Bruises on the Fruit

Chapter Eight

Eight

It was almost midnight by the time I got home. After a shower I lay in bed reliving the day's events. I couldn't quite take it all in: Lex and Zed, together; how strangely Lex had behaved; Keith making that poor girl crawl on the floor; Zed shouting in our faces, pretending he didn't know us... Eventually the rhythm of the wind outside began to lull me into sleep. As I drifted away I heard a single knock at the window.

My eyes shot open. Another knock. It's just the wind, a branch hitting the window. Two knocks. There aren't any trees outside the window. Another two knocks. They were alternating between the far left and far right window panes. It's nothing it's nothing its nothing. Three knocks. It's him. Another three knocks. It's Keith Jenkins. He knows. I kept listening. Silence.

I crept out from under my duvet, trying not to make a sound. I reached for the curtain, hesitated, and pulled my hand back. Slowly, trying to breathe without making a sound, I crept across the hall and picked up the phone. My hand shook as I dialled. 9... 9...

"Jaz?" I dropped the phone. I managed not to scream.

"Jaz? Are you there?" The voice was coming through the letterbox. I could hear the blood rushing in my ears.

"Jaz? It's Zed..." I felt a mixture of fear and relief. I opened my mouth. It took several attempts before I managed to force the words out.

"How did you know where I live?"

"Played you at your own game, didn't I?"

"You followed me." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in through my nose.

"Will you let me in?" It was more a demand than a request. "We need to talk." A shudder shot through my body.

"No. No way."

"I just want to talk."

"Then talk," I said, "You're not coming in." I sat down by the door.

"You need to stay away from Keith Jenkins. Keep your nose out of other people's business. I mean it. This is a fucking serious business."

"You don't understand-"

"No, you don't understand. You get yourself mixed up with the likes of Keith you'll get yourself killed!"

"He murdered his wife! And I'm going to prove it. You could help me! We could threaten to go to the police and tell them he's a dealer, then he'd have to tell us!" Zed sighed, a long and deep sigh.

"Okay... firstly, nobody knows what happened to his wife. Even if he had anything to do with it you can't prove it. He'll have made sure of that. Secondly, I am not going to the police. In the eyes of the law, I'm as much a dealer as he is. I'd go down for years. Thirdly, you cannot blackmail Keith Jenkins. He will fucking kill you. You have no idea who you're dealing with!"

"Right, so we just let him get away with everything? Killing his wife, selling drugs... some of those people were just kids, Zed!"

"Forget it. I'm telling you. Warning you. Put Keith Jenkins out of your mind. Forget about him and forget about me... and another thing... stop fucking telling people I raped you!" Something caught in my throat. It felt like a lifetime before I remembered to breathe.

"I... I never used the word... I only said what happened..."

"What? That I forced myself on you?"

"That you tried to. I said no! I said no and you just carried on! I was so scared!" I choked back tears. I heard Zed sigh, then silence.

"Look, just... stay away from Keith Jenkins. I mean it." I heard him stand, then heard his footsteps die away. I pulled my knees up to my chest, leaned my head against the wall and cried.