Kimberley Chambers 3-Book Collection: The Schemer, The Trap, Payback. Kimberley Chambers

Like It Hot. ‘“Real diamonds. They must be worth their weight in gold”,’ she drawled, before reverting back to her cockney accent. ‘Yes, Marge, of course I’m gonna bleedin’ see Fagin again. Not only that, if he proposes, I shall marry the old bastard.’

      Wayne Jackman was a creature of habit and Stephanie knew that he and his pals always spent their dinner times at the same chip shop where they would play on the fruit machine. ‘He’s not ’ere yet. Let’s wait by the alley, so we can jump out and surprise him before he gets to the chippy. I don’t want the whole world to hear what I’ve got to say. Ange will kill me if she finds out I’ve said something to Jacko. She made me promise on Mum’s life that I wouldn’t, but I crossed my fingers behind me back,’ Stephanie said.

      ‘He’s coming now, Steph. Potter and Cooksie are with him. You ain’t gonna say nothing in front of his mates, are you? Shall I call him over?’ Tammy asked, feeling slightly edgy.

      Staring at Wayne Jackman sauntering down the road like he owned it, Stephanie felt her blood start to boil. He was laughing and joking with his mates like he didn’t have a care in the world, while her poor sister was sitting at home, distraught and scarred for life. Unable to control her temper for one moment longer, Stephanie ran towards him. ‘Oi Jacko! I wanna word with you, you fucking pervert.’

      Potter and Cooksie immediately started to laugh.

      ‘You ain’t still got the hump ’cause I knocked you back, have ya?’ Wayne asked, cockily. He still hadn’t put two and two together with the Crouch surname and had no idea that Stephanie and Angela were actually related.

      ‘You fucking wanker! I know what you did to my sister, you scumbag. Do your friends know you’re a rapist? Well, do they?’ Steph shouted.

      As realization crept in that Stephanie was Angela’s sister, Wayne’s face whitened and his usual brash persona wilted like a flower that had just been trampled on by hobnail boots. ‘I never raped your sister. She was all over me like a rash and I would never have gone near her in the first place if she hadn’t lied about her age.’

      ‘You raped her! She told me you raped her,’ Stephanie screamed.

      Aware that a crowd had started to gather, Wayne grabbed Stephanie by the arm and dragged her towards the nearby alleyway. ‘You stay there. This is between me and her,’ he told Cooksie and Potter.

      ‘You ain’t taking my mate nowhere where I ain’t going,’ Tammy said, supportively.

      ‘Well, best you listen to what I’ve gotta say an’ all then, Tampax,’ Wayne hissed. He pushed Stephanie against the stone wall, and with his eyes glinting dangerously, gave her a piece of his mind. ‘If you weren’t dating my old mate, Bazza, I swear I would knock you out for embarrassing me like you just have. How dare you call me a rapist? Your sister told me she was fifteen and she was well up for it, if you know what I mean?’

      ‘So why did she dump you then? Why did she come home in such a state on Saturday if you never did anything wrong?’ Steph screamed, accusingly.

      ‘Because I took her round Danny MacKenzie’s house and his cousin Tanya was there. She’s in the same year as your fucking sister and she told me who she was and her real age. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Danno or Tanya what happened – or Potter and Cooksie, they were there an’ all.’

      Stephanie felt her face start to redden. ‘I’m only going by what my sister told me and she swears you raped her.’

      ‘Leave it now, mate. Let’s go, eh?’ Tammy urged her pal. She was positive Wayne was telling the truth.

      Determined to have the last say, Stephanie pointed her forefinger into Wayne’s smarmy face. ‘If you ever go near my sister again, I’m gonna call the police and tell ’em what you did to her. Understand?’

      Wayne grabbed Stephanie’s finger and bent it backwards. ‘You better shut your mouth, Crouchy, before I shut it for you. I never did anything to your lying slag of a sister that she didn’t want me to do, got it? And if you ever call me, or tell anyone I’m a rapist ever again, I will fucking kill you and that sister of yours. I’m a member of the ICF so, if I was you, I’d watch your back.’

      Aware that if she didn’t drag Stephanie away, things were about to get very ugly indeed, Tammy grabbed her friend by the arm and virtually dragged her down the road.

      ‘You think Angie’s lying, don’t you?’ Steph asked, near to tears.

      ‘Steph, you told me this morning in the café that Angie had told you that Jacko still thought she was fifteen. He obviously doesn’t, so someone’s telling porkies, mate.’

      Stephanie turned to her pal. ‘I’m gonna check out Jacko’s story, and if I find out that he’s telling me the truth and Angie’s lying, I swear I’m gonna rip her head off.’

      Pamela Crouch scuttled home from work as fast as her heavy-sized frame would carry her. She hadn’t been able to concentrate on her job in the bakery today, as she knew that there was something wrong with her daughters. All day yesterday, Stephanie and Angela had been holed up in their bedroom. They’d barely touched the nice roast-lamb dinner she’d cooked, and when she tried to enquire what was wrong, both girls had virtually bitten her head off. Pam wasn’t stupid. She knew this latest drama was more to do with Angie than Steph, but she also knew it must be serious, as Angela had flatly refused to go to school this morning by feigning a migraine.

      ‘Pam! Pam!’

      Hearing her name called, Pam turned around and waved at her friend Cathy.

      ‘Jesus wept! Been shouting your name for the past five minutes. You gone mutt and jeff or summink?’

      ‘Sorry, mate. In a world of me own. Murders, I had with them girls of mine yesterday, and what with Lin being arrested an’ all, I dunno if I’m coming or bleedin’ going.’

      ‘Have you seen Marlene’s new man yet?’ Cathy asked, excitedly.

      ‘No. What’s this one like?’ Pam asked, nearly dropping her bag of leftovers from the bakery in shock. Pam always brought home any cakes, pasties, pies or sandwiches that were due to the thrown away. It helped her make ends meet.

      ‘He turned up yesterday morning in a big flash silver Jaguar. Old boy, he was, but he looked like he had a few bob. The old slapper was done up to the nines when she ran outside to greet him. Then they snogged in full view of the whole street. She’s got no decorum whatsoever that woman. I mean, it weren’t five minutes ago she had that black man round there.’

      ‘Well I never!’ Pam exclaimed. ‘I feel sorry for that son of hers, you know. What an environment to bring a young boy up in.’

      ‘Lairy Mary was telling me about that son of hers. She reckons he’s a nice kid, but is a proper Arthur Daley in the making, just like his father was. A right little wide boy he is, by all accounts. Works as a look-out for a fly pitcher down Roman Road Market and is as cunning as a fox, Mary said.’

      By the time she reached the front gate, Pam felt a whole lot better. Her girls might have their faults, but at least they were normal kids. Children like Marlene’s stood no chance in life.

      With the help of Barry, Stephanie managed to check Jacko’s story out straight after school, and within seconds of confronting Danno and then his younger cousin, Tanya, Steph realized that not only had she made a right mug of herself, but that Jacko’s version of events was actually true.

      ‘No disrespect, but your sister is an out-and-out liar and a bitch. Everyone in our year hates her and she tells fibs about just everyone and everything,’ Tanya informed Steph, bluntly.

      Walking home with Barry by her side, Stephanie felt incredibly stupid. ‘I don’t like Jacko, Bal, and I probably never will, but I feel terrible about calling him a rapist. Will you apologize to him for me? I can’t face saying sorry to him meself.’

      Barry put a supportive arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder. He hadn’t