Definitely Dead by Kate Bendelow (howl and other poems TXT) 📕

He had begun to second-guess everything he saw or heard; poring over every facial tic and word.

He reasoned that if Markita could lie to his face so easily, and he was certain that she was lying, could Donnelly do the same? But why would he lie to him? Rationally, he knew that it didn’t make any sense for his friend to want him out of the way. They weren’t just business partners; they were practically family. But there was an inkling. The slightest glimmer of doubt that refused to be extinguished. He shook his head to clear the notion from his mind.

All these negative, suspicious thoughts were due to being locked up. Like Donnelly had advised, he just needed to keep his head. He’d be out of here before he knew it. As soon as Spencer James was put in the frame for the McCluskey stabbing he’d be free. Then once he was home, he would find out what Markita was up to. God help her if she was cheating. Woman or not, he would kill her and whoever it was she was sleeping with. The thought of such a betrayal hurt him too much to even bear thinking about. He loved her so much and the thought of her being with someone else made him feel sick to the stomach.

It wasn’t just the thought of her in bed with someone else, though God knows that was painful enough. He thought of all the money he had spent on her and all the intimate moments they had shared. He remembered how he had opened his heart to her and told her things he had never told another woman. He had not only stupidly shared information about his dealings with Donnelly, but he had declared his undying love to her. The thought that she would now throw all that back in his face made him feel used and humiliated. He hit himself several times on the side of his head, wishing he could stop all the thoughts that were churning around inside his mind. It was unbearable.

‘You okay, mate?’ Marcus Naylor was sat at the table in their cell, his face a mask of concern. He’d been occupying himself playing solitaire with a pack of well-worn cards but had become aware of Nowak’s restlessness. He’d been subdued since he’d returned from his visit with Markita and it didn’t take a genius to work out that she was what the problem was.

‘Fuckin’ women, innit,’ Nowak grumbled as he climbed down from the bunk and joined Naylor at the table.

‘They’re nothing but trouble, mate, trust me.’

‘Yeah? Even the lovely Maya?’

‘It’s not what you think, mate. I’m not interested in her like that. It’s complicated.’ Naylor shook his head. He avoided eye contact, concentrating instead on shuffling the cards.

‘Care to share?’ Nowak said flippantly.

‘Not really. It’s personal, mate. No offence.’

‘Jesus, man. I’ve listened to you snoring, wanking and had to breathe in the smell of your shit for more hours than I care to count. I think we’ve got past the personal stage, don’t you?’

Naylor ran a meaty hand over his head, looking exasperated. ‘I don’t fancy her. It’s not like that. She’s the reason I’m in here.’

‘What, forensically? She must have been in primary school when you were locked up.’

‘She was twelve actually,’ Naylor replied bluntly.

‘So how did a twelve-year-old end up getting you locked up?’ Nowak was looking at Naylor quizzically. He was certainly proving to be a dark horse.

‘She rang the police on me. She also knew where I’d hidden evidence and told them everything when they arrived. A fucking kid, can you believe it?’

‘How did she even know? Was she a neighbour or something?’

‘No.’ Naylor sighed disgustedly. ‘She’s my daughter.’

The silence loomed like an oppressive gas until Nowak eventually let out a rush of air.

‘Whoa! You’re telling me your daughter is a SOCO. That she’s police? Fuckin’ police? Jesus, that’s really bad, my friend.’ Nowak shook his head, eyeing Naylor warily This new dynamic was as unprecedented as it was unexpected.

Naylor hung his head with shame and disgust. ‘Now you know why I’m so keen to find out everything I can about her. She and I have a few old scores to settle. I think it’s about time she paid for getting me put away, don’t you? I want her to suffer. And Dominique, her bitch of a mother.’

Although Nowak appreciated the sentiment, he was shocked that Naylor would go so far. Yes, he deserved some payback, but to wish one of your own dead. It wasn’t comparable to his thoughts about Markita – she was his girlfriend. Maya was Nowak’s daughter. ‘I get it, but she was just a kid. Surely you can’t hold her responsible. She’s your own flesh and blood, mate.’

‘Is that what you think? Maybe when you’ve spent as much time stewing in here as I have, you’ll see things differently. She might only have been a kid, but she knew exactly what the consequences would be once she rang the police.’ He snorted with disgust. ‘She wanted me to be put away in here and I can never forgive her for that. And now, she’s one of them. Talk about taking the piss. Daughter or not, she’s dead to me.’

Nowak could tell by the look of sheer anger and contempt on Naylor’s face that he meant every word he said. It was obvious that there was no love lost for Maya or the mother. The implications of what would happen to them once Naylor was released from prison were massive. When that day came, Maya and Dominique Barton would be as good as dead. Naylor was hell-bent on revenge. As for Nowak, Maya meant nothing to him. He felt the same contempt for her as he did for all police. If Naylor ever needed any help from him in getting his revenge on Maya, he would be only too happy to help his friend out.

38

There was an unusual lack of jobs. No burglaries had