by Liz Mistry
Pisces is hanging onto Jo Jo’s every word. Desperate to impress. Stupid cow can’t even inhale properly. I lean over and prod her. ‘Stop fucking coughing. You’re going to get us caught.’
She looks at me like she’s only just noticed I’m here. I lean in close. ‘You got the knife. You know your job.’
Her eyes are wide, pupils dilated already. She shakes her head, and I pinch her arm. ‘You have to. It’s your rules.’
I sneak the knife out of my rucksack and slide it across the floor to her. She doesn’t notice my glove. Nobody does.
I nod to Leo, giving her the sign, and she jumps to her feet, light as a feather. ‘Let’s play a game, guys. Hide and seek.’
Everyone moans. They all want to just chillax and get stoned and blasted. But it won’t work then. I need to split them up. Need to direct them.
‘Yeah, let’s play.’ I make a quick assessment and then speak. ‘Karim, you’re it…’ and with a slight nod towards Jo Jo, I give Leo her instructions – Keep Jo Jo occupied.
Pisces is paler than ever, but she’s got the knife in her hand, I can see it outlined through her pocket. She’ll do as she’s told. I grab Zarqa’ and Pisces’ hands and drag them to their feet, running down the steps and off towards the Mogul Gardens. ‘Start counting, Karim.’
Behind me, Jo Jo and Leo head in the opposite direction towards the Botanical Gardens. I keep hold of Zarqa and Pisces, dragging them behind. Zarqa pulls against my grip but Pisces is compliant. ‘Down to the fountains. Quick. He’ll never find us there.’
We’re nearly at the steps, just out of sight of Cartwright Hall CCTV when it happens. ‘Police. Stop where you are.’
I hesitate, only for a second. Gus’ voice, I’d recognise it anywhere. A quick glance at Zarqa tells me she’s recognised it too.
I scream, ‘Knife, knife. She’s got a knife!’ Pisces looks at me, glances around, and then looks down at her hand only then realising that it’s her I’m yelling about.
Zarqa looks at her. ‘Shit, not you? Surely not you?’
It’s better than I could have imagined. I can hear footsteps running towards us and I push Zarqa. She falls sideways, stumbling for a moment before righting herself. I grab Pisces’ arm and wrap it round me, positioning her hand with the knife at my throat. ‘Help, help!’
Then Zarqa’s on her feet and she’s got her hands out in front of her. ‘Take it easy, Claire. You don’t have to do this. Let Mehmoona go!’
But Pisces can’t let me go. I’m holding her arm tight to my neck. I press a little more, letting the knife nick me and the pain when it goes in feels good and as the blood trickles down my neck, I allow my voice to quiver. ‘Help me, Zarqa. Make her stop.’
Zarqa’s looking beyond my shoulder and I know Gus is there. ‘She’s got a knife. She’s already drawn blood.’
‘Okay, okay.’ His voice is low, calming. ‘Let’s just slow down. Put the knife on the ground. Nice and easy.’
I can feel Pisces start to comply. And I can’t let that happen. Zarqa takes a step closer and that seems to waken something in Pisces, and she tries to push me away, but I’m bigger than her. I twist her and propel her towards Zarqa, throwing myself on the ground. It’s like it’s happening in slow motion. Pisces, hand still raised, blade pointing right at Zarqa moves closer and at the same time, Zarqa’s moving to meet her. I smile. It’s going to happen. Right there in front of Gus, Pisces is going to stab Zarqa.
A few things happen at once then and it’s a bit blurry. Thundering footsteps from behind me and a strangled. ‘Nooooo, Zarqa!’
From nowhere, another figure dives towards Zarqa and all three of them are on the floor, blood spurting everywhere, and that bloody dog growling at me.
What an end game. I just hope Leo’s doing her job!
CHAPTER 86
S hadowy shapes combined with unfamiliar night-time noises set Gus on edge. Mehmoona could be behind any of those trees and knowing how personal things had got meant that every rustle was a possible threat. Sticking to the darker areas, Gus made his way down the side of the tennis courts, his eyes darting from side to side, straining through the dark, looking for movement, his ears tuned to distinguish human sound against the inevitable animal activity. He jumped as a fox leapt out of one of the metal bins, dragging a fish and chip wrapper in its teeth and as it ran off, Gus took a moment to still his thudding heart and steady his breathing, before continuing with his search.
He reached the top of the hill past the bowling green before he heard the first indication of human activity; a low laugh, voices. But is it her? He paused, trying to decipher where the sound was coming from. The band stand or farther away? The quiet of the night made sound travel over a longer distance. He crept forward, peering ahead, willing himself to see human figures. But all he could see was the bandstand at the bottom of the slope. He scanned the surrounding area, shapes forming into trees and bushes as his eyes became accustomed to the environment.
As he listened, the voices ebbed and flowed in the night air, punctuated by the odd high-pitched giggle, low male rumblings, and the occasional yelp of a dog, still he wasn’t sure where these sounds were coming from. Was it beyond the bushes towards the boating lake? He repeated the scan, forcing himself to hone in on the darker areas… no movement! Then, from the corner of his eye, he spotted a mass of activity accompanied by voices, louder now… excited. He jerked his head back. A group of amorphous figures stumbled down the steps of the bandstand. They must have been sitting down, out of view. Two of the figures ran towards the Botanical Gardens and Gus hoped Alice would hear them coming. The other three seemed to be heading towards the museum building. Gus ran soundlessly after them.
And as the moon slid from behind a cloud, he saw them clearly silhouetted at the top of the steps leading down to the Mogul Garden. Zarqa! Mehmoona and another girl! His heart hammered. There could only be one reason that they were gathered here in the park and, not bothering anymore to be stealthy, he ran after them, wishing he wasn’t carrying the added weight of the stab vest.
‘Police. Stop where you are!’
One of them yelled, ‘Take it easy, Claire. You don’t have to do this. Let Mehmoona go!’
Not Zarqa! Gus sped up and stopped abruptly. Claire had grabbed Mehmoona and had a knife at her neck. Shit! Have I been wrong? It isn’t Mehmoona?
Mehmoona was in tears. ‘Help me, Zarqa! Make her stop.’
Zarqa looked petrified, her eyes wide and staring straight at Gus, yet she took a step closer. ‘She’s got a knife. She’s already drawn blood.’
There’s nothing he could do. It was too risky, and he lowered his voice, schooled it to be calm, conversational, ‘Okay, okay, let’s just slow down. Put the knife on the ground. Nice and easy.’
Zarqa starts to move closer. What the hell is she doing? Claire threw Mehmoona to the ground and, knife pointing straight at Zarqa, she dived towards her, arm extended and there was blood everywhere.
‘Nooooo, Zarqa!’
Gus lunged forward but before he could reach them, another figure dived into the chaos, pushing knife girl to the ground. A familiar dog pranced around the group, barking. Trixie-Belle?
Desperate to get to Zarqa, Gus dragged the boy off. The two girls lay on the concrete. Zarqa’s hand still wrapped round both the other girl’s and the knife shaft. The blade protruded from Claire’s stomach.
Gus pressed two fingers to her neck and felt a pulse. He glared at Karim. ‘Give me your T-shirt. Now! Somebody phone for an ambulance.’
Zarqa struggled to her feet, her face pale. ‘We left our phones in the bandstand. That was the rule – No phones.’
Relieved that Zarqa was talking and brushing herself down, Gus wanted to gather her up and hug her, but he was too busy bundling up Karim’s T-shirt and wrapping it around the knife. ‘Press down on this.’
As he phoned for an ambulance, uniformed officers appeared, shining their torches on the scene. Trixie-Belle seemingly distraught by the activity
, began yelping loudly. Karim, hands covered in blood, bare-chested, and smelling faintly of vodka, called the dog to him with a nervous glance at the officers. ‘Shit! I’ll be in trouble big time!’
Mehmoona jumped to her feet and ran over to Zarqa. ‘Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You saved my life.’
Gus studied the two girls for a moment. Zarqa shuddered and pulled away from the other girl. Was she being too effusive?
It was then that a scream rent the air. Alice! Gus jumped to his feet and started to run towards the Botanical Gardens, yelling over his shoulder. ‘I need the injured girl accompanied to hospital and the others taken to The Fort. You two with me.’
Raised voices, yelling… but where was it coming from? Swinging his gaze from side to side, welcoming the torchlight of the two officers, Gus searched for movement. Then, another yell. This time from the near side of the boating lake. He increased his pace, running down the hill until he saw two figures standing behind one of the park benches with another two sitting on the bench. Closer now, Gus, by the torchlight, recognised both of the standing figures; Mita and Jo Jo! What the hell! Mita! And as he got closer, he recognised Jerry and Dave on the bench.
Mita had yanked Jerry’s head back and now held a kitchen knife at his throat. Not another fucking knife! Jerry, eyes wide, mouth silently opening and shutting like a stranded fish, hands flailing by his sides, was choking, she was holding him so tightly. Dave, began to turn around but was stilled by her harsh, ‘Stop right there or I’ll do it. You know I will, you smelly old tramp.’
Close enough now, Gus could see that she’d nicked Jerry’s neck. ‘You don’t need to do that, Mita.’ He kept his voice low, almost intimate. ‘You tell me how we can sort this out and I’ll see what I can do.’
He glanced at Jo Jo, who stood slightly behind Mita. The lad’s mouth was slack, his fists clenching and unclenching by his side. ‘Step back, Jo Jo. You need to move away.’
Mita, eyes flashing, flung her head back and released a high-pitched laugh. Gus’ heart sank. Whatever her plan was, negotiation didn’t seem to be part of it. But negotiation wasn’t necessary, for Dave without notice, flung himself to the side and was on his feet. Mita jerked towards him, the knife leaving Jerry’s throat and that was all it took. Dave jumped towards her and with the heel of his palm whacked her under her chin, jerking her head backwards.
Screaming, her hands began to flay, until Jo Jo sprang to action and grabbed her from behind. Gus jumped forward, grabbed her wrist, and twisted until she dropped the knife.
Struggling and squealing, Mita fought as the officers cuffed her and as Gus wondered how the hell they were going to get to the bottom of all of this, Alice arrived from the opposite direction, panting. Gus shook his head. ‘Good job I didn’t need the cavalry.’
SATURDAY
CHAPTER 87
Leo
S till feeling a little bit stoned. Can’t believe it went down like that… not really. Pigs weren’t supposed to be there. Just as well, really. Pisces was getting on my nerves, moaning on all the time… was never sure if she’d be reliable or not… and she stinks. Can’t stand that! Dying for a cig, but they’ve taken them.
The sofa is lumpy. S’pposed to be all child friendly, but in reality, it’s hard and it smells a bit, like someone’d spilled milk on it or something. The walls are covered with photos of big bright animals, grinning at me… no, not grinning… leering. Bastards are taunting me, laughing at me for getting caught. Sooo tired, head’s starting to hurt now too, voddie’s made me dehydrated, and I need to sleep. Could do with a chokkie bar. I giggle. Got the munchies… Maltesers, that’s what I fancy… or a Dairy Milk. Wonder if they still sell Creme Eggs. ‘Can I have some water?’
The pig stares at me, one eyebrow raised… waiting for something else.
I sigh and smile sweetly, fluttering my lashes at her and say in an exaggerated tone, ‘Puleeese.’
I wait until she hefts herself off her immense ass and add, ‘…and a Creme Egg.’
She looks at me like I’m something she’s brought in on her shoe and ignores me. Snooty cow! I glare at her as she waddles to the door and says something to the guard outside. Hope it’s my water she’s asking for and my chocolate. When she turns around, the fat cow leans on the wall beside the door, arms folded under her boobs. What sort of police officer is she? Would like to see her trying to run after a suspect… Thud! Thud! Thud! The dinosaurs are coming! I giggle and stretch my legs out on the couch, resting my head on the arm. Head’s really sore now… I close my eyes. And then…
‘Ahem. Feet!’
Bitch! I ignore her. Keep my eyes shut. I hear her thumping over… Thump! Thump! Thump! Here come the dinosaurs again, still I keep my eyes shut. I can feel her peering over me, some manly perfume hanging in the air, making me feel sick.
‘Feet.’
I want to open my eyes cause I’m feeling a bit giddy now, but I don’t. ‘Yeah, got two of them.’
She inhales, loud and rattley. ‘Take. Them. Off. The. Couch.’
Oooh, Temper! Temper!
Before I have a chance to move, the door opens. Thank God! Gasping for a drink!
‘Mita! Mita! What are they saying about you? Tell us they got it wrong.’
Crap, crap, and crap! Why did they have to bring her here?
I slide my legs round and look up at my mum. She’s all hands fluttering and tears. Looks a mess. Bags under her eyes, stain on her sari. Her face is all scrunched.
I look up at her and smile, deliberately making it reassuring and soft.
Her face smooths over, relief flooding into her eyes and I blurt it out…
‘Pratab was a knob and I killed him.’
A flutter of confusion flits over her face, she takes a step towards me, stops. Her hand drifts up and covers her mouth. ‘Mita! Why would you say that? That’s horrid.’
I stand up, move towards her, and bare my teeth in a snarl. ‘Because it’s true and I would’ve killed the dirty tramp too if I’d had the chance. Truth is, I’d like to kill you too.’ And I lunge for her, but fatty’s there, dragging me back, pinning my hands behind my back, yelling, ‘Help!’
And as I strain against her grip, snarling and spitting at my mum, another officer storms in and drags my mum from the room.
I relax my body, stop fighting. ‘Can I have my Creme Egg now?’
CHAPTER 88
I t had been a long night and an equally long day. Five teenagers at The Fort, one teenager in the BRI, anxious parents, lawyers, a boss who had fallen to pieces and who had become a witness; and Gus was no further in making sense of things. The only thing he could be reasonably sure of was that there would be no more dead teens and no more macabre Snapchats.
Zarqa, Karim, and Jo Jo had provided straightforward accounts of the previous evening and then in the early hours of the morning, Gus had had to break the news to Jo Jo that his mother had died. Jo Jo had nodded once and looked down at the floor. Gus hadn’t known what to do, but Alice spoke to Naila and between them they’d managed to get Jo Jo some breathing space, before any final decisions were made about his future and for now, at least until after his mum’s funeral, he could stay with Mo and Naila. Mo had come clean to the Imam at the mosque and he was prepared to overlook the spray-painting incident, after a sizeable donation from Mo and with only circumstantial evidence linking Zarqa to the offence, no prosecution would be pursued.
The atmosphere was heavy. No one, by the looks of it, had slept well and the reality of the events of the previous night were still sinking in. Gus looked round at his team, which included DCI Nancy Chalmers and Sebastian Carlton. ‘DCS Bashir has taken a leave of absence in the aftermath of last night’s events. She has been cooperative and her statement, while illuminating in some respects, also casts doubts about the finer aspects of the killings. Compo has applied for a court order into the specifics of Mehmoona Bashir’s juvenile record, but in the meantime, DCS Bashir has furnished us with various facts.’
&
nbsp; Gus cleared his throat. The interview by himself and Nancy of their superior officer was heart-rending. He respected the quiet dignity with which Bashir conducted herself throughout, while being incredulous that an experienced officer like herself could be so blind to the truth. He nodded at Taffy to write up the facts. ‘Extrapolating from the interview – the full transcription is in the files – the details are as follows:
‘Mehmoona, in Birmingham, was implicated in instigating a campaign of bullying by a group of her peers which resulted in one girl attempting suicide on three separate occasions and another girl succeeding. The group of girls who perpetrated the bullying all cited Mehmoona as the ringleader, however no direct evidence was found linking her to any of the actual bullying.’
Alice tutted. ‘Hence the sealed juvie file.’
‘Exactly.’ Gus sighed. ‘It seems DCS Bashir pulled in some favours on her daughter’s behalf and relocated to Bradford. She believes that her marriage breakdown and the subsequent estrangement of Mehmoona from her father were contributing factors in the girl’s behaviour.’
Compo spluttered and sent crisps flying across his desk. ‘Loads of kids have bad experiences. They don’t bully other kids to commit suicide and they don’t progress to killing people.’