The duty solicitor leaned towards Donte and whispered something in his ear.
‘So this flat you supposedly went to fully dressed only to leave naked, who invited you there?’ Travis asked.
‘No comment.’
‘What were the names of the friends you went to the party with?’ Travis pressed.
‘No comment.’
‘Can I talk to Donte for five minutes alone, please?’ Melissa asked.
The two interviewing officers glanced at one another and one nodded. ‘Interview suspended at 11.17 a.m. to allow the suspect’s mother, Melissa Rampling, to talk to the suspect, Donte Brooks, in private,’ Travis said.
‘The tape has been sealed in a bag that Melissa Rampling and Donte Brooks will now sign for,’ said Travis’s colleague, DS Charlton, pushing the bag towards Mel, then Donte.
‘I will stay with you. We need to discuss one or two—’
Melissa stopped the solicitor in his tracks. ‘No. You go outside. I need to speak with my son alone.’
Donte stared at his hands. They were shaking, just like his legs.
Melissa scraped her chair along the floor to be as close to Donte as possible. ‘You’re not doing yourself any favours, you know. Where is the tracksuit?’ she whispered.
‘Where is Dad? I want Dad here with me, not you.’
‘Why’s that then? Jason know about this, does he?’
‘No. There’s nothing to know,’ Donte hissed.
‘Don’t fucking lie to me, boy.’ Melissa grabbed her son by his shoulders. ‘Look me in the eyes,’ she ordered.
As Donte did so, his eyes filled with tears. ‘The tracksuit’s been burnt, but you can’t tell them that ’cause they will think I’m guilty and bang me up,’ he warned.
‘Where was the tracksuit burned? Tell me, Donte. I cannot help you unless you’re honest with me.’
‘Don’t know.’
‘Don’t lie. It was you, wasn’t it? You stabbed that lad, didn’t you?’
‘So what if I did? He had a knife too. What was I meant to do? Let him stab me?’
‘So you did do it?’
Donte shrugged. ‘Didn’t mean for him to die, did I?’
‘We need to tell the police that. Did Tyrone pull out his knife first?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Well, it wasn’t your fault then, was it? You were acting in self-defence. A judge will be far more lenient with you if you tell the truth. It was an accident. Where is the tracksuit?’
Donte bowed his head. ‘I dunno the road. It got burned in a field where gypsies dump stuff.’
‘And what about the knife?’
‘I dunno where that is, I swear I don’t.’
‘Who disposed of it for you?’
‘I dunno,’ Donte lied.
Unable to stop herself, Melissa slapped her son hard across the face. ‘If you don’t tell me who disposed of it, I will tell the police everything you’ve said,’ she threatened.
‘It was Dad,’ Donte spat. ‘But don’t have a go at him; he was only trying to help me.’
Melissa’s face twisted with rage. Jason never failed to disappoint her.
Singing along with the Sugarhill Gang’s ‘Rapper’s Delight’, Jason thought back to his childhood. This song reminded him of a happy time living on the Mardyke Estate. He’d only been about five or six when ‘Rapper’s Delight’ first came out. His mother had loved the song and taught him all the words. That was probably the only thing she had ever taught him in his lifetime, but he could remember one particular day clearly. It was extremely hot, summer time, and his mother was sitting on the grass at the front of the flats smoking joints and drinking cider with the neighbours. Someone had a big stereo, one of those ones black guys used to prop on their shoulders back in the day, and Jason could recall his mother urging him to stand up and rap. He’d been word-perfect and all the neighbours had cheered and clapped him. He’d felt loved and special for a split second that day. But it wasn’t to last. Later that evening, he’d wet himself and his mother had shoved him in the lift as a punishment.
Engrossed in his music and reminiscing, Jason never heard anybody walk up the stairs.
Suddenly catching a glimpse of dark clothing out the corner of his eye, Jason spun around. ‘All right? You got a delivery for me?’
Clad in leathers and a helmet, the biker lifted the face shield up. ‘Sure have.’
Jason gasped and dropped his roller. ‘Jesus! Long time no see. What the hell you doing here?’
The man took a gun out of the inside of his jacket and pointed it at Jason’s head. ‘Why don’t you have a little guess.’
Melissa shut her eyes and leaned against the back seat of the taxi. She’d just left the police station and was still in a daze. Her son, the murderer. She couldn’t take it in. In her eyes, Donte was still a child himself.
‘Bad day, love?’ the taxi driver asked.
‘You could say that,’ Melissa replied, her eyes welling up again. Thankfully, Donte had taken her advice and admitted he’d acted in self-defence. He would have crumbled under pressure in the end anyway. He hadn’t implicated Jason though, still insisted he had no idea where the tracksuit or knife was. He had told the police he’d only meant to scare Tyrone Dark, not kill him. ‘On my life, it was an accident,’ he’d sworn.
Melissa believed her son’s version of events, but it didn’t make the situation any easier. In the eyes of the law, her son had taken another lad’s life and Melissa couldn’t begin to imagine what Tyrone Dark’s mother and family were going through. The solicitor had followed her outside the police station and had a quiet word in her ear. ‘I’m going to advise Donte to plead not guilty to murder, but accept the lesser charge of manslaughter. It carries a much lesser sentence,’ he’d told her.
Wanting to weep, but knowing full well she had to hold herself together, Melissa switched her phone on. Message alerts began bleeping and Mel pressed the voicemail button. Two were from Jason.
‘Hi, babe – I’ve been opening all your parcels. Some chairs have arrived, but no table yet. Oh, and I love the kiddie swing. Best we start making babies, I say, so it don’t go to waste,’ Jason chuckled. ‘Right, I’m gonna get back to me decorating now. Just had a coffee break. Ring you later. Love you.’
‘Hi, Mel – where are ya? Some pots, pans and cutlery just been delivered. Gissa bell when you get this message, girl. Laters.’
The other messages were from Tracey, and Melissa could tell by the third she was pissed.
‘Mel, that bastard’s only had his phone cut off. Fuming, I am. What am I gonna do if he doesn’t get in touch? Ring me.’
‘It’s me again. I ain’t putting up with this. Nobody takes me for a mug, and I mean nobody. Ring me back ASAP.’
‘Where the fuck are you, Mel? You’re not avoiding me an’ all, are ya? I need to talk to you. I swear to God, if he don’t get in touch, I will go to the Old Bill and grass the tosser up. That’ll teach him to fuck with me, won’t it?’ Tracey had slurred.
Composing herself, Melissa called Jason’s phone. It rang, then connected to voicemail. ‘Give me a ring ASAP, Jase. Donte’s been arrested and I’ve only just got out the police station. I’m in a cab now, so can’t talk properly. I’ll explain all when we speak later. Love you lots …’
CHAPTER FORTY
‘I’m gonna ring Simon again. Jason still isn’t answering,’ Melissa informed Tracey and her neighbour, Ann.
‘Perhaps he’s gone to the pub. Or he’s round some old slapper’s house,’ Tracey replied nastily.
‘That’s not a very nice thing to say about your friend’s husband,’ Ann remarked. She lived next door to Melissa and liked her very much. She was no fan of her mate though; had always thought Tracey was a trappy mare when she’d overheard her loud high-pitched voice squealing in the garden. It was clear she rated herself extremely highly too. One of those types who thought she was Miss World and better than everybody else.
‘You don’t know Jason
like we do,’ Tracey snapped, wishing Ann would sod off back to her own house. She wanted to talk about Greg, but couldn’t speak freely in front of her.
‘Si, it’s me again. Sorry to be a pest. Tracey told me you’d taken Toby to the zoo for the day. I still can’t get hold of Jase and I’m starting to worry. It’s so unlike him not to get back to me. I’ve rung him four or five times now. He isn’t with you and has forgotten his phone, has he? Ring me as soon as you get this message please, mate.’
‘I had better get back to my brood. They have no idea how to use an oven, so are probably all starving. I’m so sorry about your Donte, lovey. If there’s anything I can do, you just give me a shout, OK?’ Ann said.
‘Thanks, Ann,’ Melissa replied, giving the woman a hug. She had fallen into Ann’s arms sobbing after arriving home from the police station. If only she could’ve got Donte away from this area sooner. It was all Jason’s brothers’ fault. They had introduced him to gang warfare and turned him into a boy she didn’t bloody recognize any more.
‘Thank God she’s gone. State of the fat cow. Needs to go to Weight Watchers, her,’ Tracey piped up, as the front door closed. She could tell Ann didn’t like her and the feeling was mutual. The woman had tattoos, rotten teeth and dressed in the most unflattering tracksuits.
‘She’s nice is Ann. I like her, anyway.’
‘You’ve lowered your standards since you moved here, that’s your trouble. So why do you reckon Greg’s changed his number then? I’m livid, Mel. Wouldn’t you be?’
Melissa looked at Tracey with hatred. Her son had just been charged with murder and all she was concerned about was Greg and taking a swipe at the neighbour. Her mum had been right about Tracey all along. She was a selfish, horrible person who cared for nobody but herself. ‘I haven’t got time to talk about Greg at this precise moment,’ she said, turning away.
‘Who you ringing now?’ Tracey enquired.
‘Shay. Jase might be with her. And if he isn’t, I need to tell her about Donte anyway.’
‘You got any wine here, mate? I’ll pour us both a drink.’
‘In the cupboard. I don’t want one, but you help yourself.’
Shay didn’t answer her phone so Melissa left a message asking if she knew where her father was, and told her to call back ASAP. She then rang Barkingside police station to find out if Donte was still there and was informed he would be appearing in court the following morning. ‘Will he be able to come home and wait for his actual trial?’ she asked hopefully.
The officer told Mel that was up to the judge.
‘Has my husband been at the station at all? Only, I can’t seem to get hold of him and I wondered if he’d heard what has happened to Donte through the grapevine. Jason Rampling, his name is.’
‘Well?’ Tracey asked, when the call ended.
Melissa’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Donte’s appearing via video link at Snaresbrook Crown Court tomorrow morning. He must be so scared. He’s still at the police station, locked in a cell.’
‘What about Jason?’
‘They haven’t seen him.’
Shay arrived at the house on Limes Farm Estate an hour later and wrapped her arms around Melissa. ‘I’m so sorry. How could Donte be so stupid?’ Her step-mum had explained on the phone what had happened and she was shell-shocked and upset. Her brother wasn’t a bad lad, he was just easily bloody led.
‘Don’t cry, Shay. You’ll start me off again. I can’t believe how silly he’s been. He had so much going for him when he was younger. I blame myself. I should have done more to keep him away from the likes of Elton and Kyle. I knew they were trouble and leading him up the garden path. But apart from giving him the odd talking to, I did sod-all.’
‘It isn’t your fault, Mel. You mustn’t blame yourself. Donte is headstrong and we both tried to warn him on numerous occasions. He wouldn’t listen though. To be fair, he’d fallen in with a bad crowd way before he started hanging out with Elton and Kyle. I thought he was just going through a bit of a rebellious stage and would grow out of it, like I did.’
‘You heard from your dad, Shay?’ Tracey asked. Melissa had no interest in Greg disappearing and changing his phone number, and she would secretly laugh her head off if Jason had done the same to her.
‘No. Has Dad still not been in touch?’ Shay asked Melissa.
Melissa jumped as her phone rang. It was Simon. ‘OK, Si. Shay’s here and Tracey. See you in a bit.’
‘Is Jase with him?’ Tracey enquired.
‘No. Si’s been trying to get hold of him too. He and Toby are just leaving the restaurant. They’re coming straight here.’
‘Perhaps we should drive over to the house, see if Jason’s there?’ Tracey suggested.
‘He’s decorating, Trace. Not like him to blank my calls, but I’m sure he’ll be fine. It’s Donte I’m more worried about. You know, my son who has just been charged with murder,’ Melissa responded, her voice laden with sarcasm.
Tracey topped her glass up. ‘All right. Sorry. Keep your hair on. Not being funny, Mel, but Donte dressed and acted like something out of So Solid Crew.’
‘And what is that supposed to mean?’ Melissa hissed.
‘Do I have to spell it out? He walked around with his arse hanging out of his jeans.’
Glaring at Tracey, Melissa dragged Shay upstairs.
‘I dunno how you suffer that unfeeling bitch,’ Shay whispered. ‘I hate her.’
‘With difficulty. She’s been acting really weird ever since she arrived. Keeps talking about your father all the time. I’m sure she’s obsessed with him. You don’t think she knows where he is, do you?’
‘She fancies Dad. I’ve seen the way she looks at him. That’s why she’s always trying to stick her oar in your marriage. Jealous cow, she is. Dad wouldn’t touch her with a bargepole.’
‘I know he wouldn’t, love. Will you come to court with me tomorrow? I’m sure they’ll let us in to watch the video link. Perhaps if the judge sees Donte comes from a good family, they might allow him to come home until his trial.’
Shay doubted very much that Donte would be allowed to walk the streets any time soon, but didn’t voice her thoughts. She squeezed Mel’s hand. ‘Of course I’ll come with you. He’s my brother.’
By the time Simon pulled up outside, Tracey was mangled. ‘Fucking bastard. How dare he treat me like this?’ she slurred, taking a mouthful of red wine and spilling the bulk down her white Gucci T-shirt.
‘Who is she talking about?’ Shay whispered to Mel.
‘Your father probably. Who knows? Answer the door for me, love. I’ll put the kettle on.’
‘Look what I got,’ Toby shrieked, running straight past his mother and into the arms of his Auntie Mel.
‘Oh, I don’t like snakes. That’s very scary. Take it away from me,’ Mel said playfully. The snake was made of rubber, but looked very lifelike.
Toby couldn’t stop giggling. ‘His name is Peter.’
Simon locked eyes with Melissa. ‘You OK? So sorry about Donte, mate. That brief who will represent him is top drawer though. If anyone can get him off a murder charge, it’s him.’ Simon had spoken to his solicitor pal on the way home, and he’d already agreed to handle the case.
‘I still can’t believe it. It hasn’t sunk in. Thanks for your help though, Si. You got hold of Jason yet?’
‘No. I’ve rung him half a dozen times and left three messages. Perhaps he popped to the local pub, left his phone at home, then ended up staying for a few beers?’
Shay was concerned. She still hadn’t completely forgiven her father for kicking off about Luke, but she regretted being so horrible to him when he’d visited her round Natasha’s. ‘Dad isn’t a pub person and he always has his phone with him.’
‘Probably with some old scrubber,’ Tracey slurred.
Shay turned to face Tracey, her eyes blazing. ‘Shut up, you. You’ve done nothing but have a dig at my dad since I arrived. You got a thing for him, or something?’
/>
‘Oh, don’t be so daft. I’m not that desperate,’ Tracey spluttered.
‘I don’t know why you don’t go home. We don’t want you here. You’re drunk and you’ve hardly said a good word about Donte. It’s obvious you don’t give a shit about him or anybody else other than your vain self.’
‘Who does she think she’s talking to, Mel? You want me here, don’t ya?’
‘Not really, Trace. Not tonight. You’ve had far too much to drink, mate, and I just need to be alone right now. I’ve got to go to court in the morning.’
‘Ring me a cab then. Don’t bring Toby back too early tomorrow, Si. I’ll give you a bell when I get up. Men, you’re all bastards. I hate the lot of you,’ Tracey rambled.
The cab arrived quickly and Melissa helped Tracey get in the back. She could barely walk, she was that inebriated.
‘Is Mummy ill?’ Toby asked when Melissa shut the front door.
Mel picked Toby up and stroked his soft blond hair. ‘No, darling. She’s just tired.’
‘Can I stay with you tonight?’
‘Not tonight. You’re staying at Daddy’s. You can stay here tomorrow though, if you like?’
Toby smiled. ‘Thank you.’
‘I was just saying to Simon, Mel, I’m a bit worried about Dad. Shall we drive over to your new house and make sure he’s all right. I won’t sleep otherwise.’
‘Perhaps he can’t get a signal?’ Mel suggested.
‘His phone wouldn’t be ringing if that were the case,’ Shay replied. ‘Let’s go now. How long does it take to get there?’
‘Simon’ll drive over there. I’ll go with him,’ Mel said.
‘But I need to talk to Dad,’ Shay argued.
‘Why don’t you stay here with Toby, Shay? Let me drive Mel over there. It’s silly us all going, and Toby’ll crash out soon. He’s been hyper all day.’
‘No. I want to go,’ Shay insisted, picking up her bag and marching out the front door.
Simon squeezed Melissa’s hand. ‘You stay here with Toby. See you in a bit.’
Munching on a Penguin biscuit, Toby watched Mel with interest. ‘What you doing with my toys?’ he asked.
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