Broke (17 page)

‘But it’s not
mine
,’ Amy sobbed, sitting up and giving him a pleading look. ‘It’s Mark’s, and he’s left me. Please, Lenny, I’ve already told you I’ll do anything you want. Can’t we just carry on as we are?’

‘Nah. You get one chance with me,’ Yates replied coldly as he scooped the address book up off the floor. ‘And you’ve blown yours.’

‘I thought you liked me?’ Amy clutched at his hand.

Yates yanked it free and gripped her by the face. ‘Maybe I did, but I don’t no more. You’re just a whore to me now – a whore who owes me five grand.’

‘
What?
’ Amy felt her world go into a spin. ‘I’ll never be able to pay that.’

‘Sooner you get working the better, then, eh? I’ll pick you up at twelve tomorrow night. Wear a short skirt, and don’t keep me waiting.’

‘I
can’t
. The kids will be back by then.’

‘They’ll be asleep,’ Yates reminded her unconcernedly. ‘And you’ll be home before they wake up – if you’re good.’

He started to walk out but stopped when her mobile started to ring. Turning back, he snatched it up and frowned when he saw the name on the screen.

‘Who’s Steve?’

‘M-Mark’s best friend,’ Amy stammered.

‘Why’s he ringing you at this time of night?’ Yates gave her an accusing look. ‘You been shagging him behind my back?’

‘
No!
’ Amy gasped. ‘I saw him earlier, and he said he’d let me know if he hears from Mark.’

‘Answer it.’ Yates handed the phone to her. ‘Put it on loudspeaker so I can hear what he says. And don’t say nothing about me, or Mummy and Daddy will be getting that visit straight after I leave here. And after I’ve finished with them, I’ll work my way through the rest, from A to Z.’

When he patted his pocket to remind her that he had the addresses of everybody she cared about, Amy’s hands shook so badly that she almost dropped the phone.

‘Sorry it’s so late,’ Steve blurted out when she answered. ‘I meant to ring earlier, but Layla dragged me out to the pictures and I totally forgot. I didn’t wake you up, did I?’

‘No, it’s okay,’ Amy said quietly.

‘Good. Anyhow, I only wanted to tell you that I’ve asked around, but no one knows where Mark is. I’ll keep asking and let you know as soon as I hear anything. Are you and the kids all right? Do you need anything?’

Yes, we need you to come and rescue us!
Amy cast a nervous glance at Yates.

‘No, we’re fine,’ she lied. ‘I just need to find Mark.’

‘You and me both,’ Steve said darkly. ‘If you need anything before he turns up, just ring me, yeah?’

‘Thanks,’ Amy murmured. Then, when Yates made a cutting gesture across his throat, she said, ‘I’ve got to go – I can hear one of the kids getting up. Bye.’

‘I don’t want you seeing him again,’ Yates said when she’d disconnected. ‘And I don’t want you calling him neither. And I’ll be watching you,’ he added ominously. ‘So be warned.’

Amy stayed on the couch after he’d gone and cried the rest of the night away. She wished that she could pick the kids up and run away to somewhere where nobody knew them, but she didn’t have a penny to her name so it was an impossible dream. Anyway, Yates would hurt her parents and friends if she ran away. She was totally and utterly trapped, and there was only one way to survive: do whatever Yates wanted and hope that, one day, somehow, something would happen to bring the torture to an end.

Physically, mentally and emotionally drained by the time morning came around, Amy decided to ring her mum and ask if she would keep the kids for a while. She would make the excuse that she needed time to sort her head out, and would promise to pick them up in the mornings and take them to school, then deliver them back in the afternoon after they’d had their tea.

That was the plan, but before she had a chance to reach for the phone, her dad’s car pulled up outside.

‘I want a word with you,’ Sonia said when Amy opened the door. ‘In the kitchen.’

‘In a minute,’ said Amy, hugging the kids. ‘I want to spend a bit of time with them before they go to school.’

‘Now!’ Sonia insisted, shoving her up the hall. ‘Turn the telly on for them, John,’ she called back over her shoulder.

When they were both in the kitchen, Sonia closed the door and gazed around with a look of horror on her face.

‘Bloody hell, Amy! I knew it was going to be bad, but not
this
bad.’

‘It’s not as bad as it looks,’ Amy said defensively, stepping in front of the sink to hide the unwashed dishes.

‘Are you blind?’ Sonia spluttered. ‘It’s absolutely filthy. And it stinks.’

‘I haven’t been able to put the bins out ’cos I’ve lost the key.’ Amy folded her arms. ‘I’ll sort it out after the kids have gone to school.’ She paused now, and bit her lip before adding, ‘It’d help if you could have them for a couple of weeks.’

Sonia gave her a knowing look. ‘Oh, yes, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Lump them on me and your dad so you’re free to go gallivanting with your fancy man.’ She pursed her lips when Amy gave her a blank look, and said, ‘Don’t bother denying it, because Cassie’s already told us all about him. And before you accuse her of lying, Bobby said it as well – and he wasn’t even in the room when she mentioned it, so he wasn’t just copying her.’

Amy was confused. The kids were always fast asleep by the time Yates called round, and they couldn’t possibly have seen him because their room was at the front and he always used the back door. She supposed it was possible that one of them had woken up and heard him talking, but there was no way she could admit to it now without making everything a million times worse.

‘They must have been dreaming,’ she said, fronting it out. ‘Until Dad came in just now, there’s been no man in here since Mark left.’

Sonia shook her head. ‘I can always tell when you’re lying; your nose goes even redder than your face. I told your dad on the way over . . . I said, there’s no point asking her ’cos she’ll only lie. And here you go, proving me right again. How could you do it, Amy? Mark’s only been gone five minutes. Don’t you think the children are hurting enough?’

Amy gritted her teeth and reached for the door handle. ‘I haven’t got time for this. I need to get the kids ready for school.’

‘No, lady, what you need to do is stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about the effect all this is having on
them
.’ Sonia pointed at the wall behind which the children were waiting. ‘I’ve never cared for Mark, as you well know, and I’ll be the first to dance at the divorce party. But if you’re going to replace him, at least have the decency to wait till the kids have got over the split.’

‘For the last time, there is no other man,’ said Amy, irritated that her mum was talking to her as if she didn’t care about her children. They were precisely the reason she was in this position, because they were her life and she would rather sacrifice herself than see any harm come to them.

‘I don’t believe you,’ Sonia said coolly. ‘But I know you don’t care what I think, so I’ll say no more about it. I just want you to promise that you won’t move this man in – whoever he is. And sort this place out, because it’s a health hazard,’ she added, casting another look of disgust at the bin bags. ‘I know you’re upset, but that’s no excuse to neglect your children.’

‘I am
not
neglecting them,’ Amy protested. ‘They’re clean and fed.’

‘Clean?’ Sonia raised an eyebrow. ‘Bobby soiled himself twice yesterday, and once again this morning. It’s a good job you left some of his pants the last time you stayed over, or he’d have a bare bottom right now.’

Amy guiltily dipped her gaze. ‘I meant to bring his nappies, but I forgot.’

‘Don’t you think you’re missing the point?’ Sonia asked. ‘He knows how to use the toilet, but the fact that he’s started doing it in his pants again says a lot about what’s going on in here, and here . . .’ She pointed from her temple to her heart. ‘He’s obviously disturbed, but how can you help him if you can’t even look after yourself?’

‘Why are you blaming me?’ Amy snapped. ‘This is Mark’s fault, not mine. He’s the one who’s pissed off with someone else. I’m doing my best, but it’s not easy trying to do everything by myself.’

‘I’m not saying it’s your fault. But you’re the one who’s got to look after the children, because you’re their mum.’

‘And you’re mine, so you’re supposed to be looking after me, not having a go because I haven’t washed the stupid dishes.’

‘You’re a grown woman,’ Sonia said calmly. ‘And you’ve made it quite clear that you don’t appreciate me sticking my nose in, so I’m staying out of it. But I refuse to keep my mouth shut when it comes to my grandchildren. They’re the priority here, not you, so pull yourself together and sort it out.’

‘Thanks,’ Amy said bitterly. ‘Nice to know I’ve got your support.’

‘The Lord helps those who help themselves,’ Sonia retorted piously.

‘Don’t preach at me,’ Amy yelled, too upset and angry by now to care who heard. ‘You haven’t got a clue what I’m going through! I need help, not criticism, but you’re too busy looking down your nose at me to see that, aren’t you? And how can you accuse me of neglecting my kids when you
know
how much I love them?’

‘If you loved them as much as you claim to, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,’ Sonia argued. ‘Luckily for them
I
do, so at least they’re going to school clean and fed today. But I’ll be buggered if I’m taking them off your hands so you can flit around like a free woman.’

‘Oh, just get out.’ Amy yanked the door open.

‘We’ll drop the children off, seeing as we’re already here,’ Sonia told her. ‘It’ll give you a chance to make a start on the house. And then I’d have a bath, if I was you, because you don’t smell very nice.’

She walked out now and strode up the hall with her nose in the air, calling, ‘John . . . kids . . . I’m ready.’

Amy managed to muster up a smile when the children trooped miserably out of the living room. ‘See you later,’ she said, giving them a quick hug before her mum herded them out.

Her dad looked weary as he shuffled his feet in the doorway. ‘Sorry about your mum. I wanted to ring you and warn you she was on the warpath, but she didn’t give me a chance. Are you all right?’

‘I’ll manage,’ Amy assured him, folding her arms. ‘You’d best hurry or you’ll get it in the neck an’ all.’

‘You know where we are if you need us.’ Her dad gave her a peck on the cheek and then stepped out with his head down.

Amy slammed the door behind him and slid to the floor in despair. She was alone, totally and utterly alone. And now that her mum had refused to take the kids she had a real problem.

14

When Amy came home after picking up the kids from school that afternoon, she saw Marnie chatting to Gemma across the road. And she could tell from the guilty look on her friend’s face that they were talking about her.

‘All right, love?’ Gemma called, her enormous breasts spilling over her arms as she leaned on the gate.

Amy gave her a dirty look and hustled the kids inside without answering. Seconds later, Marnie was at the door.

‘Babe, we weren’t gossiping,’ she said when Amy gave her an accusing glare. ‘I was just asking if she knew that bird’s address so you can go and find Mark.’

Amy’s heart lurched. ‘And?’

‘Sorry.’ Marnie shook her head. ‘Her mate’s daughter reckons they lost touch after she moved.’

‘Right,’ Amy said flatly, flicking a glance at Gemma who was smoking now and trying to pretend that she wasn’t watching. ‘I’ve got to go. The kids need their tea.’

‘I hope you’re not still mad at me for what I said about your new man?’ Marnie asked. ‘I’m pleased for you, I really am. I just don’t know why you didn’t want to tell me about him.’

She looked hurt, and Amy sighed, because she knew that she’d feel the same if Marnie was keeping things from her like this. They were best mates – they told each other everything.

Or, at least, they
had
until Yates had come along and put the fear of God into her.

‘There’s nothing going on,’ she said quietly. ‘He’s just an old friend who’s looking out for me, that’s all.’

‘So why’s he been going round the back like you’ve got something to hide?’

‘Because I didn’t want anyone to see him and start spreading it about that I’m cheating on Mark.’

‘Oh, right, I get you. But we’re all right, yeah? You’ve not fallen out with me?’

‘Course not,’ said Amy. Then, tentatively, she asked, ‘I, er, don’t suppose you’d babysit for me tonight, would you? Only my friend wants to take me out for a couple of drinks.’

Marnie gave her a knowing smile. ‘Does he, now?’

‘Oh, just forget it,’ Amy snapped. ‘I don’t even know why I bothered asking.’

‘Don’t be daft,’ Marnie said placatingly. ‘You know I’d do it if I could. But it’s our Pearl’s birthday, and we’re going clubbing. Why don’t you send them to your mum’s?’

‘She had them last night.’

‘I’m sure she’d have them again if she knew your
friend
was taking you out.’

The emphasis she’d placed on the word didn’t escape Amy, and it sickened her to know that Marnie didn’t believe her.

‘Actually, I’ve changed my mind,’ she said. ‘Don’t really feel up to going out at the moment. Tell your sister happy birthday from me.’

‘What did she say?’ Gemma asked when Marnie walked back across the road.

‘Well, she’s admitted there’s a new man,’ Marnie told her conspiratorially. ‘But she reckons he’s just an old friend, and she didn’t want anyone to know about him in case they thought she was cheating on Mark.’

‘Which, of course, she isn’t.’ Gemma smirked.

Marnie raised her eyebrows in a
you-know-as-much-as-I-do
gesture, and said, ‘She asked me to babysit so she can go out for a drink with him, but I’m going out. Pity, ’cos I know men, so I’d know as soon as I got a proper look at him if something was going on.’

Gemma resisted the urge to say
You should know men, you’ve had enough of ’em
. Instead, she smiled, and said, ‘I’ll keep an eye out. Wonder if Mark knows?’