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Back The Jump Save as PDF
Chapters (52)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Acknowledgements
  5. BOOK ONE
  6. Chapter One
  7. Chapter Two
  8. Chapter Three
  9. Chapter Four
  10. Chapter Five
  11. Chapter Six
  12. Chapter Seven
  13. Chapter Eight
  14. Chapter Nine
  15. Chapter Ten
  16. Chapter Eleven
  17. Chapter Twelve
  18. Chapter Thirteen
  19. Chapter Fourteen
  20. Chapter Fifteen
  21. Chapter Sixteen
  22. Chapter Seventeen
  23. Chapter Eighteen
  24. Chapter Nineteen
  25. Chapter Twenty
  26. Chapter Twenty-One
  27. Chapter Twenty-Two
  28. Chapter Twenty-Three
  29. Chapter Twenty-Four
  30. Chapter Twenty-Five
  31. BOOK TWO
  32. Chapter Twenty-Six
  33. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  34. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  35. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  36. Chapter Thirty
  37. Chapter Thirty-One
  38. Chapter Thirty-Two
  39. Chapter Thirty-Three
  40. Chapter Thirty-Four
  41. Chapter Thirty-Five
  42. Chapter Thirty-Six
  43. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  44. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  45. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  46. BOOK THREE
  47. Chapter Forty
  48. Chapter Forty-One
  49. Chapter Forty-Two
  50. Chapter Forty-Three
  51. Chapter Forty-Four
  52. Epilogue

Feeling better now, Donna said pointedly. ‘How come you know so much about Christopher, Stephen and my husband?’

The redhead lit another cigarette with the butt of her old one. ‘Christopher is my son, love. I’m Violet Scott.’

She saw Donna’s eyes widen in shock and laughed. ‘I own The Heartbreaker. Christopher works from there, but it’s my club. I had five sons, and Chrissy is the eldest. I was a tom for years, didn’t know who any of their fathers were, but I ain’t telling you anything you wouldn’t hear around the West so don’t think this is a confessional. I’m well-known, love, very well-known. Now you look like a nice little body and I don’t want to see you get hurt. Ask Stephen about the flats, but don’t you ever come near or by me or my son again. I can’t be responsible for what he would do to you, OK?’

Donna stared at the woman, but didn’t answer.

Violet Scott sighed heavily. ‘You’re a foolish girl. There are certain people you just don’t cross, right, and my son’s one of them. Leave it. Just leave it.’

Standing up she left the café but Donna remained there, cold and tired and drinking coffee, as she tried to sort out exactly what she was going to do next.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Six

Donna arrived home at four-fifteen in the morning, to find Dolly still awake and waiting up for her.

The older woman’s face was a picture of tragedy and Donna, remembering her cruel words earlier, felt shame wash over her. Dolly had always been there for her over the years, had been like a surrogate mother, and she had repaid her lately with harsh words and threats.

Dolly poured out a cup of coffee for her and then sat at the kitchen table.

‘What happened, love?’

Donna stared into the strained, lined face and felt the futility of it all mount up inside her. Swallowing back tears, she said, ‘I went to a club called The Black Dog. It was a peepshow place, full of dirty old men, prostitutes and transvestites, to name but a few. I wanted to see if there was any connection to Sri Lanka there, but I struck out. All I saw there was human degradation - the result of men’s needs, Dolly, not women’s. The only need the women there had was for money. Anyway, from there I moved on to a club called The Heartbreaker, where I was threatened by a large black man called Christopher Scott, and given coffee and more threats, nice ones, this time, from his mother, Violet.’

‘I know her, or should say I know of her. She ain’t a bad old stick really. It’s her sons who are the maniacs.’