Faceless by Martina Cole Read Free Book Online Page B

what she wanted she was her old amiable self again. As they walked to the canteen Karen grabbed Lucy tightly in a head lock. The stench was overpowering. It was a jokey gesture outwardly but was Karen’s way of letting her know who was the stronger. The message was heard loud and clear.
    Lucy would happily set her sister up for a bit of righteous retribution if it kept Karen Black off her own back for the foreseeable future.
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    Mrs Harper was a trial but Kevin felt he was well able for her. He was building a small extension on to her kitchen and it felt like he was undertaking the construction of the Sistine Chapel. Her Irish accent grated on him now. This was the longest job in recorded history. Or at least it felt like it anyway.
    ‘Do you think I should move the sink at all?’
    Kevin sighed.
    ‘The sink is better off at the window. Give you a bit of a view when you’re washing up, eh?’
    He smiled as he looked out over her twenty-three-foot garden and into the home that backed on to it.
    ‘But won’t I have the dishwasher?’
    Kevin looked at the ceiling and took a deep breath.
    ‘You will still use the sink, though, won’t you?’
    Silently he cursed her, as he cursed his wife and everyone he could think of. It was nearly time to go home and he couldn’t wait. It was Thursday and that meant steak and eggs, his favourite meal of the week. With thick bread and butter it slipped down a treat.
    But along with the food he would have Louise’s whining and never-ending saga of Marie and what she might do, could already have done or might be considering doing in the future. It was driving him mad. As much as he loved his daughter and he did, though he could only admit that in the privacy of his own thoughts, her release had opened up a real can of worms. But for all the upset, he was glad she was out.
    The thought of her locked up all those years had preyed on his mind. Every Christmas had been like a knife in his ribs as he wondered what she was doing, if she was enjoying herself. As they had sat down to dinner he had wondered what she was eating. Did she get any cards, gifts, whatever?
    Although what she had done was terrible, she was still a person, still his daughter, and she had been a drug addict. That was something everyone conveniently forgot. Marie was so out of it in those days she didn’t know the day of the week most of the time. He remembered how she would prowl the streets looking for a dealer. It was an illness, whatever people wanted to think. But it was a self-inflicted illness.
    He began to get his tools together and heard a theatrical sigh from Mrs Harper. Well, she could go and boil her shite. He had had
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    enough for one day. Ten minutes later he was sinking a large brandy in the pub.
    Cissy Wellbeck walked over to him and he forced himself to smile. She was all right, was Cissy, but he wasn’t in the mood for her at the moment.
    ‘Can I have a word in private, like?’
    He nodded, had no choice. If Cissy wanted to talk to him she would.
    ‘Marie was down the market today.’
    The words had the effect of a bucket of cold water thrown over him. At least Cissy had dropped her voice. Usually she sounded like a fog horn.
    ‘So?’
    He didn’t know what else to say to her. Louise would have been well able with a putdown, but it wasn’t his style.
    Cissy poked her large moon face at him.
    ‘Look, Kev, I ain’t trying to add to your burdens but Marie is not exactly flavour of the month round here. You know that without me having to spell it out. All I’m saying is, have a word with her. There are still a lot of people who feel she ain’t paid the right price for what she did. Personally I think they were all as bad as one another. Accidents waiting to happen, the three of them. But she’s taking a big risk showing her boatrace round the market. Caroline’s mother still has a stall there and if she sees her …’
    Cissy left the rest of the sentence unspoken.
    ‘What do you want