Ruby by Heather Burnside (carter reed txt) 📗

keeled over. And then he couldn’t breathe. Then he stopped breathing altogether. And now, I don’t know what the fuck to do!’

Ruby was normally the one in control, but now she was in a total panic about Victor and she was glad she had Tiffany to lean on.

‘And where the fuck is he?’ Tiffany asked again.

‘I’ve left him upstairs.’

‘You’re joking! He might need medical attention.’

‘I didn’t know what the fuck else to do! And I think it’s a bit too late for a doctor…’ She could feel a sob catch in her throat as she added, ‘I think he’s dead, Tiff… seriously. What the fuck am I gonna do?’

Tiffany placed a reassuring hand on top of Ruby’s. ‘OK, let me think,’ she said, glancing over Ruby’s shoulder to see Pammy walking up to the desk.

‘Is everything alright?’ she asked.

‘Yeah, sure,’ said Tiffany, but Ruby gave things away when she burst into tears. ‘She’s just had a bit of a shock, that’s all,’ Tiffany added.

‘What kind of a shock? Is it something to do with Victor?’ asked Pammy who knew Ruby had taken Victor up to her dungeon. ‘He hasn’t tried to harm you, has he? Because, if he has, me and Tiffany will help you sort him out, Ruby. I don’t give a shit if he owns the place. I know you’d do it for any one of us.’

Pammy’s compassionate words were only making Ruby more upset so Tiffany spoke for her. ‘No, it’s nothing like that.’

‘Well, what’s wrong then? And where’s Victor? I didn’t see him leave.’

Ruby didn’t know whether it was because of Pammy’s sympathetic approach, or the fact that she already knew too much but, for whatever reason, she decided to share what had happened.

‘It is to do with Victor,’ she sobbed while Tiffany flashed her a warning glance. ‘I think he’s dead, Pammy. And I don’t know what the fuck to do!’

‘Oh shit!’ said Pammy. ‘What happened?’

‘Heart attack, I think. And now the bloody cops will be all over the place.’

‘But it’s not your fault, Ruby,’ said Pammy. ‘He could have gone at any time.’

‘The police aren’t gonna see it like that though, are they? Especially when they see what I’ve got upstairs.’

‘OK,’ said Pammy, managing to stay surprisingly calm in the midst of Ruby and Tiffany’s panic. ‘Here’s what we’ll do…’

She leaned conspiratorially towards Ruby and Tiffany but, just at that moment, Rose emerged from her room with a client. Tiffany bid him goodbye while Rose went back to the waiting area, but Ruby remained with her back to them, afraid they would see her tears and wonder what was wrong.

‘You stay and manage the desk, Tiffany, so it doesn’t look as though anything’s wrong,’ whispered Pammy. ‘Ruby, you come to my room while we have a chat. I’ll fill you in on it later, Tiffany.’

At a loss for what else to do, Ruby followed Pammy to her room and listened while she outlined her plan.

46

April 2011

After Pammy had spoken to Ruby about the situation with Victor, she went back to the waiting area and chatted to the other two girls who were now there. She was doing her best to act normal. Meanwhile, Ruby went to join Tiffany at the reception desk and quietly filled her in on their scheme.

But before Ruby had chance to act on Pammy’s scheme, Crystal came into the club. She was wearing a grave expression and Ruby guessed that she hadn’t come with good news. She watched Crystal as she approached the reception desk looking shifty, her eyes flitting around.

Crystal’s lips were clenched tightly, her eyes narrowed, as she took a deep breath and then said. ‘I need to have a word with you, Ruby, in private.’

Ruby sighed. ‘Is it important, Crystal? Only it’s a bit full-on here tonight.’

‘Oh yeah,’ said Crystal. ‘It’s something you’ll definitely want to know about.’

Ruby turned to Tiffany. ‘Will you mind reception while I go and have a word with Crystal?’

‘Sure, no problems.’

‘Oh, and tell Pammy we’ll sort that problem out as soon as I’m back.’

‘Come on, we’ll find a room that isn’t being used,’ said Ruby.

As they made their way to the vacant room, Ruby’s mind flashed through a few different scenarios. Knowing that Crystal still worked the streets, she wondered if she might have encountered a problem that she needed help with. Her brain hadn’t focused on many other possibilities in the short time it took to get there.

Once they were inside and sitting down on the bed Crystal sighed and pursed her already tightened lips. ‘It’s Gilly. He’s got a parole hearing soon. He thinks he’s got a good chance of being released cos he’s kept his nose clean while he’s been inside.’

‘Shit!’ said Ruby, and her mind flashed back to the look of hatred Gilly had given her on the day he’d been sent down for GBH against Crystal. She knew he’d be released eventually and, if she was honest with herself, she’d been dreading it. Ruby wasn’t frightened easily, but there was something evil about Gilly that disturbed even her.

‘The thing is,’ said Crystal, looking even more ill at ease if that was possible, ‘I went to visit him a couple of days ago, and he’s still saying he’ll get you back for grassing him up.’

Ruby felt a chill but she put on a brave face. ‘Will he?’ she demanded. ‘Well, we’ll soon fuckin’ see about that! You tell him that if he takes one fuckin’ step near me I’ll cut off his balls and feed them to him.’

Crystal shifted in her seat. ‘OK. I’m just giving you the message,’ she said. ‘It’s not my fault.’

But Ruby’s emotions were bubbling up inside her. Fear. Dread. Anger. And, at the moment, some of that anger was directed at Crystal as Ruby thought about how foolish she’d been to stand by Gilly after what he’d done to her.

Ruby got up off the bed they’d been sitting on so that she was now towering over