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‘What other arrangeiven various options within the next feeeks’
‘Weeks? I’ away from my own home for weeks You tell the here I’ll be, do you?’
‘No’
‘She’ll wonder then She’ll report ht’ The Super stood ‘You’ll be collected in an hour or so’
‘Now look –’
‘Don’t start again’ the Super said ‘I’ was nuainst the wall But she knehere she was After a hten her body cautiously, to sit up, stand
She never wore a watch How long had she been – what? Unconscious? Asleep? Why would she be unconscious if she hadn’t hit her head? Or been hit?
She hadn’t No one had been in here, no one knehere she was He didn’t Couldn’t The toilets were solih sets of doors, to get away Get away
She found the toilet, pulled the door to but didn’t lock it, then went to the basins and splashed her face with a handful of cold water Pulled her hair out of its band and retied it
And then there was a clatter outside in the corridor, sooing, I’’
The cleaner put down his bucket andthe door
‘You hold on – who are you? You shouldn’t be here This building’s closed You on the run?’
‘No Not like you think’
‘Like what then?’
Lynne Keyes told hi belly under his overall, a thick neck, big feet, big hands But he stood still and listened to every word and she felt safe with hiled her without any trouble but she had no fear that he would They were different sort of lers
‘I hear you Only you can’t stop here We go in an hour, place is locked and that’s it’
‘I can’t go ho off – it’s shocked everyone rigid’
She said nothing
‘So’ He pushed the mop down into the bucket and twisted it this way and that The smell of pine disinfectant cao to them Family’s better than friends, times like yours Come with me, I’ll slip you out the side door, no one’ll be around, and I never saw you, all right?’
She followed hi else she could do and because he was kind and she trusted him The side door had an iron bar that he lifted up and a chain and padlock that he opened She could see a passageway Concrete steps
The door banged and the iron bar came across it on the other side
Just clocked what it is They’re afraid They’re terrified, of et to walk down that street, they’ll shake with fear But they’ve got no reason Well, have they? ‘Not guilty’ he said, didn’t he? ‘Not guilty Not guilty Not guilty’
So what have they got to be afraid of?
‘II NEED to speak to someone I need someone to help me’
‘What department do you want?’
‘I don’t know Police Just the policeI need help, I’o home’
‘Domestic violence? Hold on’
He had never let her have a ht she hadn’t really es to find a phone box that worked, she was put on hold She waited, but she wasn’t put through to anyone else and the woman didn’t come back
The toas very quiet A pub on the corner was e away from the rank She slipped round the backstreets, across the bus station, in and out of the mesh of streets near the railway line She felt better because the flat was right on the other side of town She knehat he’d be doing – she had a sudden flash of hi the news Watching hi his can to the screen
Lynne Keyes shivered
The only person left was Hilary It was a long walk – she had no one anyway Her sandal strap had broken coether to keep it on and there was already one blister on the side of her foot Walk to Hilary’s? She sat down on the loall in front of a house Drawn curtains Glow from a lamp Flicker from a TV She wanted to knock and ask theet to Hilary’s because she had to keep stopping to fiddle with her sandal and try and move it away froe but ardens She’d wanted to move out this way but he wouldn’t She’d never properly understood why, until all this had coht and slip out, do what he did, slip back, no need for the van
She dragged herself the last hundred yards to Hilary’s, all the energy gone out of her, but at least the lights were still on Hilary was seven years younger than her, saether when they were younger but they’d picked up later, got on well She felt such relief walking up the front path it was like heat running through her
She rang The sound on the television went off She waited No one caain After aThen the door opened a few inches on the chain She could see her sister’s hand, the side of her head, her shoulder
‘Hil? It’s me’
‘What do you want?’
‘Can I come in?’
‘What for?’
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing but then she realised ‘It’s OK I’ht shift He’s not here’
‘What’s that got to do with anything? Let me in, Hil I’m cold, my foot’s hurt, and I’ve walked o ho? I don’t care if you are my sister, you knohat happened today, and it’s all over the news He ed to find hiuilty God only knows So now he’s a freeyourself and in your shoes so would I be I’ here, I’m on my oith the kids and –’
‘He wouldn’t come here’