Sadie couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have sex with a stranger, to have a man pay you money to… The very thought made her flesh crawl. And what about when one of them turned nasty? She recalled what the blonde had said about Dexter, about being dead meat, about how long it had taken him to get up the stairs. ‘Gruesome,’ she murmured.

‘I need a pee,’ Velma said. ‘This vodka’s going straight through me.’

It was less than thirty seconds before her place was taken by Nathan Stone. He slid into Velma’s chair and said, ‘So, have you made up your mind about the funeral?’

Sadie looked at him, frowning again. ‘I thought we’d already had this conversation.’

‘Having it and resolving it are two completely different things.’

‘And how would you like it to be resolved?’

Stone gave her a long steady look. ‘By you seeing sense and getting on the first train out of here tomorrow morning.’

‘I can’t do that,’ she replied stubbornly. ‘I’ve said I’ll go and I will. Anyway, what would it look like if I didn’t? They’d all reckon I had something to hide. I didn’t kill Eddie so why should I act like I’m guilty?’

‘Do you know who did?’

The question surprised her and she struggled to maintain her composure. ‘Of course not! What makes you think… How would I know?’ She felt the blood burning her cheeks as she thought of Mona, as she thought of the plans that had been made and the small black gun that was lying in her bag. ‘I hadn’t seen him in years. I don’t know what he was up to or… or who he hung around with.’

‘You sure?’ he asked sharply.

‘For God’s sake,’ she said, desperate to be rid of him, ‘can’t you just leave me alone? I’m going, okay? That’s the end of it.’

Nathan Stone rose to his feet, shaking his head. ‘I doubt that,’ he said. ‘I doubt it very much.’

As he walked away, Sadie wondered if he really had killed his wife. Was he the kind of man who could put a bullet through a woman’s skull? She felt her stomach shift with fear and revulsion. Quickly she reached for her drink and took a gulp. It didn’t matter, she told herself. Nothing about Nathan Stone mattered. After tonight she’d never have to see him again. Tomorrow she’d attend the funeral and then she’d go back home to Joel.

Velma returned and sat down again. ‘You all right, love? You look kind of pale.’

‘I think I’ll make a move,’ Sadie said. ‘Do you mind?’

‘Ain’t you going to finish your drink?’

‘No, I’ve had enough. I’m really tired. I think I’ll have an early night.’ Suddenly, she wanted to be out of the pub, away from everyone and especially Nathan Stone. She got up and patted Velma on the shoulder. ‘You stay. I’ll be fine. I’ve only got to walk across the road.’

‘Okay, love. Take care. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

When Sadie reached the door, she glanced back but Stone had disappeared. The place where he’d been sitting by the bar was empty. His words, however, continued to revolve in her head. Just watch your back, Sadie. She swallowed down her fear and hurried out into the cold night air.

32

Petra Gissing stared at her son, who was examining his face in the living-room mirror. His left eyelid, the colour of dark ochre, was almost closed, and a more purplish shade of bruising had spread down to his cheek. His upper lip was split and swollen. ‘Don’t expect any sympathy from me,’ she said.

Wayne’s focus shifted slightly. ‘Did I ask for any?’

‘What were you thinking, going back to the Hope? Begging for it, that’s what. And now look at you! It’s not going to get any better by the morning. You’re going to look a right mess for the funeral.’

Wayne sneered and winced almost simultaneously. ‘Eddie ain’t going to care. It don’t matter to him.’

‘What were you thinking?’ she asked again, her voice sounding peevish. ‘You were just asking for trouble.’

‘Terry’s the one doing that. It ain’t right what he did and you know it.’ Wayne turned away from the mirror and sat down on the sofa. His hands with their large red knuckles rested on his heavy thighs. ‘He had it coming and you can’t say different.’

‘Yeah, right. Except I don’t see Terry walking around with his face all smashed up.’

Wayne sniggered. ‘Maybe not his face, but his pub ain’t looking so good.’

‘And you think he’s going to lose any sleep over that?’ Petra couldn’t figure out why the filth hadn’t charged that Sadie girl yet. She’d made the call to Cowan Road and had been hoping that a quick arrest might put an end to all this bother. But then Terry had friends in high places. Maybe he’d paid the bastards off, got them to leave Nathan Stone and his tart alone. ‘He’ll have the Hope all fixed up by now, but you won’t be able to see proper for days.’

‘It’s nothin’, a few bruises, that’s all.’

‘And next time?’

Wayne gave her a nasty look. ‘Next time I’ll make sure that it’s more than the pub that gets done over.’

Petra pulled a face, but decided to drop the subject. There was no reasoning with her son when he was in this kind of mood. ‘And what have you been doing down in that cellar?’

‘What?’

‘The cellar. You’ve been tramping coal dust all over the kitchen again. What are you doing down there?’

‘Nothin’,’ he said. ‘I told you. Looking for a screwdriver.’

‘That was days ago. Ain’t you found it yet?’

‘If I’d found it, I wouldn’t still be looking, would I?’

Petra reckoned he was lying. He was up to something, but she didn’t know what. If she didn’t hate that place so much, she’d nip down and take a butcher’s, but the cellar with its dim light and shadowy corners creeped her out. She always felt like she was being watched, that a bogeyman was waiting to pounce on her. Even the thought of opening the door made her go all cold and shivery. ‘Well, just think on.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘It means don’t go getting yourself in even more bother.’

Wayne lit a fag, sat back and smiled thinly at her. ‘I suppose you’ll be making a move once the funeral’s over.’

‘You trying to get rid of me?’

‘No.’

‘Sounds like it.’

‘Just wondering, that’s all. You could take Kel with you for a while. Yeah, a bit of sea air would do her the world of good.’

‘The law might have something to say about that. She’s supposed to stay in London, ain’t she?’

Wayne gave a shrug. ‘I don’t reckon she’s a suspect any more. So long as we let them know where she is, there won’t be a problem. Yeah, she could do with a break, get away from here. Why don’t you ask her?’

‘Maybe she doesn’t want to leave. She’s got all her friends in Kellston.’

Wayne frowned at her. ‘So? It’s not like it’s for ever or nothin’, just a week or two.’ He took a drag on his cigarette and squinted with his one good eye through the stream of smoke. ‘She stays here, Mum, she’s going to get in bother. I’m sure of it. You know what Kel’s like when she goes off on one. Don’t want to see her banged up, do you? No, you’re better off taking her away, least in Bournemouth she’ll be safe and you’ll be able to keep a check on her.’

‘I can keep a check on her here.’

‘Not really. What if she flips, decides to have a go at Nathan Stone?’

Petra narrowed her eyes. ‘She doesn’t know about that girl and Stone. Shit, tell me you haven’t told her. You haven’t, have you?’

‘Course not. But you think she ain’t gonna find out? People talk. She stays here and she’ll hear about it soon enough.’

The front door slammed and a few seconds later Kelly came in. ‘What?’ she said, glancing from one to the other as a silence fell over the room.

Petra smiled at her daughter. ‘You okay, love?’