Witness

by Mandasue Heller

  ‘Suze, it’s me, don’t hang up,’ Rob said. ‘They’re letting me out, but they brought me to Wythenshawe nick, so I’m gonna need to take a cab home. I’m skint, so make sure you’re there with the money when I get back.’

  Suzie’s hand tightened around the phone. Those coppers last night had told her he would be charged, so why the hell were they releasing him?

  Maybe because you let him sweet-talk you into retracting your statement last time, so you’ve been put on the not-to-be-taken-seriously list . . .

  Angrily pushing that thought out of her mind, she said, ‘Get lost, Rob. We’re finished.’

  ‘Come on, babe, don’t give me a hard time,’ he groaned. ‘I know you’re mad at me, but I’ve had a really rough night, so sort it out, then we’ll talk later, yeah?’

  ‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ she spluttered. ‘I’m not giving you a damn penny. And we’ve got nothing to talk about, so don’t bother coming here trying to worm your way back in. Your stuff’s in bags on top of the bin. Take it and leave me the hell alone.’

  ‘Make sure you’ve got the cab fare,’ Rob said, as if he hadn’t heard her. ‘And put the kettle on, ’cos the tea’s like piss in here and I’m gasping for a proper brew.’

  ‘Do not come here,’ Suzie repeated. But it was too late; he’d already disconnected.

  Tossing the phone onto the bed in disgust, she immediately snatched it up again and did a Google search of local locksmiths. The first two didn’t answer, and the third told her he didn’t work Saturdays. But he was the closest, and this was urgent, so she pleaded in her best damsel-in-distress voice until he eventually agreed to come out.

  In the supermarket, Holly was pushing a trolley along the frozen-food aisle when her mobile rang. Smiling when she saw Bex’s name on the screen, she said, ‘About time! Why didn’t you call me last night?’

  ‘Soz, I was at a party,’ Bex said. ‘The music was dead loud so I didn’t hear your message come through. Then my battery died, and I didn’t have my charger, so I’ve only just seen it. ’S up?’

  ‘Nothing,’ Holly said, momentarily forgetting what she’d meant to tell her as she wondered whose party Bex had been at – and why she hadn’t mentioned it at school.

  ‘OK, well, I’ve got to go,’ Bex said. ‘See you on Monday.’

  ‘Hang on!’ Holly blurted out before Bex could hang up. ‘What do you mean, Monday? We’re meeting up in a bit, aren’t we?’

  ‘Ah, yeah, about that,’ Bex said sheepishly. ‘Something’s come up, so I won’t be able to make it.’

  ‘Something like what?’ Holly asked, wondering if Bex had copped off with a lad at the party and was blowing her out to spend the day with him instead.

  ‘She’s coming to the pictures with me,’ a girl piped up in the background.

  ‘Is that Julie Gordon?’ Holly demanded, scowling at the sound of the voice.

  ‘Yeah, I’m at hers,’ Bex said. ‘The party finished really late, so I stayed over.’

  ‘Was it her party? Is that why you didn’t tell me about it?’

  ‘No, it was her cousin’s. And I didn’t tell you ’cos I didn’t even know about it till she called round last night and invited me.’

  ‘So why did you have to stay at hers?’

  ‘I didn’t have to, I wanted to. What’s your problem, Holl?’

  ‘You’re supposed to be my best mate,’ Holly said, aware that she sounded like a petulant child but unable to stop herself. ‘So why are you sneaking off to parties and going to the pictures with her?’

  ‘I just told you, the party was a last-minute thing,’ said Bex. ‘And her mum gets free tickets for the Multiplex, so what was I supposed to do? Turn it down in case you got upset about it?’

  ‘Yeah! I wouldn’t hang round with someone who hates you.’

  ‘Julie doesn’t hate you. Why do you always have to be so paranoid?’

  ‘She called me a tramp and said my mum buys my clothes from the charity shop. How’s that me being paranoid?’

  ‘God, chill out, you daft cow. She was joking.’

  ‘Well I didn’t find it very funny,’ Holly muttered.

  ‘Well I didn’t find it very funny,’ Julie mimicked in the background, followed by muffled giggles.

  ‘Have you got me on loudspeaker?’ Holly asked, stopping in the middle of the aisle.

  ‘Obvs,’ Bex said, as if it was no big deal. ‘I can’t do my make-up one-handed, can I?’

  ‘I’m not talking to you while she’s listening,’ Holly huffed. ‘Ring me when you get home.’

  Losing patience, Bex said, ‘Grow up, Holly! You’re not my only friend, and you can’t expect me to stop talking to Julie ’cos you don’t like her.’

  ‘I didn’t talk to Kelly after you and her had that fight the other week,’ Holly shot back. ‘It’s called loyalty.’

  ‘No, it’s called being a lesbo stalker,’ Julie sneered.

  The line went dead before Holly could respond. Furious that she hadn’t yet topped up her credit and couldn’t call Bex back, she typed a message instead, saying: If you’re gonna pick that stuck-up bitch over me, don’t bother speaking to me again! And I hope you both choke on your popcorn!

  Pressing Send, she shoved the phone into her pocket and pushed the trolley on up the aisle, angrily tossing items off the list into it. Julie might have fooled Bex into thinking she’d been joking when she’d made those comments about Holly’s clothes, but Bex obviously hadn’t heard all the other snide things Julie had said, or seen the dirty looks she threw at Holly behind her back. The bitch thought she was special because her parents owned their own house while Holly and her single mum lived in a shitty council flat; and she was always bragging about her expensive clothes and fancy foreign holidays, knowing full well that Holly’s mum couldn’t afford any of that shit. Bex had claimed that she didn’t care that Holly was poor. But she’d also claimed that she didn’t really like Julie and only tolerated her because their dads were in the same golf club, yet now she was having sleepovers at the bitch’s house and sacking Holly off to go to the pictures with her, so that showed what a two-faced cow she was!

  Still smarting about the betrayal, but also angry with herself for letting Julie Gordon wind her up and drive a wedge between her and Bex, Holly picked up the last few items and headed for the checkout. She would call Bex later, she decided, when she was sure that Bex was home and able to talk without Julie listening in. The bitch was probably made up that she’d caused them to fall out, but she could piss off if she thought she was stealing Bex away from her for good.

  3

  Dressed now, the bruises on her face concealed behind a thick layer of foundation, Suzie went out to her front gate and looked both ways along the road. The locksmith was supposed to have been here ten minutes ago, but there was still no sign of him. Agitated when she tried to call him and his phone went to voicemail, she lit a cigarette and took a deep drag to calm her nerves. Almost immediately, a taxi turned the corner and her heart sank when she saw Rob in the passenger seat. Flicking the cigarette away, she turned to go inside as the car pulled up at the kerb.

  ‘Hang about,’ Rob said, leaping out and running to her.

  ‘Don’t touch me,’ she spat, glaring up at him when he grabbed her arm. ‘I thought I told you to stay away?’

  ‘Don’t start,’ he moaned, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘My head’s banging.’

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ she replied sarcastically. ‘Feel as bad as this, does it?’ She gestured to her bruised cheek.

  Rob narrowed his eyes and peered at her, then shrugged. ‘I can’t see anything.’

  ‘Well, you wouldn’t, would you, seeing as I’ve got about ten layers of foundation on.’

  ‘Nice job,’ Rob said approvingly. ‘You should switch careers. You’d be a great make-up artist.’

  ‘’S’cuse me,’ the taxi driver called out through the car’s open window. ‘I’ve got to go, and you haven’t paid yet.’

  Je
rking his head at Suzie, Rob said, ‘Hurry up and sort him out, babe. I’ll go in and put the kettle on.’

  ‘No you won’t.’ Suzie stepped in front of him when he made to head up the path. ‘Go to your mum’s. She can pay.’

  ‘My mum’s still in Spain.’

  ‘I don’t care. You’re not my problem any more.’

  ‘Someone had better hurry up and pay,’ the driver said as the pair stared at each other, horns locked. ‘I’ve got another job to get to, and I can’t be sitting here all day watching you two have a lovers’ tiff.’

  ‘You what?’ Rob snapped his head round and glowered at the man. ‘Wanna get out and say that again, mate?’

  ‘You’re on camera, mate,’ the driver replied spikily, staying put.

  ‘Do I look like I give a fuck?’

  ‘That’s right, get yourself arrested again and save me the trouble of doing it,’ Suzie said.

  ‘Shut your mouth,’ Rob snapped.

  Suzie shook her head in disgust and turned to walk away, but Rob grabbed her shoulder and yanked her roughly back.

  ‘What the hell?’ she squawked, spinning round to face him. ‘You nearly broke my flaming neck!’

  ‘Sorry.’ He held up his hands. ‘I wasn’t gonna hurt you, I swear.’

  ‘That’s it, I’m calling the cops,’ the cabby said.

  ‘Babe, please.’ Rob gave Suzie a pained look. ‘I know you’re mad at me, but if he rings the pigs I’m fucked. And people are watching.’

  He jerked his head in the direction of the flats across the road, and Suzie narrowed her eyes when she glanced over and saw a rough-looking bottle blonde with jet-black roots blatantly staring at them from an open window on the second floor. She felt like yelling at the nosy cow to mind her own business, but the woman looked the type to come out fighting, and, thanks to Rob, she wasn’t in any fit state to defend herself. So, reluctantly, she marched into the house and took a twenty-pound note out of her purse before walking to the cab and shoving it through the window.

  ‘Thanks, babe.’ Rob gave her a grateful smile. ‘I’ll pay you back as soon as my money comes in.’

  ‘I’m only doing this to get rid of you,’ Suzie said sharply. ‘You’re still not coming in.’

  ‘Can I least have a brew and some painkillers before you kick me out?’ he wheedled as the driver handed over her change. ‘My head’s killing me.’

  ‘No!’ Suzie dropped the coins into her pocket as the cab pulled away. ‘Your stuff’s on top of the bin. Take it and go.’

  ‘Come on, babe, it wasn’t all me,’ Rob said, following as she walked to the gate. ‘You’ve got to take some of the blame.’

  ‘Excuse me?’ She drew her head back and gave him an incredulous look. ‘How was any of what happened last night my fault?’

  ‘You shouldn’t have tried to go out wearing that dress,’ Rob said. ‘You know I can’t stand it when blokes eye you up, and they’d have been all over you in that.’

  ‘You bought me that dress,’ Suzie reminded him. ‘And what do you expect me to do? Walk around in a bin-bag for the rest of my life because you can’t handle other men looking at me?’

  ‘No, of course not. But I can’t help it if I get jealous sometimes.’

  ‘That’s your problem, not mine. And it doesn’t give you the right to attack me.’

  ‘I know,’ Rob conceded, reaching for her hand. ‘But it’ll never happen again – I swear.’

  ‘You said that last time,’ Suzie said, snatching her hand back. ‘And the time before that.’

  ‘Yeah, but I really mean it this time,’ he insisted. ‘I love you, and all I want is a chance to make it up to you.’

  ‘How?’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘Gonna buy me flowers again? Or maybe you’ll push the boat out this time and splash out on perfume, or jewellery?’

  ‘Whatever you want, it’s yours.’ Rob snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her up against him. ‘We’re made for each, me and you.’

  ‘No, we’re not,’ Suzie argued, pushing him away. ‘Just leave me alone, Rob!’

  ‘Stop shouting,’ Rob hissed, no longer smiling as he grasped hold of her wrists. ‘You know what these nosy cunts round here are like. You’re going to get me arrested again.’

  ‘Good!’ Suzie yelled, angrily trying to pull her arms free.

  ‘Suzie, I mean it, pack it in!’ Rob said, a warning edge to his voice as he stared down at her. ‘I don’t want to hurt you, I just want to talk.’

  ‘Well, I don’t want to talk to you,’ she cried, wincing when his strong hands twisted her skin. ‘Get off me!’

  On her way home from the shops, Holly hesitated when she saw the couple from across the road on the pavement outside their house. They looked like they were fighting again and, before she could stop herself, she yelled, ‘Hey, leave her alone!’

  The man snapped his head round at the sound of her voice and glared at her. ‘You what?’

  Holly’s mouth went dry. He was a lot bigger than he’d appeared from across the road, with broad shoulders, muscular thighs and heavily tattooed biceps that were stretching the material of his T-shirt almost to tearing point. But it was the anger in his eyes that really scared her, and she felt the blood drain from her face when he released his grip on the woman and turned to face her.

  ‘Rob, don’t!’ the woman cried, pulling on the back of his T-shirt when he started walking. ‘She’s only a kid, and you’ll definitely get arrested if you do anything to her. Just go inside and stop being stupid.’

  Her words got through to him and he glared at Holly, and spat, ‘You’re lucky she’s here, you nosy little fucker,’ before turning and marching into the house.

  ‘Sorry about that,’ the woman apologized, walking over to Holly, glad that the woman from the second floor was no longer watching. ‘He wouldn’t have done anything to you, I promise.’

  ‘What about you?’ Holly asked, casting a nervous glance at the front door of the house.

  ‘I’m fine.’ The woman smiled. ‘He’s my boyfriend and we had a row, but he knows he’s in the doghouse, so he’ll be on his best behaviour from now on.’

  Holly very much doubted that after what she’d just seen, but she returned the woman’s smile, and said, ‘Good luck, then.’

  ‘You live in the flats, don’t you?’ the woman asked before she walked away.

  ‘Yeah.’ Holly hesitated.

  ‘Thought I’d seen you at the window,’ the woman said. ‘I’m guessing you saw what happened last night?’ she added quietly.

  ‘No,’ Holly lied, aware that she was blushing. ‘Sorry. I, um, need to go.’ She readjusted her grip on the bags. ‘My mum’ll be waiting for the shopping.’

  ‘OK, well, thanks for trying to help . . .’

  It took a moment before it sank in that the woman was waiting for her name. ‘Holly,’ she said. ‘Holly Evans.’

  ‘I’m Suzie,’ the woman replied. ‘And you know where I am if you ever fancy . . .’ Tailing off when she spotted a small white van driving up the road, she muttered, ‘Oh, shit, I forgot about him. Do me a favour and get rid of him before Rob sees him and thinks I was trying to sneak the guy in for a quickie while he was away. Tell him I’ll settle up with him later.’

  Frowning when Suzie ran up the path and snatched the bin-bags off the top of the bin before going inside, Holly hitched the shopping bags up and walked round to the driver’s side of the van when it had parked.

  Still in his seat, typing a message into his mobile phone, the locksmith rolled down the window when he noticed her, and said, ‘Sorry I’m late, love. I had to pop over to my workshop for my tools. Give us a sec while I send this and I’ll be right with you.’

  ‘No, it’s OK,’ Holly said quietly, leaning down in case Suzie’s boyfriend looked out and saw her talking to the man. ‘She asked me to tell you she doesn’t need you now.’

  ‘You what?’ The man scowled. ‘You’d better be joking! I told her I don’t work weekends, but she said it w
as urgent.’

  ‘Please don’t cause any trouble,’ Holly pleaded when he started unclipping his seat belt. ‘Her boyfriend got arrested for beating her up last night, and he’ll kick off if he sees you. She said she’ll call to settle up when she gets a chance.’

  The man peered up at the house as if considering his options. Then, sucking his teeth in disgust, he restarted the engine and slammed his foot down on the accelerator, forcing Holly to leap out of the way.

  4

  Holly kept an eye on Suzie’s house over the weekend, but the blinds had been shut each time she’d looked, so she hadn’t seen the couple again. As Sunday drew to a close, her curiosity about the pair was replaced by concern that she still hadn’t heard back from Bex despite calling her numerous times and leaving a string of apologetic voicemails and text messages. She’d even tried to call Kelly, hoping that Kelly might speak to Bex on her behalf. But when Kelly also didn’t answer, she guessed that Bex must have told her what had happened and the pair had decided to give her the cold shoulder.

  Desperate to make it up with them, because they were the only real friends she’d made since moving to the area the previous year, Holly set out for school early on Monday morning in the hope of catching up with them before the bell went. Neither girl was in their usual meeting place when she got there, but Bex was in the same set as her for most lessons, so she headed to their form room and took her seat at the desk they always shared.

  When Bex arrived a few minutes later, she walked straight past Holly as if she hadn’t seen her and plonked herself down next to Leanne Phillips. A big girl with a reputation for being a bit of a bully, Leanne usually sat alone, and Holly half expected her to tell Bex to sling her hook. But instead, Bex whispered something to Leanne and the girl burst out laughing. Sure that she was the butt of whatever joke Bex had told, Holly struggled to concentrate when the teacher arrived and the lesson got under way.