledged her message. “Ok, but what do I do when she does?”

  Eliza sighed loudly for effect. “Do whatever you need to get her to feed you the ins and outs of the Wright’s lives,” she said sternly fixing her stare on Tina’s glazed eyes.

  She grabbed Tina’s wrist painfully and pulled her arm across the table. “Listen. You said you needed extra brass so if you pull this off properly, I’ll ensure you’re generously rewarded.” Eliza’s eyes narrowed as she leaned closer. “But I’ll tell you now if you fuck it up, I’ll personally make sure you’re ruined in every way possible as well as in ways you couldn’t possibly imagine.”

  Having made it very clear what was expected, Eliza loosened her grip on Tina’s arm and lounged back in her chair. “Now get the hell out of here. You’ve got work to do!”

  LACEY RETCHED INTO THE toilet for the fourth time. She knew she was pissing the others off by locking herself in the bathroom, but she didn’t care. She needed to be somewhere where no one could see her.

  It wasn’t morning sickness which was plaguing her. It was fear. Pure, unadulterated and all-consuming fear. She felt like a medical experiment completely out of control of her own body and the excruciating vileness of what was expected of her was eating away at her like a cancer.

  Even though for as many years as she could remember her life had been unbearable, it was nothing in comparison to how she felt now. For the first time ever she’d been seriously contemplating ending it all, but even that was unobtainable as she was never allowed out of this place. She couldn’t even go and buy any pills.

  Feeling another surge of bile stinging her throat, Lacey hung back over the toilet bowl and let the tears flow freely down her face. She wished she was dead. Stone cold fucking dead. Nothing could be worse than this.

  She could barely even face going in the shower anymore. Couldn’t stand having to brush her hand over her stomach whilst washing in case she felt that thing growing inside her. That monster’s thing...

  She hated him. She hated it and she hated herself. He’d had his usual session with her today and seeing his blackened teeth and fat paunch hanging down as he leered at her made her feel even worse. She’d wanted to scratch his eyes out.

  Eliza had made it very clear she wasn’t in any way to inform Steve Lomond he was the father, but Lacey had no intention of doing that. She would get rid of this baby one way or the other. She had to.

  Nausea threatened once more and without time to question what she was about to do, she punched herself as hard as possible in the stomach. Once, twice, three times. Come on! It had to go. PLEASE!

  Angry tears coursed down Lacey’s face, realising she was unable to punch hard enough to warrant any form of injury. She was hardly the strongest girl out there. Refusing to give up hope and fuelled with desperation and anger she ran back out to the corridor. She’d an idea. It was worth a try.

  Standing at the top of the steep wooden staircase down to the third floor landing, Lacey’s breathing came in ragged bursts as she gulped in large mouthfuls of air and her jaw set in determination.

  Clasping her hands behind her back and promising herself that under no circumstances would she move them, she found herself hesitating. Stop fucking around. Do it Lacey. DO IT!

  After a quick check behind to make sure no one was watching and before she could continue
procrastinating, Lacey allowed herself to topple forward.

  She hit the wooden stairs on her front, the impact knocking the wind out of her and pain seared across the width of her stomach as she crashed down the remainder of the steps.

  Finally coming to a stop on the threadbare runner of the third floor landing, Lacey lay retching and desperately gasping for breath. The pain in both her stomach and ribs was intense and through her laboured breathing, she smiled, quietly confident that would have done the trick.

  SETH GLARED AT JANE as she pushed her food around her dinner plate. “I asked you not to bother with that appointment Jane didn’t I?”

  Jane glowered back at Seth, ignoring Anna fidgeting uncomfortably on the chair the other end of the table. “Yes you did,” she spat. She didn’t really want to discuss this in front of Anna, but he was giving her little choice. “But I’ve told you before you should be more bothered about getting Grace back before thinking about more kids!”

  Seth slammed his fork down on the table in anger. “Bothered? Of course I’m fucking bothered! What you do you think I’ve been doing?”

  “Well whatever you’ve been doing hasn’t resulted in anything has it?” Jane sneered. Overtired, the images from last night’s dream still vivid in her mind’s eye weren’t helping her overall mood. “Otherwise, where is she?”

  “For fuck’s sake, Jane. Everything I do is for you or us.” Seth waved his arms around theatrically. “What’s wrong with wanting more children?”

  “Nothing!” Jane screamed, standing up. “Apart from the fact it’s not you who has to have them is it? Being as I’m so busy with the club and everything else, do you really think we can take on more right now? Has it ever crossed your mind that perhaps I might want to look after our children myself rather than pay someone else to take my place?” She glanced at Anna.

  Anna smiled nervously and leaving her dinner, got up from the table, quickly scooping Toby out of his high chair. “We’ll go and have a look at some books for a while shall we Tobes?” she said quietly before hurrying out of the room.