The Dead Ex(98)

‘Vicki Goudman was the bitch who stopped me being with my little girl.’

It’s Mum, talking to one of the journalists. She sounds drunk. ‘She was power-hungry, that woman. Never showed an ounce of pity …’

‘I think that’s enough.’ I take Mum firmly by the arm. ‘We need to go.’

‘But I was just telling this nice gentleman here …’

‘What if she lets slip we were at the Goudmans’ house?’

‘I said we have to move it.’

‘Well, I’m not going back to any bleeding coffee shop. We need a drink to celebrate.’

When Mum’s in a mood like this, there’s no talking her out of it. Besides, I’m worried that if I argue with her, we’ll only attract more attention.

‘Just one. You know what the probation officer said. If you get drunk and make a scene, you could go back Inside.’

Mum’s lips tighten. ‘Don’t be so boring. This is a great day! Justice has finally been done.’

We make our way to the nearest pub. There are lots of those little booths round the side and luckily we find an empty two-seater. I buy us each a small white wine.

‘Cheers,’ I say uncertainly.

She knocks it back in one. Then she makes a face. ‘Not as good as the last lot.’

‘What do you mean?’

She grins. ‘When you were at the bar just now, I helped myself to a couple of drinks that a couple left on that table over there.’

In the old days, three glasses wouldn’t have been enough for Mum to get smashed. But she doesn’t have the tolerance she used to.

‘Twenty years!’ Mum punches her hands in the air and hollers as if she’s just won something on one of the gaming machines behind. ‘Isn’t it great?’

‘Shhh.’ I glance around nervously in case there are any more journalists keen to know ‘the other side of the story’. ‘Come on. Let’s go home.’

‘You can if you want. But I’m not.’

I need to distract her. And there’s something I must ask before I lose my nerve. ‘Mum, when we ran out of Tanya’s house you took a minute or two to join me. What were you doing?’

Go on, I urge her silently. Tell me what you said before about being puffed and not keeping up.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

‘Yes it does.’ I lean across the table and hold Mum’s cold, thin hand. ‘We’re a team, remember. We trust each other. But we can’t do that unless we’re honest. So tell me.’

Mum grips my hand back. ‘I can’t.’

‘You can,’ I say.

‘You won’t love me any more.’

There’s a heavy feeling in my chest. ‘Of course I will.’

‘I only did it for you, love. She deserved to get punished.’

‘Mum. What did you do?’

‘I … well, I had one of those key chains from the prison. I nicked one. Just to defend myself in case one of the other women went for me.’

‘How did you get it out when you were released?’

‘I did one of the prison officers a favour.’ She winks at me. ‘Nice bloke he was.’

My mouth is dry. ‘Please tell me you didn’t take the chain with you when we followed Vicki.’

‘Only as protection.’ Mum isn’t looking at me. ‘I didn’t know what the guv might do if she saw us.’

‘But she didn’t see us … did she?’

‘No.’ She lifts her face again. Defiant this time. ‘Vicki ran past me and I was going to follow her when she stormed off, but then Tanya saw me. By then I’d sneaked in through the patio doors which were open. I was scared so I … well, I got my chain out.’

The baby kicks inside me as though it too is scared.

‘Only to frighten her, mind. But then she began yelling and I knew I had to shut her up.’

‘You didn’t …’

‘I just told you, love. I did it for you. I thought, well, if she’s dead and David’s gone missing – maybe dead too – you’d get all the money once you’d proved it was his child.’

‘And you thought all of that on the spur of the moment? You’ve just helped to send down an innocent woman for a crime which she didn’t commit.’

‘What about justice? It’s only what she did to me.’ Mum’s voice rises like a spoilt child’s. ‘I knew David’s wife would have Vicki’s DNA on her from the fight they’d just had. You pick up a thing or two in prison. Then I stopped at that phone box to dial 999 and leave an anonymous tip-off in a funny voice claiming to be an old neighbour who heard a commotion and recognized David’s first wife running from the house. Told them that I thought she now lived in Penzance. Then I knew the police would watch the station and the bitch would get blamed for the murder.’

‘You lied to me. I thought you said we were a team. How could you be so stupid?’ Tears are running down my face.

‘Shut up.’

‘No. You shut up. All I ever wanted was for you to get out of prison, and now you’ve done it again …’

‘Zelda, isn’t it? Zelda Darling. Thought I recognized your voice.’