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table. This was going well, even better than expected.

      The roast lamb dinner was delicious. Carol was a decent cook and had pulled out all the stops to impress their guest. She’d even made two pies – banoffee and apple – so Jason could choose a dessert.

      ‘That was amazing! I wish my mum could cook like you, Carol. Best meal I’ve eaten in years,’ Jason enthused.

      Carol smiled broadly. Jason was such a polite, charming young man. Her daughter had struck gold, she was sure of that. ‘Would you like some cheese and biscuits or a coffee?’

      Jason patted his bloated stomach. ‘Not at the moment thanks, Carol. I’m full.’

      Johnny picked up the bottle of Jim Beam. ‘How about a tipple, lad?’

      ‘No. I’d better not. I’ve already had two beers and I don’t want to be over the limit to drive.’

      ‘That’s very sensible, love. Isn’t it, Johnny?’ Carol said.

      ‘Car, Jason. Car,’ Donte shouted, bringing a toy into the kitchen to show his new friend.

      Jason lifted the lad up and sat him on his lap. He’d always been good with kids; case of having to be, with his mother.

      ‘So, does your mother work, Jason?’ Johnny enquired.

      ‘No. She has young children. I’m not going to lie to you, my mum isn’t a good role model like Carol is. She’s stuck in a rut and has lost her way in life. I help her out as much as I can, but unless somebody wants to help themselves, it’s difficult, isn’t it?’

      ‘You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink,’ Johnny agreed. He liked the lad’s honesty. Melissa had already told him and Carol that Jason’s mum sounded a nightmare.

      ‘May I use your bathroom, please?’ Jason asked.

      ‘Of course. The big bathroom is upstairs, but there’s a small one second door on your right in the hallway,’ Carol explained.

      When Jason left the room, Melissa excitedly asked her parents, ‘Well? What do you think?’

      ‘He’s lovely, and so good with Donte. I think you make the perfect couple, don’t you, Johnny?’ Carol gushed.

      Johnny nodded, but said nothing. He liked the lad, but couldn’t help thinking he was a bit too good to be true. He’d found out his surname earlier, so tomorrow he’d do some digging. If anybody could find out whether Jason Rampling was hiding something, or involved in any skulduggery, then he could.

      Jason Rampling cranked the volume up on his car stereo and sang along in tune with Marvin Gaye to ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’. He was a fan of most music genres, but soul was his ultimate passion.

      Today had gone extremely well in Jason’s eyes. Carol he already had eating out of his hand, and even though he could sense Johnny was the warier of the two, he knew he’d made a good impression. Johnny had shaken his hand before he’d left, saying, ‘Let’s go out for a beer soon. Have a man-to-man chat. Can’t get a word in edgeways with these women of ours, can we?’

      Jason could read people like a book. Johnny had fired many questions at him and Jason knew he would start digging around. That was why he was now on his way to dump Charlotte Rivers. Charlotte was an extremely pretty girl who he’d been dating for the past five months. But she was only seventeen, lived with her parents and her father was unfortunately a builder. He genuinely did like her, but she wasn’t his answer to a better life. Her father’s company was tinpot in comparison to Johnny Brooks’s, which meant she wasn’t worth taking a risk on. If he continued seeing her and Johnny found out, it would balls-up all his long-term plans.

      She’d recently passed her driving test, so Jason had told Charlotte to meet him in the car park of the Plough at Gallows Corner. She lived nearby, in Harold Hill; they’d originally met in a pub in Romford.

      Charlotte smiled as Jason’s car pulled up next to hers. She was smitten with him and vice versa. When her parents and brother were out, they’d have rampant sex in her bedroom. When that option wasn’t available, they’d drive somewhere secluded and do it in the back of the car. They could not keep their hands off one another. That was a fact.

      Jason sat in the passenger seat and kissed Charlotte on the cheek. ‘This is a nice surprise,’ she said to him. ‘I didn’t think I was seeing you until Tuesday.’

      Jason stroked Charlotte’s long blonde hair. She looked stunning this evening. ‘I’m really sorry, Char, but we’re gonna have to call it a day.’

      Flabbergasted, Charlotte’s mouth opened wide. ‘What do you mean? Call what a day?’

      Jason stared at his hands. ‘Us. I do like you a lot, you know I do. But I need to concentrate on Shay. It’s not easy being a single father. She needs a mum and you’re too young to take her on. You’re beautiful, you can do far better than me anyway.’

      Charlotte’s eyes welled up. She had thought things were going so well between her and Jason. ‘Have you met someone else? You were fine when I spoke to you yesterday. What the hell has changed?’

      Jason squeezed her hand. ‘My mum’s going through a bad spell; I got a lot on my plate. Course I haven’t met anyone else. I wouldn’t do that to you. You’re a brilliant girlfriend and you’ve done nothing wrong, believe me. But I have a duty to Shay and I don’t wanna bring her up on the Mardyke. She deserves better in life.’

      ‘I don’t get what you’re trying to say, Jase, Shay needs a mum. What do you mean by that exactly?’

      Jason held Charlotte’s gaze. He felt sad now, but had to see this through. ‘It means rather than being in love myself, I got to look for a woman to love Shay. One day when you have kids, you’ll understand.’

      ‘I can help you with Shay. We can take her out for days and …’

      Jason silenced Charlotte with a passionate kiss. He then opened the car door. ‘It’s best you don’t ring me any more, Char. Be lucky in life, sweetheart. You deserve to be.’

      ‘Jason! Jase!’ Charlotte screamed as he got in his own car and started the engine.

      Ignoring Charlotte’s pleas, Jason drove off into the night. There was always Darlene. He was never seen out in public with her, their relationship was secret; therefore he could keep her on the firm without Johnny finding out.

      Turning the volume of his stereo up, Jason sang along with Barrett Strong. ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ was the song and whoever had written the lyrics must have been clued up like him, he reckoned. Money got you everything and this was his first step to a new life.

       CHAPTER FIVE

      Jason Rampling glanced at his watch. He’d already called Melissa to explain he was running late, but he hadn’t said he’d be this late. ‘No. Not that one,’ he said, exasperated. ‘That’s dirty and scruffy. Put on the new pink jacket I bought you,’ he ordered his daughter.

      ‘Don’t like it.’

      ‘Don’t mess me about, Shay. I’m really not in the mood today. Do as you’re bloody well told for once.’

      ‘He wants to make a good impression for your new mother, Shay. That’s who he’s taking you to meet. He’s not taking you, Elton, or you, Kyle. You’re not important enough to meet her, neither is Barbara,’ Debbie Rampling spouted.

      Seeing the wounded expressions on his young siblings’ faces, Jason glared at his mother. ‘Don’t say horrible stuff like that to ’em. Of course they’ll meet Mel, just not today. Instead of lying there like a beached whale, why don’t you get off your arse and cook ’em some grub? Eighty quid I spent in Asda this morning. You got no excuse now the fridge is full.’

      Debbie lit a cigarette.

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