Nothing but Meat: A dark, heart-stopping British crime thriller (6 page)

7

‘Got any plans for tonight?’ West asked casually as they
walked along a station corridor.

The question caught Simone off-guard and she flustered before
answering. ‘I don’t know.’ Was he asking her out? She answered honestly. ‘I was
planning on going to the hospital to see Barratt. I meant go yesterday. He
should be able to receive visitors by now.’

‘I’m going there too; I want to see the old man. He’s the
reason I’m back and I don’t plan to neglect him.’

‘Of course not,’ she agreed and silently anticipated his next
question, the sensible part of her hoped it wouldn’t come but the butterflies
in her stomach had other ideas and she knew she really wanted him to ask.
‘Maybe we should go together, I could pick you up,’ he said and there it was,
floating in the air like smoke. West had a twinkle in his eye that suggested he
was teasing her, wanting her to make excuses as to why they couldn’t go
together. But they really couldn’t go together, so why had she had that feeling
of wanting him to ask? Was it ego that made her feel this way, or did she just
like the attention? Was it the rare feeling of being wanted again? They both
knew what her reply would be and she was about to decline when he said, ‘Or we
could meet at the hospital. You could visit your partner and then maybe pop in
and see the old man with me; I know he’d like to see you again and to tell the
truth I’d quite like some company.’ She glanced at him as he spoke. ‘It’s hard
to see him like this,’ he said and multiple emotions struck Simone
simultaneously; she felt sorrow for West and the difficulty of seeing his
father so terribly ill, she felt pride at knowing someone with such strength of
character, his ability to run a murder investigation and to deal with the
impending death of his father so nobly, she felt love for him because of his
ability to be honest and thrilled at the thought of seeing him tonight. But she
also she felt fear, fear because she would have to go home and see Martin and
tell him she was going to be out for the evening and run the risk of him
finding out Nathan was back.

‘We can meet in the canteen if you like,’ she said.

When Simone arrived home she was relieved to see that Martin’s
car wasn’t in the driveway; he often worked late and she knew she had a window
of opportunity where she could get ready and be out of the house before he got
home, but in order to avoid him she would have to be quick because he could return
at any moment. She showered away the heat of the day and changed quickly, she
decided to let her hair dry naturally and to apply whatever make-up she could
to her bruised face in the hospital car park. She was in and out of the house
within twenty minutes and on her way to the hospital. She listened to the radio
as she drove and the news had broken that the police had taken an unnamed man
in for questioning. She pulled into the car park and did her make-up. When she
leant forward to look in the rear view mirror her stomach growled and she
realised she had barely eaten anything all day but fortunately she had got to
the hospital so early she had plenty of time to get something from the canteen
before she went in to see Barratt.

As she walked down the corridor towards Barratt’s room she
recognised his wife Roxanne walking towards her in the opposite direction and
Simone caught her attention by waving quickly as they approached each other. Roxanne
acknowledged Simone and paused to wait outside Barratt’s room; she was holding
a juice box of Ribena and a packet of sweets – no doubt for their
daughter Tanya. They said hello and hugged for a second and when they pulled
away from each other Simone asked, ‘How is he?’

She looked tired and drained but her eyes were bright and the
relief reflected in them was obvious, she said, ‘He’s doing okay. He needed
blood and the doctors said he got to the hospital just in time, it could have
been so much worse…’ she trailed off then said, ‘Thank you so much for being
there, for looking after him.’

‘You’re welcome. He would have done the same for me.’

‘Your face looks so sore, I barely recognised you.’

Simone shrugged sheepishly; she couldn’t help feeling
slightly guilty for only being beaten up. ‘I’ll be okay,’ she said. ‘It’s just a
few bruises.’ Roxanne read her face and said, ‘Hey, don’t feel bad for John,
he’s alive and that’s because of you.’

‘Is he okay to see visitors I wasn’t sure if I should have
rung before I came here.’

‘He’ll be pleased to see you. Go on in.’

Barratt’s head was heavily bandaged but he was sitting
upright in bed while their daughter Tanya ran a toy car up and down the
bed-sheets.

‘It’s about time,’ said Barratt as she entered, ‘thought
you’d forgotten about me.’ Tanya spotted the juice box and sweets and ran over
to collect them from her mother.

‘I would have got here earlier but all hell’s broken loose.’

‘So I hear, it sounds like I got hospitalised at just the
right time.’

‘You’re better off out of it.’ She sat down in the chair
closest to the bed.

‘You look pretty banged
up; I can’t believe you went straight back to work.’

‘It’s just sore. No big deal.’ She shot a shy glance to
Roxanne who noticed and smiled back gratefully.

‘I hear you’ve got a new partner. That was quick.’

She shrugged. ‘The old one was easy to replace.’

‘Funny.’

‘Hey, how long ‘til you’re up and around again?’

‘I should be home the day after tomorrow.’

‘That’s excellent news.’

‘I don’t think I’ll be coming back though,’ he said quietly to
Simone alone, he looked at his daughter as he spoke. ‘It was too close for
comfort and it’s had me thinking. I never saw her coming and if she’d stabbed
me in the neck that’d be it; I’d be floating on a cloud with a harp in my
hands.’

‘I had a feeling you’d be like this,’ she said, ‘and I want
you to know I understand. Whatever it is you decide to do John, you’ll have no
argument from me.’

‘Thanks Simone. Keep it to yourself though,’ he said.

‘Of course I will. Has anyone else from work been to see you
yet?’

‘Some of the lads came by a couple of hours ago, they couldn’t
stay long though, and I had a phone call from Jackson.’

‘Everyone wants to come and see you but with all that’s been
going on don’t be offended if some of them don’t make it before you get out of
here. It’s nothing personal, well it might be,’ she shrugged and whispered
quietly so she wasn’t overheard, ‘a lot of people think you’re a wanker.’

He laughed. ‘Great,
thanks for making me feel special Simone.’

‘Seriously John, everyone
is thinking about you. Jackson especially but he’s run ragged at the moment.’

A face appeared at the window and there was a quick rap at
the door before it opened and four people entered all holding flowers and paper
bags of grapes. Roxanne greeted them and the room was suddenly very crowded.
Barratt said a few hellos and quickly introduced Simone to his two brothers and
their wives. They started to chat with one another and Simone knew it was time
to go. She said, ‘I’m going to get going and let you have some time with your
family. Some of us don’t have the luxury of staying in bed all day.’

‘Okay it was good to see you.’

She put her hand on his. ‘Take care.’

He gripped her fingers softly but firmly and said, ‘Thanks
Simone.’ He glanced at his wife who was talking to John’s brother but also
eavesdropping their exchange, she looked back mid-conversation and caught
Simone’s eye again. Barratt said, ‘I couldn’t have left her alone. We’re all
very grateful.’

‘You don’t need to say anything,’ she said and picked a grape
from one of the many bunches and popped it in her mouth with a wink.

Simone left the room after saying goodbye to Roxanne and
Tanya and the rest of Barratt’s family and returned to the canteen to wait for
Nathan.

When West arrived he looked surprisingly relaxed, she joined
him and they headed towards his father’s room.

‘They’re talking about moving him into a care home by the
weekend,’ West said quietly as they followed the signs to the correct ward.

‘Is that good?’

‘It’s what happens when the doctors can’t do anything more to
help.’

‘Oh.’ She wondered if the reason for his relaxed demeanour
was because the severity of his father’s condition had hit home. She didn’t
know what to say so she said, ‘I sorry.’

‘Thanks for coming. Having you here with me helps.’

‘I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,’ she said.

Jack West was suffering, that was clear but he tried his best
not to show it. From the moment they entered the room he was alert and focused
but linked to machines and tubes he breathed in quick wispy gasps that betrayed
him. It had been years since Simone last saw him and she was upset to see that the
disease that was consuming his body had ravaged the face that would have looked
different enough through years of natural ageing. She wondered if she would
have recognised him at all had she passed him in the street or seen him in a
photograph.

He took her by surprise by saying in his strongest whisper,
‘Hello Simone.’

She replied, ‘Hello Jack,’ and touched his hand. His skin was
warm to the touch but felt thin as tissue paper. ‘I’m surprised you recognise
me.’

‘I never forget a face, even if it is a bit bruised.’

‘All in the line of duty I’m afraid.’

‘I expect you to take better care of her Nathan.’

Simone read Nathan’s face and he seemed confused, he said, ‘I
will.’

‘You two make a good couple – it’s taken so long for the
pair of you to get together,’ he whispered. Simone realised Jack’s confusion at
the same time as West and they shot each other a look of mild embarrassment but
neither of them made an attempt to correct him. ‘I was beginning to think it’d
never happen but I’m glad it did.’ His milky eyes moved back and forth between
them.

‘Me too Dad.’ He smiled boyishly at Simone who moved her
wedding ring out of sight so as not to break the illusion.

Jack West seemed suddenly tired; the level of concentration
used to conduct even the shortest conversation was beginning to take its toll.
His head sunk into the pillow and he closed his eyes. They sat there in silence
listening to his soft gasps of breath and wondering if he had gone to sleep
when his eyes opened and he said, ‘Are you happy, both of you?’

Simone nodded and West said, ‘She’s everything I’ve ever
wanted.’

Jack whispered to her, ‘Look after him Simone, look after my
boy.’

A lump rose in her throat. She nodded again and managed to
croak, ‘I will Jack, I promise.’

Nathan said, ‘Dad, we’re going to leave you in peace now,
I’ll be back tomorrow.’ Simone knew Nathan had to talk to his father about the
proposed move from the hospital and into a care home but he had chosen against
it because his father was clearly too tired.

They stood to leave and Simone said, ‘Goodbye Jack, I’ll see
you soon.’

He managed to force a smile and a slight nod of the head but
the effort of speaking had become too much.

They walked back into the main foyer of the hospital in
silence, both of them feeling deflated and upset.

Simone said, ‘Would you like to get a drink?’

‘What a coffee from the canteen?’

‘No a proper drink.’

‘More than anything.’

They sat in
the garden of a nearby pub as the sky turned red and
dusk began to fall. They were silent, West watched Simone chill her whiskey by
sloshing it over the ice in her glass. She noticed him looking and said,
‘What?’

‘Nothing.’ He sipped his pint and sunk back in the chair.

She said, ‘I was so surprised when he recognised me.’

‘I know. I have to admit I was surprised too, but I shouldn’t
have been, he’s always had a good mind.’

‘Were you embarrassed earlier?’

‘Me? I should be asking you that.’

‘Come on you have to admit it was a bit embarrassing.’ She
grinned and sipped her drink. ‘Even talking about it is a little embarrassing.’

‘Maybe I should have corrected him.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous. He wants to see you happy.’ She
stopped, feeling even more embarrassed. ‘Not that I’m saying you’d be happy
with me but, you know what I mean.’

‘I know,’ he said. ‘Anyway you’re taken.’

They sipped their drinks to fill the silence and were
gratefully distracted as a group of twenty-something’s gathered at a nearby
table. Glasses clinked and chairs scrapped across the stone floor, laughter and
cigarette smoke filled the air.

Simone had to ask. ‘Did you mean what you said earlier?’

‘When?’

She sighed; he knew exactly what she was talking about.

She’s all I ever wanted.

‘At the hospital,’ she said, ‘when your dad asked if you were
happy.’