A series of observations flitted through his mind. The shadow of a man through the open lounge door. His own harried breathing. His feet stumbling across the hall carpet. The front door still ajar where they had entered the property. His trembling limbs.
Peter grasped the front door, and tugged it open. Then he was on the driveway, sprinting towards the road; the sound of a woman’s frantic screams echoing in his ears.
He reached the gate, gripping the metal rails for support as he turned onto the pavement. Almost slipping, but managing to steady himself. A quick glance upwards. The fleeting view of a terrorised woman at the window. Lights switching on in neighbouring houses. Running. Panting. Sweating. Desperate to escape.
Peter kept going, his feelings of panic urging him on. He didn’t stop till he was well away from the house. And only then did he think about the plight of his friend who was still trapped inside.
*
It was the next day when the police arrived at their front door once again asking for Peter. Adele was relieved that their father wasn’t home. But she was astounded to hear what the police had to say.
‘Peter Robinson, we would like you to come down to the station for questioning in connection with the death of Mr Harry Burton,’ said one of the officers.
Adele covered her mouth with her hand in shock while her mother remained slack-jawed and silent.
‘He will need an adult to accompany him,’ the officer said, looking at Shirley.
This prompted a reaction from Shirley who was so flabbergasted that she responded to the officer’s previous statement. ‘Who’s Harry Burton?’ she asked.
‘We’ll go through the details at the station,’ said the officer. ‘Would you like to get yourself ready to accompany us?’
Shirley nodded, still stunned, and mechanically carried out his instructions.
It was an anxious time for Adele while her mother and Peter were at the police station. As well as worry over what Peter had got himself involved with this time, she was fearful about having to tell her father when he arrived home.
Her mind was in turmoil; jumbled thoughts raced around inside her head. What if Peter had killed someone? Maybe he was just a witness and had evidence relating to a killing.
Eventually, when she had exhausted all possibilities, she decided to do something to occupy her mind until they returned home. She channelled all her nervous energy into cleaning and tidying the house. That seemed to calm her down until her father arrived home.
‘Where the bloody hell is everyone?’ was his first question. He was already in a bad mood.
Adele became flustered. Terrified of his reaction, she made an instantaneous decision. She wouldn’t tell him. She couldn’t. He’d never know. Not unless Peter was put inside. And by that time he’d be out of reach.
‘I dunno,’ she said. ‘They didn’t tell me where they were going.’
He grunted and sent Adele to make him a drink. She was glad to get away so he wouldn’t notice the worry on her face. It suddenly occurred to her that he’d find out where they’d been as soon as Peter and her mother returned. Then she’d be in big trouble. She felt panicked. What could she do? She shouldn’t have told him a lie.
Then it came to her. He needn’t find out. She’d stop her mother and Peter from telling him. If she watched out for them coming down the street she could head them off and make sure they didn’t tell him. Now she just needed to think of a cover story.
As soon as she had given Tommy his drink, she dashed upstairs and waited at the front bedroom window. There she had a good view of the street and would be able to see them on their way home.
It was only another ten minutes until she spotted her mother and Peter. Adele raced down the stairs and rushed from the house. She ran towards them.
‘What’s wrong?’ asked Shirley when Adele reached her, breathless and flushed.
Adele put out her hand in a stop gesture. ‘Wait,’ she panted. When Adele had regained her breath, she said, ‘My dad’s not to know. I’ve told him I don’t know where you are. We’ll have to make something up.’
Shirley had a confused expression on her face and was about to respond when Adele continued, ‘You know what happened last time Peter was arrested. We can’t risk it happening again.’
‘But he’ll know,’ said Peter. ‘I’ve been charged so I’ve got to go to the magistrates’ court tomorrow.’
Adele paled, ‘What with?’ she stuttered.
‘Burglary.’
‘What about the… the murder?’
‘It was Alan,’ said Peter whose gaze then dropped to the ground.
‘What happened?’ she asked.
‘We were caught. Well, Alan was. I was in the other room so I ran out.’ Again his gaze shifted.
‘But, why?’ asked Adele.
‘I dunno. I just saw the man going into the living room where Alan was. The police said he’d stabbed him.’
‘Oh my God!’ said Adele. ‘What will happen?’
‘He’ll go down for it. He’s admitted it, but he’s saved my skin. The police would have had me for the murder too, but Alan told them I wasn’t there when it happened, and the man’s wife saw me running off.’
Although Adele breathed a sigh of relief, she couldn’t help noticing that Peter’s main concern was for his own welfare rather than for the poor woman who had lost her husband. But she let it pass for now. Despite being horrified that Peter had been connected with somebody’s murder, she was more worried about how her father would react if he found out about Peter’s crime. They needed to get back home before her father noticed she was missing.
‘Let’s think of an excuse for my dad,’ she said. ‘Hopefully he’ll be out tomorrow so he won’t know about you going to court.’
Her mother and brother agreed with her and they quickly strung together a cover story to explain their whereabouts.
Adele ended by saying, ‘Let’s see what happens tomorrow, then we can decide what to tell him. If you don’t get sentenced then he won’t be any the wiser.’
‘But if I do…’
‘Then you’ll be out of his reach and we’ll deal with him,’ Adele cut in, looking at her mother for affirmation.
Shirley nodded.
‘But he’ll go mad!’ said Peter.
‘Not as mad as he would be with you if he could get his hands on you.’
‘Thanks sis,’ said Peter, barely audible, and Adele noticed how he lowered his head. It was as though he was ashamed at what he had done and the strain he was putting them under. He gulped then added, ‘You’re a lifesaver.’
Adele cringed at the irony of his words, thinking about the poor woman who had lost her husband at the hands of one of Peter’s friends. As they continued to walk back to the house, Adele could feel a rising fear. She desperately hoped that none of them slipped up and gave the secret away because she was terrified of the consequences should her father ever find out.
Chapter 21
It was some months later. Following his burglary charge, Peter had been ordered by the magistrate to attend juvenile court. The date for his court appearance loomed ahead of them and, as it drew closer, Adele’s anxiety was intensifying. Not only was she concerned about Peter, but she also dreaded her father’s reaction when he found out what had happened. He wouldn’t be pleased that they had kept it from him all this time.
Adele was also thinking about her forthcoming date with Gary Healey. Since the first time he’d asked her out, he hadn’t given up. At first she’d continued to turn him down. Aside from having enough to think about, she was nervous about going out with him. She didn’t have any experience with boys and the thought of going out with one of the local heart-throbs terrified her. He was older than Adele too and was now working, which made him seem sophisticated to her.
But when he continued to ask, she’d finally conceded. What harm could it do? she thought, and it might even provide a satisfying diversion in the midst of all her troubles. She was due to see him
this evening for her first date, and the mere thought of it made her pulse quicken.
Evening soon arrived and Adele could feel butterflies in her stomach as she thought about meeting Gary. She was filled with self-doubt. Did he really want to go out with her? What if he’d changed his mind? What if it was a trick? She had visions of arriving at the park to find Gary and his mates laughing at her gullibility.
Despite her doubts, she decided she would go and meet him. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. After putting on her trendiest outfit of a navy blue skirt with a split up the front and a cream blouse, she was currently in the living room applying make-up in front of the cracked wall mirror. Her father had gone out for the evening and Peter wasn’t at home either but her mother was.
‘What are you up to?’ asked Shirley, turning round to face Adele.
‘I’m going out, just to see some friends.’
‘Oh,’ sighed Shirley with little enthusiasm. Then, after a moment’s pause, she added, ‘Don’t be too late. You know what he’s like.’ She then turned back around without waiting for a response from Adele.
Adele soon finished applying a little blusher, mascara and lipstick, which enhanced her attractive features. After running a brush through her long, dark hair, she left the house, her heart beating rapidly as she walked in the direction of the local children’s playground.
When Adele arrived, she gazed through the park railings but couldn’t see any sign of Gary at first. She checked her watch. It was 7.05 p.m., and they had arranged to meet at seven. Then she spotted a group of lads and girls entering the park from the opposite direction. Her heart rate speeded up. Was it him and his friends? She had expected him to be alone.
For several seconds she stayed rooted to the spot, wondering what to do. Was it too late to walk away? But what if he’d seen her? She could approach the group of youths but she felt too nervous and awkward. Then her mind was made up for her as she heard Gary shout across the park.
‘Adele! Over here.’
Oh no! It was too late. She couldn’t back out now; he knew she was here.
‘OK,’ she shouted back, swinging open the park gate and taking tentative steps in their direction.
As she approached the group, she could hear them chatting and laughing, and she wondered whether she was the butt of the joke. A feeling of dread took over her; she could feel her stomach churning and the dryness of her mouth. She continued to approach.
When Adele drew nearer, she recognised the faces of some of them. They were cool kids; all of them. What was she doing here?
Adele drew even nearer. The chattering had died down. All eyes were now on her. Studying her. She felt an odd sensation, as though her entire body was being held under a microscope, and she suppressed a shudder.
‘Here she is,’ said Gary once Adele was within a few metres of them. A big grin lit up his face and Adele flashed a nervous smile in return.
‘Hiya,’ she said, gazing around the group.
As Gary’s friends returned her smile and introduced themselves, a feeling of relief surged through her. They actually wanted to be friends. Gazing around the group, it was obvious they were in couples; two girls and two lads.
Gary took hold of her hand and led her away from the group, towards the children’s playground. ‘See you lot later,’ he said, and Adele thought she saw him wink at the others.
She turned to see the two other couples head towards a clump of bushes.
‘Where are they going?’ she asked.
‘Behind the trees, where no one can see them,’ he laughed.
On hearing his words, Adele suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable. What had she let herself in for? Anything could happen. But then she thought about the fact that the playground was out in the open, and she relaxed.
‘Come on, let’s sit down,’ said Gary, releasing her hand and pointing to a battered wooden bench that had one of the slats missing.
As she sat down next to him, Adele could feel her nervousness increasing. He took hold of her hand again. Then they began to talk. She felt awkward and self-conscious at first, especially as Gary seemed so self-assured. But he also seemed a friendly, likeable lad, and she eventually relaxed.
‘You look nice,’ he said.
Adele blushed under his scrutiny. ‘Thanks,’ she said, glad she’d made the effort. ‘So do you,’ she added, noticing his fashionable, straight-legged jeans.
He turned away again, looking ahead of him and kicking the right toe of his boots against the gravel. Then Adele noticed a noise coming from the bushes. It sounded like a woman moaning, the noise guttural and intense. A look of alarm crossed her face as she thought about the two couples hidden there.
‘Do you think she’s all right?’ she asked Gary, concerned.
He let out a loud, raucous laugh, and it took a while for him to calm down. When he spoke, there was still a note of merriment in his voice.
‘You’re really sweet, aren’t you?’ he asked.
Adele looked confused for a moment until she realised what was happening in the bushes and her face flushed with embarrassment.
Gary smiled. ‘How are things at home?’ he asked.
‘What d’you mean?’
‘That time when I saw you with your face bashed, you looked really upset.’
‘Oh that. It was just an accident.’
‘OK,’ he grinned. ‘I’ll believe you, thousands wouldn’t.’
They didn’t speak for a while until Gary broke the silence.
‘It’s the same for me y’know. My old man can be handy with his fists at times.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ sniffed Adele. ‘I told you, I had an accident.’ Then she swiftly changed the subject. ‘Anyway, what sort of a day have you had?’
‘OK, y’know. Every day’s pretty much the same in my job. What about you? Have you had a good day?’
‘Not bad. I got really good marks for my English lit essay.’
‘Oh, that’s good,’ said Gary.
‘Yeah, I was pleased,’ Adele smiled. ‘It was on King Lear.’
‘Oh yeah?’ asked Gary, but it was obvious to Adele that he didn’t have a clue who King Lear was, nor did he seem particularly interested.
Within a few minutes they had exhausted all conversation and Adele felt awkward once more. To fill the silent void, Gary slipped his arm around Adele and turned towards her. She knew what was coming and she twisted her head till she was facing him. Their lips met.
But all excitement evaporated when Adele experienced Gary’s kisses. Yuck! She tried to feign enthusiasm as he slobbered over her, pushing his tongue down her throat. His mouth produced so much moisture that spit drooled down her chin. She pulled back, noticing that his breath also emitted a faintly unpleasant odour.
They sat in silence for endless minutes. For Adele, all sign of nerves had now vanished. She tried to appear enthusiastic as they shared stilted conversation, interspersed by soggy kisses. But the fact was; she was bored. His kind of conversation just didn’t interest her. Football. Friends he’d been to school with. His boring job!
She gazed around the playground, desperately searching for an interesting topic of conversation but they didn’t seem to have that much in common.
Adele was relieved when one of the other couples emerged from the clump of bushes and came to join them around the bench. Then she noticed that the youth had a look of satisfaction painted on his face and the girl had the rosy glow of someone who had just experienced the excitement of open-air sex. She shuffled uncomfortably at first but nobody else seemed bothered.
They chatted for some time and, although the couple asked her questions about mutual topics, she didn’t feel part of their group. Gary and the couple were relaxed with each other, sharing their own in-jokes and banter, and Adele felt like an outsider.
Eventually it became late enough for Adele to insist on going home so Gary walked her to her street. She wouldn’t let him come too near to the house in
case her father spotted them together. When it was time for Gary to say goodbye, Adele braced herself for more soggy kisses, willing it to be over.
‘Can I see you again?’ he asked when he had finished. ‘I get paid next Friday. I can take you to the pub.’
This time Adele didn’t hesitate with her response. Despite the disappointment of the date, she wanted to be one of the group. She’d earn respect amongst her peers and perhaps prevent any more taunts and bullying from Peter’s group of friends. It would also provide an escape from all her troubles and might even bring her closer to Peter once he found out she went around with the cool kids.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Course you can.’
Chapter 22
A few nights later Adele rushed home from school so she could get ready for her second date with Gary. Although the first date hadn’t gone well, she was excited at the prospect of being part of his group and felt sure that she’d eventually fit in. She was so intent on preparing for her date that she was only half listening to her mother’s conversation.
‘I’ve been to see your grandma today,’ said Shirley.
‘Oh yeah?’
‘Yeah, she finally saw the consultant this week. It’s only taken them bloody months to send for her. That Mabel from next door took her.’
‘What did he say?’ asked Adele, who had been on her way out of the room but stopped when her mother mentioned the consultant.
‘Not much, just that he’s sending her for tests. So now we’ve got to play the bloody waiting game again.’
Adele didn’t respond straightaway so her mother continued.
‘I’ll be glad when they’ve sorted it out. She’s no better, y’know.’
‘Isn’t she?’ asked Adele, hovering close to the doorway. Concern over her grandma was battling with her wish to go and get ready for her date. She was already running late. ‘I’ll try to go and see her over the weekend,’ she uttered before rushing from the room.
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