Broken (31 page)

‘Look, Kathy, it’s OK. Like I told you before, this stops a lot of men from going out looking for kids. Now they can just look at the photos and get off like that. It’s like prostitutes and rape. If there were more prostitutes there’d be less rapes. It’s obvious.’

Kathy didn’t really believe any of it, but she convinced herself she did. When it was convenient she could convince herself of most things.

‘One hour and no more, right?’

The girl grinned, showing even white teeth. ‘Probably sooner. This bloke is a real professional . . .’

Kathy held up a hand in protest. ‘I don’t wanna know, all right? Just get her back soon, she’s hungry.’

Suzy knew better than to push it. She had the child, she had what she wanted, why rock the boat? She left the flat quietly with Rebecca in her arms.

Kathy saw the accusing gaze of her eldest girl and slapped her face hard. Then, giving the child the twenty-pound note, she sent her down the chippy for chips and beans. Soon she’d have them off to bed and indulge in her favourite pastime alone. The thought of oblivion had never been more welcome.

 

Sarah lay in the hospital bed with her husband by her side. He was gripping her small hand in his, tears in his eyes.

‘Stop worrying, Max. I ain’t in labour. I’m fine.’

A large man, he was totally in awe of his dainty wife and her lusty determination to get the best out of life that she could. He adored Sarah, and she adored him. The child she was carrying was like a beacon of hope to him, the end of the long hard road they had travelled towards the good life.

He could not believe another woman could have punched her in the belly like that. It was anathema to him even to consider it. Sarah’s heavy belly was bruised, but the child was fine, the doctors had told them. She had been more frightened and distressed than physically hurt.

‘I keep thinking about that little girl,’ she fretted. ‘I mean, she was really scared, love. Terrified. I don’t believe that woman was her mother.’

‘Well, whoever she was, she’ll get a slap across the face if I ever lay me hands on her.’ His voice was low with menace.

Jenny watched them from the doorway. They made a touching tableau. The expectant parents. She felt a twinge of jealousy at their obvious happiness in each other. The man was holding his wife’s hand as if she was made of fine china.

She stepped into the room with a big professional smile on her face. ‘Mr and Mrs Coltman?’

They looked at her enquiringly.

‘I am Detective Inspector Jennifer Bartlett. But you can call me Jenny.’

They both smiled.

‘I understand you were attacked while witnessing an incident, Mrs Coltman?’

The woman in the bed nodded.

‘I’d been shopping and I’d just got home. We live down Sunny Lane. It’s really quiet there. You know, rural.’ She sighed and took a sip of water. ‘I saw this woman - tall, brown-haired, wearing a light raincoat and jeans. Well, it was really the child I noticed at first. She was a good-looking little kid, with really long thick blonde hair and blue eyes, aged about three. You know how hard it is to tell with kids.’

She was quiet for a moment, remembering. ‘The kid was upset.’

‘Go on, Mrs Coltman.’ Jenny could hear the anguish in the woman’s voice.

‘She was crying, calling out to me. She was shouting, “I want my mummy.” ’

Sarah took another drink of water and her husband fussed around her, making her comfortable.

‘Mr Coltman, could I trouble you to get me a cup of tea?’

He looked at Jenny strangely, then nodded his head.

‘Thank you. White, no sugar.’

As he walked from the room Jenny felt the other woman relax.

‘Thank you for that. Every time I talk about her punching me he gets more and more upset. I think he’d have took it better if it had been a man.’

‘Can you remember anything more about the woman?’

Sarah closed her eyes. ‘She was strong - and I mean strong. The child must have been quite heavy, you know. Yet she ran with her easily until she tripped. The kid was really upset, there’s no way I misconstrued what happened, and when she hit me that woman really packed a punch. I mean, she brought her fist right back and the blow was very hard and painful. I thought it had brought the baby on.’

‘Would you know the woman again?’ Jenny asked.

‘No danger. I’d know her straight off. The kid, though. It’s her that’s bothering me. Have any been reported missing?’

Jenny shook her head. ‘Not locally, no.’

‘I just hope it’s got nothing to do with what’s been happening in Grantley. All those poor children . . .’

Jenny smiled wanly. ‘So do I. Can you remember anything else?’

‘A black saloon was parked in the lay-by as I drove home. Whether they were in that car or not I really don’t know, but I remember seeing it. I think it was a Ford.’

‘When you go home I’ll send someone to take a statement from you, OK? Can you try and think back, see if you can remember anything else that might help us?’

‘I’ll try. But I really don’t think that woman was the mother. That wasn’t a kid playing up to a parent. It was a terrified little girl.’

Sarah looked deep into Jenny’s eyes.

‘I know that woman wanted to hurt me, and I feel sure she was going to hurt that child. Call it female intuition, whatever. But her face was evil. Yet I can’t really picture it in my mind.’

‘Try and rest, Mrs Coltman. When you’re ready, think back over it all. It’s amazing what you recall the next day and the subsequent few days. Meanwhile, I’ll see what I can dig up, eh?’

They smiled at one another.

‘You were very brave to follow her like that, especially in your condition.’

Sarah shrugged. ‘I didn’t really think about it to be honest. I just knew that child needed help.’

‘Well, whoever it is we’ll have them on a serious assault charge to start with. Now you rest and then we’ll see what else you can remember.’

Jenny turned to the man in the doorway. ‘Ah, lovely, a cup of tea.’

She was worried, but it didn’t show.

Kate stood by Patrick’s bedside. It was quiet. All she could hear was the low hissing of the ventilator and the distant movement of the nurses on ICU. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently.

‘Hello, Pat. I’ve missed you so very much. All day I think of you and hope you’re getting better for me.’ She kissed him gently on the forehead and lips. He felt cool to her touch and she wanted to slip into bed with him and warm him with her body heat.

‘My mother sends her love, and Lizzy. She rang from Oz to say she’s rooting for you.’

She leaned closer to him and whispered, ‘I’ve pulled in Jacky Gunner and Joey Partridge. Well, not pulled in. I’ve had Benjamin Boarder put them into hiding until I can get to Boris the Russian. I’ll sort this out for you, my darling, I promise. I should have listened to you. I shouldn’t have been so quick to judge you. I am so sorry, Pat.’

A tear dropped on to his cheek and she watched it roll on to the pillow. It was soon followed by another and another.

‘Whatever it takes, Patrick, I will get to the bottom of everything, OK? But you must get better, darling. You must get better for me.’

She straightened up. There was no response. Only the movement of his eyelids and the endless hissing of the respirator.

Kate felt an urge to rip out her hair with her bare hands, and scream her angst and desperate longing for him to the world. Instead she settled herself by his bed and whispered words of encouragement and love into his ear.

Jacky and Joey looked at their new abode then stared at one another in surprise. They had been blindfolded, trussed up and thrown bodily into a van. They had no idea where they were now.

In actual fact, they were tied up in a small Portakabin on Tilbury docks. They could smell sweat, dirt and urine. On the floor looking up at them were two Rottweilers. On the seat opposite sat a scrawny skinhead with bad breath, bad teeth and bad tattoos of extreme right-wing propaganda.

How this person and Benjamin had become friends was a mystery they didn’t even want to contemplate.

The boy scratched his arm. He had a flea bite on one of his swastikas and rubbed at it furiously. One of the dogs gave a low growl and the boy kicked out at it with his officer-booted foot.

‘Shut up, Bessie. You know you can’t be fed when you’re working.’ He glanced apologetically at the two men. ‘If they have to attack you, I prefer them to do it on an empty stomach. Makes the attack quicker and cleaner, like. Once I set them on this bloke and they’d eaten a great big dinner. Took them ages to do any real damage, see. I felt sorry for the bloke meself.’ He began to roll a cigarette and the two dogs settled down once more.

Jacky Gunner looked around the cramped space. ‘Do you live here?’ he asked, genuinely curious.

The boy, whose name was Colin, laughed. ‘Nah . . . live with me mum, I do. This is a shithole we use for dog baiting and attacks. That’s what the horrible smell is. Dog-piss and blood. I fight these two, see, they’re proper bastards. I bred the mother and the son and, fuck me, they’re a mean pair of puppies they are! I have to feed them separate like or they fight for the meat. Yet once they’re working, like all dogs they’ll fight as a team. More than one dog is a pack, see. Do either of you keep dogs?’

He seemed really interested and Jacky and Joey both realised they were in the presence of a complete head case.

Jacky shook his head. ‘Slept with a few, though.’

The boy screamed with laughter and the two dogs jumped up to see what was occurring. Their handler slapped them back down to the floor viciously and the dogs cowered, trying to lick his hand.

‘I love dogs meself - the canine variety, I mean. Though my bird looks a bit suspect until I’ve had a skinful. She’ll be here later to bring me some supper. I’ll blindfold you while we shag. Have to observe the niceties, eh? Pity, really, she has fucking big tits. Not ashamed to flash them off either.’

The two men listened in open amazement.

‘Has Benny-Boy explained the situation to you both by any chance?’

They shook their heads and the boy sighed heavily.

‘Nor to me. But that’s him all over. Nice bloke, though. All I know is, if you try anything I’m to let the dogs have you.’

He grinned. ‘By the way, look at this, just in case you get any ideas.’

He opened the door and a blast of cool sweet air rushed in - along with about seven other dogs, Rottweilers and Dobermanns. He laughed at their fear, a high-pitched cackling laugh that seemed to come from deep within his bowels.

A few minutes later the door was closed, the smell was once more overpowering and the boy was rolling himself another cigarette.

It was going to be a long, long night.

 

Kathy Collins looked at Suzy with fear mingled with respect.

‘Please, Suzy. Where’s me little girl?’

Suzy smiled reassuringly. ‘She’s fine. Now look, here’s a couple of ton.’ She peeled off ten twenty-pound notes from a roll on her coffee-table and passed them to Kathy with a smile. ‘You have a spend up, and I’ll have her home by tomorrow - OK?’

Kathy took the money. ‘Is she all right?’

Suzy looked angry. ‘Of course she’s all right, stupid. Have I ever hurt your kids?’ She was peeved, upset. As if she was being accused of something bad and was going to lose her temper at any moment.

‘I’m sorry, Suze. But you said she was only going for a little while . . .’

Suzy rolled her eyes at the ceiling in consternation. ‘Do you know something, Kathy? You fucking amaze me. I am a mate, and yet you don’t trust me.’

Kathy was distressed. ‘Of course I trust you, but I want me girl home now. She has been gone ages.’

Suzy lit a joint and blew the smoke out through her loose lips.

‘Take your money, keep your fucking trap shut and give it a rest, OK? She is being well looked after. Now
go home
.’