The Schemer

‘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 yet set eyes on Steph’s younger sister, Angela, but he already sensed that the girl was a wrong ’un. He’d met one or two similar girls when he’d lived in Bethnal Green, and he could sniff out a vindictive personality a mile off. To accuse somebody of rape when it was anything but, was appalling in Barry’s eyes, and he knew if and when he met Angela, he would hate her on sight. ‘I actually think you should apologize to Jacko yourself. Trust me, Steph, when you get to know him, he’s proper and, seeing as he saved my life, I’d really like yous two to get along. I know he can be a mouthy prick at times, but he weren’t like that when we lived in Bethnal Green. I think he larges it in front of them pricks, Potter and Cooksie. Give Jacko a chance, please – for my sake.’

‘But I feel such a div. Not only have I accused him of being a nonce, but it weren’t long ago that I asked him out meself. He must think I’m a right loony.’

Barry grinned. Jacko had told him what had happened between him and Steph at lunchtime and Barry was pleased that he’d managed to sort things out for his girlfriend so quickly. ‘You and Jacko will get along just fine, trust me on that one, and the only reason you asked him out was because you hadn’t then met me. Let’s just say he was the next best thing, eh?’

Stephanie smiled. ‘I’d better walk the rest of the way on me own now. We don’t wanna get caught out, do we? Not only that, I’ve gotta get back and deal with Angie. I ain’t letting her get away with this one, Bal. I’ve always been soft with her, but this time, she’s gone one step too far.’

‘Are you gonna tell your mum what she said about Jacko?’ Barry asked.

‘Nah. If I do that she’ll probably grass me up about seeing you.’

Desperate to share a kiss with his girlfriend, Barry leant towards her.

‘Don’t! I’m frightened someone might see us,’ Stephanie said, glancing up and down the road.

Barry sighed. He knew Steph was only concerned about being seen with him because of who his mother was, and already the situation had started to piss him off a bit. ‘Look, I know my mum’s a bit of a girl, but she’s no Myra Hindley. Why don’t you just tell your mum you’re seeing me? It will make things so much easier in the long run,’ he suggested.

‘Look, I must go now, but I’ll meet you in the morning on the corner of Ford Road and we’ll walk to school together. I do really like you, Bal, so please don’t think that I don’t,’ Steph said, avoiding his awkward question.

Unable to stop himself, Barry grabbed his girlfriend around the waist, pulled her towards him and kissed her passionately. Pulling away, he winked at Steph. ‘And I like you, girl. Probably more than you’ll ever know.’

Pamela Crouch was absolutely seething. For months her Angela had been harping on about dying her hair blond, and today, when she was supposed to be ill, Pam had arrived home to find that her daughter had disobeyed her orders and now had a mop of frizzy hair that resembled a low-class prostitute.

‘Where did you get the money from, Angela? I know you had no pocket money left and I had two pound notes in my purse this morning and one has miraculously disappeared. If it ain’t bad enough you’ve gone behind my back and done something I forbade you to do, you’ve been stealing off me as well, ain’t ya?’

About to deny the accusation, Angela welcomed the distraction of her sister arriving home. ‘Mum reckons I’ve stolen money out of her purse, Steph. Tell her I ain’t. I borrowed a pound off you, didn’t I?’ she lied.

After the day she’d had at school, Stephanie couldn’t help but lose it with her little sister. ‘You’re a liar, Ange. I never lent you a penny, and not only that, you lied about Jacko an’ all, didn’t you?’

‘Who’s Jacko?’ Pam asked, perplexed.

Angela stared at her sister with a look of pure hatred on her face. Steph had promised not to divulge her secret to anyone and she had obviously been making herself busy. ‘You bitch! I told you to keep your mouth shut,’ Angela screamed, as she flew at Stephanie.

‘Stop it! Stop it!’ Pam yelled, as a full-scale argument began.

‘She told me she’d been raped, Mum. She’s an evil, wicked liar,’ Stephanie shouted, as her sister tried to drag her around the room by her hair.

Pam knew that her girls had always bickered, but she had never seen them as bad as this before. ‘I said, stop it,’ she yelled, barging her way into the ruckus, while trying to pull them apart.

Angela took a deep breath when her mum made her sit on one side of the lounge and Stephanie on the other. If her humiliation over the Jacko episode hadn’t been bad enough, her sister had made it a whole lot worse by opening her big mouth at school and snitching on her to her mum.

‘Now, what’s going on? And what’s all this about a rape? Don’t lie to me, the pair of you, because if you do, I’ll have your guts for garters,’ Pam shouted.

Angela knew that there was only one way to worm herself out of this difficult situation and that was to turn the tables.

‘Can I just say something first please, Mum?’ she asked, in a childlike, innocent-sounding voice.

‘Go on, but don’t you dare lie to me, Angela,’ Pam replied, in a threatening tone.

Smirking at her sister, Angela turned back to her mother. ‘You know that old slapper over the road, Mum. Stephanie’s going out with her son.’

CHAPTER SEVEN

Angela’s revelation left Pam temporarily dumbstruck, but suddenly she found her voice again. ‘This had better not be true, young lady. If I find out you’ve been within one hundred yards of that old slapper’s son, you’re grounded for life.’

‘It ain’t me you wanna be worrying about, it’s her. At least I ain’t been having sex with boys and then accusing ’em of raping me,’ Stephanie screamed. She was furious that her sister had betrayed her trust.

‘You lying bitch! I ain’t never had sex with anyone, Mum, I swear I ain’t,’ Angela yelled.

Pam felt physically sick. Angela had only just turned thirteen years old, and the idea of some boy taking advantage of her innocence was almost unthinkable. ‘Who is this boy?’ Pam asked Angela.

‘He’s no one. I just liked some boy, that was all, and pretended to Steph that I was going out with him. He’s fifteen, Mum. As if he’s gonna go out with some silly kid like me. I only told Steph ’cause I wanted to see if I could trust her not to tell you. It was a test and she’s failed it.’

‘You are such a wicked liar. I can prove it, Mum. Wayne Jackman thought Angie was fifteen ’cause that’s what she told him and she pretended that she went to Parsloes Manor. She also told him that Dad was still alive and he beats her up.’

When Angela leapt off her chair and flew at her sister again, Pam started to weep. ‘Stop it! Just bloody stop it,’ she screamed, grabbing Angela around the neck.

‘I hate you,’ Angela spat at Steph, as her mum bundled her into the hallway.

‘Get up them stairs now. And you’re going back to school in the morning, young lady. Taking no more of your crap, I ain’t.’

When Angela ran up the stairs sobbing, Pam marched back into the lounge. ‘So, have you been knocking about with that old slapper’s son? And don’t lie to me ’cause I’ll find out the truth,’ she told Steph.

Unlike her sister, Stephanie was not a good liar, so decided it would be in her best interest to come clean. ‘Barry’s lovely, Mum. He’s nothing like Marlene. He’s the complete opposite and he is so kind to me.’

Pam was furious. ‘You are not seeing that boy again, do you understand me? I’ll be the laughing stock of the street if anyone finds out you’ve been knocking about with Marlene’s son. Ain’t you got no respect for yourself? You silly little mare.’

‘Me have respect for myself! What about Angie? At least I ain’t done nothing with Barry. At least I don’t have sex with boys.’

‘Your sister has just turned bloody thirteen. She hasn’t had sex with anyone yet. She makes these stories up to try and impress you. As for your behaviour, disgusted I am, Steph, and you’re grounded until further notice. No more going out gallivanting until I know I can trust you again.’

‘But I ain’t done nothing wrong,’ Stephanie cried out.

‘That’ll be for me to decide. Now get upstairs and say sorry to your sister. I’ve got enough on me plate without yous two at one another’s throats. I’ve given the pair of you far too much leeway and now it’s all going to stop.’

When her mum walked into the kitchen, Stephanie let out a huge, racking sob.

Barry Franklin stood on the corner of Ford Road the following morning. Within seconds of spotting Steph walking towards him, he just knew that there was something wrong. ‘What’s up, babe?’ he asked, genuinely concerned.

‘Everything. I had a big row with Angie and then she grassed me up to Mum. She told her that me and you were going out together and me mum went mad. I’m grounded now. I ain’t allowed out no more,’ Steph explained, her eyes welling up with frustration.

‘Don’t worry. We’ll still find a way to see one another. What about if I have a word with your mum? I’m sure if she meets me, and realizes I’m no monster, she’ll change her tune.’

‘No! That will just make things worse. I wouldn’t mind but Angie ain’t even been grounded. If she hadn’t had sex with Jacko and then cried rape, none of this would have happened.’

Barry held his tearful girlfriend in his arms. ‘I’m gonna jib school today and shoot up to Bethnal Green again. My dad’s trial starts on Wednesday and he’s having a going-away bash in the Bishop Bonner. Jacko’s coming with me, I’m meeting him at the Heathway. He remembers me dad well and he ain’t seen him for yonks.’

Stephanie looked at her boyfriend in dismay. The thought of being near Barry all day at school was the only thing that had got her out of bed this morning, and now he wasn’t even going to be there. ‘Can I come with you?’

‘Course you can. But what about your mum? Say she finds out you ain’t gone to school. I don’t want to get you into even more trouble.’

Furious with her mother for siding with her sister rather than her, Stephanie shrugged nonchalantly. ‘Bollocks to my mum. I’m coming with you, Bal.’

Unaware that her sister had decided to play truant, Angela Crouch had to suffer the humiliation of facing Tanya MacKenzie again.

‘Look, girls. The silly slag’s dyed her hair blond so we don’t recognize her. How’s Jacko, Crouchie? Seen him lately, have ya?’ Tanya asked, gloating.

Instead of retaliating like she usually would, Angela held her head high and, with her nose in the air, walked past Tanya and her childish mates. She was still gutted that she and Wayne weren’t together, but after spending two days moping about and crying, Angie had now decided it was time to move on. Wayne Jackman might be as fit as a butcher’s dog, but he wasn’t the only fit boy in the world and, with her stunning beauty, Angie was confident that she could get virtually any boy she wanted.

‘Why weren’t you at school yesterday? Was it because of Jacko? I heard what happened. That slut Tanya’s told half the school,’ Chloe asked, catching up with her friend.

Angela smiled. Chloe was her only true mate, but even though they were close, Angela had no intention of admitting how devastated she’d been over the Jacko saga. ‘I had a sore throat yesterday, so me mum told me to stay home,’ she lied.

‘So, has Jacko packed you up now? That’s what Tanya’s been telling everyone.’

‘No one’s packed no one up. I just don’t wanna go out with Jacko no more. He’s a bit boring, to be honest,’ Angie replied, untruthfully.

Chloe linked arms with her pal. ‘You’ll never guess who’s asked me out?’

‘Who?’

‘Darren O’Brien, and Dal reckons that his older brother Jason fancies you.’

Angela Crouch could barely believe her luck. Jason O’Brien was in the year above her and Chloe. Not only was he extremely hot, but Angie knew for a fact that Tanya MacKenzie had recently got one of her mates to ask him out for her, and he’d said no.

‘I’ll go out with Jason. Arrange it for me,’ Angela said, her eyes shining with glee. Her mum had always said that when one door shuts, another one opens and Angie couldn’t help but think what a wise mother she had.

The atmosphere between Stephanie and Wayne was somewhat icy on the train journey, but by the time they’d had a few drinks in the pub, the frostiness had all but thawed.

‘I always knew yous two would get along just fine. Can’t have me best mate and me bird hating one another, can I now?’ Barry said, happily.

Stephanie looked at her boyfriend and raised her eyebrows. ‘So how come this pub is open at ten o’clock in the morning then? I didn’t think pubs opened till lunchtime,’ she remarked, changing the subject. She had been ultra-polite to Wayne for Barry’s sake, but she still wasn’t sure of him.

‘Pubs open whenever you want ’em to in this neck of the woods, especially if you’re loaded like my dad is. This boozer’s owned by a famous footballer, you know,’ Barry informed her.

‘Really! Where is he?’ Stephanie asked, expecting to see the man in question serving behind the bar.

Wayne and Barry both chuckled. ‘He don’t bloody work here. He plays for Tottenham and his family run the pub for him,’ Barry explained.

‘What’s his name then?’ Stephanie enquired. She didn’t know the first thing about footballers, but was hoping it was Glenn Hoddle because she knew who he was and thought he was lush.

‘His name’s Steve Archibald. Look, I’m just gonna have a quiet word with me dad outside. Yous two will be all right for a bit on your own, won’t ya?’ Barry asked.

Glancing at one another, Wayne and Stephanie both nodded. When Barry walked away, Stephanie felt her earlier awkwardness suddenly return and, not knowing what to say, stared at her glass of cider.

Wanting to put things right between them, it was Wayne who decided to say something first. ‘Listen, I’m sorry about what happened with your sister, Steph. I swear I wouldn’t have gone out with her if I’d known her proper age. She told me she was fifteen, I swear she did.’

‘That’s OK,’ Stephanie replied, meaning it. The way she felt at the moment, she hated her bloody sister, and any trouble Angie might have got herself into was all her own doing, nobody else’s.

‘I’m also sorry about the way I spoke to you an’ all, and your mate, Tammy,’ Wayne said, honestly.

‘Don’t worry about it. We all say silly things at times, me included. I’m sorry for calling you a rapist,’ Stephanie said, feeling incredibly stupid.

Sensing that Steph felt a bit embarrassed, Wayne grinned at her. ‘Don’t worry about that either. I’ve been called a lot worse things in me time. I’ll get us another drink, shall I? What do you want, another half of cider?’

Stephanie nodded and studied Wayne as he sauntered up to the bar. His bark seemed far worse than his bite all of a sudden.

‘There you go,’ Wayne said, handing Stephanie her drink. He sat back down opposite her and raised his pint glass. ‘To new beginnings, eh?’

Stephanie smiled. ‘To new beginnings.’

Angela Crouch spent the entire maths class doodling on the cover of her exercise book. Angela loves Wayne had now been scrubbed out completely and had been replaced by Angela + Jason with a love heart surrounding it. As the bell rang for lunchtime, Angie grabbed Chloe’s arm. ‘Where do Darren and Jason go at lunchtime?’ she asked her friend.

‘I don’t think they hang about together at school. Darren goes to the tucky, I think, then goes round Gel Parker’s house. He only lives in Ridgewell Close.’

‘Well, let’s go to the tucky. I want to ask him if Jason wants to go out with me myself.’

Chloe nodded then, arm in arm, the girls walked giggling towards the tuck shop.

‘There’s Jason. Look!’ Angela squealed, excitedly. Unlike Wayne Jackman, who was blond, lean and tall, Jason O’Brien was dark-haired, stocky and short. He was quite handsome, though, and in Angela’s eyes looked a bit like George Michael.

‘Go and talk to him then,’ Chloe urged her pal.

Jason was standing on the corner of School Road, smoking a cigarette. He had two pals with him, neither of whom Angela knew.

‘I can’t go over there while he’s with his mates. You go and speak to him, Chloe. Tell him to meet me outside the tucky in five minutes and I’ll talk to him there.’

Knowing how headstrong her friend could be, Chloe knew she would never hear the last of it if she didn’t comply with Angela’s orders.

‘Wait till I’m out of sight,’ Angela hissed, as Chloe went to march straight over to the boys.

As Angie half ran towards the tuck shop, she came face to face with Tanya MacKenzie and her smarmy-faced sidekicks.

‘Excuse me, please,’ Angela said politely, as they tried to block the pavement to stop her from getting past them.

‘If you’re looking for Jacko, don’t bother, ’cause he’s got a new girlfriend now. Really pretty, ain’t she, girls?’ Tanya hollered, urging the fellow members of her four-strong gang to join in with her torment.

‘Yeah, well pretty she is, and she’s sixteen,’ piped up Sharon Jones, Tanya’s best friend.

‘I ain’t bothered. I’ve got a new boyfriend myself,’ Angela replied, determined to wipe the self-satisfied smile off Tanya MacKenzie’s face.

‘You all right, mate?’ Chloe asked, appearing by Angela’s side.

‘No, she ain’t all right. She’s off her head if she thinks we believe she’s got a new boyfriend. We know what a liar she is,’ Tanya said, laughing.

‘Well, for your information, Angie ain’t lying. She’s going out with Jason O’Brien if you must know,’ Chloe replied.

Tanya MacKenzie stood open-mouthed. For the past eight months she had been besotted with Jason O’Brien’s dazzling good looks, and had recently plucked up the courage to ask him out. Jason had said no, and Tanya was sure he had only knocked her back because she was in the year lower than his, so how could he now be going out with Angela bloody Crouch?

‘You’re lying. You’re only saying that ’cause you’ve heard that I like Jason. You keep your hands off of him, Crouchie, do you hear me?’ Tanya spat.

Seconds later, as if by magic, Jason O’Brien walked around the corner and made a beeline for Angela.

‘Do you fancy coming to the chippy with me?’ he asked, grinning at her.

Clocking the look of jealousy on Tanya’s face, Angela smirked. ‘Yes, I’d love to, Jase.’

Stephanie Crouch had had such a brilliant day out with Barry and Wayne that she felt no guilt at all about bunking off school. Unlike her sister, Steph had never played hooky before, and she knew if she forged a letter in her mum’s handwriting, none of the teachers would bat an eyelid.

‘You enjoyed yourself today, babe?’ Barry asked, as they stood on the platform at Mile End station waiting for the District Line train.

‘Yeah, I’ve had a fab day. Why did Jacko shoot off?’

‘Jacko wanted to see some old pals while he was in the manor,’ Barry replied.

He waited for the commuters to get off, then led Stephanie over to two empty seats in the corner. ‘Jacko and me are both cut from the same cloth, babe – that’s why I have so much time for him. He’s a go-getter, just like I am. I mean, one day me and you might have kids and stuff and you want the best for ’em, don’t you? I dunno about you, but I don’t wanna be stuck in Dagenham for the rest of my life, or Bethnal Green for that matter. I plan to buy a big house in a posh area and then, one day, when I do have kids, I wanna give them all the stuff that I never had.’