Somewhere to Hide (The Estate, Book 1) (35 page)

‘What? You mean…?’ Jess shook her head vehemently. ‘She won’t be dead. She can’t be! She’s just injured, that’s all. She’ll be okay.’

‘I hope so, Jess,’ said Cathy. ‘I really hope so.’

Andy walked up to Cathy’s front door with a heavy heart. His shift had finished over an hour ago but it was what he’d seen during those hours that was playing on his mind. He really wanted to go home but he couldn’t until he’d been to see Cathy and Josie. They were the only people that knew Liz well.

Cathy opened the front door before he got to it. He walked in silence through to the kitchen where they joined Josie.

Andy gulped as he looked from one to the other. ‘She made it but barely,’ he said quietly. ‘Her prospects are good if she can fight everything but it’s still touch and go.’

Cathy held on to the edge of the worktop as she felt her legs go weak. Josie looked away unable to speak.

‘It seems McIntyre drove her to Finlay Place and assaulted her. Then he must have dragged her out of sight. There was no way she could have got to where she was with the injuries she had.’ Andy reached out a hand. ‘Sit down, Cathy, before you collapse.’

‘She fought back,’ he continued once they were sat around the table. ‘There are defence wounds on her arms, and her face has some vicious bruising appearing around her eyes. But the main damage was to her torso. She was found with a deep stab wound to her stomach. I might as well tell you now as you’ll probably hear it in the
news tomorrow. The doctors have done all they could – she was in there for four hours – but it’s up to her now.’

‘We should have done more,’ Josie whispered.

‘We couldn’t have done anything else.’

‘Can we see her?’ Cathy looked up through eyes that glistened with tears.

‘I’m not sure. You’d be better checking in the morning.’ Andy handed a card to her. ‘This is the ward phone number. I’ll ring and tell them you’re her next-of-kin, if you like? I hope they’ll talk to you. But I do need to contact her family. Do you know of anyone?’

‘She has parents in Devon,’ said Cathy, ‘and a sister, although they don’t seem to give a shit about her.’

 ‘They still need to be told.’ Andy stood up and jerked his head towards the door. ‘I’d better be going.’

‘When is your shift over?’

‘A while ago but I couldn’t go home without seeing you first.’

Cathy smiled her gratitude. Andy Baxter deserved an award for what he had to put up with in his day-to-day life. All those people out there who thought he had a ‘bobby’s job’ should do a couple of shifts with him. She was certain they’d change their tune about police officers being paid too much money.

 ‘When are you going to tell Chloe?’ Josie asked once he was gone.

‘It can wait until the morning. The last thing she needs right now is to be told – told –’ Cathy broke down in tears, ‘How could he do that to Liz, the selfish bastard!’

After shouting hello to his wife, Andy’s first port of call was upstairs to check on his sleeping children. He took the steps three at a time. Six-year-old Natalie Baxter was curled up like a kitten. Her younger brother, Jordan, was splayed all over his bed. Before he left the room, Andy popped his tiny feet back underneath the covers.

For a moment he stood on the landing, holding back tears. The people who he loved were safe in their worlds. He prayed it would stay that way.

He went downstairs to find his wife. She was sitting on the settee. When she saw him, she turned down the sound on the television.         

Andy pulled her up into his arms, smiling softly and tenderly touching her face. He kissed her gently, twice. Three times. Then he held her. There was no need for words and he wouldn’t be able to find the ones to explain just how much she meant to him anyway.

While Cathy got Chloe ready for bed, Josie gave Becky and Jess an update before heading home.

‘I didn’t think he’d do anything like that,’ said Jess afterwards, shaking her head. ‘I know I was always ribbing her about him but I never thought he’d try to kill her.’

Becky sniffed. ‘She was really nice to me when I lost my baby. I can’t believe he’d leave her like that.’

Cathy appeared in the doorway a few minutes later. ‘Chloe’s settled at last,’ she said, taking the whisky that Josie had poured for her. She knocked back the liquid in one go. ‘I’ve put her in to my bed for now.’

Jess frowned. ‘She’ll be staying here, won’t she?’

‘We’ll have to see how things go with Liz,’ Josie explained. ‘But let’s not think about that now. There will be lots of questions to answer in the morning.’

Becky drew her knees up to her chest, her arms hugging them tightly. ‘Do you think she felt much pain?’ she asked.

Cathy gulped. The million dollar question which no one would ever be able to answer. Despite knowing what the newspaper would report, she wasn’t going to tell them the gory details that Andy had shared with her earlier.

‘I doubt it,’ she said. ‘Andy reckons that her injuries would have made her slip into unconsciousness quite quickly.’

‘But she probably felt everything while he kicked the shit out of her first.’

None of them had an answer to that.

Once Josie had gone, Cathy checked in on Chloe before going back downstairs to Jess and Becky. She found them sitting in silence. The television was blaring out a comedy but both of them seemed lost in their thoughts.

‘I thought you two would be off out by now,’ she said.

‘Don’t feel like it,’ said Jess.

‘Me neither,’ said Becky.

‘Coffee?’ she asked. ‘Or maybe a little something stronger? I know I shouldn’t encourage you but a little tot in a hot drink won’t hurt. And it may help you sleep.’

‘Coffee,’ said Becky.

‘Something stronger,’ said Jess at the same time.

‘Let’s do both, then.’

Cathy flicked on the kettle. As she waited for it to boil, she stared out of the window. It was still hard to take in all that had happened. Was it only yesterday that she’d found Chloe’s tennis racket at the bottom of the cupboard and put it in the outhouse ready to return it? Why couldn’t she have done that this morning? Then Liz might not have been attacked.

Her mobile phone beeped. Cathy slid up the cover.

‘
I’m really sorry to hear about Liz. Matt. x
’

Cathy slid the cover shut abruptly. How dare he try to get around her now, after what had just happened with Liz. That was sick, to use it to his own advantage.

But then again, maybe he was genuinely upset. Matt knew Liz too, not as closely obviously, but in circumstances such as these it didn’t really matter. To even know a person who had been beaten up so brutally must be upsetting enough. Maybe she shouldn’t be too harsh. It did, after all, show a human side to him, a side that she hadn’t seen too much of admittedly.

What had happened between them, she wondered again. Why had he dropped off the face of the earth after they’d had sex? She’d been so convinced he’d enjoyed it too. She’d never be able to fathom that one out.

The kettle switched off and she cursed loudly. ‘Fuckity fuck!’

Now was not the time to think of herself.

After a restless night, Cathy was awake early. Chloe lay sleeping soundly beside her. It pained her to think how she slept so peacefully now, oblivious to what was going on. How she didn’t know that her life would be very different when she awoke.

She gazed at her, wanting to pick her up and squeeze her hard; wanting to protect her from what had happened; keep her wrapped up away from hurt and anger. Even though it was warm, she pulled the duvet up and over Chloe’s bare arms. She gulped back tears.

How could she tell her what had happened? Chloe had only just started to accept that she and Liz were on their own now. Last week, Liz had been saying how much brighter she seemed since they’d moved into the flat. Now it was all going to be shattered. She hoped and prayed that Liz would pull through, for her daughter’s sake.

She must have dozed off because when she woke up next, Chloe was sitting up beside her, playing with her baby doll.

‘Hello, missy.’ Cathy prodded her gently in the arm.

Chloe turned to face her. ‘Hello.’

‘Did you sleep okay?’

‘Yes. Can I ring Mum this morning?’

‘It’s still early yet. I think we need to get your breakfast first. What do you fancy? Toast with marmalade?’

‘Yuck!’ Chloe shook her head. ‘I don’t like marmalade.’

‘Peanut butter?’

‘No!’

‘Jam?’

Chloe giggled. ‘No!’

‘How about I spread a cheese triangle over it?’

Chloe nodded enthusiastically. Cathy pulled back the duvet. ‘Right then. Race you downstairs!’

 Later as she waited for the bread to toast, Cathy contemplated what to say. She glanced at the clock: half past seven. Maybe she should ring the hospital first and get an update. But what would happen then if anything had happened to Liz? She’d have to tell Chloe and she wouldn’t want to do that. Without realising, she banged the palm of her hand on her forehead three times.

‘What’s the matter, Cathy?’

Cathy turned to see Chloe looking at her strangely. She dropped her eyes.
Oh Chloe, I’m going to break your heart.
She gulped. But it had to be done. She slid over the toast, knowing that it had been impractical to cook breakfast beforehand. Chloe wouldn’t be able to eat after what she was about to tell her.

‘Is my mummy sick a lot?’ Chloe’s bottom lip began to tremble.

Cathy sat down beside her. ‘I – I – Chloe, a terrible thing happened yesterday. I didn’t want to tell you until I was sure of everything. Now that I am, I think you should know about it.’

‘Has my dad hurt my mum?’

Cathy cringed. How much violence towards her mother had Chloe seen to ask that?

‘Yes, he has,’ she said. ‘Your dad found out where you were living and he was angry with your mum. So he – he got a little too rough with her and he – he…’ Cathy couldn’t hold back any longer. She began to cry. ‘Chloe, do you know where heaven is?’

‘Yes.’ Chloe started to cry too. ‘Is my mummy in heaven?’

‘No!’ Cathy could have kicked herself. Now Chloe would be thinking the worst no matter what. Stupid, stupid! ‘But she’s very poorly in hospital,’ she added quickly. ‘Very poorly indeed.’

‘So she might go to heaven and be with the angels?’

‘She might but we don’t know yet.’

‘But I don’t want her to be with the angels. I won’t be able to see her. Mum told me Rose went to see the angels and I can’t see her!’

‘Chloe, your mum is poorly but she might not go to heaven,’ Cathy reiterated. ‘Your mum loves you very much and she is a strong lady. She would never want to leave you.’

‘I want my mum. I want my MUM!’

Cathy pulled her onto her knees and cradled her while she sobbed. Tears ran down her own face as she held onto her little body as it jerked and shook. She wished there was some way that she could soften the blow but there wasn’t. Life was cruel: it was a fact. But how would someone as young as Chloe get through this? She prayed that Liz would survive. She had to. The child had been through enough already.

Suddenly Chloe pulled away. ‘Where is my dad?’ she asked. ‘Is he in heaven?’

‘Yes.’ Cathy’s heart sunk. ‘He’s in heaven. You won’t be able to see him.’

‘But that means I have no dad and no mum to look after me. What about me?’ Chloe covered her hands with her ears and began to scream. ‘I want my mum. I want my MUMMY!’

Cathy let her vent her anger. After a few seconds, she fell back into Cathy’s arms again. She snuffled into her chest for a while.

‘My dad loved my mum too much, didn’t he?’ she whispered.

Cathy wiped at her cheeks. ‘Yes, honey, he did.’

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Cathy could hardly breathe as she sat next to Andy in a small room off Liz’s ward later that morning. She’d left Chloe with Jess and Becky, saying that she would come straight home if they texted her. She hoped Chloe would settle with them for an hour or so. So far, there had been no text.

‘What if she’s beaten up so badly that she doesn’t recognise anyone?’ Cathy shuddered. ‘What if her brain has been damaged?’

‘She’s in good hands,’ said Andy. ‘Let’s wait and see.’

‘Yes, but what if –’

They looked up as a middle-aged woman came into the room. She was heavy framed with a round face and thick black hair tied in a pony tail. She pulled up a chair and sat directly facing them both. Cathy didn’t like the solemn look on her face. She braced herself for bad news.

‘I’m Dr Morgan.’

‘Is Liz… is she okay?’

The woman nodded. ‘Elizabeth – Liz is out of imminent danger for now.’

Cathy sighed dramatically. Then she burst into tears.

‘She came through surgery well and we’ve since carried out a few tests. We’re still waiting on some results but thankfully she has no damage to her brain.’