Chapter Twenty-Five

Jack was in the cellar taking a look at the heating system with the light from his torch when a noise in the kitchen above stopped him in his tracks and he headed back up the stairs, stopping two from the door.

‘I’ve told you before,’ a man shouted as he stamped through the empty house, ‘it’s not my job to grab the kid, it’s yours. You’re her mother. Now you need to get your backside up to that bloody Hall and get the girl, just like we agreed.’

Jack held his breath. He didn’t like the sound of the voices that came from within his house. He stood still, watching through a crack in the door, waiting and listening.

‘They can’t stop you from taking her, Annie. She is your fucking daughter, for God’s sake.’ The man moved through the empty rooms, his steps echoing, the floorboards creaking, and a thudding noise came from the window as he pushed it open, whilst taking long, deep drags of nicotine from his cigarette.

A woman, presumably Annie, stumbled into the room behind him. ‘Shut the bloody window, Griff. It’s the middle of winter, for Christ’s sake.’

Annie’s heel dropped down between a gap in the wooden floorboards and as she stepped forward, her shoe was left behind. ‘Damn shoes, why can’t prostitutes wear sneakers? I’m sure the damned punters wouldn’t give a shit,’ she growled, and grabbed the shoe. She pulled as hard as she could and finally fell backwards, landing heavily as it freed itself from the boards. ‘It’s a wonder I’m not covered in fucking bruises.’ She rubbed her leg, looked down at the shoe, which was now minus a heel, replaced it on her foot and pulled herself up. ‘Another pair of bloody shoes I’ll have to replace. They’re sick of seeing me in that damned charity shop.’

‘Bugger the charity shop, Annie, and if you haven’t noticed, you’re not only covered in fucking bruises but also scabs and bloody puncture wounds where you keep injecting,’ Griff yelled as he turned from the window, flicked the ash from his cigarette on to the floor and walked to the wall, where he tapped at the light switch. ‘Damn it, no bloody electric? Try in there.’ He paused, and waited. ‘Annie, I said try the damned switch.’

‘All right. Don’t shout, I heard you.’ She stomped across the room. ‘This place has probably been empty for years so if it doesn’t work in there, what the hell makes you think it’ll work in here?’ She flicked the switch with no effect and continued to stand in the darkness. ‘Besides if you put the bloody lights on, it’ll be like sending out a beacon and you might as well just shout out that we’re here to kidnap the girl.’ She walked over to where Griff stood. ‘Give us a drag, I could murder a fag.’ She took the cigarette from his mouth, placed it between her lips and closed her eyes as she inhaled.

‘Don’t be stupid. It’s not kidnapping, not when she’s your own kid, is it?’ Griff grabbed the cigarette back and kicked at the walls. ‘Now just go and get Lily and let me sell her to the highest fucking bidder. Your debt’ll be just about paid and then I won’t have to go and kill either of you, will I?’

His tone was menacing, aggressive and Jack was sure he was capable of doing what he’d threatened. His mind began to race and his heart pounded as he took in a deep breath. What could he do? He couldn’t, no he wouldn’t allow him to go after Lily and he knew he had to do something, he just wasn’t sure what. He began looking around and down the cellar steps in the hope he’d find something he could use as a weapon.

‘What do you mean just about? If I give you the kid, we’re done. Is that clear?’ Annie leaned against the wall, pulled the stilettos back off of her feet and shook them free of gravel. ‘Griff, is that clear? I want free of you. I want to know that I’ll never be owing you any more bloody money. Not ever.’

‘Oh, you’ll be free of me all right, you dirty old slut.’ His hand shot out, making Annie duck. ‘You’re a good for nothing dirty addict, do you know that? You stink, you need a bath and I’d do better with you out of the house anyhow. Men only come for the other girls, you never get picked, not unless there’s no one else left to shag or they’re old, fat or bloody stupid.’ He spat at the floor and looked her up and down, ‘Look at you, what makes you think a bloke’d even want you?’

‘Fuck off, Griff. I had a bath on Sunday.’ She stroked her hair down flat, and pushed it behind her ears. ‘And I’m not an addict. I can do without it. I … I just like it, that’s all.’ She stamped across the room and towards the cellar door making Jack hold his breath.

‘Annie, you talk bollocks. In an hour or two, you’ll be on your damn knees and you know it.’ Griff paced back and forth. ‘But by then I won’t give a toss. By then, I’ll have the kid. Won’t I?’

‘You will if I give her to you.’ The woman looked defiant, and Jack guessed that any drugs that were still in her system were making her brave. ‘You’re not treating me how you do the others, Griff. I want assurance, I want to know that the damn flick knife will be staying in your fucking pocket, where it belongs.’

‘Ah, so you finally thought about poor Bella, did you? Finally realised what a fucking mess I made of her face, did you? Well, I’m telling you now, Annie, you do what you’re told or you’ll come up against more than my blade, you got that?’

Annie moved as far away from Griff as she could.

Griff laughed. ‘Well, if you don’t give me the girl, you’re as good as dead, anyhow. You got that?’ He pulled his van keys out of his pocket and moved across the room towards where Annie stood, his nose almost touching hers. ‘Now, what are we doing hiding out here anyhow? We need to go into town and find a charity shop to get you some decent clothes to wear and make you look respectable, then we can get down to the hotel and get Lily and get out.’

Jack felt his stomach turn. Griff was twice his size and according to the woman he had a knife, making Jack wonder what he could possibly do. He had to think and fast. The couple were about to leave, about to make an attempt to kidnap Lily and, right now, he was the only one who could stop that from happening. She was so sweet, so funny and so terribly innocent. He’d heard their plans and there was no way he could allow them to go near her. He needed to warn the Hall and get them to call the police. He felt in his pocket for his mobile, but the phone was not there. He went over his movements. He’d been clearing the rubbish, cleaning up the dust and then he remembered the moment he’d taken it out of his pocket. He’d been standing in the kitchen thinking of calling Jess, but had changed his mind and had thrown the mobile on the kitchen worktop while he’d worked. What now? Confront the pair or wait till they had gone? They had spoken about going to a charity shop so he knew he had time before they’d get to the Hall. In seconds, Jack weighed up his best course of action and decided that inaction was by far his best bet, especially seeing as Griff had a knife.

At that moment he heard the kitchen door bang shut and looked back through the gap in the door to see that the pair had gone. Jack started up the last two steps that would take him to the kitchen.