Somewhere to Hide (The Estate, Book 1) (43 page)

Josie picked up two folders from her desk and wiped her eyes again. ‘Right, then, I’d better get started on the next one. As the saying goes, no rest for the wicked.’

She put on her broadest smile as she walked into the glass-walled cubicle a few minutes later. ‘Hello, Kelly.’

Kelly Winterton’s face scrunched up with indignation.

‘And, you,’ Josie turned her attention to the young child sitting next to her, ‘you must be Emily. Am I right?’

Emily nodded shyly.

‘Do you remember me? I’ve met you before, at your house, and it’s very nice to see you again. Now, if I give you some pens and a colouring book, do you think you can choose a picture to fill in with some bright colours while I speak to your mummy?’

‘Have you got a red one?’ asked Emily, wide brown eyes looking up expectantly. ‘Please.’

Josie gave her one of the folders and watched her face light up when she saw the packet containing felt-tipped pens of every colour. Along with her mittens, her coat and scarf came off in a flash and she got down to work.

‘Now then, it’s your turn.’ Josie pushed a thick form across the table towards Kelly. ‘You’ll need to fill in the bits I’ve marked with a cross while I go through your options.’

Kelly remained silent while she chewed on her nails.

‘As the tenancy is in Mr Johnstone’s name only, and due to his recent trip to Her Majesty’s Services, the number one priority is to stay where you are now – at Patrick Street – while we set eviction proceedings in motion.’

‘Eviction proceedings!’ Kelly cried. ‘What do you mean? He’s only been sent down for six months!’

Josie flicked over a page and pointed to a box. ‘Mr Johnstone isn’t entitled to housing benefit if he’s in prison for longer than thirteen weeks, and as he won’t be able to pay the rent himself, we’ll try and get him to give up his tenancy. Six months will give him a bill of at least two thousand pounds to pay when he gets released. And he’ll have a criminal record – which will work in our favour. We don’t do evictions willy-nilly. We feel we have a duty of care to offer you something else, and we have to follow procedures – take Mr Johnstone to court first, sign paperwork, so it’s likely to take a while. You can stay at Patrick Street until that date, if you wish.’

Josie had Kelly’s full attention now. ‘But what if he only serves three months, half his time? Scott’ll keep his nose clean, you know him.’

‘Not my rulings, I’m afraid. And if he doesn’t assign the property straight back to us, for every week he’s inside, he’ll be liable to pay when he does get out.’

Kelly sat forward. ‘I’ll claim benefits, then. I live there too.’

‘Are there any bills in your name?’

‘How the hell should I know?’ They sat in silence until Kelly sighed loudly.

‘I don’t think so,’ she replied.

‘In that case, you have no proof that you’ve been living there. You’re registered with the benefits agency from 18 Christopher Avenue.’

Kelly frowned. ‘No, that’s my mum’s address. I left there five years ago when I shacked up with Scott.’

‘Not according to our records.’

‘But he filled the forms in for me!’

Josie raised her eyebrows questioningly.

‘I had my money paid into my own account,’ Kelly snapped. ‘I didn’t have to ask him for it if that’s what you’re getting at!’

‘No, what I’m trying to tell you is that he lived at Patrick Street claiming as a single man. You were – unbeknown to you, maybe – claiming as a single mother.’

‘But why would he do that?’

‘To get more money. Lots of couples scam that way.’

Kelly shook her head. ‘He wouldn’t do that, not to us.’

‘Oh, he would,’ Josie told her. ‘And he has.’

For a moment, Kelly sat quietly while her brain tried to work out the logistics of the conversation. She wondered how long the eviction process took but didn’t dare ask. Even she realised that rights must be different when a prison sentence got handed out.

‘Mummy, look at my picture,’ said Emily, thrusting the drawing book at Kelly.

‘It’s very good.’ Kelly glanced at it quickly. ‘Can you do another one while I finish off? There’s a good girl.’ She looked at Josie and spoke quietly. ‘And my other option?’

Josie pointed to another box. ‘You could have your own tenancy. It would have to be another property, though – it couldn’t be Patrick Street because that’s in Mr Johnstone’s name.’

Kelly quickly wrote down her national insurance number. ‘Would Scott be able to move in with me when he gets out?’

‘Yes, but you’ll have to declare it to the benefits agency. No more single living.’

‘
I
didn’t know that I was.’

Josie turned the form over to the back page. ‘If you do decide to have your own tenancy, there are two flats ready to view.’           

Kelly narrowed her eyes. ‘You never said nowt about moving into a flat!’ she hissed.

‘There are only the two of you, and with you being classed as homeless now, you don’t have much of a choice, I’m afraid.’

‘But I'm not homeless – you’re forcing me to leave my house! And there are three of us. You’re forgetting Scott.’

Josie leaned forward, aware how vital it was that she gained Kelly’s trust. ‘I don’t feel good about doing this but Mr Johnstone played things really clever. By keeping your name off any of the household bills, as well as the tenancy agreement, it means that you can’t prove you’ve been living there for the past twelve months. Therefore, you’re not entitled to stay. If he won’t sign the forms, we’ll start eviction proceedings for non-payment of rent. Eventually, the property will come back to us.’

‘But you know how long I’ve been living there!’ Kelly’s eyes pleaded to Josie. ‘You could vouch for me!’

‘It’s not that simple. For all I know, you could have been staying over for a couple of nights whenever I’ve visited.’

Kelly sat back in her chair again and folded her arms. ‘So I’m fucked, whichever way I look at things?’

Josie was used to tenants swearing at her when she told them something they didn’t want to hear. Unlike some of the violent ones who’d come within an inch of her face to do so, she sensed that Kelly wasn’t using it for the benefit of annoying her. Her anger seemed to be directed at the system.

‘The other thing I need to tell you is that both flats are on the top of the estate.’

‘You mean on the ‘hell’? Jesus Christ! It gets fucking worse!’ Kelly kicked the table leg in temper. Emily jumped but with a quick, reassuring smile from her mum, continued to draw.

‘It’s only just off Davy Road,’ explained Josie. ‘Much better than being right at the top. And watch your language, please.’

Kelly could feel herself breaking. The Mitchell Estate was mostly made up of rented accommodation, some properties owned by the local authority and the majority of the remainder belonged to Mitchell Housing Association.
It was split down the middle by a main road. Everyone knew that the top of the estate was the worst place in the city to live. ‘Living on the hell’, it was known as: the bottom of the estate, The Mitch, wasn’t much better, but was definitely the lesser evil of the two.

As Kelly’s head fell into her hands, Josie’s heart went out to her. The application form told her that she was twenty-four and Emily was four. From her appearance, Josie could see that Kelly was capable of looking after herself. She could spot no obvious indications of self-neglect; no dark bags under her eyes, no sallow, spotty skin, so she wasn’t doing drugs – always a good sign. Kelly’s dark brown hair was cut in a short and spiky style, and her iconic elfin face wore just the right amount of make-up to make Josie feel fifty-seven instead of thirty-seven. She wore stylish clothes, all clean and pressed, and her daughter was spotless.

‘Both flats need decorating,’ Josie forged ahead, regardless of Kelly’s silence. ‘Which we will give you an allowance for, but it probably won’t cover the cost of all you’ll need. I take it from your earlier comment that you’ll be claiming benefits?’

Kelly slapped her hand down hard on the table top. ‘Don’t you look down your nose at me, you snotty cow, with your high and mighty attitude! Just because you work here doesn’t mean that you’re better than me. I used to have a job before I had Emily, but Scott wanted me to stay at home with her when she was little. What’s wrong with that? Don’t you think bringing up a kid is worthy of a job title?’

‘You need to calm down, Kelly.’

‘If you must know, I hate living off handouts. It makes me feel like crap.’ She looked up again with a glare. ‘Don’t you think I wish I could get a job again? But it’s been too long – who’d take me on? I’ve got no one to look after Emily. And if I did, I’d get a pittance that won’t be worth getting out of bed for.’

‘Don’t knock yourself too much. You have as much chance as anyone.’

‘But what can I do?’

‘Lots, if you put your mind to it.’

Kelly stared at Josie, ready to protest again, but realised that she wasn’t patronising her.

Josie pointed to the last empty box. ‘You need to sign here as well. I also need to do a property inspection.’

‘But I don’t want to move out!’

‘You don’t have to move out straightaway, but you
will
be evicted and then I won’t be able to help you.’

Kelly’s shoulders drooped even further. ‘I don’t have a choice, do I?’

‘Yes,’ nodded Josie. ‘You could always try and find yourself another property to rent. But you need to decide soon what is right for you – and Emily. I can’t hold the flats for too long. There are other people on the waiting list.’

‘Mummy, can we go now?’ Emily asked. ‘I want to see Nanny.’

Kelly smiled at her. ‘Sure we can, poppet. You get your coat on, I won’t be a minute.’

Josie sighed. Underneath the hard exterior, she could see a frightened young woman. Yes, she lived on a rough estate and mixed with a few violent characters, but she wasn’t one to make rash decisions and jump to conclusions. Already, she could feel herself warming to Kelly’s plight as she watched her fasten up Emily’s coat. She knew she could help her. It would be hard work trying to pierce Kelly’s durable shell, but persistence was her middle name.

‘I can help you through this,’ she offered.

‘I don’t need anyone’s help,’ Kelly replied curtly. ‘I can manage on my own.’

Hmm, thought Josie, maybe not!

Click here for
Behind a Closed Door