The Downfall Series Box Set

by Edie Baylis

  Aiden almost laughed before shaking his head in despair. “Yes I do want my fucking money, but we need to move quicker than this. Eliza will be in a good mood when I tell her Selena’s discovery of the location of Lacey Garner, but until we can get that confirmed it’s still up in the air.”

  Tina laughed. “In the meantime get our mother topped then I’ll tell Anna Seth bumped off the old bat! After all the shit I’ve fed her she’ll believe that no questions asked. You’d get all your money back in one go that way too.” She leant back in the chair smugly. “Oh it would be so funny! I don’t think I’d be able to keep a straight face if I saw her receive that news.”

  “You’re bloody mad you are,” Aiden snorted jovially. “I thought you were serious for a minute then!”

  Tina stared at Aiden as she leaned forward towards the desk, all mirth now absent from her face. “I am serious Aiden. I’d be quite happy if the old bitch was removed. It would save me a whole lot of grief and I’d be able to finally get some fucking money out of the selfish cow.”

  Aiden studied Tina carefully. She was serious the twisted slag. He scratched his chin slowly. “You’d need to think about that very carefully Tina...”

  “I’ve been thinking of nothing else most of my life,” Tina replied dully.

  TWENTY NINE

  LACEY TRIED TO CONCENTRATE on where she was putting the books on the shelves, but couldn’t get her mind into gear. She had no idea what had happened during the last twenty-four hours to elicit such a change, but it had most certainly occurred and she didn’t know what to do about it.

  She’d been looking forward to seeing Jennie last night, however when she’d got back to Pegasus Place she wasn’t in the communal lounge like they’d arranged.

  Lacey had waited patiently for half an hour, thinking she must have got held up, before eventually deciding she’d go and try her room.

  She’d gently knocked on Jennie’s bedroom door. Receiving no answer, she’d knocked once more. “Jennie, it’s Lacey. Are you ok?” she’d called, concerned her friend might be ill.

  “Go away!”

  Momentarily confused, Lacey had stared at the white wooden door for several seconds before knocking again. “Jennie?”

  The door had flung open taking Lacey completely off guard. Jennie stood in the doorway, her rage twisted with rage. “What the fuck do you want?” she’d spat.

  Lacey had been shocked. “Jennie? What’s happened? Are you ok?”

  “I’m ok, yeah I’m ok, but you aren’t!” Jennie yelled, her eyes blazing.

  “W-What are you talking about?” Lacey had been thoroughly confused.

  Jennie had laughed nastily and prodded Lacey hard in the chest. “Had your laugh have you, you stuck up bitch!”

  Lacey had continued to stare blankly at Jennie, unable to answer through shock alone.

  “Pretending you don’t know? Your little game’s been found out and you and your posh mates won’t be having any more fucking laughs at my expense!”

  “Laughs? What do you mean?” What on earth was she talking about? “I don’t understand.”

  “Go on. Fuck off. Go back to Mummy and Daddy and your mates at Sacred Hearts, you selfish cow! How dare you take a place here pretending your life’s fucked up,” Jennie had screamed.

  When the door had slammed in Lacey’s face she’d shakily made her way slowly down to her own room before bursting into tears of shock. It made no sense.... Mummy and Daddy? Sacred Hearts? What was Sacred Hearts?

  Lacey had been sure it must have been a misunderstanding and that it would all come to light by the morning, but she’d been wrong. Whatever had been eating at Jennie hadn’t been rectified, because judging by the reception she’d received from the other girls this morning Lacey realised Jennie must have filled them in on whatever she was supposed to have done because everyone had blanked her. Apart from one girl who’d spat at her when she’d left to go to work.

  Lacey felt heartbroken. She’d been alienated and had no idea why. Now she’d lost her only friend.

  Suddenly realising she’d got company, Lacey turned from the History shelf and promptly dropped two of the new books she’d been about to shelve on the floor. Cursing under her breath she looked up, seeing a young girl perusing one of the shelves.

  Remembering she was paid to be of help to customers rather than wallow in her own self-pity, Lacey forced herself to get it together. “Are you alright over there? Do you need any help?”

  Selena looked around and tried to remember what she was supposed to say if she was spoken to. She’d only come in to get a proper look at the girl to make sure they got the right one.

  She fidgeted nervously. Aiden would be doing his nut. She’d promised to only be a couple of minutes. It wasn’t like she wanted a conversation.

  Although she’d only had a glimpse of Lacey once or twice at Elipse there was still a possibility the girl might recognise her, especially if she hung around too long, but she couldn’t return without confirming this girl was the right one.

  Remembering she’d been asked a question, Selena stumbled over her words. “I, erm.... No. Well, I was looking for a book on Cross-stitch....” Cross-stitch? She cringed. Why on earth had she said that? Why hadn’t she just said horror fiction or something?

  “I’m not sure if we have anything like that,” Lacey said, stepping out from behind the bookcase. “We mainly do fiction here, but I’ll have a look for you.” She studied the nervous girl. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”

  “I don’t think so,” Selena garbled, panic descending upon her like a landslide. Fuck! She needed to get out of here. This was definitely without any doubt Lacey Garner and if she got wind she was from Elipse then everything would be buggered up.

  Selena moved towards the door and Lacey frowned as she searched for the requested book. “I won’t be a moment.” There was something strange going on here. Was this girl a shoplifter? Was she trying to distract her?

  “I’d better go, but thanks for your help.” Selena muttered, sweating profusely.

  “What about your book?” Lacey questioned, her eyebrow raised in curiosity.

  “Oh, erm, I’ll have to come back. I’ll miss my bus else,” Selena jabbered, quickly disappearing out of the door.

  JANE SAT IN THE PASSENGER seat of Seth’s Mercedes and fiddled nervously with her nails. She’d had very little sleep and hadn’t been able to even manage more than one bite from the lavish breakfast that had been ordered to the hotel room first thing this morning.

  She knew she’d been getting on Seth’s nerves pacing around, but she just couldn’t sit still and wait for the time to pass. She’d been waiting years for this moment.

  Finally after what seemed like centuries they’d got into the car and on the road and had made good time in finding the school where they’d been told their daughter attended. It was situated a few miles from St Ives and was a quintessential village school: a tiny building, housing around fifty children within its Victorian walls. It also boasted a neat playground, surrounded by old ornate wrought iron railings.

  “Mulligan gave me a photo of Grace’s adoptive mother,” Seth began after they’d parked up, reaching into his pocket. “It came through as we left yesterday. I meant to show you last night. It means we’ll be able to work out who our daughter is depending who she runs to.”

  “I’ll know our daughter the second I lay eyes on her,” Jane snapped, snatching the photograph from Seth’s hand. A woman with a pleasant face stared back at her. She studied it closely, putting the woman in her early forties with a chin-length mid-brown bob, kind eyes and a large smile. “And this is her mother is it?” Jane snarled. Where was the dead-eyed addict she’d expected?

  “Mulligan couldn’t get his hands on any photos of Grace,” Seth explained. “I did ask.”

  “Like I said, I don’t need a photograph. I’ll know her!”

  Seth sighed. He knew Jane was finding this difficult and began to question whether this had been a
good idea. So far it seemed detrimental rather than helpful, which was the last thing he’d wanted.

  Jane’s stomach was in her mouth as she kept her eyes trained on the door of the school. She eyed the group of happy mothers waiting patiently for their children to come through the door and swallowed the lump in her throat. She too was waiting for her child. The one who didn’t know she was her mother.

  Seth studied Jane’s face out of the corner of his eye without moving his concentration from the woman on the photograph at the school gate. He knew Jane was coiled like a spring. He squeezed her hand.

  Jane’s heart was beating at ten to the dozen and she couldn’t wait to get the proof to back up the theory she’d clung desperately to all of these years. She’d easily be able to detect the visible misery on her daughter’s face the moment she saw her. The minute she had this confirmation she’d be out of the car like a shot. No one would be able to stop her. Even Seth.

  She’d give the bitch putting her daughter through hell and masquerading as Grace’s mother a damn fine fucking kicking to within an inch of her life. And she didn’t care if she had an audience.

  Even though Jane had been absent Grace’s entire life, she knew she’d have that unbreakable bond which existed between blood that nothing could take away. She’d get her daughter back where she belonged.

  Hearing the church bell opposite chime signalling the quarter hour, adrenaline pumped harder in Jane’s veins, her breathing shallow. Her neck craned forward when the school doors opened and a stream of children erupted from the old building. Her eyes frantically searched each young girl’s face as they rushed towards their waiting parents.

  Jane suddenly clutched Seth’s hand. “There Seth!” she cried. Her eyes locked onto the small girl beaming with happiness as she ran towards the woman on the photograph. Hang on a moment...

  Jane leant further forward, her hand poised on the car door handle and squinted to get a better view. That child wasn’t her daughter. “Seth,” she muttered, the words all but sticking in her throat as her heart plummeted directly down to the pits of despair. “That’s not Grace. That’s not her...”

  “What do you mean? Of course it’s her!” Seth watched the dark-haired child run towards the woman on the photograph and smiled involuntarily seeing the joy plastered over both his daughter’s and the woman’s face as she picked her up, planting kisses all over her face.

  “That’s NOT our daughter!” Jane screamed. She pulled at the door handle, but Seth’s hand shot across and held her like a vice. “Get off me Seth!” she cried.

  “Don’t do this Jane,” Seth warned, aware she’d been about to bolt from the car.

  “Get the fuck off! That’s not our Grace!” Jane roared, fighting against him. She had to get out. She needed to make sure she was right.

  “JANE!” Seth yelled, aware people were walking past their car to get in their own. “Control yourself!”

  Jane slowly relinquished her struggling and flopped back in the seat as the child and the woman walked towards them. With her heart in her mouth she took another clear look at the girl who was now mere feet away.

  A single tear rolled down her cheek. “That child is not my daughter...” Jane whispered against the glass of the passenger seat window. “Your man was wrong...”

  Seth ran his hand through his hair. Wrong? How could Mulligan have been wrong? It wasn’t possible...

  “DID YOU HAVE TO BRING the bloody kid?” Aiden grumbled staring at the baby in the pushchair.

  Anna waved a toy bunny rabbit in Toby’s direction and smiled as he giggled at the distraction, reaching out for the toy with his chubby fingers. “What do you mean?” she asked, turning to stare at Aiden. “Of course I had to bring him. It’s my job, not my day off. I’m taking him for his usual afternoon stroll. This was the best I could do when you phoned asking to see me.”

  She was disappointed. She’d felt things were going off the boil with Aiden – from his side at least and now his comment confirmed her opinion. He hadn’t been very attentive and had been looking for reasons why he couldn’t see her each time she suggested meeting up. Now he’d called her asking to see her today. Was it was to dump her?

  “Do you not want to see me anymore?” Anna asked timidly. She knew he wanted to dump her. Systemic trembling began all over her body as she painstakingly waited for the answer she didn’t want to hear.

  So much for her plans of a proper relationship. He was the one – she knew it. She’d given herself to him, which was a big deal - to her at least and she’d thought he’d felt the same, but he didn’t. Of course he didn’t. Why would he?

  Aiden realised he needed to pull himself together and up his game. He’d been so focused on how much he hated having to mollycoddle this stupid cow, he’d forgotten he was supposed to be in love with her.

  However ridiculous the whole thing was and however much it pissed him off, he had no choice. He’d have to do a better job and quickly. From what she’d just said it sounded like he’d been horribly unconvincing and that wouldn’t go down well at all with his puppet masters.

  He scowled. Fucking Puppet Masters. That was about right. It was exactly how he felt and knew he’d only got himself to blame. Still, he needed to get on with it and not lose sight of what he was supposed to be achieving. Especially with what was planned for later, which – if it all went to plan – might mean he could afford to step back from his involvement with Eliza. He might even be able to afford to leave the Elipse altogether.

  Things were moving fast. Too fast. But he had no choice and even less say in any of it. Sometimes he wished he wasn’t involved in at all. If Seth Wright ever found out in any way, shape or form about his part in any of this, then his days were numbered. Probably in single figures....

  Taking a deep breath, Aiden turned to Anna and smiled, gently brushing a lock of her brown hair away from her face. “Oh baby, of course I still want to see you. I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel that way. That’s the last thing I want.”

  Seeing Anna’s face crumple with relief, Aiden smiled and forced himself to take the baby out of her arms to bounce him on his knee. Bloody kids! He hated them.

  “I’m sorry if I’ve been distracted, I really am. It’s just things have been really hard at work the last few weeks.” Aiden looked towards the floor, forcing a suitably sorrowful expression. “I think I may be about to lose my car sales job.”

  Anna’s hand flew up to her face. “Oh my God! Why didn’t you say?”

  “Because I didn’t want to worry you,” he murmured, hoping he was pulling this feeble excuse off. He’d barely mentioned any job purposefully so as to not put himself in a precarious position. Anna had no idea he worked with Tina and he needed it to stay that way.

  “But Aiden, I....”

  “Shh....” Aiden said, placing his finger on Anna’s lips. Moving Toby over on to his other knee, he pressed his lips gently against hers. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

  “When can we see each other next?” she asked. “Properly I mean.”

  Handing Toby back to Anna, Aiden hid the scowl as he eyed a trail of dribble across his new jeans. “Well, I’ve got things to do tonight, but we could arrange something over the next day or two? When’s your next day off?”

  Busy tonight was he? Anna thought jealously. Probably seeing another woman who was far more interesting. “I can’t have any time off until Seth and Jane get back,” Anna said miserably, strapping Toby back securely into his pushchair.

  “Back?” Aiden raised his eyebrows. “Where have they gone?” He didn’t know they were away. This scuppered tonight’s plans. Christ. It was a good job he’d seen Anna. Had all of this gone through tonight he’d be hard pushed making her believe what was going to happen was down to Seth.

  Anna shrugged. “I’m not sure where they’ve gone. Down south I think. Why?”

  Aiden forced himself to look interested. “No reason, just wondered that’s all. It’s just weird I suppose – my girlfr
iend working for celebrities.” There. She’d like that.

  Anna warmed hearing Aiden refer to her as his ‘girlfriend’. “They’re not really celebrities.”

  Aiden laughed. “They are in this city and in our sort of circles.”

  “Our circles? What sort of circles are they?”

  Aiden could have kicked himself for slipping up so grotesquely. “I meant just in the city that’s all....”

  Anna frowned. “I would hardly say we were part of their sort of circles. With the things they do....” She wanted no part of what it seemed she now knew Seth and Jane Wright were capable of.

  Aiden studied Anna’s face. Maybe now was time to have a bit of a dig around? “I know you were shaken up with what happened before with Seth but...”

  “It’s worse than that,” Anna interrupted. “You’ve no idea. There’s a lot more going on with that man than you realise.”

  Aiden knitted his fingers through Anna’s and smiled. “Like what baby?” The stories were obviously getting to her. This was good.

  Anna shook her head. Although she trusted Aiden, she didn’t want to broadcast that her sister was blackmailing her or what she’d heard Seth and Jane had done to that poor man with the disabled children in case it led back to her and made things worse. “I can’t say, but they’re not nice people. I realise that now.”

  She studied a group of daisies on the grass in front of the park bench they were sitting on. She’d thought of nothing else for the past few days since Jane and Seth had argued and had felt more and more uncomfortable around them. She’d little choice but to find another job, but couldn’t just up and leave because she needed the money. However she would have to start looking for another position. She needed to be true to herself and she just wasn’t happy working for that sort.

  Aiden realised that now wasn’t the time to push further. “Well if they’re away, why don’t I come round and keep you company?”

  Anna looked up surprised. “I thought you had things to do?”

  Aiden brought his lips back down onto Anna’s. “Nothing that’s more important than you....” He may as well get a bit more into her good books if he had the chance and if the other job was off the cards for the time being.