body began to shake. A staccato jerking that progressed to violent convulsions until her legs buckled and she dissolved to the ground.
Lilly knelt down and took Anna’s hands. She checked the palms and turned them over. They didn’t seem to be burned. Lilly kept them in her own until Anna’s shudders slowed.
‘I know it’s hard, but if I’m going to help you I have to know what happened. You have to tell me about the rape and why you had a gun if I’m to make people understand.’
‘But how are you going to do that?’ asked Anna. ‘When I don’t even understand myself?’
‘Got anything for me, Posh?’
Alexia sighed. Would she be sitting here if she had?
Her boss breathed out his disgust in a plume of blue smoke, his frustration building like a boil. Any second it would burst and cover her in yellow poison.
Un-bloody-believable.
She’d been the only one inside Manor Park and got the exclusive before all the nationals. Yesterday she’d weighed into the scrum outside the court. What total bedlam that was. The skinheads on one side, asylum seekers on the other. She’d hoped for a bit of argy bargy, but they’d limited themselves to hurling abuse and the odd empty can.
Even so, she’d put together a fantastic piece. Steve was never satisfied.
‘I got you the best fucking story this rag has ever had,’ she said.
‘Yesterday’s news, today’s chip paper.’
‘So what do you want from me?’
‘I want that girl.’
Alexia shook her head. He was being unreasonable. No reporting was allowed in court because the defendant was a child, so there was no way of finding out who she was or where she’d gone. A source in High Point, the nearest women’s prison, had confirmed she hadn’t gone there. The other women’s prisons claimed to know nothing about her. The police had given the usual bullshit that said a lot but told absolutely nothing. ‘Don’t you think everyone from the Guardian to Hello is looking for her?’
‘What about the lad’s parents?’ asked Steve.
‘They’re saying zilch.’
‘Have you tried?’
Alexia fixed him with a stare. ‘No, Steve, I left a message on their answer machine, and when they didn’t get back to me I thought, “Ah well, I won’t bother with that then.”’
‘What?!’
She shook her head in despair. ‘Of course I tried. The number’s been discontinued.’
‘Probably done a deal with a tabloid,’ he said.
Alexia smiled to herself. It wouldn’t occur to her boss that the bereaved parents of a murdered teenager might prefer to keep a dignified silence.
Steve threw his fag end into a cold cup of coffee. It died with a hiss. He was cut from the same mould as her father. Pedantic and petulant. A bully.
‘Maybe I should pop down to Noodles and Rice,’ she said. ‘Get us a Chinese.’
Her boss’s penchant for greasy chicken floating in MSG made her stomach churn, but she hoped it might alleviate his temper.
‘Maybe you should pop into the job centre on the way back.’
‘Steve,’ she looked him right in the eye, ‘you’re being a twat.’
He flared his nostrils. ‘Find me that girl.’
‘Everything all right?’ asked Lilly.
Penny ruffled Sam’s hair as he jumped out of her car and raced past Lilly without a word. ‘He’s seriously peed off about Anna staying here.’
‘He’ll come round,’ said Lilly.
‘Are you sure about that?’
Lilly gave a half-hearted smile. Penny wasn’t exactly being supportive about Anna but, then again, why should she be?
‘You don’t think anyone could have guessed she’s here?’
Penny shook her head. ‘The papers all said that in a case like this she’d be remanded into custody.’
‘Who tipped off the press?’
‘Could be anyone,’ said Penny.
‘You wouldn’t think parents would want their kids’ school splashed all over the papers.’
‘Maybe they think it will do some good.’
Lilly gave a hollow laugh. ‘How?’
Penny shrugged.
‘And in the meantime there’s
Lilly knelt down and took Anna’s hands. She checked the palms and turned them over. They didn’t seem to be burned. Lilly kept them in her own until Anna’s shudders slowed.
‘I know it’s hard, but if I’m going to help you I have to know what happened. You have to tell me about the rape and why you had a gun if I’m to make people understand.’
‘But how are you going to do that?’ asked Anna. ‘When I don’t even understand myself?’
‘Got anything for me, Posh?’
Alexia sighed. Would she be sitting here if she had?
Her boss breathed out his disgust in a plume of blue smoke, his frustration building like a boil. Any second it would burst and cover her in yellow poison.
Un-bloody-believable.
She’d been the only one inside Manor Park and got the exclusive before all the nationals. Yesterday she’d weighed into the scrum outside the court. What total bedlam that was. The skinheads on one side, asylum seekers on the other. She’d hoped for a bit of argy bargy, but they’d limited themselves to hurling abuse and the odd empty can.
Even so, she’d put together a fantastic piece. Steve was never satisfied.
‘I got you the best fucking story this rag has ever had,’ she said.
‘Yesterday’s news, today’s chip paper.’
‘So what do you want from me?’
‘I want that girl.’
Alexia shook her head. He was being unreasonable. No reporting was allowed in court because the defendant was a child, so there was no way of finding out who she was or where she’d gone. A source in High Point, the nearest women’s prison, had confirmed she hadn’t gone there. The other women’s prisons claimed to know nothing about her. The police had given the usual bullshit that said a lot but told absolutely nothing. ‘Don’t you think everyone from the Guardian to Hello is looking for her?’
‘What about the lad’s parents?’ asked Steve.
‘They’re saying zilch.’
‘Have you tried?’
Alexia fixed him with a stare. ‘No, Steve, I left a message on their answer machine, and when they didn’t get back to me I thought, “Ah well, I won’t bother with that then.”’
‘What?!’
She shook her head in despair. ‘Of course I tried. The number’s been discontinued.’
‘Probably done a deal with a tabloid,’ he said.
Alexia smiled to herself. It wouldn’t occur to her boss that the bereaved parents of a murdered teenager might prefer to keep a dignified silence.
Steve threw his fag end into a cold cup of coffee. It died with a hiss. He was cut from the same mould as her father. Pedantic and petulant. A bully.
‘Maybe I should pop down to Noodles and Rice,’ she said. ‘Get us a Chinese.’
Her boss’s penchant for greasy chicken floating in MSG made her stomach churn, but she hoped it might alleviate his temper.
‘Maybe you should pop into the job centre on the way back.’
‘Steve,’ she looked him right in the eye, ‘you’re being a twat.’
He flared his nostrils. ‘Find me that girl.’
‘Everything all right?’ asked Lilly.
Penny ruffled Sam’s hair as he jumped out of her car and raced past Lilly without a word. ‘He’s seriously peed off about Anna staying here.’
‘He’ll come round,’ said Lilly.
‘Are you sure about that?’
Lilly gave a half-hearted smile. Penny wasn’t exactly being supportive about Anna but, then again, why should she be?
‘You don’t think anyone could have guessed she’s here?’
Penny shook her head. ‘The papers all said that in a case like this she’d be remanded into custody.’
‘Who tipped off the press?’
‘Could be anyone,’ said Penny.
‘You wouldn’t think parents would want their kids’ school splashed all over the papers.’
‘Maybe they think it will do some good.’
Lilly gave a hollow laugh. ‘How?’
Penny shrugged.
‘And in the meantime there’s
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