Life of Crime

by Kimberley Chambers

  ‘We’re not. I still have to play the family man at times though, for the sake of the kids. I wouldn’t be with her if it wasn’t for them, trust me.’

  ‘You have one daughter, Jason, and you’re a man of substance now. There must be some connection between yourself and Melissa otherwise you’d leave her.’

  Jason felt uncomfortable. Charlotte had hardly mentioned Melissa until now and he didn’t know how to respond. ‘It’s awkward. I worked my bollocks off to buy my gaff and Mel’s the type to bleed me dry if I ever left her.’

  ‘But I don’t see how she can bleed you dry. You haven’t got any children together, therefore Donte isn’t your responsibility.’

  ‘She’d want half the house though, wouldn’t she? Which means I’d have to sell it.’

  ‘Do you love her?’ Charlotte asked.

  ‘No. You know I don’t.’

  ‘Do you still sleep together?’

  Jason flopped on his back and put his hands behind his head. ‘We share a bed but we don’t really have sex.’

  ‘What do you mean by you don’t really have sex? You either do or you don’t.’

  Having enjoyed every second of the time he’d spent with Charlotte up until now, Jason was taken aback by the endless questions. He didn’t need her grilling him, he got enough of that at home. ‘We ain’t had sex for months,’ he lied. ‘Way before I bumped into you again.’

  ‘I’m not that naïve girl you met years ago, Jase. I’m all grown up now and to be honest I’m not cut out to be someone’s bit on the side. You need to think about what you really want over Christmas. I do love you, but I won’t wait around for you for ever.’

  ‘I’d better be making a move soon. Ruby will wonder where her mummy’s got to.’

  Melissa stood up. They’d eaten lunch in Ye Olde Kings Head in Chigwell and it was the usual buoyant Christmas Eve atmosphere. People in Santa hats, laughing too loudly and drinking too much.

  Eleanor Collins-Hythe hugged her new friend. ‘Well, it’s been fabulous seeing you, Melissa. I hope you, your handsome hubby and beautiful children have a wonderful Christmas.’

  ‘You too.’

  ‘And don’t forget to let me know as soon as you do the test. I wish you all the luck in the world, I truly do.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Oh, and you must bring hubby round to meet David. Or we can come to you. Let me know when you’re free and we’ll pop something in the diary,’ Eleanor grinned.

  When Eleanor got into her car, tooted then waved, Melissa smiled politely and waved back. She doubted she’d be seeing her any more. Eleanor was far too nosy and asked too many questions. Jason had always warned her not to talk about business or finances with anyone. It was hard to make friends with new people when you had to keep so much quiet, and Melissa didn’t trust her.

  Having told Melissa he had a bit of work on and wouldn’t be home until late this evening, Jason was now at a loose end. He was meant to be having dinner with Charlotte at the hotel but after she stormed off in a huff, it was pointless him staying up town alone.

  Yesterday, Jason had received a call from Oldchurch Hospital asking to speak to him in person about his mother, so Jason decided to head up there. He had no wish to see her, but knew she’d been on Babs’s case about becoming her full-time carer and over his dead body was he allowing that. Babs was living back on the Mardyke Estate with his brothers now and she had enough on her plate taking care of them. He’d been helping out financially, checking up on them regularly, and a lady from Social Services was monitoring the situation too. It was a big ask for a seventeen-year-old, but Babs had always had a mothering instinct and seemed to be coping OK so far.

  Jason introduced himself to the ward sister and was none too surprised by what she had to say. ‘What has happened to your mother is a terrible thing and understandably tough for her to digest. However, she is being extremely difficult and I will not allow my staff to be physically or verbally abused.’

  ‘I’m very sorry. She’s always been a difficult woman. How much longer is she going to be in hospital for?’

  ‘There isn’t much more we as medical staff can do for her. Your mother isn’t in pain as she has no feeling from the waist down. She will never walk again – the spinal cord is too severely damaged – however, with extensive physiotherapy treatment, she can learn to adjust to her condition. There is no reason why one day she cannot live independently again. But she will need to work hard, put in the effort.’

  ‘The words work and effort aren’t in my mother’s vocabulary I’m afraid. She never lifted a finger when she had the use of her legs, so I doubt that’ll change.’

  ‘I’m sorry to hear that. Your sister will be caring for her, is this correct? Only we will need to start the ball rolling on getting her discharged.’

  ‘Not on your nelly! Take no notice of anything my mother says. Barbara, my sister, has no wish to be her carer. Neither does anybody else in the family. Set the ball rolling by all means, but she’ll have to go in a home, a place that can cope with her needs.’

  ‘I fully understand. Would you mind having a word with her while you’re here though, please? She had a visitor yesterday who brought alcohol into the hospital. Vodka, to be precise. The empty bottle was found inside your mother’s bed after she’d spent the night being loud and abusive. It really isn’t fair on the other patients, or the staff.’

  ‘I’ll have a word, but she rarely listens to anything I say. Your best bet is to contact the appropriate authorities and get her out of here ASAP.’

  With a heavy heart, Jason entered his mother’s little side ward.

  Instead of kicking off like he’d fully expected her to, tears of self-pity poured down Debbie’s face. ‘What am I gonna do, boy? You have to help me. Please.’

  Jason had not seen her properly since his wedding and she looked even worse than he remembered. Her hair was lanky, she was fatter than ever and her face was red and blotchy. ‘If I could wave a magic wand that enabled you to walk again, then I would. The only person who can help you now is you. The sister said you can be independent again one day if you’re willing to adapt to a new life.’

  ‘And what does that silly Irish whore know? My spinal cord’s fucked, so how the hell can I be independent? You have to help me, son. You’re the only one who can. Speak to Social Services and see if they can find me a nice bungalow. Babs will look after me. She’s a good girl.’

  ‘Nah. That ain’t happening. Babs has her hands full looking after the boys.’

  ‘But kids are meant to look after their mothers when they get ill. It’s their duty.’

  ‘Not mothers like you. You never looked after us when we were ill. I remember having a sickness bug once and you still went out on the piss. Tied me to the bed like you usually did. Did it not occur to you that I might’ve choked on my own vomit? I could’ve fucking died.’

  ‘I don’t remember that. Still here to tell the tale though, ain’t ya?’ Debbie spat. ‘I’m not going into a home. Nobody can force me,’ she shrieked, fire in her eyes.

  ‘Keep your voice down. You’re already on the verge of being slung out as it is. There’s people who are dying in ’ere. Show some respect.’

  ‘I’ll die too if I have to go in a home. Please, son. Help me. I’ll kill meself otherwise. I swear I will.’

  ‘Emotional blackmail won’t work. And don’t keep upsetting Babs, because if you do, I swear I’ll stop her visiting you.’

  ‘Get out! Go on, get out before I scream the fucking place down!’ Debbie was practically foaming at the mouth, spit was flying out of her gob as she screeched at him. ‘You’re no son of mine. You’re evil, pure evil, and I hope you die a truly painful death. You are nothing more than a nasty, money-grabbing little shyster. I wish I’d have smothered you at birth.’

  Any empathy he had felt now vanished; Jason looked at his mother in total disgust. ‘Unlike you, I am not a nasty person. Therefore, I hope you somehow find peace in life. You’
ll never see me again though, Mum. We’re done – for good.’

  As Jason left the room the last word he ever heard his mother say to him was ‘Shitcunt.’

  ‘Well, you’ve changed your tune. I thought she was your new bestie. Whatever went wrong?’ Tracey Thompson was secretly pleased and relieved. She had felt jealous when Mel kept rambling on about how bloody wonderful Eleanor was.

  ‘I can’t put my finger on it, there’s just something about her. She wants to know the ins and outs of a duck’s arse for a start, and I can sense she sees me as a bit thick.’

  ‘You’re not thick,’ Tracey lied. Melissa could be very thick, especially when it came to Jason.

  ‘I think I was in awe of her when I met her in the hairdresser’s, and I have no idea why. Perhaps because she’s an older woman with a great career and a baby? I feel silly now. I even put on my posh voice to impress her. I also clocked the shock on her face when I showed her a photo of Donte today. She’s very middle class and I could tell she never expected him to be mixed-race. She’d only had a couple glasses of champagne but sounded plastered.’ Melissa put on a lah-di-dah accent and gushed, ‘“Oh my God! How handsome. He looks like a young Denzel Washington!” I mean, come on! How the hell does she know what Denzel looked like as a kid?’

  Tracey was nearly wetting herself. ‘You crack me up, mate,’ she said, hugging her pal. ‘Sod Eleanor and all the other randoms that come along. We’re besties for life, me and you. We don’t need anyone else.’

  ‘She answer?’ Craig Thurston asked, lining up another row of Sambucas.

  Jason downed a shot and slammed the glass against the bar. ‘No. Why is it women feel the need to play mind games? I’ve not even done anything wrong.’

  Having been out on the lash since lunchtime, Craig was not only pissed, but was also in a piss-taking mood. ‘Perhaps she wanted a ten-grand necklace, ya tight bastard?’ he chuckled.

  Overhearing the conversation, Simon Champion slapped both Jason and Craig on the back. ‘Don’t talk to me about bloody women. My fiancée of nine months dumped me last week because she met a professional footballer. I wouldn’t mind if he played for Manchester United or Liverpool. But – wait for it – he plays for … Brentford. I mean, come on, the geezer’s got to be a loser.’

  Craig Thurston burst out laughing. ‘Not as much of a loser as my mucker Jason. He just spent three grand on a necklace for a lap-dancer, and now she won’t answer the phone to him.’

  ‘Shut up, you tosser,’ Jason laughed.

  ‘And on that note I will bid you lads goodbye. Have a good Christmas. Our lunch is in the diary, Jason. See you then, if I don’t see you beforehand.’

  ‘What you doing for the Millennium?’ Jason asked Simon.

  ‘Going to Dubai. My ex booked it and I paid for it, so rather than waste the holiday I’m taking a pal with me. I’ll have a better time there than she will in, erm, Brentford!’

  Melissa checked that Shay and Donte were both asleep, then took the test out of her drawer. She opened the box and read the instructions.

  Should she take it now? Or leave it until after Christmas? It would be a wonderful present to give Jason tomorrow if it was positive. But on the downside, it would totally spoil her day if negative.

  Melissa put the test on her bedside cabinet and stared at it. Decisions, decisions …

  ‘I’m slaughtered, mate. Gonna order a cab soon,’ Jason Rampling told Craig. He wasn’t the biggest drinker in the world, but had hammered it today. His mother was enough to put a sane person off drink for life.

  ‘Shut up, you lightweight. Listen, I got an idea that will solve all your problems.’

  Jason stared at the phone. He’d left Charlotte loads of texts, but she was still blanking him. ‘I think I’m in love with her, ya know,’ he slurred. ‘Those tits, and that arse … she’s just so fucking pretty. What am I gonna do?’

  Craig downed another shot. ‘You’re gonna shut the hell up and listen to me. Birds come and go, mate, and if Charlotte truly does love you, then she’ll wait. But firstly, you need to secure your future. She ain’t going to want you if you’re skint, is she?’

  Jason held his hands up. ‘No way am I flogging cocaine, Craig.’

  ‘I wasn’t even gonna suggest that again. Just listen, will ya? Johnny Brooks is worth millions and you are married to his daughter.’

  ‘So? Hasn’t exactly made me happy, has it?’

  Craig tapped the side of his head. ‘You’re not stupid. Use your brain.’

  ‘I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.’

  Craig rolled his eyes and pointed the middle and forefinger of his left hand at the side of his forehead. ‘You take him out, then half of Melissa’s inheritance is yours.’

  Jason’s eyes widened. ‘Are you for real?’

  ‘Sure am. I can get you a shooter an’ all. And, for a price, I’ll even do the deed for you. I’ve always hated that cunt.’

  As Jason burst out laughing, mocked his pal and called him a ‘mad bastard’ he had no idea that one day things would become so bad, he would actually take Craig up on the offer. No idea at all.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  On Christmas morning, Jason was woken up by a rarity: breakfast in bed. He sat up, squinting. ‘What time did I get in? Sorry I was steaming. I had a tough day.’

  ‘You got home about eleven and you told me all about the terrible things your mum said. No wonder you needed to let off steam after visiting that horrible cow. What time you picking your family up? I’ll change Donte’s bed in case your nan wants to stay over too. He can sleep with us.’

  Jason eyed his wife suspiciously. She’d been dreading spending Christmas with his family, had not stopped whingeing about it. ‘You’ve changed your tune. And what’s with the breakfast in bed?’

  Melissa grinned. ‘You work hard all year round and deserve to be spoiled on occasions. Is there any money from yesterday you want me to put away?’

  Remembering his lie, Jason shook his sore head. ‘The job didn’t go ahead, babe. Sorry.’

  ‘No worries. I know I don’t say it much, but I do love you, Jase.’

  Thinking how weird she was acting, Jason rammed a sausage in his mouth. ‘Ditto,’ he mumbled.

  ‘All right, boy? All those dustbin bags are to go in the car. Been on a roll recently. Nearly got caught in Woolworths the other day, mind. Didn’t even know they had store detectives until I spotted this hooked-nose ugly prat clocking me. So I darted round another aisle and put the stuff back.’

  Jason shook his head. ‘You’ll be the death of me, Nan. What am I going to do with you?’

  ‘You should have seen her face when she stopped me on the way out. “I believe you have some items in your shopping trolley that haven’t been paid for,” she says, all hoity-toity. Course them nosy bastards you get in Romford were lappin’ it up, staring for all they was worth, so I told her to search the bleedin’ trolley. Right there in the doorway she starts pullin’ out me bag of pick’n’mix sweets, a bit of skate, two lumps of haddock and me jellied eels. There was sod-all else in there!’ Peggy cackled.

  ‘Great story. But please don’t repeat it in front of Mel, will ya? She wouldn’t get it, if you know what I mean.’

  ‘Oh, I know exactly what you mean, love. She looked a right stuck-up cow the day you married her.’

  ‘Who wants another sausage roll?’ Melissa asked.

  Babs licked her lips. ‘Yes, please.’

  Elton nudged Donte. ‘Why is your mum being so nice to us?’

  Donte shrugged.

  Melissa put a plate of sausage rolls on the coffee table. ‘Your brother will be back soon. Are you excited you’re finally going to meet your nan?’

  ‘Will she bring us presents?’ Kyle asked.

  ‘I’m excited,’ Barbara replied.

  ‘She isn’t very nice. I don’t like her,’ Shay piped up.

  ‘She’d old and loud,’ Donte added.

  ‘Is she thin or is she fat
like our other nan?’ Elton enquired.

  ‘And Barbara,’ Kyle giggled.

  ‘Don’t be nasty now,’ Melissa urged, giving the boys a warning look.

  ‘It’s OK, Mel. I don’t take any notice,’ Babs smiled. She’d got thoroughly used to jibes about her weight, had been on the receiving end of them for years and no longer let the subject bother her now she’d left the school bullies behind.

  ‘She’s here!’ Kyle shouted.

  ‘She’s a midget. How did she give birth to our massive mum?’ Elton chuckled, pressing his nose against the window.

  Melissa plastered a smile on her face and opened the front door. ‘Merry Christmas, Peggy. They’re all in there waiting for you.’

  Peggy pursed her lips. ‘I bet they bleedin’-well are. Probably guessed I’d bring presents with me.’

  ‘Hello, Nan,’ Barbara Rampling beamed, hugging the woman she had never met close to her chest.

  ‘Mind, dear. You’ll crush me ribs. Nice to meet you, and you two,’ Peggy said, removing herself from Barbara’s sumo-wrestler grasp and forcing a smile for Elton and Kyle. She had no interest in them whatsoever, truth be known, was only doing this for Jason’s sake.

  ‘Is there presents in there for us?’ Kyle asked, pointing at the dustbin liners.

  ‘Yes. Help yourselves,’ Peggy said. She turned to Melissa. ‘See, I told you so.’

  ‘I can’t believe you bought us a PlayStation and games, Jason. I can’t wait to beat Elton at Crash Team Racing,’ Kyle beamed, clapping his hands with delight.

  ‘I wanna play Tomb Raider first,’ Elton insisted. ‘This is like our best present ever.’

  Jason got both his brothers in a playful headlock. ‘Best you don’t play Barbara up no more then, else the PlayStation will have to be sold. You be good boys from now on, OK?’

  ‘We will,’ Kyle said.

  Barbara was near to tears as she laid eyes on her posh Nokia phone. ‘Does it work?’ she asked dumbly.

  ‘It sure does. I’ve already registered it and charged it up for you,’ Jason smiled. ‘And it ain’t just any old mobile, Babs. It’s the new 7110 that you can access the internet with.’