‘The last time what Linda?’
‘Nothing Freddie, I didn’t mean anything by it. You know me.’
‘I do and that’s why I know you’re lying.’
Eddie took a deep breath, and slowly moved Freddie’s fingers away from Linda’s chin, keeping eye contact with Freddie at all times, praying he’d see tomorrow.
‘Freddie, I think there’s something I need to tell you.’
‘You know what I always enjoy in the car? A sing-along.’ Arnie quickly glanced back over his shoulder to talk, not wanting to take his eyes off the road. ‘Don’t look so scared, I think you’ll be safe now. The bad man’s gone.’ There was no response, only a small cry from Tasha who was curled up tightly on the back seat, her hands tied.
Arnie was worried. ‘Are you all right? You look awful. Let me do up the window.’ He took his hands off the steering wheel and the car zig-zagged across the road, making a passing car steer up on to the grassy bank to avoid a collision.
Having taken control of Tasha’s Bentley again, Arnie slowed right down, stopping on the gravelled side in front of an entrance to a farm. He turned off the engine and moved round so he could see her properly, then reached out and stroked her hair, wiping away her tears. He pulled off her gag.
‘You’re sad.’
‘Take me home Arnie. Please. Just take me home,’ she wept.
Arnold’s face turned to a smile. ‘Really? You want to go home? You’re not just saying that to make me happy?’
Tasha only stared ahead as Arnie replaced her gag.
‘Lovely, then off we go. How about that sing-along?’
Ray-Ray. He was the only thing she could think of. Ray-Ray. The words she hadn’t dared to imagine she’d be able to say again. The tears streamed down Laila’s face as she ran down Greek Street still in her long dress, minus her shoes, and ignoring all the stares she was getting. All she could think was,
Ray-Ray.
His face. What had happened to his face? She shivered, terrified of the next thought, terrified that she was to blame.
What must he think of her? She’d held on to him in her mind like a person held onto a candle in the darkness. He’d been her everything. On the hardest days the idea of him had kept her going. But she’d messed everything up, and she was not only frightened she wouldn’t she see him again but she was also scared he might hate her. That thought, she didn’t think she could live with.
Wiping away her tears, she hoped Yvonne would be back soon. She needed to talk; everything seemed to be falling apart. She’d tried to call her but it’d gone straight to voicemail. Probably her battery had died. Heading up the walk-up stairs, Laila hoped Johno wasn’t waiting for her, wanting to know why she hadn’t called him to pick her up from the hotel.
‘Where’ve you been?’ Anita, one of the other girls in the walk-up scowled as Laila came in. ‘I’ve been run off me bleeding feet. If it ain’t a blow job, it’s a shag. They’ve been queuing up like they’re after tickets for the FA Cup final. God knows how I’ll bleeding walk tomorrow. Me fanny feels like a pneumatic drill’s been up it.’
Laila smiled weakly, changing into a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. ‘Sorry, I don’t know where Yvonne is, she’s supposed to be here.’
‘‘Supposed’ isn’t ‘
here’
though is it? I’m going home. You can finish off.’ Anita screwed up her face.
Laila shuddered. She’d only done one massage before and it’d made her physically sick. Yvonne had told her to think of it as if she was a masseuse in a posh health spa rather than a girl working in a walk-up in the middle of Soho.
She stood above the man who was lying face down on the massage table naked to the waist, wishing with all her heart that Anita hadn’t been so desperate to go without finishing off this client.
Wanting to get on with it, Laila poured some oil in her hands. She rubbed them together to warm it up, knowing she was putting off the inevitable. Her hands paused above his back, not wanting to touch him.
Gritting her teeth, Laila slid one hand towards his shoulder, the other towards his hip, cringing at every touch she made. She could feel the goosebumps on her skin, adding to her sense of repulsion. Her stomach cramped, and she wanted to retch as she moved both hands to massage his shoulders, kneading away the tension in them but adding to her own. Every fibre of her being screamed out as her fingers slid to the top of his arm, grasping his flesh and turning her hands in circular motions down his arms.
She moved down to his hand, turning it over to massage the palm and down to his fingers, then went round to the other side to do the same to the other arm, seeing the tension in him.
As she got to his wrist, Laila began to slow down, suddenly becoming more uncomfortable than she already was. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Slowly, Laila moved her hands down towards the man’s clenched fist, her eyes darting across his body and towards the door.
Cautiously, she took one hand away, stepping quietly back as tears stung her eyes. As she moved away some more, the man’s hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. Laila pulled away but his grasp was too tight. She screamed as he pulled her towards him.
‘Hello Laila, you didn’t think I’d let you get away so easily do you?’ Baz Gupta sneered as he looked at his wife.
‘What the bloody hell …’ Yvonne walked into the room. At the sight of Baz she froze, glancing over at a terrified Laila.
‘Oh look, it’s the other tart. How cosy. I’ve come to collect my wife.’ Baz held Laila in an arm lock around her neck as he stared at Yvonne. Her first thought was to wade in and help, but she knew there was a good chance of her being overpowered.
Backing out of the room, Yvonne turned and ran, almost throwing herself down the stairs. She crossed over Greek Street, not hesitating as she dodged the cars and weaved through the late-night partygoers hiding from the summer downpour. Cutting through the side street to get to Charing Cross Road, she hoped it wasn’t too late.
‘Come on, come on.’ The traffic was building up, making it impossible for Yvonne to cross. She didn’t have time to wait. Bolting up the same side towards Centrepoint, smashing into anyone who got in her way, she saw the number 38 bus on the other side of the road. ‘Tariq! Tariq!’ She could see him going to sit down, taking his seat on the bottom deck, but then another bus blocked her vision. She tried to cross but was forced back by the oncoming black cabs. ‘Tariq!’ She waved her arms but he didn’t look out of the window. Running down the road, she kept her eyes on the bus, trying to keep up as it gained speed. The lights at Cambridge Circus were about to change from red to green. If he didn’t see her now he’d be gone. Looking right, she saw a car hurtling towards her and closing her eyes, she ran across the road.
She heard the screech of tyres, a horn and people screaming. The car crashed into the back of the black taxi on the other side of the road to avoid hitting Yvonne.
‘What the hell are you doing lady?’ The car driver jumped out, his face red and his fist waving, ready to have a pop at Yvonne. The whole of the traffic had come to a standstill, including the bus Tariq was on. Tariq along with the other passengers, looked at Yvonne in astonishment. She ignored the driver, running nearer the bus and banging on the window.
‘Tariq, quick it’s Laila.’ She didn’t need to say anything else for Tariq to run off the bus.
Tariq panted as he followed Yvonne. ‘What’s happened?’
There wasn’t time for an explanation but she knew the name would say it all. ‘It’s Baz.’ Without a moment’s hesitation, both Yvonne and Tariq ran, escaping the shouts and demands of the angry drivers.
In Greek Street, Yvonne signalled Tariq to the walk-up.
‘I’ll go and find Johno. I can’t call him because my phone’s dead. It’s the first room on the left. Will you be all right whilst I go and get help?’
‘I’ll be fine.’ The words sounded more confident than Tariq actually felt.
Taking the stairs two at a time, Tariq banged into the room. The look on Baz’s face was as startled as the look on Laila’s upon seeing her brother. She managed to mutter the words ‘Tariq,’ before Baz ran in front of her, pushing her backwards on to the floor.
‘Oh here comes the hero of the hour.’
‘Leave her alone Baz.’
Baz laughed menacingly. ‘Who? My wife? You want me to leave
my wife
alone? We were just having a nice cosy chat. A little catch up to find out what she’s been up to. I was just trying to persuade her to come home with me without a fuss, but it seems like she’s got other ideas.’ Baz smirked nastily. Tariq’s face darkened as he spoke.
‘Just walk away.’
‘This is about honour.’
‘This has
nothing
to do with honour Baz; it never has had.’
Baz leant down, grabbing Laila by her arm. He dragged her up to her feet. ‘Move out of my way Tariq.’
Tariq looked at his sister. He could see the fear in her eyes.
‘Move.’
‘No.’
Neither of the men moved. From the corner of his eye Baz saw the metal pole of a broom handle and, seizing the opportunity, he grabbed it, taking a swing at Tariq who was caught off-guard. It knocked him sideways as the pole caught him on the side of his head. He staggered into the massage table, sending the bottles of oils flying.
Baz rushed him again, this time using the side of his body to push him against the wall. He grabbed Tariq’s hair, pulling his head back then, smashing it against the corner frame of the cupboard. Blood squirted out of Tariq’s nose as Laila screamed. He slid down to his knees, receiving a final kick from Baz in the back.
‘Stop, it! Stop it!’ Laila rushed over to Tariq who lay slumped on the floor. She cradled Tariq’s head in her arms.
The door swung open.
‘Laila, I should’ve said this before, but I’m saying it now. I ain’t one for words but I need to get this out, I lo …’ Ray-Ray walked through the door beginning to deliver the monologue to Laila that he’d been practising on the way over. He stopped dead, taking in the scene that greeted him in the tiny room.
‘Ray-Ray!’
Baz slowly turned his head as it dawned on him who this man was. He stepped forward slowly, back kicking Laila to move out of the way. His face was curled with hatred. ‘My wife
is
popular. First we have the hero and now the freak show’s arrived.’
Laila looked at Baz anxiously; she could see the venom in his eyes and she knew what he was capable of. ‘Ray-Ray, just go.’
‘I ain’t going anywhere.’
‘How romantic, beauty and the beast.’ Ray-Ray went to move forward but froze as he saw Baz bend down and pick up a green can from the bag he had with him. He watched in horror as Baz hurriedly shook out the contents all over Laila, soaking her in the strong-smelling colourless liquid. It was petrol.
Freddie Thompson couldn’t move. It was the same feeling he’d had when he was sitting on the deck of the boat, thinking Tasha had betrayed him; the same cold steel feeling lay in his heart as it did now. And as he had done then, he now decided it was best to do nothing apart from stare at the blank wall in front of him, knowing if he did move he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions.
‘I’m sorry Freddie, I ain’t never lied to you before. But what was I supposed to do? It was Tash you were asking me to deal with. Tash. I couldn’t do it.’ Eddie paused, knowing it wasn’t looking good for him. Freddie hadn’t spoken for the last ten minutes, but had just been standing by the marble sink, staring at the wall. And as Eddie went into more detail, explaining as gently as possible what had really happened with Arnie, he wasn’t sure if he was going to get out of this alive. And it wasn’t helping that Linda was sticking her two penn’orth in either. Her words spilled out in panic.
‘Freddie, listen to me. Tash, she wasn’t thinking straight. You know how difficult it was, what with you going inside and all.’
For the first time, Freddie spoke. ‘Oh so it’s my fault now is it Lind?’
Looking at Freddie’s demeanour, Linda thought it was best not to say anything else.
‘How long was she banging him for?’ Freddie shouted, and neither of them said anything, ‘I said, how long?’
It was Linda who spoke. ‘She wasn’t, not really. She never slept with him.’
‘You expect me to believe that?’
‘That’s what I said to her.’ Linda stopped, realising what she was saying wasn’t really helping. She changed tack.
‘She knew she’d done wrong Freddie. She loves you, she was just lonely.’
‘She made a right fucking mug of me. I bet she was pissing herself laughing.
That’s
why she wasn’t happy to see me. Spoilt her dirty plans.’
‘No Freddie, it wasn’t like that. She was scared of him.’
Freddie laughed loudly and Linda heard the edge of bitterness in it. ‘Do me a favour. So scared they’ve run off together?’
‘She ain’t, I swear.’ Linda stopped short of saying she would bet her life on it, not wanting to give Freddie any ideas.
‘There’s more.’ Eddie got the envelope which he’d picked up from Arnie’s flat out of his jacket. He threw it on the table. ‘The man’s minted. There’s all kind of documents there.’
Freddie pushed it away. ‘That ain’t of interest to me. All I’m interested in is payback time and once I’ve had that, then I’ll deal with you two.’
Linda and Eddie looked at each other and in a desperate attempt to placate Freddie she said, ‘Freddie, I know you’re pissed and in a way you’ve got every right to be, but if the flowers were from him, I think she’s in trouble.’
Freddie’s hard exterior didn’t falter as he stared at his sister-in-law. ‘And that’s my problem, how?’
‘I know you love her and I know you’re hurt but please Freddie, let’s just look for them.’
Eddie butted in. ‘I don’t buy it. I reckon they’ve just gone.’
‘Ask yourself, why the farce then? Why would Tash pretend she’s going on a date with Freddie if she didn’t believe it herself?’ Linda protested.
Freddie raised his voice, throwing the wine glass from the sink to the other side of the room. ‘I don’t know Linda. I don’t know anything any more. But I tell you what I do know, there’s no way I’m running after her. Even if what you’re saying is right, she deserves all she gets.’