Following the argument of that morning, things had quietened down in the house, and Frank counted off day after boring day of captivity as the intruders went about their daily lives as if they owned the place.
It was ten days since they had muscled their way in, and Frank pretty much knew their routine by heart. Irena, despite her insistence that Karel loved her, seemed to be little more than a housekeeper for him and his gang. Every morning she made them a full cooked breakfast, and would then clean up and wash their clothes and bedding while they went about their business. She would cater for them again at lunchtime, and then dinner. Once they’d eaten, Nick and the other man would take the girls to work, and Irena would invariably go to bed – alone – while Karel stayed downstairs, drinking, smoking, and playing cards with the rest of the men into the early hours.
Tonight, the enforced inactivity and boredom was wearing Frank out, but he was finding it difficult to sleep in the airless, stale-smelling room, even though he had stripped down to his underwear and was lying on top of the bed. It was gone midnight when he heard the familiar creak of bedsprings and the low murmur of voices through the wall. Unwilling to listen to any more of the disgusting grunting he’d been subjected to all week, he rolled over and plucked a cotton wool ball out of the bag Maureen had kept in her bedside cabinet. As he was about to plug his ears, a shrill whistle rose up from the front of the house, followed, a few seconds later, by the thunder of footsteps running up the stairs.
Sliding off the bed at the sound of someone rapping sharply on Irena’s bedroom door, Frank rushed over to the door – praying that she would wake up and catch Karel red-handed as he came out of the girl’s room. Disappointed when Karel emerged onto the landing before she did, he pressed his ear against the wood in time to hear Karel hiss, ‘What the fuck’s all the noise about?’
‘Someone’s coming,’ a man replied quietly. ‘I was out front and saw headlights coming this way. And it’s definitely not Nick, ’cos they were too low down for a van.’
Irena’s door suddenly opened, and Frank could hear the sleep in her voice when she asked what was going on.
‘Someone’s coming,’ Karel told her. ‘Go down and get rid of them.’
A vehicle turned onto the drive and came to a stop, and Frank heard its door slam shut and someone walk heavily across the gravel. The doorbell rang, and Irena answered it. Her voice was too low for Frank to hear what she was saying, but he had no such problem with the caller’s voice, and his heart lurched when he realized it was his daughter-in-law. Marie never visited of her own accord, so he wondered if Evan had sent her to pick up the bits and pieces he’d left behind. Or maybe something had happened, and she’d come to deliver the bad news?
Dreading it being the latter, Frank jerked away from the door when the key turned in the lock. It was Karel, and he had the shotgun in his hands.
‘You’ve got a visitor,’ he hissed. ‘Get dressed.’
‘It’s my son’s wife,’ Frank said, quickly pulling his pyjama bottoms and dressing gown on. ‘Evan’s probably sent her to pick his stuff up.’
‘Get rid of her, or I’ll kill her,’ Karel warned, shoving him out onto the landing with the barrel of the gun digging into his spine.
Marie was demanding to speak to Evan when Frank reached the hallway. Forcing himself to act naturally, he walked up alongside Irena and gave his daughter-in-law a questioning smile.
‘Hello, love. What are you doing here at this time of night?’
Switching her angry gaze from Irena to him, Marie said, ‘I want to see Evan. She reckons she hasn’t seen him, but I know he’s here, so tell him to stop hiding and come out and face me.’
‘He’s not here, love,’ Frank replied truthfully. ‘Did he tell you he was coming over tonight?’
A flicker of uncertainty flashed into Marie’s eyes, but she quickly blinked it away and raised her chin.
‘You know damn well he hasn’t been home since he came to help you with your cars last week, so stop covering for him. He hasn’t been in work since, and none of his mates have seen him, so he’s got to be here.’
‘I promise you he’s not,’ said Frank. ‘He did call round last week, but we had words and I told him to leave. I haven’t heard from him since.’
‘So where is he?’ Marie’s voice had risen in pitch, and tears were glistening in her eyes.
Frank had never been overly keen on the woman, but she looked so distraught, he had to stuff his hands into his dressing gown pockets to keep himself from reaching out to her.
‘I honestly have no idea, love. Knowing him, he’s probably been on a bender, and now he’s hiding out somewhere, trying to pluck up the courage to face you. I’m sure he’ll turn up soon, so why don’t you go home and get some sleep, eh? You look exhausted.’
‘Of course I’m exhausted,’ Marie replied spikily. ‘I’ve been ill all week, and I’ve barely had the energy to get out of bed, so I didn’t need to be worrying about Evan on top of it all.’
‘Have you tried ringing him?’ Frank asked.
‘Numerous times,’ said Marie. ‘And I’ve left loads of messages, but he hasn’t answered any of them. And you haven’t answered when I’ve tried to ring you,’ she added accusingly. ‘That’s why I know you’re covering for him.’
‘My phone’s got a fault,’ Frank lied. ‘I haven’t heard it ringing.’
‘Mobile broke as well, is it?’ Marie gave him a disbelieving look.
Frank gave a guilty little shrug, and said, ‘I’m sorry, love, but I don’t know what else to tell you.’
‘I know you’re lying,’ Marie sniffed, taking a tissue out of her pocket and swiping at her nose. ‘I’ve given it a week, but enough’s enough. If he’s not man enough to face me, you can tell him not to bother coming back this time. I’ve bent over backwards to put things right since he came home after stopping here the last time he walked out, and everything’s been great, so I don’t understand why he’s doing this.’
‘I am sure Even is not try to hurt you,’ Irena interjected.
The sound of her voice ignited a fire in Marie’s eyes.
‘His name is Ev-An,’ she corrected her angrily. ‘And don’t you dare talk about him like you and him are friends. He’s told me all about you, waltzing in here and taking advantage of a lonely old man, and he’s as disgusted by you as I am!’
‘That’s enough,’ Frank said, desperate to get her out of there when he heard a creak on the stairs behind him. ‘Just go home, Marie.’
Rounding on him, Marie yelled, ‘Don’t tell me what to do, ’cos you’re as bad as her! You call yourself a father, putting that tart before your own children when their mum isn’t even cold in her grave yet? And to think I forced Evan to ring you on Christmas Day, because I knew he was missing you. It’s no wonder him and Jo don’t want anything to do with you. You’re a disgrace!’
‘Do not talk to Frankie like this,’ Irena jumped to Frank’s defence. ‘He is good man, and is not his fault his son is liar.’
‘Irena, don’t,’ Frank said quietly.
‘No, is not fair,’ Irena persisted. ‘She is disrespect you, and she need to know truth.’
‘What truth?’ Marie demanded, staring at Frank. ‘What’s she on about?’
‘It’s nothing,’ Frank said, furious that Irena had been about to repeat the accusation she’d made against Evan when he now knew it to be a lie. ‘It’s late, and we all need some sleep, so go home.’
‘I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what she meant.’ Marie stood her ground.
‘I’ve already told you I haven’t seen Evan, and I don’t know where he is,’ Frank said with finality. ‘Now go home, Marie.’
Narrowing her eyes when he made to close the door, Marie said, ‘I know you lot have never liked me, and I bet you’re made up now he’s left me, aren’t you? Well, you know what, you can go to hell, ’cos I’m getting a divorce and cutting the whole rotten lot of you out of my life!’
She turned on her heel at that, and marched back to her car, and Frank’s heart went out to her when he saw her swiping tears off her face as she drove away.
‘I am sorry if I speak out of turn,’ Irena murmured, touching his arm. ‘But she would not leave, so I was try to—’
‘Don’t touch me!’ Frank snapped, slamming the door shut and glaring down at her. ‘This is all your fault.’
‘What was that?’ Karel demanded, trotting down the stairs.
Frank turned to face him, his expression pure ice. Evan had gone AWOL, and Jo was safe in Australia, so he figured now was as good a time as any to take a stand.
‘You heard,’ he said brusquely. ‘I had to stand there and watch her break an innocent woman’s heart, so that’s another life you two have ruined.’
‘Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?’ Karel thrust his face into Frank’s and stared into his eyes.
Too angry to be intimidated, Frank slammed his palms against the man’s chest and pushed him away, yelling, ‘I’m talking to you! The piece of shit who robs decent, hard-working people, and tortures defenceless women!’
Winded when Karel drove a fist into his stomach, Frank doubled over, but he looked up and let out a little laugh.
‘That all you got, big man?’
The second punch connected with his nose, and his legs buckled when white-hot pain exploded behind his eyes. A vicious kick in the ribs sent him flying against the blood-splattered wall, but still he refused to give in.
‘Go on, then!’ he challenged, staring up at Karel from the floor. ‘What are you waiting for? You’re gonna kill me anyway, so fucking do it!’
It was the first time Irena had ever heard him use that word, and Frank almost laughed out loud when he saw the expression on her face.
‘What’s up, love? Haven’t shocked you, have I? Well, it’s not half as shocked as you’re going to be when you find out what he’s been doing with that girl for the last few nights.’
Infuriated, Karel released the gun’s safety catch and aimed it at Frank’s head.
‘No!’ Irena squawked, leaping forward and tugging on his arm. ‘We need him alive or this will all be over!’
‘He knows that, and that’s why he’s not gonna do it,’ Frank said, praying that the man’s ego wouldn’t compel him to prove otherwise. ‘He knows about us, as well – don’t you, Karel? You know she was sharing my bed right up until the day you and those other thugs turned up here? That we had sex every night, and she told me she loved me.’
‘Is lie!’ Irena spluttered, her face draining of colour. ‘Do not listen, Karel. He is try to cause trouble.’
‘Come off it,’ Frank snorted. ‘You might have fooled me, Irena, but you’re sure as hell not fooling him, ’cos he already knows you’re a whore. Isn’t that right, Karel?’
With a roar of fury, Karel smashed the barrel of the gun down on Frank’s head before turning on Irena.
‘Karel, don’t!’ she cried, throwing her arms up to protect her face when he raised his fist.
‘Shut your mouth,’ he spat, his punch glancing off the side of her head. ‘You’ve been asking for this all fuckin’ week!’
The back door suddenly opened, and two of the men ran in. Dragging Irena out of their way, Karel said, ‘Took your time, didn’t you?’
‘Sorry, boss,’ Jacko apologized, casting a hooded glance at Irena, but making no move to help her. ‘We were doing a recce of the fields.’
‘Put him in his room while I deal with her,’ Karel ordered, nodding toward Frank who was sprawled on the floor.
‘Karel, you are hurt me!’ Irena cried when he dragged her along the hall.
‘Hurting you?’ he spat, slamming her up against the wall and holding her there with his hand around her throat. ‘Think yourself lucky I haven’t fuckin’ scalped you!’
‘He was lie,’ she whimpered, her hands fluttering over his as she forced herself to meet his gaze. ‘You are only man I love, and he know this, so he is try to punish me by lie to you.’
‘You really think I’m that fuckin’ stupid?’ Karel laughed, his breath thick with alcohol. ‘I’ve known all along, you thick bitch.’
‘No . . .’ Irena tried to shake her head, but he was holding her too tightly.
Karel’s lip twisted into a sneer.
‘I don’t give a flying fuck what you and him did, sweetheart. The only thing that pisses me off is that cunt thinking he’s got one over on me. And you, lying through your teeth when I gave you the chance to come clean.’
Irena swallowed nervously and forced herself to refocus. Karel had beaten her before, and he had humiliated her on numerous occasions. But the benefits of being his woman had outweighed the pain, and she refused to lose the privileges she had earned over something that had been his idea in the first place.
When Nick had come across this place after Karel’s arrest, Karel had told her, during a prison visit, to do whatever it took to get her foot through the door. She had known exactly what he meant, because it hadn’t been the first time he’d asked her to use her body for his gain. But, foolishly, she had forgotten how quickly he could change his mind: that what he considered acceptable one day, could become a sin worthy of retribution the next. As soon as he’d laid eyes on Frank his expression had changed, and she had known he would react violently if he heard what she’d done, so she had lied. That had been a mistake, but she could turn this around. She had to.
‘Karel, I love you, so I will tell truth,’ she began, tentatively. ‘I did sleep in bed with him, but only because you tell me to secure house for you. This is all I do, and I swear I did not make sex with him.’
Karel tightened his grip on her hair.
‘Is truth!’ she repeated, tears of pain and fear swimming in her eyes. ‘I would have done it – for you. But he did not ask me to, and I did not offer.’
‘So why sleep in his bed?’ Karel asked, his eyes still sparking with suspicion.
‘To make him believe I have genuine feeling for him,’ she replied earnestly. ‘He was meant to think you are my brother until I have marry him and is too late for him to stop us. This is why I need to make relationship seem real. And it was work – until he see you and become suspicious.’
‘Oh, so it’s my fault you fucked up, is it?’ Karel raised an eyebrow.
‘I am not blame you,’ Irena said, her legs shaking with relief when she saw that the flames in his eyes were beginning to die down. ‘I love you, and I have suffer without you. Frank realize this, and he is jealous. This is why he lie: to push us apart.’
Karel brought his face down close to hers and stared into her eyes.
‘Like I said, sweetheart, it ain’t even about you fucking him, it’s about you lying to me. Now fuck off. I’ve got stuff to do.’
Unable to stop herself, even though her instincts were screaming at her to keep her mouth shut, Irena said, ‘What about girl?’
Karel’s eyes narrowed, and Irena cowered when he raised his hand. She’d been sure he was going to punch her again, but instead, he grasped her chin tightly in his hand, and said, softly, ‘You know better than to question me, Irena. I’ve given you a lot of leeway, but that can easily change – and you wouldn’t want that, would you?’
In pain, her lips distorted by his grip, Irena whispered, ‘No.’
‘Thought not.’ He grinned. ‘Now, like I said – fuck off, before I change my mind and beat the shit out of you.’
Irena didn’t need telling twice, and she scuttled away as soon as he released her. Jacko and the other man had come back downstairs by then, and they looked as embarrassed as she felt when she brushed past them and ran up to her room.