The Dead Ex(16)

There are black curly hairs growing inside his nose. Why do we notice irrelevant things like that when more important stuff is happening? ‘Are you sure of that, Vicki?’

He pauses. His sidekick’s pen is poised. There’s no getting out of it now.

‘Or is it possible,’ he says softly, ‘that, because of your condition, you genuinely don’t remember?’





6



Scarlet


‘Where are we going?’

Scarlet’s sobs made the words come out all fuzzy and mushy.

Shaggy-Fringe Camilla glanced across from the driver’s seat and patted her hand. ‘I’ve told you, love. To a nice family who’ll look after you until the courts sort everything out.’

Scarlet knew about courts. That’s where the judges lived. They were the bastards who put people in prison when they hadn’t done nothing wrong.

‘What if they won’t let my mum come back?’

There was a second’s hesitation. Her eyes softened as though she was sorry for Scarlet. ‘Let’s see, shall we? Now why don’t you have a bit of a nap, love? It’s a longish drive, and you must be very tired after everything that’s happened today.’

‘But I need to go back home to get my stuff for school tomorrow.’

Her voice was really kind and gentle. ‘We won’t worry about that now.’

Supposing this was a trick? What if she was being kidnapped? Scarlet began to panic. She should never have got in this car in the first place. ‘Mum said I wasn’t to go off with strangers. I don’t know you. Let me go home.’

‘STOP THAT!’

They swerved into a lay-by, brakes screeching. ‘You can’t grab the wheel like that, Scarlet. It’s dangerous!’ Then she burst into tears and Camilla’s face softened. ‘I know how you feel, dear. I really do. But I’m a social worker, like I said before. Here’s my identity pass. See? All we want to do is help you.’

‘If I can’t go back home,’ she said quietly, ‘could I go back to your place?’

‘Just now you said I was a stranger.’

‘You are.’ Scarlet tried to explain what she was feeling inside. ‘But I don’t want to have to stay with another stranger.’

‘Sorry, love. But if I took in every kid I tried to help, there wouldn’t be any room. Cheer up. You’ll like the Walters. They’ve been fostering children like you for years and they’ve got a son of their own too. I think he’s fifteen. Or maybe sixteen.’

‘What does “fostering” mean?’

‘It’s when someone looks after children who aren’t their own until they can go back to their mum and dad or …’

She stopped.

‘Or what?’

‘It doesn’t matter, love. We must get going again. Just sit back and enjoy the scenery. We’re leaving London now, and on our way to Kent. That’s where the Walters live.’

‘Can I get to my school from there?’

‘No. But there’ll be a new one that’s just as nice.’

‘How do you know?’

‘I just do. Let’s have some music on to help you doze. I’ll turn up the heating too. Is that better?’

Scarlet found her eyes closing. It wasn’t a deep sleep like the ones Mum had when she’d been smoking and Scarlet couldn’t wake her the next morning. It was a sort of drifting in and out like she was on the swings again, except that this time, no cop came up. She just gave the tube of crisps to a strange man, and he gave her one back. Then she and Mum got on a plane and sat on a beach, just like she had promised before they’d taken her away.

When she woke up the sky was dark, and there were buildings everywhere with lights on. Scarlet felt scared again. ‘Where are we?’

The social worker’s voice sounded tired. ‘In Kent.’

‘Will Mum be here?’

‘I’ve told you before, love. You can’t see her for a bit. I know it’s hard, but we’re nearly at the Walters’. With any luck, we’ll be in time for tea. Are you hungry?’

Scarlet’s stomach was rumbling as though she ought to be starving but she felt sick at the same time. If she was at home, she’d be getting Mum her dinner.

‘What do you like to eat, Scarlet?’

‘Pizza. Burgers. Whatever we can …’

Scarlet stopped. She’d been going to say ‘nick’. Ages ago, Mum had taught her to put one thing in her supermarket basket and then slip some other stuff under her sweatshirt or in her bag at the same time. But then she remembered that this had to be their secret.

Luckily, Shaggy-Fringe had slowed down now and was too busy looking at the houses to notice that she hadn’t finished her sentence.

‘I’m sure it’s here. On the corner. Ah yes. They’ve built an extension since I was here last. That’s why I didn’t recognize it. Out we get.’

It was cold. Scarlet’s jumper was thin. And it was the wrong kind of green for school so she’d got into trouble.

‘What colour will I wear at the new school?’ she asked, shivering, as a man walked past, talking loudly to himself and kicking a tin can along like a football. Shaggy-Fringe put a protective arm around her until he disappeared round the corner.