Read Online Behind a Closed Door (The Estate, Book 2) by Mel Sherratt - Free Book Online
Authors: Mel Sherratt
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loneliness, dragging her down to despair. She hated it here in this flat and thought about her pending visit to see Scott. Jay was taking her in the morning. Even without the two hour car journey, she wondered if she really wanted to go into that environment. She’d heard too many stories to think that any prison cell could be void of a mass murderer or some evil bastard ready to slit your throat at the mention of slopping out.
Kelly wanted to hate Scott for what he’d done, but she couldn’t. What if Jay was telling the truth? What if Scott did need her more than she thought? Could she abandon him after five years together?
Questions, questions, questions.
Kelly’s eyes had closed for all of ten minutes before she was jolted awake again by the sound of the techno beat bursting out from the flat next door. Before her tears had started to fall for the second time, Kelly heard Emily beat her to it.
She sighed loudly. Would either of them settle in Clarence Avenue?
Over at Josie’s house, it was an hour later that Stewart finally came to bed.
‘I’m going in at six tomorrow,’ he said, not bothering to kiss her goodnight. ‘We’ve got lots of work on so I might as well do a few hours overtime while I can.’
‘Okay,’ Josie answered, before he dragged over the duvet and slept with his back towards her – the same thing he’d done for as long as she could remember now. She wondered why she thought it would be any different tonight.
The following morning, Stewart was up and out of the house before Josie got out of bed. Making all the difference to the start of the day, she set off to work with a spring in her step. Driving through the rush hour traffic, the radio belting out its tunes, she sang along to the lyrics at the top of her voice and wondered how long the feeling would last.
It was all of thirty minutes – enough for her to grab a quick cup of coffee – before the first phone call came in. There had been another burglary over at Wilma Place, a row of bungalows for the elderly. Someone had made another complaint about Gina Bradley’s twins. That was the third one she’d had that week. Josie clicked onto the computer system and opened up the case. That was the beauty of hard drives, she surmised. If they were still using paper files, Clare and Rachel’s files would be at least two inches thick. And that was one case of the Bradleys – for once, it wasn’t their older brother, Danny. Nineteen-years-old and he’d already been into juvie twice for burglary and car theft.
Josie grabbed her car keys and coat. If she left now, she could see if Gina was in before she started her other appointments. She might as well get it over with first – it wasn’t going to be pretty.
CHAPTER SEVEN
With all the courage she could muster, Josie unlatched the broken gate and walked slowly up the path towards Gina Bradley’s front door. Every heavy step made her feel like turning around and running away. Although she knew Gina Bradley hated her with a passion, Josie tried hard not to show that the feeling was mutual.
She was about to knock on the door when it was yanked open. Gina stood there in all her splendour. She was a little woman but ‘fat’ and ‘round’ were too kind for her description. Looking like she hadn’t seen a shower in weeks, she was wearing black leggings that threatened to walk off on their own, filthy white socks and a grey sweatshirt three sizes too small. Her hair had been dyed bright red this month, and with no makeup on her pale face, she reminded Josie of a matchstick – a jumbo matchstick.
‘I suppose you’re about due a visit,’ Gina drawled, looking pointedly down at Josie from her advantage of being three steps up. ‘What the fuck do you want this time?’
‘Morning to you too, Gina,’ Josie replied, trying to sound confident. ‘Can I come in?’
Gina turned away from her but left the door open. Josie squeezed her way through lager boxes stacked
Kelly wanted to hate Scott for what he’d done, but she couldn’t. What if Jay was telling the truth? What if Scott did need her more than she thought? Could she abandon him after five years together?
Questions, questions, questions.
Kelly’s eyes had closed for all of ten minutes before she was jolted awake again by the sound of the techno beat bursting out from the flat next door. Before her tears had started to fall for the second time, Kelly heard Emily beat her to it.
She sighed loudly. Would either of them settle in Clarence Avenue?
Over at Josie’s house, it was an hour later that Stewart finally came to bed.
‘I’m going in at six tomorrow,’ he said, not bothering to kiss her goodnight. ‘We’ve got lots of work on so I might as well do a few hours overtime while I can.’
‘Okay,’ Josie answered, before he dragged over the duvet and slept with his back towards her – the same thing he’d done for as long as she could remember now. She wondered why she thought it would be any different tonight.
The following morning, Stewart was up and out of the house before Josie got out of bed. Making all the difference to the start of the day, she set off to work with a spring in her step. Driving through the rush hour traffic, the radio belting out its tunes, she sang along to the lyrics at the top of her voice and wondered how long the feeling would last.
It was all of thirty minutes – enough for her to grab a quick cup of coffee – before the first phone call came in. There had been another burglary over at Wilma Place, a row of bungalows for the elderly. Someone had made another complaint about Gina Bradley’s twins. That was the third one she’d had that week. Josie clicked onto the computer system and opened up the case. That was the beauty of hard drives, she surmised. If they were still using paper files, Clare and Rachel’s files would be at least two inches thick. And that was one case of the Bradleys – for once, it wasn’t their older brother, Danny. Nineteen-years-old and he’d already been into juvie twice for burglary and car theft.
Josie grabbed her car keys and coat. If she left now, she could see if Gina was in before she started her other appointments. She might as well get it over with first – it wasn’t going to be pretty.
CHAPTER SEVEN
With all the courage she could muster, Josie unlatched the broken gate and walked slowly up the path towards Gina Bradley’s front door. Every heavy step made her feel like turning around and running away. Although she knew Gina Bradley hated her with a passion, Josie tried hard not to show that the feeling was mutual.
She was about to knock on the door when it was yanked open. Gina stood there in all her splendour. She was a little woman but ‘fat’ and ‘round’ were too kind for her description. Looking like she hadn’t seen a shower in weeks, she was wearing black leggings that threatened to walk off on their own, filthy white socks and a grey sweatshirt three sizes too small. Her hair had been dyed bright red this month, and with no makeup on her pale face, she reminded Josie of a matchstick – a jumbo matchstick.
‘I suppose you’re about due a visit,’ Gina drawled, looking pointedly down at Josie from her advantage of being three steps up. ‘What the fuck do you want this time?’
‘Morning to you too, Gina,’ Josie replied, trying to sound confident. ‘Can I come in?’
Gina turned away from her but left the door open. Josie squeezed her way through lager boxes stacked
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