Snatched (18 page)

He had been absolutely fantastic since they’d renewed their friendship, and she didn’t know how she’d have got through the last few days without him. And he hadn’t only helped in an emotional sense, he’d given her a fair bit of practical help, too; slipping her money to tide her over when – as she’d feared would happen – her benefits had been stopped, and buying her a new mobile phone to replace the one she’d lost in the fire. Not to mention dropping whatever he was doing to come and pick her up when she called – day or night.

That was what you called a
real
friend, and Sue blessed the day he’d asked Pauline to pass his number along.

But that was something else that was going to change now that Connor was coming home: no more sneaking out for those lovely long drives she’d been enjoying for the past five nights. There was no way she could risk leaving Connor sleeping in the spare room, because the chances were that he’d wake up as soon as she went out – and Julie would go absolutely ballistic if she had to look after him. And, yes, she could still call Dave on the phone and talk his ear off all night if she wanted to, but it just wouldn’t be the same as being with him in person. And that saddened her, because things had been going so well between them up to now.

Not that anything had actually happened, because Dave had been the perfect gentleman, and hadn’t so much as tried to
kiss
her, never mind anything else. But that just made him all the more attractive to Sue, and she couldn’t help but wonder what life would be like if he was her man. And, despite the fact that he hadn’t said or done anything, she knew that it wasn’t just a foolish desire that had no chance of coming to fruition, because she could sense that he was beginning to feel something for her, too.

But that was as far as she had allowed herself to take the fantasy, because even if she’d been brave enough to raise the subject, she could already see a million reasons why it wouldn’t be such a good idea for them to get together.

Dave’s ex, Carole, would make their lives an absolute misery, for starters. And no doubt everyone on the estate would make a meal of it, presuming that Dave and Sue must have been at it behind Terry’s back all along, and speculating about whether that was why Terry had gone off with Leanne in the first place. And, much as she liked Dave, and knew that he would never hurt her now that they’d made their peace, she couldn’t just ignore his bad reputation for fighting and drug dealing. The authorities certainly wouldn’t. And if she got together with him, she could just imagine the social services slapping an ‘at risk’ label on Connor’s little head.

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t still talk to Dave, or ask for his help when she needed it.

Ringing him now, to ask if he’d mind giving her a lift to the hospital, Sue couldn’t help but smile when he said, ‘Course I don’t mind, darlin’. I’ll meet you at the usual place in half an hour. But I won’t just drop you off,’ he went on. ‘I’ll fetch you both back, an’ all – save you having to get the bus. And if
you
don’t mind, I’ll come in with you when you get him, ’cos it’s been ages since I saw the little fella.’

Touched that Dave seemed so eager to see her son when Julie didn’t seem to give a toss if she ever saw him again, Sue told him that she didn’t mind in the slightest.

The nurses had been busy clearing away the breakfast trays when Terry had arrived for his scheduled visit that morning, so nobody had noticed him going into Connor’s room, or they might have been able to warn him that Sue would soon be on her way over. But even if they’d seen him, they would have presumed that he already knew and had decided to come anyway, given that they’d rung that morning and left the message with Leanne. Unfortunately, Leanne had taken the call while he’d been in the shower, and had promptly gone back to sleep and forgotten all about it.

Sitting with Connor now, Terry was telling him all about a new animated film he’d seen advertised that he thought Connor would like. It was hard holding a conversation when you were the only one talking, but at least Connor listened, so Terry didn’t feel like he was wasting his time. And the occasional sparks of interest or excitement that flared in Connor’s huge, desperately sad eyes made him all the more determined to carry on communicating – even if most of what he said was rubbish that he’d made up off the top of his head just for the sake of saying
some
thing.

But the film was real, and Terry had every intention of fulfilling the promise he’d just made to take Connor to see it when he was well enough to come out of hospital. And Connor obviously liked the idea, because he had one of those rare flashes of excitement in his eyes. But it soon disappeared when the door opened and Sue walked in.

Laughing at something that Dave had just said, she stopped in her tracks when she saw Terry, causing Dave to bump into her from behind. Blood draining from her face, she gaped at her ex-husband, wondering what the hell he was doing here when he knew that she’d be coming today. Or was that
why
he’d come – so that he could have a go at her while he had the chance?

Inhaling deeply as the heat of rage consumed him, Terry stared at the floor. This was the first time he’d seen Sue in months, but after her recent antics – not least getting the policewoman to mediate because she was supposedly terrified that he might ‘attack’ her again – he hated her even more than he had before. He really felt like telling her to fuck off, that this was
his
day to visit and she had no right to intrude. And as for bringing Dave Miller with her, that was her lowest trick yet.

But if she’d hoped to goad him into kicking off so that she could let everyone see that she’d been telling the truth about him all along, she was sadly mistaken. Much as Terry wanted to jump up and kick seven shades of shit out of the man – and her – he wasn’t stupid enough to do it. Not in front of Connor, who was already panting with terror in the bed beside him.

So, getting up from the chair, he calmly slipped his jacket on and gave Connor a kiss, then walked towards the door with as much dignity as he could muster.

Sneering victoriously, Dave said, ‘Give my love to Lee, won’t you?’

Ignoring him, Terry kept on walking.

‘Thanks,’ Sue murmured, peering up at Dave and exhaling shakily when Terry had gone. ‘I thought you were going to go for him.’

‘In front of your lad?’ Dave replied, a look of innocence on his face. ‘Never. Anyhow, forget him,’ he went on, giving her a hug. ‘And don’t look so worried. He won’t give you any more hassle now he knows we’re mates again. And if he does, he’ll have me to answer to. Right?’

Nodding, Sue dipped her gaze guiltily. She’d forgotten that Dave had heard the lie she’d told about Terry beating her up, but it was too late to tell him any different now, so she’d have to let him go on thinking that Terry was that kind of man, even though he’d never so much as raised a hand to her in the whole time they’d been together, and she’d only said it in the first place to hurt him as much as he’d hurt her.

Remembering why she was here, Sue extracted herself from the hug and turned to Connor. Seeing the frightened look in his eyes, and thinking that he was probably nervous about Dave being here because he’d seen the argument they’d had that time, she forced herself to smile as she went over to him.

‘Don’t worry, sweetheart,’ she said, giving him a kiss. ‘Everything’s all right. Me and Dave are friends again.’

‘Good friends,’ Dave added, winking at her as he approached the bed and ruffled Connor’s hair. ‘And I hope you and me will be good friends too, because I’m planning on spending a lot of time with you and your mummy from now on.’

Peering up at him, Connor felt the tears welling in his eyes. He didn’t want to spend time with Mr Miller. He wanted to be with his dad.

Leanne was washing the dishes when Terry got home. Drying her hands on the tea towel when she heard him going into the living room, she smiled at him from the doorway as he slung his jacket over the back of the couch and sat down heavily.

‘Everything all right, babe?’

‘Don’t ask.’

‘What’s happened?’ Leanne said, frowning now. ‘And why are you back so early? Has something happened to Connor?’

‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ Terry muttered, yanking his tobacco out of his pocket and rolling himself a smoke.

‘Oi, don’t take it out on me – whatever it is,’ Leanne snapped. ‘I haven’t done anything to you.’

Inhaling deeply, Terry mumbled, ‘Sorry. It’s not you. It’s Sue.’

‘What about her?’ Leanne demanded, her nostrils already flaring at the mention of his hated ex.

‘She turned up at the hospital,’ Terry told her, lighting his cigarette and sucking deeply on it.

‘You what?’ Leanne squawked. ‘But it’s
your
day. I hope you told the cheeky bitch to do one.’

‘Don’t think I didn’t want to,’ Terry retorted angrily. ‘But I could hardly make a scene in front of Connor, could I?’

‘Oh, right,’ Leanne barked. ‘So I suppose you just slunk out with your tail between your legs and let that bitch think she’d got one over on you. And you know she’ll have done it on purpose, don’t you? She knew damn well you’d be there on your own, so she probably did it to spite me. Wheedle her way back in with you while she had the chance. And you just keep your gob shut like a sap and let her think she’s in with a chance.’

Resenting the implication that he was stupid enough to let Sue manipulate her way back into his life, Terry narrowed his eyes as he peered back at her, saying coolly, ‘I doubt she’d have brought your
dad
with her if that was her intention.’

‘You what?’ Leanne hissed. ‘My dad was with her? How come?’

‘How am I supposed to know?’ Terry snapped. ‘Unless you expected me to stop and ask.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Leanne snapped back, chewing on her nails now as her mind began to race over the implications of her dad and Sue turning up at the hospital together. ‘How did they look?’ she asked after a moment. ‘Were they, like,
together
?’

‘No idea, ’cos I wasn’t looking that hard,’ Terry retorted angrily. ‘But I wouldn’t put it past her.
Or
him.’

‘No.’ Leanne shook her head. ‘He wouldn’t do that to me. Not when he knows how much shit she’s given me over you.’

‘He won’t have been thinking about
you
,’ Terry pointed out bluntly. ‘This will be about rubbing it in
my
face.’

‘Oh, and why would he think that
that
would bother you?’ Leanne pounced, her eyes flashing with suspicion now. ‘Unless someone’s given him the impression that you’ve still got feelings for her. And the only one who could have told him something like that is
her
, and she could only have got it off
you
.’

‘Aw, quit with the Inspector Morse routine,’ Terry groaned. ‘You’ll have yourself convinced it’s true in a minute.’

‘Well, isn’t it?’

‘Course not! How the hell could I give her that impression when I haven’t clapped eyes on her in months?’

‘So
you
say,’ Leanne said suspiciously. ‘But I’ve only got your word on that, haven’t I?’

Losing patience, Terry stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray and stood up. ‘Believe what you want,’ he said, snatching up his jacket and heading for the door.

‘Where you going now?’ Leanne demanded.

‘Out!’ he replied curtly, slamming the door behind him.

Eyes narrowed with rage, Leanne snatched up her mobile phone.

‘Hello, Mum. Guess what I just heard about my dad . . . ?’

8

Since taking Sue in when she’d arrived home last Sunday, Pauline had begun to feel personally involved in the whole thing – and more than a little guilty about the part she’d played in it.

Raking over the coals of her memories of the night of the fire, she’d managed to magnify the fleeting little cry she’d heard on the wind into a terrible howl of despair. And in her mind’s eye, she could now quite clearly see that the face she’d glimpsed at the window had been Connor’s.

But she hadn’t saved him. She’d allowed her fear of being accused of meddling influence her; turning her back on him in his greatest hour of need. And Pauline didn’t know if she’d ever be able to forgive herself for that.
Or
for the way she’d treated his mum in the lead-up to it.

She and Sue had never been what you’d call friends, but she’d begun to feel very protective of the younger woman lately, and had to admit now that she’d probably played more than a small part in creating and stoking the animosity which had grown between them during the time they’d been neighbours. She hadn’t exactly made Sue welcome when she’d first moved in, and had actually been behind some of the complaints that had been made to the council about her over the years. And while she’d felt quite justified at the time – because this had always been such a quiet road, mostly populated by middle-aged couples such as herself and John – in hindsight she knew that it had been more than a wee bit of sour grapes on her part. Yes, the Days had been young and noisy, but they’d been no worse than a lot of the other younger families who’d subsequently moved in around here. And whatever troubles she’d had personally with Sue, the girl was still a million times better than Carole Miller.

Truth was, Pauline had been an intolerant old bat at times, and she knew it. But if this terrible near-tragedy with the fire had taught her anything, it was that bridges had to be rebuilt and amends made before it was too late. Because the last thing she needed was to go to her grave with spite-fuelled, unapologised-for past actions on her conscience.

And that was why she had decided that it was her duty to help Sue to get back on her feet. If not her
mission
, because it couldn’t be a coincidence that she’d recently been elected chair of the residents’ association, just when she’d need to get the rest of the neighbours on board to do
their
bit. If
that
wasn’t a sign that Pauline was being told to do something helpful, then she didn’t know what was.