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Authors: Susan Wilkins
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life, but in the last six years I’ve learnt how the world
works.’
‘Believe me little brother, I’m impressed.’
‘I knew nothing’d change while the old man was running things, so I kept me head down, waited. Then he had his stroke.’ Joey’s eyes lit up at the memory. ‘I went
down the hospital with Mum. We thought he’d bought it. Then the doctors pulled him through.’
Kaz gave him a cynical glance. ‘Bet that cheered everyone up.’
Joey smiled. Then the warmth faded out of his face. ‘I dunno what made him survive. Bloody-mindedness probably. All that bastard ever cared about was having his own way. He’s a
fucking monster.’
A tear welled up in the corner of Joey’s eye, Kaz took both of his hands in hers.
‘You think I don’t realize you got the short straw. I was the lucky one – least I got away from him.’
Joey let her hold on to him for a moment. Then he stood up, angrily brushing the tears away.
‘All the stuff he done to you and Mum over the years . . . when I see him in that chair I think, yeah mate, I hope you’re still in there, trapped inside your own bonce, screaming to
get out.’
Kaz watched her brother pacing the room, fuelled with inner rage. She got up and went to him. ‘Joe, I know how much it hurts, but . . . you gotta let it go, put it behind you.’
He turned, seized her by the shoulders, his grip so powerful she winced.
‘Yeah, I know. I know!’ His eyes glistened with tears and fervour. ‘And now you’re out babes, I can. It’s gonna be me and you together, like it used to be. I been
waiting, I been planning.’
Kaz eased herself free, rubbed her arm.
He looked mortified. ‘Sorry, did I hurt you?’
‘Don’t matter. Look, there’s a lot we need to talk about. I got some plans of me own.’
‘Great. Whatever. Bring it to the table.’ Joey gave her a wide smile, pulled out a tissue and blew his nose; his rage had evaporated as suddenly as it’d come.
Kaz watched him, the same rapid mood swings as when he was a kid. Always sunshine and showers with Joey, that’d been the family joke. Now he was bouncing round the room, he picked up one
of the gonks, tossed it playfully in the air.
‘Right, sod this.’ He tossed aside the toy and checked his watch. ‘Half nine, we’ll never make South London by ten, not even the way I drive. I’ll call the lawyers,
get them on it with the hostel. We pay ’em enough.’
Kaz shook her head. ‘It’s all right, I sorted it. Phoned them earlier. I’ve got to see my probation officer tomorrow anyway and he’s in Basildon. So I got permission to
stay over.’
A knowing smile spread over Joey’s features. ‘You’re a little tinker, ’n’t you? You just wanted to give me a bollocking!’
Kaz gave him a hard stare. ‘No, I wanted you to see my point of view.’
‘I do see it babes.’ Joey nodded sagely. ‘They get you every which way, the bastards, don’t they?’ He scanned the room and started to giggle. ‘As for this
… Still, kept her happy doing it I guess.’
‘She lives in fantasy land Joey. She always did. This is just a different fantasy.’
‘You don’t wanna stay here, come back to my place tonight.’ He raised his hand to pre-empt any objection. ‘I’ll take you to Basildon tomorrow myself. You’ll
be on time I promise. Less you wanna sleep with the gonks.’
He waggled one of the pink furry creatures in her face. She smiled, the day had exhausted her. Why shouldn’t she stay at his place? Who’d know?
‘What’s it like then, your gaff?’
‘It’s all right. Don’t worry, it’s got two bathrooms, so you ain’t gonna be grossed out by Ash. Also it’ll give me a chance to bring you up to speed with the
business—’
Kaz held up her hand. This was what she’d been afraid of: his assumptions and the unstoppable tide of his enthusiasm.
‘Look, don’t get me wrong, you’ve done really well for yourself, but . . .’
Joey stood stock-still, his face a
works.’
‘Believe me little brother, I’m impressed.’
‘I knew nothing’d change while the old man was running things, so I kept me head down, waited. Then he had his stroke.’ Joey’s eyes lit up at the memory. ‘I went
down the hospital with Mum. We thought he’d bought it. Then the doctors pulled him through.’
Kaz gave him a cynical glance. ‘Bet that cheered everyone up.’
Joey smiled. Then the warmth faded out of his face. ‘I dunno what made him survive. Bloody-mindedness probably. All that bastard ever cared about was having his own way. He’s a
fucking monster.’
A tear welled up in the corner of Joey’s eye, Kaz took both of his hands in hers.
‘You think I don’t realize you got the short straw. I was the lucky one – least I got away from him.’
Joey let her hold on to him for a moment. Then he stood up, angrily brushing the tears away.
‘All the stuff he done to you and Mum over the years . . . when I see him in that chair I think, yeah mate, I hope you’re still in there, trapped inside your own bonce, screaming to
get out.’
Kaz watched her brother pacing the room, fuelled with inner rage. She got up and went to him. ‘Joe, I know how much it hurts, but . . . you gotta let it go, put it behind you.’
He turned, seized her by the shoulders, his grip so powerful she winced.
‘Yeah, I know. I know!’ His eyes glistened with tears and fervour. ‘And now you’re out babes, I can. It’s gonna be me and you together, like it used to be. I been
waiting, I been planning.’
Kaz eased herself free, rubbed her arm.
He looked mortified. ‘Sorry, did I hurt you?’
‘Don’t matter. Look, there’s a lot we need to talk about. I got some plans of me own.’
‘Great. Whatever. Bring it to the table.’ Joey gave her a wide smile, pulled out a tissue and blew his nose; his rage had evaporated as suddenly as it’d come.
Kaz watched him, the same rapid mood swings as when he was a kid. Always sunshine and showers with Joey, that’d been the family joke. Now he was bouncing round the room, he picked up one
of the gonks, tossed it playfully in the air.
‘Right, sod this.’ He tossed aside the toy and checked his watch. ‘Half nine, we’ll never make South London by ten, not even the way I drive. I’ll call the lawyers,
get them on it with the hostel. We pay ’em enough.’
Kaz shook her head. ‘It’s all right, I sorted it. Phoned them earlier. I’ve got to see my probation officer tomorrow anyway and he’s in Basildon. So I got permission to
stay over.’
A knowing smile spread over Joey’s features. ‘You’re a little tinker, ’n’t you? You just wanted to give me a bollocking!’
Kaz gave him a hard stare. ‘No, I wanted you to see my point of view.’
‘I do see it babes.’ Joey nodded sagely. ‘They get you every which way, the bastards, don’t they?’ He scanned the room and started to giggle. ‘As for this
… Still, kept her happy doing it I guess.’
‘She lives in fantasy land Joey. She always did. This is just a different fantasy.’
‘You don’t wanna stay here, come back to my place tonight.’ He raised his hand to pre-empt any objection. ‘I’ll take you to Basildon tomorrow myself. You’ll
be on time I promise. Less you wanna sleep with the gonks.’
He waggled one of the pink furry creatures in her face. She smiled, the day had exhausted her. Why shouldn’t she stay at his place? Who’d know?
‘What’s it like then, your gaff?’
‘It’s all right. Don’t worry, it’s got two bathrooms, so you ain’t gonna be grossed out by Ash. Also it’ll give me a chance to bring you up to speed with the
business—’
Kaz held up her hand. This was what she’d been afraid of: his assumptions and the unstoppable tide of his enthusiasm.
‘Look, don’t get me wrong, you’ve done really well for yourself, but . . .’
Joey stood stock-still, his face a
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