The Girls Next Door

by Mel Sherratt

She could rush him as he came through the door the next time.

  With that thought, and knowing it would occupy her mind through the long night, she began to nibble at the tape again.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Still a little shaken up after the recent confrontation at the supermarket and the visit from the police, Maxine closed the curtains, shutting out the night. It was nearing 10 p.m. and she wanted to watch a film that she had seen advertised, if only to take her mind off things.

  She’d been half expecting journalists to be camped outside the door when she got home. They had been quite intrusive after Katie had been arrested, and they hadn’t left the family alone for a few weeks afterwards. Maybe they wouldn’t start until Monday, once the trial was underway.

  She glanced at herself in the mirror above the fireplace before she sat down again. She seemed to have aged so much during the past six months, absorbing all the grief, the pain, the anger, the fear for her daughter and for her family. At least she had the weekend off.

  Maxine had worked at Brightware Superstore since her teens. Her first Saturday job had been four hours a day on the tills covering Christmas, then more hours while she was at college until eventually she had stayed on full-time.

  She’d taken time off when Katie was born and then had gone back to working thirty hours a week in the staff canteen. Being away from the general public was fun and, as well as the usual office politics, she got to hear all the gossip. It had suited her just fine until she had been the one being gossiped about. Some colleagues had stood by her, some hadn’t.

  In situations such as these, you certainly got to know who your friends were. She remembered having things chalked up on her locker: murdering scum, killer daughter. The culprit had never been caught, causing her distress because she still didn’t know who had wanted to hurt her. It wasn’t her fault that Katie had got involved with the wrong crowd. She’d warned her often enough – hoped Matty wouldn’t follow in the same footsteps. Hoped this would be enough of a warning to keep him on the straight and narrow.

  Maxine would never forget the look of terror on Katie’s face as she was led into the dock alongside the three boys. Katie’s face had been red and puffy from crying, and it had taken all her strength not to jump over the chairs and go and give her daughter a hug. She looked dreadful, obviously not having had any sleep. And who could blame her? She didn’t know what she would be waking up to – a living nightmare for sure.

  Over the months since Katie had been placed into the care of Ashcroft House, Maxine had Googled every case on joint enterprise they could find. There were so many teenagers locked up for crimes they had only been witness to, or been dragged into rather than look stupid in front of their peers. Of course most had been guilty but wrong place, wrong time was definitely a truth here.

  Some of the stories were horrific, yet some had gangs of teens being put away for the act of one of them. And in this case, Maxine firmly believed, knowing Katie the way she did, that there was no malice intended. She had only been dating Nathan Lucas for a couple of weeks. So, as much as she realised lots of people under the common law of joint enterprise deserved to be charged, there were some innocent people too. And she’d had to shield her daughter from the facts.

  There were so many teenagers’ mums talking online. In the beginning, she had emailed a few mothers for advice. It had broken her heart as she had read their stories. She hadn’t told Phil. He would be mortified that she had gone outside the family. Even Laura wasn’t enough. She didn’t understand. These mothers did – they were doing exactly the same as she was.

  But as well as the support offered, she’d had to listen to their thoughts about their individual cases, their trials, the lesser charges that had been thrown out and longer sentences administered because some had pleaded not guilty.

  Going to see a solicitor had been traumatic, but she’d had to look out for her daughter. She needed to do what was best for Katie, even if she had to go through a lot of heartache to stop herself from drowning in despair. She wouldn’t give up hope that Katie would be allowed to come home. Hope was all she had now.

  Phil came into the room and handed her a glass of wine before sitting next to her on the settee.

  ‘I thought you might need this,’ he said, his look solemn.

  Maxine’s smile was faint as she took it from him. They didn’t drink much in the house. They’d share a glass or two during the week, perhaps have the odd bottle if the weather was warm and they were sitting out in the garden, or if it was a celebration, a special occasion or a birthday treat. Spirits were drunk mostly around Christmas. Both of them had grown up with parents who liked their drink a little too much.

  They’d built a stable marriage around looking out for each other and had been so happy when Katie had come along and made them into a family. When Matty had followed six years later, a mistake at first but one they had come to relish, their family and their happiness had been complete.

  But, like any other family unit, one tiny thing had torn them apart and smashed all their hopes and dreams to smithereens. One night, six months ago, their daughter had been locked up for a crime she hadn’t committed.

  Phil looked tired too, with bags under his eyes and unusually pale skin. Matty was turning out to be his double, with his dark hair and deep brown eyes, which sparkled a little less than usual. It was sad to see him under as much stress as she was.

  Maxine leaned against him for a moment.

  ‘We’ll bring her home,’ he whispered into her hair. ‘They have no right to keep her locked up.’

  Katie’s solicitor had told them to expect the worst and that they would go on to fight afterwards. Maxine wished she shared her husband’s optimism, but being a pessimist at heart meant that she kept her feet firmly on the ground and wouldn’t allow herself to feel hopeful in case Katie didn’t come home. The likelihood of the judge making an example of all four teenagers in the group seemed a foregone conclusion. This was a case where a young girl had been murdered. A judge might think it had something to do with peer pressure, rivalry, jealousy maybe.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ he said.

  ‘Numb, I guess. I’m not sure I want Monday to come, but I can’t wait for it to be over too.’

  Phil reached for her hand, gave it a quick squeeze. ‘I feel numb too, and apprehensive, wondering what’s going to happen, and what will happen to us if she doesn’t come out. What her sentence will be. What repercussions we’ll have if she’s acquitted. Either way, we’ll be there for her.’ He paused. ‘She will come home, won’t she, Max?’

  Tears glistened in his eyes as he pleaded with her to say the words he needed to hear. But she couldn’t say them. She just couldn’t.

  ‘I – I hope so,’ she settled for.

  They sat in silence for a few minutes, each with their own thoughts.

  ‘I wonder how she’ll be this weekend.’ A tear dropped down her face. ‘I wish you would come with me to see her.’

  Phil stroked her hand. ‘She needs her mum, not some dad who can’t cope with seeing his little girl locked up. Besides, I can look after Matty.’

  ‘Why did we let her go out that night?’ Maxine said suddenly. ‘If we had grounded her, then she would have been safe at home—’

  ‘Grounded her for what? We’ve been over this before. She’s a good kid. We brought her up to be respectful. She just got into a scrape with the wrong crowd.’

  ‘Do you really believe that? She’s not innocent of everything.’

  ‘I know, but you heard what the police said. They know the good kids and the bad kids around the area, and Katie wasn’t known to them – well, apart from Eden because we know her through Laura. Nathan Lucas was known to them all. And Katie was told to keep her mouth shut by Nathan. What would you have done, especially after your recent encounter with Travis Barker?’

  That last thought silenced Maxine. What would she have done in Katie’s place? When she knew someone was dying and she was being to
ld not to say anything or else she would get it next? Travis had frightened her so much in a couple of minutes, and he had only crowded her space really.

  ‘We have to stay strong,’ Phil added.

  Maxine nodded.

  The next few weeks were going to be hell for them all. There would be intrusions from every media. There would be newspaper journalists and press officers to fend off. There would be more visits from the police. But at least they would get to see Katie.

  Phil sniffed and pulled his hand away from hers as he went back into normal mode. He gave a weak smile. ‘The last time I wore a suit was at your sister’s wedding. How much fun was that!’

  Maxine laughed, recalling the fight that had broken out just after the wedding. ‘I remember the look on my mum’s face as her hat got knocked off and ended up being squashed under the wheels of a Post Office van!’

  ‘And that was without your brother being around to cause an atmosphere.’

  It was Maxine’s turn to have tears in her eyes. ‘Family,’ she spoke quietly. ‘You can’t pick ’em but you sure as hell will defend them to the hilt.’

  Katie – April 2015

  Dear Mum,

  You have to get me out of here. I can stick with it for a couple of nights until you can get me home again, but I’m not guilty of anything. Being escorted to a car and being made to sit in the back knowing that I was going to be taken away from you and Dad and Matty was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me. I wanted to scream, but I didn’t have one left in me.

  I’ve been charged with murder and sent to a secure unit until the trial starts on 12 October. How did this happen? I was so sure I would be going home today after being locked up in a prison cell for the past two days.

  When I went in front of the judge, I thought they’d realise their mistake and send me home. Not the boys, because they are guilty of attacking Deanna. And Nathan is guilty of murder. He’s the one who stabbed Deanna. But I tried to stop him, and I tried to help Deanna, but I couldn’t save her. I was nowhere near her when Nathan stabbed her. And he didn’t stab Deanna – he thought it was Travis.

  How are her family? I bet they are so sad. I won’t be able to go to the funeral now so will you say sorry to Mrs Barker for me? I wanted to say sorry in person, even though I didn’t do anything wrong. She was a nice girl, Deanna. I didn’t mix with her much, but she would hang around the shops and the park with us every now and again. She was much cooler than me and Jess, but don’t tell Jess I told you.

  What’s going to happen to me now? How long will I have to be in the secure unit before someone will realise this is all a mistake? I’m so scared. I don’t know anyone. You know I don’t make friends easily.

  I keep crying all the time, remembering the look on your face, and Dad’s too, when the judge remanded us all. I shouted to you to help me, but I knew you couldn’t. But this isn’t right.

  What will it be like in prison, Mum? I don’t know what to expect.

  God, I’m in deep shit, and it isn’t even my fault.

  Love Katie x

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  By 11 p.m., Jess had bitten through about an inch of the tape. It wasn’t enough to pull her hands apart, for it to split, but it was enough to give her the incentive to keep going.

  She wondered what would be happening at her house right now. Would the police have been called or would her mum have to wait for twenty-four hours before she could be reported missing? That’s what she’d seen on the television, on news appeals that she’d watched. Maybe teenagers run away every morning on a regular basis and turn up back at home when they’re hungry or need a bed again. She hoped Eden would be able to persuade them that this was serious. What would happen to her if they left it too long?

  She thought of Cayden too. She hoped he’d rung Sarah or called at her house to see where she was, alert them to the fact she was missing. If he didn’t then no one would look for her until now.

  No, Sarah would have told her mum that she hadn’t come home when she was back from her shift at CrisisChat. Mum would most probably curse and think she had stayed out late deliberately, but she would wait up for her. About midnight she would start to worry. She would call Eden soon. Eden would know what to do.

  The police wouldn’t know where to look for her though.

  She glanced around the room again, trying not to panic. Why was it decorated like this? Was it in readiness for something? Would other men come into the room?

  Was she being held for the weekend so that she could be trafficked out of the country? She knew it was possible – she’d just done a project on it at school. They’d been told to research something on the Internet. It had fascinated her at the time. It scared the shit out of her now. Tears burned her eyes again. She wasn’t strong enough to get through this.

  Questions, questions, questions.

  Why had he chosen her?

  Where was she?

  Would he harm her?

  She hoped he wouldn’t make her do anything to him – or worse, rape her. She began to cry at the thought.

  Stop it, Jess, she chastised herself. You need to stay strong.

  She bit at the tape again to take her mind away from the dark thoughts. Think of happy things – holidays and nights out with friends. Hanging around at the park with the girls. Making sure she didn’t spend too much of her hard-earned cash on things that would rouse suspicion. She loved going out with Cayden. It was exciting. Now, every time she was with him was more fun than the last, and she wasn’t talking about sex. She found their job far more exhilarating. They were like a real live Bonnie and Clyde.

  If she thought about that, about getting out of here to continue to make more money, she would get through this. He shouldn’t scare her that much.

  She started on the tape again.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  As Laura drove home through the rain that was still coming down heavily, she wondered if Jess had gone against her wishes and stayed over at Stacey’s house. It didn’t worry her that she was staying there. Laura liked Stacey and she got on well with her mum, so safety wasn’t an issue. And Jess was sixteen so she could look after herself to a point. But she wouldn’t let her youngest get the upper hand. Laura let her get away with some things, let her push her to the limit, but there had to be boundaries. And if Jess had stayed out, without ringing her, just sending a text and then not answering her phone, well, she was going to ground her for the weekend when she got home tomorrow.

  The wind nearly blew her into the house as she grappled to put her key in the front door. Once inside, it was quiet. The light was on in the living room, but she found it empty.

  ‘Sarah?’ She walked into the kitchen, but there was no one in there either. Upstairs, Sarah’s bedroom door was ajar and Laura was surprised to see her asleep under the covers. Usually she waited up for her, especially on a Friday, but tonight she was flaked out.

  She sighed when she looked in Jess’s bedroom to find it empty of her daughter. She sent another message, telling her to come home as soon as she was up in the morning.

  A text message came back before the kettle had boiled.

  Will do. Night mum. Love you. Jx

  Laura couldn’t help but smirk. She could just imagine Jess in her jim-jams, tucked up in bed with Stacey watching a scary movie. Jess stayed over at Stacey’s house so often that she kept a spare pair of pyjamas there, just in case. She bet they’d have crisps and pop and all sorts of other things that were delicious but no good for them.

  In the living room she switched the television on low and sank into the settee with a satisfied sigh. It was good to be home, despite the trials of the night. It hadn’t stayed quiet for too long. She’d had two teenagers on, talking about Katie Trent’s trial and what would happen to their friends.

  It was hard to listen to someone talk about something when she knew the people involved. She couldn’t stop doing her job just in case someone she knew rang up, but two in one night was a bit much
. These kids were hurting, scared that it could have happened to them. Everyone wanted to see Katie back. She could only hope that their prayers would be answered, although it definitely went against the grain to release her after such a hideous crime had been committed.

  She remembered bumping into Lulu Barker two weeks after the murder. She’d tried to send her condolences, but Lulu had turned on her, saying her husband had left her because of what had happened. Lulu hadn’t cared that people had turned to stare.

  Laura had been mortified but at the same time tried to understand what it must be like to lose a child at such a young age and in such tragic circumstances.

  Grief was a strange thing, manifesting itself in many ways. She might have done the same thing if it had been Jess. Lulu’s anger had to come out somehow, and that day it had been her turn to get the brunt of it.

  Still, at least Jess was alive, and safe and sound, even if she wasn’t tucked up in her own bed.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  He woke with a start. He’d fallen asleep on the settee, the bottle of whiskey on his chest. He glanced around the room – the emptiness was still depressing, but he couldn’t be bothered to do anything about it.

  It was 4 a.m. The television was on. Was it that he’d heard? He ran a hand over his head before reaching for the remote control. He muted the sound and listened.

  Nothing.

  He wondered if the girl was asleep. Would she be able to sleep? Did he even care if she slept or not as long as she stayed quiet?

  He flipped off the coat he’d covered himself in and went to the top of the stairs. He listened – nothing.

  Was she sleeping?

  ‘Are you okay in there?’ He knocked on the door.

  No reply.

  ‘I said are you okay in there?’ He knocked again.