Bang Up: Prison walls don't just keep criminals in, the keep the outside world at bay (7 page)

He was dicing with death now. This woman was a live-wire and any second now she could launch something at him. Rachel plonked back on the sofa and folded her arms tightly in front of her. She pointed over at him. “Whose bleeding side are you on here anyway, do you fancy her or something?”

Gary stood his ground and looked her straight in the eyes. It was time for a few home truths. There was no way he was backing down. “Every girl Mikey has ever brought home, you’ve always had something to say about them. Face it, you’ll never be happy with any of them. You always find fault in any bird he brings home.”

Rachel defended herself. “I liked Susan Tilly. She was right up my street she was. At least with her I knew exactly where I stood.”

Gary burst out laughing and held the bottom of his stomach. “You mean the same Susan Tilly you said you were going to knock out after she called you a daft bitch one night?”

Rachel pulled her face and flicked her hair back over her shoulder. “That was a misunderstanding, she was pissed and perhaps she was right in what she said. I should have kept my nose out of the argument. It was nothing to do with me really, it was between her and Mikey.” There was an awkward silence and Rachel spat her dummy out. She hated being wrong and snarled over at him. Gary carried on reading the newspaper sniggering to himself as he hid his face away from her. Game, set and match.

Suddenly, Rachel jumped up from her seat as somebody hammered on the letterbox. She tiptoed to the hallway and stood with her back against the wall, her chest rising frantically. She’d been hiding from the loan men for months and every day they were trying to catch her at home. Gary was alert and already he was scrambling about on his hands and knees trying to locate the iron bar he always hid under the sofa. Anyone who knocked like this couldn’t be trusted; once bitten, twice shy. Gripping it tightly in his hands he made his way into the hallway behind his girlfriend. His voice was low. “Who is it?”

Rachel swallowed hard and dipped her head around the corner, peeping. Her heart was in her mouth as she craned her neck. “Shut up big gob they’ll hear you.” She took a small step forward and let out a laboured breath. “I’ll fucking strangle her knocking like that,” she stressed. Rachel stormed towards the front door and unlocked the steel bolts from the top of it with shaking hands. Gary was edgy and held the bar up over his head, he was ready to strike, some cunt was getting this wrapped right over their head.

Seeing who it was, Rachel stood with her hands on her hips and growled. “What the fuck are you knocking like that for? We thought it was the dibble.”

Sarah stood with her hands in her pocket and her cheeks were beetroot. She’d been there for ages and thought they were both asleep. “Well, you never hear me unless I knock hard. At least five minutes I’ve been stood here. Are you deaf or what?”

Rachel left the front door open and marched back into the living room in a strop. “False alarm Gary, it’s only Sarah.”

Gary lowered the bar and watched as Sarah walked past him. She shrugged her shoulders slightly and raised a soft smile at him. “Sorry, I just thought you couldn’t hear me.”

Gary shook his head and patted his hand on the top of her shoulder. His voice was quiet. “No worries, it’s just her overreacting as per usual.” Gary watched her enter the front room and he was definitely checking her arse out. A quick grab of his crotch and he followed behind her. Rachel flicked the TV on and sat down on the sofa. The room was well decorated and not what you might expect. Lime green curtains complimented a brown leather sofa. Big fluffy pillows were scattered over it and, in fairness, the place was clean. Mikey Milne loved a nice gaff. He would never live in a shit-tip and he always made sure that when he’d had a good earner he always bought something nice for his house. Nothing was bought on tick either. He hated the never-never and even though his mother had suggested going to “Bright House” for credit he told her straight that he would pay cash for anything he bought. There was no way he was bumping any company for furniture, how degrading was that when they came to take it back when you couldn’t meet the payments? This was the only place Rachel had settled down in and he told her point-blank that she was staying here, no matter what. He was sick to death of moving about from pillar to post and when she signed the tenancy on this place he made sure his name was on it too. This was his base camp. All his belongings under one roof.

Sarah pulled her shoes off and stuck them at the side of the sofa. The carpet was new and every time she’d been here with Mikey he always made sure she took her shoes off. He hated muck on the carpet and he was forever picking bits of dirt from it. His mother always said he was a bit OCD and maybe she was right. Everything had to be in a certain place, Mikey could tell the moment he walked into a room if anything had been changed. He had an eye for detail. Mikey loved all the latest gadgets too; flat screen TV, PlayStation. It was all there positioned nicely around the room. This was a home to be proud of. “When do you think he’ll be able to phone us, Rachel? Do you think it might be today? I’ve not slept for days worrying about him. My mam thinks I’m ill when in fact I think I’m lovesick. He’s on my mind every hour of every day.”

Rachel kept her eyes on the TV screen as she answered her. “He’ll have to get some cash sorted first. He won’t get his canteen until the middle of the week, so fuck knows when he’ll be able to phone home.”

Sarah was so behind the door when it came to the criminal world. She thought everything was pink and fluffy in her world and she’d never had to go without anything in her life. She wasn’t streetwise either. “I can get some money together for him Rachel. I think he needs to be comfortable in there doesn’t he. Can I send him a few DVDs? He loves ‘Band of Brothers’ and ‘Fast and Furious’”

Rachel lowered the volume on the TV and pulled her legs up under her bum cheeks on the sofa. This was going to be fun, she was going to bring her back down to earth with a bang. Gary sniggered and he was listening with interest at the side of her. He covered his mouth with his hand so nobody could see his amusement. Rachel sucked on her gums before she delivered the blow. “He can’t have films sent inside the prison, you dickhead. You need to realise a few things about being in jail. It’s nothing like it is on the outside. Once you go through them doors you’re treated as a criminal. Everything you get in there is what you’ve had to fight for. Only the toughest survive! And, as for posting DVDs, you need to take your head from out of your arse and give your head a serious shake. You can’t send anything inside the big house unless the governor allows it. And that, my love, is very rare. In fact, it never happens.”

Sarah’s eyes were wide open. She hated violence and she hated crime. She had a lot to learn though, this was going to be no walk in the park. This was real life. “I know Mikey and he will stick to the rules and do what he has to do to get this over and done with as soon as possible. He told me this is the last time he’ll ever go to prison. He wants to change Rachel. He wants to have a normal life without being scared of the police knocking on the door every single day.”

Gary raised his eyes over at Rachel and knew she couldn’t let this go. She twiddled her hair and sat facing her. This was her son they were talking about and she knew him inside out. Who was this tart trying to convince? She sat upright and looked her straight in the eye. “Mikey will never change. It’s in his blood. Do you want him working a nine-to-five job? Because if you do, you need to give your head a shake and wake up and smell the coffee! Mikey is not one of them geeks who will sit down in an office all day long. Your family might be like that, but my son isn’t!”

Sarah hated Rachel’s negative attitude and she was sick to the back teeth of her putting Mikey down. He was intelligent, he had hopes and dreams. Perhaps, if his mother had ever sat down with him she would have realised he wasn’t just a scally. He was lost in Sarah’s eyes and the best thing he could do was to get Rachel out of his life as soon as possible. She’d ruined her own life and now she was doing the same with his. What chance did he have living with her every day? She was a lazy cow who thought the world owed her a favour. Not once had she tried to change or turn her life around. She never looked for work, she just sat on her bony arse all day moaning about the cards she’d been dealt in life. Bone idle she was. Every day was the same with Rachel; doom and gloom and negative thoughts. She was no role model for anyone. A waste of space she was, nothing more, nothing less. Sarah watched the TV and she was aware that Rachel was waiting on an answer from her. Thinking about her every word she smirked and knew she could outsmart this woman with her hands tied behind her back. Sarah was educated and knew a lot more than she was letting on. “Mikey said we’re moving away when he gets home. We’ll have a new start and by then my dad will have seen how much we love each other and give him a job. How cool will that be? My Mikey all suited and booted for work every day.” Gary sat on the edge of his seat, this was going to be good. He’d underestimated this girl. She was a lot cleverer than he had given her credit for.

Rachel was chain smoking and popped another cigarette into her mouth. She let out a sarcastic laugh. Did this daft bitch just say “her Mikey”? No, there was no way she was having that. He was her son and nobody was taking him away from her. “My Mikey,” she stressed as she continued, “would tell your dad where to shove his job! He knows what he’s been saying about him and he’s like me like that, he won’t forget. Mikey is fine the way he is, so do yourself a favour and stop trying to meddle in his life. He is who he is - deal with it.”

Sarah was on form today and giving as good as she got. “You must know a different Mikey than I do then because when we used to talk about this lying in bed, he was all set to meet my dad and tell him how much he loved me. He’s not going to tell you everything we speak about is he Rachel? Come on, he’s a man now, not a small boy. He told me he doesn’t have a close relationship with you anyway!”

That was a killer blow and you could see the pain in Rachel’s eyes. This war now and the two women were ready to scratch each other’s eyes out. Gary had to step in and change the subject. He came behind Rachel and placed his hand softly on her shoulder as he spoke to Mikey’s girlfriend. “Sarah, we’re trying to get some money together for a parcel for Mikey, as you know, we’re a bit short and we were hoping you could chip in?”

Sarah flicked invisible dust from the corner of her jacket and looked Rachel straight in the eye. She wasn’t scared of her, no way. “Yes, of course I will Gary. I don’t agree with being part of anything illegal but I’m aware sometimes you need to turn a blind eye and this is one of them. I’ve got fifty pounds here, will that be enough?”

Gary rubbed his hands together and scratched the side of his nose. “Smashing that Sarah, that will help him right out of the shit, won’t it Rachel?”

Mikey’s mother was silent. She hated this rich bitch with a passion and the sooner she was off the scene the better. Mikey loved his mother, this tart was lying. The mobile phone started ringing at the side of Rachel. Gripping it in her hand she checked the caller ID. She was hysterical. “It’s Mikey, I just know it is.” Sarah moved closer and tried to get in on the call but Rachel twisted her body around and made sure she couldn’t hear a word being said. “Hello, oh son, I knew you would be in touch with me. I’ve been out of my mind with worry.” Rachel smirked and raised her eyes up to Gary. “Where have you landed, son? Is there anyone you know in there?”

Sarah was getting restless and she shouted out so he could hear her. “I love you Mikey, when can I come and see you?”

Rachel listened to the call and whatever Mikey said to her she wasn’t happy about. She rammed the phone into Sarah’s hand. “Here, he wants to speak to you. Hurry up, because I still need to sort stuff out with him.” Sarah took the mobile phone into her hand and walked out of the room. Rachel stood and held her ear to the door. She twisted her head back to Gary and snarled. “Can you hear her? What a soft cow she is! She’s crying down the bleeding phone. As if he needs to hear that when he’s just landed in chokey.”

“Just sit down and leave her to it. Give her a bit of space and stop interfering all the bleeding time.”

Rachel paced the front room and growled over at him. “Listen, he’s my son and I need to make sure he gets through this sentence no matter what. The last thing he needs is some daft bint giving him grief when he’s trying to find his feet.” Gary was pissing in the wind, she never took advice from him. She never would. Sarah came back into the room snivelling and dabbing her finger into the corner of her eye. She walked over to the sofa and plonked herself down. Her heart was low and she was struggling to hold it together.

“Rachel, Mikey wants you to book a reception visit for Lancaster Farms. He said make sure you sort him out too.” Rachel understood what that meant and now Sarah was willing to cough up the cash she could start organising the parcel. “He seems alright. His spirits were high and he said he only had a short time on the phone because he was using his mate’s mobile.”

Gary felt her pain and unlike his girlfriend he actually felt sorry for her. He needed to show her some compassion. It must have been hard for her. He offered her some comforting words. “Once he gets into the swing of things he’ll be on the blower all the time. Come on now, there’s no need for tears. We’re here for you aren’t we Rach?” Gary sat down and cradled Sarah in his arms. Rachel was chomping at the bit and gritted her teeth tightly together. This girl was such a drama queen and she was doing her head in. She watched the way her boyfriend touched the young girl and her stomach churned inside. He fancied her for sure, he was all over her. He’d never touched her like that! She very rarely saw this side of him. She bit the bullet and spoke in an aggressive tone. “Pass me that money then, Sarah. I’ll go and get what he needs. Gary, will you make a drink for Sarah to calm her down? I’ll see you when I get back.”

Gary was sat with his eyes wide open. How on earth was he going to cope with her? Rachel smirked at him as Sarah sobbed her heart out. She rolled her eyes and thought she would teach him a lesson for being such a soft arse. “Gary’s a good listener, Sarah. You just sit with him for a few hours and you’ll be fine. Won’t she love?”