Snatched (23 page)

Most of them murmured that they were here for a laugh. Apart from Kelly, who declared that she was with Leanne.

Aware that she’d upset Goldie, which she genuinely hadn’t wanted to do, Leanne sighed. ‘All right, I’ll leave her alone. But you can’t blame me for being pissed off, ’cos she shouldn’t be here.’

‘Yeah, and she’s probably saying exactly the same thing about
you
, seeing as this is about her and her kids,’ Goldie pointed out. ‘So, just chill out and forget about her. At least you know you’ve pissed her off by being here, so she hasn’t won anything, has she?’

‘Suppose not,’ Leanne agreed, handing the cider bottle to her, with a sheepish smile. ‘So, what now?’

‘Get stoned?’ Goldie said, grinning as she pulled a pre-rolled five-skin spliff out of her pocket.

‘Size of
that
!’ Leanne gasped, drawing her head back and gazing at it. ‘But I’d like to know where you’re planning on smoking it without every copper from here to bleedin’ Levenshulme seeing us.’

Nodding towards a thick bank of bushes at the far end of the field, Goldie set off towards it. Turning back after a few steps, she glared at Kelly who was tagging along behind.

‘Where d’y’ think you’re going?’ she demanded. ‘You’re not invited, so why don’t you fuck off and play with someone your own age?’

Looking to Leanne for support, only to see her smirking, Kelly felt her cheeks flaming with humiliation. She hadn’t seen much of Leanne since Goldie’s party, and she’d really hoped to get back on track with her today. But she was being a bitch again, and that wasn’t fair, because Kelly knew she hadn’t done anything to deserve it.

‘What you waiting for?’ Goldie snapped, still eyeballing her aggressively. ‘Fuck off before I kick your head in.’

‘Right, I’m going,’ Kelly spat, folding her arms defensively. ‘You lot piss me off, anyway!’ Turning, she stomped back across the field with her nose in the air.

‘Thanks for that,’ Neela tutted, giving Goldie an accusing look. ‘You’ve landed me right in it now. Her mam’ll be straight on the phone to mine, and you watch if I don’t get it in the neck when I get in.’

‘Sorry, mate, but don’t you think it’s about time you told your mam to back off and let you make your own mind up who you hang about with?’ Goldie said, twisting the cap off the cider and taking a little swig before passing it to her.

‘Easy for you to say when you’ve got your own place to escape to,’ Neela pointed out enviously, taking a sip and passing the drink on. ‘And I don’t see what you’ve all got such a problem with her for, anyhow. She’s not that bad when you give her a chance.’

‘Come off it,’ Goldie snorted. ‘She’s a pain in the arse, always running round after us like a little dog. And I’m sure she’s got the hots for Lee, the way she sucks up to her all the time.’

‘So, she likes her,’ Neela said defensively. ‘What’s wrong with that?
You
like her, an’ all, or you wouldn’t call her your best mate.’ Turning to Leanne now, she added, ‘And she was only trying to back you up just now, so you didn’t have to take the piss out of her like that.’

Biting her lip, Leanne gazed thoughtfully after Kelly. She hadn’t said anything about Terry to anyone yet, but who was to say that she wasn’t pissed off enough to do it now?

‘Back in a minute,’ she said, setting off after Kelly to make it up with her before she did something stupid.

Too busy looking for Kelly, who had got lost in the crowd, Leanne didn’t notice her dad and three of his mates coming towards her, and she almost fell over when she walked straight into him.

‘Whoa!’ Dave drawled, reaching out to steady her. ‘What you rushing round like a blind blue-arsed fly for?’

‘Just need a word with someone,’ Leanne said, almost tasting the leather of his jacket and his strong aftershave as he gave her a hug.

‘They can wait,’ Dave said, Scotch fumes floating down into her face as he continued to hold onto her. ‘I haven’t seen you for ages, so the least you can do is spend a bit of time with me now I’m here. You remember the lads, don’t you?’

Glancing up at his mates, Leanne felt suddenly nervous. They were smiling, but they all had the same dark gleam in their eyes that told her they had been drinking. And drinking spelled trouble when this lot got together – and it didn’t take a genius to guess who would be on the receiving end of it.

‘Why are you here, Dad?’ she asked, struggling out of his grip. ‘You’re not planning anything stupid, are you? Not today. We’re only here for the kids.’

Giving her a look of wounded innocence, Dave said, ‘And I’m here to see you.’

‘Promise?’ Leanne murmured, giving him the stern look she’d always used on him when she was a kid and wanted to get her own way. ‘’Cos if you do anything, I’ll never forgive you, and I mean it.’

‘As if I’d do anything to upset my little darlin’,’ Dave chuckled, pulling her into another hug. ‘And you
are
still my darlin’, aren’t you?’

‘Course,’ Leanne gasped, wishing he wouldn’t get like this when he’d been drinking, because it made her feel uneasy. He always got way too affectionate, and then he’d kick off if you didn’t respond how he thought you should.

Saying, ‘Good, ’cos we’re both too stubborn for our own good, me and you, and we shouldn’t be falling out over shit,’ Dave gave her a kiss.

‘Aw,
Dad
!’ Leanne complained when he went on to ruffle her hair with his hand. ‘It took me ages to get that right, and you’ve ruined it now.’

‘It’s gorgeous,’ he said, laughing at her indignant expression. ‘And so are you, so quit plastering all that shit on your face before you end up looking like your mam.’

‘Take it you’ve had another row, then?’ Leanne said wearily, licking her hand to try and flatten her hair.

‘When are we ever not rowing?’ Dave retorted, lighting a cigarette and squinting as he gazed around. ‘Anyhow, never mind her . . . where’s lover boy?’

‘I don’t know,’ Leanne told him truthfully. ‘I haven’t seen him since we got here. But why do you want to know?’

Shrugging, Dave said, ‘Thought he might want to join his old mates for a drink, that’s all.’

‘You’re not his mates,’ Leanne said warily.

‘Course we are,’ Dave scoffed. ‘Me and Tezza go back years. Don’t you remember how he used to come back to ours for a few after we’d spent the night down the pub?’ Pausing, he slapped a hand on his forehead. ‘Oh, no, you wouldn’t, would you, ’cos you were only a baby.’

‘Don’t start,’ Leanne snapped, folding her arms now. ‘I’m not a baby any more, and I love him.’

‘I know that,’ Dave said easily – as if he had no problem with it, which they both knew he did. ‘Anyhow,’ he said then, rubbing his hands together, ‘all this talking is making me thirsty, so we’ll catch up later, yeah? And don’t forget to pass my regards on, will you?’ Winking at her now, he jerked his head at the lads and set off towards the refreshment tent.

Pauline was just coming out with Connor. Seeing Dave and his friends heading her way, while Leanne gazed after them with a worried expression on her face, she pursed her lips. She’d spent too long organising this event for Dave Miller to start any of his shenanigans and mess it up. And he might have put things right with Sue, but he obviously still had issues with Terry. And he’d come mob-handed, which could only mean one thing.

Stepping neatly in front of him now, Pauline gave Dave a pleasant smile as his mates fanned out to get around her.

‘Hello, Dave, what you doing here? Wouldn’t have thought this would be your cup of tea.’

‘It’s not,’ Dave admitted, giving a little shrug. ‘But you’ve got to do your bit for the community, haven’t you?’ Grinning down at Connor now, who peered back at him with dark eyes, he said, ‘Hi, there, fella. How’s it going?’

Covering Connor’s ear with her hand, unaware that Dave had probably seen more of him since he’d come out of hospital than she had, Pauline whispered, ‘No point talking to him, ’cos he won’t answer. Poor little thing’s still suffering the shock. I’m just taking him inside to see . . .’ Pulling herself up short before she mentioned Terry, she said, ‘To see if we can find him a little job while his mum has a rest.’

‘Sue’s here, then, is she?’ Dave said, as if he hadn’t expected to hear that. ‘She all right?’

‘She’s fine,’ Pauline told him, giving him a pointed look as she added, ‘So don’t you go upsetting her.’

‘Why am
I
going to upset her?’ Dave asked, giving Pauline a hurt look. ‘Would I have bothered going to the trouble of apologising if I was just going to flip it back round and have another go at her?’

‘I’m just warning you, that’s all,’ Pauline said firmly. ‘We all know what you’re like when you’ve had a drink.’

‘Yeah, well, I’ve not had that much,’ Dave said, getting a bit irritated now. ‘And I’ve already held my hands up to what happened before, so you don’t have to keep going on about it every time I see you.’

Holding his gaze for several moments, Pauline saw the look in his eyes and realised that he was being genuine. Nodding, she said, ‘Okay, I believe you.’

‘Well, thank fuck for that,’ Dave snorted, wiping imaginary sweat off his brow. ‘Thought I’d slipped back in time for a minute there, and I was back at home getting a good old roasting off me mam.’

‘Mmm, well you’re never too old,’ Pauline said, giving him a mock-stern look. ‘Anyway, best crack on,’ she said then. ‘Will you be staying around? Only we’ve got loads lined up for later. There’s a professional band, and a DJ, and bingo. Oh, and we’ve got someone from the police dropping in, which will be nice, because they’ve been ever so good to Sue while all this has been going on. They seem to be taking it really personally, for a change.’

‘That’s nice of them,’ Dave drawled, exchanging an amused glance with his mates who were making wanker gestures behind Pauline’s back. She’d obviously slipped that in to warn him not to cause trouble, but she needn’t have bothered, because he’d only popped in to see Sue and have a couple of drinks before he and the lads headed into town to watch the footy on the big screen in Albert Square.

Satisfied that she’d got her message across, Pauline said, ‘Right, well, I’ll see you later. Oh, and don’t forget to buy your raffle tickets. They’re a pound apiece, but it’s all in a good cause.’

Sticking two fingers up at her back as she walked away, Dave headed into the refreshments tent – leaving Leanne exhaling with relief on the grass behind him. So, the police were coming – great! Even
he
wasn’t stupid enough to start anything with the law around. But she’d still best warn Terry that he was here, just in case. If she could find him, because he seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth.

Forgetting all about Kelly and the conciliatory talk she’d meant to have with her, she set off to look for Terry instead.

Irene was making as big an effort to be friendly with Sue as she’d made with Terry. And she was enjoying herself almost as much as she’d previously enjoyed slagging her off, because it made her look good that she could be so magnanimous.

Rattling on now, oblivious to the look of incredulity on Sue’s face, Irene told her how sorry she was about the fire, and how worried she was about Nicky, and how sad she was that Connor was still suffering the shock, and how awful she felt about the misunderstanding that had arisen between them after Terry had left, because she’d never meant to offend her in any way and hoped that Sue didn’t think that she was one of the ones who’d been talking about her behind her back, because she wasn’t.

Sue could hardly believe what was coming out of the old witch’s mouth, considering everyone knew that she’d been one of the main instigators of the gossip. But Irene’s overt change of attitude seemed to be having a positive effect on the rest of the neighbours, so Sue wasn’t about to risk getting their backs up again by telling her that she was talking shit. So she smiled, and thanked her, and drank her whisky – hoping that it might take some of the edge off her nerves.

But it didn’t seem to be working. If anything, it was making her feel sick again. Or maybe that was just the fact that she hadn’t eaten in the last two days?

Topping up their plastic cups under the counter now, Irene spotted Dave and his mates, and murmured, ‘Eh up, look what the cat’s dragged in.’ Glancing at Sue, she said, ‘You and him all right, or do you want me to get rid?’

Shaking her head, Sue said, ‘No, we’re fine. We had a little chat when he gave me a lift to the hospital the other week, and everything’s sorted.’

‘If you’re sure,’ Irene said protectively. ‘But if he starts any of his nonsense, you just give me the nod and I’ll have him.’

Turning now as the men reached the counter, she said, ‘Yes, boys, what can I get you?’

Giving her a cheeky grin, Dave said, ‘Some of that Scotch you’ve got stashed under there will do nicely, thanks.’

Informing him that there was nothing under the counter but pop, Irene folded her arms. She’d known Dave Miller since he was a baby, and had never had a problem with him. But her loyalties lay with Sue – for today, at least.

‘Come on, you auld cow, don’t try and kid a kidder,’ Dave chuckled, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled exaggeratedly. ‘You know I can sniff it out at a thousand paces. And you’ve already been at it yourself, if I’m not very much mistaken.’

‘And so have you, by the looks of it,’ Irene retorted. Then, lowering her voice and glancing around to make sure that she wasn’t being watched, she said, ‘All right, you can have one glass each. But you’ll have to pay, and if anyone asks, it’s ginger beer. Got that?’

Saluting her, Dave reached into his pocket for his wallet. Looking at Sue now, he said, ‘All right, darlin’? Nearly didn’t see you hiding in the shadows back there. Everything okay?’

Flicking a nervous glance at Irene, sure that she would pick up on the slightest sign of over-familiarity, Sue said, ‘Fine, thanks. You?’

‘Same old, same old.’ Dave gave a casual shrug. ‘Any word on your lass yet?’