Somewhere to Hide (The Estate, Book 1)

by Mel Sherratt

  ‘Then I won’t tell her.’

  ‘If you think you can keep that to yourself, you’re more stupid than I thought. It’s a baby we’re talking about not a Nintendo that’s been hidden beneath the carpet.’

  Becky frowned.

  ‘I knew it was there, you silly cow. I know that hiding place. Me and Cheryl, the last girl who stayed here, were like this.’ Jess waved two crossed fingers at her. ‘So don’t think you’re so special.’

  ‘Piss off and leave me alone.’ Becky turned her face towards the wall.

  Jess grabbed her hair and pulled hard, yanking back her head. ‘Don’t turn your back on me, you silly cow.’

  ‘Ow! Let me go, you bitch!’

  Jess shoved her forward and, as Becky turned, slapped her hard around the face.

  ‘Don’t mess with me,’ she told her. ‘I can make your life very uncomfortable if you don’t play ball. So you’re either with me or you’re not.’

  Becky rubbed her cheek to help ease the sting. Oh, God. This was getting worse. All she wanted to do was lay low for a while until she could move on to somewhere better, away from this dump. Resigning herself to her fate, she nodded as Jess continued to stare at her.

  ‘I think you and me need to get to know each other better. We shall go out tonight and have some fun. Be ready for eight and I’ll introduce you to some people.’

  ‘I don’t want to go out.’

  Jess shrugged a shoulder. ‘I’m not really bothered what you want to do.’

  ‘But I –’ Becky lowered her eyes as Jess glared at her again.

  ‘Tell Cathy that you have a headache and you’re going to bed. I’ll knock on your door when I’m ready. We’ll probably have to shimmy down the drainpipe. Cathy will be watching the front door like a hawk. She’ll never suspect that I’ll be going out with you though. I should have thought of it sooner.’

  Only once she’d heard Jess go running down the stairs, followed by the kitchen door slamming, did Becky fall back on the bed and let the tears fall. How the hell was she going to get out of this one? She couldn’t say she was ill because Jess would come into her room and see that she was lying. If she stayed downstairs with Cathy, then she would be for it when she was in on her own. Either way she’d be toast.

  There was only one thing to do. She would have to play the game. Be ready for eight o’clock and see where Jess took her. Maybe it would be fun.

  Becky cried even harder then. Who was she trying to kid? This was her life now, her nightmare. She would have to toughen up or be eaten alive. She only had herself to rely on.

  But that was the thing that scared her. She wasn’t sure that she could rely on herself. Look at the mess she’d landed herself in: sixteen years old, pregnant and wanted for murder. If Cathy found out that she was up the duff, she’d send her packing and what would happen to her then?

  Cathy was in the back garden pegging out a load of washing. She jumped at the sound of the side gate slamming shut. When she looked around, Liz was leaning against it. She watched as she slid down to the floor before going to her quickly.

  ‘Liz, whatever’s the matter?’

  Liz stared up at her, tears welling in troubled eyes as she fought to catch her breath. ‘My husband was waiting for me at Chloe’s school. I thought he was on the early shift today. At first he was all nice, like come home babe, we can sort things out.’ A sob escaped her. ‘But when I said no, he started shouting. He said – he said –’

  ‘Did he hurt you?’

  Liz shook her head. ‘I was waiting for Chloe to go into her classroom before I went to see the headmistress, to explain what had happened and see if I could collect her earlier for a few afternoons. I was hoping to settle her a little bit before I had to deal with him.’

  Cathy gently manoeuvred her to a bench at the side of the garden and they both sat down.

  ‘How did you get away?’ she asked.

  ‘One of the teachers came out to lock the gates. She took me inside but I could see his car. It was still there twenty minutes later. That’s when the secretary gave me a lift home. I had to duck down in the back seat so he couldn’t see me. Oh, God, what am I going to do?’

  ‘You’ll have to face him some time.’ Cathy wasn’t one to jazz up the future. ‘Do you think he’ll be there tonight?’

  ‘I’m not sure – most probably, if he hasn’t gone to work. I’m picking Chloe up half an hour early. But I’m scared that he’ll follow me here afterwards.’

  ‘Don’t you worry about that. I’ve dealt with far worse than him on my doorstep, on numerous occasions. That’s why I’m linked up to a twenty-four hour alarm system. If I have any type of trouble, the police will respond as soon as possible.’

  ‘What if they don’t come quick enough?’ Liz looked horrified at the thought.

  ‘They’ve never let me down so far.’

  ‘But they might. They’re always going on about it on the television. Most of the time they’re too late. And if he follows me here, where will I go then? I don’t want to spend my life on the run from him, always having to look over my shoulder.’

  Cathy didn’t know what to say to that. She knew from past experience that Kevin would probably arrive on her doorstep if not today, then tomorrow or the day after. It was usually during the first week. She always tried to prepare herself for it. Apart from one man who’d held a knife against her throat until she’d told him where his wife was, she’d never had cause to worry. The men were only interested in getting their women away to hurt them again. They didn’t want to deal with Cathy, just find a way past her. But still, she’d stand her ground as always.

  ‘He hit you, didn’t he?’ she asked eventually.

  Liz nodded, tears welling again.

  ‘Often?’

  Another nod.

  Cathy took her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. ‘You did the right thing to leave him. Did Chloe ever witness it?’

  ‘No, we kept it from her.’

  Cathy studied Liz’s face as she looked away. Liz had clear skin but prominent dark rings around each eye. Her brown hair, to her shoulders in length, was tied back off her face with a red band. She wore no make-up. Cathy wondered when she’d stopped making the most of herself and whether it was her choice or Kevin’s.

  ‘You might want to think about going to some of the courses run at the community house,’ she said when Liz looked her way again moments later. ‘I help out there too, with Josie Mellor. She’s a fabulous housing officer; she has such a way of bringing out the best in people. I’m sure there’s a lot more she can do for you.’

  ‘How’s Becky?’ Liz blew her nose on the tissue that Cathy handed to her. ‘Have you seen her today?’

  ‘No, she hasn’t come out of her room. I’m not sure yet what she’s so scared of.’

  ‘I wonder what her background is.’

  ‘She’ll tell us in her own time. It usually takes a few days before I can gain their trust. I’ll have to watch her with Jess though. Becky doesn’t seem very streetwise whereas Jess –’

  ‘Why do you do this?’ Liz interrupted. ‘It can’t be an easy job, looking after waifs and strays with all the problems that we bring with us.’

  Cathy smiled. ‘I have my reasons.’

  ‘You could have got a job doing anything.’

  ‘Around here?’ Cathy shook her head. ‘I enjoy this, most of the time. I get a different challenge every day.’

  ‘Some days are more challenging than others, no doubt,’ Liz said, attempting a smile.

  ‘At least I get to work from home. I save a fortune in petrol. Without any shops nearby to tempt me, I don’t spend much money. And without having to pay for all the booze and fags that Rich got through, I’m quids in. It works out quite well.’

  ‘But don’t you ever get lonely? You’re too young to be on your own.’

  ‘Who would have me, with a house full of hormonal women?’ Cathy looked up as something caught her eye. Spotting Becky standing in her bedroom
window, she waved, but Becky moved out of sight again.

  ‘Thanks for listening,’ said Liz. ‘I haven’t had anyone to talk to for ages.’

  ‘My pleasure,’ Cathy grinned at her. ‘I’m definitely good at that.’

  ‘Cathy, are you going to fetch me from school every day now?’ Chloe asked as she skipped into the garden holding on to her hand.

  ‘Oh, I don’t think so, poppet,’ Cathy replied. ‘I wouldn’t have time but I thought I’d make a special effort today. And I’ve bought you a cake, with lots of strawberry jam and pink icing.’

  ‘Why? It isn’t my birthday until next year now. I’ll be nine in March. Mum says I can have my ears pierced when I’m nine.’

  ‘I said you might be able to have your ears pierced, Chloe,’ Liz said, a little sharper than she’d intended.

  ‘Emily Baker had hers done last summer,’ Chloe continued regardless. ‘She’s in my class.’ She turned to her mum excitedly. ‘Mum, Mum, can Emily come for tea at Cathy’s? Can she, please?’

  Liz was barely listening to her daughter. She was trying to swivel her head 360 degrees to look for Kevin along Christopher Avenue. So far, thankfully, she hadn’t seen him. Maybe he’d changed his shift to catch her this morning and was at work now.

  ‘Of course she can come for tea,’ Cathy told Chloe. ‘You should treat my home like your own. Everyone’s welcome, as long as I know in advance.’

  A few minutes later, they were inside and out of sight. So Liz didn’t see the blue Ford Focus that drove slowly along the adjacent road.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Later that evening, Becky agonised over what to wear as she rummaged through the bag of clothes she’d been given. She finally picked out a long-sleeved pale T-shirt with a red love heart emblazoned on the front and a pair of faded jeans that were a bit too long. She wore her own trainers and knew she looked scruffy but what did she care? She didn’t want to go out anyway.

  A few minutes before eight o’ clock, Jess came into her room. She wore skinny jeans, black heels and a short-sleeved lemon and pale blue checked shirt with a white vest underneath. Her red hair was spiked to perfection.

  She took one look at Becky and gasped. ‘Jesus Christ, you look like a ten-year-old,’ she cried and left as quickly as she’d arrived. She returned moments later and threw a red top at her. ‘Put that on. You’ve got to look presentable if you’re coming out with me.’

  Reluctantly, Becky did as she was told. This one was short-sleeved, with a low, sweetheart neckline, and a black skull-and-crossbones emblem sewn on beneath it. Becky reckoned it looked like a designer brand but it could well be off a market stall for all she knew about labels.

  Jess looked her up and down, frowning when she spotted her footwear. ‘What size shoes do you take?’

  ‘Five.’ Jess ran to her room again and came back with a pair of black high heels. ‘I can’t be seen with you wearing those manky trainers. It would ruin my street cred.’

  Becky tried them on as Jess opened the window and took her own shoes off.

  ‘Climb down onto the porch roof. Then use the sill on the window and jump onto the garden. It’s easy. I’ve done it loads of times.’

  ‘In these?’ Becky pointed to her feet.

  ‘Dur!’ Jess tutted. ‘Throw them onto the roof! Once you get there, drop them down onto the grass.’

  Jess disappeared and Becky stuck her head out of the window. Seconds later, she watched her jump onto the grass. Seconds after that she joined her, picked up her shoes and sneaked over the back fence into the alley behind.

  As they reached the main road, Becky glanced around taking in her new surroundings. Davy Road looked like a row of identical houses, parked cars squashed into every available space alongside the pavements on each side. Some of the gardens were tidy, some unkempt. Some of the properties looked spotless. Then every now and again, a doss-hole would reveal itself, mostly hidden behind overgrown hedges, piles of rubbish along the path, yellow netting – or closed curtains that were too small for the window, trying to hide God knows what inside. Still, from what she could see it didn’t look as bad as Cathy had mentioned.

  ‘Where are we going?’ she asked, more out of nervousness than curiosity.

  ‘You and me are going to get lashed,’ Jess told her. ‘We’ll have to go to Shop&Save first to get some vodka.’

  ‘I haven’t got any money. Have you?’

  ‘We don’t need money, do we?’

  Becky turned to her in a panic. ‘I can’t steal something! I nearly got caught when I first got here.’

  ‘So? That was ages ago. You’ll be okay. Anyway, it’s your test to join the gang.’

  ‘What gang?’

  ‘Our gang – you and me.’

  Even though the spring night wasn’t too cold, Becky shivered. ‘I’ll do time if the police catch me.’

  ‘Don’t give me that tall tale again. The police are no more looking for you than my parents are looking for me and they only live around the bleeding corner.’ Jess grabbed her arm and kept a firm hold. ‘Come on, it’ll be a laugh.’

  Minutes later, Becky’s heart pounded inside her head as she stood in front of the alcohol shelves inside Shop&Save. Most of the expensive liquor was behind the till, out of their reach. Jess walked up and down the aisle, pretending to look for something while covertly watching the woman behind the till.

  ‘Now!’ she whispered loudly as the woman reached for a packet of cigarettes for a young boy who didn’t look old enough to smoke. Becky grabbed a bottle of vodka and shoved it under her top. She held it in place with her arm by her side and moved away quickly.

  ‘Have you got any cheese and onion crisps?’ Jess shouted, hoping to distract the woman.

  Heart beating fit to burst, Becky made her escape. She walked out of the shop and across the car park, faster and faster, not looking back until she’d crossed over Davy Road again.

  ‘Hey! Wait up!’ Jess joined her a minute later. She took the bottle and swigged a huge mouthful, then passed it to Becky. Becky did the same but coughed at the burning sensation in her throat.

  Jess eyed her suspiciously as she wiped her mouth. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve never got bladdered before!’

  ‘Of course I have,’ Becky lied. Apart from cans of lager, there had never been any alcohol in her house. Her dad was always at the pub so there was no need to buy anything stronger. Trying to hide her naivety, she knocked back another large amount. ‘What shall we do now?’ she asked.

  Jess checked her watch. ‘We’re meeting Danny Bradley in fifteen minutes. I said I’d be here about nine. He’s coming to pick me up.’

  ‘Is he your boyfriend?’

  ‘I wish.’ Jess urged Becky to drink some more vodka. ‘He’s not interested in me. I’m too young. He says he likes his ladies to be more, how shall I put it, experienced. I told him I’d had practice but he meant skills that come with age, I suppose. I’ve given him the odd blow job but that’s all he’s interested in. I’ll keep on trying though. He’s gorgeous. You can see for yourself soon.’

  ‘Does he have any friends?’ Becky asked. It was a valid question: she’d be lonely if Jess was to cop off with Danny. And already she was starting to feel a bit queasy. She wondered if she could get him to drop her back at Cathy’s.

  Jess laughed. ‘None that would be interested in a virgin like you.’

  Becky lowered her eyes. It seemed like Jess didn’t believe that she was pregnant.

  Both girls turned as a car peeped its horn and came screeching to a halt inches from the kerb at the side of them. An electric window dropped down. Jess moved forward and Becky followed, intrigued to see who had captured Jess’s heart.

  ‘Hey, Danny,’ Jess smiled, pushing her chest out as she leaned on the car door. ‘Feel like a good time tonight?’

  ‘I might do. What’re you drinking?’

  ‘Voddie.’ Jess threw a thumb over her shoulder. ‘The new girl lifted it. Want some?’

  ‘I’ve got my
own stash.’ Danny flapped his fingers. ‘Move out of the way; let me have a look at her then.’

  Jess huffed but did as she was told. She pulled Becky nearer. Becky practically fell through the window with the force.

  There were two men in the car. The passenger was about eighteen, with a skinhead and a bad case of acne which was just as well because Becky couldn’t take her eyes off the driver. His hair was cut short and he sported a goatee beard. His skin was olive, his eyes as dark as the mood he was trying to portray. As he smiled, Becky noticed that one of his front teeth was chipped. She felt her cheeks burning as he stared at her. She also felt Jess’s eyes boring into the back of her head.

  Suddenly, she was pushed aside. Jess ran a hand across the paintwork of the car. ‘Nice motor you’ve thieved.’ She leaned further forward this time. ‘Where’re you off to?’

  ‘Around.’ Danny revved the engine. ‘Are you getting in or not?’

  Jess didn’t need to be asked twice. She opened the back door and slid along the seat. Becky followed suit but Danny turned, his hand on the back of the seat in front.

  ‘Not you, lovely one. You can sit in the front with me. Parksy, shift your arse into the back.’

  Cathy flicked on the kettle and checked her watch again. It only revealed what she already knew since she’d looked at it a minute earlier. It was twenty minutes past eleven. She’d swing for Jess when she finally came home.

  Why hadn’t she thought to look in on Becky before half past nine? She’d knocked twice with no reply either time before going in on the third. Since finding the room empty, Cathy had been on tenterhooks.

  Where would Jess take Becky? And would she keep her out all night? She wouldn’t put it past Jess to try and get Becky into trouble straight away. And why had they sneaked out in the first instance? Yes, she would have lectured them if they had gone out the front way but she wouldn’t have stopped them. She had no right to do that even if she wanted to. Despite what had been thrown at her over the past three years, she was no one’s keeper.