Chapter 7: Decisions
Vicky's fingers had moved to release the front door before her brain had even caught up. She took a deep breath in an attempt to quell her rising panic, mentally scalding herself for acting so rashly on impulse. Sonny was in his room; how could she be so stupid as to put him at risk?
She made her way over to the door at the top of the stairs, ready to prevent their intruder from barging all the way into the flat. She heard the heavy footsteps stomping up the stairs, each one louder than the previous as whoever it was got closer.
The first thing she noticed as the figure stepped through the door was the long, black trench coat, its collar turned up and casting shadows across the transgressor's neck. Her eyes trailed upwards until they met his face; brow furrowed and ginger hair pushed back.
"Long time, no see…" He stated, gruffly as he slammed the door behind him. Vicky flinched at the sound it made, listening out for any sign that it would have woken the sleeping child in the next room.
"What the hell do you want, Gary? I've got a baby asleep through there!" She gestured vaguely into the flat as if to emphasise her point.
"Yeah, so I've heard. Got yourself a shiny new life with Michelle Connor, isn't that right?" Gary raised an eyebrow, a smug grin tugging at his lips.
"And what?" Vicky shrugged.
"And so, that makes you just the woman I'm after…"
"Can you stop talking in riddles and just spit it out?" Vicky snapped, the calmness of his tone setting her on edge.
She stood her ground as Gary took a step towards her, crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her chin to the side.
"Well, I can't imagine you think much of Ray Crosby if you're shacked up with her." He suggested, looking around the hallway as though he were a surveyor analysing the value of the property.
"He's a total scumbag. But I've been involved with enough of those in my time to know when to steer clear." She offered him a patronising smile, pointedly looking him up and down.
"Exactly. Total scumbag. I agree. And seeing as we're on the same page and you already owe me a favour, I need you to do a little job for me…"
This time Vicky allowed herself to take a step back as he advanced on her once more. She furrowed her brow in confusion, trying to understand what he was referring to.
"I don't owe you anything." She stated, boldly, shaking her head. Gary let out a laugh.
"Wow, you really do have a short memory." He chuckled. "Does the name 'Rick Neelan' ring any bells?"
Vicky's stomach dropped; a frown set on her face. The memory of the day she'd first met Gary suddenly came flooding back: The way he'd prevented Sharon from giving her a beating; the way he'd let her escape; the way he'd wiped out her debts for a mere one hundred pounds. Gary's eyes lit up as the realisation set upon her face.
"Thought so. You see, I've taken over the business whilst he's… Otherwise engaged-"
"I paid you what I owed!" Vicky interjected, panic lacing her tone. "You said we were done…"
"Exactly, and we are. As long as you do this one thing for me."
"What?" Vicky whispered.
"Well, you see, Michelle isn't the only person Ray's been handsy with. Our Faye is in bits, but she's refusing to go to the police…"
"And what? You want me to get Michelle to dob him in on her behalf?"
"Oh no, not quite. See, I think there's something more going on than just him being a creep-"
"Well, it sounds like he's more than just a creep if wee Faye is so torn up about it." Vicky pointed out; her tone laced with concern.
"So, what I need is someone to get him away from the Bistro and get him talking. That's where you come in."
"No. No way." Vicky shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere near him."
"See, I thought you might say that… But unfortunately, Vicky, you don't have much of a choice."
"And why's that?" Vicky pressed, taking a daring step closer to him. "What are you gonna do?"
"Your debts to Rick? They'll go straight back on the table. Only this time, I'll triple them. I'm sure Michelle will have a spare £120k lying around somewhere, won't she?"
"You can't do that…" Vicky whispered, shaking her head in denial. There was no way this could be happening. She had finally managed to get her life back on track; a flat, a business, a family. She wasn't prepared to ruin all of that.
"Well, I'm hoping I won't have to. It's a simple job, Vicky. All you need to do is use your feminine charm to lure him in and get him to spill something we can use. In the meantime, I'll sneak into the Bistro office and see what he's got hidden in there."
"And what exactly are you hoping he'll confess to?" Vicky quizzed, exasperated.
"I don't know yet, but I'm sure it's got something to do with him wanting to buy almost every property on this street…"
"I'm sorry, Gary, but you're gonna have to find someone else to do your dirty work. I promised Michelle I-"
Gary took a sudden step forwards, gripping the neck of Vicky's jumper tightly in his fist. She let out a shocked gasp.
"Well then, you're going to have to explain to Michelle why she can't keep her lovely new business and why she's going to be spending New Year's on the streets then aren't you? Because for every day that you refuse, I'll add £50k. Do you understand me?"
Vicky nodded, desperately, gasping again as he let go of her.
"Give me your phone." He demanded, coldly, holding out his hand.
"What?"
"Just do it!"
Vicky quickly reached into the back pocket of her jeans, fumbling for the device. She held it out for him, hand trembling, recoiling it protectively as he snatched the phone from her.
"Passcode?"
"Two, one, zero, four, seven, six…" Vicky listed quickly, watching as he tapped on the screen and unlocked the phone. "What are you doing?"
"I'm adding my number." He pulled up the messaging app, typing a message from Vicky's phone to his own before locking it and handing it back. She snatched it from him with a shaking hand. "I'll text you when I'm ready to go ahead with it. I trust you'll have made the right decision by then." He turned to leave, his hand resting on the handle of the door, before he stopped to look back over his shoulder. "Oh, and don't even think about telling anyone about this little chat, or I'll do much worse than raise your debts."
With his warning hanging heavy in the air, he stomped out of the flat, the door swinging closed behind him. Vicky gasped in several breaths, her whole-body trembling with the panic. Her heart was racing and she felt suddenly dizzy, a headache spreading behind her eyes. She stumbled into the kitchen, searching for the paracetamol Michelle had bought the week before. It was tucked neatly into the little box below the sink that Michelle had appointed as their makeshift first-aid box. Pouring herself a fresh glass of water, she popped two of the capsules against her tongue and washed them down; the liquid cool against her dry throat.
Her eyes scanned the room, settling on the two place settings she'd laid on the table minutes earlier, and welled with tears. What the hell was she supposed to do now?
She knew exactly what Michelle would say. She could almost hear the words falling from her lips as though she was in the room with her now, discussing this current situation.
We'll find the money, Vicky. The business, the flat; none of it is as important as your safety.
Vicky rolled her eyes at how predictably sensible she was. Ever since Robert, any situation that involved even the most minor risk had been avoided at all cost. Vicky understood why; she'd watched Michelle unravel and helped her build herself back up again. But she couldn't help but be somewhat irritated by her willingness to give in so easily.
There was no way she could tell her. Especially not after Gary's warning and particularly knowing what her response would be. As much as she knew Michelle would value her safety over anything else, the building she was standing in was a symbol of everything they'd achieved; everything they'd built together. There was no way she was letting anybody steal it from her; least of all Gary Windass.
On the other hand, she had promised Michelle she'd stay away from Ray. She understood Michelle's concerns but she was sure she could handle him. She'd put up with enough leery blokes in her life to know when to call it quits and she was sure Ray couldn't be any worse than some of the close calls she'd escaped in the past.
It was breaking Michelle's trust that she feared the most. She knew how important it was to both of them after all of their past experiences and the countless times they'd been screwed over. She knew how much it would hurt Michelle if she found out she'd gone behind her back.
She thought back to the previous week and their run in with Ray: The day she'd made the promise to swerve him at all costs. She thought about the things he'd said; about Michelle, about her, about their relationship. Her stomach flared with the same enmity she'd felt that day as she remembered how desperately she'd wanted to smack him in the face.
At least this way she'd get her revenge.
The sound of the front door being pushed open snapped her out of her thoughts, Michelle's humming bringing her back into the room. She quickly wiped her face, pulling herself together.
She watched as Michelle flashed her a smile. She looked genuinely happy; a far cry from the way she'd seemed a year ago. That was Ray's fault. Ray's and Robert's. One of them had already been dealt with.
She took a deep breath as the images Michelle had described one tearful night of her ordeal with Ray filled her mind. She shook them away, trying to focus on the spicy smell of the food her girlfriend was plating up.
She couldn't see her lose everything again.
She couldn't see Ray get away with what he'd done.
He had to pay.
