Rise and Fall (21 page)

Maura stared down at her hands, feeling fidgety. She would normally smoke when she was rattled, but she had just chain-smoked two cigarettes, and her throat felt raw. She didn’t fancy a third. But on the floor, unable to get up, she felt in need of something to help her. 

Jamie had always had a temper, and with him looking down at her now, obviously thoroughly pissed off with her, she felt defenceless. Picking up her cigarette packet, she took a cigarette out and lit up; she wanted something to hold between her fingers, something she could focus her attention on, that might help her calm her nerves. 

“Look,” she said, “I know what you’re thinking, but he was going to take him anyway, I didn’t have no choice. So I told him, I wanted some money, to make it worth my while like. I only asked for three grand; it wasn’t like I wanted much.” 

Jamie stared at her. Like a malignant tumour, his mother destroyed everything that she came into contact with. What sort of a woman sold her own kid?

“Where’s he taken him?” Jamie fought the urge to kick the living shit out of her himself. Forcing himself to keep his cool, he sought to get as much information as he could from her. Once she told him where he could find his brother, he would be gone. This time, he really would never set eyes on his mother agian. 

“He didn’t say,” Maura said, “just something about moving into some new place, and Tyler would be better off with him; fucking bloke thinks he’s all that and then some.” 

“That’s just fucking great.” Jamie was back to square one if she didn’t know where Tyler was. That had been his only lead. “You do know what that man is capable of, don’t you, Mother?” Jamie felt the pent-up anger that he’d been holding back start to build once more.

“Course I do, the man’s a fucking animal,” she protested. “Look at the state of me. Hitting a woman, it’s fucking disgraceful.”

Jamie shook his head and leant forward on his chair. “The man you were going to happily sell your child to for a few poxy grand is a paedophile.” Surely if his mother had known what Jerell was, even she wouldn’t have let him take his brother? The memory of walking into that flat on the day of the shooting flew through Jamie’s mind. He painfully recalled the look of fear and humiliation in Tyler’s eyes, as they had all stood there for those few seconds while it dawned on them all what it was that had happened before they had burst in. 

Looking slightly shamefaced, Maura continued to try to justify herself.

“He’s a nonce? Well, I didn’t know that, did I? I ain’t been here too much the past two weeks. I didn’t notice anything like that going on.” Maura realised as soon as she said the words how terrible they sounded. She was digging herself a deeper hole. 

Now Jamie knew Tyler had already been left in the hands of that filthy nutcase for over two weeks, and his so-called mum hadn’t given so much as two shits about him. The poor kid had probably spent his childhood being neglected by their waster of a mother. Jamie wished that he hadn’t left it so long to come back. Just thinking about Tyler’s innocent little eyes as a tiny baby and the way he had stared up at Jamie, like he was the small boy’s whole world, made Jamie feel like he was just as bad as their useless mother. He had left Tyler in the hands of this despicable woman, and now he was in the hands of a fucking animal. After the shooting, Gary had instructed Jamie to leave Jerell alone. But there was no way that Jamie could do that now, not when the man had taken his brother. Jamie needed to find Tyler and fast; he had to be in danger, and Jamie prayed that he hadn’t suffered anymore. He needed to get Tyler away from Jerell. 

“Are you sure you have no idea where they could have they gone?” Jamie used every bit of willpower he had to keep his voice controlled when he spoke; his priority was Tyler. He knew that getting Tyler away from the man would be no easy task, as he would have to do it alone. There was no way that he could bring the boys into it again, especially after what had happened to Gary. 

“I don’t know, he didn’t say,” she said, without meeting his eyes. Jamie realised that she didn’t have a clue where Tyler was, not the faintest idea, and she barely had the decency to look embarrassed about it. It was only now, with Jamie talking to her in his bolshie tone, that she realised how bad a mother she was making herself look. “I know what you’re thinking, Jamie, but it’s not like that, I am a good mum. I’ve sacrificed everything for you kids. Carried each one of you in my belly for nine months, I did, and all you lot have done ever since is suck the life out of me in return.” 

Jamie couldn’t find any more words; there was nothing left to say. Getting up from the chair, he felt an urgent need to get out of the flat; the walls were closing in, suffocating him. He needed to find his brother. 

“Where do you think you’re going, Jamie?” Maura demanded, as he walked to the door. “I need to go to the hospital. Take me, would ya? I think my foot’s in a bad way, Jamie. I think I broke it when that bastard threw me down the stairs.” She was full of self-pity, she could see that Jamie didn’t have the time of day for her, but she had hoped that he would have dropped her at A and E. There was no way she would be able to hobble out of here on her own, and she had not a penny to her name to get herself a cab, after spending the last of it at her local the previous night. Pleased when Jamie changed direction and walked towards her, she was glad to see that he was at least going to do that much for her, the last thing she wanted to do was call an ambulance and have all the neighbours around here coming out to have a gawp at her. It was clear by the state she was in that she had taken a pasting; she didn’t want the nosey bastards around here gossiping about her any more than they already did. The smile that had briefly passed her lips in thanks to him as he approached her was quickly wiped off her face as soon as it appeared. Jamie placed his size nine shoes over her broken foot and leant all his body weight on it, staring at her face as it twisted in agony as he bent down and unzipped the hoodie she was wearing, tearing it from her as she screamed like a wounded animal in crucifying pain. She felt her limp foot crunch beneath the force of Jamie’s shoes.

“Goodbye, you nasty cunt,” he spat before turning on his heel and walking out of the lounge, leaving his mother weeping in pain on the floor.

“Oh yeah, I can see her now.” Gavin shoved Shay out of the way to get a better look at the pretty blonde that he kept harping on about. Gavin pressed his face to the garage window, and could just about see the girl loitering outside, as she peeped out from behind the silver people carrier parked just down the road. She looked shifty, like she was up to no good, but even from this distance he could tell from her slim long legs and the long blonde hair that peeped out from her tatty black coat she was wearing that she was a looker.

“That’s the second day on the trot she’s been out there, it’s like she’s watching us. I wonder what she wants,” Shay said, as Gavin turned around and shot him a suspicious look.

“She’s not one of yours, is she?” Gavin knew too well the drama that Shay constantly got into when it came to the women in his life.

Shay took another look out the window. She didn’t look familiar. If she wore the right outfit she would be the type of bird that he’d go for, but he didn’t really rule anything out, there weren’t many woman who didn’t fall into the category of ‘his type’. It was hard to tell, though, as she was too far down the road for him to get a proper look; he couldn’t really see her face. 

“Nah, nothing to do with me, I would have remembered her,” Shay replied, although he was not strictly sure that this was true. He racked his brain to remember the details of the past few weeks. There hadn’t been too many women, which made a change, because he had been so busy at the garage.

“Maybe she’s just waiting for someone,” Shay reasoned, although he was unsure if this was the case why she had just spent the past two days peering at the garage as if she was spying on them. It didn’t add up.

“It’s fucking freezing out there, Shay; besides, who the hell waits for someone out on the street for two days? She don’t look like she’s dolled up enough to be on the game, and not being funny, this road ain’t really the right place for someone looking to drum up a bit of business, it’s way too quiet. Nah, she looks like she’s hiding. She’s up to something.” Gavin shook his head, unconvinced by Shay’s apparent innocence; he would put money on the girl having some connection with him.

“Here, Shay,” Gavin said. He grinned, making out like he had sussed what the girl was up to. “What if she’s some drunken shag that you managed to get up the duff, huh? And now she’s out there watching you. Finally after all these years she’s managed to track you down so that she can tell you that you’re her baby-daddy.” Gavin laughed as he watched panic spread across Shay’s face; he enjoyed winding his mate up. “Just think, there could be a little Tulisa-Chardonnay out there toddling around the place looking for her da-da, or even better how about a little Shay-Junior. Maybe that bird out there wants you to cough up for the last five years of child maintenance that you owe her,” Gavin added for effect, as he played on his mate’s worst fears. Gavin knew what Shay was like, and even though he was a total dog when it came to women, Gavin also knew from conversations that they had in the past that his mate was far from stupid when it came to that kind of thing. Shay had told him that no matter what, he always wore protection: he never wanted some girl to catch him out by getting herself in the club. He said he was too young to settle down, that he couldn’t imagine the monotony of shagging the same old bird every night for the rest of his life. No matter how fit the bird, or how drunken Shay was, he had a little saying that never failed to make Gavin laugh: ‘don’t be a fool, wrap up your tool.’ 

“Nah, honest, she ain’t got anything to do with me, Gavin. I ain’t seen her before.” Shay glanced out of the window. He would have remembered a girl like that.

“Maybe one of us should go out there and see if she is okay?” Gavin asked. They had finished their work for today. The diary that Jamie had asked them to clear was sorted, he and Shay had worked their arses off for the past few days to get all the jobs that had been booked in completed, and this morning’s book-ins had been the last of the remaining legitimate jobs that they had needed to get finished. All they had to do now was to wait for the next lot of merchandise that Jamie was organising, and they could get moving on their new contact. Gavin was looking forward to getting stuck in; shifting luxury motors always gave him a buzz. Nicking them; fixing them up; he loved every part of it. It was more satisfying than the poxy MOTs they had been doing, they had had bloody oil changes and tyre pressure tests coming out of their ears lately, and the days had done nothing but drag with the boredom of it all. This girl might relieve it.

 “Go on, then, you go and ask her.” Shay nudged his mate. Even though he was also dying to find out what the girl wanted, there was no way that he was going to go over to her after all the shit that Gavin had just filled his head with. “If she so much as even mentions my name, Gav, don’t you dare let on that I’m here, okay?” 

Gavin laughed, his wind-up was paying off; Shay was shitting himself. Still chuckling at Shay freaking out, Gavin wiped his hands on his overalls before heading out to see the girl. The way she kept staring from behind the car was unnerving, and he was sure that she wanted something. There was only one way to find out.

Shay watched Gavin approach the girl. Her body language made it clear that she realised she had been spotted. Shay could tell that she wanted to do a runner as Gavin walked towards her. He watched with interest as she looked around nervously, like she was debating on legging it; she was clearly nervous about something. Shay couldn’t see Gavin’s face as he spoke to the girl, he had his back to him, but it had been a few minutes now of them talking and the girl was still there, so Shay figured that was a good sign.

“Shit,” Shay shouted, as Gavin and the girl walked together towards the garage. Shay couldn’t read Gavin’s expression. He felt knots tighten in his stomach, as he wondered why Gavin was bringing the bird back here. Shay couldn’t mask his curiosity as Gavin, followed by the girl, came through the big doors.

The girl glanced around the garage, familiarising herself with her new surroundings. It wasn’t what she had expected. She had imagined it to be classy, with lots of high-end motors dotted about the place and a bit of a buzz going on. She couldn’t hide her disappointment as she took in the dreariness of the place, it seemed like any other small-time garage, and she wondered if she had made the wrong decision. She pulled her hood off her head as the warmth of the place hit her. She let her blonde hair fall down over her shoulders, and even with no make-up on, and the look of worry etched on her forehead, it took everything Gavin and Shay had not to stand there and gawp at the stunning girl, who was now wrinkling her nose up at the place.

Realising that Shay was unable to control his stare, and had seemingly stopped worrying about whether he was a father, Gavin quickly shot him a look, hoping that it would help him to snap out of it. 

“Go and whack the kettle on, mate, I said we’d make her a nice hot cuppa while she waits. The poor girl’s bloody freezing.” 

Shay raised his eyebrows at Gavin; he was dying to know what the girl was here for, he could see that Gavin was enjoying making him suffer by not giving anything away. He glared at Gavin but got nothing in return but a vacant stare. 

“Do you take sugar?” Shay asked the girl, before adding politely: “sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” He remembered that Gavin hadn’t mentioned it, and Shay could see that he was relishing keeping him guessing, clearly amused that he had rattled Shay’s cage.

“Just one, please,” the girl replied, following the two men to the back office, glad that she was able to shelter her body from the bitter cold. Her hands were blue; she had to stuff them deep into her pockets for hours, trying unsuccessfully to warm them. “My name’s Louise,” she added, as she looked back over to Gavin, as if to seek permission that she was able to say why she was here. “And I’m looking for Jamie Finch.”