TODAY WE WELCOME OUR GUEST AUTHOR, GILLIAN GODDEN, WHO IS SHARING CHAPTER 1 OF HER NOVEL, 'ROUGH DIAMONDS' #RWRTeamBlog #ReadWriteRepeat
- 2 days ago
- 13 min read
CHAPTER ONE
THE PROPOSAL
The peeling plastered walls, painted white to brighten them up made Patsy Diamond shudder. Prison would be anyone’s nightmare, she was sure of that and it made her skin crawl. Hearing the lock in the door and the jangle of keys, the warder entered. She looked up as women started walking into the visiting room full of plastic chairs and tables. It was hard to see who she was looking for, they all looked the same in their prison uniforms. The women’s faces lit up when they found who they were looking for and it was heart breaking to see small children running towards them shouting ‘mummy!’ Some children were holding painted pictures they had especially done for today, but no one seemed particularly happy to be there. It seemed a sombre place and although the prisoners would look forward to this break in routine, the conversation would be minimal and heart breaking for both parties.
Swallowing hard, and glancing around as each table seemed to be taken up by some visitor doing their duty, Patsy lit a cigarette. She felt nervous and checked herself in the mirror of her compact, brushing a wisp of her hair from her face.
At last at the end of the queue she saw who she was looking for and beckoned to her, trying to catch her eye. The young sullen woman with her swollen stomach, walked towards her and folded her arms. She had a stubborn, bored look on her face. Very much like a teenager who had been grounded for a week.
‘What do you want, Patsy? You’ve written to me for weeks wanting this visiting order. Are you bored and come for a good laugh at my expense. Well don’t bother because I feel shit enough!’
‘Sit down, Natasha, take the weight off your feet, and don’t cause a scene because that lot will send you back to your cell. I got you a cup of tea,’ Patsy pushed forward the cup of tea, ‘I got you some chocolate as well - you need to keep your strength up.’ Although Natasha’s stance was defensive, Patsy could see straight through this façade. Natasha was putting on a brave face, not only for herself but for the women prisoners staring at her expensively dressed visitor, who clearly wasn’t from social services.
Looking down at the tea and chocolate bar, Natasha pursed her lips and looked around at the prison warders standing in the corner. ‘Sit down Natasha, take the weight off your stomach and stop being so prickly. At least drink your tea.’ Rolling her eyes at the ceiling, Patsy took a drag on her cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray.
‘You know, you should smoke it all. The women in here would sell their soul for that half cigarette you’re wasting.’ Dragging the chair from underneath the table, Natasha sat down and picked up the now cool tea and took a sip. ‘What do you want, Patsy? You said you wanted some information from me. There is nothing I can do for you. Why would you want to come here? I was having an affair with your husband, so I know you hate me and want me to suffer and believe me you’ve got your wish!’ Natasha snapped. Looking down, she reached for the chocolate bar and quickly ripped it open and took a bite. Half closing her eyes, she savoured the chocolate taste.
Patsy looked the young woman in front of her up and down. She could see why Nick Diamond, Patsy’s late husband, had found Natasha attractive, but seeing her now, with a black eye that was turning yellow, her natural blonde hair looking unkempt and unwashed pulled back into a pony tail, concerned Patsy. She hadn’t come here today to scold Natasha or humiliate her. She wanted her help and maybe she could help Natasha in return.
‘You look like you enjoyed that, do you want another?’ A faint smile crossed Patsy’s face. She felt like some older sister or mother figure to this poor young mite. ‘When is your court case up? You’ve been in custody for quite a few months now, have they set a date yet?’ Tentatively enquiring, Patsy was building up to her next proposal. She knew it wouldn’t go down well, but it was worth mentioning.
‘Two weeks.‘ Natasha said, licking the chocolate off her fingers. ‘I’ve been here for four months Patsy, you know that. Nicky has been dead for four months and I wasn’t even allowed to go to the funeral because I’m not a family member. How can I not be a family member when I am carrying his baby?’ She glared, and pouted once more.
‘No one asked me about that. But maybe it was for the best.’ Patsy’s voice was low and level, showing no emotion when Natasha reminded her she was carrying her husband’s baby, although it made her wince inside. The truth was, it hurt like hell. After fifteen years of marriage to her husband Nick, she realised now it had all been a lie. His trips to Scotland supposedly to see his Nana, when in actual fact he was meeting this young woman Natasha, his lover. The very woman who he was leaving her for. It seemed like they had everything and their whole life ahead of them. They loved each other. Nick had more than enough money to start a new life with the woman he loved and his new family. Everything was going his way as always, until that Christmas night when someone shot him outside of the community centre. The police were still Investigating it, and even she had been questioned many times as the wronged wife. Taking a deep sigh and putting on a brave face, Patsy tried to put it to the back of her mind for now. Who had killed Nick Diamond? The question still hung in the air, and on peoples lips. There were no witnesses as far as they knew. It was all a complete mystery. Pulling herself together and remembering why she was here, Patsy continued.
‘Have you heard anything about your son, Jimmy is it?’ Frowning, Patsy waited for an answer.
‘His foster carer sends me photos and stuff. He’s having some form of counselling, but personally, I think they are making it worse, reminding him about that awful day all of the time. He still doesn’t know what he’s done and feels he is being punished because he can’t live with me. He doesn’t understand.’ Tears brimmed in Natasha’s eyes and she quickly brushed them away and looked around the room to see if any of the other prisoners had noticed. Natasha’s bottom lip trembled, and she moved closer to Patsy for privacy, ‘He’s a little boy. He thought it was just a game of cowboys and Indians when he shot Steve with that real gun. How did he know the gun was real? They had played that game so many times. It was an accident - pure and simple and now, ‘ Natasha looked down at the table and rubbed her swollen stomach, ‘now, he’s in foster care with strangers. I don’t know when I will see him again., He’s being punished for an accident, Patsy. A bloody accident’. Realising she had raised her voice in anger and frustration, Natasha looked around at the other prisoners. Thankfully, they were too engrossed in their own visit to care about her now.
Playing for time, Patsy got up and bought another chocolate bar for Natasha. She didn’t know what was going on here, but her gut instinct told her Natasha was having a hard time, or worse, being bullied. She looked pale and as thin as a sparrow, apart from her pregnant state and she had crammed that chocolate in her mouth so quickly, it looked like she hadn’t eaten in weeks. Of course, above everything else, was the tell tale black eye.
Natasha looked around the room as she waited for Patsy to come back. People were casting glances towards her and whispering to each other. She knew it was about her. It was the way they were looking at her and turning their heads away to speak. Time and time again she had been taunted and bullied that her little jimmy was a murderer. Some believed her, some didn’t. Some even went so far as to say she had stitched her own kid up for a murder she had committed. These past few months had been hell in prison and being pregnant didn’t stop the bullies in there starting a fight with you. it was pretty obvious to her when they cast their furtive glances towards her that they were telling their visitors about her and jimmy, and now they had a whole new piece of gossip. Who was that well dressed woman? Patsy had well and truly thrown the cat amongst the pigeons now. They would all want to know about Patsy. Thankfully, the short time she had spent in care homes had prepared her for the prison regime. All institutions were the same. Holding her hand out for the chocolate, she started ripping open the sweet wrapper and putting the chocolate in her mouth.
Natasha put her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. ‘You still haven’t said why you’re here, Patsy. What do you want from me? The small talk and the chocolates are all very nice, but can we just get this over with?’ Even though the sugar rush was making her feel better, she was still curious and nervous as to why Patsy Diamond was here.
Now faced with what she had said so many times in her head, Patsy felt nervous. She didn’t want Natasha to start screaming and shouting, and considering the amount of listening ears in the room, she had to be careful what she said.
‘The police are still investigating Nick’s death. They are no wiser now than they were four months ago, but they are now digging into Nick’s past to see if he had any enemies that might cast a light on his murder. I don’t know where his money is,’ Patsy lowered her voice so it was barely above a whisper. ‘If the police find it they will keep it, and it will all go to the government for ill-gotten gains or something. There, I’ve said it,’ Patsy threw her hands up in the air and shrugged.
Bewildered, Natasha shrugged. ‘And you think Nicky has left me all of his money or something? You’ve come here for money!’ Pushing her chair back, Natasha was going to stand up and leave when Patsy grabbed her arm, stopping her. She had expected this outburst. ‘Who’s going to look after your baby, Natasha? Is that what you want, another kid taken into care?’ Patsy hissed.
‘No touching!’ The warder shouted towards them and Patsy pulled away, waiting for Natasha’s reaction to her words.
Natasha’s eyebrows crossed and she sat down again. ‘I’m hoping the same foster carer who has Jimmy will take it in, so that they can be together. I don’t know. I could face another year in here for possession of a firearm. They are even suggesting that I had the intent to kill Steve and set Jimmy up to do it. But I didn’t set him up Patsy, I swear!’ She pleaded for Patsy to believe her and her eyes swam with tears. ‘I wouldn’t use my own son to do something like that. I liked Steve. I was good friends with his wife Sheila. I had no gripe with them,’ Natasha’s lips trembled and she fought to hold back the tears as her emotions got the better of her.
‘I know, love.’ Soothingly Patsy patted her hand, while casting a glance at the prison warder, waiting for a reprimand, but none came.
‘What do you care anyway?’ Confused, Natasha pulled away again. ‘You say you want Nick’s money. Well, I’m sorry Patsy, I can’t help you.’
‘Yes, you can Natasha, but you just don’t know it yet. Has anyone else visited you while you’ve been here?’
‘Maggie has been a couple of times, even brought Beryl with her once, but it’s quite a trek here from Glasgow, and Beryl is no spring chicken. Anyway, the conversation is a bit one sided. They can’t exactly ask me what I’ve been doing can they? And I really don’t want to hear how well everyone is getting on without me and who has moved into my flat. I’m homeless now. I presume you know that, you seem to have done your homework.’
‘Something like that, but I wouldn’t expect them to keep your flat. They don’t know how long you’re going to be here, and I presume the council want their rent. You were in care, weren’t you?’ Patsy had got snippets of Natasha’s background from Beryl, but nothing of any importance. She was a waif and stray who had clung to Nick like a limpet. Maybe she had thought he was going to be her knight in shining armour, Patsy mused to herself while looking directly at Natasha. They had both shared the same man and as far as Patsy was concerned, they had both been used by Nick in some form or other. Nick had changed dramatically over the last few years. Patsy had hardly recognized him from the charming young man she had met and married. He had always been vain and selfish, but he had become cold and cruel in the later years of their marriage.
‘Bloody hell Patsy, you’ve covered everything. Why ask me all of these questions when you seem to know all of the answers?’
‘Just an outline love, take the sulky look off your face, Natasha. No wonder whoever has given you that black eye feels like giving you another one. Lighten up lady, your fairy godmother is here. I want you to sign the baby over to me, tell them I’m long lost family or something. You can keep it in here with you for a while with you, but then what?’ Holding the palm of her hands open wide, Patsy knew she was making it sound worse than it probably would be, but Natasha had become another statistic. ‘Who is going to give you a job with a prison record?’ She scoffed.
‘Is that what you’ve come for? You want Nick’s baby - you bitch!’ Natasha screamed. ‘You couldn’t have his child and now you want mine. No! No! I’ll never sign it over to you, you scheming bitch.’ Natasha was becoming almost hysterical at the bombshell Patsy had dropped, and reaching over, Natasha slapped Patsy’s face. Instantly, the prison warders came over and pulled Natasha away. ‘She wants my fucking baby!’ Natasha screamed and struggled, as the warders pushed her through the door and presumably back to her cell.
Smarting, and rubbing the side of her face where Natasha had slapped her, Patsy picked up her handbag, under the watchful stare of the other prisoners and their families and calmly made for the door. ‘Don’t stare at me ladies, I’m free to walk out’. Everyone looked up at her and she gave her bravest smile and waited for the warder to open the door for her. Her heart sank as she headed for her car. Maybe she had gone in a bit strong, but visiting time wasn’t long and she had to say what she needed to say. But it had all come out wrong, she accepted that. When she got home she would write to Natasha and explain that having the baby live with her until she got out of prison was her only intention.
In her mind’s eye, she had thought it would give Natasha some kind of comfort, knowing her baby would be looked after, and she would have easy access to it when she came out of prison. She had thought it would be a peace offering, not a threat.
‘Damn! Damn! Damn you, Patsy Diamond!’ She shouted to herself and hit the dashboard of the car with her hand. ‘You stupid cow!’ Starting the car she headed for the motorway and back to London. She needed answers and fast. Where was Nick’s money? It was nowhere to be found and she knew there was millions of pounds hidden somewhere. Someone had to know where it was, but who? Her mind was working overtime as she sped along the motorway in her open topped sports car. Natasha was the link, she knew that. She just had to reach her. Catching sight of herself in the rear view mirror, Patsy pushed her designer sunglasses on the top of her blonde hair and spied her well made up, aging face in comparison to Natasha’s young, smooth one. She was thirty seven years old, over ten years older than Natasha. Nick had been flattered by the attention of the younger woman and had visions of a new life with his mistress and new baby. It saddened Patsy, but not as much as it should have done. She didn’t feel bitter, just sad. Her marriage had been over long before herself and Nick had cared to admit it. They had plodded along for the sake of their social circle and status. She’d loved Nick and at some time he’d loved her, or rather she hoped he had. Otherwise, it would have been nothing but wasted years and a wasted life.
No money had come to the salons over the last few months for her to launder, through the shops. Over the last few years Nick had laundered hundreds of thousands through her salons. She had known it had something to do with drugs but had stupidly turned a blind eye. She wasn’t afraid of Nick, but his manipulating ways frightened her sometimes, so she shut up and put up. She couldn’t understand why nothing had been delivered since his murder. So where was that money going to now? Who was creaming it off the top? Everyone knew she was Nick Diamond’s wife, and yet no one had approached her. Her only solution was that she would have to find out who was involved and claim what was rightfully hers. Nick’s grandmother, Beryl, had kept a very low profile since the funeral. So why had the old woman raised her ugly head and visited Natasha? Where this journey would take her, Patsy didn’t have a clue, but she was determined to find out!
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AUTHOR BIO
My name is Gillian Godden. I write Gangland Crime Books and I also work for the NHS as a key worker at a local medical centre.
Just over 5 years ago my son went to university and I was left with empty nest syndrome. With time on my hands, I started fooling around writing a story, wondering if anyone would ever read it - 'Francesca', which is now part of the Lambrianus series.
Five years on, I have a publisher and still wonder at times if readers will enjoy what I've written. I have a good communication with my readers and enjoy their all important feedback. To date, I have written fifteen books, all gangland crime with hopefully more to follow. My advice to anyone considering to write would be, follow your dreams.
The Lambrianu series is six books in all and of course, the 'Diamond Series' - 'Diamond Geezer', 'Rough Diamonds', 'Queen of Diamonds', 'Forever Diamonds', 'Gold Digger' and 'Fools Gold'. The are all gangland crime and include some of the interesting characters I've known while living in London's East End. I am now in the process of writing the Alex Silva series beginning with 'The Street'.
Writing doesn't make you an author. It's the readers who follow your characters on their journey that do that.
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COMING SOON: On Monday, 9th March, our team member, author Eva Bielby, is sharing Part 2 of her story, 'Beyond The Mist - Impervious'.
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