Somewhere to Hide (The Estate, Book 1) (5 page)

Jess laughed. ‘You obviously haven’t lived on the streets.’

‘I have!’

‘How long?’

‘Eleven days.’

‘That’s nothing.’

‘Well, how long did you live on the streets for?’

Jess looked away, knowing when she was beat. She’d never had to sleep rough for one night because of Cathy. She picked up the Nintendo.

‘This won’t be worth more than a tenner. Where did you get it? Did you lift it?’

‘Yes,’ Becky lied. If Jess thought she’d stolen it, she wasn’t going to confess to finding it underneath the floorboards. She’d caught her foot in the carpet and on closer inspection had come across a hidey-hole. She wondered if it belonged to the girl that she’d heard had been sent to prison.

‘Give it to me then.’

Becky handed it to her.

Jess stood up quickly. ‘Piece of shit this is. I suppose it’ll get me a fix or two.’

‘You’re not meant to sell it!’ Becky tried to snatch it back. ‘Give it to me, if you don’t want it.’

‘I didn’t say that.’ Jess was at the door by now. ‘I don’t suppose you want to make yourself a few quid by stealing to order?’ When Becky looked confused, she continued. ‘People tell me what they want, I’ll tell you what to nick and give you a fair price for it. It’s easy money.’

Becky shook her head. There was no way she was going into town. What if she were spotted by the police?

‘You’ll soon change your mind. You’ll have to find something to do or else Cathy will have you making coffee at the community house every day. Besides, when you’ve been here for a few days, you’ll get fed up of doing nowt.’

‘I’m not going out ever again.’

‘You can’t stay in here forever.’

‘What’s there to go out for? I’m not getting caught and going to prison. I’d kill myself first.’

‘Ooh!’ Jess raised her hands and wiggled her fingers. ‘Such big talk for such a small person.’

‘I’m one metre sixty-five if you must know.’

‘Skinny thing though, aren’t you?’

‘I won’t be soon.’

Jess’s mouth dropped opened. ‘Don’t tell me you’re up the duff?’

Becky gnawed her bottom lip and looked away.

‘Oh, you stupid bitch. Have you never heard of using a condom?’

‘Leave me alone,’ Becky retorted. ‘It’s got nothing to do with you.’

‘It has if you want me to keep quiet about it.’ Jess ran a finger over her top lip. ‘What’s it worth for me not to tell Cathy? She’ll have you out in a flash. You can’t stay here if you’re preggers. She won’t allow it.’

‘Then I won’t tell her.’

‘If you think you can keep that to yourself, you’re more stupid than I thought. It’s a baby we’re talking about not a Nintendo that’s been hidden beneath the carpet.’

Becky frowned.

‘I knew it was there, you silly cow. I know that hiding place. Me and Cheryl, the last girl who stayed here, were like this.’ Jess waved two crossed fingers at her. ‘So don’t think you’re so special.’

‘Piss off and leave me alone.’ Becky turned her face towards the wall.

Jess grabbed her hair and pulled hard, yanking back her head. ‘Don’t turn your back on me, you silly cow.’

‘Ow! Let me go, you bitch!’

Jess shoved her forward and, as Becky turned, slapped her hard around the face.

‘Don’t mess with me,’ she told her. ‘I can make your life very uncomfortable if you don’t play ball. So you’re either with me or you’re not.’

Becky rubbed her cheek to help ease the sting. Oh, God. This was getting worse. All she wanted to do was lay low for a while until she could move on to somewhere better, away from this dump. Resigning herself to her fate, she nodded as Jess continued to stare at her.

‘I think you and me need to get to know each other better. We shall go out tonight and have some fun. Be ready for eight and I’ll introduce you to some people.’

‘I don’t want to go out.’

Jess shrugged a shoulder. ‘I’m not really bothered what you want to do.’

‘But I –’ Becky lowered her eyes as Jess glared at her again.

‘Tell Cathy that you have a headache and you’re going to bed. I’ll knock on your door when I’m ready. We’ll probably have to shimmy down the drainpipe. Cathy will be watching the front door like a hawk. She’ll never suspect that I’ll be going out with you though. I should have thought of it sooner.’

Only once she’d heard Jess go running down the stairs, followed by the kitchen door slamming, did Becky fall back on the bed and let the tears fall. How the hell was she going to get out of this one? She couldn’t say she was ill because Jess would come into her room and see that she was lying. If she stayed downstairs with Cathy, then she would be for it when she was in on her own. Either way she’d be toast.

There was only one thing to do. She would have to play the game. Be ready for eight o’clock and see where Jess took her. Maybe it would be fun.

Becky cried even harder then. Who was she trying to kid? This was her life now, her nightmare. She would have to toughen up or be eaten alive. She only had herself to rely on.

But that was the thing that scared her. She wasn’t sure that she
could
rely on herself. Look at the mess she’d landed herself in: sixteen years old, pregnant and wanted for murder. If Cathy found out that she was up the duff, she’d send her packing and what would happen to her then?

Cathy was in the back garden pegging out a load of washing. She jumped at the sound of the side gate slamming shut. When she looked around, Liz was leaning against it. She watched as she slid down to the floor before going to her quickly.

‘Liz, whatever’s the matter?’

Liz stared up at her, tears welling in troubled eyes as she fought to catch her breath. ‘My husband was waiting for me at Chloe’s school. I thought he was on the early shift today. At first he was all nice, like come home babe, we can sort things out.’ A sob escaped her. ‘But when I said no, he started shouting. He said – he said –’

‘Did he hurt you?’

Liz shook her head. ‘I was waiting for Chloe to go into her classroom before I went to see the headmistress, to explain what had happened and see if I could collect her earlier for a few afternoons. I was hoping to settle her a little bit before I had to deal with him.’

Cathy gently manoeuvred her to a bench at the side of the garden and they both sat down.

‘How did you get away?’ she asked.

‘One of the teachers came out to lock the gates. She took me inside but I could see his car. It was still there twenty minutes later. That’s when the secretary gave me a lift home. I had to duck down in the back seat so he couldn’t see me. Oh, God, what am I going to do?’

‘You’ll have to face him some time.’ Cathy wasn’t one to jazz up the future. ‘Do you think he’ll be there tonight?’

‘I’m not sure – most probably, if he hasn’t gone to work. I’m picking Chloe up half an hour early. But I’m scared that he’ll follow me here afterwards.’

‘Don’t you worry about that. I’ve dealt with far worse than him on my doorstep, on numerous occasions. That’s why I’m linked up to a twenty-four hour alarm system. If I have any type of trouble, the police will respond as soon as possible.’

‘What if they don’t come quick enough?’ Liz looked horrified at the thought.

‘They’ve never let me down so far.’

‘But they might. They’re always going on about it on the television. Most of the time they’re too late. And if he follows me here, where will I go then? I don’t want to spend my life on the run from him, always having to look over my shoulder.’

Cathy didn’t know what to say to that. She knew from past experience that Kevin would probably arrive on her doorstep if not today, then tomorrow or the day after. It was usually during the first week. She always tried to prepare herself for it. Apart from one man who’d held a knife against her throat until she’d told him where his wife was, she’d never had cause to worry. The men were only interested in getting their women away to hurt them again. They didn’t want to deal with Cathy, just find a way past her. But still, she’d stand her ground as always.

‘He hit you, didn’t he?’ she asked eventually.

Liz nodded, tears welling again.

‘Often?’

Another nod.  

Cathy took her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. ‘You did the right thing to leave him. Did Chloe ever witness it?’

‘No, we kept it from her.’

Cathy studied Liz’s face as she looked away. Liz had clear skin but prominent dark rings around each eye. Her brown hair, to her shoulders in length, was tied back off her face with a red band. She wore no make-up. Cathy wondered when she’d stopped making the most of herself and whether it was her choice or Kevin’s.

‘You might want to think about going to some of the courses run at the community house,’ she said when Liz looked her way again moments later. ‘I help out there too, with Josie Mellor. She’s a fabulous housing officer; she has such a way of bringing out the best in people. I’m sure there’s a lot more she can do for you.’

‘How’s Becky?’ Liz blew her nose on the tissue that Cathy handed to her. ‘Have you seen her today?’

‘No, she hasn’t come out of her room. I’m not sure yet what she’s so scared of.’

‘I wonder what her background is.’

‘She’ll tell us in her own time. It usually takes a few days before I can gain their trust. I’ll have to watch her with Jess though. Becky doesn’t seem very streetwise whereas Jess –’

‘Why do you do this?’ Liz interrupted. ‘It can’t be an easy job, looking after waifs and strays with all the problems that we bring with us.’

Cathy smiled. ‘I have my reasons.’

‘You could have got a job doing anything.’

‘Around here?’ Cathy shook her head. ‘I enjoy this, most of the time. I get a different challenge every day.’

‘Some days are more challenging than others, no doubt,’ Liz said, attempting a smile.

‘At least I get to work from home. I save a fortune in petrol. Without any shops nearby to tempt me, I don’t spend much money. And without having to pay for all the booze and fags that Rich got through, I’m quids in. It works out quite well.’

‘But don’t you ever get lonely? You’re too young to be on your own.’

‘Who would have me, with a house full of hormonal women?’ Cathy looked up as something caught her eye. Spotting Becky standing in her bedroom window, she waved, but Becky moved out of sight again.

‘Thanks for listening,’ said Liz. ‘I haven’t had anyone to talk to for ages.’

‘My pleasure,’ Cathy grinned at her. ‘I’m definitely good at that.’

‘Cathy, are you going to fetch me from school every day now?’ Chloe asked as she skipped into the garden holding on to her hand.

‘Oh, I don’t think so, poppet,’ Cathy replied. ‘I wouldn’t have time but I thought I’d make a special effort today. And I’ve bought you a cake, with lots of strawberry jam and pink icing.’

‘Why? It isn’t my birthday until next year now. I’ll be nine in March. Mum says I can have my ears pierced when I’m nine.’

‘I said you
might
be able to have your ears pierced, Chloe,’ Liz said, a little sharper than she’d intended.

‘Emily Baker had hers done last summer,’ Chloe continued regardless. ‘She’s in my class.’ She turned to her mum excitedly. ‘Mum, Mum, can Emily come for tea at Cathy’s? Can she, please?’

Liz was barely listening to her daughter. She was trying to swivel her head 360 degrees to look for Kevin along Christopher Avenue. So far, thankfully, she hadn’t seen him. Maybe he’d changed his shift to catch her this morning and was at work now.

‘Of course she can come for tea,’ Cathy told Chloe. ‘You should treat my home like your own. Everyone’s welcome, as long as I know in advance.’

A few minutes later, they were inside and out of sight. So Liz didn’t see the blue Ford Focus that drove slowly along the adjacent road.

CHAPTER FIVE

Later that evening, Becky agonised over what to wear as she rummaged through the bag of clothes she’d been given. She finally picked out a long-sleeved pale T-shirt with a red love heart emblazoned on the front and a pair of faded jeans that were a bit too long. She wore her own trainers and knew she looked scruffy but what did she care? She didn’t want to go out anyway.

 A few minutes before eight o’ clock, Jess came into her room. She wore skinny jeans, black heels and a short-sleeved lemon and pale blue checked shirt with a white vest underneath. Her red hair was spiked to perfection.

She took one look at Becky and gasped. ‘Jesus Christ, you look like a ten-year-old,’ she cried and left as quickly as she’d arrived. She returned moments later and threw a red top at her. ‘Put that on. You’ve got to look presentable if you’re coming out with me.’

Reluctantly, Becky did as she was told. This one was short-sleeved, with a low, sweetheart neckline, and a black skull-and-crossbones emblem sewn on beneath it. Becky reckoned it looked like a designer brand but it could well be off a market stall for all she knew about labels.