'Then leave her.'
'But she has a health visitor who calls twice a week and she's due to come to the house today.'
'Forget her, you have more important things to do than worry about your bloated parasite of a mother.'
Foster winced at the harsh words but then he hurriedly pushed the death of his mother from his mind.
'Would you like me to describe what I can see on the street?' he asked hopefully.
'Are you trying to second-guess me?' the voice asked, the tone suddenly sharp with annoyance.
'No, no, I'm sorry,' Foster cringed.
'Head for the town centre, I'll ring you back in half an hour.'
The voice vanished and Foster felt the sense of purpose rise through his body, his mother was dead but in the end none of it mattered, he was following orders and the thrill of the unknown was starting to thrum through his mind again, like an engine ticking over ready to really motor.
40
'People think because my father makes a lot of money, and I live in a big house then I should be happy,' Faith said as she looked out over the garden.
Kelly glanced at her own family home; four bedrooms and two bathrooms, landscaped gardens, spread over a large area inside a gated community.
'I know what you mean,' she agreed with a slight sigh.
Faith looked at her in surprise. 'But you're happy, aren't you?'
Kelly slid a strand of hair from her eyes. 'I am now, but for a time I went through a really bad situation but thank God it all got sorted in the end.'
'Your parents seem really nice, I mean, your father doesn't look like the type of man who would shout and scream.'
Kelly pictured her father in meltdown mode, his face puce with rage. 'Believe me he has his moments.'
'My father's always shouting and if he's not raging then he hardly bothers to acknowledge me.'
'What about his girlfriend?'
Faith sighed before pushing a swathe of hair from her face. 'After my mother died, he started to see other women, it was almost as if he was glad that she'd died then he could do what he wanted.'
Kelly watched as the tears sparkled in Faith's eyes.
'In fact, even when my mum was alive, he still cheated on her, I can remember them arguing more than once about it, I would hide on the landing and listen, he would always deny it, but then again cheats always do.'
Kelly nodded in agreement.
'Then about ten months ago he started to go out with this woman, and at first I thought she was nice but as soon as she moved into the house she changed.'
'Changed in what way?'
'She didn't need to pretend anymore that she liked me, we used to go shopping together and then all that stopped, and she started to ignore me completely.'
'She sounds like a bitch.'
Faith looked at her and smiled sadly. 'She is.'
Kelly glanced up as Belle walked from the house, a tray of drinks in her hand.
'What time do you call this!?' Kelly asked and grinned as Belle pulled a comical face.
'I thought I'd have a lie-in for a change,' Belle replied, then turned and smiled at Faith.
'Hi, I'm Belle.'
'Hi,' Faith replied as Belle placed the tray on the grass and sat down.
Tilting her head to the sky, Belle sighed in contentment. 'No lectures today and the sun is shining, life is good,' she smiled.
When Faith Hinton burst into tears, Kelly winced as Belle looked on in astonishment.
41
'Turn left,' the voice ordered.
Foster did as he was told, the narrow passage leading down the side of the row of shops before opening up into a car park.
'Now right.'
It felt wonderful to simply follow orders, left, right, straight ahead, it didn't matter. The thing was it took away any need to make a decision and he had always struggled with making his mind up. Even as a child he had found it problematic, he could recall the times when he would stand in the corner shop with twenty pence in his grubby little hand, the torment eating away at him as he tried to decide which sweets he should pick from the penny tray.
In the end the shopkeeper, a man with a sour face, would simply choose the sweets for him and thrust them at Benny before snatching the money from his small hand.
'Can't wait all bloody day for you to make up your mind,' he would grumble as Benny fled the shop, with a bag containing half a dozen of the hated Black Jacks.
'Tell me what you see?' the voice asked.
Foster blinked and licked his lips. 'I'm on the car park, there's no one around.'
'What about the attendant?'
Looking left he saw the small yellow hut placed at the opening of the car park. 'There's no one in the hut.'
'Pity, take a right.'
Foster did as he was told, suddenly the tarmac ended and old cobbles took over, a throwback to Wigan's industrial past, a visual history of the old northern town.
Large bins appeared left and right, some with closed lids, other were crammed with cardboard, rubbish littered the floor, discarded burger boxes and chip trays alongside the obligatory plastic bottles and cans.
'Can you see anyone yet?' the voice asked.
Foster turned full circle, his eyes darting about. 'There's no one here.'
'Take the next left.'
Foster saw the narrow passage appear and frowned in confusion as he came to a stop. 'There's a narrow entry to the left but I don't think it goes anywhere.'
'Then go to the road, you fool.'
Fellow winced, he could hear sudden anger in the voice, and he swallowed the sensation of fear that fluttered inside.
Moving forward, he quickened his pace, his body starting to sweat, he reached the road just as a bus came to a halt.
'I'm at the main road.'
'Give me details.'
'There's a bus at the stop, people getting on and off,' Benny said sotto voce.
'Describe the ones who are getting off.'
'Two woman, they look old, they remind me of my grandmother,' Foster whispered with a grimace.
'I take it you hated her as well?'
'She was fat, not fat like my mother but she always used to hug me, and I hated it, hated the smell of her.'
'What happened to the woman?'
'She died three years ago, heart attack.'
'I wonder if heart problems run in the family?' the voice asked as if genuinely curious.
'My grandad was the same, but he was stick thin like me.'
The two women began to walk towards him, and Foster lowered his head as they hobbled past, he could see their swollen feet encased in wide sensible shoes, the smell of lavender permeated the air making him wince at the familiar scent.
'Who else can you see?'
Raising his head Foster looked left and right as the bus pulled away, the street had a few people milling about and he described them quickly and then waited for a response.
The seconds ticked by and the worried frown on his face grew. 'Are you still there?' he eventually asked.
'Where are you right now?'
'Standing outside the chemist on Standishgate.'
A car went driving by and Foster caught a brief glimpse of a young child in the back seat, the boy putting his tongue out at Foster, and then the car was gone.
'Head towards Hindley,' the voice suddenly demanded.
'Hindley?' Foster replied in confusion.
'If I have to repeat myself one more time then you will never hear from me again.'
Benny Foster felt his blood run cold as he turned left and hurried along the pavement. 'I'm sorry, it won't happen again.'
'You keep saying that and it's becoming tiresome.'
'I…'
'I have a specific job for you and one that requires you staying away from home for the day but considering your mother will be starting to smell by now then I can't imagine that will be too much of a hardship for you.'
Foster sensed the image of his naked mother in the
woods flash through his mind, her bulk falling towards him, and he almost yelped in fear. 'I don't care if I never go back to that house,' he suddenly hissed.
'Good. Now get walking, I'll ring you back later with further instruction.'
'Yes, Master.'
Inside the hood he heard the phone beep and die as he increased his speed, eager to leave the town centre, eager to get on with the task.
42
Lasser pushed the door of the clinic open and then stepped back to let a young woman with a buggy come through. The toddler – a little girl – sat kicking her legs, her mouth plugged with a dummy, playing with a Peppa Pig toy.
'Thanks,' the woman said with a grateful smile.
'No problem,' he replied as he slipped into the reception area.
The place was busy, the plastic chairs filled with a mixture of people, some young, others elderly, all looking hot and bothered in the stifling room.
'Look, I need my meds!'
Lasser let the door close slowly behind him and looked over to where the flustered receptionist was trying to deal with a man in his late twenties, his hands spread on the counter as he leaned over, trying to intimidate her.
'I'm sorry but as you can see, we're busy today, I'm afraid you'll have to wait your turn,' the receptionist explained warily.
'But I need it and I need it now!' he bellowed into her face, spittle flying from his twisted mouth.
Lasser looked around the room, he could see the disgust carved onto some faces, others looked on nervously as the man slammed his hand down hard on the counter.
'I'm sorry, Mr Ball, but you are due a review, so you'll have to see the doctor before you get your medication.'
'Fuck that, I can't hang around here until that prick decides to see me, I've got somewhere I need to be.'
Lasser heard a couple of people gasp at the profanity.
'Hey, watch your mouth, you yobbo!'
The man named Ball spun around, his face looked haggard, his skin sallow and sharp on the bone. 'Who said that?' he demanded.
'I did!' the old man pushed himself up from the chair, his face screwed up with the effort, both hands resting atop a walking stick.
'Yeah well, keep your frigging mouth closed, you old shit,' Ball barked.
More gasps filled the room, louder this time.
Lasser had heard enough and strode forward.
'If you don't sit down then I'm going to ring the police,' the receptionist warned.
Ball was in the process of spinning towards her when Lasser reached him and clamped a heavy hand on his shoulder.
The thug tried to shrug free, but Lasser tightened his grip.
'Get your bastard hand off me or I'll deck you,' Ball snarled.
Lasser continued to increase the pressure, the look of anger suddenly vanishing from Ball's spiteful face, replaced by an expression of pain.
Without uttering a word Lasser dug the warrant card from his pocket and thrust it towards Ball's glaring eyes. 'See all these people?' he asked, dragging the thug around to face the room. 'They're here to see the doctor, sitting patiently, no shouting, no swearing…'
'I'm warning you; I need my meds, or I will fucking lose it big time!' Ball snarled.
Lasser pushed his face in close and lowered his voice to a deep rumble. 'Do you want to see what losing it ''big time'' really looks like?'
For the first time Ball made the effort to look at Lasser's face and what he saw in the coal-black eyes stopped the retort, lodging it in his throat.
'Now, apologise to everyone,' Lasser demanded.
Ball's face suddenly flooded with colour as Lasser spun him back around.
'Sorry,' he mumbled.
'I didn't hear you!' the elderly man shouted.
'I said I'm sorry!' Ball's voice rose in anger and then he yelped as Lasser's right hand clamped hard again on his shoulder.
'Now, I suggest you sit down, wait your turn and keep your mouth shut,' Lasser warned as he let his hand slip from the man's shoulder.
Ball sulked his way across the room and slumped down into a plastic chair, his arms folded, his red face set in a strop.
Turning back to the receptionist, Lasser smiled.
'Thanks for that,' she said with a sigh of relief.
'Not a problem, now I was wondering if you can help me?'
'If I can I will.'
Pulling the image from his pocket Lasser slipped it onto the counter. 'I know it's not much to go on, but do you have any idea who that might be?' he asked.
The phone by her side started to beep and the woman picked it up as her eyes glanced at the picture. 'Hello, you're through to the Medi-centre, Jill speaking.'
Lasser could hear a mumbled voice on the other end of the phone as he glanced back over his shoulder and gave Ball a withering look, the thug averted his eyes before lowering his head.
'That's fine, Mr Jones, and thanks for letting us know, I'll cancel your appointment.'
The phone clicked and Lasser turned back to the receptionist.
'That's Benny Foster,' she said, tapping a finger on the picture.
Lasser's eyes widened in surprise. 'You recognise the guy?'
Jill looked up and smiled. 'Well, to be honest I recognise the clothing, but I'm ninety-nine percent sure it's Benny, he's been coming here for years.'
'Is he receiving treatment?' Lasser asked.
'Oh no, Benny has no medical issues, he comes here for his mother.'
Lasser moved closer to the desk. 'I'm sorry, you've lost me?'
'Patricia Foster is bedridden and Benny is her carer, so once every month he calls in to get her repeat prescription filled.'
'And what's he like?'
Jill tilted her head slightly as she looked up at Lasser. 'He's a quiet man – polite and well-spoken – I think he used to be a librarian, but he had to give up the job to take care of his mother.'
'And I take it he normally wears the same clothes.'
Jill nodded. 'Winter or summer he wears the parka. To be honest, the money he gets from benefits isn't much and most of it will go on paying bills to keep a roof over their heads.'
'Hello, Lasser, what are you doing here?'
Lasser turned to find a woman – her blond hair cut short – smiling at him, as she slipped into a thin jacket.
'Hello, Isabel, I didn't know you worked here,' Lasser said, returning the smile.
The last time he had seen Isabel Cander she had been at the vicarage helping Mia Cross look after a group of homeless kids who had been given sanctuary and a fresh start in life.
'I'm still based at the hospital but three days a week I do health care visits.'
'Do you know this guy? Lasser asked.
Isabel glanced at the image on the counter and frowned slightly. 'That's Benny Foster.'
Jill nodded and smiled at the confirmation. 'I was just telling the officer here about Benny being his mother's carer.'
'He is, in fact I'm due to pay Patricia a visit today,' Isabel explained.
'Could you show me where the family live?' Lasser asked.
Isabel pulled her car keys from her pocket. 'No problem, we can go now if you want?'
Picking up the picture he slipped it into his pocket. 'Thanks for your help,' he said to Jill as he followed Isabel towards the doors, pausing briefly to glance at Ball. 'You behave yourself and wait your turn because I'll only be outside and if I have to come back in here then I won't be happy,' he warned.
Ball nodded before averting his gaze.
'So, why are you here asking about Benny?' Isabel asked, as Lasser held the door open for her.
'Let's just say we need an urgent word with the man.'
Stepping out into the sunshine, Isabel paused for a moment. 'Is he in trouble?'
'Would that surprise you?'
Isabel thought for a moment. 'I've been calling at the house for the past twelve months and Benny is always polite, and he does a good job of looking after his mother.'
'A good guy th
en?'
'A sad guy,' she replied as they started to walk again.
'Sad in what way?'
Reaching a set of gates, they moved left, Lasser could see Odette behind the wheel of the Audi.
'Carers often look that way,' Isabel replied. 'They used to have a life but then suddenly all that stops, and they spend all their time caring for a loved one.'
'Must be hard,' Lasser admitted.
'Some have other family members who chip in to help take some of the strain.'
'What about Foster?'
'He has no siblings, no other family, so the responsibility is his alone. I mean, we try to help but you know what it's like.'
'Funding cuts, coupled with not enough hours in the day?' Lasser suggested.
Isabel sighed. 'Got it in one,' she said as they reached her car.
'OK, we'll follow you, Isabel.'
'I'd better watch my speed, I don't want you giving me a ticket,' she grinned.
'As if,' Lasser said in mock shock as he angled away towards Odette.
Half a minute later, they followed Isabel off the car park, Lasser telling Odette that at last they had a name to work with.
'You'd better ring Bannister and let him know what we're doing,' she said as she went through the gears.
Lasser pulled out his phone and made the call.
43
Faith told Belle all about the impossible situation she now found herself in, going over old ground about how her father cared nothing for her and how he would go ballistic if he found out she was pregnant.
'Some people should never be parents,' Belle replied.
Faith looked at her in surprise and then Belle started to tell her all about her own mother and father, both dead now, and how they had been completely useless as parents.
'But I thought you two were sisters?' Faith asked in confusion.
Belle smiled and shook her head. 'I was homeless,' she paused, 'well, in fact, I was on the run, and once it all got sorted Kelly and her mum and dad took me in and I've been here ever since.'
'It must have been hard living on the streets,' Faith admitted as she chewed a fingernail.
'At some stage everyone has problems,' Belle replied philosophically. 'But I know what it's like to live with the fear of what the future will bring.'
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