bar. I looked in the direction of the door and saw Pen appear at the top of the stairs alone. She looked pale and shaken.
“Pen, are you okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, I just don’t feel too good.” She made her way to the exit.
I started to follow, when Annie said, “See ya around, Jim.”
I turned to face her and she had her hand outstretched towards me. I stepped towards her and shook her hand. She pulled me close as if to kiss my cheek.
“Call me,” she whispered in my ear.
I pulled away, letting go of her hand. As I walked towards the door and the street outside, I opened my hand and found a small piece of paper.
I unfolded it to find Annie had scribbled her phone number across it.
What was going on? I wondered, placing the piece of paper into my pocket.
Chapter Fourteen
Murphy
All the way from ‘The Ooze Bar’ until I dropped Pen back at her house, I tried to find out from her what had happened down in the basement. Pen kept persisting that nothing had happened and she had started to feel ill, that was all. Although I didn’t believe her, I didn’t push the issue and I never mentioned to her about the scrap of paper Annie had given to me.
I collected my bags and placed them in the boot of my car.
“Pen, I don’t know what’s going on down here, maybe one day you’ll tell me. If you need anything, you know how to get in touch.” I pulled her close and kissed her gently on the cheek. Pen didn’t say a word. She just stood there looking tired and frail.
I climbed into my car and drove away with a feeling of dread gnawing away at my insides.
On my return home, I didn’t hesitate in calling Annie. The phone rang at her end several times, then there was a click on the line, followed by the sound of her voice.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Annie, it’s Jim,” I said.
“Hiya, Jim,” she came back hesitantly.
“Is this a good time for you, or do you…”
I started.
“No, it’s okay, I’ve just got Katie off to sleep.”
“So what’s going on with Pen?” I asked her.
There was a short silence before she said anything. “If I tell you, Jim, you’ve got to promise me you won’t say anything to Pen. If you let her know I’ve spoken to you then Marc might find out…and that would mean trouble…real trouble.”
“What do you mean?”
“Promise me, Jim. I have Katie to think of. I don’t want any trouble. I’m scared,” she whispered.
“Scared of what?”
“Promise me!” she demanded.
“Okay. Okay. I promise I won’t let on that we’ve spoken. Now what’s going on?” I insisted.
“It’s Marc…he’s a bully…no it’s more than that…he’s violent towards Pen.”
“What do you mean by violent?” I questioned, those interrogation skills coming to the fore.
“He beats Pen. You know…punches her…kicks her…he’s even thrown Pen down the stairs,” she said, her voice sounding shaky.
I could feel my stomach begin to twist into angry knots inside me. “How do you know this?”
“Pen has turned up at my house in the early hours of the morning, scared and shaking.
I’ve seen the bruises all over her body. There have been scratches and cuts, too. She’s hidden here with me for days on end, trying to keep out of Marc’s way.”
“Pen’s got to get rid of him…throw him out…sack him…whatever it takes,” I said, fighting to keep my anger in check.
“Pen’s tried, Jim, but she’s frightened of Marc and his brother.”
“Pen mentioned that Marc had a brother…Steve I think she said his name was. He works as a chef at the bar,” I said into the phone.
“Steve’s no chef. They’re criminals, both of them. Marc’s giving his brother money every week out of the cash register, but he’s not actually doing any work. They are running up credit card bills in Pen’s name. They’re taking huge amounts of money out of the accounts, bills aren’t being paid, and they’re running the café into the ground.
The two of them are ripping Pen off and
“Pen, are you okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, I just don’t feel too good.” She made her way to the exit.
I started to follow, when Annie said, “See ya around, Jim.”
I turned to face her and she had her hand outstretched towards me. I stepped towards her and shook her hand. She pulled me close as if to kiss my cheek.
“Call me,” she whispered in my ear.
I pulled away, letting go of her hand. As I walked towards the door and the street outside, I opened my hand and found a small piece of paper.
I unfolded it to find Annie had scribbled her phone number across it.
What was going on? I wondered, placing the piece of paper into my pocket.
Chapter Fourteen
Murphy
All the way from ‘The Ooze Bar’ until I dropped Pen back at her house, I tried to find out from her what had happened down in the basement. Pen kept persisting that nothing had happened and she had started to feel ill, that was all. Although I didn’t believe her, I didn’t push the issue and I never mentioned to her about the scrap of paper Annie had given to me.
I collected my bags and placed them in the boot of my car.
“Pen, I don’t know what’s going on down here, maybe one day you’ll tell me. If you need anything, you know how to get in touch.” I pulled her close and kissed her gently on the cheek. Pen didn’t say a word. She just stood there looking tired and frail.
I climbed into my car and drove away with a feeling of dread gnawing away at my insides.
On my return home, I didn’t hesitate in calling Annie. The phone rang at her end several times, then there was a click on the line, followed by the sound of her voice.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Annie, it’s Jim,” I said.
“Hiya, Jim,” she came back hesitantly.
“Is this a good time for you, or do you…”
I started.
“No, it’s okay, I’ve just got Katie off to sleep.”
“So what’s going on with Pen?” I asked her.
There was a short silence before she said anything. “If I tell you, Jim, you’ve got to promise me you won’t say anything to Pen. If you let her know I’ve spoken to you then Marc might find out…and that would mean trouble…real trouble.”
“What do you mean?”
“Promise me, Jim. I have Katie to think of. I don’t want any trouble. I’m scared,” she whispered.
“Scared of what?”
“Promise me!” she demanded.
“Okay. Okay. I promise I won’t let on that we’ve spoken. Now what’s going on?” I insisted.
“It’s Marc…he’s a bully…no it’s more than that…he’s violent towards Pen.”
“What do you mean by violent?” I questioned, those interrogation skills coming to the fore.
“He beats Pen. You know…punches her…kicks her…he’s even thrown Pen down the stairs,” she said, her voice sounding shaky.
I could feel my stomach begin to twist into angry knots inside me. “How do you know this?”
“Pen has turned up at my house in the early hours of the morning, scared and shaking.
I’ve seen the bruises all over her body. There have been scratches and cuts, too. She’s hidden here with me for days on end, trying to keep out of Marc’s way.”
“Pen’s got to get rid of him…throw him out…sack him…whatever it takes,” I said, fighting to keep my anger in check.
“Pen’s tried, Jim, but she’s frightened of Marc and his brother.”
“Pen mentioned that Marc had a brother…Steve I think she said his name was. He works as a chef at the bar,” I said into the phone.
“Steve’s no chef. They’re criminals, both of them. Marc’s giving his brother money every week out of the cash register, but he’s not actually doing any work. They are running up credit card bills in Pen’s name. They’re taking huge amounts of money out of the accounts, bills aren’t being paid, and they’re running the café into the ground.
The two of them are ripping Pen off and
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