The Good Life (13 page)

Johnny Mac and the other men stood watching in absolute silence. This was so out of their comfort zone it was embarrassing to watch.

‘Keep her here. Lock her up and throw away the key. I couldn’t give a fuck. She’s nothing to do with me any more.’ Cain walked away.

‘I’ll never let you go! Do you hear me, Cain Moran? You just try to divorce me. I will fight you with my last breath!’

Even as Caroline’s screams became increasingly hysterical, Cain never looked back.

It was the talk of the station for weeks.

Cain and Jenny’s son, Cain Junior, was dramatically brought into the world that night by Caesarean section. They were told there would never be another child because Jenny was too badly damaged from the internal injuries caused by the beating. But little Cain thrived from his first breath, and Jenny Riley fell madly in love for the second time in her life.

Cain looked down at his son’s mother and felt the urge to cry. He knew that this was his fault, that if he had been a different man, a better man, he would never have pursued a relationship with such a young girl, especially when he was married. But God knew he loved this girl with a power he had not experienced before. It was like she was everything he had ever dreamed of come to life, from her hair, her beauty and grace, to her kindness and her sense of peace that was so different to the women he usually knocked around with. She had an inner strength, and she wasn’t a pushover, but where he was concerned, she thought the sun shone out of him and she bowed to him without a murmur. There were no screaming matches if he was late, no snide comments, or mind games with Jenny. No ulterior motives. She was sunny, that was the only word for her. She had a happy disposition and she could make the best of any situation. How could he not love that in her?

Now she was lying there, battered, bruised and left with only the little boy to show for their great love and it was his fault. She wasn’t even eighteen yet, and she had been through more than most people would experience in a lifetime. Yet she still tried to smile at him, show him she was all right, that she would be OK.

She was thrilled with their son, and she was trying hard to make Cain feel better, telling him that she couldn’t blame Caroline, that he had to try and remember that she was hurting too. It was laughable how good this woman could be. Jenny wanted to keep the peace; he was more inclined to a ‘Don’t get mad, get even’ mentality. And he
would
get even with that bitch if it was the last thing he did in this life.

After what Caroline had put Jenny through, he felt that the gloves were well and truly off for both of them. If she wanted one of her spectacular fights over this divorce then that was exactly what she was going to get.

Dolly was looking after little Michael and she was tired out. She loved being in this beautiful house and she loved being the main carer for Michael, but she was finding it increasingly difficult to cope with her niece and her mood swings.

No charges had been pressed, although the police had kept her for three days, and she knew that was down to Cain, more than likely for his son’s sake.

Now Caroline just slept and ate, and it was getting harder and harder to communicate with her. The divorce papers had already been served, and Cain was holding her over a barrel, threatening her with court action over the assault if she didn’t toe the line. Who could blame him? It had been a serious attack, but then that was Caroline all over – she never did things by halves, and she was hurting plenty.

As much as she felt sorry for her niece, Dolly acknowledged she had gone too far this time. There had been an element of compassion for her generally over the Jenny situation, but the girl had nearly lost her son and, from what she could gather from the local gossips, she would never have another child now. No one could forgive a stunt like that. The general consensus was that God paid back debts without money, and Caroline would get hers with bells on.

Little Michael was missing his father and that wasn’t a situation that she had control over either as Caroline made his visits as difficult as possible. She supposed Caroline was a good mother in her own way, but she wasn’t hands-on – she wasn’t a cuddler or comforter. Dolly knew that if she left now Michael would have no one in his corner, because Caroline was so obsessed with her own dramas that she often forgot the boy even existed for days on end.

How she missed her sister Jane! Jane had known how to handle her volatile daughter. Usually by giving in to her, admittedly, but she was also the only person who could in any way reason with her. Now with the pills and the drink, Caroline was out of control. Dolly was at her wits’ end, and she didn’t know how to make it better. She could hear Caroline lumbering about in her bedroom. It sounded like an elephant was above her; she was eating for England and getting bigger and bigger by the day.

She had been such a beautiful girl, inclined to curves, but she had always controlled her weight and looked fabulous. Now she looked years older than she was, and she had lost all interest in herself or her life.

Dolly heard a loud crash and raced up the stairs to find a drunken Caroline passed out on the bedroom floor. Picking up the phone she did the only thing she could think of. She phoned Cain Moran.

‘He is absolutely beautiful, Jenny. I’m not just saying that because he’s my grandson either.’

Jenny grinned. Her mother had come over all maternal and it was weird seeing her doting on the baby. She could never remember her doting on her. But for Cain Junior, as he was being called by everyone, the attention could not be lavish enough. He was absolutely adored by everyone in his orbit.

‘You look a lot better, love.’

Jenny sighed. ‘I’m OK. It is what it is, Mum – there’s no way I can have another baby so the sooner I get used to it the better. Anyway, this one is more than enough for me!’

Eileen could hear the sadness in her daughter’s voice but she knew better than to pursue the conversation. Jenny was right; it was what it was, and that was that. But she had taken a terrific beating; that in itself was traumatic enough and it had changed her. She was quieter, more reserved. She had always had a calmness about her but now it was enhanced. Cain adored her no matter what – Eileen couldn’t fault him for that. She had been sceptical at first, but there was no way she could criticise that man where her daughter and grandson were concerned. He was already buying a house for them all; the flat was beautiful, but now, of course, it held only bad memories for Jenny.

When Molly had cleaned the place up she said there was blood everywhere. Every time she thought about it, Eileen felt the urge to hammer that Caroline herself. Cain had arranged for her to go into a private medical facility, and now she was being helped by professionals. She was definitely off her trolley. All this just proved that she was even more unstable than previously thought. Since the news had got out about what she had done to Jenny, it seemed everyone and their dog had a story about how crazy she was. It was that poor child Michael that she felt sorry for, having a nut-job like that as a parent. Eileen, being Eileen, didn’t see any irony in her thoughts.

Jenny put her son to her breast, looking the epitome of glorious motherhood. As he suckled contentedly, she wondered when they could move to the new house. She hated living like a gypsy, and she wanted her own world where Cain and Cain Junior could live properly with her taking care of them. She was young and she was healthy – well, almost healthy – and she wanted desperately to get on with the next phase of her life. She loved motherhood and she craved normality, both things she thought she would never really have.

Now, despite what had happened, she had everything she wanted in abundance, but since the attack she had started to wonder if you had to pay a higher price for happiness than she had anticipated. And the happiness she had now had come at an awfully high price.

Johnny had seen Cain go through so much in the last few months and it was obvious that, like Jenny, he was changed. He was harder somehow; the gossip and the talk had affected him more than he could have imagined. He had a steely glint in his eye as if looking for slights or disrespect, and it was being noticed by everybody they dealt with – especially the work-force. Peter Parkes had made the mistake of enquiring after Jenny’s health only to have his head proverbially bitten off. Cain needed a talking to and Johnny was the only one who could do it, hence this late meeting together in Soho.

He poured himself a large Scotch and, when he heard Cain’s familiar tread on the stairs, he poured one for him too. Cain burst through the door, and Johnny offered him his drink.

Cain took the glass and looked at it for long moments before downing it in one. Then, settling himself in a chair, he looked at his old friend and said, ‘That bad, eh? I need a stiff drink first.’

Johnny Mac smiled, and his face transformed; he had beautiful teeth and high cheekbones. In repose he looked different, fearsome, but his smile was like liquid gold, and it certainly attracted the ladies.

‘More than one, mate, and the same goes for me too.’ He poured them each another generous measure. ‘You’ve got to get your head back to normal, Cain. This has been a bastard few months but you must have known when you embarked on this that Caroline was not going to roll over. You have to take some of the responsibility, mate.’

Cain looked at his oldest friend and for a few seconds he experienced an anger that he had never felt towards the man before rising inside him. But he swallowed it down. Johnny Mac was the only person in his life who would – or indeed could – criticise him. Cain accepted the man would only do it if he felt it was important. And, deep in his heart, he knew that Johnny Mac was only doing this out of friendship.

‘I never thought she would go so fucking bananas.’

Johnny smiled gently. ‘I did. I tried to warn you she wasn’t the whole fucking ticket. Always a bit erratic, for want of a better word. But that was part of the attraction, as far as I could see. She tried to rule you and you loved it. At first.’

Cain conceded the truth of that statement.

‘But she was never the full ten shillings – even her mother tried to tell you about her. Look how she acted towards your poor mum. She treated her like dirt, and you went along with it. What’s the nut doctor said? Is it true they want to plug her into the national grid?’

Cain laughed at that despite himself. ‘They talked about shock therapy, but what she needs is a fucking good slap. Spoiled rotten she is, and always has been. Even the quack there thinks she is suffering from too high an opinion of herself. She’s half the size of a house these days too. Fucking hell, you should see her, Johnny. If eating was an Olympic sport she would get the gold. But they say she will be home soon. At least she’s off the fucking Valium, so that’s something. But it’s what she was capable of that I can’t get my head around, you know? The police said they found a vial of acid in her car, that she was probably going to throw it in Jenny’s face.’

Johnny listened quietly. Cain needed to get it off his chest to a sympathetic ear. The acid didn’t surprise Johnny Mac, Caroline was a drama queen through and through. He had tolerated her because he had to, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t feel sorry for her. She was incapable of holding a man like Cain Moran; deep inside she knew that, and it had chipped away at her. She was what the Yanks called a ‘control freak’ and that was why the two of them had started out so passionately and ended so tragically.

‘That’s Caroline all over – the big dramatic gesture. Now, though, she’s had a fright and hopefully it will sort her out once and for all. Do the doctors think she will ever get back on an even keel?’

‘With medication but, as far as I can see, that’s what sent her over the edge in the first place. To be honest, I really don’t know what to think, mate. But you are right, Johnny – I have to accept some of the blame. I caused this and now I have to deal with the fallout. I just never thought it would be so outrageous.’ He drank his whisky down in one. ‘What if that baby had died? And now look at Jenny – no more kids. She’s not eighteen years old and she has had to contend with this and it’s my fault. All my fault.’ He put his head into his hands in despair.

Johnny Mac said half-jokingly, ‘Oh, Cain, for fuck’s sake, have a day off, will you? Can you hear yourself? You sound like you should be writing to Marjorie Proops! It’s happened, wipe your fucking mouth and get on with it. We have serious business to contend with and I can’t do it on my own, mate. Deep down you knew that you wouldn’t walk away from that mad bitch unscathed. It was hard, I admit, but you did it. Now you have to accept the consequences.’

Cain Moran nodded his agreement, but he said sadly, ‘I know that, I ain’t a complete cunt, Johnny. But it’s my Jenny who has had to pay the real price.’

Johnny Mac shrugged nonchalantly. ‘She is a lot stronger than you give her credit for, Cain. Anyone brought up by Eileen Riley has to be streetwise; it stands to reason, don’t it? You both got what you wanted, and that is an end to it. Now can we talk actual business?’

Cain Moran grinned. ‘OK then, if you insist.’ He felt better already; trust Johnny to know exactly what he needed to hear. It was over – at least he hoped it was anyway.

‘One last thing, Cain, don’t scrimp on the divorce. It will backfire in the long run, and there is still little Michael to think about. You have made your point, now be magnanimous. It will be the last thing she is expecting and one day you will be glad you caved.’

Cain didn’t answer him.

‘How is he anyway, my little godson?’

Cain shrugged. ‘Dolly is doing a great job, but I know that I can’t ever bring him into Jenny’s life. That would send Caroline off her trolley again.’

‘Well, be fair – you would feel the same if the boot was on the other foot.’

Cain saw the sense of what Johnny was saying but it still rankled. He loved his son – he loved both his sons. But Michael was Caroline’s only family after Dolly, and if he took him away from her it would be cruel. Now he had to live with the fact that he had walked out on Michael for Jenny and that was not something he had ever thought himself capable of.