by Mel Sherratt
Grace saw Perry’s car turning into the car park and went across to see him.
‘Hey, what brings you here?’ she asked as he got out of the driver’s side.
‘That assault we spoke about this morning, that came in overnight. A young kid named Milo Benton. He’s in a pretty bad state, broken ribs and a face full of bruising. I spoke to him with his mum; he told me he was beaten with a baseball bat and that it had happened outside here around six to six thirty p.m.’
‘Ah, I wonder if that’s the commotion in the car park,’ Grace said. ‘So there were two incidents happening here last night. That makes sense a little. It’s a pity it was so dark. People might have seen more. A lot of the security lighting is triggered by sensors, but there must have been lights over that area on all the time. Did he say who attacked him?’
‘It was just the one bloke but he wouldn’t tell me his name. Said he’d be dead if he did.’ Perry shook his head. ‘These kids. They only have to cross each other, never mind double cross each other and they’re all fists and knives.’
‘Was he scared?’
‘You could say that.’ Perry held up his hand and shook it vehemently. ‘He was that nervous.’
‘Can we get to him again? Find out more?’
Perry nodded. ‘I was planning to go back. Seth Forrester likes to use a baseball bat, I’m told. Also, Milo is known to the Steeles.’
Grace groaned. ‘In what capacity?’
‘Intel says he’s a runner for Leon. So I’m wondering if this has anything to do with him.’
‘Interesting. Thanks for letting me know, I appreciate it.’
She did too. When she’d first arrived in Stoke, and bowled head first into a case involving her estranged family, Perry hadn’t taken to her at all because of it. Now, she had his trust and she liked that he was loyal to her. Despite some initial rumbles from the station that she had been on the Steeles’ payroll, things had settled down because it had been clear nothing was going on. She would never be disloyal to the force. Her job was her livelihood. The Steeles weren’t family to her. She knew where her loyalties lay.
Her mind getting back to the task in hand, she wondered what the significance of Perry’s information would be. More worryingly, it seemed that the Steeles may be rearing their ugly heads again. Would she ever do anything in this city without one of them being involved? The sooner they were brought down, the better. And she hoped to be in the thick of it when it happened. She wanted them off the streets of Stoke.
NINETEEN
Even though Tyler was still unconscious, Ruby had wondered if she should bring Lily in to see him. But her worry that she would be upset was unfounded. Lily said hello to her brother as if Tyler could talk back to her and, after a barrage of questions, had pulled up a chair and read him a story from a book she’d purposely brought with her.
At that moment, Ruby couldn’t have been prouder of her daughter. She had her mother’s strong will, that was for sure, and it was great to see. Especially when she needed to have a firm talk to her as soon as she could.
After an hour with Tyler, the consultant came over to them.
‘I’ve a bit of good news for you, Mum and Dad,’ he said after introducing himself to Lily. ‘Tyler’s vital signs are good and we’re going to bring him out of the induced coma this evening.’
Ruby put a hand to her mouth, still unsure what that would mean. As if reading her mind, the consultant continued.
‘If he is able to breathe on his own, we can assess him again then.’
‘And if he doesn’t?’ She pressed her nails deep into the palms of her hands.
‘Then we will reassess accordingly. But for now, we remain confident.’
Ruby gulped back a sob but it escaped regardless. Luke reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.
‘If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask.’ The consultant turned to leave. ‘He seems to be one lucky boy. Hopefully you’ll be telling him to be quiet again soon.’
His smile warmed Ruby’s heart and she wiped away her tears. She gave Lily a quick hug.
‘Let’s go grab some cake from the canteen and bring it back here,’ she said.
Lily stood up and Luke reached for Ruby’s hand again. There were tears in his eyes too, tears of relief. She wanted to smile at him but realised it wasn’t over yet. Not by a long shot.
On her way down to the canteen, Lily chatted away and Ruby carefully picked her moment to talk to her daughter. She’d noticed an indoor children’s play area this morning. It was empty as they got to it.
‘Let’s sit here a moment.’ Ruby walked over to a bench and patted it.
Lily sat down next to her.
Now that things were looking better for Tyler, it was imperative that she spoke to Lily, made her understand how important it was to say that she saw nothing. She glanced at her daughter, hating that she had grown up before her time. Ruby had let her down so much because of everything that had happened over the years. They’d constantly been on the move, never settling anywhere, always living in fear.
‘What is it, Mum?’ Lily asked after they’d sat there for a while.
Ruby wanted to say that this was all her fault. She’d known her past would catch up with her one day. She would have to throw the police off the scent until she could pack her things again and leave. She would have to tell Luke everything now as well, but not until Tyler was home – they needed to get through this trauma first. She had become too safe, too complacent at hiding away, at thinking she wouldn’t be found. Now she had to be clever again.
Wiping her tears away, she pulled Lily close once more.
‘Lily, I have something to ask you and I need you to be grown-up about it.’
‘Is it about Tyler?’
‘Yes, what exactly did you see?’
‘I was in my room until I heard you screaming. I crept out and looked over the railing when you and Luke ran downstairs.’
Ruby closed her eyes momentarily. Lily was too young to see all this.
‘I saw Tyler lying on the grass. He wasn’t moving, and I knew something was wrong because he’s never still, is he? He wasn’t making a noise either. That’s when Norma took me into her flat.’
Lily began to cry.
‘It’s okay, darling.’
Ruby’s heart was breaking. How could she let her children suffer so much? Enough was enough. She had to end this once and for all, give him what he wanted.
First, she needed to ask Lily to lie. She didn’t feel good about it but it was for everyone’s benefit. It would also give her time to think what to do next.
They sat for a moment before she pulled away.
‘Okay, poppet, I need you to be brave and trust me. If the police speak to you, I need you to say that you were playing with Tyler, and he slipped out and you didn’t notice.’
‘But—’
‘Please do as you’re told!’ As Lily’s face crumpled, Ruby hugged her again. ‘We’ll be in trouble if you don’t keep to that story, and you don’t want that, do you?’
‘What would happen?’
‘I’m not sure but I don’t want to chance it. I don’t want to be apart from you.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Nothing, darling.’ Ruby stroked the hair on her child’s head, hoping to soothe her. It broke her heart to see Lily upset like this. But even though she hadn’t voiced it aloud, she had always known that one day they would have to move location again. She hated what her past catching up with her was doing to her daughter. No eight-year-old should have to live in constant fear.
How could she keep putting her children through this? It was more of a prison sentence than he’d got.
For now, she would pretend everything was okay. If Lily kept to what she’d told her to say, the police would stop digging and she could get her children and Luke out of Stoke as soon as they could take Tyler home.
‘Remember, Lily,’ she whispered. ‘I will always love you. And I will al
ways, always protect you.’
TWENTY
Grace knocked on another door, wondering if she was going to get sworn at, or have the door slammed in her face, or be told to mind her own business. Maybe someone might want to talk to her. Perhaps somebody even saw something.
Still, at least she and Frankie would have enough by the end of the day to put to Allie in the morning.
‘Just a minute,’ a voice called out.
The door opened and Grace turned back with a smile. The woman looked to be in her late sixties. Her hair was short and silver grey, and her teeth seemed a bit too large for her mouth. Her eyes weren’t smiling but they weren’t exactly unwelcoming. Grace could see fear in them, and speculated why.
‘Hi, Staffordshire Police. I was wondering if I could have a chat with you about the incident that took place here last night?’
The woman gained her composure and smiled. ‘Come on in off the doorstep, won’t you?’
As she waited for her to close the door once she was inside, Grace noticed her quickly glance around. She wondered whether the woman was looking to see if anyone was watching.
She went into a pleasant living room and sat when urged to. There were numerous photos in frames of two young children and two older men. She spotted knitting needles pushed in a ball of Aran wool by the side of the chair, and was immediately reminded of her mum. She used to knit all the time, said it gave her something to do with her hands. Grace wasn’t sure her mum’s hands had ever stopped shaking since the day they’d left Stoke when she was twelve. She, too, had been scarred by George Steele.
‘I’m sure you heard about the incident last night?’ Grace began, getting out her notebook. She only mentioned the one occurrence to see what the woman would offer.
‘I did, yes. It was a terrible shock. That poor little boy.’
‘May I take your name?’
‘It’s Mary Stanton. You can call me Mary.’
Grace wrote it down. ‘So last night? Were you home?’
Mary wrung her hands in her lap. ‘I was poorly so I didn’t see anything.’
Grace sighed inwardly. She’d been hoping to get something from her but Mary seemed somewhat nervous. Was it speaking to her that she didn’t want to get in trouble with the neighbours for?
‘It’s okay,’ she soothed. ‘I know what it’s like around here, but really, there’s nothing to be afraid of. If it was purely that the little boy was playing around and he fell, then that’s all well and good.’
‘Do you suspect that?’ Mary began to scratch her chest, creating immediate red welts.
‘It’s hard to say what happened without witnesses. I’m sure someone must have seen something though.’
‘Not me.’
‘Ah, right.’ Grace wrote this down, seeming to have come to another dead end. It was then that she spotted the toys in a basket by the side of the settee.
‘I look after some of the local kids,’ Mary explained. ‘I get lonely and I’m known as Granny Stanton. Sometimes the parents need an hour or two to go to an appointment or just to have a break. No one abuses my good nature though,’ she added. ‘It’s just that sometimes I miss a bit of company since my Bill died seven years back. We used to look after the kiddies together then. It was nice. I don’t have any family nearby.’
‘Have you ever looked after Tyler or his sister, Lily?’
‘No, their mother always did a good job of that.’ She sat forwards. ‘They’re good parents. I’m sure no one is at fault.’
Grace nodded her understanding. ‘Do you ever see them going out as a couple?’
‘Not very often, but then again I’m not staring down and looking around all of the time.’
‘I didn’t mean that how it sounded.’
‘I’m sure you didn’t. I wish I could help you more but I didn’t see anything. I only came out when Peggy a few doors down told me what had happened. Is he going to be okay? Usually I can hear him screaming as he plays on his bike up and down the walkway.’
‘We’ll know more later. Did you hear anything last night? There’s talk of something else going on in the car park around the same time.’
Mary shook her head. ‘No, sorry.’
Grace hadn’t missed the blush that had covered Mary’s face. ‘Okay, thank you for speaking to me.’ She stood up. ‘In the meantime, if you do hear anything or if there is something you’d like to tell me, please call me.’ She got out her contact card and handed it to her.
Once Grace was out on the walkway again, she smiled. ‘Thank you. You’ve been a great help and I—’
‘No problem,’ Mary cut her short. ‘I hope you find out what you need to know.’ And with that she closed the door.
Grace moved back, shocked by her sudden departure. She recalled Mary looking around before she closed the front door. It was clearer than ever that she didn’t want anyone to see her talking to the police.
She pushed her notepad back into her pocket and went to rejoin Frankie.
Mary sat on the settee, staring at the card she had been given by the detective. She had invited her in so there was less chance of getting seen talking to her. So why then hadn’t she told the truth?
She had never spoken to the police before; never thought she’d one day find herself in a position to have to lie to them. She had always been discreet, despite being dragged into all sorts at every opportunity with Peggy.
Mary wasn’t a gossip, nor would she ever be. Yet she had kept something from the police and it didn’t sit right with her. She wasn’t sure she could live with herself if anything happened to Tyler and she hadn’t been truthful. She would sleep on it that night, and decide in the morning whether she should tell the police more.
But what if she was wrong?
No, she shook her head, wiping away angrily at her tears. She wasn’t wrong. She knew what she had seen, and it would haunt her to her dying day.
Mary played with the card, toying with her conscience. Was she too scared to say anything? That detective was nice. She’d be okay with her. She couldn’t go to prison for perjury or whatever they might charge her with, could she?
Because the man involved looked like her neighbour Seth Forrester. Maybe she could use this to her advantage …
2012
When she heard the doorbell ring, Ruby pulled herself from the settee. Eight months pregnant now, she was struggling to stay awake. She wondered who it would be this time. There were so many visitors coming and going, so many of Finn’s so-called friends. She never liked any of them, especially Dane, and tried to avoid them all as much as possible. Despite Finn’s best intentions, he was finding it hard to get away from the gang. Every time he said no, he was given one last job. But it always led on to another.
Ruby didn’t like it but she realised he was trying his best. It would take more time than they’d thought but he would be free of them soon. But Finn did say he was doing fewer jobs now, so it was only a matter of time. She sensed his frustration but also his fear. Dane was not someone you should cross so she couldn’t blame him for being anxious. She only hoped it was sorted before the baby was born.
She opened the door.
‘Dad!’ She pulled her cardigan around her to hide her bump, knowing it would be impossible really. But she didn’t want him to be disappointed in her. She’d been worried he’d find out the further along she went, yet still she couldn’t bring herself to visit and tell him.
She hadn’t been home since she’d found out she was pregnant just before her seventeenth birthday. Her dad had rung her several times when she’d first moved in with Finn, but less so over time when she stopped calling him back. Maybe he realised as much as she that they were better off this way. He didn’t need to worry about her now, even though he and Finn had never been introduced – she hadn’t wanted him to pick fault any more than he had already.
She’d also been anxious that he might try and persuade her not to keep the baby. He’d want what was best for her and would be sad sh
e’d given up her chance of a career, a life of her own. But to Ruby, becoming a mother would be the best job in the world. She loved this baby that was growing inside her and she knew Finn would be a good dad, like her own.
Seeing him standing there, looking shocked as well as embarrassed, all she wanted to do was run into his arms. Yet he couldn’t even look her in the eye.
‘I wondered why you hadn’t come to see me,’ he said. ‘Edie Bridges told me. She saw you in town.’ Edie lived next door but one to her dad.
‘I was scared of what you’d say.’ Ruby clung on to the door frame, afraid to look him in the eye.
‘Can I come in?’
She checked her watch.
‘It’s okay if he doesn’t want me to. I’ll be gone in five minutes.’
‘He would be fine seeing you here, Dad.’ She wasn’t lying to him. Finn was always trying to get her to reconcile with her father, even though he was adamant he could take care of her and the baby.
She opened the door wide for him. He went past her, leaning forward as if to kiss her over her bump and changing his mind at the last moment. She felt a jolt in the pit of her stomach. This was her dad, who until her mum died had been everything to her. Why hadn’t she been able to stay close to him? Maybe grief had made them push each other away.
They went through to the tiny living room. The chocolate-brown settee she’d been sitting on stood against one wall, an armchair by the side of the door. The coffee table held a stack of her magazines in a pile and two coasters near to. The wooden fireplace had been painted cream, two photos of her and Finn above it. The picture window looked out onto the main road and a row of council-owned garages.
The flat wasn’t much but she prided herself on keeping it clean and tidy. She wondered if he was expecting her to live in a hovel, then chastised herself. He would never think that of her.
‘Would you like a coffee?’ she asked for want of something to say.
‘No, I won’t stop long. I just came to give you this.’ He reached into his pocket for his wallet and pulled out a few notes.