The Traitor. Kimberley Chambers
all night.
She debated whether to go and wake his parents, but decided against it. She was worried that he’d got drunk and had an accident in his truck, but his mum and dad would probably accuse her of overreacting. She tried Jed’s mobile again, but the phone was still switched off. About to ring her brother for advice, she heard an engine nearing and ran over to the window.
When the headlights turned into the drive, Frankie was relieved, but also angry as she spotted Jed’s truck. Hearing loud voices, Frankie peeped through a gap in the curtains. Recognising Jed’s cousin Sammy, she ran back into the bedroom.
Eddie Mitchell took a slow walk towards the shower room. He knew Big Bald Baz and his cronies were already in there, as his pal, Johnny the screw, had given him the nod.
Johnny was a good lad and Ed had noticed, within weeks of arriving at the prison, that he had little respect for the many scumbags residing there. Today Johnny was on duty with another screw called Fred. Fred hated Big Bald Baz, because on many occasions the fat bastard had tried to terrorise him. Baz could sense weakness in people and Fred wasn’t like most of the other screws. He was meek and a bit of a loner and people like Baz tended to cause him no end of aggravation.
Nearing his destination, Eddie smiled as he heard Big Bald Baz laughing. He bent down, took the file out of his sock and slipped it up his sleeve. The dirty stinking animal wouldn’t be laughing for much longer, that was for sure.
Frankie darted into the bedroom, curled back up under the quilt cover and turned off the light.
Jed and Sammy were obviously slaughtered and she was fuming that Jed had driven home in such a state. She knew they were still drinking, because she could hear the cans being opened. She could also smell cannabis wafting through the crack in the door. She listened intently. They were giggling about some girls they’d met. She heard Jed mention the name Sally, but he then lowered his voice and she heard footsteps heading her way.
As the bedroom door opened, Frankie shut her eyes and pretended to be asleep. She couldn’t wait to give Jed a piece of her mind, but she wasn’t going to show herself up in front of his cousin, Sammy.
Jed sat on the edge of the bed and kissed her on the cheek. ‘How’s my girl? Been looking after that chavvie for me, have yer?’
Frankie ignored him. Jed stank of booze, fags, and his clothes smelt sweaty and stale. She was livid with him and didn’t want him anywhere near her.
‘I know you’re awake,’ he said cockily.
Frankie opened her eyes. ‘Leave me alone, Jed, I’m tired,’ she said angrily. ‘Go and have fun with your cousin. You can talk about what girls you pulled.’
‘We never pulled no girls, Frankie. Me and Sammy knew you were awake, we saw the light go off as we drove in. We’ve been winding you up, you dinlo.’
Unable to stop her eyes welling up, Frankie turned away from him. ‘I was worried sick. I thought you’d had an accident. Why was your phone switched off all night?’
Jed lay down next to her. ‘’Cause me battery ran out. Don’t have the hump, Frankie. Stag nights go on for hours and I ain’t had a night out with the boys for ages, have I? Surely you don’t begrudge me a good time once in a while?’
As his arms went around her waist, Frankie moved away from him. She could feel his hard-on, but he smelt like a tramp and sex was the last thing she fancied, especially with Sammy in the next room. ‘I need to get some sleep, Jed.’
Annoyed, Jed stood up. ‘I’ll speak to you later,’ he said, as he slammed the bedroom door.
Over in South London, Eddie was ready to strike like a viper. As a grinning Baz put the towel around his extra-large midriff, Eddie made his move.
‘You fucking fat cunt, take that,’ he shouted, as he came at Baz from the side and aimed the file straight at his right eye.
As luck would have it, Eddie had taken Baz completely by surprise. His aim was spot on and as the big man fell to the floor in agony, Ed pulled the file out of one eye and aimed straight for the other. ‘That’s what you get for slagging off my family, you fat piece of shit.’
As Baz’s three mates ran towards him, Ed stood up with the file pointing their way.
‘Help me! I can’t see. I’m blind, I’m fucking blind!’ Baz screamed hysterically.
Baz’s mates saw the state of his face and stopped, rooted to the spot. There was blood pouring from both his eyes, and it looked as if he was crying red tears.
As Eddie walked towards them, all three of Baz’s friends took a step backwards. ‘You saw nothing, you mugs, and I swear if you say one word, you’ll have no fucking eyes left as well.’
The three men all held their hands up. ‘We didn’t see anything,’ they repeated one after the other.
Knowing that it was time to leave, Ed couldn’t resist a closer look at the bleeding, screaming mess he’d just attacked. He lifted his foot and kicked Big Bald Baz as hard in the bollocks as he could. ‘You grass me up, or ever say one more word about my wife or dad, I’ll cut your fucking heart out next time, got me?’
‘I can’t see. For fuck’s sake get me some help,’ Baz screamed in agony.
Eddie washed the blood off his hands, smirked, and sauntered out of the shower room.
Joey was a bundle of nerves as he and Dominic headed towards Rainham in a taxi.
‘You haven’t got to tell them tonight if you don’t want to,’ Dominic said kindly.
‘I want to. If me and you are gonna be truly happy, we can’t live a lie.’
Admiring his boyfriend’s strength of character, Dominic squeezed his hand. ‘Why don’t we stop off and get a couple of drinks inside us first.’
Joey shook his head. ‘No. My nan’s expecting us at six and we don’t wanna be late. I won’t tell them straight away. We can eat our dinner, have a few drinks, and I’ll break the news towards the end of the evening.’
Dominic nodded. It was Joey’s family, so the decision was entirely up to him.
Raymond and Polly had just arrived at Joycie’s house.
‘Take Polly’s coat and pour our guests some drinks,’ Joyce said to her husband in her posh voice.
Stanley smiled as he obeyed his wife’s orders. Joyce was properly back to her old self; so much so, it was hard to believe that she had ever been ill in the first place.
Raymond thanked his father for their drinks and politely asked about his pigeons. Their relationship had been difficult after Jessica’s death, but his mother’s illness had helped to heal the rift between them.
Joyce checked on the roast potatoes, shut the oven door, then made her way into the lounge.
‘So lovely to see you again, Polly,’ she said, kissing her son’s girlfriend.
As the dogs ran into the living room, Joyce shushed them out. Buster, the slightly bigger of the two, was having none of it. He’d taken a shine to Joyce since she had come out of hospital and rid herself of her madness. As Buster clung to her leg and tried to hump her, Joyce screamed in mortification.
Realising that the dog was very excited and rubbing his masterpiece against Joycie’s best dress, both Stanley and Raymond burst out laughing.
Joyce was furious. Talk about embarrass her in front of Polly. ‘Get this dog away from me now. Put them out the back,’ she yelled at Stanley.
Trying to stifle his laughter, Stanley ushered Bruno out, then managed to untangle Buster from Joycie’s leg.
‘I feel grubby now, so I’m going to get changed again. Now that Joey’s rarely here, I’m sending them slobbering, filthy creatures back round to Pat Murphy’s,’ Joyce said haughtily.
Once