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Authors: Kitty Neale
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agitated. She dropped two full bags of shopping on the floor, dragged out a chair and sat with her elbows on the table, head buried in her hands.
‘Ken, something terrible happened at Mary’s,’ she groaned.
‘Oh yeah? Something’s happened to your stuck-up sister, has it? Oh, my heart bleeds,’ he sneered sarcastically.
‘Please, Ken, please don’t be nasty,’ she begged, bursting into a torrent of tears. ‘I just can’t take any more.’ Shaking violently as reaction set in, she sobbed, ‘It … it was H-Harry, he was trying it on with Sally. I … I caught him with his hands up her skirt.’
‘What!’ he exclaimed, flabbergasted by Ruth’s words. Bloody hell – fancy Harry being a nonce. His thoughts raced. Part of him was disgusted, and yet another part was wondering how he could turn this to his advantage.
‘I wanna report it to the police, Ken, but I’m worried about Sally. Will they make her give evidence in court?’
‘Why ask me, how would I know?’ he answered irritably, rubbing the back of his neck, his mind turning over the possibilities. He was desperate for some extra cash and might be able to use this knowledge to get some money out of Harry, but that would mean keeping the police out of it. I’ll have to play for time, he thought. String Ruth along until I can think things through.
Feigning concern he walked across to the table, and standing behind his wife, he placed his hands on her shoulders, massaging them gently. ‘Come on, love, you can’t make any decisions while you’re in this state. Why don’t we talk about it again tomorrow when you’ve calmed down a bit. I tell you what, don’t bother to cook anything, I’ll pop down the road and get us some fish and chips.’
Ruth looked at him gratefully through her tears. ‘Oh Ken, thanks ever so much.’ She grabbed her handbag, fumbling for her purse. ‘Here, I’ll give you the money.’
‘No, it’s all right. I’ll treat yer,’ he said, hiding a smirk at her look of amazement.
He reached the chip shop, rebuking himself for offering to pay. Money was a bit tight at the moment because Barbara was costing him a fortune. His groin stirred as he remembered the previous night. God, she had been insatiable, and he couldn’t wait to see her again. Blimey, it was lucky that Ruth was such a gullible twit. She had swallowed it without question when he told her he was taking on long-distance deliveries. He chuckled – it had been a great idea coming up with that one and it gave him the perfect excuse for his nights spent with Barbara.
‘Cod and chips twice,’ he ordered, reaching the front of the queue. He wasn’t getting anything for the brat, she could share her mother’s portion.
Chapter Eight
B arbara stood in front of the mirror putting the finishing touches to her make-up. Hmm, not bad, she thought, smoothing her platinum-blonde hair into a sleek bob, but me roots could do with a touch-up. She bared her teeth to check they weren’t smudged with lipstick, then turned her head at an angle, imitating a seductive pout. Yeah, she thought happily, remembering what one of the regulars in the pub had remarked. I do look a bit like Diana Dors.
Her eyes flicked to the clock and she grimaced. It was nearly time to start her Sunday lunchtime shift. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked at the backs of her legs, pleased to see that her stocking seams were straight, and then ran a cursory glance around the room.
Not much longer, she thought, and I’ll be out of this dump, with Ken as my meal ticket. Her brightly painted lips curved into a smile as she pictured his dark, gypsy looks. She fancied him rotten, and that was a bonus after some of the sleazy gits she had put up with during the last few years.
Time was running out though; her last boyfriend was due out of prison in three months. He was a nasty piece of work, and she wanted to be away from Balham before his release. I’ll just have to push Ken a bit harder,
‘Ken, something terrible happened at Mary’s,’ she groaned.
‘Oh yeah? Something’s happened to your stuck-up sister, has it? Oh, my heart bleeds,’ he sneered sarcastically.
‘Please, Ken, please don’t be nasty,’ she begged, bursting into a torrent of tears. ‘I just can’t take any more.’ Shaking violently as reaction set in, she sobbed, ‘It … it was H-Harry, he was trying it on with Sally. I … I caught him with his hands up her skirt.’
‘What!’ he exclaimed, flabbergasted by Ruth’s words. Bloody hell – fancy Harry being a nonce. His thoughts raced. Part of him was disgusted, and yet another part was wondering how he could turn this to his advantage.
‘I wanna report it to the police, Ken, but I’m worried about Sally. Will they make her give evidence in court?’
‘Why ask me, how would I know?’ he answered irritably, rubbing the back of his neck, his mind turning over the possibilities. He was desperate for some extra cash and might be able to use this knowledge to get some money out of Harry, but that would mean keeping the police out of it. I’ll have to play for time, he thought. String Ruth along until I can think things through.
Feigning concern he walked across to the table, and standing behind his wife, he placed his hands on her shoulders, massaging them gently. ‘Come on, love, you can’t make any decisions while you’re in this state. Why don’t we talk about it again tomorrow when you’ve calmed down a bit. I tell you what, don’t bother to cook anything, I’ll pop down the road and get us some fish and chips.’
Ruth looked at him gratefully through her tears. ‘Oh Ken, thanks ever so much.’ She grabbed her handbag, fumbling for her purse. ‘Here, I’ll give you the money.’
‘No, it’s all right. I’ll treat yer,’ he said, hiding a smirk at her look of amazement.
He reached the chip shop, rebuking himself for offering to pay. Money was a bit tight at the moment because Barbara was costing him a fortune. His groin stirred as he remembered the previous night. God, she had been insatiable, and he couldn’t wait to see her again. Blimey, it was lucky that Ruth was such a gullible twit. She had swallowed it without question when he told her he was taking on long-distance deliveries. He chuckled – it had been a great idea coming up with that one and it gave him the perfect excuse for his nights spent with Barbara.
‘Cod and chips twice,’ he ordered, reaching the front of the queue. He wasn’t getting anything for the brat, she could share her mother’s portion.
Chapter Eight
B arbara stood in front of the mirror putting the finishing touches to her make-up. Hmm, not bad, she thought, smoothing her platinum-blonde hair into a sleek bob, but me roots could do with a touch-up. She bared her teeth to check they weren’t smudged with lipstick, then turned her head at an angle, imitating a seductive pout. Yeah, she thought happily, remembering what one of the regulars in the pub had remarked. I do look a bit like Diana Dors.
Her eyes flicked to the clock and she grimaced. It was nearly time to start her Sunday lunchtime shift. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked at the backs of her legs, pleased to see that her stocking seams were straight, and then ran a cursory glance around the room.
Not much longer, she thought, and I’ll be out of this dump, with Ken as my meal ticket. Her brightly painted lips curved into a smile as she pictured his dark, gypsy looks. She fancied him rotten, and that was a bonus after some of the sleazy gits she had put up with during the last few years.
Time was running out though; her last boyfriend was due out of prison in three months. He was a nasty piece of work, and she wanted to be away from Balham before his release. I’ll just have to push Ken a bit harder,
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