Schemer (61 page)

When Jolene began sobbing like a baby, Mickey heard a frantic banging on the front door.

‘Danni, Danni, open this door now. I know you’re in there. I know everything,’ a woman’s voice screamed.

Recognizing Stephanie’s dulcet tones, Barry snatched the phone off Mickey and ended the call. ‘Quick, get this tape off me legs. Where’s Danni?’

‘Upstairs, I taped her up as well. I’ll go and set her free,’ Mickey said, cutting the tape around Barry’s ankles.

‘I’ll free her meself. You just put that dagger and gun away and get rid of all the tape. The woman knocking on the door is Dannielle’s mother, and I don’t wanna give her any more reason to kick off than she already has,’ Barry spat, darting up the stairs.

‘I know you’re in there, Barry. I’ve just heard your voice, you paeodophiliac murdering bastard. I know what you did to my Wayne. I know it was you who killed him,’ Stephanie screamed hysterically.

‘Stop, Steph. Please stop it, or you’ll hurt yourself,’ Angela said, as her sister picked up a brick and smashed it against one of the bay windows.

Stephanie turned to Angela. ‘I thought I told you to go back to mine and look after Mum and Lin for me. Fuck off. Go on, fuck off,’ she yelled.

‘I’m not leaving you like this, I can’t,’ Angela said. Stephanie looked and was acting like a mad woman, and for the first time ever, Angela was truly concerned for her welfare. Why was she rambling on about Wayne being murdered? It didn’t make any sense.

‘Where is he? Where’s Barry?’ Stephanie yelled, when a shaven-headed man opened the front door.

Angela was stunned as she followed her sister into the lounge and recognized Barry Franklin. No wonder Stephanie had been so upset.

Stephanie felt physically sick as she saw that her daughter was sitting on the sofa, holding hands with Barry. She wanted to take the knife out of her bag and repeatedly stab Barry with it, but she couldn’t do that in front of Dannielle. It would scar her daughter for life. ‘Get away from him, Danni. You don’t know him, he’s evil,’ she screamed.

‘No, he’s not! Look, Mum, I’m sorry I lied to you, but I love Barry and we just wanna be together. I need you to accept our relationship. Can you do that? Please, for me?’ Dannielle asked, in an adult manner. She was showing no signs of the frightening ordeal she had just been through. When Barry had untied her, he’d told her that the shaven-haired man was his ex-girlfriend’s father, and him turning up today was just a silly misunderstanding. He said he would explain properly later. He had also said that she needed to be and act strong when facing her mother.

Stephanie shook her head. ‘I will never accept you being with him, Danni, and I mean never. Has he told you that he killed your father, has he?’ she yelled. She wanted to add ‘and slept with your mother’, but was far too ashamed to do so.

Seeing her daughter’s eyes well up with tears, Steph was relieved to see her daughter snatch her hand away from Barry’s. ‘Barry is a wrong ’un, darling, a murderer. You can’t date a man who is responsible for killing your own father, can you now? Just get your stuff together, Danni, and come home with me.’

‘You didn’t kill my dad, did you?’ Dannielle asked Barry. To say she was astounded over the awful accusation was an understatement.

Angela, Stephanie and Mickey all glanced at one another as Barry began to laugh. Wondering if he was about to lose the plot, Mickey decided to make his escape. ‘I’m gonna go now, Barry. I’m sorry about the silly misunderstanding. I can’t apologize enough. Are we OK?’

Still laughing, Barry stood up and turned to Mickey. He was enjoying himself now, really enjoying himself, and the best bit was yet to come. ‘Yeah, we’re best buddies, you muggy cunt. Go on, fuck off, and do me a favour, keep that loony of a daughter of yours away from me in future. If I have any more grief from her, I shall have to hold you entirely responsible,
comprende
?’

Mickey Jeffers was no man’s fool. ‘Who you calling a muggy cunt? You cockney twat,’ he said, lunging at Barry.

‘Leave him alone or I’m calling the police. I’ll tell them everything,’ Dannielle screamed, as both men fell to the floor, brawling.

The word police was enough to make Mickey see sense. He’d just tied two people up, had a dagger and a fake gun on him, and had also terrorized Marlene. He stood up, picked up his bag and bolted out of the front door. His old woman would kill him if he got banged up. The quicker he jumped on the first available flight back to Spain, the better.

Barry decided to let Mickey go rather than chase after the cheeky bastard. ‘Me and you ain’t finished, Jeffers,’ he shouted. Turning back to Stephanie, Barry grinned. ‘Where was we before I was so rudely interrupted? Oh yes, we were talking about your wonderful doting fiancé, wasn’t we?’

‘Don’t you dare take the piss out of my Wayne. He was a lovely man and a good partner. We would have still been extremely happy now, if you hadn’t fucking done away with him. It was all about revenge for you, wasn’t it, Barry? Revenge, because I chose Wayne over you at fifteen years old. You’re sick, do you know that? And I know that is why you’ve now got your claws into my daughter. You don’t want her, nor do you love her; you just want to get back at me once again for what happened when we were kids,’ Stephanie said, walking over to Barry and smacking him around his cocky face.

‘Leave him, Steph. He ain’t worth it, sis,’ Angela said, pulling Stephanie away.

‘For your information, I love your daughter more than I’ve ever loved any other woman in my life,’ Barry said, truthfully.

‘She ain’t a woman. She’s a child, you perverted piece of fucking shit,’ Steph said, lunging at Barry, fists flailing.

‘Stop it, Mum. Stop it,’ Dannielle screamed.

Grabbing Stephanie’s wrists, Barry glared at her. ‘If anyone’s a piece of shit here, darling, that’s you.’

‘Stop it, the pair of you. You’re upsetting Danni. Look at the state of her,’ Angela said, cuddling her niece.

Dannielle’s thoughts were all over the place. Barry was so kind and loving towards her, she could never imagine him hurting a fly. But if what her mum was saying was true, then she would have to finish with him. She didn’t really remember her dad that well, but sharing a bed with the man that murdered him made her feel sick to the stomach. ‘I need to know what happened with my dad, Barry. What is Mum talking about?’ Dannielle asked, dreading the answer.

‘He killed your father, Dannielle. Murdered him on his stag night, the wicked fucking schemer,’ Stephanie said, thankful that the penny had finally started to drop.

Barry started to laugh again. He hated Stephanie so much, he wanted to milk this situation for all it was worth before he delivered the final blow.

Annoyed that her boyfriend was finding her dad’s death so funny, Dannielle walked over to her mum and gave her a big hug.

‘It’s OK, Danni. I knew you’d see sense in the end. We’re going home soon, darling,’ Stephanie said, soothingly.

Barry leapt off the sofa. It was time to shove Stephanie’s words and dumb accusations right down her bitter, twisted throat. Barry walked over to the other sofa, put his hand underneath one of the cushions and produced an envelope. ‘’Ere you go, sweetheart. All the answers about what happened to your loving, doting fiancé are in there. As for calling me wicked and a schemer, I think you’ll find that good old Wayne wins that contest hands down. He’s the schemer, Steph, not me, girl. Have a butcher’s inside the envelope, go on,’ Barry urged her.

The envelope had Spanish writing on the outside, and when Stephanie put her hand inside, she pulled out another envelope which she knew contained photographs. Her heart was beating like a drum. She didn’t know what to expect.

‘I’d sit down if I was you,’ Barry said cockily, as he put an arm around Dannielle’s shoulders and kissed her on the top of the head.

‘No! It can’t be him. It must be somebody who looks like him,’ Stephanie stammered in disbelief when she looked at the first photograph.

Angela stared over her sister’s shoulder. ‘Fucking hell, Steph. It is him!’

‘It is who?’ Danni asked anxiously.

‘Your dad,’ Barry replied bluntly.

When Stephanie looked at the next photo, she sank to her knees in shock. Wayne was standing next to a big boat, looking as happy as Larry. He looked tanned and much older than when she had last seen him, but there was no mistaking it was him.

Stephanie could barely breathe. ‘How could he do it to me? How could he?’ she croaked.

‘Unfuckingbelievable! What a no-good, evil bastard,’ Angela spat, as she snatched the photo out of her sister’s hand to take a closer look. There was no mistaking it was Wayne in the photo. His smarmy grin stood out like a beacon.

Barry couldn’t help but smirk as the stunned, open-mouthed Stephanie started to sift through the rest of the photographs. While living in Fuengirola, he had heard through the Spanish grapevine that Wayne was alive and well and larging it in Alicante, so he had hired a private investigator to find out the truth. He had been well chuffed to find out that the rumours were true, as he’d had a strong hunch that he might one day use the evidence to his advantage. Falling in love with Dannielle hadn’t been planned, it was coincidence, but even if he had never met the love of his life, Barry would still have made sure that Steph found out about her beloved Wayne one day. After the way she had treated him, she deserved to not only be hurt, but to also know the truth. Now, as he watched Stephanie’s tearful face flicking through the thirty or so photographs, Barry knew she had finally got her just deserts. One day, he would also make sure that Wayne Jackman got his as well.

When Steph threw the photos onto the sofa, Dannielle grabbed them. ‘I can’t believe my dad did this to us. Why would he pretend to go missing? And why would he abandon me and Tyler?’ she sobbed.

‘Because he was a no-good fucking arsehole,’ Angela replied, holding Stephanie in her arms.

‘If your mother would like to look through the rest of the photos, she will learn exactly why your dad decided to do a runner,’ Barry said to Dannielle. He knew he was being a bit callous, but he just couldn’t help himself.

‘You’re really fucking enjoying this, aren’t you?’ Angela asked Barry, as Stephanie snatched the photos back off Dannielle.

‘No, I’m not actually. But I do want to spend the rest of my life with Dannielle, so the quicker all this shit is out the way, the better,’ Barry replied. He knew what was coming next, and he couldn’t wait to see the look of utter disbelief on Stephanie’s sour face when she finally learned why Wayne had left her.

‘Fucking paedo,’ Angela mumbled.

‘No, no, no, no, noooo,’ Stephanie screamed, collapsing to her knees again.

‘What is it, Mum? Who is that woman?’ Dannielle asked, picking up the photo her mum had been holding.

Angela leant over her niece’s shoulder and couldn’t believe her eyes. There was no mistaking that auburn hair and mysterious grin. The woman and Wayne were sitting together like love’s young dream, sipping cocktails on a boat. ‘Oh my God, Steph! I’m so, so sorry for you,’ Angela said, crouching down next to her devastated sister.

Howling like a severely wounded animal, Stephanie clung to Angela like a leech.

‘Everything will be OK, Steph. I know I’ve never been there for you in the past, but I’m here for you now. I’m your sister, I love you, and together we’ll get through this, I promise.’

Suddenly aware of the devastation his bombshell had caused, Barry hung his head in shame. He wasn’t a bad person, yet for years he had harboured a hatred and grudge against Steph for something that had happened when they were no more than kids. ‘I’m sorry, Steph. I’m sorry about Wayne and about the way you’ve found out,’ he mumbled, trying to make amends.

‘Drop dead, you evil bastard,’ Angela spat, as she tried to help her crestfallen sister stand up.

‘Who is the woman in the photo? Will someone fucking tell me who she is?’ Dannielle screamed.

Knowing that he could now finally forget the past, Barry grabbed hold of his future and held her close to his chest. ‘The woman in those photos was your mum’s best friend at school and for many years afterwards. Her name is Tammy.’

Epilogue

Tammy Andrews swam up to the boat and screamed as loudly as she could as the engine started up. ‘Wayne, please don’t leave me here. I’m pregnant,’ she yelled in vain. She desperately tried to claw her way up the side of the boat, but it was a fruitless idea. She was wet, the boat was slippery, and there was nothing to grab hold of to yank herself back onboard.

What had she done to deserve this? she thought to herself as the boat started to pull away from her. Then she remembered exactly what she had done to deserve it. She had betrayed her best friend in the worst possible way known to womankind. Perhaps this was God’s way of paying her back.

Tammy had never intended on falling in love with Wayne Jackman. It had just happened, and their six-month affair had been extremely intense before they had finally run away together. There never had been any boyfriend called Richard. It had all been Wayne’s idea for her to make up that story; the ‘Richard’ who Tammy had introduced to her family and friends had actually been a chap from a London escort agency whose real name was Toby. Toby hadn’t been aware of the whole set-up. On Wayne’s advice, Tammy had told him that she needed to pretend to her family and friends that she was moving to Spain with him, because she was actually a lesbian and was moving there with her girlfriend, Susan. Tammy had explained to Toby that she was desperate to keep her sexuality a secret, which is why she had hired him to play the role of Richard. Tammy had hated not being able to tell her mum, dad and sister the truth. She had loved Wayne so much that she had wanted to scream it from the rooftops. But how could she when she had stolen her man from her best friend and he was on the missing list, presumed dead?

Tammy began to sob as the boat began to disappear out of sight. All she had ever wanted was for Wayne to love her, and to have his baby, and after two miscarriages, she finally thought her dream of being a mother was about to come true. Losing two babies had made Tammy feel like a failure at the time, which is why she had decided not to tell Wayne about this pregnancy until she had got past the dreaded twelve-week mark. She had told her mum and sister the news over the phone, just because she’d had to tell someone. They obviously thought that Richard was the proud father-to-be. The same imaginary Richard, who never came with her when she visited them in England because he was too busy working. Many a time, her parents and sister had asked to visit her in Spain, and Tammy had had to fob them off with lie after lie. She’d hated doing that, but what choice did she have?