‘Did he fuck! He was clueless. Jack was the brains of that outfit, and that’s a contradiction in terms, I can tell you. That Cecil was as thick as shit. I have never in my life met someone as dense as him. He made Trigger look like a fucking applicant for Mensa.’
Josephine laughed despite herself. ‘Your mum turned up today. You know her – she’s like a bloodhound. I had her out the door in record time though. She sussed that there was something going on.’
He finished his sandwich, not bothering to answer. The fact that someone like Jack Cornel had managed to get so close to him had really thrown him. It had shown him just how vulnerable he was, even now when he was such a major player. He had been foolish to think that his name was enough to guarantee his safety, but he had not allowed for nutters like the Cornels. The last few days had shown him the cracks in his armour, had forced him to re-evaluate everything he had believed in. Patrick Costello had once said to him that there was nothing lonelier than being a success. How true that was.
Chapter Eighty-Seven
Natalie Childs was looking at her oldest and best friend in abject amazement. ‘You can’t be serious, Jessie!’ Her voice had risen until it was almost a screech, she was so shocked at her friend’s words.
‘Oh, yes! I’m very serious, Nat.’
Natalie was still reeling from the shock of Jessie’s latest revelations. Jessie Flynn had become a completely different person recently. The girl she had known and loved was long gone. This girl – the new Jessie – was not just without shame, she was brazen. This new Jessie was already getting a name as a whore, and she seemed to relish it.
‘If you don’t watch it, Jessie, you are going to end up in so much trouble.’
Jessie just shrugged nonchalantly. ‘I don’t care, Natalie.’
Natalie was scared for her friend; she couldn’t understand what had happened to Jessie or why she was suddenly acting so strangely. ‘Your mum and dad will go apeshit if they find out.’
Jessie could hear the bewilderment in Natalie’s voice, and she felt a moment’s sorrow for her friend. But Natalie could never understand her life, no one could. Unless they lived in her family’s chosen world, it was impossible for anyone to understand. She looked at her friend’s lovely face, so full of concern for her, and she wanted so much to set her mind at rest, but she couldn’t do that.
‘How the fuck will they find out? If you do what I ask, and say I am with you, nothing can go wrong, can it?’
Natalie wasn’t sure. She didn’t like all this lying and scheming. It wasn’t a part of her life and, up until a few months previously, it hadn’t been a part of Jessie’s life either. Now Jessie lied about everything.
‘What if your mum rings the house to talk to you? She’s friends with my mum, remember? Have you thought of that?’
Jessie just laughed; she didn’t care either way, that was obvious. ‘So what if she does? If it was left to my mum and dad I would never leave the house without an armed guard. If I get busted, that’s my problem, Nat, not yours. Anyway, if my mum did decide to ring, she would ring me on my mobile.’ Jessie busied herself lighting a cigarette; after pulling the smoke deeply into her lungs, she said dismissively, ‘I really don’t give a flying fuck, Natalie. If I did get a capture, you know I’d take the flak – you wouldn’t be dragged into anything. If that’s what’s bothering you, then forget it. I don’t need anything from anyone, mate.’
Natalie knew when she was beaten and, as usual, she would do exactly what Jessie wanted her to. It had been like that since they were little kids. Jessie had always been the boss of the relationship and Natalie had never minded until recently. Now all Jessie wanted from her these days was an alibi. Unlike Jessie, Natalie had no interest in pubs or clubs, in meeting men who were far too old, and who expected far too much in return for the drinks they provided.
Jessie Flynn was getting a real reputation, but that didn’t seem to bother her in the least. She was fifteen years old, but with her make-up and her clothes she looked at least twenty-five. She also had a way with her that belied her youth; she seemed so much older than her years. Everything about her friend, though, was an elaborate act. No matter how much Jessie tried to pretend that she was a grown-up, Natalie knew different. But she was still her friend, and that counted for a lot more than Jessie realised.
‘OK. So who are you meeting this time?’
Jessie grinned mischievously. She had got what she wanted. Stretching her whole body slowly and luxuriously, she laid herself across Natalie’s bed like a cat. Every movement was sensuous, dripping with her youthful sex appeal.
Natalie had always been envious of Jessie; she had developed very early, and now she had a body that any woman would kill for. She was high-breasted, with a slim waist and long legs. With her good looks and her amazing hair, it was a dangerous combination.
Natalie was pretty enough, but she knew she wasn’t in Jessie Flynn’s league. Men had been watching Jessie since she was thirteen, and who could blame them? She was stunning.