Read Online Taunting the Dead by Mel Sherratt - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mel Sherratt
Ads: Link
We’ll think of something eventually.’
After leaving The Orange Grove, Steph arrived home and, armed with a bottle of wine, curled up on the sofa with two slices of cheese on toast.
Although Carole was her friend she’d really got on her nerves today. Sometimes she couldn’t stand her constant complaining. She was always going on about how she had it so tough. Steph felt exasperated listening to her at times. She should try keeping up appearances. It was hard work getting tanned, having her hair perfected and her nails redone and shopping for clothes and charity event dresses—and that was without going to the gym to keep in shape.
Secretly, Steph knew Carole only went on like that because she was jealous. They’d known each other since junior school. On leaving high school with hardly a GCSE between them, and after her mum had kicked Steph out because of her anti-social behaviour, she’d moved in with Carole and her mum. Shortly after that, they’d shared a dive of a flat on the Marshall Estate. Steph remembered them being inseparable back then and could clearly recall the night she’d bumped into Terry. They’d been to The Place nightclub in Hanley, long gone now but forever in the memories of some. Steph had been blown away first by his bad-boy reputation and second by his good looks. Back then, his dark hair had been full and cut in a shaggy style. His tall and scrawny figure had thickened a bit but, even now, he was still fit for his age.
Carole had met Shaun a few weeks later but for all their thoughts of double dating, after a few meets it had been clear that the fellas weren’t going to get on as well as the girls. But they’d all kept in touch.
To her dismay, Shaun had popped the question to Carole first, but because both of them were working in dead end jobs, making barely enough cash to live on, they’d had no spare money for a big wedding. They’d married at Hanley registry office and twenty-seven family members and twenty-two friends had walked across to The Albion and taken over the lounge for a wedding meal afterwards.
Steph recalled how jealous she’d felt – and the hideous blue meringue dress she’d been made to wear as chief bridesmaid – and even on the day told Carole that she planned to celebrate in style when she and Terry married, even though he hadn’t proposed to her yet. But she could remember in much more detail when, buoyed up by the occasion and the cheap champagne, Terry had dropped to one knee and asked her to be his wife in the middle of their wedding meal. Carole had burst into tears, accusing Steph of hogging the limelight on her big day.
Six months later, Terry had made an honest woman of her. They’d married in St Mary’s church in Bucknall and hosted an evening reception at The George and Dragon in Burslem. There was no four-night stay for her in a tacky guest house in Southport as Carole had had to make do with. Terry had whisked Steph off to Ibiza for a week of sun, sea, sand and what have you.
It was sad to think that Carole had been her only real friend throughout her life. Of course, there were a lot of hangers-on because of Terry’s stature. Once he’d taken over after Maurice Sterling died, he he’d begun to rake in the money, buying up old terraced houses in the city and over in neighbouring Derby for a few grand at a time, and making a tidy profit on each one as he sold them on. Some of the properties were never touched and still quadrupled in price during the property boom. He’d started to do the same with land, and as for his businesses on the side? Well, Steph reckoned what the police didn’t know about was okay with her.
When they’d moved into the house on Royal Avenue, Steph had been thrilled with the envious look on Carole’s face as she’d shown her around. Five bedrooms, four bathrooms, three garages, two living rooms and one ornamental pond became their strapline. It spoke volumes. She knew right there and then that she’d
After leaving The Orange Grove, Steph arrived home and, armed with a bottle of wine, curled up on the sofa with two slices of cheese on toast.
Although Carole was her friend she’d really got on her nerves today. Sometimes she couldn’t stand her constant complaining. She was always going on about how she had it so tough. Steph felt exasperated listening to her at times. She should try keeping up appearances. It was hard work getting tanned, having her hair perfected and her nails redone and shopping for clothes and charity event dresses—and that was without going to the gym to keep in shape.
Secretly, Steph knew Carole only went on like that because she was jealous. They’d known each other since junior school. On leaving high school with hardly a GCSE between them, and after her mum had kicked Steph out because of her anti-social behaviour, she’d moved in with Carole and her mum. Shortly after that, they’d shared a dive of a flat on the Marshall Estate. Steph remembered them being inseparable back then and could clearly recall the night she’d bumped into Terry. They’d been to The Place nightclub in Hanley, long gone now but forever in the memories of some. Steph had been blown away first by his bad-boy reputation and second by his good looks. Back then, his dark hair had been full and cut in a shaggy style. His tall and scrawny figure had thickened a bit but, even now, he was still fit for his age.
Carole had met Shaun a few weeks later but for all their thoughts of double dating, after a few meets it had been clear that the fellas weren’t going to get on as well as the girls. But they’d all kept in touch.
To her dismay, Shaun had popped the question to Carole first, but because both of them were working in dead end jobs, making barely enough cash to live on, they’d had no spare money for a big wedding. They’d married at Hanley registry office and twenty-seven family members and twenty-two friends had walked across to The Albion and taken over the lounge for a wedding meal afterwards.
Steph recalled how jealous she’d felt – and the hideous blue meringue dress she’d been made to wear as chief bridesmaid – and even on the day told Carole that she planned to celebrate in style when she and Terry married, even though he hadn’t proposed to her yet. But she could remember in much more detail when, buoyed up by the occasion and the cheap champagne, Terry had dropped to one knee and asked her to be his wife in the middle of their wedding meal. Carole had burst into tears, accusing Steph of hogging the limelight on her big day.
Six months later, Terry had made an honest woman of her. They’d married in St Mary’s church in Bucknall and hosted an evening reception at The George and Dragon in Burslem. There was no four-night stay for her in a tacky guest house in Southport as Carole had had to make do with. Terry had whisked Steph off to Ibiza for a week of sun, sea, sand and what have you.
It was sad to think that Carole had been her only real friend throughout her life. Of course, there were a lot of hangers-on because of Terry’s stature. Once he’d taken over after Maurice Sterling died, he he’d begun to rake in the money, buying up old terraced houses in the city and over in neighbouring Derby for a few grand at a time, and making a tidy profit on each one as he sold them on. Some of the properties were never touched and still quadrupled in price during the property boom. He’d started to do the same with land, and as for his businesses on the side? Well, Steph reckoned what the police didn’t know about was okay with her.
When they’d moved into the house on Royal Avenue, Steph had been thrilled with the envious look on Carole’s face as she’d shown her around. Five bedrooms, four bathrooms, three garages, two living rooms and one ornamental pond became their strapline. It spoke volumes. She knew right there and then that she’d
Similar Books
