Blood Secrets_A gripping crime thriller with killer twists

by Dreda Say Mitchell

  A bad feeling chilled its way down her spine as she stumbled onto the landing and bellowed, ‘Miriam! Miriam!’

  No voice came back.

  Heart racing, gut clenching she belted down the stairs and checked every room. No sign of her precious boy or his nanny.

  ‘Oh my God! Oh my God!’ Dee paced in panic. Couldn’t believe it.

  WHERE WAS HER SON?

  Then it hit her with the power of a ton of bricks falling on her. That cunt! Bastard! Devil’s spawn! Only one person would have the brass to take her child – Kieran Scott. And to think she’d finally been seeing things from his point of view.

  Dee picked up a chair and flung it across the room as her body thundered with almost super human rage.

  She clenched her teeth as she found her mobile. As soon as the line connected she growled, ‘Have you got Natty?’

  ‘He’s here.’

  She cut the call and headed straight to the kitchen where she found a bread knife. A serrated edge was what she needed so he felt agonising pain when she sawed his dick and balls off. Kieran wouldn’t be planting his baby cream in any other bird once she finished with him.

  As soon as Kieran opened the door to his plush pad in Chelsea Dee let rip with a solid fist to his chest. He rocked back on his heels, wincing at the flesh wound from the bullet that had skimmed his leg, but he managed to stay upright. She bowled in, her body vibrating with fury and kicked the door shut.

  ‘You better not have hurt my baby,’ she cried.

  ‘Will you knock it off?’ He flinched as his fingers massaged his aching leg.

  ‘Knock it off?’ Her chest rose and fell as she gave him a look that should kill. ‘You have the nerve, the nerve—‘

  ‘You need to listen to me-‘

  ‘I ain’t listening to dick. Just give me Natty and we’ll be on our way.’ She shook her head in disgust. ‘And I don’t wanna ever see your ug mug again.’

  Suddenly he lunged at her and pinned her arms and wouldn’t let go. She fought but couldn’t get free.

  He leaned in and spat in her face, ‘Calm the fuck down. There’s something you need to see.’

  Dee’s head reared back. ‘What do you mean? Has something happened to my boy?’

  It was then that she noticed the expression on his face – haunted and shattered. Something was badly wrong here. Badly wrong.

  ‘Kieran, you’re frightening me.’

  He manhandled her into the main room and her heart nearly gave out at what she saw.

  There was her baby in the arms of the woman she knew as Miriam. Except the brown bun was gone replaced by flowing blonde hair and the fresh, clean face was tarted up to the max. What nearly did her heart in was the wicked looking knife that Miriam held in her hand right next to her son. Oh my God! Oh my God!

  ‘Miriam?’ Dee croaked.

  The other woman let out an ugly, unhinged smile that did not light up her dead eyes. ‘Ah, I see the bitch from Essex has finally put in an appearance.’

  Dee could hardly catch her breath as she stared helplessly at Kieran. ‘What’s this all about?’

  The skin around his mouth was pinched white, his lips a grim, hard line. ‘Her name’s not Miriam, it’s Lisa and she used to be my girlfriend.’

  Dee stared back, gobsmacked, at the other woman. ‘What? I don’t understand—‘

  Lisa waved the knife manically in the air. ‘’Course you wouldn’t, you thick as shit slag. What Kieran ain’t told you is me and him are a family—‘

  ‘No we’re not,’ Kieran butted in strongly. He tapped a finger to the side of his head gesturing that his former girlfriend was off her trolley.

  That sent Lisa into a rage and she pointed the knife at Natty’s tiny head. ‘Why do you keep lying Kieran? You made a mistake pushing me outta your life, but we’re together again. Me, you and our son.’

  Dee rounded on him. ‘You told this nut job that Natty was your son? You fucking half-wit.’ In desperation she twisted back to Lisa. ‘He’s lying outta his bum hole—‘

  ‘No he’s not.’ Lisa’s voice was firm. ‘He made me check out his kid as your mum was wheeling him around that arse end of an estate she lives on.’

  ‘You did what?’ Dee nearly punched Kieran again.

  ‘I’ve told Lisa that all she needs to do is hand Natty over and we’ll forget all about this. Eh?’

  But his plea fell on deaf ears as she stroked the edge of the blade lightly against the baby’s cheek. Jesus, help me, Dee silently begged. Thank God there was no blood on her son’s face and he remained asleep.

  ‘That’s why I became his nanny.’ Lisa spoke as if talking to herself. ‘To make sure you were looking after him. But you weren’t. You weren’t looking after my poor, poor Andy.’

  Kieran angrily opened his mouth again but Dee held up her hand.

  Andy? Who the fuck was Andy? This woman was obviously not the full ticket, but there was a tone to her voice that reminded Dee of Babs’ voice back in the days when Dee was still giving her a hard time about giving her up when she was a baby. It was pain. Not any kind of pain, the type only a mother would know.

  ‘Can I sit down Lisa?’ Dee’s voice was soft and calm. ‘So we can talk mum to mum?’

  The other woman narrowed her eyes and then pointed to the soft sofa opposite.

  ‘Kieran, why don’t you get us both a cuppa?’

  That got Lisa hissing again. ‘Don’t tell my fucking fiancé what to do.’

  Dee held her hands up in peace as she sat down. ‘I’d never do that. Just thought you might like something to wet your throat.’

  Dee caught his eyes and used hers to gesture towards the terraced balcony with the cor blimey view of London, which was behind Lisa. He caught her silent meaning, nodded and left.

  Dee gave the other woman her full attention. ‘I remember when he was born.’ A little smile quivered on her lips. ‘He was so little, the most gorgeous thing I’d ever seen in my life. Did you feel the same when your Andy was born?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Dee had to contain her triumph at hitting it right on the nail.

  Lisa stroked Natty’s cheek, the same place the blade had touched. ‘My Andy was nine pounds—‘

  ‘Blimey, that’s a big un.’

  They laughed Dee’s completely fake.

  She urgently looked towards the terrace praying that Kieran could get something done soon.

  Kieran looked at the drop from his bedroom window. Flippin’ hell, if he fell he was a goner for sure. But he didn’t have a choice; he had to do this for his boy. When Lisa had turned up carrying Natty and a blade he’d almost bitch-slapped her into next week. Not that belting women was his thing but anyone, anyone, who dared threaten his flesh and blood might as well start digging their grave. It was her holding the knife that held him at bay. One of the reasons he’d dumped her was she was way too clingy for his liking, going on about wanting to be a family, but he hadn’t realised she was living that close to the edge.

  Kieran stopped thinking and started doing.

  He lifted himself up and froze out the pain in his leg. In three moves he was hanging from the window frame outside in the cold window. Didn’t look down. Now all he had to do was somehow stretch or swing enough to grip the balcony rail…

  ‘He took my Andy away from me,’ Lisa uttered sadly as she looked down at Natty.

  ‘Who’s he?’ Dee asked quickly wishing with all her heart that Kieran would move proceedings along. Come on Kieran! Come on!

  ‘My ex-husband.’ Lisa’s gaze blazed. ‘We broke up but I’d never keep him from seeing Andy. Used to come see him every Saturday and take him out. Except that Saturday they never came back.’

  ‘What?’ Lisa had her full attention.

  The other woman’s eyes were bleak. ‘He said he was going to bring him back at three as usual. When they never come back I went looking for them.’ She croaked, ‘Couldn’t find them anywhere.’

  Dee thought she was going to vomit at the ugly tale being tol
d. How could anyone do that to a mother? Run off with her kid as if she hadn’t given birth to him?

  Despite knowing this woman must’ve done some terrible things to Natty, an overwhelming wave of pity swept over Dee.

  ‘Did you find them?’

  Lisa’s face went stark white. ‘My ex was Italian. He took my Andy and left the country.’ An awful sound left her mouth. ‘I couldn’t find them. I went to Italy myself. This private detective said he’d help me but —‘

  ‘The bastard ripped you off and ran off with your dosh,’ Dee finished for her.

  Lisa nodded and frowned. ‘I thought you were doing the same thing to Kieran, running off with his kid. It ain’t right.’

  She started raising the knife. Kieran caught her wrist as he stood behind her. The balcony door was open behind him, cold, frigid night air creeping into the room. He twisted the knife out of her hand and dashed it to the wooden floor. Natty woke up and started screaming. Lisa collapsed into the sofa, crying and rocking.

  Dee only had eyes for her beloved boy. She scooped a distressed Natty to her breast shushing and kissing him over and over. What would she have done if she’d lost her son? He and Nicky were the closest people to her heart. She’d fight tooth and nail against anyone who threatened them. She glanced over at Kieran’s former girlfriend.

  With bleak eyes Kieran stared at her. ‘What do you want me to do with her? Call the cops?’

  Dee quickly shook her head. ‘I don’t want the Bill anywhere near me. Or Natty.’ She turned to Lisa. ‘What your ex did to you and your boy is pure evil. He ain’t getting away with it.’

  The other woman wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Me and Kieran are gonna make it our business to hunt your ex down and get your Andy back into your lovin’ arms.’ Dee knew full well this woman weren’t all there but no fella had the right to take a mum’s child away from her.

  ‘What?’ Kieran was gobsmacked.

  But Dee plunged on ignoring him. ‘No man has the right to do what your former old fella did to you.’

  Lisa started wringing her hands together. ‘You’d do that for me?’ Her momentary hope was dashed by bleakness covering her face again. ‘But I had a break down and ended up in the nut house for a couple of months. I know I’m not right. I don’t want to hurt my Andy.’

  ‘What about your big sister Joanie?’ Kieran asked. ‘You use to talk about her a lot.’

  ‘Joanie?’ Lisa’s face brightened. ‘She looked after me when I came outta the hospital. Do you think she’ll help me look after Andy?’

  ‘Let’s find out shall we,’ Dee answered. ‘Give Kieran her number. You gotta understand that we’ll do our best to find him, but we might not be able to. And you’ve gotta do everything you sister tells you to get better.’

  Lisa’s voice shook. ‘I can’t thank you enough. I’m sorry, I think I did some terrible things to Natty. I can’t really remember —‘

  Dee punched in savagely, ‘And don’t tell me coz I think if I hear what you did I’ll have no choice but to kill you.’

  Half an hour later her mortified sister Joanie and her husband gently led Lisa out of Dee and Kieran’s lives.

  Once they were alone Kieran and Dee sat in an awkward silence, their blood son once again sleeping in his mother’s arms.

  Kieran hung his head. ‘All I can say Dee is sorry. I never knew—‘

  ‘Would you like to hold him?’

  His head snapped up. His gaze landed greedily on his son. He couldn’t even speak. He eagerly nodded.

  Dee watched Kieran’s face light up like he was touching magic as he held his boy. She’d felt the same holding a squalling Natty for the first time.

  ‘A father should know his child.’

  She couldn’t get Aunty Pearl’s words out of her head because Dee finally realised she was right. Still there was knowing and knowing.

  ‘We need to come to an arrangement,’ she told him.

  ‘I know that.’ He kept his amazed gaze on Natty.

  ‘He’s still John’s son.’

  ‘Know that too.’

  ‘What say you became his Uncle Kieran?’

  Kieran tickled Natty’s tummy with delight. ‘Hey little man, I’m your Uncle Kieran…’

  56

  Three weeks later

  Patrick woke up in the night and a sixth instinct told him he was not alone. He took an easy breath, just the way he’d learned to do as an undercover cop, and slowly reached out for the lamp switch on his nightstand.

  Four women stood around his bed all dressed in black. Two had large holdall bags at their feet while one was heavily propped up against another. He didn’t need telling who had come to pay him a midnight call – Babs’ girls.

  He sat up as he calmly asked, ‘Can I get you ladies a cup of tea?’

  Dee, the eldest, held up a finger. ‘We’re gonna do the talking and all you’ve got to do is open your ears.’

  There was a breath of silence before Jen, who looked pale leaning against Tiff said, ‘Our mum ain’t a happy bunny these days.’

  Tiffany informed him, ‘Mum keeps crying her heart out.’

  ‘And we hear that’s down to you,’ chipped in Flo.

  ‘Apparently,’ Tiff joined in, ‘we hear you’ve given her the boot coz you found out ‘bout her and the gold.’

  ‘Look, I—‘ he started but Dee snapped over him.

  ‘Told you to stay schtum until we’ve had our say.’ He closed his mouth. ‘What you need to understand is she only got involved to save us. Tried to hide the stuff to keep us lot out of bother.’

  ‘That’s what mum’s do,’ Flo said as if he were an idiot, ‘they help their kiddies out.’

  Jen smiled weakly. ‘Babs Miler’s the best woman you’ll ever meet.’

  ‘She’s loyal and good and loves to have a laugh.’ That was Flo.

  Dee punched in, ‘She’s kind and caring and will never betray you.’

  ‘And she deserves loads of sex,’ Tiff grinned. ‘Lots and lots of earth shattering sex.’

  Dee clipped her around the nut. ‘Enough of that, thank you very much.’

  Tiff rubbed her head. ‘Well she does.’

  Dee straightened. ‘Anyways, we’re not going to keep you from your kip, so this is the last thing we’re gonna say – our mum deserves a great guy in her life. Now we think that guy’s you.’ Her foot kicked the holdall bag. ‘And we’re leaving this and the other with you coz we know that’s what Babs would want.’

  They left him and he didn’t move for a full two minutes wondering if he’d just had a dream. No, the bags were still there. He got out of bed and crouched down by one. Unzipped it and whistled.

  Inside were bars and bars of gold.

  57

  Two months later

  ‘Do I look the part?’ Babs nervously asked.

  Her four daughters – she’d claimed Flo as her own – all gasped as they looked at her in her bedroom.

  ‘Stunning.’

  ‘Gorgeous.’

  ‘Out of this world.’

  ‘Brings tears to my eyes.’

  She didn’t know which of her girls said what because they all gushed in awe at the same time.

  Babs looked back at her reflection in the mirror. ‘You don’t think it’s a bit over done?’

  Dee walked up to her and placed her palms gently on her shoulders from behind. ‘A bride should pull out all the stops for her wedding.’

  For the second time in her life Babs was tying the knot. This time she was doing it with a man who worshipped her from the hair on her head to the tips of her freshly manicured toes. Richard had handed in the gold – anonymously – which had been reported all in the papers and the telly. A couple of bars were still missing but the Bill were pleased that the majority had turned up. Strange thing was though no one had come forward to claim it. The stuff was cursed, plain and simple, and her girls had wanted it gone from their lives. Babs was mum
my proud of what they’d done. Especially Tiff. It couldn’t have been easy for her youngest to turn her back on a wagonload of wonga.

  Babs let out a private smile of pure pleasure as she remembered that warm day when she was drowning her sorrows in a bottle of mother’s ruin down the Knackered Swan. Tricky Dickie had turned up, got down on his knee and popped the question in front of the whole flamin’ pub. When Babs had given the thumbs up the customers had raised the roof with an East End cheer.

  Now finally the day had arrived for Babs to make him her old man.

  She was dressed all in white, the picture of a traditional bride from the veil to the sweeping lace train behind. Babs felt a bit daft in this get-up but the girls had insisted on taking her to Madame Dominique’s swanky shop Up West to get something made especially for her.

  ‘We better shift it,’ Jen said. And grinned. ‘We can’t have the bride being late for her own wedding.’

  Babs was a touch disappointed that no one from her block was on their landing to gawk at her and wish her well. Nevertheless, she would miss this place. She and Richard had bought a lovely three-bed out Essex way. She’d managed to wangle it with the council for Tiff and Flo to become the new tenants of her flat. Babs would love to be a fly on the wall to see how that panned out.

  Once they got downstairs they made their way across the estate towards the main road and the registry office. Babs’ face screwed up in confusion as they instead headed towards the old washhouse, which had long ago been abandoned and boarded up.

  What the heck?

  ‘’Ere? What’s going on ladies?’

  They all giggled in response and propeller her gently forward. Once they reached the door of the washhouse Flo opened it and push it wide.

  Babs’ hands flew to her lips. ‘On my life.’

  Jammed inside seemed to be most of the estate. And Pearl and Fred, who now owned the care home paid for in cash. They’d also given all the pensioners who’d been swindled their money back.

  When Babs had asked in an arched voice where the dough had come from, Fred was cheerfully vague. ‘Well, to tell you the truth, I had a bit of a lucky run on the gee-gees. You know - an accumulator and that. Soon mounts up.’