by Mel Sherratt
Still no reply.
He paced outside on the landing. She must be asleep.
But then he remembered what had happened to his daughter.
It was her fault.
He needed to stay sober, keep his wits about him. If he hadn’t drunk so much, he wouldn’t have woken up in a panic.
He went back downstairs to pick up the whiskey bottle. It was nearly empty. At least he had no more of the strong stuff. He had a few bottles of lager in the fridge. That would tide him over until Monday.
Someone needed to be punished for the death of his daughter. He had to bide his time until he could put the next part of his plan into action.
He picked up a photo frame again, sat looking at the image in front of him, getting angrier by the minute. A beautiful young and vibrant girl smiled back at him.
How he missed his daughter. She had meant everything to him. She was his life and now he was left with nothing. Except pain and hurt and anger and rage burning inside him.
He’d always wanted a girl and had felt blessed when she’d finally come along. She had always been a daddy’s girl, a breath of fresh air. He ran a finger over the glass. She had his eyes and her mother’s full lips, curled into a smile that lit up her face.
A tear escaped as he tried to remember the last time he had seen her face. He missed her so much. He couldn’t breathe without her. Couldn’t exist without her. And no one understood how he felt.
But she would soon.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Behind the door, Jess sat frozen, her hand clasped over her mouth in case she made a sound. Moments later, she breathed a sigh of relief when she heard footsteps going down the stairs.
She thought she’d bitten through enough of the tape to make an impression. She pushed her wrists out as far as they would go, wider and wider, but the tape wouldn’t give. She’d been nibbling for hours, taking breaks in-between to stop her lips from drying out too much.
She took another breather, her shoulders drooping. She had to get through the tape. There wasn’t much time left until morning. Her thoughts turned to Katie. Her friend had been locked up like this for six months. She hadn’t realised how hard it would be for her. Jess had often wondered why Katie had been so low when she had visited. She remembered telling her to get a grip and just get on with things, but now she felt completely embarrassed about it. Even being here for a few hours had been torture, and Katie had been put there by the law.
She had to pee. Although she hadn’t had much to drink, it had been ten hours at least since she had last been. She’d been trying not to think about it for ages. Looking at the bucket, she couldn’t imagine being able to do anything with her hands tied. But she had crossed her legs long enough.
What happened if she made a noise and he came running in while she was half naked? She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out. Just the thought of what he might do to her was enough to set her off again. But she needed to stay calm.
She took a few deep breaths and sat up, pressing her feet quietly to the floor. She pulled her hands apart again, but still the tape wouldn’t loosen.
She stood up and took a step towards the bucket. The floorboard creaked underneath the carpet and she stood statue still. But she couldn’t hear anything. She took another few steps until she was level with the bucket. Then she moved her hands to her button. That was easy enough to do, along with unzipping her jeans.
With great effort, she managed to inch the jeans and knickers down each side. It took her a while, the thought of him coming in now enough to stop her flow of urine completely.
She stooped over the bucket, crying silent tears as she prayed he hadn’t heard her moving around. Suddenly urine began to come out, and she almost cried with relief. She finished and, with nothing to wipe herself on, began the task of shimmying her clothes back into place.
Getting back to the bed, she collapsed on top of it with the sheer effort. It had been harder than she’d expected to do that with her hands tied. It had also been one of the most humiliating things she had ever done, and she wondered what else he had in store for her. She stared at the bucket, an idea forming.
She crawled under the covers as best as she could and tried to get some sleep. Her mouth was sore and her lips were dry. Even if she got a couple of hours, she needed to rest.
And then she was getting out of here.
Saturday 10 October 2015
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Eden took a sip of her coffee as she sat at the kitchen table. She smiled, still feeling the afterglow of sex from the night before. That was one good thing about a fledgling relationship. Joe hadn’t stayed the night though. She’d pushed him out of bed shortly after 3 a.m. She always blamed Casey not being too sure about the relationship, but it was as much her as well.
So now it was 8.15 a.m. and she was alone. Knowing Casey, she would get up later that morning, grab tea and toast and slope back to bed again, read a magazine, chat to her friends on the phone and stay in her jim-jams for as long as possible. She couldn’t blame her really.
Eden envied her in a way too. She’d enjoyed nothing better than doing that at the weekend when she was younger with no responsibilities. And at least Casey had come home on time last night. She was a good girl really. She didn’t have to worry about her like Laura had to worry about Jess. It was why she had always kept a lookout for her niece whenever it was possible.
She lifted the fridge magnet in the shape of a red high heel and clipped the note she’d written underneath it, hoping that at least some of the jobs listed on it would be done by the time she got home. Joe was coming round again that evening, and she wanted the place to look tidy at least. She wanted to cook him something nice – though Lord knew what and it would have to be a cheap affair. It would involve a trip to the supermarket that afternoon for inspiration as well as supplies.
If she didn’t need the money, she wouldn’t be going in for extra hours. But having been a single parent for over two years now, every additional penny earned went towards something she could share with Casey or buy for her. She wanted to provide for her daughter as much as any parent and to make up for her father walking out on them both.
She ran her fingers through her hair, wondering whether to wear her tam or not. The weather outside the kitchen window was looking as awful as it had been the night before, Storm Monica still doing its worst. So, although she loved any excuse to wear it, she very much doubted it would even stay on.
So far, October had been a washout. Eden wondered if they might have a good cold snap this winter, with snow and ice to kill the flu germs. Last year had been pretty dire for her, catching two bouts of the nasty stuff and having to drag herself into work. It hadn’t been a good idea, especially when Eden had then given it to her colleagues too.
She glanced at her watch to see she’d have to get a move on if she wanted to be in the office for nine. She slipped back upstairs to get her boots. It was definitely the weather for Doc Martens with her skinny black trousers, something she could get away with only at the weekends when she was doing overtime.
As she passed Casey’s bedroom, she noticed through the open door that her daughter was sitting up in bed. She tapped on it to get her attention. The room was a double and Casey had managed to cram it with as much stuff as possible. An overflowing bookcase, drawers with clothes sticking out of them, clothes hanging on the wardrobe handles and over a small chair, a shelf full of teddy bears dating back over the years. You could just about make out a colour scheme of duck egg blue and cream underneath all the bright flashes of colour.
To Eden it looked like a tip. To Casey it would be organised chaos. But then again, she and her sister had been the same at her age, and they’d had to share a room until Laura had left home when she married Neil.
‘Casey, I’m off now,’ she said. ‘All being well, I’ll be home by lunchtime. I’ve left you a list of jobs to do downstairs.’
Casey tutted. ‘I’m not a skivvy.’
‘I
agree, but you do want those shoes you saw last week, don’t you?’
Casey sighed. ‘Okay, okay.’
‘Joe is coming round this evening. I’m not sure if Emma will be with him or not – I doubt it after the fuss you two caused the last time you met.’
‘Thank God for that,’ muttered Casey.
‘Give me a break,’ said Eden. ‘I do my best.’
Casey seemed to relent. ‘Sorry.’
‘Do you realise how lucky you are to have the house to yourself all Saturday morning? Your gran used to hoover around me and your aunt Laura when we wouldn’t get up. Always before nine a.m. and always in our room first!’
‘I can just imagine her in a pinny and you two shoving your head under the covers at the noise.’ Casey giggled.
‘She hated me and Laura playing The Jam all the time. She’d say, “Turn that bloody nonsense down. You wouldn’t hear that sort of thing in my day.”’
‘That’s what you say to me now!’
Eden smiled. They were so alike, with long limbs, fair skin and brown eyes. Casey’s hair was long to her short, but it was as if she was looking down at the girl her mother had harassed with the hoover many years ago. Casey was almost overtaking her in height, especially when she wore the most ridiculous of heels. It was lovely to see her growing up, and yet, in a way, Eden would rather she kept her youth. Often the world was cruel and dark.
‘I’m on my phone if you need me.’ She leaned over and kissed Casey’s forehead. Surprisingly, Casey didn’t move away. ‘Behave yourself if you have friends over. I don’t mind as long as the jobs are done and no one upsets the neighbours.’
‘Bye, Mum!’ Casey shooed her out of the room.
Going down the stairs, Eden wondered if she was doing the right thing for her girl. She wanted Casey to have a good start in life, and she was sorry in her heart that her lowlife scum father had walked out on her when she was barely fourteen, turning his back on them both completely. Just like her and Laura, it had made the two of them into a tight unit, and Eden knew she was lucky to have her. As children go, Casey wasn’t half as bad as some of the kids she had to work with. Not bad at all.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jess woke. Her eyes flitted around the room, unfamiliar with the surroundings. When she realised where she was, tears welled up. How could she have drifted off to sleep when she was in so much danger?
Now she was awake, she began to tear at the tape again. Her mouth was sore, her lips were dry but she kept at it, convinced she would get through it before he came back to her.
She pulled on her hands, feeling the tape give a little more. There was only half a centimetre left now but the more she pulled it, the more the sticky side glued together. She took a quick thirty-second break, drank the last mouthful of the disgusting tea she’d been sipping all night and bit into it again.
She focused on things that made her happy as she attacked the tape. How she would give Cayden the biggest kiss when she saw him. How pleased her mum would be to see her home – and Sarah too – and how much she would hug them both. She thought about Eden and how she would have the whole force out looking for her. They would all be working hard to find out where she was. She had a whole army behind her.
She ripped apart a little bit more of the tape and again pulled her wrists wide. She didn’t have much energy, but she carried on pulling, groaning inwardly. And then all her hard work paid off as the tape gave way. She tore at it, pulling it away completely from her hands.
She sat for a moment, waiting, listening. She was sure he would have heard her, even though she knew she had made no noise. She rubbed her hands together, clenching her fingers and rolling her wrists a few times to ease their stiffness. Then she shimmied to the end of the bed and listened again. Nothing.
She tiptoed across the room. A floorboard creaked and she froze. But still nothing. She wasn’t sure why she was expecting him to come clattering through the door to tie her up again, but she wanted to be ready when he did.
Quietly, she opened the top drawer of three and rummaged around. There was a pile of T-shirts, ironed and folded up neatly on one side, and knickers and socks on the other. They were all girls’ clothes. Whose were they?
She grimaced as she searched around. It wasn’t nice going through someone’s personal belongings. Even though everything was clean, it felt wrong, like she was invading someone’s personal space. She searched through them all, looking for something, anything. She checked the middle drawer and then knelt down to rummage in the bottom one.
It took a lot of effort to be quiet, as she wanted to scream out in frustration. But she didn’t want to alert him to the fact that she was awake. It had taken her hours to rip through that tape with her mouth, and if she didn’t get out of the room, it would all be for nothing.
She bent her head down and looked underneath the unit, but there was nothing there either. She turned her head towards the bed. In the far corner there was a shoebox. She reached for it and pulled it out. Sitting on the bed again, she removed the lid.
It was full of mementos. A tiny white teddy bear holding a good-luck sign. A ticket to see Little Mix in concert. A bracelet with charms on it. She picked out a notebook, Keep Calm and Eat Chocolate on its front, and flicked through the pages. There were a few notes about calories and how many it took to walk to the shops and to school. How many calories in an apple, a slice of bread.
Where was the girl, she wondered? This was clearly her room. And then her mind went into overdrive. Her hand clasped over her mouth as she tried not to vomit. He’d kept her here, hadn’t he? And he must have killed her. And if he had, he wouldn’t think twice about doing it again.
She tried not to hyperventilate, pushing back her tears. She had to keep her wits about her. Her mum said she had an old head on young shoulders. Now was the time to prove it.
She slid the box back under the bed and opened the wardrobe door, wincing as it creaked. She waited, not moving, but there was still no sound from downstairs. There were clothes, things she would wear herself – skinny jeans, long-sleeved T-shirts, leggings and jumpers.
In a bag at the bottom was a load of old make-up. Her hand fell onto a small can of hairspray and she almost laughed out loud. Then there was a brush. She grasped it by the handle and wondered how much it would hurt if she hit out with it.
It was just past nine in the morning. Someone would be looking for her by now. She needed to keep that thought in her mind, stay hopeful that someone would find her.
If she wanted to go home, she had to keep her fear at bay.
Chapter Thirty
Laura put the iron back onto the board with a sigh. This wasn’t really the way she wanted to spend her Saturday mornings, but even though Jess did lots of jobs around the house, she still didn’t trust her to iron her school uniform after she’d singed several items.
Five white shirts later and she reached for one of her own blouses. She’d booked Monday off work and was going to court with Maxine and Phil, and she wanted to look smart. The last time she had worn a suit was at her uncle’s funeral two years ago. Amazingly she could still fit in it when she tried it on. So adding a more fashionable, coloured blouse it looked decent enough.
There were only two items of Sarah’s so she ran the iron over them and switched it off to cool. She checked her phone to see if Jess had replied, but there was nothing. If she didn’t contact her soon, she would ring Stacey’s mum. Jess would be annoyed, but it would serve her right for being in a mood for something or other. They had parted on good enough terms after their last conversation.
Maybe she realised that she would be in trouble when she got home for not asking her in person. Maybe she was playing it cool. Knowing Jess she would stroll into the house soon, without a care in the world, and she’d moan at her, and then things would go back to how they were before.
Sighing impatiently, she sent her a curt message this time, asking her to ring her straightaway.
‘Morning, M
um,’ Sarah said, joining her in the kitchen. She covered her mouth with her hand as she stifled a yawn.
‘Morning, love. You heard the kettle, I presume? Tea?’
‘Thanks. I’ve got time for a quick one before I leave.’ Sarah pulled out a chair to sit down at the table.
‘Going shopping?’
‘Yes, there’s a blue-cross sale on.’
Laura reached for two mugs before turning back to Sarah. ‘Did Jess tell you that she’d arranged to stay over at Stacey’s last night?’
Sarah shook her head. ‘She said she was going to Cayden’s house. She told you that, didn’t she?’
Laura nodded. ‘Then she sent me a message last night to say she was staying with Stacey. I haven’t been able to get hold of her since.’
‘Her phone is off?’ Sarah frowned. ‘That’s not like Jess.’
‘No, her phone is on. I tried to call her back as soon as she sent the message, but it rang out. I’ve just sent her another message.’
‘I wonder if she fell out with Cayden and went to Stacey’s instead? The course of true love and all that.’
Laura smiled, remembering back to some of the angst from her teenage years. ‘Yes, hardly ever runs smooth.’ She glanced at the clock. ‘I’ll give her ten minutes and then I’ll try her again.’
Chapter Thirty-One
Once in the office, Eden threw her keys onto the desk. Coffee first and then head down. She could do so much if she wasn’t disturbed. First she logged on to her computer to check the jobs that had come in from the night before. Technically she was here to catch up on paperwork, but she always liked to know what was going on.
As she looked over the actions that she and her team had been allocated, she noticed there had been three more attacks, one reported after another. Two teenage girls and a boy. The report mentioned the names of kids she knew. Eden frowned. Was something about to kick off?