Life of Crime: The gripping, epic new thriller from the No 1 bestseller. Kimberley Chambers

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      ‘Don’t cry, Mum. You’ll ruin your make-up,’ Melissa urged, her own eyes brimming with tears.

      ‘Mel, ’ere a minute,’ Tracey shouted out. Melissa had insisted Tracey was to be a bridesmaid, even though Jason was none too keen.

      ‘Wow! You look incredible,’ Mel gushed. Shay and Tracey were wearing stunning purple off-the-shoulder dresses, and Melissa couldn’t help thinking that Tracey looked far prettier than she did.

      ‘I got something for you,’ Tracey smiled, handing Melissa a small box. ‘It’s that bracelet you loved of mine with the blue stone. Something borrowed, something blue, something old, something new.’

      ‘I thought they were meant to be separate items. Not unlucky if they’re all the same, is it?’

      ‘No. Don’t think so.’

      Unaware that her marriage was doomed anyway, Melissa happily put the bracelet on.

      ‘Answer the door, Babs, and get rid of whoever it is. Not in the mood for visitors,’ Debbie Rampling shrieked.

      Babs trudged along the hallway. ‘It’s Dave the Rave, Mum. He’s got a present and card for Jason.’

      Dave the Rave was the estate’s speed and ecstasy dealer. Never one to miss the chance to ponce an illegal substance, Debbie darted towards the front door. ‘Jason don’t live ’ere no more. What you bought him a present for? It ain’t his birthday.’

      ‘It’s a wedding present. Ain’t nothing special, just a card and bottle of plonk.’

      Having already drunk two litres of strong cider, Debbie wondered if her hearing was playing her up. ‘Wedding present! What do you mean?’

      Dave the Rave pulled his Nike baseball cap over his eyes. He was on a paranoid one, thanks to the three acid tabs he’d popped last night, and Debbie had always scared the living daylights out of him even when he was straight. He stared downwards at his Diadora trainers. ‘I saw Jase in the Working Men’s Club last night. He was on his stag do. Look, just give this to him, will ya?’ Dave mumbled, shoving the carrier bag in Babs’s hand.

      Not one to be shaken off easily, especially when two sheets to the wind, Debbie chased Dave towards the lift and grabbed him by his scrawny arm. ‘When is he getting married? Where?’

      Knowing he was about to have a panic attack, Dave the Rave was desperate to get away. ‘Langtons, today at two. Look, I gotta go. Not been a-bed all night.’

      ‘Is Jason really getting married?’ Babs asked as her mum stomped back inside the flat.

      ‘Don’t ask me, I’m only his bastard mother. Get the boys dressed. And ask old Lil if you can borrow a fiver.’

      ‘Why?’

      Debbie glared at her thick daughter. ‘Why d’ya fucking think?’

      Jason arrived at Langtons Registry Office with Terrence, his best man. ‘I don’t know a soul here,’ he whispered to him, as he made his way to the front of the aisle to await his bride.

      ‘Jason, Jason,’ a voice bellowed.

      Aware of all eyes on him, Jason walked over to his nan who had bagged herself a seat in the front row.

      ‘You said I could bring someone, so I brought Ted. You remember Ted, don’t ya? It was his grandson Timmy you used to nick the lead off the church roofs with.’

      ‘Yes, I remember, Nan,’ Jason hissed, putting a forefinger to his lips in hope she’d get the message. She was only five foot three. A sturdy woman with dyed burgundy-coloured hair. But she literally had a voice like a foghorn, and he could sense all the Brooks’s posh friends looking at her. The last thing he needed was for her to tell embarrassing stories about him all day. Johnny Brooks would literally have a heart attack.

      ‘Shake Ted’s hand then. Say hello properly,’ Peggy ordered.

      Jason did as he was told. Ted was a lanky dark-haired Irish bloke who had a dreadful taste in clothes. The cream suit he was wearing looked horrendous. He stood out like a sore thumb.

      ‘The bride’s arrived,’ somebody shouted.

      Jason took his place at the front of the aisle. This was it. Shit or bust.

      Johnny Brooks squeezed his wife’s hand as the vows were exchanged. Carol was smiling broadly, but crying at the same time.

      Jason grinned at his bride. She looked lovely in her dress and he was actually looking forward to ripping it off her later and making love to her for the first time. ‘I promise to care for you above all others, to give you my love and friendship, support and comfort, and to respect and cherish you throughout our lives together,’ he vowed.

      Tracey Thompson was secretly seething. She’d been sure Jason would get cold feet and couldn’t believe he’d gone through with it. She didn’t believe he loved Mel. He was only marrying her because her father was loaded, she thought bitterly.

      ‘So it is fucking true,’ a voice bellowed from the back.

      Johnny Brooks looked around in horror.

      ‘You no-good deceitful little cunt. What type of son gets married without telling their own mother, eh?’

      ‘Mum, can we just go?’ Babs begged, tears streaming down her face.

      Jason wanted the ground to open up and swallow him as his drunken mother marched towards him. The guests looked shell-shocked and he could fully understand why.

      ‘Are you having a party, Jase?’ Elton asked.

      ‘Get rid of her, Jase,’ Melissa hissed.

      ‘You don’t wanna be marrying him, girl. He don’t love any bastard other than himself. Only reason he’s getting hitched is because your family are cake-o,’ Debbie slurred loudly.

      ‘Do something, Johnny,’ Carol urged. She couldn’t quite believe what was happening.

      Johnny Brooks stood up. ‘How dare you turn up here uninvited and ruin my daughter’s wedding. Get out! Go on, before I physically throw you out.’

      ‘Who d’ya think you are? Rambo? Ya fucking midget,’ Debbie retorted.

      Peggy Rampling stood up, hands on her hips. She’d never met her other three grandchildren and had no wish to. ‘Look at the state of you, ya drunken trollop. No wonder the boy didn’t want you at his wedding. You’d break the fucking camera. Barging in ’ere with all your unwanted kids in tow, you should be fucking ashamed of yourself,’ she yelled.

      As the fiasco continued, Tracey Thompson grinned and said a silent thank you to God. She had been praying that something like this would happen.

       CHAPTER TWELVE

      ‘Pass me the salt and pepper, love,’ Johnny Brooks said to his wife. He’d hired a professional catering company СКАЧАТЬ