Behind a Closed Door (The Estate, Book 2) (25 page)

‘Hiya, Daddy,’ said Emily. ‘I’m watching
Dora
the
Explorer
.’

Scott ignored his daughter and grabbed the TV remote control. ‘You shouldn’t have to pay any rent.’ The room erupted with the sound of music. Emily folded her arms and frowned.

Josie stood up. ‘Some people like to earn their keep, Mr Johnstone. What have you done towards yours today?’

Kelly groaned inwardly. The last thing she needed was Josie antagonising Scott. She could tell by his face that he was after a fight and, by the colour of his skin, he looked like he was still in hangover mode.

‘Josie was just leaving.’ Kelly nodded towards the door.

‘More likely she’s checking up on me.’ Scott threw Josie a look of revulsion. ‘I’m surprised to see you here at this time of day. I have housing officers for dinner.’

‘I’d spit the likes of you out if I had to eat you,’ Josie threw back. ‘I’m sure you’d be bitter to your core.’

‘Are you mad?’ Kelly whispered loudly once they were out of the room. ‘Don’t make it worse for me than it already is.’

Josie coloured. The sight of Scott Johnstone alone was enough to make her blood boil but she hadn’t for one moment thought how her actions could affect Kelly.

‘I’m sorry.’ She gave a half smile in apology. ‘But sometimes I wonder what you’re doing with the likes of him. You’re far too good for him. Surely you can see that?’

Kelly sniggered. ‘That’s rich, coming from you. You ought to try getting your own house in order before you start telling me what to do.’

‘What?’

‘Oh, go, will you. I’ve got enough problems of my own to deal with at the moment.’

‘Call me, if you need me!’ were the last words Josie said but Kelly had already closed the door.

For a moment, Josie stood on the step. What a waste of an opportunity if Kelly didn’t think about what she’d said. She was intelligent and determined; she had absolute faith in her. Still, she could just need a bit of time to think it over. Kelly might deduce that it was a good idea and that she did have the necessary skills to follow it through. It was only her job to plant the seed.

 Suddenly she stopped as she went back over Kelly’s words. What did she mean by getting her own house in order?

‘What the fuck was she doing here?’

 ‘I told you before,’ said Kelly. ‘I needed a new rent card. Where have you been this morning?’

Scott grabbed her wrist as she bent to pick up Josie’s mug. ‘Don’t change the subject. I don’t want her calling again. Do you hear?’

‘Yes, I hear you but it isn’t going to happen.’ Kelly shrugged her arm loose. ‘This is my flat, remember?’

‘No, it’s
our
flat. I let you stay at my house for years, now you can do the same.’

‘I stayed at
your
house to look after our daughter! A daughter you seem to have conveniently forgotten since you’ve got back.’         

Scott slouched down onto the settee. ‘Don’t bring that up again. I told you, I don’t like how she’s wary of me. It’s taking me time to adjust, too. Everything’s changed since I went inside.’ He pointed at her with the remote control. ‘You, for starters. You used to be so… so –’

‘Gullible?’ Kelly finished the sentence for him.

‘I was going to say trusting.’

‘Isn’t that the same thing?’

Scott pursed his lips. ‘You’re pushing me away with all this namby-pamby, goody-goody talk. I hardly know you now.’

‘That’s because I’ve had to fend for myself for three months,’ Kelly snapped. ‘Where were you then? And if you’re so bothered about looking after me and Em, where do you keep disappearing to?’

Scott refused to look at her as she continued.

‘How the hell do you think I felt when I was told I had to leave Patrick Street? I saw this place and thought my life was over. But do you know what spurred me on? I wanted to make it nice for when you got back. I was hoping things would be okay again.’

‘You put the dampers on that when you started working.’ Scott spit out the word as if it were a disease. ‘Do you know how many years it’s taken me to get the social off my back and stop sending me to job interviews?’

Kelly shook her head in frustration. ‘What’s wrong with getting a job?’ she said. ‘What’s so wrong with having a bit of spare money?’

Scott stared at her, wide-eyed. ‘Have you ever gone without when I was here?’

‘No, but –’

‘You had new clothes, a nice house, furniture, a flat-screen TV. Half the people on this estate will never have as much.’

‘I went without you! Why can’t you get that into your thick skull? I went without you for three months. I don’t want to do that again.’

Emily’s face appeared around the door frame, her bottom lip trembling. Kelly ushered her over, sat down and pulled her daughter onto her lap. Emily sunk into her chest and began to suck her thumb.

‘Look at her,’ Kelly urged Scott. ‘The only reason she won’t get close to you is because she’s frightened you might leave again – and so am I.’

‘I won’t get caught next time.’

‘And that’s supposed to make me feel better?’ Kelly eyed him with disdain. ‘There will always be one more job, and one more after that. You know there will.’

‘I don’t know why you keep moaning, you’ll both benefit from them.’

‘I don’t want your kind of handouts,’ Kelly hissed.

‘It’s never stopped you before.’

‘I had no choice then.’

Suddenly, Scott leaned forward. ‘What’s up? Lost your faith in me?’

Kelly wanted to tell him she’d lost faith in him a long time ago, but knew it would do more harm than good. She knew no matter what she said, he’d bite back. Instead, she stared at him. It was like looking at a stranger. How could two people change so much in three months?

Scott stood up. ‘Fine!’ he said. ‘Have it your own fucking way.’ He glared at her for a moment before storming out of the flat.

Only then did Kelly feel Emily relax in her arms.

That evening, most of the Mitchell Housing Association staff had been out for a meal to celebrate Debbie’s birthday. It had been pleasant with lots of light-hearted banter, and exactly what Josie needed. She’d laughed so much that her cheeks had ached. By the time, she’d dropped Debbie and Irene off at their homes, it was past midnight.

It had felt so good to have a night out on her own without all the feelings of guilt, knowing that she wouldn’t be coming home to Stewart’s miserable face, even though she knew she had that to contend with tomorrow. Earlier, on the way to the restaurant, Josie had called at Miles’ Factory and left a letter with his foreman to give to him. Rather than get a solicitor involved straightaway, she’d decided to offer him a lump sum.

As she got to the front door, Stewart stepped out from the side of the garage.

‘Jesus, you idiot!’ Josie pressed her hand to her chest. ‘You nearly gave me a heart attack.’

In two more strides, Stewart stood in front of her. ‘What the fuck is this?’ He held up the letter.

Josie took another step towards the door while she gained her composure. ‘If you’re referring to the amount,’ she said, ‘it’s all I’m prepared to offer.’

‘Ten grand? It’s not enough.’ Stewart’s fists clenched and unclenched. ‘Five fucking years I stayed with you. I want half of everything.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she told him. ‘You may have contributed a little but the house was
mine
to begin with.’

‘I want my half!’

‘You’re not entitled to half.’

‘I’m going to sue you for every penny.’

 ‘Fine, you’ll have to find the money to fight me for it. I am not giving
you
half of what my parents worked for because you happened to see another opportunity to exploit me.’

Stewart’s chin nearly hit the tarmac. ‘I never exploited you,’ he said.

‘You never loved me, either,’ Josie muttered. An uneasy silence descended between them. ‘Did you?’

Stewart slowly shook his head from side to side. ‘Do you think
I’d
love someone like
you
?’ He picked up a mound of Josie’s hair, and then let it go. ‘Your hair’s like straw.’ He stepped back and looked at her from top to toe. ‘Your body’s like a twelve-year-old and your sense of style – well, let’s say you haven’t got one. Face it, Josie, you’re a dowdy bitch.’

Josie faltered. It was all right for her to think these things,
know
these things, but never, ever, had Stewart voiced his abhorrence. What made it worse was the fact that she thought she’d dressed accordingly for a night out. She wore faded jeans, black shoes with a small block heel and a plain red t-shirt. Her hair, although she had tried to do something with it, hung loose and forlorn. She’d attempted to wear make-up, but knew she didn’t have the know-how to make a good job.

‘Well,’ she spoke shakily in her defence, ‘you haven’t got that much to offer yourself. Look at
you
.’

Josie knew she’d lost the fight even as she pointed at him. Stewart had obviously been spending some of his money because he was wearing jeans she hadn’t seen before, his shoes were the most wanted brand of many a teenager and his T-shirt bore the name of a well-known designer. Even his hair had been cut recently.

‘Yes, look at me,’ Stewart smirked. ‘You thought I’d shrivel up and die but I’m doing all right without you.’ In one quick movement, he screwed up the letter and threw it at her feet. ‘So, there’s no way I’m leaving you alone until I get what I deserve. Got that?’

Josie’s tears fell as soon as she closed the front door behind her. Her breath coming in huge gulps, she ran into the living room and flung herself onto the settee. What had she done to deserve this treatment? All she’d ever wanted was to be loved and to give that love back in return. Even her huge heart couldn’t bat away Stewart’s insults – and because she knew he was right, they hurt all the more.

She knew she was a mess. Meeting up with Livvy again had made her more aware of that. And if Livvy wasn’t enough, there was always Kelly to look at: Kelly with her stylish hair, her curvy figure and her youthful complexion. Josie had never looked that good, no matter what her age – and at thirty-seven she was never going to.

On a whim, she decided to ring Livvy.

‘I’m sorry,’ she sobbed. ‘I know it’s late but I needed to talk to someone.’

‘What’s the matter, hun?

At the sound of Livvy’s comforting tone, Josie started to cry again. It was some time before she’d calmed down long enough to explain what had happened.

‘He’s trying to wind you up,’ Livvy comforted. ‘You shouldn’t take him so seriously.’

Josie sniffed. ‘So you think I look okay, then? My hair looks wonderful and shiny? My clothes don’t hang off my body? I never wear make-up for fear of looking like Coco the Clown.’

Livvy pooh-poohed her thoughts. ‘You have so much else, though. Number one, you have a fantastic way with people. Number two, you have a heart – that’s always a good thing. Number three, you have personality. You’ve a knack for making me feel happier since we got back in touch, which leads me to number four: you are a caring person.’

Josie smiled at Livvy’s efforts to cheer her up. It didn’t alter the fact that she had scarecrow hair, but what the heck.

‘And number five, you have me. I can give you a makeover, if you like?’

Josie paused for a moment. ‘Would you?’ she sniffed.

‘You should try a new hairstyle. I think a little shorter would suit you, perhaps stopping at your shoulders, and a fringe, maybe? And you need to make the most of your figure. So what if you’re only five-foot and a fag end? That’s what heels are for. You need to buy the highest pair you can find and totter around indoors until you feel comfortable in them. Believe me, there is nothing that can give you more of a confidence boost than a pair of ‘fuck-off’ heels. And I have plenty of tops and shirts that will fit you.’ She laughed a little. ‘I won’t be able to help you in the trouser department, unless I can find some cropped ones. I have boxes of spare make-up, too. Luckily you’re dark, like me. Well, you will be once you’ve visited my hair stylist.’

Josie’s eyes filled with tears again. Livvy had changed into her fairy godmother.

‘You need to stick up for yourself, show that useless bastard what you’re made of.’

Josie nodded, even though Livvy couldn’t see her. ‘He caught me off guard, that’s all. He’s never been so… so personal.’

‘He’s beginning to realise that little old Josie is stronger than he thought she’d be. You’ll be fine. Did you think any more about selling the house?’

‘I did look into it but I’m not sure it would stop him, if I’m honest.’

‘It would mean closure though if you did move. He wouldn’t know where you were.’

‘He’d find me.’ Josie recalled how she had seen Charlotte after Nathan had attacked her; he’d found her easily enough. And it wouldn’t be hard to follow her to somewhere else once she dropped her guard. Still, the idea to sell the house was one that she’d been thinking about.