Witness

by Mandasue Heller

  ‘Why can’t she do it?’

  ‘She’s got enough on her plate. And I don’t mind.’

  ‘Hey, I wasn’t trying to tell you what to do,’ Rob said softly. ‘I know what a big heart you’ve got, and I worry about you getting taken advantage of. But it’s your business, not mine, so I’ll butt out.’

  Suzie nodded and typed out her reply to Holly. She was glad Rob wasn’t going to keep on at her, because that was what he’d always done in the past whenever she’d tried to help someone out: either guilt-tripping her into seeing things his way or, if that didn’t work, outright accusing her of putting whichever friend it was before him – and God help her if that friend happened to be male. Still, he’d backed off this time – another point in his favour – so, after sending the message, she rang Holly’s school.

  ‘Oh, hi,’ she said, lowering her tone by an octave when a woman who sounded like the one she’d spoken to the previous day answered. ‘This is Holly Evans’s, um, aunt.’ She felt Rob’s curious gaze on her as the lie slipped out, and she avoided looking at him as she went on: ‘She’s still sick, and her mum got attacked last night, so I’ve had to come over to look after them both. I’ll let you know when she’s ready to come back . . . Thanks, I will do. Bye.’

  ‘Aunt?’ Rob raised an eyebrow when she’d finished the call.

  ‘It’s a long story.’ Suzie sighed. ‘Holly’s technically a minor, so when her mum was taken into hospital last night the police were going to hand her over to social services. I told them I was her aunt so she could stay with me instead.’

  ‘You lied to the police?’ Rob frowned.

  ‘What was I supposed to do?’ Suzie asked. ‘She didn’t know if her mum was dead or alive, and she was terrified.’

  ‘I hope you know what you’re doing,’ Rob said. ‘The cops aren’t stupid, and they don’t mess about when it comes to kids.’

  ‘Well, her mum’s home now, and – hopefully – she’s going to be OK, so it shouldn’t be an issue,’ Suzie murmured, reaching for her fork.

  Rob didn’t reply to that, but Suzie could tell from his expression that he thought she was crazy for getting involved. It was understandable, because he didn’t know how close she and Holly had grown. As far as he knew, Holly and Josie were virtual strangers to her, so he was bound to be concerned that she had lied to the police on their behalf. And she couldn’t deny that she was a bit worried about that herself. But it was done now, so there was no point dwelling on it.

  A phone started ringing and Suzie automatically reached for hers, which was face-down on the table.

  ‘I, er, think it’s mine,’ Rob said, smiling sheepishly as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. ‘I changed it to your ringtone, ’cos it reminded me of you.’

  Flattered, Suzie lifted a slice of toast to hide her smile as Rob got up and went out into the hall to take the call.

  ‘Morning, mate,’ his voice carried back to her. ‘I’ll be setting off in a bit. Train’s at two, so I should be with you around . . .’

  He tailed off, and Suzie tipped her head to one side when, after a pause, he said, ‘You’re kidding me? Nah, man, that’s bang out of order; you’ve fucked me right up. Forget the ticket, I’ve given up my room, so what the fuck am I supposed to do now?’

  Unable to hear any more when he went into the living room and closed the door, Suzie noticed her hands were trembling when she reached for her cup and took a sip of tea. Whatever the caller had said, Rob was clearly furious, and his harsh tone made her wonder if he’d really changed after all.

  Rob came back to the kitchen minutes later and Suzie eyed him warily as he flopped down onto his chair. Relieved that the anger she’d heard in his voice wasn’t reflected in his eyes when he looked at her, she said, ‘Bad news?’

  ‘You could say that,’ he replied, a resigned edge to his voice. ‘That was the bloke who was supposed to be interviewing me for the job today. Seems he’s offered it to someone else, so that’s me fucked.’

  ‘Oh, no,’ Suzie murmured.

  ‘Ah, who cares?’ Rob shrugged. ‘To tell you the truth I didn’t fancy being stuck at sea with a load of smelly bastards anyway, so it’s probably for the best.’

  ‘But you’ve left your mum’s, so where are you going to stay?’

  Rob exhaled loudly and ran his hands through his hair. Then, sighing, he said, ‘Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘It’s fine,’ he insisted, smiling again. ‘I’m a big boy; I can deal with it. Now eat your breakfast before it gets cold. I didn’t slave over a hot stove all morning to have you chuck it in the bin.’

  Returning his smile, Suzie picked up her fork and pushed the scrambled egg around on her plate, but her appetite was as dead as his hopes of making a fresh start seemed to be. He might now be claiming that he hadn’t fancied it, but he’d given up his home to make a go of it, and she hoped the disappointment wouldn’t send him on a downer after he’d worked so hard to get back on his feet.

  28

  ‘Holly . . .? HOLLLYYYY . . .!’

  Holly heard her name being called and jumped up off the sofa, sending her revision notes flying as she ran to her mum’s bedroom. Relieved to see that her mum was awake and looked more alert – even if she was still deathly pale beneath the livid bruises – she said, ‘Are you OK? Do you want me to get you anything? Water? Tea? Toast?’

  ‘Where’s my tin?’ Josie demanded, her voice as dry as her cracked lips looked.

  ‘Tin?’ Holly repeated innocently, mentally cursing herself for forgetting to replace it that morning.

  ‘Don’t play games with me,’ Josie barked. ‘I can see it’s not there, so where is it?’

  Swallowing nervously when she glanced at the wardrobe and saw that the door had swung open, Holly murmured, ‘Oh, yeah, sorry. I, um . . .’

  ‘You, um, what?’ Josie glared at her. ‘Thought you’d sneak it out behind my back after I told you to keep your big nose out of my private things?’

  ‘I only wanted to see if those people who got murdered were related to us,’ Holly admitted, her voice so quiet she could barely hear herself.

  ‘You had no right!’ Josie spat, her bloodshot eyes blazing. ‘Did she put you up to it? Lady Muck?’

  ‘Suzie? No!’

  ‘I bet she did, nosy bitch,’ Josie muttered as she struggled to sit up. ‘Well, that’s it, we’re out of here!’

  ‘You’re not well,’ Holly said. ‘You need to rest.’

  ‘How am I supposed to rest, knowing I could get shot at any fucking minute?’ Josie bellowed. ‘’Cos that’s what’ll happen now you’ve opened your big mouth, you idiot! How many times have I told you we can’t trust anyone?’ she went on, as she shoved the dirty quilt off and dropped her bruised legs over the side of the bed.

  She started muttering under her breath after that, asking what she’d ever done to deserve the shit Holly was putting her through, but Holly was still fixated on what she’d said at the start of it. If she thought she was going to get shot in her bed, then she must have known the murdered couple. But why was she scared the same was going to happen to them when so many years had passed since it had happened?

  ‘Who were they?’ she asked, the question slipping out before she had a chance to stop it.

  Josie snapped her eyes up and Holly shivered when she saw the anger in them. But she’d started now, and she needed to know, so she pressed on: ‘Were they related to us? Was . . . was Charlotte my cousin?’

  Josie’s already white face turned another shade paler at the mention of Charlotte, and she dropped her chin onto her chest and inhaled deeply through her nose, before saying, ‘Stop asking questions and bring me the tin. You’re a child; you don’t need to know the ins and outs of everything.’

  Irritated that her mum was trying to shut her down, like she always did when she didn’t want to answer questions, Holly said, ‘I’m not a child. I’m nearly sixteen.’

  �
��I don’t care how old you are, it’s still none of your business.’

  ‘It is if it involves me.’

  ‘Well, it doesn’t, and I don’t want to talk about it any more, so stop interrogating me and fetch my fucking tin!’

  ‘No.’ Holly defiantly raised her chin. ‘Not until you tell me the truth.’

  ‘You’d better stop this right now,’ Josie warned. ‘I’m your mother, and you’ll do as I say or—’

  ‘Or what?’ Holly cut in, tears of frustration and defiance welling in her eyes. ‘What you gonna do, Mum? Keep me locked up for the rest of my life, not letting me talk to anyone in case they find out what an absolute fucking nutjob you are?’

  Furious that Holly had cursed at her, Josie forgot her pain and, rearing up off the bed, slapped her across the face before grabbing the front of her jumper.

  ‘Don’t you ever dare speak to me like that again, you ungrateful little bitch!’ she yelled, her sour spittle dotting Holly’s face. ‘Everything I’ve done, I did for you, and I won’t have you talking down to me like that whore—’

  She abruptly stopped speaking and clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide and fearful.

  ‘What d’you mean?’ Holly asked, instincts prickling. ‘Who are you talking about?’

  ‘I wasn’t talking about anyone,’ Josie said quietly, swivelling her eyes away. ‘Forget it.’

  ‘You’re lying.’

  ‘No, I’m not. It’s the tablets; they’ve confused me. I need to think.’

  Something clicked in Holly’s mind, and she gasped, ‘Oh, my God, you were talking about that woman in the paper, weren’t you? You did know her.’

  ‘No, I didn’t,’ Josie said sharply, straightening up and taking hold of Holly’s shoulders. ‘Now stop this nonsense and do as you’re told, because we haven’t got much time.’

  Holly jerked free of her and stepped back, suspicion gleaming in her eyes.

  ‘For God’s sake!’ Josie threw her hands up in exasperation. ‘Stop reading things into everything I say!’

  ‘Stop lying to me, then,’ Holly cried. ‘I’m not stupid, and if you don’t tell me what’s going on, I swear to God I’ll leave and you’ll never see me again.’

  ‘No, you won’t, because I won’t let you,’ Josie argued, lumbering after her when she backed out into the hall. ‘You might think you know everything, but you’re just a – Aggh!’

  Her foot caught in some of the clothes on the floor and she went flying, knocking the laundry basket over on her way down. The empty vodka bottles rolled out across the floor, and Holly’s eyes widened in shock when she saw how many there were.

  ‘Don’t look at me like that, you self-righteous little cow,’ Josie hissed, scrabbling to get back on her feet. ‘This is your fault!’

  Holly stared down at the woman who suddenly felt like a stranger, and her life flashed before her eyes. All the times she’d been woken in the middle of the night to be told they had to leave whichever dump they were living in . . . Being forced to change schools mid-term so she always felt like an outsider . . . Her mum getting drunk and talking about things in the past that Holly had no recollection of – then insisting, when she was sober, that she’d never said it, that Holly had imagined it . . .

  Her entire life had been built on secrets and lies, and if she didn’t get out she would end up as crazy as her mum.

  ‘Get back here!’ Josie yelled when Holly darted into her bedroom and grabbed her key and her phone before yanking the front door open. ‘I’m warning you, Holly. HOLLLYYYY . . .!’

  29

  Suzie was sitting at the kitchen table scrolling through Facebook when the doorbell rang, and she frowned when whoever it was immediately started hammering on the small glass pane in the centre of the door. Rob had nipped out to the shops to get cigarettes, but she’d given him a key to get back in so it couldn’t be him. It had to be Holly. And, judging by the panicked knocking, something bad must have happened.

  Hoping it wasn’t too serious, Suzie rushed out into the hall and opened the door. Holly stumbled inside, her face wet with tears.

  ‘She’s been lying to me!’ she cried.

  ‘Who? Your mum?’ Suzie closed the door. ‘About what?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Holly wailed, already beginning to doubt what she’d thought she had figured out. ‘Everything! That – that stuff we saw in the paper . . .’

  ‘About the couple and the child?’

  Holly nodded and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

  ‘What about them?’ Suzie asked, trying not to grimace as she led her into the kitchen.

  Holly slumped down on a chair and dropped her head into her hands. She had been so sure she was onto something back there at the flat, but it now seemed ludicrous.

  ‘Talk to me, hon.’ Suzie squatted down beside the chair and handed her a piece of kitchen roll.

  ‘I think Charlotte might have been my cousin, like you said,’ Holly gulped, swiping her eyes before loudly blowing her nose.

  ‘Did your mum tell you that?’

  ‘No. I asked her, but she went off her head.’

  ‘OK, let me make a brew,’ Suzie said softly. ‘Then when you’ve calmed down, you can go home and try to talk to her again. OK?’

  Holly nodded her agreement, although she didn’t see what good it would do to try and talk to her mum again, because all she would get was more lies.

  Teas made, Suzie sat down and asked Holly to tell her exactly what had happened after she left her the previous night.

  Starting from when she’d sneaked the biscuit tin out of her mum’s room after she’d heard her say the name Charlie in her sleep, Holly explained how she’d googled the names of the murdered couple, curious to know if the missing child had ever been found, and how she’d scrutinized the image of the mother and daughter, hoping to see something that would tell her they were related to her and her mum.

  ‘The mum didn’t look anything like mine, but I thought there was something familiar about the girl, so I thought it might have been the dad who was related to us.’

  ‘That’s possible, I suppose,’ Suzie said.

  ‘I don’t think so,’ Holly said glumly. ‘The way my mum reacted when I asked her about Charlotte made me think she probably had known the mum, but I don’t think they were friends, ’cos she called her a whore. But why’s she got to be so secretive about it? Why won’t she just tell me?’

  ‘The way they were killed was pretty horrendous, so it would have affected your mum if she had known them – even if they hadn’t been particularly close,’ Suzie reasoned. ‘Death has a way of making us forget the bad things people have done, and she might have felt guilty if they’d had a falling out before it happened. That’s probably why she doesn’t want to talk about it. It might be too traumatic for her.’

  Holly shook her head slowly. ‘I don’t think she’s traumatized, I think she’s scared the same thing’s going to happen to her – to us. But it happened years ago, so why would she think that?’

  ‘Did those articles tell you if they ever caught the person who shot them?’ Suzie asked.

  ‘I don’t think so. Why?’

  ‘If she did know them, and she knew the killer was still on the loose, I think it would be natural to be scared that they might come after her, as well,’ Suzie said. ‘Hell, if someone I knew got shot and they didn’t catch the guy, I’d probably want to emigrate.’

  Holly pursed her lips thoughtfully. If Suzie was right, it would certainly explain why her mum was so jumpy all the time. But surely she’d have got over it by now?

  ‘It sounds to me like your mum’s totally stressed out, which is understandable,’ Suzie went on. ‘And drinking while she’s on painkillers will have confused her, so maybe you should lay off with the questions for a bit. Give her a chance to get better before you talk to her about this again.’

  ‘What’s the point?’ Holly replied flatly. ‘She won’t tell me anything. She’ll just say what she always says. “You
’re a child,”’ she mimicked. ‘“And you’ll do as I say, or else!”’

  Before Suzie could reply to that, they heard the scrape of a key in the front door.

  ‘That’ll be Rob,’ she said, standing up.

  ‘Rob?’ Holly’s eyes widened in fear.

  ‘He came round last night to tell me he’s moving to Scotland,’ Suzie explained. ‘He’d had a row with his mum and had nowhere else to go, and it was raining, so I let him sleep on the sofa.’

  ‘You’re not getting back with him, are you?’

  Suzie realized that it must seem odd to Holly that she had let him in after everything he’d done. And she couldn’t blame her, because she’d feel the same if a friend told her they were entertaining a violent ex. But this was different – Rob was different – so she said, ‘No, I’m not, but he’s been working on his temper and I think he deserves a break.’

  ‘I should go home.’ Holly scraped her chair back.

  ‘You don’t have to do that,’ Suzie said.

  ‘You won’t tell him about my mum, will you?’ Holly asked. ‘Please, Suzie. I don’t want anyone to know. They’ll say she’s crazy, and I’ll get taken away.’

  ‘I won’t say anything,’ Suzie assured her. ‘But you’d better put your face straight, or he’ll know something’s wrong and start asking questions.’

  The front door opened and Holly jumped when a blast of cold air circled her ankles. Suzie seemed to think Rob had changed, but Holly hadn’t forgotten the scary way he’d looked at her the first time they’d met, and she was terrified that he might have found out she had helped Suzie to set him up that night.

  ‘Only me,’ Rob called out as he came inside.

  ‘I think I’d best go,’ Holly whispered, rising to her feet.

  ‘Don’t be daft,’ Suzie said, waving for her to sit back down. ‘It’ll be fine, I promise.’

  ‘Sorry I’ve been so long,’ Rob went on. ‘I walked down to the offy to replace that wine we drank last night, and – Hey!’ His voice suddenly changed, and Suzie frowned when he said, ‘Who the fuck are you?’