‘Here’ George says gruffly, slopping brandy into a tumbler. ‘Get this down yer!’
Anthony puffs his cheeks. ‘Thanks, George’ He takes the glass and tosses back a hefty swig, grimacing as he swallows. ‘Sheeesh’ He screws up his eyes and shudders involuntarily.
‘That’ll hit in a minute or two’ George gives a gummy grin.
‘Shan’t be able to stand up if I drink this lot’ Anthony says, eyeing the glass.
‘Don’t you worry none about that, lad. Ain’t like you was going nowhere’ George shakes his head, sighing as he sits down.
‘True’ Anthony agrees, taking another, smaller, sip. ‘Nothing for me to do at the hospital right now…but I’ve got to be around…just in case’
‘Mmm…and I can run yer there if needs be. Thank the Lord you went! Tha’s all I can say’
‘I think that’s what’s got to me most to be honest, George. If it hadn’t been for sorting Dad out with this visit, I wouldn’t have come to see you. If I hadn’t come to see you then…’
‘Lad, you can’t be thinking like that’ George says sympathically. ‘You found her. She’s poorly but yer did find her. S’not like they ‘urt er or nothing. Not much at any rate. Could a been a lot worse. Them drips is miracles. She’ll come good’
‘I thought she was dead, I really did’ Anthony stares unblinking into the glass.
‘Tied er up, yer said?’
He nods. ‘To the leg of the table, she couldn’t go anywhere nor do anything. Managed to lie down of sorts but with nothing to eat or drink…’
‘She couldn’t’ve been there that long then…not iffin she didn’t have nothing t’drink. Yer c’n do wi’out food but…’
‘I don’t know exactly. Earliest post was dated the day before yesterday, not that that says much. We won’t know that for sure until she’s well enough to talk…if she does get well enough to talk’
‘But what were she doing there? Tha’s what I can’t understand. She were telling every bloomin’ soul what’d listen tha’ she were off on holiday’
‘I don’t know, George, I really don’t’ Anthony shakes his head, bewildered
‘Your Melanie coming is she?’ George brightens inappropriately.
‘I said I’d ring again tonight…but…what with the kids and everything’ he sighs. ‘No point, there’s nothing she can do’
‘And yer Dad?’
‘He’s not bothered’ Anthony shrugs ‘Can’t say that I blame him…but I did think…you know’
‘Ah well, up to him, can’t make the man’ George reaches to put another log on the fire and prods it into place with the poker. He turns back to Anthony. ‘You won’t be wanting the big bed, then?’
‘I’ll put up somewhere, George, I can’t put you to that sort of trouble’
‘Gercha! Course you can. You c’n air Ernie’s bed up fer im!’
4 Pike Lane
Chapter Eight
Milliwick Newsagents
‘I don’t know what else they thought I could tell them’ Liz Applewhite folds her arms into the sleeves of her cardigan, giving her elbows a scratch.
‘You int got t’give ‘em a statement nor nothing then?’ Edna Smith asks.
‘They was just makin some enquiries. Dunno why they should ask me nothing, I could only say what she cancelled er papers’
‘We all thought she was on ‘er holidays’ Edna says with a confused shake of the head. ‘Wish I could remember who it was what told me’
‘Probably me’
‘No…it weren’t you. It’ll come t’me, I ‘spect. Were there much took?’
‘No idea’ Liz shrugs. She sighs sympathetically. ‘Poor lad…it were ‘im what found ‘er’
‘So Kath were tellin’ me. Dreadful business. Don’t like the woman much, if I were being ‘onest…but I wouldn’t wish that on ‘er’’
‘No begger’s safe is they? But they won’t get in ere wi’out the alarm going off. Time’s I’ve said I should like a nice little house…but I ain’t s’sure now!’
Samms Plant Hire, Oatfield
‘Mmm’ Ingrid nods, putting her hand to her mouth while she chews and swallows the bite from her sandwich. ‘Usually sits at her desk but she got picked up and taken out today’ she smiles.
‘Boyfriend?’
‘Not sure…could’ve been. I don’t get all the gory details I used to get with Gemma’ she grimaces. ‘Something I could’ve done without. Charlene’s a lot more…. discreet, when it comes to that sort of thing. Why?’
‘Just wondering’
‘Wondering or interested?’ Ingrid teases, licking a stray crumb from the corner of her mouth.
‘No…not really interested….not as such’ Nathan perches on the corner of her desk and starts threading paper clips together from the box next to the blotter. ‘Kes is having a get together Saturday. I was wondering if she’d like to come with me that’s all’.
‘And that’s not interested?’ She slaps his hand and moves the box.
‘Leave it out!’ Nathan rolls his eyes and twirls the daisy-chained clips. ‘ I meant just for us to go together. I wasn’t thinking anything else. If it hadn’t been for her, I might not have been here to go at all…and I know she gets on well with Kester and Helen. Might be nice to’ve included her, that’s all’
‘It might’ve been…but I’m pretty certain she mentioned going out Saturday’ Ingrid peels the seal from a small bottle of orange juice. ‘Not sure if that’s with the boyfriend, if there is one, or her mates, some band or other, where the old Town Hall used to be in Woodbury?’ She sips her drink.
‘I won’t bother asking then’ Nathan says, dropping the paperclips back in the box. ‘She settled down ok?’
‘Back to normal’ Ingrid declares with a smile. ‘Poor girl…. Mind you, she hasn’t quite forgiven me yet for insisting she got a tetanus shot. She was a mess’ she sighs, shaking her head. ‘You should’ve seen it! No, perhaps not’ she says after a moment’s reflection.
‘Not?’ Nathan stands and hitches his jeans.
‘You’d’ve had her down the cop shop making a complaint. It was vicious’ she says as still listening, he walks backwards into his office to collect his jacket.
‘She did get her own back’ Nathan grins as he shrugs the jacket on. ‘I don’t think Gemma will be so quick to do it again. Any more from Phil? I haven’t seen him about’ he asks, straightening the collar at the back.
‘He’s only in and out with his time sheets…but he did go through with it’
‘He chucked Gemma out?’ Nathan sounds surprised.
‘Apparently’
‘Where’s she gone?’
Ingrid shrugs her shoulders. ‘No idea. Think she’s quite close to her eldest brother…but no way he’d stand for the crap Phil has…Him and his wife haven’t got two ha’pennies to rub together either, bless ‘em. Things are really tight, so they won’t be baling her out for long, even if they are putting her up’
‘You know her brother?’
‘My Roberta does. She used to go to school with him…and his wife come to that. Nice lad. Lot like Phil’
‘Makes you wonder how they managed to spawn something like Gemma doesn’t it?’ Nathan growls as he checks his pockets for his car keys.
‘You ain’t wrong there!’
‘Anyway…keep me posted. Phil must be cut up even though it was his decision’
‘Will do’ Ingrid nods as he wanders to the door ‘Where you off to?’
‘Just mooching’ Nathan shrugs and finger waves goodbye as he pushes his way out.
25 Piper Street
‘Ow many more times must I tell yer? We don’t need no alarm!’ Charlie bangs the ends of his knife and fork on the table either side of his plate. ‘And I ain’t avin one!’
‘Don’t you care iffin I gets tied up an’ robbed?’ Edna sniffs, her dinner pushed to one side.
‘Don’t be s’daft woman!’ Charlie says through a mouthful of liver and bacon. ‘What we got worth robbin’?’
‘That ain't the point. They don’t know that ‘til they’ve got in do they?’
‘Edna Smith..’ Charlie says as patiently as he can without running the risk of his dinner getting cold. ‘’We got a little tin-pot ‘ouse…I knows yer keeps it smart’ he adds quickly, seeing her mouth opening to protest ‘But we int the sort a folks burglars bother ‘bout. They likes big ‘ouses…wi’lots a stuff what they can get rid on easy. We got a few bits but they int worth much to no begger but us’ He scoops a forkful of cabbage into his mouth, licking a dribble of gravy from his chin. ‘We got a bob or two…grant yer…but tha’s all tucked away fer our Pete, wha’s left on it when we’s gone, t’any rate’
‘But there’s your granny’s clock!’ Edna says triumphantly. ‘That’s worth money!’
‘They c’n ave the danged thing! Flamin ding donging all the blessed time. Takes me fer ever t’work out what time it is of a night. Don’t even ding proper, dings ten when it should a donged two…an’ when it starts on wi’tha Big Ben thing it does’
‘Nothing that can’t be put right’ Edna claims with another sniff.
‘We ain’t payin out undreds fer no alarm t’keep a clock what’s worth no more’n half a crown from getting robbed!’
‘Int I worth more than half a crown?’
Charlie gives up on his dinner and lays his knife and fork down with a sigh. ‘You knows you is…but, look ere gal…we got people both sides on us…that dog next door barks ev’ry time a bloomin bird farts. We don’t need no alarm, we got a four legged ‘un…I’ll even buy the blasted thing a bone iffin it keeps yer ‘appy’
‘I won’t be appy ‘til we gets ourselves an alarm!’
‘Well, you’s just gonna ave t’stay unhappy then…fer we int aving one’
