‘Right. Well, he’s very talented. Does he work in a parlour in town? I might be interested in getting one done by him, myself.’
‘No, he’s not the tattoo artist. He just did the design. The tattoo guy copied it.’
‘Do you think he’d design one for me? If I paid him?’
‘I doubt it.’
‘Why?’
‘He’s, uh, he’s dead.’
She pushed away her plate, only two bites taken out of the bread. She was very close to tears.
‘Mia, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to … Don’t go. Stay.’
She sat back down and chugged at her Red Bull.
‘That must be awful for you,’ Jenna said. ‘I guess you were close to him.’
‘I was.’
‘Was it him that left you the money? For the karaoke?’
Oh, the look on her face at that. Yes, it was sheer terrible guilt, mixed with a genuine grief. Jenna resolved to pursue her advantage, relentlessly.
‘I never deserved him,’ whispered Mia.
‘Do you want to talk about it?’ asked Jenna, gently, but Mia shook her head.
‘The thing about life,’ said Jenna, speaking quietly after taking a break to eat some salad, ‘is that it gives a lot of second chances. If you do the right thing – even if it seems impossible to begin with – you get a chance to be the person you want to be again. Even if that person is poor, or unpopular, or even in prison or similar. At least you’re something like the person you want to be. Instead of the person you despise.’
Mia went pale.
‘What are you talking about? Do you know something? You know something about this. What are you on about?’
‘I know,’ said Jenna in very low tones, ‘that somebody was set up. And I know that you know all about it.’
‘What the fuck? Has Lawrence told you this? I know you’re friendly with him.’
‘Lawrence?’ She knew Lawrence Harville, and apparently, Lawrence Harville knew more than he was letting on.
‘Don’t pretend you aren’t shagging him. He’s full of it. Jenna this Jenna that. He’s a tart.’
‘Is he … Are you and he …?’
‘Yeah, I’m his bit of rough. Bit on the side. There, that’s shocked you, hasn’t it? Didn’t know you were sharing His Nibs, did you? How are the mighty fallen.’
Mia’s pretty face was contorted with spite.
‘I’m not. There’s no relationship of that kind between me and Lawrence. I can promise you that. If he’s said otherwise, then he’s a liar.’
‘So why would he tell me?’
‘To hurt you? To make you know your place?’
Jenna’s mind was whirling. Lawrence was involved with the drug-dealing on the estate? Was he, perhaps, the mastermind behind it all? He owned the pub and the shops, so … Oh God, it was too much to take in.
‘Oh, don’t worry about that,’ said Mia. ‘I know my place all right. He never stops telling me I’m just his tart. But he pays well, if you know what I mean.’