The Edge of Sanity (10 page)

With good reason. What kind of a father had he been lately? The absent, emotional kind. Then he had announced he wouldn’t be available in future at all, other than via email, mobile or the channel tunnel. With that in mind, there was no way Kayla was about to listen to anything he might have to say.

He was powerless to stop her, but not to watch out for her. He could do that much. He kneaded his neck. He was aching, all over. A shower and sleep was what he needed—craved—though sleep didn’t come easily. When it did, it was to torment him. But he needed more to know that Kayla was safe. The hurt in her eyes when she had run off tonight spoke more than words ever could. She was a mess inside. He should have seen it before now. Done something about it.

The way she was feeling, anything might happen. She’d be looking for an outlet for her emotions. And with drug dealing scum like those two about …

Daniel had no choice. He’d stand here until the club emptied if needs be, and maybe, God willing, he’d get lucky and
not
see Kayla.

****

Half an hour later, Daniel was still waiting. He might be wrong. Kayla could have gone anywhere, after all. She might be at McDonalds, at any number of friends’ houses. The one place she wasn’t, though, was at Hannah’s.

‘When did you last ring?’ he asked Jo on his mobile.

‘Five minutes ago,’ Jo answered anxiously. ‘She did mention something about going to the pictures. They might have gone to the late show. It was late when she left, after all,’ she reasoned, as much for her own benefit as his, Daniel suspected.

‘So where’s Hannah’s mother?’ Daniel asked. ‘Why isn’t she there, if Kayla’s staying over?’

‘She might have gone out. She
is
divorced,’ Jo reminded him. ‘And she does have a gentleman friend.’

Daniel nodded slowly. ‘Yes, I suppose.’ It was possible, he thought, but not probable. Would the woman go out and leave two teenage girls to their own devices? Daniel stopped himself short of judgemental. Hannah and Kayla might be too young to leave legally, but fifteen year old kids didn’t need babysitters. And he certainly wasn’t parent of the year.

‘I’ll keep trying,’ Jo said. ‘Speak to you later. Oh, and Daniel, keep your mobile on, will you?’

‘Goes without saying,’ Daniel said softly, wishing he could say something more reassuring.
Don’t worry
or
she’ll be fine
would only convince Jo he thought Kayla was anything but, so he said, ‘I’m here, Jo, okay?’ instead.

She paused. ‘Thanks.’

Daniel heard her sigh, then a click as the line went dead.

Damn.
Why hadn’t he said more? Insisted on going back there? Told her he’d always be there, if that’s what she wanted. Because the time wasn’t right. And because she might not.

He waited another half hour, checking his watch every two minutes, praying his mobile would ring, hoping it didn’t. No news is good news, he tried to convince himself.

But it wasn’t. This was not good. Not good at all. What the
hell
was he going to do? If he stood here much longer, he might well get picked up by the police. A thirty-eight-year-old bloke, eyeing up young girls outside a nightclub …

No, he couldn’t hang about here any longer.

He speed-dialled Jo, and turned away from the bouncers, who were watching him now with open suspicion. Pity the prats didn’t apply the same scrutiny to the clientele.

****

Kayla turned a pale shade of white. ‘Oh, crap,’ she gasped, clutching Hannah’s arm outside the nightclub and dragging her backwards. ‘I don’t believe it.’

‘What?’ said Hannah, as wide-eyed as Kayla and wondering why. Sandwiched against the wall SAS style was definitely not, she felt sure, the kind of cool-type behaviour that got one into nightclubs. But something was up, judging by the look on Kayla’s face.

‘I don’t bloody believe it. It’s him,’ Kayla muttered, ducking around a corner. ‘Gimme the mobile.’

‘Him, who?’ Hannah whispered, handing Kayla her phone. It couldn’t be Charlie. Kayla would be more drooling at the mouth than sweating at the brow if she clapped eyes on Charlie. Hannah stretched her neck curiously around Kayla.

‘Get back,’ Kayla hissed, clutching a handful of Hannah’s shift dress. ‘He’ll see you.’

‘
Who’ll
see me?’ Hannah asked, a bit miffed. This was doing nothing for her street cred.

‘My dad.’ Kayla rolled her eyes in Daniel’s direction.

‘Uh-oh, we are in deep shit.’ Hannah retracted her head swiftly. ‘So who are you calling?’

‘Shush.’ Kayla flapped a hand. Then dialled again.

Engaged, Kayla thought with wry amusement. All of a sudden, they’re doing a one-to-one, and it’s all down to little old me. They’d obviously taken time out to check out her whereabouts. That was different, she supposed. They were worried, obviously. How totally touching.

Yeah, right. Feeling guilty, more like, cos she had told them a few home truths. Well, they could play caring parents all they liked, but they could leave her out of it.

A search party she didn’t need. And if they turned it into some big deal and went and reported her missing, plod would be scouring the nightclub in no time. And
that
would seriously damage her chances with Charlie. It wouldn’t hurt them to be worrying about her for once, she supposed, but she didn’t really want them thinking she was dead.

Parents, they were such a pain. They blank her completely, then, in a fit of conscience, start flippin’ well running around after her. Well, they could get lost, as far as Kayla was concerned. Was it too much to ask to be left alone, after being left alone for the past six months? ‘You’d better ring your mum, Hannah,’ she said, after her third attempt at ringing hers.

‘She’s out tonight,’ Hannah reminded her. ‘That’s why yours has thrown a wobbly, I’ll bet. She’s probably tried to ring you.’

‘I gathered.’ Kayla sighed. ‘Probably to check I haven’t selfishly slashed my wrists, or something. Call your mum on her mobile, then. Tell her there’s been a change of plan and we’re staying at someone else’s. That way, when she does get hold of her … Oh, hold on, it’s ringing.’

****

Daniel was more than worried. Still no reply from Hannah’s house. Her mother was obviously making a night of it with the boyfriend. Judgemental or not, he was bloody annoyed. This was assuming Kayla had ever intended to stay there, of course.

Daniel had had enough. And he didn’t really give a stuff what the black-suited idiot on the door thought either, who was watching Daniel steadily now, arms folded, feet splayed in a quiet display of aggression. Whatever, Daniel was going in. The queue had slowed to a dribble, so either he had missed Kayla, or she had ditched her regular haunt in favour of some other dive.

In which case, he had to start looking elsewhere, fast.

****

Jo sat uselessly on the bed. Watching the clock didn’t help. It was past one, for God’s sake. Where was she? And where was Hannah’s bloody mother? Tucked up in bed, probably, with the boyfriend.

‘Ring, will you!?’ She eyed the phone, frustrated, picked up the receiver to check the dialling tone, and then banged it back down. She wandered to the bathroom for a
Paracetamol
and washed her hands distractedly instead. Five minutes, she told herself. She would give it five more minutes, and then start phoning around Kayla’s friends, whatever the time.

‘
God
!’ she shouted out loud. ‘I can’t do this.
Please.
I really
cannot
do this.’ She caught a sob in her throat and focused hard on the ceiling, determined to stay in control. Kayla would be fine. She was making a point, that was all. Jo would kill her when she got hold …

Jo’s heart almost stopped as the phone did finally ring, shrill against the silence.

Stupefied, she blinked at it, and then flew around the bed to snatch it up, torn between relief and dread.

‘It’s me,’ Kayla announced coolly.

Jo dug her fingernails into the palm of her hand and bit hard on her tongue. ‘Where are you?’ she asked, careful to keep any hint of anger from her voice. ‘Are you all right?’

‘Fine,’ Kayla replied lightly. ‘Hannah forgot her key,’ she went on, as if it were perfectly normal for her to be out in the early hours of the morning—worrying her parents half-to-death. ‘So we’re staying with Sally.’

‘Sally?’ Jo flicked through her memory, and came up blank. ‘Who’s Sally?’

‘You don’t know her.’

‘Right.’ Jo took a breath. ‘Well, I’ll have the address, then, please, Kayla. And the telephone number.’

‘No, Mum,’ Kayla said, bluntly. ‘I’ve said I’m fine. I appreciate you might be worried, but I need some space. I don’t want to speak to you, not tonight, or
him
. Or see either of you right now. I’ll be back tomorrow.’

Jo was stunned for a second, before overriding anger mixed with fear of losing her daughter took over. ‘Oh, no, you won’t, young lady! You’re to come home right—’

‘No, Mum!’ Kayla said, and rang off.

Jo stood quite still. She listened to the empty dialling tone—and heard nothing but the pieces of their shattered lives crashing heavily to the floor.

****

The bouncer stood his ground, arms still folded, mouth curved in a cocky smirk. ‘The perv wants in.’ He grinned at the Neanderthal to his side. ‘What you into then, you sad bastard? School girls, is it?’ The grin widened to split his stupid face.

Which is exactly what Daniel felt inclined to do. He took a deep breath, counted back five, and kept his temper in check. ‘My daughter’s in there,’ he said calmly.

‘Yeah, right. Everyone’s daughter is, mate.’ The bouncer guffawed. ‘But you,’ he paused to jab Daniel in the shoulder, ‘ain’t ‘avin none. Now, piss off.’

Daniel plunged his hands in his pockets. He counted backwards, from ten this time. At five, he nodded and backed off.

The bouncer relaxed his stance and dusted his hands together, seemingly satisfied. ‘That’s seen him off,’ he said to his sidekick. ‘Fuckin’ pervert. Give us a fag, mate.’

Daniel watched as the bouncer turned for his cigarette, which was all he needed, one second’s complacency. Time enough to wrap his arm around the bastard’s neck.

He locked his hold with his other hand and pulled back, hard. ‘I’d say you’ve got about ten seconds left to live, at most,’ he grated quietly into the man’s ear, years’ worth of manual labour adding muscle to his threat. ‘Now, I’d like you to listen …’ he jerked his arm back another fraction ‘ …
very carefully
. And
you
, back off,’ he warned the bouncer’s mate, who took a step towards him.

‘Now,’ Daniel went on quietly, ‘I
think
my daughter might be in there. She’s
fifteen
.’ He waited while that sank into the idiot’s pea-sized brain. ‘I
know …’
Daniel pulled back another fraction, just to make sure he’d got the bouncer’s attention ‘ … that at least three of her classmates have gone in. They’d be the same age, which would be underage. This information is shared by my wife, who, at present, is awaiting
my
call before
she
calls the police to tell them
you’re
not checking ID. Am I making myself clear?’

The bouncer rasped and clawed at Daniel’s arm.

‘Let him go,’ his mate said, warily. ‘You can go in. Look around, but don’t cause any trouble,’ he warned, brave from a distance. ‘Okay?’

‘No problem.’ Daniel smiled, and dropped the idiot bouncer. ‘Cheers,’ he said, keeping an eye on them both as he backed inside.

****

Still watching from a safe distance, Kayla closed her mouth, awestruck and uneasy. Was that
her
father she just saw floor a bouncer?

‘Blimey,’ said Hannah, gobsmacked. ‘He’s got one helluva temper, hasn’t he, your dad?’

‘Has he?’ Kayla shook her head, bewildered. Well, he had apparently, as demonstrated before her very eyes. She’d never seen him lose it before, ever. He’d flipped, obviously. And it was … Scary is what it was.

No way was she going back home tonight. Uh-uh. Somehow the boat didn’t seem a very safe harbour. He might cotton on, come looking for her and, God only knew what he might do if he found her. Kayla had heard about fathers going loopy and wiping out whole families. Hers had had enough shit to drive him completely mental. Safer to stay out of the way, she decided.

But she wasn’t going anywhere until she saw him come out again, in one piece.

****

It didn’t take Daniel long to realise that trying to find Kayla, in the dark, with only the assistance of strobe lights, was going to be almost impossible. There were three floors for a start, each one a pulsating mass of torsos, trance-dancing, or whatever Kayla called it. He could see the attraction, for kids anyway. The frenetic rhythm seemed to seep into your veins, with the help of a little Ecstasy in some cases, he suspected, supplied by the cretin, whose number he’d got.

He scoured the main dance floor from a balcony. Nothing. His eyes trailed over the paid dancers. Kayla could dance, but she’d hardly be on stage at age fifteen. Daniel raked his hand through his hair, exasperated, and searched the other two floors. He hesitated, the bouncer’s sidekick behind him, then banged into the nearest girls room.

‘Whoa!’ The sidekick crashed in after him, causing girls to clamber for cubicles, or huddle back out of the line of fire. ‘You!’ He motioned to Daniel. ‘Out!’

Daniel didn’t argue. Kayla wasn’t in there, not unless she was standing on the toilet seat. ‘Where are the others?’ he shouted, emerging with the sidekick hot on his heels.

‘What?’ The sidekick looked at him askew.

‘Toilets. Where are they?’

The sidekick seemed to debate for a second, then threw his hands in the air, and pointed to the balcony.

Daniel took the stairs two at a time, then ventured once again into female territory, his eyes picking out every dark-haired girl and searching every face. He got a proposition for his efforts, but no daughter.

Frustrated, he left—the girls chattering excitedly behind him, ducked under the spiral staircase and checked the two bars on the balcony, followed by the downstairs bar and, finally, the chill out room. He could see at a glance why it was called that, kids slumped on sofas, chilling out, i.e. coming down, after their exertions on the dance floor.