by Jacqui Rose
Inside the car, Emma was screaming. He could smell the booze on her breath as he reversed down the lane. She began to hit him and with one hand he fought her off.
‘For fuck’s sake, Em, stop! Stop!’
‘I hate you! I hate you! How could you do this to me?’
She grabbed his hair and he winced from the pain as he screamed back, ‘I said get off me! For fuck’s sake, you crazy bitch!’
Tears of anger and frustration ran down Emma’s face. ‘Well if I am, it’s you who’s made me like this!’
Balantyne shouted back, just as loud, just as frustrated. ‘Oh yeah, it’s so easy to blame isn’t it, Em? Because if you do that then you don’t have to look at yourself – and let me tell you it isn’t a pretty sight. You’re nothing but a drunk. Do you wonder why I ended up in bed with her? Do you wonder why I thought it was such a joke you wanted to start a family? Who wants a drunk for a mother?’
‘Stop the car, Tony, stop the car! I want to get out. Let me out!’ With those words Emma grabbed the steering wheel at the same time as Balantyne put his foot on the accelerator. Immediately the Land Rover spun out of control, careering towards the bushes. Balantyne heard a scream then a sickening thud as the car hit Claire.
She was thrown into the air and a second later she hit the ground. Balantyne slammed on the brakes and Emma shot forward. She smashed against the dashboard, banging her head hard, the impact knocking her unconscious.
‘Oh my God, Claire! Claire!’ Panicked, Balantyne leapt out of the car, racing around to Claire. He knelt down, picking up her head gently. A warm trickle of blood pooled into his hands. His voice trembled as he spoke. ‘Claire, Claire! Wake up, honey. Claire?’
There was no response, but he could see she was breathing, and Balantyne gently rested her head back onto the ground before racing back to the car.
He opened the passenger-seat door, speaking quietly. ‘Em? Em? Em, are you okay?’
Like with Claire, there was no response. He gently sat her back, putting her in an upright position, placing his fingers on her neck, checking for a pulse. It was strong, which was good, but he knew he needed to call for help.
Quickly Balantyne pulled out his phone to call the ambulance, his heart racing as he glanced again at Claire lying on the ground. As he went to press the emergency call button on his mobile he suddenly stopped. A thought came into his head.
Balantyne looked around then shoved the phone back into his pocket. He ran around to the other side of the car and leant across the seat to the still-unconscious Emma.
Taking a deep breath, he dragged her across to the driver’s seat, carefully adjusting her, getting her into the correct position. Satisfied, he nodded to himself and pulled out his mobile once again, then pressed dial.
‘Hello, which service do you require?’
‘Ambulance … and police … My name’s Detective Tony Balantyne. There’s been an accident. My … my wife was driving … She’s also been drinking. It’s not the first time she’s done it. She’s knocked someone over, and I’m afraid to say, I think it may have been on purpose.’
23
Bringing Franny a watery coffee from the drinks machine, Alfie – deep in thought and not only still struggling with his temper but also with his desire to reach across the small visitors’ table and throttle her – sat down hard in his chair.
He didn’t think it was possible for his head to be more messed up now than when he’d first entered the prison, but it was, and, growling, he said, ‘Why would Vaughn be setting you up, and why would Shannon? It don’t make sense, but it wouldn’t, would it, cos you’re lying.’
Franny’s eyes hardened. ‘I’m saying it because it’s true. Come on, Alfie, you’ve got to believe me.’
Alfie’s embittered laugh was so loud it caused the baby across the other side of the visitors’ room to become startled and it began to cry.
Alfie’s face screwed up in anger. ‘Are you kidding me? Are you for real? I don’t know if you’d know what the truth was if you stumbled over it. Your nine lives are up, Fran. Face it, I ain’t going to believe anything you say again.’
It was Franny’s turn to hiss out her words. Her eyes narrowed. ‘Then you’re stupid because you need to believe this; Vaughn is working with Balantyne and so is Shannon.’
Alfie tried hard not to sound shocked, though he knew he did and that he probably looked it too. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘Vaughn and Shannon have given statements to the Old Bill.’
Alfie took a sip of the watery coffee and immediately regretted it. ‘That’s crazy, he’d never do that. Not a statement. I know he was bang out of order to call them in the first place – more than out of order in fact – but there’s no way he’d do that. No way. And anyway, he told me himself the call was all he did, and he knows even that crossed the line.’
‘Of course he’d say that to you. But the fact is, he did, he just didn’t want anyone to find out. My solicitor got the intel through a source he’s got.’
For a moment Alfie didn’t say anything. In truth, he couldn’t really get his head around it. Of all the people to grass, Vaughn wasn’t one of them. Their entire life they’d known the rules: no one grasses, no one talks, and if they did, they were soon six foot under. ‘Are you absolutely sure, Fran, cos he knows that no matter how much you try to hide something, sooner or later you’ll be found out … You only have to look at what happened to you.’
Ignoring the dig from Alfie, Franny kept her voice to a whisper. ‘I’m one hundred per cent sure. And it’s obvious why Vaughn’s doing this; he wants to get me out of the way. He’s always wanted to take me down. You know that’s true – and perhaps to Vaughn it’s worth it.’
Not really wanting to get into conversation but not being strong enough to stop himself, Alfie asked, ‘In what sense?’
‘Perhaps seeing me banged up is worth mugging you off. Who knows what deal he’s got with the Old Bill? For all we know he might be planning on doing a midnight flit with Shannon … and your daughter.’
‘Don’t call her that.’ Alfie’s voice was full of hostility.
Franny’s voice softened again. ‘But that’s what she is … Look, Alf, I know this sounds crazy but … but if I ever get out of this mess, we could give it another go … be a family. Me, you and Mia.’
Alfie leant back in his chair and looking like he’d tasted something rotten he said, ‘You’re having a laugh, ain’t you? Vaughn’s already told me about the unhealthy relationship you had with Mia.’
‘What?’
‘He told me, you were acting like she was yours. Like you were one those sickos who nicks kids and passes them off as their own.’
Franny’s face twisted with anger and she spat out her words. ‘Go to hell, Alf. Who else was supposed to look after her? Who else was going to be strong enough for her? Who else was going to love her the way I did?’
Alfie looked at her strangely. ‘Have you heard yourself, Fran? It ain’t right.’
‘I’ll tell you what ain’t right. For Mia to have parents like she does. Bree was weak and you’re not much better. You’re pathetic.’
Alfie’s hand shot out under the table, he gripped Franny’s leg hard. Squeezing it so she winced. ‘Is that why you killed her? Is that why you pushed her down the stairs – because you were jealous that she was a mother and you weren’t? Was that it, Fran? Because you can’t have kids and you wanted hers.’
With her face still distorted with anger but now mixed with pain, Franny kicked Alfie under the table, immediately causing him to let go.
He yelped and rubbed his shin. ‘Ah fuck! Jesus Christ! I really don’t need any more bruises on my body after Huang.’
Franny stared at him. ‘Huang? What has Huang got to do with anything?’
‘He’s got everything to do with it. He’s the reason why I’m here … And yeah, in case you’re wondering, it was Huang who did this to my face, and soon he’s going to come back and do worse if I
don’t come up with the money I borrowed. And yes, yes, before you say it, I know you told me at the time that I shouldn’t borrow it from him, but I did. And now I’m a dead man if I don’t come up with a fuck of a lot of money. And I’m so fucking desperate I came here to see if … oh fuck knows why I came, because you already told me that you couldn’t help me. But then it would probably suit you, wouldn’t it? Me being dead?’ He fell silent and Franny shook her head.
‘No, Alf, I don’t want you dead, I don’t. But then no matter what I say you won’t believe me, will you?’
‘How can I? Nothing that comes out of your mouth is the truth.’
‘I know why you’d say that, I get it, but, please, you’ve got to believe what I’m saying about Vaughn. He’s setting me up, and I’m worried you could be next.’
Alfie looked at Franny curiously. ‘He wouldn’t do that.’
‘Wouldn’t he? All of us would turn someone over if we needed to, in one way or another. That’s how we got to the top, isn’t it?’
Alfie snorted. ‘Speak for yourself.’
Franny gave a small smile. ‘Don’t kid yourself, Alf. Just think about it. Look back on what you’ve done in the past, then tell me you ain’t turned anyone close to you over.’
Alfie stayed silent knowing what Franny was saying was true. She continued, ‘We don’t really have friends in this business. And when we do, we’ve got to keep them close. Like you and me. Even after everything that’s happened in the past, we’ve still managed to find our way back together.’
‘Not this time, Fran. This time you fucked it. You went too far. Give me Vaughn over you any day.’
‘What, Vaughn? The same Vaughn who called the Old Bill in the first place? The same Vaughn who’s working with Detective Balantyne? And I know you keep saying you don’t believe it, but if he’d call them, then why wouldn’t he give a statement? I mean what’s the difference? A snake is a snake,’ sneered Franny.
‘The difference is …’ Alfie stopped to think. Franny was right – in their world a grass was a grass. A snitch was a snitch. So, in one way there wasn’t any difference. Not that he was going to say that to Franny. No way was he going to admit that, rather than not believing what she was saying about Vaughn, it was more the fact he didn’t want to believe it. No way was he going to admit anything to her, so instead he just said, ‘Well, the difference is … Look he was just upset when he called the police. After all you did try to kill him, and you had killed Bree, and you had lied to me and you had …’ Having wound himself up, Alfie slammed his hands on the table, making the plastic cup of coffee jump in the air before it landed on its side, spilling its contents all over Alfie’s lap.
‘For fuck’s sake, for fuck’s sake!’ Alfie leapt up, trying to wipe the coffee off his now saturated trousers.
‘Keep it down over there, else the visit comes to an end.’ One of the prison officers called across the room to Alfie. He nodded, though it took everything in him to do so.
Sitting back down on the chair, Alfie put his head in his hands and suddenly, to his embarrassment, he felt the prick of tears in his eyes, and before he knew it, his whole body was racked with sobs.
Rubbing his back and leaning into him, Franny spoke gently. ‘Alf, hey Alfie, it’s okay, it’s okay.’
‘Don’t touch me. Just don’t fucking touch me!’ He pushed Franny’s hand off him and sat up as he wiped the tears angrily away. ‘Well done, Fran. Once again you have successfully fucked my head up. Anytime you’re near me, you do this. You’re twisted, Fran. And all the lies, all the betrayal … that’s what hurts the most because – stupid me – I thought we had something special.’
‘We did … we do have something special.’
‘Yeah, so special you were quite happy to fuck it up. Don’t treat me like I’m stupid, Fran. You say one thing then it turns out the opposite is true. I’m watching my back from all angles. With you, with Huang and now you’re telling me I have to watch my back with Vaughn. All those fucking lies you told me about Mia, about Bree … you must enjoy mugging me off.’
Franny’s gaze darted across Alfie’s face. ‘I don’t and that’s not what I was doing … Look, you know I was helping Bree. Looking back, I can see it was wrong; I can see I should’ve told you that she was pregnant. It was just that everything felt such a mess at the time.’
‘That don’t excuse you lying about Mia or explain why you just coldly went ahead and murdered Bree. And to be honest with you, it’s fucked me up and I’ll never know why you did it.’
‘But I didn’t, Alfie. I never killed her … Look, I’ll tell you what happened, and I swear it’ll be the truth …’
24
A few months ago …
Turning her back on the door, Bree ran across to Franny’s car keys lying on the side. She immediately grabbed them before rushing across to the small kitchen off the lounge to grab Mia’s tin of formula milk. Quickly turning around, Bree froze.
‘Who did you think you were messing with, Bree? You should’ve known better than that.’
Bree could hardly breathe as she stared into Franny’s cold and angry face.
‘How … how did you get out?’
Franny laughed, harsh and bitterly. ‘Didn’t you listen to anything I said about my childhood, about my father? I was turning locks before you could even ride a bike.’
‘Stay away from me, Franny.’
Franny tilted her head to one side. ‘Why does it have to be like this? We were friends, Bree, and now look, you’re telling me to keep away.’
‘Just let me go, okay? Let me walk away with Mia and whatever happens, I’ll take responsibility. No one will ever know you’ve been involved.’
Franny’s tone was disconcerting. ‘It’s not as simple as that though, is it?’
‘It can be. It can be whatever we want it to be.’
Franny’s eyes narrowed. ‘And what about Mia? Are you just going to walk away and take her out of my life forever?’
Bree shook her head. ‘No, no of course not. You can see her anytime you want.’
‘The minute you leave this flat, both you and I know you’ll change your mind.’
Clearly uncomfortable, Bree, still holding Franny’s car keys, went to walk out of the tiny kitchen, pushing past Franny. ‘I wouldn’t do that to you, but believe what you like. I’m not going to live like this any longer.’
Following her through to the lounge where Mia was still happily lying on the changing mat, Franny snapped angrily, ‘You’re going to ruin everything. All you have to do is wait a bit longer.’
With renewed strength, Bree spoke firmly. ‘No, I’m sorry, Franny, but I ain’t listening to you anymore. This has to stop, now. So here’s how it’s going to go: I’m going to take your car, but I’ll let you know where I’m going to leave it, and I promise I’ll be in touch.’
‘Look, just stop being stupid. You haven’t got anywhere to go. You can’t just go out in the middle of the night with Mia.’
‘Anywhere is better than here.’
‘You’re being ridiculous, Bree. You sound like a spoilt child. Just give me my keys back!’ Franny snatched towards Bree, who pulled away her hand and raised her arm, dangling the keys high in the air. Franny lunged towards them, and as she did so, Bree took a step back, but she stumbled. Her arms began to flail, her face paling as she tried but failed to reach for the bannister, unable to stop herself from falling backwards down the open staircase. She screamed Franny’s name as she fell, but Franny was frozen to the spot. In shock she couldn’t move, let alone answer.
There was a loud thump and a bang, then nothing but silence.
Horrified, Franny stared down the stairs at Bree’s body lying sprawled and broken, her arms twisted, her legs bent, her eyes staring wide open. Then snapping herself out of the trance, Franny ran down the stairs, kneeling by Bree, speaking quietly. ‘Bree? Bree, honey? Bree, wake up, darlin’. It’s okay, you’ve just had a nasty fall. Bree?’ There was no response and
desperately, Franny put her ear against Bree’s chest before feeling for a pulse. Nothing. Gently, she lifted Bree’s head up, but it lolled back like a broken doll’s. ‘Bree, come on! Come on! Don’t do this to me. Please, baby, wake up.’
As Franny spoke, she looked at her own hands. They were covered in blood. Scrambling away from Bree’s body, she pressed herself against the wall, breathing heavily, wiping her hands on the carpet in the small downstairs hallway of the maisonette.
In shock, Franny closed her eyes, but the image of Bree was still there in her mind. Hearing Mia begin to cry, she opened them, but going to stand up, a sense of nausea engulfed her. She swallowed hard, trying to steady herself, then took a deep breath before trying to get up again.
Mia’s cry got louder before it turned into a scream. Forcing herself to get up, Franny unsteadily began to walk up the stairs. Speaking more to herself than Mia, she said, ‘It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m here. It’s going to be all right.’
Scooping Mia up, Franny gently bounced her up and down. She walked past the top of the stairs, looking down, hoping that somehow Bree’s body wouldn’t be there. Somehow the events of the last ten minutes hadn’t happened.
She glanced around, her eyes darting wildly. She had to pull herself together. She would be no good to herself let alone Mia if she crumbled, and besides, she was a Doyle and being weak wasn’t the way she’d been brought up. There was nothing she could do for Bree now, but she could still help Mia.
Quickly, Franny grabbed Mia’s coat, putting it on her and placing her in the baby seat. Her heart raced as she worked out what she was going to do. There was money in the club, and her passport was there as well, and okay, she didn’t have one for Mia, but she knew people who could sort that out, and she knew people who could get her out of the country safely. She just had to hurry. Time certainly wasn’t on her side.
Rushing down the stairs as she carried Mia, and stepping over Bree’s body, Franny raced for the front door. She opened it.
‘What are you doing here?’