George was coming home, and I wanted everything to be perfect. I was hoovering like mad, trying to make it all nice, when my daughter pointed out the obvious. “You cleaning the house or your slate? ”
I laughed, but she wasn’t wrong.
I’d made a mess of things. If George was still angry with me, there was nothing I could do about it. I just had to face the music. “He’s probably calmed down by now,” she said.
“Do you think so? ”
“No, Mom. I’m just trying to be kind. ”
I sighed, thinking of all of it—George, and then there was all that stuff with Jake.
She told me to just be myself and be honest, and failing that, try groveling and bribery. I was afraid. Afraid he’d think he could do better. “Maybe he can,” she said.
That stung. I called Adam, but he said Harry was still asleep. I wished he’d woken him up. My daughter asked if I was all right.
I wasn’t. I hadn’t even seen her yet this morning, and somehow that was worse. Because I’d have to come out of my cell at some point, and I had no idea what she was going to do next. I couldn’t talk on the phone.
My daughter told me I needed to speak to someone and tell them I needed help. “Darling, what am I going to say? She hasn’t even done anything yet. It would be my word against hers.
”
I had to go. I told her I loved her and I’d call later. Not long after, Todd showed up at the café, unexpected. He’d taken a detour to get fresh milk because he knew I wouldn’t have any.
I told him someone needed to work on their trust issues. “Yeah, well, talking of trust, you slept with Glenda’s date. How did that happen? ”
“Do you want me to draw you a picture?
”
I told him not to be facetious, that getting drunk all the time wasn’t going to solve anything. He said it killed 99. 9% of misery. I wasn’t having a go, but I couldn’t stand by and watch him lose control again.
“Don’t talk about me like I’m some child. ”
“You just need to tackle your problems head on. ”
“So do you. If you hadn’t left Christina in limbo, she probably wouldn’t have got drunk and stumbled all over the place on camera.
”
He was stunned. He told me to forget it, that he was fine, and he left. Later, he came back. He’d spoken to his mom.
She was really scared. Casey was threatening her, targeting Harry. He accused me of emotional guilt. “Look, whatever you feel about Mom, please just do something to help Harry.
As soon as Casey finds out you’re not doing what she asks, we’re all going to be in trouble. ”
“Fine. I’ll go and put the fear of God in him, shall I? ”
“What if he reports you?
”
“Well, it’ll mean my badge. But apparently I’m already the bad guy. ”
Meanwhile, Brian was in the café, trying to be neighborly with Gary. Gary had brought a vase for Celeste.
He said she was meant to come to a meeting, but she wasn’t doing great. “It could be endgame,” Gary said. “I don’t care,” Brian replied. He didn’t want to hear it.
He didn’t even want the vase. Ben told his mother he was just getting some air, that he didn’t need a bodyguard. She insisted on walking with him anyway. She said he was older, but she was still his mother, and he needed to be home in time for curfew.
Outside, Ben bumped into Gary and his son. Gary apologized for last night, saying it had got a bit heated. “Your son might be facing prison,” Gary shot back. “Just leave it, Dad,” his son said.
Ben’s mother saw him talking to Gary and told him to keep walking, to leave them be. Later, Gary tried to apologize to Brian properly, saying he was trying to be the bigger man. Brian’s mother, Bernie, asked him why he was buying tat online. He shrugged.
She pushed him, asking what Celeste had done to make him hate her so much. He finally confessed. It all started when he was a kid, over his granddad’s will. His mom was cut out of it in a snidey way because Celeste had the old man alter it at the last minute.
It was just a terrace house, but it caused a rift. And then Celeste turned the entire family against him and his mom, accusing them of trying to get the money when it was clearly the other way around. “She’s evil and she’s manipulative,” he said. Bernie said, softly, “She’s dying.
”
But Brian wouldn’t hear it. He told her about the nights he watched his mom cry because of the poison that woman spilled, how it drove his mom to drink. It broke her, and she nearly broke him. He’d rather buy tat online than be fooled by Celeste again.
Harry finally came back. Todd’s girlfriend, Christina, said Liam was wasting away without him. Harry admitted he ran into Ben, who was trying to be all nice. He guessed the thought of his son doing time was sinking in.
Harry said no one deserved to be locked up. He broke down. “I lied. I’m sorry.
”
He admitted he’d started recording Christina because she was drunk, and he threw water on her. He thought it was funny. “Well, do you see us laughing? ” Todd asked.
Harry’s dad showed up, saying he’d been out there defending him, fighting his corner. Harry said he was sorry. Christina came home. George was back.
She was nervous, rambling about making an apple pie. He said they needed to talk. She followed him to sit down. When she said stop, he stopped.
She wasn’t a copper. She said she just liked chasing people. “Yeah, right. You’re out here because you’re taller than she is.
”
Jake, the young lad, tried to run. Harry grabbed him. “Not until we have a nice little chat about your dearly incarcerated mother. ”
Christina saw them and asked what they were doing.
Todd told her to leave it, but she wouldn’t. She demanded to know what was really going on. Why was Harry chasing lads like that? He told her about being away and having time to think.
He told her she’d really upset him. He told her a story about his teenage mate, Barry. They were inseparable, riding around in Barry’s beige MK2 Cortina. There was a group of lads giving him grief, and then one day he caught Barry talking to them about him, spilling all his deepest, darkest secrets.
“I’ll never forget that moment when you know you’ve been deceived. It’s like someone’s pulled the rug out from under you. I felt sick. And now every time something like that happens, I get that same sick feeling in my belly.
”
He made her promise, right there and then, that she would never lie to him again. They had to be honest with each other, from now on. She told him she loved him. He told her he loved her too.
Then he grinned, “Hey, you know all about this honesty stuff? That last apple pie you made me was inedible. I put it out for the birds and even they wouldn’t eat it. ”
She laughed, saying her ego couldn’t take much more battering from him.
He got serious. He needed to tell her about Jake. She tried to shush him, saying it was okay, that she knew. It was just a kid.
She told him to forget about it, that he was back now, and everything was going to be all right. But he couldn’t let it go. He told her the truth about why he was chasing Jake. His mom, Casey, was inside with someone else, and she was threatening them, threatening Christina, until he got her son off.
“Don’t tell me you’re actually going to do it,” she said. “No, of course not. ”
She guessed his plan: threaten Jake so his mom stays away from Sarah. “So, how’s you getting kicked out of the police going to help anyone?
”
“I’m the only one who can help her. ”
Christina’s father tried to stop him. “I think the world of Sarah, but you’ve got to know when to draw the line, son. She’s got to face whatever’s coming her way.
”
Harry didn’t listen. Brian went to the café and found Celeste’s daughter. He apologized again for what he’d said. He told her she was a fine gentleman, but the truth was he was embarrassed, panicked, and said things he didn’t mean.
She forgave him. They could still be friends. She offered to bring him his usual, on the house. Gary came in, saying they’d come to wave the white flag.
He had Ollie and Jake with him. Jake wanted to say something. The boy apologized. “I’m sorry.
I was being horrible to her. It was my fault. ”
Gary said they’d already contacted the police to let them know the truth. They were sure the charges would be dropped now.
He even apologized for getting heated with the old man. They left to go and apologize to Christina. Back at the prison, Casey was furious. She threatened Sarah.
“Get out now. Now I’m being nice. Do what I ask. ”
But Sarah got the guards.
They came into Casey’s cell. “You need to come with us, Casey. ”
“I haven’t done anything wrong. ”
They found a weapon and a contraband mobile phone in her cell.
It was a setup. Sarah had stitched her up. Casey was on a final warning, so they moved her to a more secure unit, transferred her. “I’ll get you for this,” Casey yelled.
“No, you won’t,” Sarah said. Christina’s sister, Celeste, was dying. She was in a hotel room with Todd, drinking brandy. She wanted to go down in style.
He told her if she wanted a reprieve, she needed to take it easy. Christina walked in and saw them. She was furious that Todd had been with her sister, her client. He defended himself, saying he would have told her that morning if she hadn’t had a go at him.
They fought. Todd said she was deflecting, that her behavior was concerning. She called him a hypocrite, pointing out he had an opinion on her life but she couldn’t have one on his. “You go in on the attack and the only person that gets damaged is you,” he said.
He’d just been going to suggest she apologize to Glenda for sleeping with her date, but he could see he was wasting his time. Then she dropped the bombshell. Glenda had gotten Casey moved. She’d talked in code, got the guards to catch Casey with the phone and weapon.
Sarah was safe. Todd was livid. “So, she stitched her up. And she couldn’t have told me about this earlier?
”
“This is good news. ”
“Did you tell me what you tried to do? No, but I didn’t have time. So, it doesn’t matter.
”
“I’m not saying it doesn’t matter. I’ve just stuck my neck out for her. I was going to threaten that kid. All this time, she had a different plan.
”
“What was she supposed to do? She thought you were saying no to helping. ”
“So, what am I? Am I plan B?
Good old Kit will save the day. ”
He walked away, angry and hurt. He felt used, an afterthought. Christina tried to stop him.
He told her to stay out of his business, her and her entire family. “Maybe for once in my life, I’m going to put myself first. You’re on your own.
”
He left her standing there, alone, as he walked out the door.
