Shafted Read online

  ‘Don’t worry about me. I can look after myself.’

  ‘Yes, I know, but I can’t help worrying. You’re too much of a snapper for your own good, you.’

  ‘Ma, you’re wasting time,’ Dex cut in irritably. ‘I’ve only got a few minutes, and I want to know what’s going on.’

  ‘Huh!’ Nora grunted, the sound of the washing machine going into a loud spin behind her. ‘What ain’t going on, more like. Your Molly’s been in trouble at school again, and Jane’s threatening to have her put in care if she carries on ’cos she reckons it’ll be her who gets done for it.’

  ‘Tell the slag I’ll rip her fucking head off if she even thinks about it,’ Dex spat, wondering why he craved these calls so much when they always wound him up so bad. ‘Fetch Molly on your next visit, and tell her I don’t care what excuse she comes up with, ’cos I want to see her. And if she don’t behave, tell her I’m sending her back to you, where we can keep a proper eye on her.’

  Nora sighed loudly, the thought of having her wayward granddaughter back under her roof making her feel worn out before it had even happened. Dealing with her own lads was one thing, but teenage girls who had no manners was another, and she didn’t see why she should be expected to put up with that little mare’s moods and tantrums at her age. It was bad enough having their Christine’s little one, Lyla, to look after. And she was a retard, so she was more than enough for an old woman who wasn’t getting any help from anyone to cope with. If their Christine ever dared show her face round here again, Nora would tear the hair right out of her bloody head for dumping the kid on her like that. And that was nothing to what her brothers would do to her, the crack-addled whore.

  ‘Where’s Gaynor?’ Dex demanded now, interrupting his mother’s thoughts.

  ‘You tell me,’ Nora grunted disapprovingly. ‘She didn’t show her face again last night, even though she knew I was waiting on that money. I’m giving her till three, then I’m going round there myself. And she’ll get what bloody for if I do, I can tell you – making me troll all that way with me leg playing up! You should never have left her in charge of that money, son. I don’t know what you was thinking, I really don’t. I was only saying to—’

  ‘I’m not going over all that again,’ Dex interrupted before she could get into her stride. ‘I don’t want my money at your place ’cos there’s too many bent bastards round there.’

  ‘So you’d rather leave it with that slag, knowing she’s helping herself while your mam’s scrimping and bloody scraping?’

  ‘Belt up, Ma,’ Dex said tetchily. ‘If you don’t see her in the next couple of hours, tell our Jimmy to go round and get it off her.’

  ‘I’m not sending him nowhere,’ Nora blustered indignantly. ‘He’ll probably end up giving her a slap and get himself into trouble. And I can’t have that – not now he’s the only one I’ve got left to look after me while you and our Jason are locked up, and our Pat’s living it up in prozzie-land. I’m on me tod here, and now them Hannons are sniffing about.’

  ‘What do you mean, sniffing about?’ Dex demanded.

  ‘I keep seeing them walking past, clocking the house,’ Nora told him. ‘I’m sure they’re getting ready to break in.’

  Breathing heavily as a wave of rage swept over him, Dex gritted his teeth. Lee, Noel, and Stuart Hannon were a mob of shit-arsed junkies who lived on the roughest part of his mam’s estate. They’d never have the bollocks to come within pissing distance of the house if Dex and the rest of the Lewis lads were still around, but everyone knew that Dex was doing fifteen, and that their Jason was doing two for burglary, while Pat had skipped to the Dam. Word was obviously out that there was only Jimmy left, and the Hannons might just be stupid enough to think they could take him.

  ‘I know they’re planning something,’ Nora went on, a worried edge to her voice now. ‘’Cos I saw Wally Phillips down the doctor’s yesterday, and he lives next to their mam, and he reckons he heard them over the fence, discussing all the stuff you must have stashed in here before you got carted off – drugs, and money, and that.’

  ‘And what’s Jimmy saying about it?’

  Hesitating, because she hadn’t wanted to tell him this, Nora said, ‘He’s not been home for the past few nights, son. But don’t get mad, because he’s got his kids to think about, and you know how hard it’s been for him getting that ex of his to give him access. But she’s finished with that bloke she was seeing, so she rang him the other night and told him he could come and spend the week with them. He didn’t want to leave me,’ she added quickly, so that he couldn’t accuse Jimmy of abandoning her. ‘But I made him, so don’t be blaming him, will you, son?’

  Thinking that he’d do more than blame Jimmy when he saw him, Dex bit down on his anger and said,‘Right, here’s what you’re gonna do, Ma. Soon as you put the phone down, ring Mark Butcher and tell him I said to get the lads together and pay the Hannons a visit. And I want you to go with them – so’s they know you’ve got back-up, yeah?’

  ‘All right, son,’ Nora agreed, chuckling softly because it felt good to know that, even locked up, their Dex was still looking after her.

  ‘And when you see Lee Hannon,’ Dex went on, ‘tell him from me that I’m going to slice his fucking throat open and hang him upside down from the top of his mam’s stairs when I get out.’

  ‘Oh, now, hang on a minute,’ Nora said worriedly.

  ‘No, Ma, I don’t give a shit,’ Dex grunted. ‘I want him running scared so every other fucker who’s thinking about getting clever knows to stay clear of you.’

  ‘Eeh, I am glad I’ve got you,’ Nora said, sighing softly. ‘Oh, by the way,’ she said then. ‘You’ll never guess what I read in the paper about that little bastard Larry Logan. You know how he’s been getting his ugly face all over the telly again, bragging about how he got you banged up? Well, he’s only gone and got himself a new bleedin’ show now, hasn’t he?’

  ‘Has he now?’ Dex muttered darkly, his cheek muscles spasming at the mention of Logan’s name.

  ‘The Larry Logan Show, if you don’t mind,’ Nora went on scathingly. ‘Reckons he’s going to have all the big movie stars and what have you as guests, ’cos he’s such a flaming big shot nowadays. Tell you what, Derek, if I see him on the streets he’ll soon know about it.’

  ‘You just keep your neck in and your nose out,’ Dex told her firmly. ‘I’ll deal with him, don’t you worry about that. And when I take him down, he’s gonna stay down – believe me.’

  Opening the cell door just then, the lookout hissed that Jenkins was on his way back up.

  Telling his mother that he had to go, Dex disconnected and tossed the mobile down the side of the bunk. Then, dashing out of the cell and into his own, he was lying on his bed as if he’d been there all along when Jenkins strolled by.

  Hesitating in the doorway, Jenkins narrowed his eyes. There was no way Lewis would be touching that mattress if it was still wet, so the smart-arse must have swapped it for someone else’s dry one. Grinning slyly now, he shook his head and walked on. It was all right. Fifteen years was time enough to break the cunt.

  Back at home, Nora put the phone down and poured herself a cup of tea from the pot. It was barely tepid now, but she needed to wet her whistle before she rang Dex’s mates because she’d be doing a lot of talking once they got here. It’d be lovely to see them, though, because it had been way too quiet since her lads went and she’d really started to feel her age of late. Especially since her niece had sent that cow Christine’s little Lyla home. She really could have done without that, but she could hardly expect their Fiona to take the kid on full-time when she had her own brood to see to.

  Lyla was sleeping just now, which was good, because Nora didn’t really want to have to take her along when she went with Mark and the lads to warn the Hannons off. And, fingers crossed, she’d be out of it for a good few hours yet, after the double dose of medicine that Nora had given her. She knew she shouldn’t have, really, because th
e doctor had warned her that it could cause liver damage further down the line. But he didn’t have to cope with Lyla when she was having a fit, did he? All that screaming and foaming at the mouth, with her eyes rolling round in the back of her head, was enough to send you round the bend. Still, Lyla should be okay if Nora didn’t double her up again for a few days – tempting as it would be to do so.

  Lighting a cigarette now, Nora drank her cool tea down in one and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. Then she reached for the phone to call Mark. It had just started to ring when the doorbell rang. Shuffling out to get it, she glared at Gaynor when she saw her, saying, ‘What time do you call this?’

  ‘Sorry,’ Gaynor murmured, following her back to the kitchen. ‘I got held up at my mum’s.’

  ‘All bleedin’ night?’ Nora snapped, sitting back down.

  ‘She’s not well,’ Gaynor snapped back, wondering why she was explaining herself.

  ‘Yeah, well, she’s not the only one,’ Nora grumbled, her eyes darting to the money that Gaynor had just taken out of her handbag. Snatching it off her, she pocketed it, saying, ‘It’d best all be there, or our Dex is going to want to know why.’

  ‘Course it’s all there,’ Gaynor told her irritably. ‘I’m not a bloody thief.’

  ‘Yeah, right,’ Nora snorted meanly. ‘Certainly making sure you get the lion’s share, though, aren’t you? I practically have to beg you to hand my keeps over, and it ain’t even yours.’

  ‘Hey, none of this was my idea,’ Gaynor reminded her, glaring right back at her now because she was sick to bloody death of getting it in the neck from the ungrateful old bitch. ‘Dex wanted it this way – so if you’ve got a problem have it out with him and quit getting at me.’

  Drawing her head back, Nora gave her an evil look. ‘Who the hell do you think you’re talking to like that? ’Cos I’ll tell you what, lady, you’re on thin ice now. If our Dex was here, he’d—’

  ‘But he’s not, though, is he?’ Gaynor interrupted, adding, ‘I wish he bloody was, ’cos then I wouldn’t have to see you.’

  ‘Carry on, and see what happens, lady,’ Nora hissed, her eyes flashing a clear warning. ‘I’ve only just been telling Dex about you and your shenanigans, and he ain’t best pleased, I can tell you. Don’t make me have to add this to the list, an’ all, ’cos he’s already getting set to have our Jimmy pay you a visit.’

  Inhaling deeply, Gaynor bit her tongue. She’d been up half the night and she was absolutely knackered, so she could really do without fighting with Nora. But one of these days she was going to snap and, when she did, Nora would hear exactly what Gaynor thought of her and her precious lads. They made out like they were so superior, but they were every bit as stupid and as nasty as the rest of the bastards who lived on this estate. And if it wasn’t for Dex, she’d happily kill the lot of them.

  Dex was the only one of the Lewises she had time for, and not just because she was still deeply in love with him after three years – although God knew he didn’t deserve it sometimes, after all the grief he’d given her. But also because he was the only one who actually had something about him. Yes, he was a criminal, and yes, he had an evil temper, but there was a brilliant sense of humour behind the scowl, and he could be really affectionate when he wasn’t coked-up or spliffed-out. And her heart still beat faster whenever she saw him, because she loved his rugged good looks, and his sexy blue-grey eyes never failed to make her stomach flip.

  ‘You still here?’ Nora’s cold voice cut into her thoughts.

  Sighing, Gaynor said, ‘All right, I’m going. Anything you want me to do?’

  ‘Yeah – get your arse round here when you’re supposed to in future.’

  Nodding wearily, Gaynor turned and walked out without saying goodbye. There was no point; she wouldn’t get an answer. Turning along the hall just as Molly let herself in through the front door, she stepped back and waited for the girl to pass before continuing on her way. Another one there was no point talking to.

  ‘What was she doing here?’ Molly demanded, going into the kitchen and dropping the bulging rucksack she was carrying onto the floor.

  ‘She was doing what she should have done yesterday,’Nora said, peering at her coolly.‘What’s your excuse for being here?’

  Flopping down onto a chair, Molly shrugged. ‘Just needed a break from me mam, ’cos she’s doing me head in.’

  ‘Well, don’t think you’re stopping here, ’cos I’ve got enough on me plate,’ Nora said, stubbing out her unsmoked cigarette. Picking up the phone again, she pressed the redial button, saying, ‘I’ve just had your dad on the phone, and he wants to see you at his next visit.’

  ‘Great,’ Molly muttered, folding her arms sulkily. ‘What have I done now?’

  ‘Don’t play the innocent,’ Nora snapped. ‘You know full well what you’ve done.

  Blushing, wondering if her grandmother had found out that she was seeing an Asian lad, Molly gave her an innocent look, saying, ‘Don’t know what you mean, Nan.’

  ‘Bunking off, for starters,’ Nora said sharply.‘And your mam told me you got nicked for shoplifting, so don’t think I don’t know about that, an’ all.’

  Relieved that it wasn’t about Saeed, Molly shrugged. ‘It was only a box of Tampax. And I had to nick them, ’cos she wouldn’t give me any money. What was I supposed to do? Bleed me way round school?’

  ‘Don’t be so disgusting,’ Nora scolded, covering the phone’s mouthpiece even though Mark hadn’t answered yet. ‘And you can only bleed your way round school if you actually go to school, so don’t try that one. If you needed money, you should have come to me. How come your mam wouldn’t give you none, anyhow?’

  ‘Reckons she’s skint,’ Molly said sarcastically, getting up and going over to the kettle. Switching it on, she came back to the table to get the teapot. ‘Want a fresh one?’

  Peering up at her narrow-eyed, Nora said,‘Yeah, I’ll have one. But don’t think you’re buttering me up like that, ’cos it won’t work. Soon as the lads get here, I’m off out, and you can get yourself back home.’

  ‘Aw, please, Nan,’ Molly moaned. ‘Just let me stay. I won’t get in your way.’

  ‘You can’t help but get in the way, you,’ Nora grumbled.

  ‘I’ll do the pots,’ Molly told her earnestly. ‘And I’ll cook your dinner for you, if you want.’

  Chuckling softly, because Molly must be desperate if she was offering to do housework without being dragged kicking and screaming from chore to chore, Nora said, ‘You bloody won’t, thank you very much. I haven’t got three days to spare puking me guts up with food poisoning.’

  ‘I’ll go for the takeaways, then,’ Molly persisted, putting her arms round Nora now and giving her a tight hug. ‘Please, please, please . . . ?’

  ‘Bugger off before you strangle me, you soft get!’ Nora chided, laughing now.

  ‘Only if you say I can stay.’

  Shaking her head, because she couldn’t deny that the child was poured from the same jug of blood, Nora said, ‘All right, you can stay – God help me. But first time you step out of line, you’re out – and I mean it.’

  Kissing her nan on the cheek, Molly let go and bounced back to the kettle.

  Wiping her cheek and grimacing, although she was secretly delighted that Molly had shown her some affection instead of her usual petulance, Nora gave up on Mark and called one of the other lads instead.

  ‘Hiya, Pete,’ she said when this call was picked up within seconds. ‘It’s Dex’s mam, Nora. Have you got a minute? Only Dex said I had to call you . . . ’

  ‘Everything all right, Nan?’ Molly asked, bringing the filled teapot back to the table when Nora had finished her call. ‘What are that lot coming round for?’

  ‘Them Hannons are trying it on,’ Nora told her, glancing at her watch. ‘But your dad’s mates are gonna sort it, so don’t worry. Good job you’re here, actually,’ she said then. ‘You can stop with our Lyla while I nip out with them – ma
ke sure she doesn’t puke in her sleep and choke to death. That’d be all I need, that would.’

  Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Molly said, ‘You haven’t been giving her too much medicine again, have you?’

  Sighing, Nora dipped her gaze guiltily and reached for another fag. ‘Only a bit, but she was doing my head in.’

  ‘You’ve got to stop doing that,’ Molly scolded her sharply. ‘I mean it, Nan, you’re gonna kill her one of these days. And it’s not that hard to keep her quiet. You’ve just got to be patient with her.’

  ‘Hark at Mother Teresa,’ Nora sniped, resenting that she was being taken to task by her own granddaughter – even if it was deserved. ‘Where do you get off pretending you care, anyhow? You’re always calling her a mong.’

  ‘Yeah, well, she is,’ Molly retorted defensively. ‘But that don’t mean I don’t love the silly little cow. And so do you, so quit overdosing her or you’re gonna feel terrible when something bad happens.’

  Tutting, Nora flapped her hand to shut Molly up. But she was right; the overdosing had to stop before it went too far. And Nora did love Lyla – Molly was right about that, too. She loved all her flesh and blood with a passion. Apart from her daughter Christine. That was one bitch she truly did hate.

  ‘I’ll go and check on her,’ Molly said now, reaching for her rucksack. Hesitating, she gazed down at Nora. ‘Can I still put me stuff away, or are you gonna send me packing for telling you off?’

  Shaking her head, Nora said, ‘No, you can stay, pet.’

  ‘Will you tell me mam, or shall I?’

  ‘I’ll tell her. And your dad – though I’m sure he’ll be happy to know you’re back under control.’

  Grinning widely, Molly said, ‘Thanks, Nan.’ Skipping out of the room then, she ran upstairs to unpack her things. Her grandmother couldn’t be more wrong if she thought that Molly had any intention of being controlled. She’d only come back because Saeed lived closer to Nora’s place than to Molly’s mam’s flat. That, and the fact that it was so much easier to get cash off her grandmother than off her tight-fisted mother. And it didn’t hurt that her nan actually cooked proper dinners, either. Her mother was so lazy, Molly hadn’t eaten anything but butties and biscuits since she’d been staying there, and she’d put on almost a stone – which so wasn’t good. Not with all those skinny slags hanging about outside Saeed’s dad’s off-licence every night, trying to get off with him.