Shafted (43 page)

‘That’s another bloody lie,’ Larry said tersely, his eyes sparking with frustration and anger.‘I don’t know where the hell she got all that shit from, or how it came to be on my computer, but I swear to
God
I’ve
never
downloaded child porn in my life. I didn’t even know you still
could
. I thought they’d clamped down on all that shit ages ago.’

‘Yes, well, unfortunately it
can
still be accessed, as we now know,’ Georgie replied. ‘And because it’s recently downloaded, Doug’s working on the theory that it might have got through without your knowledge via links from the erotomania websites.’ Sighing heavily now, she added, ‘He did say that it might be difficult to get a judge to believe it, though, given that it was paid for with your credit card.’

Sickened by the mere thought of what he was being accused of, Larry closed his eyes and shook his head slowly from side to side. Looking up after a moment, his eyes brimming with tears, he said, ‘I swear to God it wasn’t me, Georgie. I’ve been set up, but I don’t know how to prove it. I just keep going over it all in my head, but it doesn’t make any sense. I
know
she must have planted it if she knows that it was there – but it’s two years since she was in my place and it’s a different computer from the one I had then, so that would be impossible. And how could she have got hold of my credit card? Unless she took my number when I was asleep that night and somehow found my spare door key.’

Wishing that the dividing-window glass wasn’t there so that she could give him a hug, because he looked so lost and desperate, Georgie said,‘Stop upsetting yourself, Larry. Doug will make sure that these things are all brought to light, and we’ll get to the truth in the end. We all believe you, so now we’ve got to concentrate on building a defence that the judge and jury will believe.’ Pausing, she bit her lip and said, ‘Look, I know you won’t like this, but Doug says we need to look at every possible means by which somebody could have gained access to your place without your knowledge. So do you think there’s any chance that Stephanie—’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ Larry cut her off, his eyes dark and intense. ‘You know as well as I do that she wouldn’t do something like this to me. Even if she could – which she
couldn’t
, because she’s never in my apartment without me being there too. No one is. Someone must have broken in while I was out.’

Holding up her hands, Georgie said, ‘I know, and I’m sorry for even voicing it, because I know how much Stephanie loves you. But these are the questions the prosecution will be asking if you deny it when you get to court.’

‘Of course I’m going to deny it,’ Larry snapped. Then, rubbing a hand over his eyes, he said, ‘Sorry. But they can ask what they like. I’m innocent, and that will have to come out in the end – won’t it?’

Sincerely hoping that justice
would
be done, although she doubted it was going to be anywhere near as easy to prove his innocence in light of the evidence as everyone was trying to make out, Georgie said, ‘I’m sure it will, dear.’

Nodding now, when the screw who’d been standing guard at the door told her that her time was up, she stood up and smiled at Larry through the glass, saying, ‘I’ll be back as soon as I can, Larry. But in the meantime, will you
please
think about what I said the other day, because even Doug agrees that it would be a good time to do it if you’re ever going to.’

Nodding, Larry gritted his teeth to keep from bursting into tears as she walked out.

A few minutes later, having been escorted back to his tiny cell in the segregation wing where he was being kept to protect him from the other prisoners who, having heard what he was being charged with, had already threatened to kill him the first chance they got, Larry lay on his bed as the key turned noisily in the lock. He thought about what Georgie had said. And the more he thought about it, the more he thought she might be right.

Feeling as nervous as a teenager on a first date when Stephanie came to visit a few days later, Larry leant forward in his seat and pressed his hands up against the glass. Smiling when she returned the gesture, he said, ‘You look beautiful. But can you take the shades off? I really want to see your eyes.’

Slipping the dark glasses off, Stephanie folded them and put them to one side. Then she clasped her hands together in front of her. Larry looked awful: she felt terrible for him, because this whole thing was obviously taking a massive toll on him. But Georgie had told her to try and keep his spirits up so, forcing herself to smile, she said, ‘How are you doing?’

‘Not great,’ he admitted. Then, shrugging, he said, ‘But hey – I’m not going to be here for ever, am I?’

‘God, no,’ Stephanie said, sounding much more positive than she felt. ‘You’ll be out in no time.’

‘And will you still be waiting for me?’

‘Of course.’

‘Good,’ Larry said, taking a deep breath.‘Because there’s something I wanted to ask you . . .’

PART THREE

22

‘He’s asked me to marry him.’

Raising his eyebrows, Dex gave a soft, incredulous laugh. ‘Fucking hell! I didn’t expect
that
.’

‘Neither did I,’ Gaynor murmured, not looking half as happy about it as he obviously was. Shrugging dismissively, she said, ‘Well, that’s it. I can’t go and see him again after this.’

‘Don’t be stupid,’ Dex hissed, lowering his voice and peering at her across the table as if she was crazy.

‘I’m not being stupid,’ she hissed back. ‘It’s really hard, having to pretend I’ve got feelings for him when all I can think about is you.’

‘Stop whingeing,’ Dex sneered. ‘Why’s it always got to be about you, eh? I’m doing fifteen fucking years because of that cunt.’

‘You’re doing fifteen years because you committed a serious crime,’ Gaynor reminded him coolly. ‘All he did was set you up to get arrested for it.’

Narrowing his eyes, Dex gritted his teeth and said, ‘You’d better tell me you ain’t defending that cunt. ’Cos I swear to God—’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Gaynor snapped, pursing her lips furiously. ‘I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near him in the first place if you hadn’t made me, so don’t you dare try and turn this round.’

‘You sure as fuck don’t sound to me like you hate him,’ Dex snarled, the fires of jealousy leaping in his eyes.

Gaynor was about to say that she’d never said that she
did
hate Larry. But then she thought better of it, because the screws were too far away to reach Dex if he went for her throat. She actually
didn’t
hate Larry, but she certainly didn’t love him, either. Having spent all these months with him, she’d seen a side to him which few others probably ever saw, and she felt more sorry for him than anything because he was so insecure. She also felt a little bit guilty, she had to admit, for playing such a large part in putting him away for something that he hadn’t done. But he
had
screwed Dex over, so she supposed Dex was entitled to his revenge. And, loving Dex as she did, she’d done everything she could to help him in his quest. Not that he seemed to believe it.

Sighing heavily now, she looked at Dex and said, ‘You’re driving me crazy, Derek Lewis. You know how much I love you, and how much I’ve hated doing what I’ve done. But if you’re still going to act like this and accuse me of rubbish, it makes me wonder why I bothered.’

Pushing his own lips out now, Dex peered back at her hard, trying to suss out if she meant what she was saying. Because if she did, she ought to be willing to go that one step further, instead of bleating about it.

‘I’m very fucking grateful,’ he said now, getting a scowl from Gaynor for sounding so facetious. ‘But I just don’t get why you’re bailing out at the winning post, because this is working out way better than we planned. Christ, I only wanted you to get in with him while I figured out a way to get him banged up, so you’d know how to tap into his bank account, and that. But this is perfect, ’cos you’ll be able to get at everything if you’re his wife. And if he has a little
accident
when he gets put through to the proper block, you’ll inherit the lot
and
get the life insurance.’

Peering at him as he went on about the money, Gaynor shook her head and said, ‘You don’t get it, do you? I
can’t
marry him, because I want to marry you.’

‘Yeah, and when it’s all over, we will,’ Dex said blithely, wondering why birds always had to complicate everything with emotional claptrap.

‘I don’t want to marry you as a divorcee or a widower,’ Gaynor persisted, tears brimming at her eyes again. ‘When I get married it’s got to be real – and
for ever
.’

Peering at her, Dex shook his head and sucked his teeth. ‘You’re really pissing me off now, Gay. What the fuck’s it matter who got there first, so long as it’s me you end up with?’

‘It matters to
me
,’ Gaynor sobbed, dabbing at the tears which were flowing freely now.

‘Fucking Catholics,’ Dex sneered, more concerned by the thought of losing out on some easy money than with comforting the soft bitch. ‘Always got to do everything by the bleedin’ book, haven’t you?’

‘You’re a Catholic, too,’ she reminded him tearfully.

‘Yeah, right,’ he snorted dismissively. ‘And when was the last time you caught
me
sniffing round a fucking church? Never, that’s when! Anyhow,’ he went on, sparking a cigarette and blowing the smoke in her face, knowing full well that she hated that, ‘I’ve already been married, so what difference does it make if you do it an’ all? Kind of evens the score, don’t you think?’

‘It’s not the same,’ Gaynor muttered, not wanting to think about that. ‘That was before you met me.’

‘Yeah, well, if it makes you feel any better I’ll remarry Jane, then we’ll really be evens, won’t we? We can have a double, if you want. Me and her, you and him.’

‘I can’t believe you said that,’ Gaynor hissed, the blood completely drained from her face now as she glared at him across the table. ‘I always knew you were a bastard, but that’s low, even for you.’

‘Sit down,’ Dex said when she reached for her bag and stood up.

Shaking her head, she said, ‘No! I’m going. And I won’t be coming back till you’ve apologised.’

‘Sit . . .
down
,’ he repeated slowly, his teeth gritted. He glanced quickly around as if checking to see where all the screws were situated.

Seeing that he’d balled his hands into fists and fearing that he just might blow if she didn’t, Gaynor did as she was told. Folding her arms, she flopped down onto the chair.

‘Right, let’s get something straight, you dozy cow,’ Dex said, peering intensely back at her. ‘I only said that about Jane to wind you up ’cos I’m sick with fucking jealousy about you and that cunt. But now he’s locked up there’ll be no more funny business, so it’ll be easier. All you’ve got to do is drop the holier-than-thou bullshit and marry the twat, and that’s us made for life. I love the tits off you, and I thought you loved me, but if you can’t do this one last thing I guess you’re not as committed as you made out.’

‘That’s not fair,’ Gaynor muttered. ‘I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone in my life.’

‘So prove it,’ Dex said, pleased with himself for manipulating her into seeing things his way just by giving it to her in the kind of soppy words she understood.

Sighing resignedly, she said, ‘How are we supposed to explain it to your family?’

‘What’s it got to do with them?’ Dex said dismissively. ‘Anyhow, they haven’t sussed you out so far, have they?’

‘No, but it’ll be a bit harder to hide once I’m Mrs Larry bloody Logan. He
is
kind of famous, in case you’d forgotten.’

‘And he’ll also be a convicted paedophile any day now,’ Dex reminded her. ‘So I hardly think
Hello!
magazine’s gonna be in any rush to buy the wedding pictures, do you?’

‘No, I suppose not.’

‘There you go, then,’ Dex said, slapping his hand palm down on the table. ‘Just do what you’ve got to do, then carry on as you have been all along. If you’re smart, no one will ever know. And you
are
smart, I’ve got to give you that. ’Cos I’m fucked if I thought you’d ever pull this off as good as getting him to marry you.’

‘Okay, I’ll do it,’ Gaynor said reluctantly. ‘But you’d best tell your family what’s going on – I’m not having them calling me a traitor when they find out, just because they think I went behind your back with the bloke who had you put away.’

‘The less they know the better,’ Dex said quietly. ‘And trust me, they ain’t
gonna
find out – so long as you don’t fuck it up.’

‘I won’t,’ Gaynor murmured, feeling tearful again as she looked at his handsome face.

She would never in a million years have expected him to give her his blessing to marry another man, and she actually felt a bit betrayed that he was willing to sacrifice her dreams for money and revenge. But she supposed she just had to accept that he wasn’t the sentimental kind, and that this was nothing more than a business deal to him. And at least he’d finally said that he
would
marry her, instead of skirting round the houses like he usually did.

So, yes, she would do this last thing for him. But God help him if he forgot his promise when he finally got out.

23

Larry looked worse than ever when he stood beside Stephanie in front of the visiting registrar three weeks later. He had a nasty scab on his cheek, which he claimed was the result of a shaving cut, although Stephanie, Georgie and Doug very much doubted that because they all thought it looked a little big for a simple razor nick. And the suit that Georgie had brought in was hanging off him because he’d lost so much weight. But at least he was smiling, which made them all feel a bit better, because he’d been sinking lately and they were afraid that he might be becoming depressed.

Saying, ‘I will,’ when the registrar asked if he, Larry Logan, took Gaynor Stephanie Lloyd to be his lawful wedded wife, he turned to her and smiled lovingly when she was asked the corresponding question.