Page 73 of Any Kind of Life

“Pete grew up in a children’s home when we were kids. He had a sister, Linda, but no other family to speak of. That’s how he met our Keira. She was good friends with Linda back then.” Henry rubbed at the stubble across his jaw. “When Linda had her first and only child, Lee, Pete was beside himself. God, he loves that lad something wicked. I’ve never known such a close bond between an uncle and a nephew. To be honest, I think he probably treated him more like a son.” Henry smiled as he shook his head. “Ron managed to get his claws into Lee when he was a teen. Had him working drug runs. Then he got him onto the drugs. And not just the weed or that sort of stuff…but the hard drugs. Heroin, to be exact. Lee has never been the same since and has been revived on the street more than once over the last few years. Overdoses, suicide attempts.”

God, that was sad. This Ron guy was truly a bastard. If Paige hadn’t already been glad that he was dead, she certainly was now. “That’s…awful.”

“Anyway, Pete heard that Ron had been transferred closer to home. He was originally banged up down south. He’d been trying to get to Ron for a few years, but then Ron went down for heading one of the biggest drug gangs in Europe and Pete didn’t have any sort of access to him.”

“R-right.” Paige wasn’t convinced that Henry had nothing to do with this. Not yet.

“When he found out that Ron was much more local to the area, he got himself into trouble—which isn’t hard—and was remanded to the same prison as him. That part was sheer luck, I swear to you, but yeah…Pete Bennett is responsible for Ron’s death.”

“Who told him that Ron had been transferred up here?” Paige frowned. “I’d like to shake their hand. What a bastard and waste of oxygen he was.”

Henry rose to his feet and looked down at Paige. He held out his hand, his head cocked. “You’re welcome.”

Paige narrowed her eyes as she stood and met Henry’s gaze. Was he winding her up, or had he really told this Pete guy where Ron was? “You told him?”

“I knew it wouldn’t take much. That man has so many enemies that it was only a matter of time before someone wiped him off this earth.” Henry stepped around Paige and moved towards the door. “Now we just have to find Cara. I’d like to see her put away for what she did to Juliet.”

“Still nothing? You can’t find anyone who may know where she is?”

Henry sighed. “Nothing, Paige. It’s like she’s a ghost.”

Where the fuck was Cara? She couldn’t have just vanished into thin air. She may have been good at deceiving Paige and Juliet, but she wasn’t that good. “Do we think maybe she’s using a different name? Or that Cara isn’t even her real name to begin with?” Paige knew all about that. When she moved here and met Juliet, she had given a false surname. Only Paige’s reasons for doing that were entirely different from Cara’s. “Do we even know if she lives in Liverpool?”

“She does, and her name is Cara Swinson. I’ve already checked all of that.” Henry ran a hand down his face. “She’s gone to ground. Someone will be hiding her. And the second she resurfaces, I’ll know about it. I promise you.”

“Just…nothing illegal, Henry. I want to look her in the eye when she’s sentenced in court. Please?”

“You have my word, Paige. The police can handle this one…once I find her.”

That satisfied Paige for the time being. She couldn’t change Pete Bennett’s actions, nor did she particularly want to, but she could focus on getting Juliet back to full health. It was the only thing that mattered in all of this. Juliet.

“I’ll head off. I’m thinking I’ll lay low for a few days. The less I’m seen at the hospital, the less likely the police are to ask any other questions.”

Paige nodded, understanding exactly what Henry was saying. “Yeah, good call.”

“But if either of you need anything, I’m always close by. You know the drill.”

Paige watched Henry leave, relaxing as the door closed behind him, and nothing other than silence enveloped her. God, they would need a serious holiday when all of this was over. Preferably somewhere with very little access to the outside world.

“God, that feels so nice.” Juliet tilted her head up, the sun warming her face where she sat in one of the gardens within the hospital grounds. “Thank you for thinking of this. I was beginning to go stir crazy in that room.”

Paige put the brake on the wheelchair she had brought Juliet down here in and took a seat on the bench next to Juliet. She was moving better, but walking long distances wasn’t recommended. “Just thought you could get out for some fresh air.” Paige looked over her shoulder, checking how close PC Ramsey was to them. “And you know, so we could talk.”

Juliet was desperate to know what had happened to Ronnie Delehedy. Henry had to be involved somehow, it was too coincidental, but she hoped he at least wasn’t directly involved. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea while we’re not alone.”

“Thankfully, I can talk quietly, and you have very good hearing.” Paige leant in and kissed Juliet’s cheek. She lingered, placing her hand over Juliet’s. “Henry tipped someone off who was already looking for Ronnie. Seems he has plenty of enemies on the outside as well as inside.”

Juliet nodded. “Oh, he does. A lot.”

“So, like, he didn’t actually do anything that would tie him to it; he just put the word out.”

Juliet had thought as much. While she didn’t particularly like what Henry had done—she didn’t want him to get into trouble—Juliet would admit that she already felt far more at ease knowing Ronnie was gone. “Did he say who?”

“He did, but I can’t remember the name, babe. I’m sure Henry will fill you in once you’re out of here and back at home.”

Juliet looked out at the trees surrounding them, the tulips and rose bushes that had recently bloomed. This was exactly what she needed today. Something peaceful and calming. Somewhere she could breathe without feeling as though her every move was being monitored. If it wasn’t nurses coming in to check her dressing or her vitals, it was her doctor checking in to see how Juliet was feeling. She appreciated everything they had done for her, she owed her life to them, but she was ready to be at home the moment it was possible.

As Juliet turned her head to Paige, entwining their fingers in her lap, she smiled. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me lately. It can’t have been easy.”

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