Читать книгу Kimberley Chambers 3-Book Collection: The Schemer, The Trap, Payback - Kimberley Chambers - Страница 27

1994 – Ten Years Later

Pamela Crouch felt physically and mentally drained as she sat on the sofa and soaked her aching, swollen feet in a bowl of soothing warm water. Organizing her father’s funeral had taken its toll on her, and attending it had brought back all the memories of her mother’s death as well.

‘Cooey, it’s only me. How did it go?’ Pam’s next-door neighbour Cathy asked, as she let herself in with her own key.

‘As well as can be expected. He had a good turnout and all his pals from the Rose of Denmark were ever so nice. I gave the landlord the money he asked me to in his letter, and I should imagine his wake is still in full swing as we speak.’

Seeing Pam’s lip start to wobble, Cathy opened up the bottle of wine she’d brought with her. She poured her friend a glass and sat down next to her. ‘You should have let me come with you, Pam. I said I didn’t mind cancelling me hospital appointment. Where are the girls? Didn’t they come back home with you?’

‘They’ve gone to pick the kids up, then they’re both popping back.’

‘What! Don’t tell me Angie’s gone to pick Aidan up. That’s a first, ain’t it? Is she ill?’

Pam shook her head sadly. Usually, she and Cathy would have a private joke over what a terrible mother her youngest daughter was, but today Pam wasn’t in the mood for cracking funnies. Her dad’s death had been quite sudden. He had been taken into hospital with a suspected angina attack, and five days later had died of pneumonia. He was only seventy years old, and had been as fit as a fiddle up until two weeks ago when he had keeled over in the Rose of Denmark pub.

‘Drink your drink. You look like you need one,’ Cathy said, handing her pal the glass of wine she had poured her.

Pam shook her head. Apart from when he stayed with his other grandmother, Aidan was her sole responsibility, and Pam didn’t like to touch a drop of alcohol until he was safely tucked up in bed at night.

Aidan’s conception and arrival into the world had caused mayhem back in the day. Angela had only been fourteen years old when she had fallen pregnant by Jason O’Brien, and she had been six months into the pregnancy when Pam had finally recognized the sordid truth. For months, Angela had hidden her ever-growing stomach under baggy clothes, and it wasn’t until Pam had walked into her daughter’s room when she was partially naked one day that she realized the well-behaved boy Angela had been dating was actually anything but. Jason’s parents were staunch Catholics, more appalled over finding out that Angela wasn’t a Catholic than learning she was pregnant. Obviously, at six months, it was far too late for Pam to force Angela to have an abortion, so adoption was discussed in much detail. However, when young Aidan made his much-gossiped-about entrance into the world, both grandmothers took one look at him and made a pact to overcome their religious differences and bring up the baby between them until their own children were mature enough to cope with parenthood.

Aidan was eight years old now and, in Pam’s words, was a dear little soul. He was a sturdy child who loved nothing more than playing football or riding his little bike. With his jet-black hair, he possessed a definite Irish look about him, but he had Angela’s bright green eyes and petite button nose. Angela and Jason had split up three months after Aidan’s birth. Both had been too young to cope with the responsibility of having a baby and their relationship had quickly become untenable. Jason was now quite a good parent, but Angela most certainly wasn’t. She had little patience with her son and rarely ever saw him. Sometimes a month would pass between her infrequent visits, and even then she would never spend more than a couple of hours in Aidan’s company. She proclaimed she found it too stressful.

Pam worried immensely about her youngest daughter. Angela was twenty-three now and supposedly lived in an opulent apartment in Soho with a female friend. Nobody had ever seen the apartment or the friend, and when Pam had recently asked if she could visit her, Angela had rudely refused. ‘Leave it out, Mum. Look at the size of you and the way you dress. All my friends think I come from a posh house in Chigwell. I don’t want ’em knowing I was brought up in a council house in bloody Dagenham, and if they see and hear you, they’re bound to guess,’ were Angela’s exact words.

Another thing that had caused Pam many sleepless nights over the years was the career path that Angela had chosen. Her daughter insisted that she was working as a professional dancer at Stringfellows and was doing a bit of glamour modelling on the side to fund her luxury lifestyle, but since Lairy Mary had told Cathy that one of her son’s friends had seen Angela cavorting partially naked around some pole in a seedy bar in Soho, Pam had often wondered if there was more to her daughter’s career than met the eye.

‘So, how is your Ange then? First time you’ve seen her in weeks, ain’t it?’ Cathy asked, snapping her pal out of her obvious daydream.

Pam sighed. ‘Same as bleedin’ usual. Turned up in a red convertible Mercedes sports car this morning, she did! You’ll see it when she brings Aidan back. She said she was taking him for something to eat after school. Was rambling on about some glamour modelling shoot she’s doing in Spain next week. Worries the life out of me she does, Cath. Kids, eh? Sometimes I wish I’d kept me legs bloody closed, don’t you?’

Cathy nodded understandingly. She had her own worries at the moment with her youngest son, Michael. Since splitting up with his ex-girlfriend, Michael had moved back in with her and was a different person to the bubbly, fun-loving lad he had once been. Her son now spent his days alone in his bedroom, smoking dope and drinking beer in a haze of depression. ‘I know how you feel, Pam. My Michael’s getting worse and worse, but he still refuses to see a doctor. I’m sick of the sound of Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, but what can I do if he don’t wanna help himself? I wouldn’t worry too much about your Angie, mate. She’s always been able to look after herself. Knowing her, I bet she’s met another rich bloke and he’s bought her that bleedin’ car.’

Pam shrugged. Her daughter’s love life was complex to say the least. Angie seemed to have a new man on the scene whenever Pam spoke to her, but Pam was yet to meet one and Angie’s relationships never seemed to last long. With her long dyed-blond hair, large pert breasts, false black eyelashes, and size eight figure, Pam was only too aware of how stunning her youngest daughter was. Angela had been gifted with beauty and had the world at her feet if only she would realize it. All Pam could do was hope and pray that one day she would fall in love with a nice chap and settle down with him. Only then could she finally stop worrying.

‘So, where’s Lin? She still at the wake?’ Cathy asked.

Pam raised her eyebrows as if to say, what do you think? Whenever alcohol was flowing freely, you could guarantee Lin wouldn’t be too far away. Linda still lived with Pam, but just recently had met a man called Keith and she now spent a lot of her time around at his flat in Barking. This worried Pam dreadfully. Her sister had never had a proper relationship before and not only was Pam concerned that Lin would end up with a broken heart; she was also at her wits’ end because Keith was a heavy drinker as well.

‘Did Keith go to the funeral with her?’ Cathy asked, reading her friend’s mind.

Pam nodded. ‘I dunno what to make of him, Cath. He’s pleasant enough, but I just find it so weird that a geezer who’s over six foot would fancy someone as tiny as Lin. I mean, is he some kind of freak?’

Cathy knew how protective Pam was over her sister, but she had met Keith a few times and believed he genuinely liked Linda. ‘Lin’s nearly forty now, Pam, and she ain’t silly.

Pam shrugged. She rued the day that the Butterkist factory had closed down and Lin had got a job in another factory in Barking. It was there where she had met Keith, in some grotty old pub she had started drinking in after work. ‘I am happy she’s met someone, I just wish it weren’t Keith. That Harts Lane Estate he lives on is an absolute shit hole and I know he’s an alkie, he looks like one. I mean, he ain’t even got a job and I don’t want him dragging Lin down to his level. Next thing you know, she’ll be on the dole an’ all.’

‘So, how’s Steph? She still stressed out with all the wedding plans?’ Cathy asked, cleverly changing the subject.

About to answer, Pam was stopped from doing so by Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Voodoo Chile’ pumping through the wall.

Cathy leapt up. ‘I’ll get him to turn it down, mate. He’s probably stoned and don’t realize how loud he’s got it.’

When her pal made an embarrassed dash from the room, Pam picked up her untouched glass of wine and took a large gulp. Angela and Lin she was used to worrying about, she’d had years of it, but the past week or so it was Stephanie who was causing her more sleepless nights than anybody else. Her eldest daughter wasn’t herself; she seemed anxious and unhappy and Pam couldn’t rest until she found out the reason why.

Stephanie and Wayne Jackman had been a couple since their schooldays. Pam had been elated at the start of their relationship as it had got her daughter over that Barry Franklin. For that reason alone, Pam had welcomed Wayne into her home with open arms, and even when Stephanie had fallen pregnant at eighteen and had had to give up her wonderful job in London with NatWest bank, Pam had accepted the situation. After Angie getting pregnant at fourteen, she could hardly tell Steph she was disappointed in her, could she?

Dannielle was six years old now and was the image of Stephanie at the same age. She had glossy, long dark hair, pale green eyes and an infectious laugh, just like her mother’s. Danni, as most people liked to call her, looked nothing like Wayne, but Tyler did. He was nearly three now and with his blond hair and piercing blue eyes was the absolute spit of his father. Unlike Dannielle, who had always been a joy to look after, Pam found Tyler a bit of a handful to babysit. He had terrible temper tantrums that seemed to appear out of thin air, but Pam loved both children the same amount, like any decent grandmother would.

From a mother’s point of view, Stephanie’s life seemed absolutely idyllic. Wayne was a successful businessman who owned a gym in Leytonstone and a sports shop in Barkingside, while Steph had recently trained to become a fully qualified beautician. Wayne had promised to buy Stephanie her own salon as a wedding gift and Pam was sure that her daughter was more excited about that than the actual big day itself. Deep in thought, Pam didn’t even hear Cathy let herself back in.

‘You all right? You look like you’re in a trance,’ Cathy joked.

‘I was just thinking about my Steph. She was ever so withdrawn again today. Something ain’t right with her. I mean, you know your own kids, don’t ya?’

‘Fuck me, Pam, you were at your dad’s funeral! Anyway, we spoke about this last week and both agreed that the wedding’s probably playing on her mind. It must be ever so stressful planning a big bash like that. She’s probably in turmoil over who she’s gotta invite and stuff. I mean, it weren’t like that in our day, was it? Fifty quid my wedding came to and I did the bleedin’ catering meself. Got up at five in the morning to make me sausage rolls and poxy sandwiches, then the bastard I married had the cheek to get some old slapper up the duff.’

Pam had to smile. Cathy had a wonderful way of telling a story at times. ‘I don’t think it’s the wedding that Steph’s worried about. It’s something else, I know it is, but she clammed up and changed the subject when I asked her earlier. The only thing I can think of is that she don’t like where she’s moved to. It can’t be the house, you’ve seen it, it’s beautiful, so I’m wondering if she ain’t getting on with the neighbours or something. I know it’s a posh area, but you can get arseholes living anywhere these days, can’t you?’

Wayne and Stephanie had recently sold their three-bedroom house in Collier Row and were currently renting a beautiful four-bedroom property in Chigwell. It had been Wayne’s idea to move, as he had wanted the kids to go to a good school in a decent area. He had suggested that they rent for six months just to make sure that they were happy with their new surroundings; then, providing they were, they would buy.

‘Good job Wayne had the sense not to buy that house straight away if that’s the case. How long did he sign the contract for?’ Cathy asked.

‘Six months with an option to buy at the end of it. The owner’s living abroad apparently. Keep schtum now, Steph’s just pulled up in her jeep,’ Pam said as she hobbled into the hallway.

‘Nanna,’ Dannielle screamed as she ran up the path.

Pam hugged her granddaughter then ruffled Tyler’s gorgeous blond hair. ‘You all right, boy?’ she asked him.

Tyler smiled and nodded. Unlike his sister who had been chatting away like there was no tomorrow at nearly three years old, Tyler’s speech hadn’t developed properly yet. When he did try to speak, it was extremely difficult to understand what he was saying, which seemed to make him frustrated. Pam had recently wondered if this was the main cause of his temper tantrums, but she hadn’t yet broached her views to Stephanie. Her daughter had enough on her plate with the wedding.

‘Now, who wants some ice cream? Nanna’s got chocolate or banana. Is it OK for them to have some?’ Pam asked, turning to Steph.

‘Yeah, course it is. Actually Mum, I was gonna ask you a favour. A pal of mine wants me to go out with her tonight. Could you look after the kids for me and I’ll pick ’em up first thing in the morning?’

‘I can’t, Steph. I start work at half six,’ Pam replied. She had worked in the same baker’s/café for years now, and she daren’t be late on a weekday. The place was rammed by seven with workmen wanting their full English.

‘Please, Mum. I promise you faithfully that I’ll get here by six and I’ll drop you off at work an’ all. You don’t have to worry about getting them washed or dressed. They can get in the motor in their nightclothes and I can do all that when I get them home.’

‘Who’s this friend then?’ Pam asked, suspiciously.

Unable to control her emotions any more, Stephanie’s eyes filled with tears.

‘Whatever’s the matter? I’m your mother and I know something’s been wrong with you this past week or so, Steph. Is it Wayne? You’re not having second thoughts about getting married to him, are you?’

Stephanie gave a tearful laugh and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her black coat. ‘No, me and Wayne are fine and I’m really looking forward to the wedding,’ she said.

She and Wayne had come a long way since their first drunken sexual encounter in an alleyway. Steph had hated herself at the time for how she had treated Barry and had pushed Wayne away. It took six months of him pursuing her before she had agreed to give their relationship a whirl and they had been together ever since.

‘Dish the kids up some ice cream, Cath, while I have a quick chat with Steph. The hundreds and thousands are in the top right-hand cupboard,’ Pam shouted, as she ushered her daughter up the stairs. ‘Whatever’s wrong, love?’ Pam asked, as Stephanie sat dejectedly on the edge of her bed.

‘It’s Tammy. You know I told you I ain’t seen much of her since she got with this new bloke she met up town.’

Pam nodded.

‘Well, she rang me last week to tell me she’s jacking in her job in the Futures market to move to Spain with him. He’s a property developer, apparently, and that’s where his business is based. What am I gonna do, Mum? We’ve been best mates for as long as I can remember and I can’t imagine life without her.’

Pam sat down and held her daughter close to her chest. Stephanie and Tammy had been best friends ever since primary school, so she could understand how Steph felt. She would be distraught if Cathy ever sodded off to Spain, that was for sure.

As a child, Tammy had been slightly overweight and a bit of an ugly duckling, but as the years had passed, she had turned into a beautiful swan. Tammy’s once ginger shoulder-length hair was now long and a reddy auburn. The freckles that had once smothered her face were now barely visible, and she had the most voluptuous size ten figure that Pam had ever seen.

‘What am I gonna do without her, Mum?’ Steph repeated. She was now twenty-five, but with her mother’s comforting arms around her, she suddenly felt as if she were fifteen all over again.

‘Well, with her looks and that saloon-girl figure of hers, Tammy was always gonna meet the man of her dreams one day, love. Spain ain’t the end of the world. You and Wayne are hardly skint, so you can always go and visit her, and I bet she comes back to England regularly. I mean, all her family still live ’ere, don’t they?’

Stephanie sighed. She knew deep down she was being selfish thinking the way she was, but she couldn’t help herself. Tammy had had loads of boyfriends in the past, but had never actually moved in with any before. Steph genuinely wanted her pal to meet Mr Right and be happy like she was. She just wished Mr Right wasn’t based in bloody Spain.

‘So, is that where you’re going tonight? Out with Tammy?’ Pam enquired.

‘Yeah. We’re going for a meal together to have a heart to heart. I’m just a bit worried about her, Mum. That is such a good job she’s got, she’s on amazing money there, and I can’t believe she’s giving it all up for some bloke she’s only known a couple of months. Tam’s always been so sensible in the past, if you know what I mean?’

Pam smiled. ‘Oh, I know what you mean all right, but it’s obvious to me that the girl has finally found the one. I knew immediately when I met your dad – and look at you and Wayne, childhood sweethearts. You must try and be happy for Tammy, love. She’ll resent you if you’re not.’

‘I am happy for her, Mum. I can’t wait to meet him, actually. It’s happened so fast, I know he must be really special.’

‘Are you meeting him tonight as well?’ Pam asked.

‘No. He’s gone back to Spain on business, but Tam’s gonna introduce us when he comes back next week. All I know is that his name is Richard, he sells property and he’s twenty-nine.’

‘When is she moving? She’ll still be here for your wedding, won’t she?’ Pam asked, worriedly.

Stephanie raised her eyebrows. ‘I should bloody well hope so, she’s my chief bridesmaid. Tam’s just given three months’ notice at work, so she’ll be here until April, at least.’

‘Good job your Wayne surprised you with a winter wedding then, eh? You might have been searching for another bridesmaid, if not.’

Remembering how Wayne had proposed to her, Stephanie couldn’t help but grin. They had discussed getting married many times over the years, but what with the kids and other stuff getting in the way, they had never quite got round to it. This Christmas, however, Wayne had taken the bull by the horns, and in front of her mum, Lin and the kids, had got down on one knee.

‘Steph, I’m sick of waiting for you to be my wife, so I’m asking you one last time. Will you bloody well marry me?’ he’d asked, with a cheeky grin on his face.

Stephanie had thought he was drunk, so had laughed, kissed him and said ‘yes’. Seconds later, she had been gobsmacked when Wayne had handed her a big envelope. He had brazenly taken the liberty of booking everything from the venue to the entertainment, bless him. The venue was a classy manor house in rural Essex, and the ceremony, meal and reception were being held there as well. Stephanie was extremely excited. Wayne’s proposal had been the most romantic gesture ever and he had spared no expense. He had even paid a deposit on rooms in a local hotel so all their friends and family could stay there for the night.

‘What we talking about? Oh, don’t tell me, let me guess. My money say’s we’re talking about the wedding again,’ Angela said sarcastically as she barged into the bedroom. She hadn’t been with her family when Wayne had proposed, but they had spoken about little else ever since.

Pam threw her youngest daughter a disdainful look. Angela had always been jealous of Stephanie and Wayne’s relationship from the very beginning, and Pam had never believed Angie’s lies about her losing her virginity to Wayne at the age of thirteen. ‘I swear it’s true, Mum. Wayne’s a pervert,’ Angela had insisted on numerous occasions.

Pam hadn’t wanted to upset Stephanie, but she had once confronted Wayne about the subject. He vehemently denied it all, and laughed. ‘You know what your Angie’s like. She’s a dreamer, a chancer and a terrible fucking liar. She had a crush on me in school. She lied about her age. I met up with her a couple of times, snogged her face off, then dumped her when I found out she was thirteen. That’s it,’ Wayne had told her. Pam believed him, as she remembered Angela telling her the same bloody story years ago when she and Stephanie used to refer to him as Jacko.

‘Where’s Aidan?’ Pam asked.

‘Downstairs with Dannielle and that other brat,’ Angela said coldly. She couldn’t stand Tyler. His little tantrums did her head in.

Stephanie leapt off the bed and pointed a finger in her sister’s face. ‘Don’t you dare call my son a brat, and what you said about Grandad earlier at the graveside was absolutely disgusting. I weren’t gonna tell Mum, but I will now.’

Pam stared at her two daughters in dismay. She hated it when they argued – so much so that she was relieved that they rarely saw one another any more. ‘Will yous two stop it? We’ve just buried your grandfather, for Christ’s sake. Have some respect, the pair of you.’

Stephanie wasn’t usually a grass. Angela was the master of that, but for once she couldn’t help but spill her guts. ‘Respect! Angela wouldn’t know the meaning of that word, Mum. As Grandad’s coffin was being lowered into the ground, she told me what a horrible selfish old bastard he was. She said that instead of spending his meagre bit of savings on a horse and cart and a piss-up for his mates at his own funeral, he should have left it to her.’

Unable to take any more stress for one day, Pam put her head in her hands and cried. It had been she who had forced Stephanie to ask her sister to be a bridesmaid at her wedding and she so wished now that she hadn’t. They didn’t get on, never had done, and Pam knew in her heart of hearts that Stephanie’s big day had disaster stamped all over it. She could feel it in her aching bones.