Billie Jo (31 page)

'You're a fucking lightweight, Jamie. Don't go yet, you
boring bastard. Stay another hour at least,' the lads
protested.

'No, honestly, I've gotta go. I'm knackered. You boys
enjoy yourselves. I'll ring you tomorrow to see how the
rest of the night went. I'll see you later.' Without a backward
glance, Jamie walked out of the pub.

'He's just walked out on his own,' Emma said, pleased
that she was being so useful.

'Stay here.' Danny handed her a score. 'Get yourself
a drink, I won't be long.'

Jamie felt quite unsteady as he walked towards the
nearest cab firm. He wasn't used to drinking large amounts
any more and he felt pretty pissed. He walked along cheerfully
in deep thought. He was so happy at home with
Billie Jo and DJ. He loved his new-found family more
than words could say. One day, he and Billie would have
a child of their own. He'd mention it to her soon, see if
she was up for it.

Danny hid in a shop doorway as he saw a crowd of
people walking towards him. He could see that Jamie was
staggering and he didn't want to be noticed walking behind
him.

Passing the travel agents, a bargain holiday caught
Jamie's eye. 'I wonder if Billie and DJ would like that?'
he muttered to himself. He could easily get the time off
work, his job was a doddle. Because he always did plenty
of overtime he was also given plenty of time off and took
full advantage of it by spending lots of odd days with
Billie Jo and the little 'un.

Danny lightly rubbed his thumb over the blade in his
hand and double-checked the street. It wasn't empty, but
there was nobody nearby and this was about as quiet as
Romford was gonna get. Tiptoeing nearer and nearer to
his intended victim, he felt as high as a kite. Moving in
the shadows towards his helpless target, he felt like
laughing with glee. Somehow he managed to stop himself.

Jamie heard footsteps behind him, but thought nothing
of it. Romford town centre was a busy old place and there
were always people about.

Clutching the knife tightly in his right hand, Danny
said one word over and over again as he aimed it towards
the tan leather jacket. 'Cunt, cunt, cunt, cunt, cunt.' The
five spoken words were the same number of times he
stuck the blade in.

He didn't just jab it. With all his might, Danny rammed
the bastard as hard as he possibly could.

Billie had just managed to drift off to sleep when she
heard the knocking on the door. 'Silly sod,' she said to
herself as she chucked on her dressing gown. 'I bet he's
forgotten his key.'

The sight of the Old Bill standing there looking sombre
filled her with terror. She stood rooted to the spot, unable
to speak. In the police car on the way to the hospital,
Billie held DJ tightly and tried to recall what the policeman
had said. She couldn't remember exactly, the shock
wouldn't allow her to. All she could recall was nodding
to confirm that Jamie lived there, hearing he had been
involved in an incident, and the words 'Oldchurch
Hospital'.

As she reached the hospital one of the policemen helped
Billie out of the car and led her inside. The walk through
the corridors seemed never-ending and at one point her
legs were shaking so much that she had to stop for a
moment before continuing the dreadful journey. She was
led into a relatives' room, given a cup of water and
told that a doctor would be along to see her shortly.

'Please God let him be alive,' Billie kept repeating to
herself over and over again. She couldn't understand what
had happened to him. She knew Romford could be quite
rough and had a bad name, but surely Jamie hadn't got
involved in a fight, he just wasn't the type. Maybe he'd
been hit by a car or something, she thought, as she
searched for some explanation.

'Mummy, Mummy! I want to go home.' DJ's tearful
voice and his need for comfort seemed to snap her out
of her daze.

'Ssh, darling. We have to be here, Jamie's not well and
the doctors need to make him better.'

DJ's tears were wet on her shoulder and Billie held
him tightly. She didn't feel like being strong, but knew
she had to be for his sake.

'Hi, I'm Dr Kelly. I'm sorry to keep you waiting.'

Billie could tell by the doctor's serious expression and
the patronising way he asked her to sit down that the news
wasn't going to be good. 'What's happened, Doctor?
Please tell me. Is Jamie going to be OK?'

'Bring a nice strong cup of coffee for Miss Keane.' A
nurse scurried off and left the doctor alone with her. 'I'm
afraid Jamie is very badly hurt. He's been stabbed five times,
his lung has been punctured and he has some internal
bleeding. We need to operate immediately and to be honest,
it's not looking particularly good. The next twenty-four
hours are critical, but I promise you we are doing everything
in our power to save Jamie's life and he will have the
best care we can give him. Now, are you his next of kin?'

Billie felt panicked, but tried desperately to hold it
together. Her voice wobbled as she spoke. 'We're only
living together, so his mum will be his next of kin, but I
don't know her number. Who stabbed him? What
happened? Was he involved in a fight?'

'I'm not sure of the details. The police will inform you
about the incident, that's their job. My job is to operate
on Jamie, so I need to contact his mother.'

Billie knew the road she lived in, but not the number.
She had only met her once and Billie had come away
with the distinct impression that Mrs Jackson thought her
beloved son could do a damn sight better than to take up
with a single mum.

'The police will probably be in to speak to you shortly,
and as far as any update on Jamie's condition goes, you
will be the first to know.' Dr Kelly left the room.

Two minutes later Billie's howling could be heard at
the other end of the corridor. The two nurses on duty tried
to calm her down.

'Drink this,' one said, thrusting a strong black coffee
into her hands.

'Is there anyone who can come and collect your son?'
the other one asked, noticing how distressed the child was
becoming.

'I'm OK now. I'm OK.' Billie sipped the hot drink and
took deep breaths. 'I have a neighbour who lives near
me. I'll call her, she'll pick up my son for me . . .

'Tina, I'm so sorry to wake you. I'm at the hospital
and I need you to come and pick DJ up for me.'

Tina was wide awake within seconds. She thought the
world of Billie Jo and would walk on hot coals to help
her one and only true friend. 'Whatever's wrong, Billie?
What's happened?'

Billie tearfully told her the story. 'I'm waiting for the
police to come and see me now. I don't even know how
it happened yet. No one's told me anything. All I know
is that Jamie has been stabbed and they're operating on
him.'

'Right.' Tina's voice was calm. 'I want you to stay put.
I'm gonna call a cab and I'll chuck some clothes on,
quickly get Alfie dressed and I'll be there in half an hour.
I'll find out what's going on and get some answers for
you. I've got a bottle of brandy in the cupboard. I'll bring
that with me, it's good for shock. You just be brave, Billie.
I'll be as quick as I can.'

'Thanks, Tina.' Billie ended the call and sobbed at
the unfairness of it all.

Tina was true to her word and half an hour later she
was sitting beside her friend, comforting her. 'I've disguised
the brandy and mixed it in here,' she said, handing her
friend a big bottle of Diet Coke.

Taking a few gulps, Billie almost choked. 'Christ, that's
strong.'

Tina squeezed Billie's hand. 'I poured a whole bottle
of brandy in. It's mixed half and half. Just drink it. I
always used to keep a bottle hidden and drink it after
Robert had beaten me up.'

Billie managed a half-smile and took another swig.
Seeing the police walk in, she quickly put the lid back
on the bottle.

'Hello, I'm DI Atkinson and this is my colleague
DS King. I'm sorry if no one's been in to explain anything
to you, but I wanted to come and speak to you personally.'

'That's OK,' Billie said meekly.

Noticing the two boys sitting on the floor playing with
a couple of toys the nurses had provided, the DI nodded
towards them. 'I need to ask you a few questions, Billie.
Maybe the boys would be better going outside with your
friend for a few minutes.'

'I want my friend to stay here with me.' Billie didn't
mean to sound abrupt, but she needed support and
didn't want to be left on her own again.

'OK. Perhaps a nurse will look after them for a few
minutes then.'

DI Atkinson's mood automatically changed to serious
once the children had left the room. 'Your boyfriend was
stabbed, Billie, in an unprovoked attack on South Street
in Romford. We have a couple of eyewitnesses who are
at Romford police station giving statements at the moment.
Now, what I need off you is some information. Did your
boyfriend have any enemies? Had he had an argument or
any trouble with anyone recently?'

'No,' Billie answered honestly. 'Jamie wouldn't hurt
a fly and he certainly hasn't had a falling-out with anyone.
He doesn't go out on his own, tonight was a one-off.
We're always together, apart from when he goes to work.'

'Think carefully, Billie, because this is important. This
wasn't a fight or a bunch of lads involved. This incident,
from what the witnesses have told us, looked premeditated.
Your boyfriend was attacked from behind by a lone
man. Is there no one you know who may hold a grudge
against him?'

'Danny,' Tina piped up.

Billie looked at her in amazement. 'No, surely not. He
doesn't even drink in Romford.'

Tina shrugged. 'I bet he was tonight. I'm telling
you, Billie, I bet Danny's done this. He left them
messages on your phone saying he was gonna ruin your
life and how he was going to get his own back. He's
done this.'

DI Atkinson could feel the excitement rising inside him
as he took down vital information on Danny O'Leary. A
lot of questions were fired at Billie. Did she know where
he was living? The threats he'd made to her. The phone
calls. The ongoing court case with the child. Billie informed
him that the police were already aware of the threats that
Danny had made.

DI Atkinson stood up. 'Thank you for your help, Billie
and Tina. I'm going to get some officers to check out this
information immediately and we'll be paying Mr O'Leary
a visit. We have our eyewitnesses, so chances are, if he is
the culprit, they will be able to identify him. As soon as
I have any new information, I'll be in touch.'

Billie sat in silence as the police left the room. She
knew in her heart of hearts that Tina was right. She could
feel it in her bones that Danny had done this. This was
the bastard's idea of revenge.

Tina squeezed her friend's hand. 'Are you OK, mate?'

'Not really.' Billie wiped the tears away that had started
to form in the corners of her eyes. 'It's DJ I feel sorry
for. If it is Danny, then I've produced a child by an animal,
maybe even a fucking murderer. How is my baby meant
to live with that? What if he turns out like him? He's half
of him, at the end of the day. I know he's cute and sweetness
and light at the moment, but what if he turns into
him as he gets older?'

Tina hugged her friend. 'Don't be so silly. Your DJ's
an angel, he's nothing like his father. I thought that about
Alfie. Many times I worried that he'd turn out to be a
sadistic rapist like his scumbag of a dad, but deep down
I know he won't. He's a kind, loving kid like your DJ and
they've both been brought up right. They'll be OK, the
pair of them. You mark my words.'

Billie couldn't think straight. She just wanted Jamie.
'Do us a favour, Tina. Go and find us a doctor. I need
to know if they've operated yet. Go and get someone for
me. I need to see him, even if he's not awake. I need to
be near him, to be by his side if he wakes up.'

'I'll find out what's going on and ask how soon you can
see him. You leave it with me.' Walking down the corridor,
her heart pounding quickly, Tina prayed that she would
return with some good news. Unfortunately, she returned
with none at all.

* * *

Danny O'Leary sat in the living room of Debbie's poky
flat.

'You all right, babe?' Debbie asked nervously.

'No I ain't, and for fuck's sake stop asking me the
same stupid question.'

Scuttling into the kitchen, Debbie returned with another
beer. 'That's the last one, Dan.'

Searching through his pockets, Danny handed her fifty
quid. 'Go down to that all-night offie in Seven Kings and
get me a bottle of JD.'

'How am I meant to get there?'

'Ring a cab, you silly fucking tart.'

Hearing the door slam, Danny breathed a sigh of relief.
He needed to think straight, sort out a story. Grabbing his
gear, he shoved as much up his nose as he could. He had
left Romford immediately after the stabbing. He'd planned
to go back to Brannigan's and carry on drinking with the
little sort, but his clothes had been splattered with blood.
He was no mug. He always kept a change of clothes in
the motor in case of emergencies, so he'd stopped at a
field on the way home, burned the gear that he'd been
wearing and changed into a tracksuit.

Romford was swamped with CCTV. If the Old Bill did
turn up, he couldn't deny being there. Eleven o'clock,
he'd say he arrived home. Debbie was his alibi. She would
stick her head in a gas oven if he asked her nicely. Worst
ways, he would use the other little bird as his get-out
clause. Emma worked in a local shoe shop. Tomorrow he
would pay her a visit and set her up with a story. A bit
of the O'Leary charm and she'd be putty in his hands.

Hearing Debbie return, he grabbed the bottle of JD
from her. 'Thanks, babe,' he said, pecking Debbie on the
cheek. He had to play her, keep her sweet. Slurping his
drink, he thought of the night's events. An image of Jamie
lying in a pool of blood flashed through his mind. Smiling,
he wondered how Billie Jo must be feeling.

Billie Jo sat opposite Mrs Jackson and felt like smacking
her one. Instead of bonding together and praying for
Jamie's well-being, Mrs Jackson was more interested in
finding someone to blame for Jamie's situation, and that
someone was Billie.

'I knew he was playing with fire getting involved with
a girl that had another man's child.'

Billie ignored her and stared at the wall. Tina had gone
home now and was looking after DJ for her, so she was
lumbered with Jamie's mum on her own. Sick of being
blamed, she finally spoke up for herself. 'Look, I know
you're looking for someone to blame, but please don't
blame me. I love your son dearly and hopefully, please
God, we'll spend the rest of our lives together.'

'Hmm. He's a meal ticket for you,' came the sour reply.

Billie angrily marched out of the room, before a full-blown
row developed. Collaring a nearby nurse, she
demanded some more information. She had been told
nothing of Jamie's condition since she'd spoken to the
police and the lack of facts was beginning to piss her off.
Billie stood at the nurses' station and flatly refused to
move. At last a doctor approached her.

'Jamie is still in the operating theatre. The doctors are
doing their very best for him, but as yet, there is no news.'

Billie felt physically sick. Needing to get some fresh
air, she told the nurses that she was popping home for a
change of clothes and a shower.

'Please, call me on my mobile if there's any change.
I'll be about an hour or so.'

As Billie walked towards the reception, she noticed a
free phone number for a minicab firm next to the telephone
on the wall. She dialled it. She didn't have a clue where
she was going. She couldn't bear to go home as everything
about her flat reminded her of Jamie. From his boots in the
hallway, to his clothes still lying wet in the machine, she
just couldn't face home at the moment.

'Cab for Billie Jo,' a voice called out. Billie climbed
into the dark Mondeo and on the spur of the moment
decided her destination.

'Corbetts Tey Cemetery please. If I pay you up front
and pay the waiting time, can you hang about half an
hour for me?'