Schemer (36 page)

‘Are you OK, Pam? Would you like me to get you a drink or something?’ Barry asked, politely.

Pam shook her head. Even if Wayne did turn up in the next hour or so, how could she let Stephanie marry him next week when she now knew what he had been up to? She took a deep breath to try to steady her emotions. ‘Go on, love. You get off and see to your mum. I can deal with this.’

‘What you gonna do?’ Barry asked, solemnly.

‘I’m gonna confront Angela; then if your suspicions turn out to be true, I shall have to tell Stephanie. It’s gonna break her heart, I know it is, but I can’t let her marry him, Barry. I would never forgive myself if I did.’

Barry squeezed Pam’s hand. ‘Well, if it’s any consolation, I think you’re doing the right thing telling Steph. I know if it were me about to get married, then I’d want to know. Having said that, this is all just speculation at the moment. For all we know, Wayne could have ended up elsewhere and might walk in as right as rain any minute. Perhaps Angela was genuinely ill, who knows?’

‘I very much doubt it, but I’ll get to the bottom of it if it kills me. Go on, love, you shoot off. Thanks for coming round and thanks for being honest with me.’

Pam found Stephanie’s address book. She was relieved when the cab firm only quoted her ten minutes, as she couldn’t wait to ring Angela and give her a piece of her mind.

Barry chatted away politely as he finished the rest of his beer. He had given Pam his phone number and she had promised to contact him personally the moment she
had some news, whether it be good or bad. ‘Do you know what, Pam? You’re a lovely lady and I’d give my right arm to have a mother like you. I hope your Stephanie realizes how lucky she is.’

Pam forced a smile. Considering that Barry had been reared by the horrendous Marlene, he had certainly turned into a lovely lad. He was handsome, polite, honest and charming, and for the first time ever, Pam wished he hadn’t moved to Spain all them years ago, and it was he that Stephanie was planning to marry rather than Wayne.

Within seconds of returning from the park with the kids, Stephanie knew that something had happened. She knew her mother like the back of her hand and could tell that Pam was hiding something. Not wanting to create a scene in front of the children, Steph put the McDonald’s they had begged for onto three plastic plates and ordered them to eat it in the lounge.

‘Right, what’s going on?’ she said to her mother as she shut the kitchen door.

Pam didn’t know if she was coming or going. She had tried to ring Angela, but her mobile phone was switched off and she had no home number for her. Cathy, who she would usually ask for advice, was at Bingo, so that was a no-go. Then, in pure desperation, Pam had rung Linda, and there had been no answer from her either. Not wanting to make a mountain out of a molehill in case Wayne walked in at any second, Pam decided to lie. ‘Nothing’s wrong apart from the obvious. You got any more wine, love? I could kill another glass.’

Stephanie went into the conservatory, grabbed a bottle of Chardonnay and poured the majority of it into two large glasses. ‘Why did Barry go before I got back? Did he say something that upset you?’ Steph probed, her voice full of suspicion.

‘No, of course not! Barry left because his mother is creating havoc, I think. How an old slapper like that ever gave birth to a decent lad like Barry, I shall never know.’

Looking at the clock on the kitchen wall, Stephanie shook her head in despair. It was nearly five p.m. now and would soon be dark outside. Waiting until the morning to ring the police was ridiculous. The sooner she rang them and reported Wayne missing, the better. ‘I’m gonna ring the Old Bill now, Mum, I have to. No matter how drunk Wayne was last night, he would have definitely rung me by now if he was OK. Something’s happened to him, I just know it has, and at least if I report him missing, the police can check the hospitals and stuff.’

‘No, don’t ring them yet,’ Pam said, alarmed. She hadn’t worked out how to break Barry’s news to Stephanie yet and she didn’t want to send her daughter over the edge. ‘Barry’s right. The police will laugh at you if you ring them now and say Wayne hasn’t come home from his stag night yet.’

Stephanie had tried to be strong all day, but couldn’t hold the tears back any longer. ‘What am I gonna do if we can’t find him, Mum? How long am I meant to leave it until I cancel the wedding and ring all the guests?’

Pam held her sobbing daughter in her arms. If Wayne didn’t arrive home to sort out this mess very soon, she would personally fucking strangle him.

Barry Franklin had no intention of going to visit his mother. Marge had rung him, but only to inform him that his mother was ‘sorry for what she had said’ and had asked ‘could he please send her clothes home from Spain?’

Strolling into the boozer in a side road just off Brentwood High Street, Barry queued up at the bar. Today had gone to perfection for somebody as desperate for revenge as he was: it was the stuff that dreams were made of. Not only was Wayne on the missing-persons list and thought to be with Angela, he also had Pam eating out of his hand, which was a proper added bonus.

The young dark-haired barmaid smiled at Barry. He had been in a few evenings recently and, unlike most of her other punters, was always generous in offering her a drink. ‘A bottle of Bud, is it?’ she asked.

Barry grinned. ‘Nah, I fancy something different tonight. Give us a bottle of champagne, sweetheart.’ Barry laughed. ‘I’m in the mood for celebrating.’

By nine p.m., Stephanie had become rather hysterical and Pam knew she couldn’t hold her secret piece of knowledge back much longer. ‘Come and sit down, darling,’ she said sadly, as Steph trawled through the Yellow Pages to try to find out phone numbers of local hospitals.

‘I can’t fucking sit down. I’ve got to do something.’

‘Sssh. The kids probably aren’t asleep yet. You don’t want to worry them, do you?’ Pam said, sensibly. It was less than half an hour since she had tucked the poor little mites up in bed and Pam was positive that Dannielle had sensed that something was amiss when she had asked if she was ‘still going to be a bridesmaid next week?’

Deflated, Stephanie sat down on the armchair opposite her mother. She had been trying to call Tammy all evening to ask her advice. Her best friend’s sister was a policewoman and Stephanie was sure that she could be of some help, if only Tammy would switch her bloody phone on.

‘Who’s that you’re trying to phone – Tammy again?’ Pam asked.

Stephanie nodded. ‘She’s taken Richard back to the airport, Mum. She rarely has her mobile on when she isn’t at work, but she did say she would call me once she’d dropped him off. Look, I’m sick of waiting for people to switch their fucking phones on. I don’t care if the Old Bill laugh at me. I’m gonna ring ’em now, Mum.’

As Stephanie began dialling 999, Pam snatched the phone out of her daughter’s hand.

‘What you doing?’ Steph yelled.

Knowing that awful time had come when she had to break Stephanie’s heart, Pam urged her to sit down again.

‘What’s a matter?’ Steph asked, fearfully.

Pam sat next to her daughter on the sofa, and with tears in her eyes said the sentence she had been dreading disclosing. ‘I’m so sorry, Steph, but I think Wayne might have run off with our Angela.’

Letting out one almighty scream, Stephanie grabbed the framed photo of her and Wayne off the wall and threw it across the room. Aware of the sound of breaking glass, she then sank to her knees and sobbed like a baby.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Stephanie felt like a zombie when Tammy arrived the following morning. She had been unable to sleep a wink and had spent all night tossing, turning, and crying. The more she thought about it, Wayne being with Angela just didn’t ring true. Her partner had always hated her sister, ever since their teenage fling, so why would he suddenly run away with her?

‘I’m so sorry you couldn’t get hold of me last night, mate. I was going to ring you after I’d dropped Richard off, but my battery went dead. What’s been happening? Have you rung the police yet?’ Tammy asked, sitting next to Stephanie on the sofa.

‘Come on kids, let’s go and play in the garden,’ Pam suggested to her grandchildren. They knew something was wrong. Dannielle had been crying earlier, and Pam wanted to shield them from the awful truth for as long as she could.

‘Me wan weeties,’ Tyler screamed, pummelling his little fists against the carpet in temper as Pam tried to lift him up.

‘Walk ’em down the shops and get them some sweets, Mum. Take the money out of my purse.’

When the front door slammed, Steph breathed a sigh of relief.

‘So, have you rung the police?’ Tammy asked again.

‘I rang them about an hour ago and they said that they would send someone round, but they haven’t yet. They asked where Wayne had been and when I said he had been out on his stag night, I’m sure they were laughing at me.’

‘What about Angie? Have you got an address for her yet?’ Tammy asked. Steph had told her on the phone what Barry had said to Pam.

‘No. My mum’s been trying to ring her all morning, but Angie’s phone is still switched off. We don’t have an address for her or a home number, but Mum reckons the police will be able to trace her because she must have registered her mobile phone at her new address. What about your sister, Tam? Can’t you ring her and see if she can help us? I’m at my wits’ end, I really am.’

Tammy’s sister and brother-in-law were both in the police force, but had recently moved to Colchester. ‘Worse comes to the worst, I’ll give my sister a bell, but I doubt that she will be able to do much, mate, as she is working at a station out in Essex now. See what the Old Bill say when they come round, but I don’t believe for a minute that your Wayne would run off with Angela. I reckon Barry’s got something to do with his disappearance, you mark my words.’

Steph put her distraught head in her hands. ‘But why would Barry have agreed to come to the wedding if he hated Wayne’s guts? And why would he turn up round here yesterday and be so helpful and nice?’

‘Because he is bloody clever, Steph. I never liked Barry Franklin that much, even when we were at school, and I wouldn’t trust the bastard as far as I could throw him now.’

‘You never said you didn’t like him at school,’ Stephanie replied. Her mind was all over the place and she really didn’t know what to think any more. Her mum seemed to think that the sun shone out of Barry’s arse, and she was rarely ever wrong about anyone.

After buying the children a bag of goodies, Pam stopped at the nearest phone box. ‘Hold Tyler’s hand and go and play on that bit of green with him,’ she ordered Dannielle and Aidan. Pam rang Cathy first, explained what had happened, and was relieved when her friend said that she was on her way over. Pam then rang Linda and explained Wayne’s disappearance to her.

‘I’m gonna kill that fucking Angela. Don’t you dare have no more to do with her after this, sis. I think me and Keith should come over. Steph will need her family around her.’

‘OK,’ Pam said. She ended the call, then tried Angela again. She was surprised when her daughter actually answered. ‘Where the hell is Wayne?’ Pam screamed psychotically.

‘How the hell should I know where Wayne is? I take it you’ve heard that he came to my club, then?’

‘This ain’t funny, Angela, so don’t you dare lie to me. If Wayne is there with you, you have to tell me now because Stephanie has just called the police.’

‘Called the police! What the fuck you on about, Mum? Wayne ain’t with me. I saw him at the club, briefly, and that was it.’

Pam sighed. Her youngest daughter had always been an extremely convincing liar, and Pam could never tell if she was pulling a fast one or not. ‘If you are telling the truth, Angie – and with your track record, I very much doubt it – then you’d best get yourself round to your sister’s house and tell her and the police exactly what happened.’

‘What do you mean, what happened? All I did was go to work, felt ill, and came back home. Yes, Wayne was there on his stag do, but I barely spoke to the bloke for more than five minutes.’

With the pips going, Pam quickly stuffed some more coins into the slot. ‘Barry said you chatted to Wayne for ages, and he said that you and Wayne disappeared at the same time. Wayne’s missing, Angela. He hasn’t been seen since he was at your club – so for once, just tell me the bastard truth.’

‘I am telling the bastard truth! I tell you what, Mother. You get Barry shit-stirring Franklin round Steph’s, and me and Roxy will drive straight over. I’ve been sick as a pig for the past twenty-four hours and I’ve only just dragged meself out of bed. You call the Old Bill back and tell ’em I’m on my way round now, and don’t forget to ring Barry an’ all. I refuse to be accused of something I ain’t done, Mum. It’s bang out of order.’

Pam was stunned when Angela slammed the phone down on her. For once, it seemed like her youngest daughter might actually be telling the truth.

Stephanie was furious when firstly Cathy, then Linda and Keith turned up. She knew people were only there to support her, but with her life and wedding seemingly in tatters, she really wasn’t in the mood to be talking to anyone. Steph followed her mother into the kitchen. ‘Can’t you get rid of everyone, Mum? I only want you and Tammy here.’

Pam tried to hold Steph in her arms, but was pushed away.

‘Just get off me, Mum. All I want is Wayne back, not to be treated like a fucking child.’

Pam sighed. She hadn’t yet told her that both Barry and Angela were also on their way round, but she knew she had to soon. ‘Look, people are only here because they love you so much. I rang Cath and Lin when I was out, and I rang Barry, Angela, and the police again. They’ll all be here soon, and the quicker the better if you ask me. Wayne needs to be found, love, and after speaking to Angela, I truly believe she’s in the dark about his disappearance as well.’

‘What did the bitch say? You know she’s always been the liar of all liars,’ Stephanie screamed.

‘Your sister swears blind that she spotted Wayne at the club, spoke to him briefly, then felt ill and went home, alone. She’s bringing her flatmate, Roxy, round here with her. You haven’t met Roxy yet, but I have and, surprisingly, she is a really decent girl. Angie was fuming when I told her what Barry had said, so that’s why I rang him. The police are coming round at five to take statements off the whole lot of ’em. I know it’s stressful for you, darling, but the quicker we find out what’s really happened to Wayne, the better, eh?’