Beyond the Rage (13 page)

She turned as if to walk out of the room and then turned back. Her expression was a study in fear and an acknowledgement of her weakness in the face of the threat to her daughter. For the first time, Kenny thought that despite the make-up and the clothes, Diana looked like what she was: an old woman.

‘You’ll keep my daughter safe, won’t you, son?’ she asked.

24

Kenny was blessed with an ability to sleep anywhere, any time. His cousin Ian used to joke that if he was hanging off the edge of a cliff he would take time out for a catnap before trying to save himself.

This was a talent he put to good use as soon as Diana’s feet hit the bottom of the stairs. He was frustrated about not getting a chance to speak to Alexis, but her mother was not someone you could easily defy.

He pulled his mobile phone from his pocket. Searched for recent numbers and sent a text with the postcode and house number and then kicked off his shoes and slumped into the chair.

It felt like only minutes since he closed his eyes when he opened them to find Alexis curled up on the chair opposite him.

‘Hi,’ she said softly.

Kenny groaned and stretched. ‘Who are you?’ he asked while looking out of one eye. ‘And what have you done with the nice lady who was talking to me last night?’

‘She’s something, isn’t she?’ Alexis left her seat to come over to sit on Kenny’s knee. She placed her head on his shoulder. ‘Thanks for coming. I had no idea what to do.’ Her voice was small like a child’s.

‘Want to talk about it?’

‘My knight in shining armour,’ Alexis said and sat up. Even shadowed with grief and weak with fear, Kenny thought she looked gorgeous. ‘Coffee?’ she said.

‘You sure you’re up to it?’

Alexis placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a weak push. ‘I’m sick with worry, Kenny not paralysed.’ She stood up and took a hold of his hand. ‘C’mon through to the kitchen.’

The kitchen was larger than the narrow hallway leading to it suggested it might be. Big enough to have a panoramic window above the sink, all the usual cupboards – in a fetching pink pine – and all the usual electrics. In the middle of the floor sat a circular pine table. Diana sat in one of the four chairs in front of a pot of coffee. She looked once again like just she
’d
come out of hair and make-up department at Weird Old Ladies R Us.

‘Coffee?’ she asked in the same tone she
’d
offered a whisky with the night before. Kenny nodded and slumped into a chair. Alexis sat beside him and poured drinks for them both into a pair of matching teddy bear mugs.

Diana grimaced. ‘See what I mean? These bears are getting on my tits.’

‘Mother!’ Alexis admonished.

Diana exhaled. ‘Right, like he’s never heard the word “tits” before.’

‘I’m certain he’s heard it, but not from the mouth of an old lady.’

‘Oh.’ Diana held a hand over her heart. ‘How careless the young are. I’ll “old lady” you, missy. I could show you and your young man a thing or two.’

‘My mother’ – Alexis turned to Kenny – ‘hit her peak in the Eighties and decided to take up permanent residence there.’

‘Is that code for my mum’s an out-of-touch old slapper?’

Looking at the faces of the two women, Kenny could see that this was a well-worn argument that would re-surface whenever there were tensions in either of their lives.

‘It certainly wasn’t easy bringing my friends home from school to be faced with...’ – Alexis held her hand out towards her mother and moved it up and down – ‘...that.’

‘Ladies.’ Kenny thought he should interrupt before it became even more personal. ‘This is all very Jerry Springer, but there’s no cameras here and I’m sure we have more pressing matters in mind. Like, who the psycho killer is? Why he’s after you and how we are going to find him?’

‘I like him, Alexis,’ Diana smiled and patted his hand. ‘But Kenny, you have a lot to learn about mothers and daughters. That was just how we say good morning.’

‘In that case I hope to God I never see you fight.’

‘Can I get you some breakfast, Kenny? Some toast, perhaps?’

‘She makes it seem like you have a choice, Kenny. It’s either toast or toast, I’m afraid,’ said Alexis.

‘I don’t want anything, thank you Diana, apart from being told what the hell is going on here.’ He turned to face Alexis. ‘Do you still want me to be your business partner?’

Alexis nodded, her movement quick but sure.

‘In that case I need to get up to speed with whatever the hell is going on.’

‘In that case I need some whisky in my coffee. Mother?’

‘You want to pickle your liver at seven in the morning, you do it yourself.’

‘Oh for chrissakes, where’s the bottle?’

Diana told her; Alexis fetched it and poured a generous measure into her black coffee. She took a small sip, shuddered and then took some more. She offered her mug in a salute. ‘Here’s to Scots courage. Why’s it always Dutch, eh?’

Kenny allowed her to settle before telling her story. He knew that to press her at this point would only delay her even more.

‘I was in the Merchant City flat. The one you...’ She gave Kenny a meaningful look. ‘I was finished for the afternoon and one of the girls... Cora…’ Alexis choked on the word. She coughed and dabbed at her eye. ‘Cora had booked the flat for the evening and she was about to...’ She couldn’t speak anymore and leaning forward, head in her hands, hair obscuring her face, she began to sob.

Diana stood up from her chair and moved round to hug her daughter. After a couple of minutes of Kenny feeling as useless as tooth floss in a nursing home the women separated and Alexis appeared ready to resume her story.

‘
Where was I? Cora... I can barely mention her name without seeing her like that...’ Alexis screwed her eyes shut. ‘He... pulled the knife across her throat like... she was nothing. Nothing.’

‘Was it the same man who attacked you?’ Kenny asked.

Alexis nodded.

‘You’re sure?’

‘No doubt.’

‘So who is he?’

‘I don’t know his name, but he was sent by my old boss with the warning.’

‘Why did you need to be warned?’

Alexis took a sip from her drink. ‘That is the question...’

‘Alex,’ warned Diana, ‘time to stop dithering. Tell the man.’

‘Right, Mum. Give me a minute. This isn’t easy.’

‘I’ll tell you what’s not easy. Being in labour for fourteen hours and then seeing your beautiful daughter throwing herself away for a man.’

‘God, Mother. Every time you get annoyed with me you throw that in my face. I was in love, for fuck’s sake. Have you never been in love?’

‘Will the pair of you stop it?’ Kenny interrupted. ‘You’re doing my head in.’

‘My daughter was a market trader, Kenny. Working for an investment bank. She was one of the best traders in the city.’

‘Mother...’

‘Her so-called husband was a waster...’

Kenny was stunned and tried to hide it. Of course she had a history, it just wasn’t something you asked your favourite prostitute about.

‘He was an addict, Kenny.’ Alexis took over from her mother with a look. ‘Gambling, cocaine, alcohol... you name it, he scored it. He got into some serious problems. I tried to bail him out... and a series of bad choices led to him taking a nosedive into the Thames and me fleeing London to escape.’

‘Except that kind of life follows you, Kenny,’ Diana butted in. ‘Alexis was given to a local bigshot as payment of a debt...’

‘I feel that debt has been repaid with interest and I want my independence,’ Alexis said, putting steel in her posture and determination in her voice.

‘And lemme guess, Mr Bigshot doesn’t agree?’ asked Kenny.

‘Give that man a prize,’ said Diana. ‘Or at the very least a fresh cup of coffee?’

Kenny smiled at her attempt to add some levity to the conversation and nodded.

‘Bloody hell,’ he said, ‘it’s like a TV drama.’ He paused in thought. ‘Who’s Mr Bigshot?’

‘You don’t want to know.’

‘Yes I do.’

‘You don’t, trust me,’ said Alexis, her eyes heavy with warning. ‘If I told you his name, neither of us would be alive this time next week.’

‘Sounds like a man with a lot to hide,’ said Kenny.

‘Kenny, don’t, please.’

‘A man with a lot to hide can be bargained with.’

‘Not this guy, Kenny. He won’t risk the world knowing his secrets.’

‘So he’s a real bigshot? A prominent citizen? Have I met him?

‘Kenny. I’ve said enough. Please stop asking me.’ She leaned towards him and took a grip of his hand. ‘I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you as well.’

‘Who else has been hurt?’ Kenny asked. ‘Apart from Cora and yourself?’

‘That’s the first time they’ve gone after one of my friends.’

‘So,’ said Kenny thinking aloud, ‘they’ll kill your friends, but they want to keep you alive.’

‘She’s the asset they don’t want to lose, Kenny,’ said Diana, making a face.

‘I could do without the sarcasm, Mother.’

‘It wasn’t sarcasm, sweetheart. It was pride. What mother wouldn’t choose such a career path for her daughter?’ Diana tossed her hair. Her words were flippant, but her expression was tight with self-loathing. She wasn’t having a go at her daughter; she was blaming herself. Somewhere along the line she had failed her child and she couldn’t bear it.

‘Enough, ladies. Do I have to put one of you on the naughty step?’

‘Oh, that would be nice,’ said Diana. ‘Will you spank me as well?’

‘Oh, Mother,’ said Alexis wearily. ‘Do you ever turn it off?’

‘When they nail my coffin shut, darling,’ Diana replied and took a swig from her coffee.

Kenny felt a dull ache in his abdomen and pressure on his bladder and realised he hadn’t used the toilet since he arrived the previous evening. He stood up. ‘The toilet?’

‘Up the stairs,’ both women answered in unison. ‘Second door on the left.’

Once inside the toilet he was not surprised to see that the teddy bear theme continued, albeit in a more relaxed manner. A toilet roll was sat on the top of the cistern with a pink crocheted cover on it and part of the design was a small blue bear.

The sink, bath and toilet were all white, the carpet was a dark pink, as were the curtains and the huge fluffy towels strategically positioned here and there. Everywhere Kenny looked in the small room there were feminine touches; lace, ribbon, powder puffs, perfume and soaps. So much so that as he unzipped and pulled his trousers down he felt that he should be covering his genitals, in no way should he touch them and that as soon as he was finished he should set about the room with a scrubbing brush to erase any sign that a man had even been here.

He gave vent to his relief with a soft ‘Aaaah’ when his bowels and bladder emptied. This feel-good factor even extended to him humming a tune.

A noise made him stop. A knocking noise. Could someone be at the door? He wiped himself clean and thought about the text he sent the previous night. It was to Mark Donaldson and simply gave his whereabouts and the line,
A protection job. Interested?

It was really a test. He didn’t think he needed them to help out, but it would see how keen they were for some work if they dropped everything and drove down.

He heard footsteps, the creak of the door and the rumble of a male voice. Kenny could almost picture Mark trying to act like he was here to protect the President. He
’d
be all bluster and self-importance. Calum would be standing to the side and slightly behind him, looking more the part.

Thinking he
’d
better get downstairs and introduce everyone, Kenny quickly pulled up his trousers and ran his hands under the tap. As he was drying off with one of the softest towels he
’d
ever held in his hands he heard another voice. Alexis. Even from where he was Kenny could tell it held a note of panic. Then there was a muffled scream, a clicking sound and a thud as if someone had fallen to the floor.

What the fuck...?

He opened the door and ran across the small landing to the top of the stairs. His senses screamed danger. From his position he could see that the front door was open, light leaked into the hallway. At the bottom of the stairs he could see a pair of small feet clad in purple leather.

Without thinking he bounded down the stairs, leaping the last three to land near a body. It was Diana. She was on her back, eyes closed, mouth open and her long wig askew.

‘Diana, Diana,’ Kenny shouted and knelt at her side. There was a wound on the upper right section of her chest. Blood flooded into the carpet beneath her. Where was...? He looked up and down the line of the hall into the kitchen. ‘Alexis,’ he shouted. ‘Alexis.’

He heard someone behind him. He turned in time to catch a single blow from something hard and metallic on the side of his head.

‘Alexis,’ he mumbled and fell to the floor beside the supine form of Diana.

All went black.

25

He didn’t know where he was or what he was dreaming about but his head hurt like a bastard and some eejit was saying his name over and over again.

‘Kenny,’ it said. ‘Kenny. Wake up, will ye?’

‘Leave me alone,’ he mumbled. ‘Can’t you see I’m in agony here?’

A hand pushed at his shoulder, the voice louder, more urgent. ‘Kenny, you really need to wake up, mate.’

Two things struck him then. One, he wasn’t sleeping, his head really was this sore; and two, he had been unconscious on the floor beside a dead woman.

With one hand at the side of his head, he tried to push himself off the floor with the other before he realised he was holding something. Something heavy. He lifted it to his eyes and tried to force them open.

‘Kenny, where did you get the gun?’

He managed to open his eyes; took in the gun and the speaker at the same time.

‘Mark?’ he said.

‘No. I’m Calum. Mark’s chasing some guy down the street.’

‘Wha...?’

‘Here...’ Calum held out a hand. ‘Let me help you up.’

Kenny’s legs felt as if his muscles had been replaced with sponge. His head spun as he got to his feet and he leaned against Calum.

‘
Is she...?’ He pointed at the body at his feet and then Alexis popped into his head. ‘Is there anyone else here? A young woman?’

Calum shook his head. ‘Just you and...’

‘What happened? What did you see?’

‘Shouldn’t we phone an ambulance?’ Calum asked while kneeling down beside Diana. He felt at her neck.

‘Is she...?’ Kenny’s gut scored acid. He was almost too scared to ask.

‘I can feel something,’ said Calum. ‘I’m no expert but–’

Just then the door opened. A large figure blocked out the light. Kenny forced himself to look through the pain.

‘Put the gun down, mate. It’s me, Mark.’

‘We really need to phone an ambulance,’ said Calum. ‘This woman could die if we–’

‘Before we phone anybody, is it just us three in this house?’

‘Aye,’ said Calum. He turned to Mark. ‘Did he get away?’

Mark nodded, disgusted at himself. ‘Got in a car and drove off.’

‘Was he on his own?’ Kenny asked.

A nod.

‘You sure it’s just us here? You checked every room?’ Kenny asked, looking down at the gun that was in his hand. It was heavy. How did it get there? He felt his knees give and Calum steadied him before he fell down again. Taking his weight, Calum shifted him round to the foot of the stairs and guided him to have a seat.

‘Is she dead?’ asked Mark. He leaned forward and peered down at Diana. He looked to Kenny like a small boy who had just discovered the corpse of a dog. All that was missing was a stick for him to poke her with.

‘Mark,’ said Kenny, ‘get me a glass of water, please. Calum, from the top tell me what happened.’

‘You don’t know?’ Calum screwed his face up.

‘I was kinda out of it, mate. On account of someone tried to
crush my skull with a... ’ – he held the gun up – ‘... whatever it is.’

‘So you didn’t shoot the old dear?’ asked Mark, returning with a teddy bear mug filled with water.

Kenny took a sip. ‘What did the text say?’

‘Protection job,’ said Calum.

‘Right,’ said Kenny after another sip. ‘I’m hardly going to kill someone I’m trying to protect. Which reminds me, are you sure there’s no one else here?’

‘Should there be?’ asked Mark.

‘Mark, could you do a tour of the place and Calum tell me what the fuck happened.’

‘Okay,’ Calum said as he watched Mark bound up the stairs. ‘We got your text last night. Wondered at first if you were serious...’ He paused. ‘It was a bit cryptic, like. So we decided it was a test. Left straightaway and we’ve been outside the house since two o’clock this morning.’ He looked a little shame-faced as he described what happened next. ‘We kinda fell asleep... and when we woke up we saw this guy walking out of the front door and down the path. He left the door open so we legged it over here and found you and...’ His voice tailed off. He coughed. ‘…And the old lady lying there. Mark took off after the man and I tried to wake you up.’ He shrugged. ‘Then you woke up.’

Kenny drained the mug. He felt more alert now, but his headache was still intense. He fingered the lump pulsing on the side of his head. About big enough for an egg, he thought.

Mark ran back down the stairs. ‘Nobody here but us chickens,’ he said.

‘Mark, could you rake through the kitchen drawers and see if you could find me some painkillers?’

‘Do I have to do everything?’ Mark looked at Calum.

‘I’ll go,’ said Calum, shaking his head.

Kenny stood up. ‘Feeling a little better now,’ he said and moved round to kneel beside Diana. He felt for a pulse on the side of her neck. Nothing. He leaned forward and placed his ear just before her mouth. Nothing. He put his fingers on the side of his own neck, found his pulse point and transferred that brief experience to Diana’s skin.

It was cool to the touch, but a vein rose against his fingers. It was weak.

‘Did you make much noise chasing after the shooter?’

‘Fuck me.’ Mark’s mouth hung open. ‘I was chasing a killer down the street?’

‘Stay with me, Mark. We don’t have much time. I need to judge if an ambulance, or worse, the police, are on their way.’

‘Jesus. I don’t know what I would have done if I caught up with him.’

Calum arrived with a packet in his hand and more water. He popped a couple of pills from the packet and handed them to Kenny.

‘Thanks, Calum. Did you get a good look at the shooter?’

Mark was striding up and down. Agitated. The reality of the situation was pushing at his mind. ‘I could have got killed. What the fuck is going on here?’

‘Explanations later, Mark. We need to stay focused; get help for Diana and then get the fuck out of here.’

‘We need to phone the police.’

‘We’ll do that once we’re on our way,’ Kenny answered.

‘But we can’t do that,’ said Mark. ‘We’ll be aiding and abetting and other such shit.’

‘We’ll be giving ourselves space to find the bastard that did this,’ said Kenny. ‘Don’t fucking argue with me, Mark. My head is too fucking sore. I’ve lost my girlfriend and her mother’s at death’s door. I’m not in the mood.’

Calum stared at him as if making a decision. His brow furrowed. In his expression Kenny could read his thoughts: if we step over this line, we don’t go back.

Mark was hoping from one foot to the other whispering ‘Holy fuck’ over and over.

‘Right,’ said Calum, ‘the sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can get this old lady some help.’

Kenny nodded, liking what he was hearing. This lad had promise.

‘Right, Mark,’ Kenny said, taking charge and beginning to feel almost like himself, ‘you go to the bathroom and wipe down every surface you think I might have touched.’

‘But...’

‘Mark, just fucking do it,’ said Calum. He looked at Kenny. ‘Where else were you?’

‘Kitchen. Living room.’ Kenny appraised Calum. A cool head, and quick actions in a crisis, he could use someone like this. ‘You take the kitchen. I sat at the table for a wee while. Drank from a mug.’

As Calum and Mark set about removing all traces of his presence, Kenny did the same in the living room, but not until he had made Diana a little more comfortable. Picking up the quilt and pillow she had given him the previous night, Kenny did his best for her. She gave off a little moan as he lifted her head to place the pillow below it. He felt a hot rush of relief. It sounded like the old bird had some life left in her.

Moments later they were in their cars and headed back out of the town towards the M74 and Glasgow. Kenny judged that he wasn’t quite safe enough to drive so he asked Calum to drive for him, for no other reason than he needed to think and he couldn’t while Mark was chirping in his ear all the way back up to the city.

In the car he prompted Calum to phone emergency services. ‘Say there was a gunshot, the gun man is gone and there’s an old woman hurt.’

Calum dialled and did as he was told. The operator tried to get more information from him. Calum looked across at Kenny and forced his voice up a pitch. ‘Listen, missus, I’m only sixteen and I’m worried about my gran, so stop asking me questions and get the polis and the paramedics here pronto, will ye?’ He closed the connection and turned to Kenny. ‘Let’s get back to the city and find us a madman.’