Double Cross (31 page)

THE DAILY SHOUTER 16th August Page 5

At around 3 a.m. this morning, a fire
broke out in the well-known exclusive
celebrity eatery – Thanks For
The Memories. The restaurant's
sprinkler system failed, leading to
extensive damage of the restaurant
and the famous Club above, but no
one was injured as the building was
empty at the time. Although local
firefighters were at the scene within
ten minutes, they still had to battle
for over two hours to control the
inferno. Police had to be called in to
control the watching crowds.

'There is some water, smoke and fire
damage to the furnishings and the
décor, but the structure of the
building remains mostly unaffected,'
said Mr Thomas, TFTM's deputy
manager. 'I'm looking forward to
welcoming our regular customers
and all newcomers to the new and
improved TFTM. We shall return
bigger and better than ever before.'
Mr Thomas stated that he expects
his restaurant to be open for business
within the next couple of
months. The fire is being investigated
by the police and the fire
service. A spokeswoman for the Fire
Department stated that because the
fire took hold of the building and
blazed so quickly, arson has not been
ruled out.

It had begun.

There was something I needed to sort out for Callie whilst
I still had the chance. And if I could just find this out for
her, then I'd have something to say the next time I visited
her. Was that what Callie was waiting for? News as to
whether or not she was safe from her uncle? Is that what
she needed to wake up?

I didn't want to put it off any longer. I headed next door,
even though the thought of being dissected by Sephy
Hadley's penetrating gaze didn't appeal. At all. I could still
remember her expression when she saw me kissing
Rebecca. But it wasn't Callie's mum I needed to see. I took
a deep breath and rang the doorbell, hoping against hope
that Sephy wouldn't be the one to open the door. Surprise!
Surprise! For once, good luck was running with me.

'Hi, Meggie.'

'Hello, Tobey.'

'I wondered if I could have a word with you in private.'
I looked past Meggie up the stairs, then into the kitchen
at the end of the hall.

'Sephy's at the hospital visiting Callie, if that's who
you're looking for,' Meggie said, amused.

'No,' I denied quickly. 'It was you I wanted to speak to.'

Meggie looked surprised, but she ushered me into the
living room. After waiting for me to sit down, she sat
opposite. It took her a bit longer than it took me. Once
she was comfortable, she looked at me expectantly.

'Meggie, I need to ask you something.'

'Oh, yes?'

'It's about your son.'

Meggie's gaze was instantly watchful. 'Which one?' she
asked.

'Jude.'

'What about him?'

There was no easy way to say this, so I'd just have to
spit it out.

'Is Jude alive? Has he been in touch with you?'

Meggie sat back in her chair and regarded me long and
hard. The silence scraped against my skin like a cheese grater.

'It's just . . . it's just that before Callie was injured, she
thought that her uncle died alongside her Nana Jasmine,'
I rushed to explain. 'Only then the news began talking
about some guy called Robert Powers. Callie was terrified
her uncle would come after her again.'

'Callie told you this, did she?'

'Yes, she did,' I replied. And in as many words. I looked
at Meggie, waiting for her answer.

'When my granddaughter comes out the hospital then I
will give her a direct answer to that question,' said Meggie.

'So is Jude alive then?' I asked.

'I'll discuss that with my granddaughter, not you.'
Meggie's voice wasn't anywhere near a snap, but I still felt
like I'd been firmly put in my place.

I wasn't poking and prying into Meggie's business for
my own sake. I just wanted to have something to tell
Callie the next time I saw her. Hopefully something good.
But Meggie was going to keep the subject of Jude as
something only she and Callie would discuss.

I was excluded.

Over the next couple of days, the tension at home was
unbearable. I wasn't talking to Jessica, Mum wasn't talking
to me. We might have been ghosts passing through each
other for all the contact we made. I seriously thought
about telling Mum to search through Jessica's room – as
she probably had more 'supplies' by now – or to check her
best teapot if she wanted to know the truth about who was
using and who wasn't. I mean, I might've scrubbed the
thing out, but surely there was some chemical or other
that Mum could get from the hospital which could test for
smack, no matter how little was left or how microscopic
the residue? But then Jessica would accuse me of using as
well as dealing, and what proof would I have that she was
lying? That would just make a bad situation even worse. I
couldn't do right for doing wrong, that was the trouble.

The only silver lining in a sky full of dark clouds was
that Rebecca still wanted to see me, though it took some
doing to persuade her that I didn't hold her responsible for
losing my job at TFTM.

'That's why I haven't been in touch,' Rebecca admitted
when I phoned her. 'I felt sure you'd blame me for what
Gideon did.'

'Don't be daft. Of course I don't blame you,' I insisted.
'And to prove it, I'll buy you dinner.'

So it was all arranged.

We met in town and went for a pizza. In about half a
minute, Rebecca scanned the menu, then closed it and put
it down. Five minutes later, I still hadn't made up my mind.

'Are you OK, Tobey?' Rebecca asked. 'You seem
preoccupied.'

'What? Oh, sorry. I've just got a lot on my mind at the
moment,' I said.

'I'm really sorry about you losing your job,' she said
quickly. 'I wish you'd let me help, at least until you find a
new one.'

I shook my head. 'Rebecca, I'll be fine. I've some money
saved and something will turn up. Besides, I wasn't thinking
about my job, I was thinking about my sister, Jessica.'

'Is something wrong with her?'

'Yeah. And I'm still trying to figure out how to put it right.'

'Can I help?' Rebecca asked doubtfully.

I smiled. 'No. But thanks for the offer. I appreciate it.'

'If you need any money—'

'I don't,' I interrupted. 'It's not that kind of problem.
And stop worrying. I'll find another job.'

'Gideon had no right to sack you,' Rebecca fumed.

'He didn't sack me. I quit,' I amended.

'OK, but he had no right to force you to quit,' she said.

'Rebecca, I promise it's OK,' I said. 'Besides, you're
worth it.'

Rebecca switched on a smile bright as a lighthouse
when I said that. I returned to my menu, focusing on the
task at hand.

'Tobey, promise me something,' Rebecca began
hesitantly.

'What?'

'Promise me you won't ever lie to me.'

Pause. 'I promise. What brought that on?'

Rebecca shrugged. 'I just need to know that you're
being honest with me.'

'Fair enough,' I replied, studying my menu again so she
couldn't see my eyes.

Rebecca waited until I'd ordered and was tucking into
my garlic bread starter before she told me her news. For
one hopeful moment I thought she was kidding, but her
earnest expression indicated otherwise.

'You're serious! Your mum . . .' I coughed to clear the
squeak in my voice. 'Your mum wants to meet me? But
why?'

''Cause I told her all about you.'

'What on earth for?' I asked, aghast.

''Cause I like you.' Rebecca shrugged. 'You're the
first guy since I was a kid to talk to me like a normal
human being.'

'What about your brothers?'

'They don't count,' Rebecca dismissed. 'Besides, they
don't talk to me. They dictate and command and argue.'

'What about your dad?'

'My dad and my uncle were killed when I was nine.'
Rebecca's dark-brown eyes clouded over. At that
moment, she so reminded me of Callie Rose. I turned
away. I didn't want her to remind me of Callie or anyone
else for that matter. This was already hard enough without
thoughts like that making it harder.

I offered my sympathies. My reply was inadequate, but
what else could I say? Rebecca's dad and uncle were the
two Dowds that McAuley was rumoured to have taken
care of. No wonder Vanessa Dowd and her family hated
Alex McAuley so much.

'What about previous boyfriends?' I asked, to change
the subject.

'I went to an all-girls school and whilst my friends were
happy to come round to my house, very few of them ever
invited me back. And as for the brothers of the few friends
I had, well, I think my surname was either more than
enough to put them off or the only reason they wanted to
be with me in the first place.'

'More fool them then,' I said.

And I meant it. Rebecca was nothing like the rest of her
family. Any idiot could see that. I knew she'd had at least one
proper boyfriend and it hadn't ended happily, but I didn't
want to push her any further into unhappy memories.

'Rebecca, do you—?' I began.

'Tobey! I thought it was you. How . . . er . . . how are
you?'

My heart sank like a big stone in a small pond.
'Hi, Misty.'

'Are you . . . er . . . eating here too? Me and my friend
Erik over there have just arrived.'

I glanced across at Erik, who was scowling at me. Erik
was a Nought in our year, but in a different class.

'Misty, this is Rebecca. Rebecca, this is Misty. Misty
and I are in the same class at school.' I thought I'd better
make some introductions. I didn't want Rebecca to get
the wrong idea.

Which was what exactly?

Why was I so worried about what she might think?
Misty didn't even bother to look at Rebecca. Her eyes
were still trying to pin me to my chair.

'If you like pizza, maybe we could . . . you know . . .
come here next weekend or something . . .' Misty began,
adding a blatant wink. 'I'm still hoping to get you alone . . .
on a date.'

'I . . . er . . . Well, I . . .' I began.

'Oh no, you didn't!' Rebecca couldn't believe her ears,
her eyes or any of her other senses from the sound of it. 'You
didn't just ask Tobey out when he's so obviously on a date
with me?' She glared at Misty, and if looks could kill she'd've
been banged up for life – Dowd family connections or not.

'Tobey's dating
you?
' Misty's eyebrows launched into
the air at that news. 'I don't think so. Tobey wouldn't go
out with a dagger.'

Rebecca jumped to her feet. 'Listen, bitch . . .'

I jumped up. We were attracting all kinds of attention,
the last thing I wanted. I stepped between the two before
the hair-pulling began.

'How about I kick your skinny arse?' Misty said, trying
to duck round me.

Godsake!

Rebecca was about to hurl herself across the table. 'I'm
going to bury my stiletto where the sun don't shine,' she
said, pulling off her earrings.

Things were getting serious. When a girl pulls off her
earrings, then lightning and thunder are about to hit and
hit hard. Anyone with a sister knew that.

'Tobey, you can do much better than this dagger skank,'
Misty told me scathingly.

Whoa!

'Misty, enough. I
am
on a date actually,' I said firmly.
'And Erik's over there waiting for you, so maybe you
should head back to him.'

'But, Tobey . . . '

'Bye, Misty.'

Misty frowned at me, then cast Rebecca a filthy look
before taking the hint and heading back to her date.

I sat down. After a few seconds, so did Rebecca.

Silence reigned between us.

'I'm sorry about calling your friend a bitch,' said
Rebecca quietly. 'It was inexcusable. I lost my temper. I
guess I'm more sensitive than I realized.'

I shrugged. 'Forget it.'

'It was rude of me,' she went on unhappily. 'I really am
sorry.'

'Rebecca, it's OK. Really it is.' I leaned across the table
and brushed my lips against hers. 'Don't let Misty spoil our
dinner. Besides, you were right. She is a bitch!'

Rebecca laughed as I'd wanted her to. I returned to my
garlic bread. All that excitement had worked up quite an
appetite. I couldn't believe Misty. She was on a date, I was
with someone, and she still wanted to start some drama.
Godsake!

'Tobey, you were about to ask me something, before
we were interrupted,' Rebecca prompted.

I put down my bread half-eaten. 'Becks, d'you trust me?'

'Of course.'

'Why?'

The question took Rebecca by surprise. 'I just do.'

'But why?' I persisted.

'Because you didn't chase after me. If anything it was
the other way round,' said Rebecca. 'You're quite happy
to be seen with me in public and you don't try to hide me
away like some shameful secret. You're the only guy who
hasn't insisted that I pay for everything. Are those enough
reasons to be going on with?'

'They'll do.' I smiled.

Poor Rebecca. She'd been so unlucky with the guys
she'd met in the past. And her luck hadn't changed.

'So are you up for meeting my mum?'

'When?'

'How does tomorrow night sound?'

Like Hell on earth. I swallowed hard. 'Tomorrow night
sounds fine.'