Текст книги "You Against Me "

Автор книги: Дженни Даунхэм

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

‘She doesn’t have to,’ Tom said, ‘it’s fine.’

‘She absolutely does have to.’ Dad sat down opposite Ellie and glared at her. ‘I can’t believe you tried to wriggle out of being a witness. Do you know how serious this is? Do you know the trouble you’ve caused?’

‘I wasn’t trying to wriggle out of it.’

‘Your mother asks Barry to reassure you about procedure and you find it necessary to tell him you can’t possibly stand up in court and say a few words in your brother’s defence?’

Ellie shook her head, eyes stinging. ‘It wasn’t like that.’

Dad banged the table with the flat of his hand. ‘After you spoke to him, that damned lawyer locked himself away with Tom for nearly an hour. I wasn’t allowed into my own study, and when they came out, it had been decided not to use you as a witness. What was the word he used, Tom? What was it he said to you?’

‘He said she was wavering.’

‘Wavering, that’s it. What’s that mean, Ellie? You’re a bit nervous? You can’t be bothered? Going to court doesn’t fit in with your busy schedule?’

Ellie shot a look at Tom, over in the corner on the armchair, his legs folded under him. He looked petrified, his eyes liquid dark.

‘It’s difficult to explain.’

‘Difficult? I’ll tell you what’s difficult, my girl – sitting here watching you let your brother down, that’s what.’ He banged the table again and all the cups shivered. ‘I can’t believe you’re being such a coward. Where’s the girl I used to know?’

‘Maybe you don’t know me, Dad. Maybe none of us knows each other.’

Dad stabbed his finger at her across the table. ‘I’ve taken weeks off work. Tom’s given up all hope of doing his A‑levels this year. Your mother’s hardly sleeping at night, worrying herself thin. I can’t remember the last time any of us had a social life. And you casually tell the lawyer you don’t fancy going to court very much, and we’re all supposed to nod our heads and let you get away with it?’

Ellie closed her eyes to shut him out and let him rant. He told her how selfish she was, and how he was going to ground her. He didn’t believe she’d been alone all day and was going to take her phone away. She was obviously being influenced by a bad crowd, he told her, because she was turning into a liar.

It was only half an hour ago that she and Mikey had run from the bus stop. The grass had rippled silver in the dark and there was rain in the air again, clouds low and broody. At the gate, Mikey’s fingers had secretly swept hers.

‘Give me something for courage,’ she’d said. ‘A piece of you to take with me.’

‘What do you want?’

‘What can I have?’

He’d given her his lighter, then kissed her and walked away backwards up the lane. Watching him, Ellie had been amazed at what she’d done, at who she’d become.

Then the door opened and her mum had come running down the steps. And here she was, a child again, disintegrating under her father’s anger, everything strong and good about her sliding away.

‘That’s enough,’ her mother said. ‘You’re upsetting her, can’t you see?’

She reached across the table and cupped Ellie’s chin in her hand. It was weird, like she was about to kiss her. Ellie opened her eyes, tears falling freely. How weary her mother looked.

‘We want to help you,’ she said. ‘It all makes sense now – the business with the vodka and how quiet you’ve been. It’s not too late and you’re not in trouble. Dad’s upset, that’s all. We had no idea you were feeling this scared about court.’

Ellie felt ice cold. She’d told her mother she doubted Tom, hadn’t she? She’d gone into the garden and said she remembered new things. She said Karyn was telling the truth. Why was that conversation being ignored?

Her mum went on, ‘Listen to Dad – he’s going to explain how we’re going to handle this. He’s got a plan to help you. Everything’s going to be all right.’

Her father leaned forward. ‘We’re going to start again, Ellie, and this time involve you completely. The trial isn’t for ten weeks, so we’ve got plenty of time. First thing tomorrow morning, we’re going to sack Barry. In fact, we’ll sack the barrister too – let’s go the whole hog.’

Ellie blinked, puzzled. ‘Why would you do that?’

‘You told Barry you didn’t want to be a witness and if a hint of that gets out to the police, it looks pretty suspicious, doesn’t it? They’re going to think you know something you’re not saying. You want to be hauled into court for cross‑examination? No, I thought not. So, we’ll get a new law firm involved and start from the top, pretend none of this conversation with Barry ever happened.’

Ellie looked at the tablecloth. This was the table where only a few hours ago they’d sat and had breakfast together as a family. There was the chopping board where her mother had cut thick slices of bread for toast. This morning. Before any of this happened.

She’d been convinced she was at the hot start of her family’s destruction, that she’d grassed up Tom and betrayed them all. But it turned out Tom hadn’t passed on the details to their parents. If Barry was sacked, it would all be covered up. Ellie was a scared little girl. Tom was innocent. Simple.

Her father was smiling at her now, holding her hand across the table. He used to hold her hand when they walked to the park together every Saturday. And when she got scared in movies. And when he read her books at bedtime. He’d sit by her bed and do all the voices and he wouldn’t let go of her hand until she was asleep. Sometimes he used to draw cartoons of the characters and prop them by her alarm clock, so she’d find them in the morning.

His hand was warm now, and as he leaned in to stroke her cheek, he smelled so familiar.

‘I’m on your side,’ he said. ‘We’re all on the same side – Team Parker, eh?’

She nodded, tears spilling freely. ‘I’m sorry.’

He stroked her hair. ‘That’s better.’

He said soft and wonderful things like how much he cared about her and how brave she was and how sorry he was not to have realized the pressure she’d been under. He asked for her phone and smiled as she handed it over. He’d hide it away, he said, because he wanted to protect her from herself. He told her everything was going to be all right now and she could go to bed and forget about today. Tomorrow would be a new start.

‘We’ll practise, Ellie – all the answers to questions you might be asked in court. When you get in from school, after you’ve done your homework, we’ll go over it. Or we’ll get up early and rehearse before breakfast, whatever suits you best. We’ll think about clothes too, get you an outfit you feel comfortable in and some shoes as well. By the time the court date comes around, you’re going to feel so confident that today will seem like a distant memory.’

She sipped her hot chocolate and listened to him. Mum and Tom joined in discussing the plan, full of ideas, their voices knitting together. Outside, rain battered softly against the windows. She thought briefly of Mikey, wondered if he was home yet, if he was safe, but then she pushed the thought of him away.

Everyone was smiling at her now. The blanket was soft around her shoulders, her knees curled warm beneath it, her slippered feet pulled up onto the chair. She was a little girl again, their little girl.

She must have a shower before bed. She’d use plenty of soap. She’d wash her hair, brush her teeth, rinse with mouthwash and use floss. She’d bury Mikey’s lighter in the garden first thing in the morning. She’d get rid of all the evidence.

Thirty‑six

Mikey knew something was wrong as soon as he walked into the lounge. Jacko was sitting in the armchair with a fag and a cup of tea, and Jacko was never there, not without Mikey. Karyn and Mum were huddled together on the sofa opposite, and all three of them looked up at Mikey as if the world had just ended and it was all his fault.

‘What?’ he said. ‘What did I do?’

Karyn did a fake laugh. ‘Like you don’t know.’

Mum said, ‘Let me handle this. I thought we agreed.’

Mikey clocked the wine glass on the table in front of her, the ashtray tipping with fag ends. He perched on the arm of Jacko’s chair and waited. Something big was happening – his mum never took charge when she’d been drinking.

She glared at him. ‘Why didn’t you go to work?’

‘Is that what this is about? Did I get sacked?’

‘I hope so,’ Karyn spat.

Mum put a hand on her arm. ‘Where have you been all day, Mikey?’

‘Different places. Out and about.’

‘Who with?’

‘Does it matter?’ He turned to Jacko. ‘What is this?’

Jacko shrugged, looked down at his feet.

‘Will someone tell me what’s going on?’

‘I’ll tell you,’ Karyn said. ‘You’ve got yourself a posh little girlfriend, that’s what. Jacko’s been filling us in.’

A pulse banged in Mikey’s head. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘I’m talking about your latest shag – Ellie Parker.’

Like her name was a cheap thing and sleeping with her meant nothing. Like special things could be chucked out like that.

‘Shut up, Karyn.’

‘So it is  true.’ She shot out of her seat and flung herself at him. ‘How could you? With her!’

She thumped him on the arm again and again. He had to grab her wrists to stop her, had to push her back to the sofa and shove her down.

His mother’s face darkened with fury. ‘Don’t you dare lay a finger on your sister, Mikey.’

‘Then tell her to shut up. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.’

‘You stupid boy!’ Mum waved her hands at him as if to say, We all know you’re guilty and I don’t want to hear any more about it.

Karyn started to wail. ‘How could he? He doesn’t care about me at all.’ Her whole face turned to tears right in front of their eyes.

Mum clutched her, whispered into her hair. ‘Karyn, love, you’re making me cry now. Let’s find out exactly what happened before we go getting so upset.’

Mikey kicked Jacko’s foot and made him look at him. For a second they were alone in a room with a couple of hysterical women and they both understood it was harsh and desperate.

‘See what you’ve done?’ Mikey said.

A look crossed Jacko’s face, like maybe he was sorry. ‘I didn’t have a choice.’

‘Bullshit.’

‘I wouldn’t’ve been the only one who saw you on that bus, Mikey. What if some random kid texted Karyn about it? Someone had to tell her properly.’

‘And that was you, was it?’ Mikey grabbed him by his jacket and hauled him out of the chair. ‘This is my flat, do you want to get out of my flat?’

‘Leave him alone,’ Mum yelled.

‘I don’t want him here!’ He jostled Jacko towards the door, heard a satisfying rip as the material of his jacket shredded under his fingers. ‘Get out. Go on, get out.’

‘I said leave him alone!’ Mum roared. She stood in the middle of the lounge, hands on hips. She was swaying slightly, but she sounded like she meant business. ‘Take your hands off Jacko, sit down and shut up, Mikey, because I swear if you wake Holly up and she gets brought into this, I will never forgive you.’

By the look on her face, she wasn’t going to forgive him anyway, but he sat down in Jacko’s empty chair. At least the bastard would have to stand up.

‘Jacko’s our guest,’ Mum said. ‘He’s been sitting here with us for two hours waiting for you.’

‘Three,’ Jacko said, ‘actually.’

‘Sorry,’ Mum said. ‘You’ve been good to us, Jacko. I can’t thank you enough.’

‘Yeah, what a great guy,’ Mikey said brightly. ‘Always there when you need him.’

‘That’s enough,’ Mum said. ‘At least he was thinking about Karyn in all this, which is more than I can say for you.’ She looked at him like he was a total let‑down and she’d been expecting this moment all her life. ‘Couldn’t you have kept it in your pants for once?’

What was he supposed to say to that? Shame flooded his face and there was nowhere to look except down at his feet.

‘Jacko,’ Mum said, ‘any chance you could stick the kettle on and make Karyn some more tea?’

He nodded, went straight to the kitchen. What a suck‑up. Mum poured herself another wine, emptied the bottle out and still only got half a glass. She frowned as if she couldn’t believe she’d finished the lot, then knocked it back in two great gulps.

‘Should you be doing that?’ Mikey said.

Karyn made a face like she wanted to hit him again. ‘You’re such a tosser.’

‘I’m only asking. Did you drink that whole bottle tonight, Mum?’

‘Actually,’ Mum said, ‘you don’t get to ask me questions. You’re the one in the hot seat, not me.’ She plonked her glass down. ‘Now tell me about this girl. I want to know exactly what you think you’re playing at.’

She folded her arms, waiting for an answer. Karyn leaned back on the sofa and looked at him too. Even Jacko stopped clattering tea things in the kitchen to listen. But there was nothing Mikey could say that would make them feel better. They’d want details, like when and where, and all he could think of was Ellie’s smile, her shyness, how many crazy things she knew, and the fact that she was so good at listening that when words came out of his mouth, they made sense. And the smell of her – he’d never met anyone who smelled so entirely of themselves, even her clothes just smelled clean, not of some crappy washing powder or perfume.

‘Come on,’ Mum said. ‘Get on with it.’

He shrugged. ‘I’ve got nothing to say.’

‘Well, I better fill everyone in then,’ Karyn said. ‘She’s an ugly nerd.’

Mikey shook his head. ‘You don’t know even know her.’

‘I know she’s a nerd.’

‘Oh for God’s sake!’ Mum said.

She passed her fags round, like that would calm them down. The tea came in. Mikey enjoyed the silence while it lasted.

Karyn was first to break it. ‘Nice tea, Jacko, thanks.’

Mikey thought he was going to throw up, didn’t even bother moving his feet when Jacko tried to find space to sit on the rug.

‘So,’ Mum said, ‘how long’s it been going on?’

‘Yeah,’ Karyn cut in, ‘when did she first get her claws into you?’

‘Don’t talk about her like that.’

‘I’ll talk about her however I want.’

‘She’s not like him, she’s different from the rest of her family.’

‘Oh, is that right? What’s so special about her then? She’s not even pretty.’

‘Shut up, will you?’

‘No. You always think you know best, but you’re wrong about this.’ Karyn was almost shrieking. ‘Ellie Parker’s just like her brother and they’re both liars.’

‘She’s not a liar.’

‘She was in the house when it happened!’

‘That doesn’t make her a liar.’

‘Listen to yourself, Mikey – whose side are you on?’

Fury boiled in him again. He stood up, fists curled. ‘She’s not even going to be a witness for her brother any more because she thinks he did it, so shut up about her, OK?’

There was a terrible silence. Nothing happened for ages. Then Karyn said very softly, ‘She told you that?’

He nodded, and for a minute she watched his face as if she was trying to work something out, then she said, ‘She’s known for weeks and weeks and she’s kept quiet all this time?’

Mikey took a last deep drag on his cigarette before stubbing it out. He needed something to get him out of this. Ellie hadn’t told him not to tell Karyn, but now he saw the effect it was having on her, he wished he’d kept his mouth shut. Even his mum thought it was nuclear by the frown on her face. He needed a distraction, something that would change the whole vibe.

‘Listen,’ he said. ‘Why don’t I pop down the off‑licence and get some more booze? I’ve got cash.’ He patted his pocket to prove it. ‘Do you fancy some more of that wine, Mum?’

It was a cheap trick and he knew it as soon as his mother scowled at him. She stood up suddenly. ‘I’m calling Gillian.’

‘What the hell for?’

‘Because if this girl says her brother did it, she needs to know.’

Mikey absolutely hadn’t thought of this possibility. If the cops got involved, Ellie would think he’d got the information out of her and passed it on on purpose. She’d never trust him again.

‘It’s the middle of the night,’ he said, his mind racing. ‘It’s Sunday. You’ll piss Gillian off if you call her now. I might have remembered it wrong anyway. I probably muddled it somehow. Let me talk to Ellie. Serious, let me talk to her first.’ He went to the door. ‘I’ll call her now and find out exactly what she meant.’

‘Don’t you dare,’ Karyn said. ‘She lied in her witness statement, which means she’s in big trouble. If you warn her, she’ll change her story again.’ She turned to Mum, her eyes glittering. ‘Go on, phone Gillian.’

‘No,’ Mikey said, ‘it’ll make everything worse.’

Karyn flashed him a look of total hatred. ‘It can’t get any worse.’

‘If her family freak out, it can. Let me call her and find out what’s going on.’

‘No.’ Karyn leaped up and caught his arm. ‘I want the police to go round her house and I hope it freaks them out and I hope they arrest her and she rots in jail with her brother.’ Her fingers dug in like she was never letting go. ‘You owe me.’

She went for it then. It was like all the rage of the last few weeks got chucked at him. Dry‑eyed and fierce, she told him how he secretly blamed her for what had happened and she’d always known it, how selfish he’d been to fight Tom, how everything he did was about making himself feel better and never about her. He caved under it. He knew he should try and stay angry, but he couldn’t. It fell out of him and he stood there weak and useless and not knowing anything. Listening to her, it sounded like he’d got every single thing wrong.

‘Do you know what Gillian told me?’ she hissed. ‘She told me it’s not my fault. She said I should be able to wear a short skirt whenever I like. She said I should be able to go to a party in my bloody bikini if I want. I should be able to dance and drink and stay up late. I should even be allowed to snog the face off Tom Parker and it doesn’t mean he can do what he did.’ She squeezed Mikey’s arm harder, quivering with rage. ‘Any time I tried to talk to you about that night, you never listened. As long as you managed to punch him on the nose, the truth didn’t matter. But it’s all  that matters to me, can’t you see?’

Mum shushed them then, because Holly was standing in the doorway, shivering in her pyjamas. ‘Why are you fighting?’

‘It’s nothing,’ Mum said. ‘They’re mucking about.’

‘I heard shouting.’

‘You were dreaming.’

Karyn let go of his arm and he stood there rubbing it as his mum put her phone back in her pocket and went over to Holly. She picked her up and held her, planting kisses on her hair. It was like some ancient memory of his mother, someone he hadn’t seen for years.

‘I’m here,’ Mum said. ‘Hush now, don’t cry.’

They all watched, him and Karyn breathing hard like they’d been running, both of them stuck there in the middle of the lounge.

‘Come on,’ Mum said. ‘Let’s get you back to bed, sweetheart.’

Holly looked surprised. ‘Are you taking me?’

‘Sure, why not?’

‘Can we watch TV in your room?’

‘No, you’ve got school tomorrow.’

‘Will you tell me a story?’

‘No, babe, it’s sleep time.’

Holly stuck her thumb in her mouth and snuggled in, hoping for a carry all the way up the stairs. Mikey could barely watch. It was usually him who took Holly upstairs when she woke up – he’d lie on the bed with her, listen to her chatter on about nothing and then watch as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

‘I’ll be back,’ Mum said. ‘Nobody go anywhere.’

The three of them were left in silence. Jacko got out his tobacco. Karyn sat down on the sofa. Mikey stood there rubbing his arm.

‘I didn’t mean to hurt you,’ he said.

Karyn scowled at him. ‘Don’t even try and tell me that you didn’t think I’d mind.’

‘That’s not what I’m saying.’

‘What are you saying then?’

‘That I didn’t mean to like her, it just happened. She’s a very nice person. You’d probably like her if you got to know her.’

‘Ah, Mikey.’ Jacko shook his head.

‘What?’

‘You never know when to stop, do you?’

Jacko strapped a rollie together. Karyn offered to make him a fresh tea to go with it. Mikey took the chance to go to the bathroom. He’d lock himself in and wait for things to get better. He didn’t want to be alone with those two when they were being so weird.

He had a piss, then sat on the toilet seat to think. How had this happened? Earlier, when he’d dropped Ellie off, he’d thought nothing could mess with his high. And now it was ruined.

He phoned her from the bathroom, but her phone was off, so he left a message. Call me, he said. It’s really important.

His mum was there when he came out, leaning against the bedroom door, waiting for him.

She said, ‘Holly’s asleep. Are you coming back down?’

‘I’m going to bed.’

‘Shouldn’t we sort this out?’

She was less certain, the wine finally slowing her down. With a nudge from him, she’d go to bed and forget all about it.

He said, ‘Let’s leave it till tomorrow, eh?’

‘What about Gillian?’

‘You can’t phone her now, it’s late.’

She sighed, pulled out her cigarettes and offered him one. He opened the landing window and they stood there looking down at the courtyard, blowing smoke out into the dark. It had started raining again and it smelled fresh and cold out there. A baby was crying, a dog was sniffing about on the grass. A bloke, hands in pockets, whistled for it and together they went through the doors of the opposite block.

In a minute he’d try Ellie again, and if her phone was still off, he’d leave another message asking to meet tomorrow. Then, in the morning, all the normal routines would kick in – he’d get up, take Holly to school and go to work. Mum would sleep off the booze, Karyn would stop being mad at him, and when he explained to Ellie what had happened, she’d agree to come round to the flat and meet them. They’d like her. They’d drink tea together and decide what to do next.

His mum was yawning now, leaning against the window looking exhausted. She smiled wearily at him. ‘I think someone finally stole your heart, didn’t they, Mikey?’

He rolled his eyes. ‘Go to bed, Mum.’

‘I always said you weren’t as tough as you made out.’

‘Serious, go to bed.’

She leaned in and kissed him goodnight. ‘It’ll all be clear in the morning, won’t it?’

‘It’ll be fine.’

‘I’ve got a daughter down there who needs me, and I want to do the right thing for once.’

‘Sleep on it. We’ll talk tomorrow.’

She nodded, walked away across the landing. At her bedroom door she turned and looked at him very seriously. ‘I want to be a good mum.’

‘Don’t worry about it.’

She laughed. ‘I do though, that’s the trouble.’

Thirty‑seven

Mikey held the fish by the head and scraped the scales away with the edge of a spoon. ‘From the tail towards the gills,’ Dex said. ‘Keep your strokes short and quick and work carefully around the fins – they’re sharp.’

Mikey was only half listening. Most of his attention was on his phone, which he’d stuck in his jeans pocket on vibrate. He’d left three messages with his mum already and she hadn’t returned any of them; he’d left at least ten with Ellie and she hadn’t got back to him either. He didn’t know whether to be relieved, or worried. No news was good news and all that, but if Mum woke up early and decided to ring Gillian, then anything could happen, and here he was, stuck at work.

He washed the fish under the tap, then gave it to Dex, who turned it belly up on the chopping board and slit it with a knife from its tail towards its head. Then it was blood and guts all over the place as Dex spread the fish open with his fingers and dragged the entrails out. They were bulbous and glistening as he flung them into the open bin, strangely pastel‑coloured too – cream, yellow and pink, like something that belonged to summer. Dex washed the fish again, scooping his thumb up and down its insides, getting rid of the blood along its ribs and backbone and nudging off the last of the scales.

‘We’ll keep the head,’ he said. ‘Some fish you cut off behind the gills, but not this one.’

The fish looked up at them coldly as Dex explained how its eyes should be bright and round, not dehydrated or sunken. Mikey half expected it to blink, or to open its mouth and complain about having all its insides showing and nowhere to hide. Dex slapped it on the draining board and picked up the next one from a bucket at their feet.

‘These aren’t for the pub,’ he said, ‘but for me and Sue later – a little peace offering from you, Mikey. Tell her you thought of it all by yourself and tell her you’re sorry.’ He winked at Mikey as he handed it over. ‘Here you are, keep going.’

Mikey held it at the bottom of the sink and scraped away with the spoon, the water numbing his fingers. Dex stood at his shoulder, encouraging him, explaining how a bit of thyme, a bay leaf, some lemon and salt could turn the fish into a meal. It reminded Mikey of the time he’d dug up potatoes at primary school – his surprise at discovering chips came from the ground and were once covered in dirt. Here he was, all these years later, his fingers sticky with fish scales, still learning about food.

‘Is there anything you don’t know, Dex?’

‘Not much.’

They grinned at each other and Mikey wondered what it would be like to have Dex as a dad – someone to be on your side, someone to show you stuff and advise you when you didn’t have a clue. He wouldn’t want Sue as a mum though. Here she was again, slamming into the kitchen – second time this morning and still furious.

‘What are you doing in here?’ she snapped, pointing a finger at Mikey.

‘Gutting fish.’

‘When I’ve got toilets that need cleaning and a bar about to open?’

‘My fault,’ Dex said. ‘The lad wanted to prepare a feast for you, Sue, to show you how sorry he is.’

She scowled at them both, as if it was bound to be a trick.

‘I encouraged him,’ Dex told her. ‘I thought it showed good heart.’

A shadow of a smile, which she quickly covered with a frown as she turned to Mikey. ‘I hope you know you’re only in a job because of my husband?’

Mikey nodded.

‘And you know if you muck me around again, I’ll fire you?’

He nodded again and she went for it, telling him how rude and ungrateful he was, how the previous day had been their busiest of the season and she’d had to turn customers away at the door because he hadn’t bothered showing up. She asked him why he couldn’t be more like Jacko, who was always reliable and cheerful and who, incidentally, had been given the morning off for good behaviour.

‘Maybe there’s a lesson for you in there, Mikey,’ she said.

It struck him that Sue was the third person to shout at him in less than twelve hours and he probably should be getting used to it by now, but he wasn’t. All the yelling seemed to be adding up to something that dragged him down.

Dex shot her a look. ‘Give the boy a break, Sue. I’ll send him through to you as soon as he’s done here.’

She took a few paces towards him, hands on her hips. ‘I don’t know what you want to turn him into, Dex, but to me, he’s a cleaner until he earns my respect. Now get rid of that fish, Mikey, and come straight out to the bar. I’ve got a floor that needs mopping after you’ve done the toilets.’

When she’d gone, there was silence. Mikey rinsed the fish under the running tap, laid it on the draining board, then washed his hands with warm water and soap. He used the scrubbing brush and took his time. Dex chopped herbs on a board. Warm midmorning light flooded through the window and splashed the floor.

‘She’s angry you didn’t tell her,’ Dex said after a while. ‘If you wanted a day off, you should have asked, that’s all.’

‘Something came up.’

‘It always does.’ Dex stopped chopping and looked at him. ‘You’re a clever boy, Mikey, and you could be a great chef. Don’t waste your talent.’

Mikey couldn’t help grinning as he dried his hands on a towel. Did Dex really believe in him that much? He wanted to please him suddenly, to make him think he was worth all the trouble.

‘I’ll finish the fish later if you like,’ he said.

Dex looked at the fish on the draining board, the entrails in the bin, the three fish still in the bucket.

‘A kind offer, but Sue has plenty to keep you busy, I think. I’ll finish these off and tomorrow I’ll show you how to make a stock out of the trimmings.’ He patted his belly. ‘I’ll teach you bouillabaisse – the best French soup you ever tasted.’

They shook hands on it and Mikey had something to look forward to again, just like that.

In the toilets he called Ellie again – still no joy, and no reply from his mum either. He risked phoning Karyn, figured it’d be worth getting yelled at if he found out what was happening.

She picked up straight away. ‘What do you want?’

‘Just wondered how it’s going?’

‘Fantastic.’

She sounded like she meant it, which was worrying. ‘Is Mum up?’

‘Yep.’

‘Can I speak to her?’

‘No.’

A stab in his guts. ‘Why, what’s she doing?’

He strained to hear background noises, something that would tell him Mum was simply in the kitchen, stumbling about making her first coffee of the day, that Karyn was bluffing, that this would still be all right. But he heard nothing, except the sound of his sister’s breathing.

‘Look,’ he said, ‘I’m sorry for everything, OK? Just tell me what’s happening.’

‘Why, so you can warn your girlfriend?’

‘I don’t want her to be scared, that’s all.’

‘You think I give a toss about that?’

‘She’s on your side, Karyn. If you want to hate someone, hate her brother.’

‘I hate them both.’

Everything tightened inside him as he pressed the phone closer, struggling to find a way to get through to her. ‘Ellie wanted to believe he was innocent – that’s not so weird, is it? If I did something terrible, wouldn’t you help me?’

‘You’d never do anything like that!’

‘That’s what she thought about him. He’s going to hate her for grassing him up, so why do you have to make it even more difficult? Why can’t you just tell me what’s going on?’

It felt like minutes waiting for her to speak. Eventually she said, ‘I’ll get Mum to call you when Gillian’s gone.’

And then she put the phone down.

Mikey rammed out of the toilets, through the bar, out of the main door and across the car park. He left Ellie a message as he walked: Call me. Serious. Call me as soon as you get this. He tried his mum, but she didn’t pick up. He tried Karyn again. Nothing.

He should have gone over to Ellie’s house after dropping Holly at school, he’d been an idiot not to. Or before school even – last night when it all kicked off. He could have climbed the gate, shinned up the drainpipe, spent the night by her side and kept her safe.

At the harbour wall he sat on a bench and tried to calm down. OK, it was possible Karyn was winding him up and his mum was still asleep. But it was also possible that Gillian was at the flat right now, finding out all the details, organizing squad cars. Couldn’t you be charged with perjury for lying to cops?