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  Ged started to set the game up instead, every now and then shooting a look over at the letter beside him on the sofa. But as he got into his game he forgot all about it, shouting at the TV screen and focussing on his every move. So it was almost a surprise to see the envelope still sitting there. He reached over for it, closed his eyes for a few seconds and held it, smelt it. Then he slid his fingers inside the envelope and pulled out a standard prison letter, thick blue lines on it, the jail stamp at the top. Ged sat back as he started to read the words from his father. He struggled to decipher the handwriting, had to take his time to sound some of the words out and it took a while to get through all three pages. Ged held the paper to his chest briefly before shoving it back in the envelope and ramming it in his trouser pocket. If his mother saw this, she would go ape. She usually hid any letters from him. Ged had once found a stack of them in the bottom of her wardrobe and all hell had broken loose. She had no right to hide his mail, Kevin was his dad and Ged had every right to see him and get letters from him.

  Not for the first time, Kevin had enclosed a visiting order with his letter. Lucky the post had been late today then, and he’d seen it before his mam, before it was too late. This was it, a chance to see his dad, a chance for his father to sit facing him, look him in the eye and tell him how sorry he was that he hadn’t been around for him.

  Ged missed his dad, he’d been his hero when he was a kid. They’d gone to the park to play football together, wrestled, watched wildlife programmes together. His old man had been his best friend.

  Ged’s thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing. Bloody hell, Frankie hadn’t just been winding him up. Ged’s swiped the button and held the phone to his ear.

  ‘Yo, what gwarn,’ drawled Frankie.

  ‘Not much, just chilling, what you up to?’

  ‘I’m down the estate just sorting a few things out. Come to Collyhurst, Eastford Square and we can hang for a bit. I’ll buy you your tea so don’t bother eating first.’

  Ged was lost for words, eventually managing to stutter, ‘Yeah, alright, let me get changed and I’ll ring you when I’m on my way.’

  ‘Sorted.’ Frankie ended the call.

  Ged sat thinking for a few minutes. He liked his games, never really socialised. What if he didn’t fit in, what if nobody liked him? He rushed to his room and pulled out his best Nike tracksuit. He kept it for special occasions – it was his pride and joy. He styled his hair, which didn’t look as red once he’d put some wax in it, he reckoned, then looked into the full-length mirror, turning to look first at one side, then the other. Pretty dapper. He quickly checked around the room to make sure everything was alright before he left. His mother would go ballistic if she came home early, she’d know he’d had the heating on. She was a right penny pincher, but she should be glad he’d gone out, saved her the cost of a hot meal. He’d probably get it in the ear later for not letting her know where he’d gone. But Ged had a friend now, a real friend and nothing else seemed to matter.

  Chapter Six

  It had been quite a day – one all the teachers were glad to see the back of. Three incidents in all, though nothing else as big as Ged’s meltdown. The teachers were in the staff room chatting and drinking coffee. Tina was sat with them listening to today’s stories.

  ‘That new girl, Nancy, doesn’t say much, does she?’ Sinclair said. ‘It’s a shame Chelsea’s not more like her – my job would be a lot easier. On my life, that girl has a mouth like a sewer; you should hear how she talks to the boys. She might be underage but you’d never know it, going on about blow jobs and more all the time. Every second word out of her mouth is fuck. Surely, someone should have a look at what’s going on?’

  Tina sat back in her chair, crossed her legs. ‘She’s been reported to the safeguarding team. There’s definitely something going on with her lately. Her mum said she’s out until all hours and she’s smoking weed too. Not good news for any family, is it? I’d be worried out of my mind if it was my daughter.’

  Robert Sinclair looked up and nodded. ‘Yes, I know I could smell it on her the other day. Mind you, I thought weed was supposed to calm you down. It mustn’t be working on her though because she’s just louder than ever.’

  Tina agreed. ‘Did any of you see that love bite on her neck last week? She told me it was a rash, but you could tell that was nonsense, it was black and blue. It’s a sad state of affairs when the teenagers here are getting more action than the teaching staff,’ she gave a wry grin.

  Sinclair burst out laughing in surprise. Sure they were a tight-knit team, but this was more than Tina usually let on. ‘Don’t tell me you’re not getting any, Tina, what’s to do with that husband of yours?’

  Tina looked downcast. ‘It’s not him, it’s me. If I can’t have babies, what’s the point?’ She stopped herself. She wasn’t thinking straight. Why on earth was she telling everyone at work about her personal problems?

  The other members of staff looked at each other furtively; they knew this was a touchy subject. One by one they made their excuses, started to leave. None of them wanted to get into another long talk about Tina’s problems or her health. Tina herself sat staring into space, her hand placed on her stomach, wishing that she didn’t feel so empty inside. She seemed oblivious to the fact that everyone else had gone. Her eyes started to well up. ‘All I ever wanted was a baby,’ she choked. ‘All I want is my own child.’

  Over at the salon, Susan sat in her office looking stressed. Her brother John was with her, sipping at a cup of coffee. He had a look of Susan – you could tell that they were related – but he could give Donny a run for his money in the poser stakes. He obsessed about his appearance. He looked good though, with his ripped muscles and toned physique. He put the cup down on the white desk and nodded his head slowly over at her. ‘So, run it by me again, why do you think he’s cheating on you this time?’

  Susan sat picking at the skin round her fingernails. ‘I just know, don’t ask me how, but I do. Something’s just not right.’

  ‘So, why are you still with him? Let me and our Dave kick him out and be done with him.’

  Susan panicked – this was going too far too fast. ‘No, I need to catch him at it first. If I go in now all guns blazing, he will just laugh at me and say I’m being paranoid. But, John, he takes hours getting ready in the morning and in the bedroom he’s been throwing some new moves in. Putting legs in places they have never been. Come on, where’s he getting that from all of a sudden unless someone’s showing him it?’

  John scratched the end of his chin and looked at his sister in more detail. ‘TMI, sister, TMI. Anyhow, I don’t know why you had him back after last time. Our Dave wanted to chop him up and feed him to the pigs. You should have binned the dirty fucker.’

  Her voice was quiet, timid. ‘He’s my husband, John. Everyone deserves a second chance. I mean how many chances have you had from Paige? You’ve been caught out that many times so don’t judge me when your wife has given you chance after chance. I don’t know how she does it, honest, I’d have you six foot under by now.’

  John smirked and sat back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. ‘I just love the women, don’t I? And they love me. I can’t help myself. But Donny is another story. You’re my sister and I won’t have no prick taking the piss out of you. I told you when you first met him that I wasn’t sure about him, didn’t I?’

  Susan was quick to jump in. ‘You said that about every man that I dated, John. But now … I just need to put my mind at rest and find out for sure. It’s making me ill. Night after night I lie awake and any chance I get, I go through his phone. Can’t you get some of your boys to watch him for me? If I could do it myself I would, but I daren’t do much more than drive by the school gates.’

  ‘I suppose, but are you sure you want me to? Imagine if he is cheating, what then?’

  Susan sat cracking her knuckles and her expres
sion changed. The softness and uncertainty vanished; she looked hard, unforgiving. Her voice was slow, deep as she replied. ‘Then I’ll ruin him. There will be none of what happened last time. I’ll make sure I leave the bastard with nothing. I’ll take him to the fucking cleaners.’

  John chuckled and threw his head back laughing. ‘That’s my sister sat right there. I knew you were in there somewhere. That’s it, girl, break him, take him for everything and leave the fucker with nothing but the clothes he’s standing in.’

  Susan grinned, reached over and patted her brother’s knee. ‘Let’s get this plan into action then. If he’s fucking about then God help him. I’m ready this time, ready to destroy him and everything that he loves.’

  John nodded his head slowly and sat staring out of the window. ‘Consider it done.’

  Chapter Seven

  Donny made his way into the boozer on the way home from work. A pint or two was just what the doctor ordered after today, his head was done in with all the stress. And if Susan wasn’t at home, he could grab a few cheeky drinks to help him settle down before he watched the match and she’d never know.

  Melanie Peters, the new English teacher, was by his side. She was twenty-eight years old and she oozed confidence – as well she might with her heart-shaped lips, a great figure and legs that seemed to go on forever. Massive rack too, and she didn’t exactly hide them away; she seemed to be aware of the effect of low-cut tops on her figure. Maybe that was the reason he’d employed her in the first place, because her CV wasn’t that good if he was being honest. Still, it was more about attitude than qualifications in this school. And she had something about her. Donny always had an end-of-day meeting with new staff to see if they’d survived their first day. Some teachers never came back, but Melanie looked like she could handle herself. Donny had offered to drop her off on his way home and when he mentioned he was going for a few drinks in the pub she invited herself along. That was his story anyway. What could he say? Nothing really, he hadn’t done anything wrong. Still, if Susan got wind of it, she’d go ape. Drinks with a female member of staff, just the two of them.

  ‘What do you want to drink, Mel?’

  ‘A large white wine thanks, Donny.’

  Melanie found some seats in a quiet corner of the pub while he went to the bar, taking it for granted that he was paying. Donny smiled over at her as he waited to be served. He was a happily married man, but he still couldn’t help flirting with her. It was in his nature. But Donny was too preoccupied by Melanie flicking her long dark hair over her shoulders to notice a large-framed man stood watching him from the other side of the bar, clocking his every movement.

  As Melanie watched Donny approaching with the drinks, he blushed slightly; her steady gaze made him feel nervous. He sat down next to her. ‘I’ve been gagging for a beer all day. The wife is out with her mate so there’s no rush to get home. I’ve got a nice chilled night planned, footy, a few more beers and bed.’

  Melanie dropped her eyes low, started to play with her long, slender fingers. Had he said something wrong, upset her?

  ‘I’ve not long split up from my partner, so nobody’s waiting for me at home anymore.’

  Donny sipped his pint. He didn’t really know much about Melanie, only what he needed to know about her teaching background. Her personal life was none of his business.

  She toyed with her drink, still not meeting his eyes, but seemed eager to talk all the same. ‘My ex is a nightmare. I’ve told him there is no going back this time, but he keeps turning up wherever I am.’ She continued talking in a whisper as if he might be able to hear her – wherever he was – her eyes darting around the room just in case. ‘He said if I get somebody new, he’ll cut their balls off. He’s a total headcase, got a screw loose.’ The hairs on her arm were standing on end. ‘And he would you know, he’s got a terrible temper and he doesn’t know when to stop once his cage has been rattled. I asked him to get help, you know, but he point-blank refused, told me I was the one with the problem not him.’

  Donny wasn’t quite sure how to respond. ‘He sounds like a right one. How did you end up with somebody like that? You seem like you’ve got your head screwed on. Men with tempers like that are trouble. It starts with words, but that’s not usually where it ends.’ He paused. ‘Did he hit you too?’ He realised that maybe he had overstepped the mark with his last question. He should have been more cautious, though it didn’t seem to faze Mel, who carried on talking as she nervously twiddled the ends of her hair.

  ‘Donny, you don’t know the half of it. He’s done some bad things to me; sick, twisted things. He thinks he’s untouchable. I’ve been out on a few dates since we split up and he always gets wind of it and turns up and warns them off. It looks like I will be single for ever, well, at least while he’s still around,’ she paused as if unsure whether to carry on. ‘You see, the thing is, he’s a copper. So, it’s not like I can report him, he’s got the boys in blue looking after him. They all piss in the same pot. I did phone them when he first started hitting me and nothing was done. It’s a waste of time. It’s like pissing in the wind.’

  ‘You should ask to speak to someone else, go higher than him, that will fuck him up.’

  ‘He is one of the higher-up ones, Donny. He’s older than me and he still thinks I’m some sort of kid. We got together when I was sixteen and he sort of looked after me when I was in a bad place. But I realised too late he liked the power. He’s a bully, Donny. A control freak.’

  Donny didn’t know what to say to that. Why hadn’t she kicked him to the kerb and sent him packing years ago? He’d never understood why anyone would stay with an abusive partner and struggled to find the words she was clearly wanted to hear.

  Melanie took another sip of her wine and sat back in her seat, clearly deciding it was time to change the subject before she got upset. Donny could already see her welling up. ‘So, tell me a bit about you. Obviously I know you’re the headteacher, but I don’t really know anything more about you.’

  Donny’s mobile started to ring; he stared at the screen and stood up. ‘I just need to take this call.’ He held the phone to his ear and started to walk away, but Melanie still caught snatches of the conversation. ‘I’m busy at the moment, but I’ll catch you later tonight, just crack on and I’ll ring you back soon.’ Donny ended the call and walked back to his seat. He raised his eyebrows and sighed. ‘Sorry about that, just a mate who needed a favour.’

  Melanie smiled softly. ‘You’re a friend to everyone, aren’t you, Donny? The main reason I took this job was because of how you are with people. You have a great outlook on life and I’m glad to be a part of your team.’

  Donny was chuffed. ‘It’s hard graft but I get so much more from the job. These kids need us, not just to teach them, they need to feel part of something. Sure, a lot of them will still face a few bumps in the road when they leave us, I’m not going to pretend we’ve never had a former pupil end up in jail or get pregnant underage, but lots go on to bigger things and sort themselves out. One lad who used to come to our school has his own business now. He owns a café in Miles Platting. On my life, he drove into the school car park one morning and told me. “Come and bring the kids to my café, it’s on the house.” Ten students and four staff went for lunch and he fed us all for free. He told the kids about how he started out and how he got to where he was today. It made me choke up really, it was so good to see someone that had been to our school make something of themselves. If I’m being honest a lot of the kids won’t even sit their exams, so if I didn’t step in they’d leave school with no qualifications, nothing. But I have a lot of work placements set up in the area, local businesses and that – the kids who aren’t academic, I’ll send them there in hope they might get a decent job at the end of it.’

  Melanie seemed impressed. She looked him directly in the eyes. ‘You really are a knight in shining armour, aren’t you, Donny?’

&n
bsp; He was lapping up the words. Melanie moved closer, whispered in his ear. He could feel her breath hot on the side of his neck; it sent shivers down his spine. What was she playing at? He pulled away. Maybe the wine had gone straight to her head. His phone was ringing again, Susan’s name flashing across the screen. But there was no way he was answering the call now, no way in this world. She had a sixth sense for working out when he was around other women. Instead, Donny picked his drink up and took a large swig. He loved his wife and there was no chance he was jeopardising what he had at home for a quick knee-trembler with one of his staff in a pub toilet. Melanie couldn’t have made it more obvious; she was there for the taking if he wanted her. But he didn’t. Back in the day he wouldn’t have thought twice, but not now, he was a changed man.

  Donny knew he needed out; he faked a yawn, stretched his arms above his head before glancing down at his watch. ‘I’d better be off. The missus will be home soon, and I want to have stuff sorted for her when she walks through the door, a nice warm bath, candles and that.’ There you go, the signals sent out loud and clear: he was not a cheater, he was a good husband. Susan was his soul mate and he had vowed he’d never do anything that would hurt her again. He’d learned his lesson. Sure, Melanie was sexy, and he was flattered, of course, but the snake was staying in the cage.

  Melanie knew a knockback when she saw one. She threw back the rest of her drink, looked at the table, a bit embarrassed. ‘Don’t suppose you could drop me off at home, Donny?’ That was all he needed, he just wanted to be home now. But what could he say, he was the one that had offered in the first place. ‘OK. You ready?’

  Melanie nodded, reached over to grab her handbag, giving Donny a look at her slim thighs in the process. She wasn’t making it easy for him. He stood up, anxious to get going. Note to self, do not take Melanie for a drink again. She was clearly a woman who knew what she wanted.