Page 23 of Waste
“Charlie, did anyone call my job?”
“Yeah.” Charlie’s voice was brimming with disgust.
Shelley’s eyes popped open. “What happened?”
“She’s a real pain in the ass, that bitch. How you work with Jo is a bloody mystery. Dad and I stopped by the coffee shop to inform Jo that you had a bad accident and were in hospital. At first, she was full of faux concern. Until Dad innocentlymentioned Drew. Jesus, Shelley. I had never seen anyone turn like Jo did.”
“Yeah, the mere mention of Drew would have done it.” Shelley sighed. Now that Jo had a bee in her bonnet, Shelley wasn’t looking forward to returning to work.
“That bitch is certifiable. After throwing a hissy fit that Drew was at the hospital with you, she insisted on knowing if you’d been together when it happened. Dad, being Dad, was confused and explained, no, Drew had come across the scene of the crash and recognised you.”
“Let me guess, Jo twisted it,” Shelley murmured.
“Yeah. Jo actually demanded to know if you’d caused the accident on purpose. Then she ranted about how they wouldn’t pay you for self-inflicted injuries and your time off. Dad was lost for words,” Charlie replied.
“Wow, she needs help,” Shelley agreed.
“She’ll need a new job. Seems Jo is very unpopular with the staff, and one of them recorded the whole rant and sent it to me. Dad has emailed it to your head office. He’s contacted the company solicitor as well.”
“Oh, I wish he wouldn’t cause waves. I want peace and quiet,” Shelley responded, upset. She didn’t enjoy working in a negative atmosphere. She wasn’t a doormat, but Shelley had a really bad vibe about Jo. If Jo wasn’t sacked, then undoubtedly Jo would make Shelley’s existence a misery. Perhaps while she was off, Shelley should apply for other jobs.
“Look, Shelley, I’m sorry about the other day. You were correct; we all got carried away. Drew’s charismatic in a quiet, understated way, and he was being very generous. There was no doubt Mum was hearing wedding bells, and okay, I fancied some skiing. But none of us considered your opinion,” Charlie said and tugged on his ear.
While he was a great older brother, Charlie hated apologising. This was a big deal for him. I opened my eyes and saw the red tinge on his ear. Yeah, this wasn’t Charlie’s strength—making amends.
“It’s fine. You’re all just used to me being the easy-going one.”
“You tend to go with the flow,” Charlie replied.
“That doesn’t mean you can run roughshod over me.”
“I guess we all learned a lesson. Honestly, Shels? That’s the first time you’ve ever pushed back.”
She pursed her lips as she considered his words. “You know, you might be right. I should get hurt more often,” Shelley teased.
Charlie blanched. “I think twice is plenty. What about the police concerns?”
“What can I do, Charlie? I can barely beat a paper bag up. Do you believe DI Wilson’s theory is correct, that somebody tried to kill me?”
“Shels, for someone who loves peace and quiet, you’ve had an eventful few months. I can’t imagine who you’ve ticked off, but someone tampered with your brakes. Does nothing spring to mind?”
“No, I’ve got zilch. Hell, Charlie, I didn’t even consider the possibility that John Saville would become a stalker. He was just Mr Black Americano.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay for a few weeks. You’re going to need assistance, and while Mum said she’d come and help, but do you really want her in your face?”
Shelley considered Charlie’s words. He was right. They loved their mum, but she could be overbearing at times. Gail didn’t understand why her children hadn’t settled down early, just like she had. Even worse, neither Charlie nor Shelley had begun having babies yet. It wasn’t even on their minds.
“Sure. If you insist,” Shelley said and shut her eyes again.
Drew/Ghoul
He watched Shelley as she leaned back. Drew shifted on his seat. He was outright stalking Shelley now as he peered through the wing mirror of Drew’s car. Beside him sat Marie, looking bemused, but Drew’s focus was on Shelley.
“I don’t get it. She could have had an all-expenses-paid trip and instead threw a full-on tantrum,” Drew muttered.
“Did you consult with her or just make plans?” Marie asked, and her tone gave away that she knew Drew hadn’t.
“Are you spying on me?”
