then,’ Dannielle said, smiling shyly.
When her daughter skipped out of the kitchen, Stephanie got straight down to business. ‘I want to know everything that happened last night from start to finish,’ she demanded coldly.
‘Offer the boy a beer or a coffee first then, Steph,’ Pam ordered her daughter.
Barry stared at Stephanie as she poured a can of lager into a glass for him. They had been so close once upon a time, but he felt as if he barely knew her at all now. She had definitely changed over the years; seemed much more cynical and harder than the soft, fresh-faced girl he had once known and loved.
‘Fire away then,’ Steph said, sitting down next to her mother.
Apart from admitting that they were at a lap-dancing club in Soho, or mentioning Angela, Barry spoke truthfully about everything that had happened the previous evening.
‘So, how drunk was Wayne when he followed Lee out the club?’ Stephanie asked.
‘He weren’t that drunk at all. He wasn’t really drinking until the latter part of the evening.’
‘Why not? That don’t sound like Wayne,’ Steph asked, supiciously. If Barry was lying to her, he was wasting his time, because Steph knew Wayne better than anybody did.
‘I dunno if you know, but Wayne’s been on tablets, antidepressants, and that’s why he wasn’t drinking much. He told me that the tablets and booze don’t mix very well.’
Stephanie scowled at Barry. Wayne taking antidepressants was the most ridiculous yarn she had ever heard in the whole of her life. ‘Antidepressants and Wayne, don’t make me laugh. You’re lying, Barry, I know you are, and if you don’t tell me where my fiancé really is, I’m going to call the police and have you arrested.’
Barry shook his head. ‘I’m telling the truth, Steph. I wouldn’t lie over something serious like this. Wayne had a small strip of tablets in his trouser pocket. He showed them to me and told me what they were. Have a look in his sports bag or upstairs in his bedside drawer. He must have more of ’em hidden somewhere.’
Stephanie unzipped Wayne’s sports bag and angrily tipped its contents all over the kitchen floor.
‘Now, don’t lose your temper, love,’ Pam said, softly.
‘I bet you planted them there,’ Stephanie shouted, picking up a packet of tablets that were in a small white pharmacy bag.
Barry stood up. ‘I’m going. I came round to help you, not to be abused. Apart from fishing around in that bag for Jacko’s phone, I haven’t even looked through his stuff. I just guessed he might have the tablets in there, because the strip he had in his pocket looked almost empty.’
Pam snatched the tablets out of her daughter’s hand. ‘Is Wayne registered with a Doctor Patel in Collier Row?’ she asked.
Stephanie nodded her head. ‘Me and the kids have registered with a new doctor in Chigwell, but Wayne hasn’t changed his yet.’
‘Well, in that case I think you should apologize to Barry, because they are definitely Wayne’s tablets. They have his name on the box and your old address is printed on the pharmacy bag,’ Pam said sternly.
‘I’m sorry, and please don’t go. We need your help,’ Stephanie mumbled.
Barry sat back down again and, as he did so, his mobile rang.
‘Is it Wayne?’ Stephanie asked, hopefully.
Barry shook his head. ‘No, it’s my girlfriend. I’ll call her back in a bit.’
Steph put her head in her hands. ‘It’s gone three now. What time should I leave it to until I call the police?’
‘Give it till tomorrow morning, and if he still ain’t home, ring ’em first thing. I’m sure the Old Bill have some policy where people have to be missing for twenty-four hours before they do anything, and they certainly ain’t gonna bust a gut to find some geezer who’s just been out on his stag night,’ Barry said bluntly.
‘When is Daddy coming home, because Tyler wants to go to the park?’ Dannielle asked, walking into the kitchen again.
‘Daddy is at work I think, love. How about if I take you, Aidan and Tyler to the park? I could do with some fresh air,’ Stephanie offered. Why her son had such a fixation with parks she would never know, but ever since he had learned to say the word, there wasn’t a day went by when he didn’t demand a trip to one.
‘Can Uncle Barry come with us?’ Dannielle asked.
‘No, Uncle Barry’s going to stay here and keep your nan company. Now go and get your and Tyler’s coats and we’ll go,’ Stephanie said, in a none-too-happy voice. It really pissed her off that her daughter had taken such a shine to Barry and kept referring to him as her uncle. If she didn’t have bigger things to worry about, she would have put a stop to it, there and then.
The moment Stephanie and the children walked out the front door, Barry’s phone burst into life once again. Pam said a silent prayer that it would be Wayne, but when she heard Barry utter the words, ‘Marge’ and ‘Mum’, she knew that it wasn’t.
‘I’m gonna have to shoot off, Pam. Me mum’s in a bit of a state by all accounts, and the mate she’s staying with don’t know what to do with her. You remember my mother, I take it?’
About to refer to her as the old slapper, Pam stopped herself just in time. ‘Course I remember Marlene.’
‘Well, if you remember her you’ll know she’s a nightmare. Bane of my life, that woman is, but she’s always gonna be me mother, so I’m lumbered with her, unfortunately.’
Pam smiled. She liked Barry. He seemed a decent, honest kind of chap. ‘Before you go, is there anything else you can tell me about last night? If Wayne went off with a bird, please say so. I won’t tell Steph unless I have to.’
Barry took a deep breath and sighed, as though breaking the news was extremely hard for him. It wasn’t, not one little bit, but he had to play the game. He had very nearly blurted it out to Steph when she had accused him of lying over Wayne’s tablets, but being clever, he had managed to bite his tongue. ‘I dunno how to tell you this, Pam, and there was no way I could have told Steph the truth.’
Pam’s heart lurched. ‘What is it?’
‘We went to a lap-dancing club in Soho. I didn’t really want to go there, neither did the other lads, but Wayne was insistent that we did. When we got there, it turns out that your Angie was one of the dancers. I went off to the toilet, and when I came back Wayne and Angie were in some deep conversation. Next thing I knew, both had disappeared. Angie’s flatmate works there also – Roxy, I think her name was. Anyway, when I realized Wayne had gone missing, I asked her where Angie was, and she said that she had suddenly felt ill and had gone home. I dunno about you, Pam, but I would say that that was one hell of a coincidence, eh?’
Pam was stunned. She knew Angela wasn’t a very nice person, but how could she do something so vile to her own sister?
‘Are you OK, Pam? Would you like me to get you a drink or something?’ Barry asked, politely.
Pam shook her head. Even if Wayne did turn up in the next hour or so, how could she let Stephanie marry him next week when she now knew what he had been up to? She took a deep breath to try to steady her emotions. ‘Go on, love. You get off and see to your mum. I can deal with this.’
‘What you gonna do?’ Barry asked, solemnly.
‘I’m gonna confront Angela; then if your suspicions turn out to be true, I shall have to tell Stephanie. It’s gonna break her heart, I know it is, but I can’t let her marry him, Barry. I would never forgive myself if I did.’
Barry squeezed Pam’s hand. ‘Well, if it’s any consolation, I think you’re doing the right thing telling Steph. I know if it