Queen of Grime by Helen Forbes

Author:Helen Forbes [Forbes, Helen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scolpaig Press
Published: 2022-12-13T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 35

ERIN

On a drunkenness scale of one to ten, Charlie MacDonald looked to be about a seven, sprawled in his chair, ashtray, fags, whisky bottle and a glass on the table beside him. Still conscious. Words slurred, but understandable. Anyone who didn’t know him might think he wasn’t capable of much in the way of movement. Erin knew differently. He could go from almost comatose to raging bull in seconds. And then he could pass out, just when you least expected it. For a drunk, he was in good shape, though he looked to have lost some weight since she’d last seen him. Handsome and well dressed, he kept his hair short and tidy, and he was always clean-shaven. He’d taken to weight lifting when Erin was a teenager. When she left, he’d turned her bedroom into a room for his weights. There was a large barbell behind his chair. It had been there last time she was in, months ago. Her mother had complained that he wouldn’t put it back upstairs, and it was a trip hazard.

‘Leave it,’ Erin had said. ‘Hopefully he’ll try using it when he’s rat-arsed and drop it on his throat.’

There had been a time when her mother would have defended him, but she hadn’t that day. She’d just raised her eyebrows, and Erin had wondered if, at last, she was seeing sense.

Charlie stared at them, his eyes taking a minute to focus. A sneer distorted his mouth. ‘Sister Erin. Saint Joan. Good of yous to grace me with your divine presence.’

Erin and Margot had been brought up in the Catholic faith at the insistence of their mother. Erin had always suspected her father only agreed because it gave him an excuse to mock his wife and daughters with jokes about nuns and saints and priests.

When he saw Jess, a hint of a smile flickered on his lips. ‘The wee one. Come and see your grandpa, pet.’

Jess clung to her granny’s hand and shook her head.

‘Come on.’ Grunting, he heaved his body upright. His bulk seemed to block out half the light from the window. ‘It’s your birthday. What you got?’

Jess held up the puppy and pressed its nose.

He laughed. ‘Nice.’ He held out his arms. ‘Come on. Won’t eat ya.’

Jess shook her head again.

His smile was gone. He glared at Erin. ‘Did you no’ teach that kid any manners?’

Erin wanted to smash the whisky bottle in his face. She reached for Jess’s hand. ‘Come on, love, we’re going.’

‘No yous aren’t. Not until that brat does what she’s told.’

The anger in his voice made Erin feel like a child again. A child who used to hide in the cupboard under the stairs, hands over her ears, body shaking with terror. She wasn’t having it. No way was he going to be allowed to scare Jess. She gripped her daughter by the shoulders and moved her towards the door. ‘Run out to the car, darling. Tell Dad I’m just coming.’

Gripping the toy, Jess darted out of the room.

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