by Woods, Karen
“I will,” she whispered. John lifted his head and took a few seconds to digest the information she’d given him.
“Did you just say yes?”
Fallon helped him up from the floor and a few of the diners in the restaurant started clapping their hands together. “I did,” she said. Her eyes looked at the other people sat near her and she smiled at them as she flung her hands around his neck. John looked as proud as a peacock; he stood tall and shouted over to the waiter. “Can I have a bottle of Champagne please?” He gripped Fallon in his arms and picked her up. “I’m going to make you the happiest woman ever. I love you with all my heart, and I’m so happy you said yes. You had me going for a moment though; I thought you were going to blow me out.”
The popping of the Champagne cork could be heard. Fallon and John clinked their glasses together and they sat like two lovebirds locked in each other’s gaze. John walked to the corner of the room with his mobile phone; the reception was bad where they were seated and he was struggling to make the call. Fallon watched him and smiled as she heard him telling his mother the news. She should have been shouting from the rooftops that she was getting married but something inside her was holding her back, it didn’t feel right.
Fallon and John walked through the back door to Fallon’s house. The lights were still on and Lesley was sat talking to Beryl. Lesley was at her wits end, the police knew it was Billy who shot Woody and the search was on for him. It wasn’t looking good. It was only a matter of time before the police caught up with him; they were hot on his trail. John walked in first and he was smiling like a Cheshire cat.
Beryl looked at him. “What are you smiling at you barmy bastard?”
John pulled Fallon to his side and made the announcement. “I’m smiling Beryl, because your beautiful daughter has just said yes, to becoming my wife.”
Lesley’s jaw dropped, and Beryl started coughing, she was choking. Lesley shot her eyes at Fallon. She didn’t look like a woman who’d just got engaged, there was no visible emotion on her face. Slowly Lesley flung her arms around her best friend; it was half-hearted though. Beryl watched Fallon from the corner of her eye as she hugged John. “Well congratulations then, bloody hell, when’s the wedding. I better get on a diet. I won’t fit in my old faithful black dress anymore. I’ve banged loads of timber on,” Beryl chuckled.
John sat down on the sofa. “The sooner the better for me Beryl. I would marry her tomorrow if she wants.”
Fallon looked distraught; he was waiting for an answer. This was all happening too fast. She was so mixed up and she was having second thoughts already. “Oh, we’re in no rush John. Weddings take ages to plan. We can wait a couple of years, and plan it properly.”
John growled at her and their eyes locked. “Fallon, I don’t want to wait that long. I was thinking in six months time. We can start planning for it now. You’ll help, won’t you Lesley?”
Lesley nodded and looked at Fallon. She knew her mate was struggling and tried to bail her out. “John, Fallon is right. Wedding take ages to sort out, well,” she hung her head to the side, “That’s if you want to do it properly. You have to book the venue, the church, loads of things. It’s not plain sailing you know. I mean, what about her dress, you can’t expect her to find one in six months.”
John was thinking. He rested his chin on his hand. “Right, okay, I wasn’t thinking straight. I’m just excited.”
Beryl stood up and walked into the kitchen. “Who wants a brew, I’m spitting feathers?”
John followed her, “Yeah, I’d love one, have you got anything stronger. I’m still in the party mood.”
Beryl held her head back and chuckled. “You must be joking. Beer, in this house with Bob about, he drinks everything in sight. I’m sure he’s drank the last bit of Turps I had left under the sink.”
John placed his hand on her shoulder. “Is he that bad Beryl?” She twisted her head back over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. “He’s terrible John, you don’t know the half of it.”
Lesley and Fallon sat alone in the front room. Once they could hear John talking to Beryl Fallon spoke. “Fucking hell Lesley, what have I got myself into to? I just panicked and said yes. I do love him but, marriage; I’m not ready for that am I?”
Lesley darted her eyes to the door. “I could tell by your face that you’re not ready. You need to speak with him and just tell him how you feel.”
Fallon walked to the window. It was raining and each droplet that smashed against the window seemed angry. Her mind was doing overtime and her head felt like it was going to burst. John walked back into the room with Beryl following closely behind him. Lesley’s mobile started ringing and she searched the sofa for it. Her hand dug down the side of the couch and she held her phone up in her hands looking at the screen. “It’s Billy, its Billy.” Fallon listened carefully to the conversation as did Beryl. “Hiya, Skid why are you on Billy’s phone?” Lesley sank to her knees like butter melting from a hot piece of toast. “When, when,” she screamed.
“What’s up?” Fallon asked as she bolted up from her seat. Lesley ended the call and lay on the floor in a ball. Fallon knelt beside her and she knew something had happened to Billy. “Have the police got him?” she asked in a low voice.
Beryl had her cig at the ready to light; she was hanging on her every word. “Yeah, they nicked him about an hour ago, Skid said. What’s going to happen to him now?” she was sobbing. Fallon knew her brother would be looking at a long prison sentence for what he’d done but she tried to console her friend.
“Just let him sort it out. If I know our Billy he’ll have a top solicitor on it as we speak. He’s no fool you know.”
Beryl chugged on her cig; shaking her head, she knew more than anyone that her son would be banged up for more than a few years. She looked deflated.
*
Fallon lay in her bed, she was wide awake. The sound of Lesley crying in the next room could be heard. Closing her eyes, she was tormented with the vision that kept her from sleep most nights. She could see herself running, and someone was chasing her. Holding her hand to her throat she opened her eyes and sat up, she was struggling to breathe. Getting up she stared out of the window. The condensation on the window blocked her full view. Slowly she used her flat palm to wipe it away. The rain was pounding the pavements, and the area was quiet. Her mind cast back to earlier that day when the flowers had arrived. Something inside her felt excited. Was it Dalton who’d sent the flowers? Did he still love her, even after all these years? Slowly she lifted the lid up on her small jewellery box and there it was, looking at her. The necklace Dalton had bought her looked like tin now; it was old and didn’t shine anymore. She should have flung it away when she found it in her coat pocket, but she didn’t have the heart, it meant so much to her. Slowly her fingers stroked the silver heart. Closing her eyes she seemed to be talking, but no words were coming out. Fallon trudged back to bed; in her hand was the silver chain. She held it close to her heart and slowly she drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Billy stood in the dock at Manchester Crown Court. He looked thin and his eyes seemed vacant. His arms were held behind his back and he looked liked he’d aged at least ten years. Fallon and Lesley were sat at the front of the courtroom and they could see Billy through the glass panel at the side of them, staring at the floor. The case against him was strong and he knew he wouldn’t be walking out of the courts today.
The public gallery was full of people and press. Woody’s henchmen were also there in support of their dead friend. Woody’s girlfriend was sat near Lesley. At this point she didn’t know who she was. Her face looked weather beaten, and the dark circles under her eyes told you she wasn’t coping with the death of her partner. Another younger woman sat behind them and Fallon and Lesley knew she was Woody’s ‘knock off’. Everyone knew about her and he’d made no secret that he was having an affair with this girl. Both the women were sobbing and were being comforted by their friends. Skid wa
s also in the courtroom and he was sat behind Lesley. He was keeping a low profile today and didn’t want to bring any attention to himself. That was the last thing he needed, Woody’s men on his case. They were ruthless and wouldn’t think twice about avenging his death.
Judge Dean had been with the case from the start and he didn’t look in a good mood today, he was a grumpy old fart. He shouted the usher over and made her take control of the public gallery to calm the noise down, they were all gabbing. Lesley looked at Billy and mouthed the words “I love you” towards him. He held a firm chin, his lips were trembling and he looked like he was ready to break. There was silence in court and not a sound could be heard. Lesley sat up tall and Fallon held her arm around her shoulders. Judge Dean looked over his glasses at the criminal stood in the dock. Reading from his notes for a minute, he looked up and spoke to Billy in a firm tone.
Billy was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. The courtroom was up in arms. The members of the dead man’s family wanted Billy to get life and they made sure the judge could hear every word they said. The dead man’s partner bolted up from her seat and screamed at the top of her voice, she was holding nothing back. “Fifteen fucking years, the bastard should have got life. What about me ay?” she held her open arms out in front of her and spoke to the courtroom. “What about the kids he’s left behind,” she spat at the convict stood in the dock, but it landed on the glass. “Who’s going to look after them? You call yourself a judge, get a grip and deal with it proper. This man has ruined my life.” The woman was held back by her family as she watched Billy being escorted from the dock. She was kicking and screaming as she ran at the glass panel separating them. Woody’s knock off made a quick get away before anyone clocked her.
Lesley was devastated. Fallon was holding her up as she tried to walk from the room. “Fallon, he got fifteen years. Fucking fifteen years! What about our Denva?” Fallon dipped her head and chewed at the side of her mouth. Feeling the eyes of someone in the distance, she lifted her head up slowly. A man could be seen with a hood over his head leaving the courtroom. Fallon shivered, she was sure this was the man she’d seen watching her in the past. Sitting Lesley down for a minute she ran outside after him. She was like a wild woman as her feet sprinted down the long corridor. Fallon’s eyes shot about the area, nobody was there except Woody’s family. Jogging, she ran to the stairs. With her head dipped over the side of the stairs she could see the hand of the man on the last flight of stairs, but he had already disappeared. Fallon stood with her back against the wall. She looked white in the face. Her head slowly rocked against it.
Quickly she ran back to the courtroom for Lesley. The noise of people shouting down the corridor was deafening. Lesley’s voice was high pitched, she was screaming like a banshee. A crowd of people were all gathered around Woody’s girlfriend and Lesley. Fallon marched towards them. She barged through the crowd and she could see Emma, Woody’s girlfriend, pointing her finger in Lesley’s face. “Billy is a fucking murderer; mark my words this isn’t over. I’ll make sure he pays one day believe me.”
Lesley seemed to find her inner strength and sprang up from the chair, she ran at Emma with fists of fury. “Come on then. Let’s sort it out now. Don’t make threats bitch, let’s have it”. Lesley was in Emma’s face frothing at the mouth. “Don’t you dare threaten me or my family. Your man was a rapist. Are you forgetting about that,” she spoke in a sarcastic tone to the crowd. Finding her courage she gave it her straight. “Oh, I thought you’d be quiet now. Every day I have to live with what that scumbag did to me. He deserves to be dead. If Billy wouldn’t have done it, I would have. He was a sex-case. Do you hear me, a fucking raging sex-case, so get out of my face before I twat you all over.”
Emma looked gobsmacked and her words were stuck in her mouth as she was pulled away by her family. “One day, bitch,” she shouted back at Lesley as she left.
Fallon held her friend back, but she was strong and she was breaking free. She was going to rip this woman in two. “Just stop it Lesley, leave her to it, she’s not worth it.” Lesley was shaking from head to toe. “Just get me out of this place. I’m suffocating, I need some air.”
Fallon realised she was in distress. The two of them hurried down the stairs towards the exit. As they left the building they could see the back of Woody’s family getting into a car. Lesley dug deep into her pockets and pulled out her cigs. Quickly lighting one she sucked her cheeks in hard and inhaled. Neither of them spoke for a few seconds. Billy’s solicitor came outside and walked towards them, he was sighing and kept his head low. “I’ve been looking all over for you Lesley.”
She growled at him and shook her head. “What do you want me for; he’s been slammed so there’s fuck all to talk about, is there?”
The solicitor knew she was a ticking bomb and he would make sure he didn’t stick around for longer than necessary. “I’m sorry about Billy, but we all knew he would be getting a big sentence didn’t we?”
Fallon screwed her face up. This tosser was getting right up her nose. There he was stood in his fancy suit, and not a care in the world. What did he have to worry about? “I’ll get going then,” he whispered in a low voice. Lesley and Fallon ignored him and he sneaked away with a look of relief on his face.
Fallon and Lesley made their way to the bus stop. The weather was cold and the wind was picking up. Lesley turned her head back and gazed at the courts behind her. She knew Billy would be sat in some cold cell now getting ready to get shipped out to a prison. In the distance she could see the landmark that was Strangeways prison. Rubbing at her arms she linked Fallon’s arm. Do you think he’ll go to the ‘Ways? I hope he does, because if he goes miles away how will I be able to go and visit him. I haven’t got a pot to piss in.”
Fallon pulled Lesley closer and tried to comfort her. “We’re a family and you’re part of it, so don’t worry, we’ll get to see him. By hook or by crook we’ll get there, trust me.”
“I’ll have to start shoplifting again,” Lesley moaned. “I know I still do a bit, but I’m going to have to up my game. Our Denva needs things and there’s no way he’s going without. No way in this world is he.”
Fallon tried to raise a smile. “He won’t go without anything love, I’ll see to that. John is wadded now so if we get stuck I can always tap him.”
“Fuck me there’s our bus, come on let’s peg it,” Fallon said in a distressed tone.
Beryl sat twiddling her thumbs; her stomach had been in knots all morning. She knew in her heart her son wasn’t coming home, but she still held hope that he would be a free man. Lesley walked into the house first, followed closely by Fallon. As if all her grief had hit her in one blow Lesley fell to the floor like a lead weight. Beryl choked back the tears and went to her side. Bob walked into the front room and looked anxious. He knew it wasn’t good news. Even for him this was a first, he usually kept his emotions under wraps. Looking at Lesley crying on the floor he grabbed his coat from the side of the table and stormed out of the back door without saying a word, he was gutted.
Fallon checked her watch; she was due in work soon. Slowly she went into the kitchen and switched the kettle on. Draping her body over the sink she let out a laboured breath. Hearing the scraping of the front gate she lifted her head up, she could see the postman approaching the front door. “Mam, what’s our post doing coming this late. I thought he usually gets here about seven each morning?” There was no reply. Eyes down, she picked up the two letters from the mat near the front door. Quickly scanning them in her hand she realised one was for her. The address was handwritten. Beryl came into the kitchen; Fallon shoved her letter in her back pocket and walked back inside. “Here you go mother, it looks like another bill for you.”
“Oh, fucking throw it on the side there with all the others. They can’t have what I’ve not got, can they?”
Fallon made three brews and struggled carrying them back into the front room. “Quick mother grip one of these will you? My fingers are bur
ning,” she shouted. Bending her knees down, she placed the cups onto the coffee table, she spilt some. “Fucking hell Mam, I said to grip one. Look what I’ve done now. I swear mother, I’ve seen more go in a sick note.” Her words just floated above her mother’s head. Beryl used an old newspaper from the floor to soak up the spillage.
Lesley sat back in her chair and seemed a lot calmer now. “Well, I better start pulling myself together hadn’t I?”
Beryl switched the TV on as Fallon nodded her head. “Yep, there is nothing you can do to change it. You’ll just have to soldier on.”
Fallon sat down and jerked back up as she remembered the letter in her back pocket. Pulling it out in front of her she studied the handwriting. “I wonder who this is from?”
Beryl was sat next to her now. She squinted her eyes at the envelope, she looked frantic. She recognised the handwriting. Fallon started to open the letter slowly; her mother was searching for her cigs, she was going to need one. Fallon unfolded the sheet of white paper in front of her. Beryl turned the TV volume up hoping to distract her daughter. “Oh let’s watch this film, it’s a classic, just what we need. Orr it’s a really sad story this. I’ve seen it before.”
Fallon rested the letter on her lap and cast her eyes over to the TV. Lesley kicked her shoes off and tucked her legs up on the sofa beside her.
“Fuck me Beryl; don’t you think I’m down enough without having me crying more?” Beryl kept looking at Fallon from the corner of her eyes; she was struggling to keep her attention.
“It’s called ‘Beaches’ it’s about two friends.”
“Well don’t spoil it all then,” Lesley cursed. “Fallon come on, get on here with me.” It was too late, Fallon was reading her letter.