Scarlet Women

Chapter 45

‘She’s having a bad day,’ said the white-coated nurse, looking at Annie with disapproval as she stood on the doorstep of the safe house in Harrow-on-the-Hill.

‘Hey, we’re all having one of those,’ said Annie, pushing past her and into the hall. ‘Where is she?’

‘Upstairs. In bed. I think she may be asleep and she really shouldn’t be disturbed—’

‘Which door?’ asked Annie, already trotting on up there.

‘The one on the left, but I don’t think—’

‘Thanks.’

Annie got up on to the landing and went to the door. She knocked softly, received no answer, and stepped inside. It was a big bedroom, high ceilinged and with a refreshing breeze stirring the nets at the big sash window on the other side of the room. The bed was big too, so that the woman in it looked almost like a child lying there.

Annie stepped over to the bed. Mira’s eyes were open, but she looked bad. Her hair was slicked flat to her bony head, as if she’d been sweating heavily; her wrists and hands were still swathed in bandages. Her skin was an unhealthy yellow colour and her cheekbones stuck out like knives.

Annie looked at Mira and felt pity pierce her heart. She remembered all that Mira had told her about what she’d been through. The cruelty. The perversions. The rubber thing Redmond had held over her nose and mouth during sex. Autoerotic asphyxia—partial suffocation or partial strangulation to heighten sensation during sex. She thought of Gareth, hanging in the flat. Thought of Redmond reaching for her own throat when he’d become enraged. Mira had told her that she had only to smell rubber now to throw up with fear.

‘Annie,’ said Mira weakly.

‘Hi.’ Annie went and sat on the bed beside Mira. ‘How are you?’

‘How do I look?’ asked Mira with a glint of humour.

‘Like death warmed over,’ said Annie.

‘Yeah, you got that right.’

‘Feel rough, huh?’

‘Dog rough.’

‘It’ll pass,’ said Annie. ‘Stay with it.’

But even as she said that, she wondered just how deeply Mira had become wrapped up in the world of the professional junkie. She wondered if there was any hope of her pulling out of it for good. So many people sank back into the abyss. She hoped that wasn’t what lay in wait for Mira.

‘Not much option but to do that,’ said Mira.

‘Mira, I need your help.’

‘What with?’

‘Aretha. You remember Aretha. You know the soup kitchen at St Aubride’s church hall you told me about?’

‘I know it.’

‘Did you ever see Aretha there?’

Mira thought about it. ‘No,’ she said after a pause.

‘No?’

‘Wait. No, I did. Just once. Talking to that little squirt who ran it, little chap with poppy eyes and a fat face.’

Cyrus. So that explained Aretha’s tattoo. Cyrus paid the girls to have it done, then killed them. Somehow he hadn’t got to Aretha—someone else had. What about the tall red-haired woman?

What about Redmond’s involvement? Then, to her annoyance, the door opened and the white-coated nurse was back again.

‘She’s very tired,’ she said pointedly to Annie. ‘She had a bad night. She needs to rest.’

Annie nodded and stood up. The woman was right. Mira looked as though she was having a hard time fighting the drugs off, and she probably did need all the rest she could get, poor bitch.

‘I’ll come back and see you soon,’ she promised. ‘When you’re feeling a bit brighter. Anything you want me to bring you?’

‘Yes,’ said Mira with a grimace. ‘A new life. I’m sick to death of this old one. All I do is throw up and sweat and shiver.’

‘That will pass,’ said the nurse reassuringly. ‘Given time.’

‘Yeah, right,’ said Mira, and slowly closed her eyes.

Chapter 46

She phoned Ruthie to be sure that Layla and her were okay. ‘We’re fine,’ said Ruthie, and put Layla on to enthuse about the kittens. Annie listened to her excited little voice and smiled and thanked God for her. Soon, maybe, she’d have her baby back with her. She really hoped so. For now, it was more important to keep Layla safe, even if she did miss her like crazy.

‘I love you, baby,’ she said as she rang off, feeling the prickle of tears in her eyes.

‘Love you too, Mummy,’ said Layla.

Then Annie phoned her cousin Kath. ‘I’ve got minders coming out of my arse here,’ moaned Kath. ‘What you got kickin’ off this time?’

She soothed Kath’s worries and was just off out the door when Ellie phoned. ‘Any news about Chris?’

Annie felt so sorry for Ellie—she’d always carried a massive torch for Chris. ‘No—no news at all,’ she said.

‘He’s going down for this, ain’t he?’ She could hear the tears in Ellie’s voice.

Annie had to be truthful. It would be cruel to get the poor mare’s hopes up. ‘He could be,’ she said. ‘Ellie, you’ve got to be prepared for that.’

At which point Ellie started to sob. Annie soothed her as best she could, but she felt in her heart that there’d be no good ending to this particular nightmare. Feeling depressed, she locked up and went out, got into the back of the Jag. Tony started the engine.

‘Where to?’ he asked.

‘Let’s have a check around the venues. Make sure everything’s running smooth.’

They did the grand tour of the arcades, snooker halls, pubs and clubs. Everyone greeted Annie Carter respectfully but there was an edge to their greetings. She thought of Gary’s warning and knew that the rumours were spreading. Knew she was walking a thin line. But then, hadn’t she always done that? They were nosing through the traffic up the King’s Road when a black cab veered in front of them.

‘Jesus!’ said Tony loudly, hitting the brakes.

Annie was jolted forward.

‘Bloody idiot!’ Tony was leaning on the horn.

Annie looked around, startled, starting to feel a twinge of anxiety. There was another cab right up their arse. Another edged alongside and suddenly, just like that, they were boxed off. The driver of the cab alongside the Jag jumped out and came round the car as Tony reached over to the glove compartment.

‘Tone!’ shouted Annie. It was all happening so damned fast.

The man flung open Tony’s door just as Tony was turning back with a pistol in his hand. Tony was a fraction of a second too slow. The man coshed him hard behind the ear and he crumpled. The man grabbed the pistol and heaved Tony over into the passenger seat.

So fast.