Ruby by Heather Burnside (carter reed txt) 📗

Trina stood at her usual spot for a few minutes more, but the night was drawing on and, if she was honest with herself, she’d had enough. That last encounter had left her full of bitterness about men like him who thought they could treat her in whatever way they liked. And the lack of punters at this time only made her feel more deflated so she decided to call it a night.

As Trina headed angrily for home, she consoled herself by thinking about how she would put tonight’s earnings in the hiding place where she had kept her money and other valuables for the last two weeks. Although that had put a stop to Shelley’s stealing, she still hadn’t paid back the money she owed her.

Then Trina remembered something. The necklace. She had been admiring it before she came out to work but she couldn’t remember putting it back in her hiding place. She rushed home, desperately hoping it would still be there when she returned.

*

Back at the flat, Trina dashed into her bedroom and searched her dressing table for the ruby necklace, but there was no sign of it. She tried not to get too worked up. Perhaps she had put it away after all. But a search of her hiding place confirmed that the necklace had disappeared. She checked the rest of the room to be sure but couldn’t find it anywhere. Oh no! Her lovely ruby necklace was gone.

Trina’s anger of earlier resurfaced but she was also upset. That necklace had been special to her. How could Shelley just take it? Her upset was as much about Shelley’s betrayal as it was about the necklace. Shelley had known how much the necklace meant to Trina and yet she had still stolen it.

Trina stomped through to Shelley’s room determined to find out what had happened to her precious necklace. In a rage she began searching the room, dragging clothing from wardrobes then turning out drawers and tipping the contents untidily over the bed and floor. On top of Shelley’s chest of drawers she found a box full of trinkets and she tipped that out but there was no sign of the ruby necklace. She was just about to search under the bed when she heard Shelley entering the bedroom.

‘What the hell do you think you’re playing at?’ shouted Shelley.

This time Trina was too fired up to exercise restraint, unlike their previous confrontation. ‘I’m looking for my fuckin’ necklace, that’s what I’m doing!’

Ignoring Shelley’s angry protestations she continued to scour the room, withdrawing a plastic storage box from underneath the bed and slamming it on top of the mattress amongst the clothing and other items. As she removed the lid of the box, Shelley flew across the room and grabbed her arms, trying to stop her. Trina threw her off and riffled through the box while Shelley shouted and cursed.

Trina dragged out several empty containers and slung them across the room. Then she came across a cardboard gift box, the type that housed fancy toiletries, and she shook it. She could hear the sound of something inside and she pulled off the lid. And there, nestled in the decorative tissue paper at the bottom of the box, was Trina’s ruby necklace.

‘You fuckin’ thieving bitch!’ she yelled, launching herself at Shelley.

Livid by now, Trina punched and scratched at Shelley while Shelley tried vainly to defend herself.

‘Get your fuckin’ hands off me!’ cried Shelley. ‘Or you’ll be looking for somewhere else to live.’

Her distraught words brought Trina to her senses and, noticing Shelley’s tear-stained face, she stopped hitting her and stepped back. But she was still irate. ‘Don’t worry. I don’t want to stay with a thieving piece of shit like you any longer! As soon as I find somewhere else to live, I’m out of here.’

She glared angrily at Shelley then picked up her necklace and marched from the room. Once she had calmed down a bit, Trina sat on the bed in her own room and thought about the situation she found herself in. Perhaps she had been hasty in telling Shelley she would leave. After all, she had no idea where she would go. But it was done now and she’d have to face the consequences. Besides, she thought, surely it couldn’t be as bad as sharing a flat with a thieving junkie.

41

August 1998

For the next few days the atmosphere between the two girls deteriorated. Where Shelley had once been Trina’s object of desire, now she could barely stand to look at her. They only spoke to each other when absolutely necessary and Shelley would often scowl until a stern look from Trina sent her scurrying away, afraid of repercussions.

Trina knew she couldn’t carry on like this; she had to get out. So for the last few days she’d spent all her free time in search of somewhere to live. But it wasn’t proving easy: the flats were too expensive and taking up a room in a shared house would be awkward, given the hours she kept.

At last she found a flat worth visiting. It wasn’t too far away, situated above a shop in Old Trafford, and the rent was affordable so she made an appointment to view it. As she put down the phone to the estate agent, Shelley spoke to her.

‘You got a viewing?’ she asked.

‘Yes, tomorrow afternoon,’ Trina replied, surprised at Shelley’s apparent interest.

‘Will you still be going to work?’

‘Yes, I’ll go straight from the viewing.’

‘OK. Let me know how you go on, won’t you?’

Again Trina was surprised. Perhaps Shelley was regretting what she had done and didn’t want her to leave after all. But it was too late. Trina knew she couldn’t stay somewhere where none of her stuff was safe. And if Shelley’s drug addiction was so bad that she was stealing from friends then there was no telling what else she might do to