ask. Anyway, you don’t have to feel left out, ’cause I’m taking you to their wedding reception over in Kent.’
Frankie moved away from him and flopped onto the sofa. ‘Do you have to go to his stag night, Jed? I’ve been stuck here on my own all day and I’m so bored.’
Sitting down next to her, Jed squeezed her hand. ‘Of course I have to go. You don’t want me to look like a dinlo, do ya? Why don’t you go next door and watch telly with me mum and dad?’
At the mention of Jed’s mother, Frankie burst into tears. ‘I want my own mum, not someone else’s,’ she sobbed.
Making sure that her tears didn’t ruin his Ralph Lauren shirt, Jed put an arm around her. ‘Look, no one can bring your mum back, Frankie. I know what happened was rotten, but you’ve got your cuntsmouth of a father to blame for that. We’re gonna be parents ourself soon, so you gotta pull yourself together. How you gonna take care of our chavvie properly if you’re upset all the poxy time?’
Frankie stared at him in horror. Her mum had only been dead for two months, so surely she was allowed to grieve. ‘Just go, Jed,’ she said angrily.
Jed stood up. He was gagging for a good night out and he wasn’t going to let Frankie spoil it for him. ‘I’ll try not to be late. Why don’t you have an early night? You look ever so tired,’ he said gently.
Frankie wanted to tell him to fuck off, but didn’t have the guts to. If she was still living back at home, she would have told him where to go, but what was the point now when she was so reliant on him?
‘Love you,’ Jed said, as he slammed the trailer door.
Over in South London, Eddie Mitchell reread the letter he’d received today from Paulie. He didn’t usually receive a lot of post, but today he’d had mail from Raymond, his Uncle Reg and his eldest brother.
Raymond’s letter was pretty brief, but he’d asked for a visiting order to be sent, which had pleased Ed no end.
Reggie’s letter had been pleasant, but long-winded. He’d spoken in detail about Auntie Joan, Auntie Vi, Uncle Albert, but had said very little else of interest.
It had been Paulie’s letter that had been the real eye-opener. A, Ed hadn’t expected to ever hear from him again after the fall-out they’d had earlier this year, and B, no other fucker had told him that Jed and Jimmy O’Hara had turned up and ruined Jessica’s funeral.
To say Ed was livid was the understatement of the century. It wasn’t just the fact that the bastards had had the front to turn up, it was also because no one had felt fit or brave enough to tell him about it. Eddie was especially annoyed with Gary and Ricky. He could understand people not wanting to tell him what had happened by letter, but his sons had been to visit him week in, week out.
Folding up Paulie’s letter, Ed shoved it under his pillow. Even his own flesh and blood obviously believed he’d lost the plot that fucking much he couldn’t handle any more bad news.
Turning on his side, Eddie stared at his vulgar cellmate. Big Bald Baz was in his usual position, lying flat on his stomach, snoring and farting like an unadulterated pig. Ed didn’t smile much lately, but tonight he couldn’t help but grin. All them arseholes that thought he was a sunken ship would think differently after tomorrow. He had mourned as much as he could mourn, cried as many tears as he could cry, and now he couldn’t wait to prove his doubters wrong. From tomorrow onwards, Eddie Mitchell was back with a bang.
At 6 a.m. the following day, Frankie got out of bed. Jed still wasn’t home and she had barely slept a wink 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
