The Truth Will Out

by Karen J Mossman

  “I’ve spoken to her and want to hear it from you.”

  “Dad, stop giving her a hard time,” Abby called from behind the curtains, which had TGH for Trafford General Hospital stamped all over them.

  “Yes, this isn’t my fault, you know?” I told him.

  “No one is saying it is,” he said, not meeting my eyes, which told me he still didn’t believe me. “Just tell us what happened, Sarah.”

  Of course, there was no how are you? Or how are you bearing up in all this, Sarah? But then, I wouldn’t expect him to ask about me.

  “I don’t know what happened. I heard Abby yell and saw she was bleeding.” There was no way I was going to tell him I fainted.

  “And what about the photo incident?”

  I wish I hadn’t mentioned that now.

  “Someone took my picture, probably just trying out a new phone. Did you know you could buy them with cameras now?”

  He ignored me and looked at Ryan. “I’m going to leave this in your capable hands.”

  I thought of robots A and B and wondered if we’d be seeing them again. I wanted to snigger, but couldn’t see Abby through the curtains, so didn’t. Ryan and the Soop wouldn’t be amused at my attempt at humour. I only wanted to lighten the situation.

  “I want regular updates, and I don’t want to have to keep coming to find you,” the Soop was saying.

  “Yes, Sir,” said Ryan, as the Soop went back behind the curtain with Abby leaving us both looking at each other. It was such a shame Ryan was with the police, as I could stand here all day gazing at him.

  “Come on, we’ll go and get a coffee,” he suggested.

  I didn’t argue; Abby was in good hands, despite it being the Soop. More importantly, I wouldn’t have to watch her being stitched up if that’s what they were going to do.

  “You’re babysitting, are you?” I asked as we walked down the corridor.

  “I wouldn’t call it that.”

  He was taller than I was, with great shoulders and a great bum. I lagged behind to admire it.

  “Then what would you call it? Witness interrogation?” I said, causing him to turn with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

  He grinned. “Relax, I’m just going to ask you some questions and see if we can find out what’s going on here.”

  I blew out air and made my shoulders relax.

  The hospital canteen was busy with doctors and nurses getting food and drinks. There were also visitors and the odd patient, you could tell them apart because they were the people in dressing gowns, or pushing a stand with a drip. Poor things, as that was me once.

  “Grab that seat,” Ryan said. “What do you want, coffee?”

  “Yes, black, no sugar.”

  I people-watched until he returned with steaming mugs that he set down on the table.

  He pulled out a pad and dropped it next to them. “I’ll take some notes if you don’t mind.” He fished in his pocket for a pen.

  “Yes, but no sketches.”

  He gave me that look again. I picked up my coffee and blew on the top. To my embarrassment, a drop jumped out and landed on his pad. His eyes narrowed, and I could see he was trying to work me out. He’d get used to my humour. “Sorry,” I said with a giggle.

  “Are you taking this seriously?” He asked.

  “Of course, wouldn’t you?”

  “I would.”

  I felt told off. “So what can I tell you that you don’t already know?”

  “I don’t know anything yet. The Chief wants me to take care of this personally. Said someone seemed to be after his daughter, or you.”

  I took another sip of coffee, trying not to stare too much. I wondered if he realised how handsome he was. I peered over the top of the cup at him. He was looking at me expectantly, so I put my cup down. “Last week, we were sitting drinking wine and having a laugh, when a brick came through the window. I looked outside but didn’t see anyone.”

  “No one has been following or watching you?”

  “Not that I’ve noticed, and I don’t think Abby has either.”

  “And what about the camera incident?”

  I shrugged. “It’s just as I said, and probably not related.”

  “At this point, everything is related. Is there anyone you, or she, has fallen out with recently or had cross words with?”

  “No. You’ve met Abby; she’s very sweet. Everyone loves her.”

  “And you?”

  “Well, no one’s told me they love me, recently.”

  He picked up his mug and took two gulps from it. “So what happened today?”

  “I really don’t know. I heard her yell, and she was covered in blood. Oh, she had an envelope in her hand.”

  “We’ve sent someone to your flat, and it seems that envelope had razor blades inside the cover.”

  My stomach shifted. “Someone deliberately wanted to hurt her? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “It looks like the brick is not the isolated incident we hoped. Does Abby have a boyfriend?”

  “Not really.”

  “It’s not a difficult question, either she does or she doesn’t,” he said, looking right at me again.

  I cast my eyes heavenward. “She sometimes goes out with a guy called, Gorgeous Graham. He loves himself and thinks he owns everything. She’s got him worked out, and I doubt it’s him.”

  “Let me do the detective work. What’s his full name?”

  “Graham Laverne.”

  He wrote it down and then looked up at me. “Gorgeous Graham?”

  I smiled sweetly, “We like giving people nicknames, and I did tell the robots that when they came around.”

  He stared at me for a moment. “The robots?”

  “We reported the brick incident and two uniforms came and took details.”

  “Right,” he said, giving me a funny look. Putting his head down again, he made further notes, writing over the dried coffee stain. “What about you, any boyfriends?”

  “Nope.”

  “Past boyfriends?”

  “Nobody, it’s been a while, you know?” I shrugged, a little embarrassed.

  “But there was someone?”

  “I’m 27. It’d be pretty sad if I’d never had a boyfriend.”

  He grinned. “No one comes to mind, then?”

  “No, and certainly none that knew Abby.”

  “What about friends? Who’re Abby’s friends?”

  “You’re better off asking her that.”

  “I will,” he said, shifting in his chair and then picking up his coffee again and taking another gulp. “Do you know her friends?”

  “I’ve seen some of them, but just because we share a flat, doesn’t mean we do everything together. You’ll have to ask her.”

  “What about your friends, do they come to the flat?”

  “No. I don’t really have any friends.”

  “Everyone has friends, Sarah,” he said in that intense way again.

  I smiled. “Who are your friends, then?”

  “It’s not about me. I’ve got friends and mates, so you must have some, too.”

  “I don’t, actually. I’ve lived in this area for 18 months and haven’t made any. I keep to myself.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m a yoga teacher and writer.”

  “Sounds interesting, I’ve done a bit of yoga. I play football, and when I had an injury, it helped.”

  “Yoga is brilliant for everything; you just have to apply it.”

  We chatted more about yoga, and then we went back to see how Abby was doing. I heard him tell the Soop he was following up a few things and needed to talk to Abby next.

  Abby and I got home late and retreated to our rooms with our thoughts. It had not been a good couple of weeks. It couldn’t get any worse. But I was wrong.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Sarah

  Late in the afternoon, there’s place in the lounge of our flat where the sun streams in and bathes it with light. It’s hard
to resist.

  I laid my yoga mat on the floor in the middle of the room. Everything had been so crazy lately. I needed this time to rejuvenate my batteries. To be honest, I’ve been a little frightened and haven’t had time to do my usual routine. Whenever I’ve tried, my mind won’t shut down.

  Just as I went into lotus, hands on knees, fingers in an O, my mobile phone rings.

  Damn! I only got it because Abby said I should. I mean, what’s the point when I didn’t have any friends? I leapt up and stabbed my finger on the answer button.

  It was Abby, and I knew instantly something was wrong. She was breathing heavily, or nervously.

  “I’m being followed!” She gasped.

  “Where are you?” I said, already hurrying towards the door, shoving my feet into sandals.

  “Station Road.”

  “I’m coming. Be there in a tick. Just keep walking!”

  I switched off the phone, grabbed my keys and slammed the door, taking the stairs two at a time.

  My mind was racing as I turned onto Station Road and saw Abby coming towards me on her way home from work. I could also see a dark hooded figure behind her.

  Shit.

  Her face was pale and rigid. I ran and caught her arm, just as the man reached us. I saw surprise or confusion in his eyes as he saw me. Shielding her, spinning her around, he brushed by me instead.

  I felt a thud as he hit me heavily in the back. Both Abby and I toppled into the bushes. Abby started screaming, and the man ran off.

  Something was wrong.

  “Oh God!” Abby’s shrill voice penetrated my now fuddled brain as she scrambled to her feet.

  I tried to get up, but couldn’t.

  Front doors opened and people came over to us. I didn’t feel too good and touched my back. Blood.

  Did I mention the silent phone calls on the house phone recently? Then, of course, the brick and razor blades and now this. I couldn’t ignore it anymore. It was happening, and I was scared. My stomach twisted and my ears pounded. Not again, I couldn’t do it again. Somewhere deep inside came a little voice that said: Yes, you bloody well can.

  The next thing I remember is coming around in the ambulance, a paramedic beside me, and Abby sobbing.

  “I’m okay,” I told her in a whisper, as that was all I could manage.

  “I can’t believe this is happening again. I’m going to have to call my dad. He’ll have to sort it out... we can’t go on like this...” She rambled.

  The stinging in my back helped me drown out her blubbering as she hiccupped sobs into a tissue.

  As we pulled up, I was carried into the hospital’s Accident and Emergency department. The familiar smell made my nose turn up, and I remembered those long, dark days I had spent in hospital.

  “You’ll be all right, Sarah,” she said, taking a hold of my hand and squeezing it lightly. “Don’t worry.”

  I didn’t like role reversals.

  There was already a policeman waiting for us, and Abby released my hand to talk to him. Summoning her father, no doubt. Having said that, Detective Andrews would probably appear. A sweet bit of eye candy would keep my mind nicely off things.

  People started fussing around me. I hated it because I hate being the centre of attention; calming voices, people peering into my eyes, tapping the back of my hand and removing my clothes. The indignity of it all.

  Abby came into the cubicle a few minutes later, “I can’t believe this. Why me?”

  “Or me,” I said, after all, I was the one who got stabbed.

  “You saved me,” she said in an I’m only just realising it voice. “I shall tell my dad. He’ll have to like you, then.”

  Great, I’ll look forward to that.

  After being prodded a bit more, I was told I would live as the knife hadn’t penetrated too deeply or gone into any major organs. They just had to stitch me up. I was put in one of those gowns that opened at the back.

  The doctor left, leaving a nurse who was going to perform the procedure. The wound was somewhere on the side by my hip. It had a dressing on it, and I leaned forward for her to examine it. “I’ll be back in a moment and we’ll get it stitched for you.”

  I mumbled my thanks and soon as she left, Abby plonked herself in the chair beside me. “Thank God, I’m wrung out with all this.”

  All this was about Abby. This was being done to her, and I got in the way. That’s all it was.

  To my dismay, the Soop arrived even though I suspected he might. I did feel cheered up to see Detective Andrews with him.

  “How are feeling?” Ryan asked me as the Soop immediately went to comfort his daughter.

  “Wonderful, how do you think?”

  “You look all right,” he said, peering at me with those ice-blue eyes.

  “I am; I just need to go now.”

  “Not so fast...” He started to say, but we were distracted by Abby being tearful as she complained to her father how things had turned out, and how she couldn’t go through it again. His arms were around her as she took full advantage of his broad chest.

  Was she referring to all this or to that mysterious something again?

  Suddenly turning, she said, “I can’t do this Sarah, I’m not sleeping and I’m scared. I’m not going back to the flat. I’m going home with Dad till this blows over.”

  “Oh right, desert me, then.” I had already guessed she would, anyway.

  “It’s best that she comes home where we can keep an eye on her,” the Soop confirmed. “Besides, it’s not good for her to be so upset.”

  Fragile Abby, Daddy’s girl. She looked like a china doll standing there, her pale face streaked with tears and her pretty hair hanging over her shoulders. Why wouldn’t he want to protect her? I sounded jealous, but it wasn’t that.

  “Did you see him?” Ryan asked me.

  “Not really.”

  “What do you mean, not really?”

  “He was wearing a hood.”

  “But you saw his face?” He persisted. Abby and the Soop were watching me.

  “I didn’t see him,” Abby volunteered. “I just knew he was following me.”

  “Sarah?” I quite liked the way he said my name. He rolled the R, making my name sound important.

  “I got a glance of his face, his eyes mainly.”

  “What colour were they?”

  “Brown.” I remembered the look he gave me.

  “Get her to look at some photos soon, Ryan,” said the Soop.

  He nodded.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “I won’t be much help. I just need to get out of here,” I said impatiently. I needed to get away from prying eyes and questions.

  “You need to stay, Sarah,” said Abby. “You can’t go back there tonight.”

  “I’m not staying here.” Where else did she think I would go?

  They looked at me. “What do you mean? You can’t discharge yourself,” she said.

  “Yes, I can.” I could do anything I wanted. I was a free agent. I didn’t have to ask anyone’s permission anymore.

  The nurse came back with a metal bowl and a needle. Oh shit. She was going to stick that in me and start stitching. Just what I needed - not.

  “She can’t do that, can she, Dad? What if it starts bleeding, or seeping or something?”

  “Oh, look on the bright side, why don’t you?” I said.

  “Bright side? You keep fainting,” Abby reminded me.

  I grimaced. I’d forgotten that. “Yeah, well. It’s not going to open up, is it, nurse?”

  “It won’t, you’ll be fine,” she said. “But we do recommend you stay in overnight, just to make sure everything is okay.”

  “There,” said Abby.

  “Not a chance,” I said.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s safer here, tell her you two, instead of just standing there.”

  I glanced at Ryan and he actually looked amused. The Soop gave me his normal sour-faced look.

  “I’m not staying,” I said again
, a little more firmly this time, as I don’t think they believed me.

  “Dad, make her stay.”

  I laughed out loud at that one. The Soop ordering me to stay?

  “Ryan....” she implored, and I realised then that they knew each other.

  “Now you’re being ridiculous!” I said. “Anyway, I don’t want you all watching me.”

  The nurse looked at them as she prepared to stitch me up. “If you don’t mind waiting outside, it shouldn’t take too long.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Kelly

  The following week Kelly, Johnny, and Pete were out in the car again. Kelly wondered how anyone could borrow money without realising how much they were paying back.

  The round was increasing as business was booming. Everybody wanted money. Kelly knew Johnny also had his hands in other pots. The European side was big business, and he kept that close to his chest.

  Loans were lucrative, and it was no wonder Johnny wanted to expand. Kelly wondered how people expected to pay back the money when they had very little in the first place. Pete pointed out how they had big televisions, cars, and smoked cigarettes, so they couldn’t be that badly off.

  Many had paid off the original debt and having to look them in the eye knowing this made Kelly uncomfortable.

  She had scammed people before, but never like this. Those she had targeted were people who could afford it and threw their money around.

  Johnny arranged a meeting as he was reorganising. He wanted everyone collecting individually rather than in pairs. That included Kelly.

  Reigning in her thoughts, and forgetting the past, Kelly opened the car window. She took big breaths and exhaled slowly, realising it was the thought of the meeting that was making her unsettled. More to the point, this time, she wasn’t confident of persuading Johnny to change his mind about her involvement.

  Opening her eyes, she saw the girl they were here to collect money from coming down the road. Her name was Sue Parker. Sue spotted Pete and Johnny outside her flat door. Kelly could read her face as she wondered whether to run or not. Then Sue’s eyes came to rest on Kelly and they hardened. Kelly looked away, and when she looked back, Johnny and Pete were approaching her. She watched as they stood together, and at one point, Pete’s head moved closer.