Oh yeah, I love it, Jed. When you gonna leave Frankie?" Sally replied, groaning.
Jed winced, then smiled as he shot his load up her harris. Sally was a good f.u.c.k, a dirty little wh.o.r.e, but he had no intention of leaving Frankie for her.
As he pulled his manhood out of her a.n.u.s, Sally turned over and repeated her question. Are you gonna leave her, Jed?"
Taking a plastic bag out of his pocket, Jed opened it and handed Sally another ecstasy pill. Get that down your neck. I"ll leave her soon, I promise," he lied.
Jed stood up, zipped up his trousers and went in search of his cousin. Oi, oi, saveloy," he shouted, as he saw Sammy"s bare a.r.s.e bouncing up and down on Sally"s best friend, Julie.
Sammy laughed as Jed walked over and handed them both an E. Jed took a swig of water and swallowed another himself. He"d had two earlier, so already felt out of his nut.
When his phone burst into life once again, Jed suddenly thought it would be funny to answer the b.l.o.o.d.y thing. Frankie had been ringing for the past couple of hours and he, Sammy, Julie and Sally had had a right old laugh over the story he"d told his girlfriend earlier.
Sssh, shut up a sec," he said, as he put the phone to his ear.
Jed, is everything OK? I"ve been so worried. How"s your cousin?" Frankie asked in a panicky voice.
Drugged up to the eyeb.a.l.l.s, Jed wanted to laugh, but somehow managed to stop himself. Turning away from the others, who were all giggling, he spoke seriously. Billy ain"t too good, Frankie. He"s in intensive care now. The doctors reckon they might have to take his leg off."
With her hormones all over the place, Frankie burst into tears. Oh Jed, that"s terrible. Whereabouts are you? Joey and Dominic are still here and they said they"ll bring me up in a cab if you need me there."
No, Frankie. You stay there with your brother and his boyfriend. I"m fine, honest, all my family are here. I might not get home tonight, but I"ll see you tomorrow, babe."
Usually Jed would make a reference to the baby, but on this occasion he couldn"t, as he hadn"t told Sally that Frankie was pregnant.
Take care, Jed. I love you," Frankie said solemnly.
I can"t hear you. The battery"s going now," Jed said, switching the phone off.
Turning back to the others, Jed burst out laughing. He picked up his mobile, opened the door and threw the phone outside.
Come on then, let"s party," he screamed.
CHAPTER TEN.
Eddie sat down opposite Larry Peters, his brief. Larry had represented Ed"s father many times over the years and was an expert at swinging a jury.
So, have you thought about what I said?" Larry asked.
Ed nodded. I had a chat with Raymondo. I needed his approval, Lal. Jess was his sister, after all. Anyway, he told me to go for it."
Larry smiled. He had been great friends with Eddie"s dad, Harry, and had been devastated when poor old H had been murdered. The police had never found the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds who"d killed him and Larry was forever trying to uncover new information on the case. The Old Bill might have put Harry"s death on the back burner by now, but he most certainly hadn"t.
Larry leaned forward and lowered his tone. I went over all the paperwork again yesterday. Don"t get me wrong, Ed, this isn"t going to be easy, but I know that with the right judge and jury you can get acquitted of murder and instead be charged with manslaughter."
What about my original statement, though? I admitted what I"d done when I woke up in hospital. I told the filth that I"d gone there to shoot Jed and I admitted I"d shot Jess by mistake."
Larry waved his hands in the air. He had a habit of doing this when he got overexcited about something. Forget about that original statement. You were ill, in shock, drugged up on medication. You didn"t know what you were saying, that will be my argument. The positive thing, Ed, is that apart from that one admission, in every other interview you said, "No comment." Now, we can"t get out of the fact that you went to Tilbury with a gun. But what we can say is that all you wanted to do was put the frighteners on Jed. You said in your statement that you didn"t know Jessica was there. My argument will be that Jed did a runner as soon as you got there. You wanted to scare the lad, so you sprayed bullets round the trailer. You had no idea that your wife was there, which is true, and you were heartbroken when Raymond turned up and you found out what you"d done, which is also true."
Even though none of it was funny, Ed gave a slight chuckle. It sounds a bit far-fetched, Lal. I wouldn"t believe that b.o.l.l.o.c.ks if I was on the jury. Would you?"
Larry waved his hands in the air once more. Look, there isn"t going to be many people as cute as you and me on that jury. At least fifty per cent of the general public are a sixpence short of a shilling. What you need is a few middle-aged women that take a shine to you. Give them the eye and that killer smile of yours. Once they hear what a good husband and father you were, you"ll have them eating out the palm of your hand. We need to pray that we get some blokes on the jury who have daughters themselves. Many a man has gone apes.h.i.t because some awful chap has knocked up his teenage daughter and that would earn you the valuable sympathy vote."
Larry"s enthusiasm was contagious and Eddie found himself believing, for the first time, that he could get away with murder. If I only get a guilty for manslaughter, how long do you think I"ll get?"
Larry shrugged. Six, eight, ten. It all depends on the judge. You"re bound to cop a separate lump for being in possession of a firearm. I"m no mind-reader, Ed, but at a guess, I reckon put the two charges together and you"re looking at a twelve to fourteen stretch. You"ll then do two thirds of that, providing you behave yourself, of course, and your time spent on remand will also be taken off."
Ed worked the figures out. So, if I"m lucky, I could be looking at as little as a seven?"
If you"re lucky," Larry said bluntly.
It was two o"clock the following afternoon when Jed finally arrived back home. He"d had a great night over in Tilbury. s.e.x, drugs and acid house what more could a man want?
Sammy, Julie, Sally and himself had been up all night s.h.a.gging and dancing, but he"d managed to get his nut down for a couple of hours this morning.
All right, Jed? How"s your cousin?" Frankie asked, rushing out of the trailer towards him.
Not too bad. He"s better than he was. They managed to save his leg," Jed lied, remembering his fable.
Noticing how tired and deathly white her boyfriend looked, Frankie decided he needed some pampering. Why don"t you jump in the shower and freshen up? I went to Tesco with your mum and dad earlier and I bought sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms and a crusty loaf. I"ll cook you a nice breakfast, if you like."
Jed grabbed her a.r.s.e and pulled her towards him. Don"t burn it like the last one you cooked, will ya?" he said, laughing.
As Frankie hugged him, she could smell perfume on his shirt. She said nothing. It would be awful to make a scene when his cousin was so ill.
Jed stripped off, left his clothes in a heap on the bedroom floor, then jumped into the shower.
Frankie waited until she heard the water running, then crept into the bedroom. His shirt was staring her in the face. Unable to stop herself, she picked it up to inspect it. She held it to her nose and breathed in deeply. It was definitely a feminine scent and not aftershave. Jed only ever wore Kouros and it certainly wasn"t that. As Frankie looked closely, she could see signs of lipstick and possible foundation. Her heart turned over. Surely Jed wouldn"t be unfaithful to her. How could he have been up to no good when he"d been stuck at the hospital all night?
Realising the water had stopped running, Frankie threw the shirt back onto the floor and dashed into the kitchen area to make a start on the breakfast.
You ain"t ate much. What"s a matter?" Jed asked, as he finished his last mouthful. Frankie knew she had to say something. She wasn"t the type to stay schtum and brush things under the carpet. She needed peace of mind.
I need to ask you something, Jed, and please don"t lie to me."
What?" Jed asked, as he leaned across her and nicked the sausage off her plate.
I know you were at the hospital last night, but did you go out afterwards?"
Whaddya mean? I had a beer back at Sammy"s with my family. Spit it out, what"s the problem, Frankie?" Jed said, acting annoyed.
Frankie began to cry. I was going to put your clothes in the washing machine, when I noticed your shirt smelt of women"s perfume. It"s covered in lipstick and make-up as well."
As bright as a spark, Jed had an answer within seconds. You silly cow. I told you all my family were at the hospital last night, didn"t I? There was loads of me aunts and girl cousins there that I ain"t seen for years. Because Billy was in such a bad way, everybody was hugging one another and crying. The lipstick and whatever else you thought you saw or smelt obviously belongs to either an aunt, a cousin or both."
Frankie felt incredibly stupid as Jed took her into his arms. He"d been sitting at his sick cousin"s bedside all night and she felt awful for doubting him. I"m sorry, Jed. I think because I feel so fat and ugly at the moment, I"m worried you"ll go off with someone else."
Jed smiled. The baby weight didn"t suit Frankie, but even though she looked far less attractive than when they"d first met, he still fancied her.
Feeling himself harden, he unzipped his jeans and unleashed his p.e.n.i.s. He put Frankie"s hand on it and spoke gently to her. I love you Frankie, but you can"t go around accusing me of stuff I ain"t done. My cousin nearly died last night. Watching Billy suffer like that was awful, really awful."
Frankie sank to her knees. Jed loved her sucking him off and she had some serious grovelling to do. Jed held Frankie"s head and thrust himself as far as he could down the back of her throat. As she began to choke, he grinned. That"d teach her to f.u.c.king snoop.
Joyce took the last of the sausage rolls off the baking tray and carefully arranged them on the silver platter. She had been cooking, baking and preparing all day and at last she was finally finished. Joyce prided herself on her homemaking and culinary skills. Today she had made a special effort because her friends, Rita and Hilda, were coming over.
The house had now been officially signed over to Joyce. Even though the circ.u.mstances were horrific, Joyce was thrilled finally to own such a wonderful property. Of course, she"d swap it for her old house in Upney tomorrow if it brought her Jessica back, but Joyce had to face facts: Jessica was gone for good, bless her soul.
Joyce had added her own touches to the property in the last couple of weeks. She had painted the hallway a different colour, replaced the kitchen table for a smaller one and she"d had a beautiful picture of Jessica blown up and framed, which now took centre stage on the main wall in the lounge.
Glancing at the kitchen clock, Joyce decided it was time she started getting ready. Not only were her friends coming tonight, but also Joey, Dominic and Stan"s mate, Jock.
After the initial shock of discovering that her grandson was gay, Joyce had now embraced the fact. So what if Joey was different? There were many actors, singers and politicians who were the same way, and even one of the Kray twins was rumoured to be gay.
Joyce had purchased a book, read up on the subject, then digested and accepted h.o.m.os.e.xual culture. She hadn"t told Stanley that Joey and Dominic were coming tonight. Her husband was an old-fashioned old fart and if he"d known their grandson was bringing his boyfriend over, he wouldn"t have invited Jock.
Joyce smiled as she admired her new red frock. Tonight she would show off her new house and also tell everybody that Joey and Dominic were a couple. Being open was the only way forward and Joyce was sure that once her friends accepted the boys" s.e.xuality, then so would Stanley.
Eddie, Stuart and Bertie Simms were glued to the screen. An old western was on the telly and the film was the b.o.l.l.o.c.ks. Bertie nudged Ed as he spotted one of Barry Macarthy"s mates heading their way.
It was now common knowledge among the lags that Big Bald Baz had completely lost his eyesight. It was also common knowledge that he was seriously depressed and suicidal.
Annoyed that he"d been interrupted while watching such a good movie, Eddie glared at Baz"s mate. What?" he asked sarcastically.
I thought you should know Baz"s dead. He slit his wrists this morning with a razor blade."
Eddie nodded, then casually looked back at the telly. As Baz"s mate left the room, Ed turned to Stuart and Bert. It"s a miracle the fat c.u.n.t could find the razor blade or his f.u.c.king wrists. I thought he was meant to be as blind as a bat," he said in a deadpan voice.
Tickled by Ed"s comments, both Stuart and Bertie Simms burst out laughing.
Frankie smiled politely at Jimmy O"Hara as he explained to her that he was breaking in a new horse. She didn"t have a clue what he was talking about so, rather than be rude or come across as thick, she decided to nod her head at appropriate moments.
You need to be brutal with "em, Frankie. Show "em who"s boss. Did you know that a horse has a brain the size of a pea?"
When Alice and Jed walked into the room, Frankie was relieved. It was obvious that Jimmy had had a couple of beers too many and he was nigh on boring her to death.
Alice smiled as she put the plate of sandwiches in front of Frankie. Help yourself, darling."
Oh, I"m fine thanks, Alice. Me and Jed went to Pizza Hut this afternoon. I still feel stuffed."
You"re eating for two, Frankie. You need to keep your strength up for that chavvie of yours. Now, eat," she demanded, as she lifted the plate off the table and thrust it in front of Frankie"s nose.
Not at all hungry, Frankie felt obliged to take a couple of sandwiches and nibble at them. Even though Alice had stopped the cookery lessons, Frankie still found her very domineering and scary. She hadn"t mentioned this to Jed. At the end of the day, Alice was his mum and she would hate to hurt his feelings.
Jed and Jimmy were now deep in conversation so, swallowing a mouthful of her sandwich, Frankie desperately tried to think of something to say to Alice. Not having much in common with the woman, she decided to concentrate on the terrible car accident that Jed"s cousin had been involved in the day before.
Terrible news about Billy, wasn"t it, Alice? Jed"s been so upset," she said.
Alice was confused. What, my Billy? What you on about?"
Frankie shook her head. Names were very confusing in travelling families, as they always seemed to call their children by the same few. Billy, Tommy, Stevie, Jack and Sammy seemed to be the most common. Jed had at least twenty members of his family with those names.
Sammy"s brother, Billy. You know, the one who"s in intensive care, who nearly lost his leg," Frankie said innocently.
Clocking the words Billy", leg" and intensive care", Jed grabbed Frankie"s arm and quickly dragged her from the room.
Jed, you"re hurting me. What"s the matter?" Frankie asked bemused.
Away from his parents" eyes and ears, Jed turned to her. Me mum and dad don"t know about me cousin Billy, Frankie."
What do you mean they don"t know? I thought you said that all your family were up the hospital with you. I knew your mum and dad weren"t, as I saw their lights on last night, but surely someone must have told them."
Jed paused. He was good at making up stories and quickly thought of his answer. Me cousin Billy ain"t on me mum"s side of the family. We wanted to tell her and Dad, but because we thought that Billy might die last night, we decided it was best not to. You gotta remember, Frankie, it weren"t long ago that me mum miscarried and lost the chavvie. You weren"t living here at the time, but her and me dad were distraught. Billy being at death"s door would have brought it all back to them and I love my parents, Frankie, I can"t have "em upset again."
Frankie couldn"t apologise enough. Jed was the most thoughtful person she had ever met and she had such a big mouth. I am so sorry," she said, as she clung to him.
Jed kissed her on the forehead. It ain"t your fault, babe. I should have explained the situation to you. Don"t worry, I"ll make up some story to me mum, she won"t be none the wiser."
Are you sure she won"t know, Jed? I"d feel terrible if I"ve put my big foot in it. I wouldn"t upset your mum or dad for the world."
Jed looked at Frankie"s worried expression and smiled. When they"d first met, Frankie had thought she was a match for his cleverness. She"d obviously rated herself far too highly, bless her.
Joycie had had a wonderful evening. Joey and Dominic had both been entertaining and charismatic. Hilda and Rita were gobsmacked when she"d given them a full guided tour of the house, then told them it was now all hers. They"d seen the house on the day of Jessica"s funeral, but they"d never seen the upstairs before and they were really impressed with the size of the bedrooms.
Jock and Stanley had talked pigeons most of the night, but this didn"t bother Joyce for once. She was a bit tiddly, happy in a strange sort of way, and decided it was each to their own. The words hen or c.o.c.k usually grated on her, but they didn"t seem to bother her at all this evening.
Returning from the lavatory, Joyce sat back down in her chair. Joey and Dominic looked really happy together and now she"d got her head around their unusual situation, she was thrilled for them. She topped up her gla.s.s and stood up.
I have an announcement to make, everybody," she said, tapping her gla.s.s with a spoon.
Stanley, who had been busy talking to Jock, quickly realised that his wife was drunk. Sit down, Joycie. Don"t make a show of yourself," he said, tugging the sleeve of her dress.
Joycie ignored him. She"d read up on h.o.m.os.e.xuality and she was ready to give her speech on the matter. I want to tell you about my grandson, Joey," she said proudly.
Hilda, Rita and Jock all nodded. Guessing what was coming, Dominic squeezed Joey"s hand under the table.
Stanley stood up. Come on, Joyce, let"s get you to bed, love," he said, thoroughly embarra.s.sed. It was obvious where this conversation was leading.
Joyce pushed his hand away. She smiled at Joey and Dominic before continuing. Last week, or was it the week before I can"t remember? but my grandson Joey brought Dominic over here for a meal."
As his nan paused to slurp some more wine, Joey looked nervously at his grandad. Joey was extremely proud of what he was, but he hadn"t expected this showcase.
With her gla.s.s now empty, Joyce poured a refill and carried on. I want everybody here tonight to know something very important. My grandson Joey is a gay man and I couldn"t be happier about it."