The Dead Ex(21)

‘Someone who works for your husband. She didn’t realize the significance until recently.’

‘Significance?’ I repeat, partly through shock and partly to buy myself time.

‘The thing is, Vicki,’ chips in Sergeant Brown, ‘that this picture was taken just before your ex-husband disappeared. You told us that you hadn’t seen him since 2013. Five years ago. Yet here you both are. Is there something you’d like to tell us?’





8



Scarlet

12 March 2007


The phone call came on Scarlet’s fourth day at the Walters’. They were having breakfast, and the ginger boy was fighting for the last piece of toast.

‘Listen,’ hissed Dawn, the girl with the turned-up nose. ‘She’s talking about you.’

Really?

Mrs W was just outside the kitchen door in the hall. She kept repeating the same words loudly. ‘All right, I’ll make an exception and keep her.’

Then she came back in and said that Scarlet could stay, as long as she was a good girl.

Being a good girl at home meant putting out the bins for Mum and doing her homework. But Scarlet hadn’t done any homework since she’d come to number 9 Green Avenue. Because her new friend Dawn hadn’t let her go to school. ‘It’s for your own good. Trust me,’ she’d said.

Instead, they pretended to wait for the bus but then hung around the park and smoked and drank the last few drops that people had left in beer bottles. The others had been right about the teachers. No one had complained.

‘We’ll forge a sick note when we go back,’ announced Dawn. ‘Not that they even give a shit about us foster kids. Now, about today. We’re going to do something different. You did say you was eight, didn’t you?’

Scarlet nodded.

‘You look older.’

‘I know.’

‘That’s cool.’

‘Why?’

‘Nothing. We need to get going.’

Scarlet felt an unexpected beat of excitement along with the fear. ‘Are we going to play the game?’

Her friend’s eyes widened. ‘How do you know about that?’

‘Mum told me.’

‘She was on the game?’

‘No. We did it in the park or shopping centre.’

‘You went with her? You poor kid.’

They were walking now. ‘I didn’t mind. I got pocket money sometimes.’

‘I’ve got you wrong, haven’t I? You’re actually pretty cool.’

Scarlet flushed with pleasure. It was nice to have a friend. ‘Have you got the cans?’ she asked Dawn. ‘Mum either took drink or crisps.’ A big lump came up in her throat. ‘Then they took her away. I really miss her.’

They were standing outside some shops, just like the centre where she and Mum used to go.

‘They said I would see her soon.’ The tears were pouring out. ‘But I don’t know when.’

Dawn shrugged. ‘Your mum’s gone to prison. I heard Mrs W say so.’

‘No, she hasn’t. She’s with the judges in court. My social worker told me that.’

A woman walking past with a little dog glanced across at them and then hurried on.

‘For Chrissake, stop screaming.’

‘Then stop pinching me and making up stuff about my mum.’

‘I’m not making it up. But if you want to help her, you’ve got to do what I say. See the boys?’

Scarlet’s vision – blurred by her tears – finally settled on ginger Darren and the others from the house. They were outside a shop with lots of stickers on the window.

G–R–E–A–T V–A–L–U–E.

‘There’s a big stack of DVDs just inside. Darren’s going to push Kieran into it, pretending to have a row. They’ll come falling down. While the assistants are distracted, you’ve got to go to that other display – see? The one on the right. Grab a load and scarper. OK?’

‘But what if I get caught?’

‘You won’t if you’re quick. And if you do, you say nothing. Got it? Not even “No comment”, cos then it looks like you’ve done this sort of thing before. Just act scared and cry.’

‘Why can’t you do it?’

‘Cos I’ve already got a caution.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Don’t mess around with me, Scarlet. You know what I bloody mean.’ Dawn gave her a push. ‘Move it.’

‘I don’t want to. I’m scared.’

‘Want to be my best friend?’

She nodded.

‘Go on then. You’re clever. I know you can do it.’

Scarlet’s legs began to walk unsteadily towards the shop door.

‘About fucking time,’ one of the boys said. Then suddenly, without warning, he raised his fist. One of the uncles had once hit Mum, and she’d clobbered him back, just as Darren and Kieran were doing to each other.

There was a loud clattering noise as the DVD display fell over. ‘Those kids are at it again,’ shouted one of the shop assistants.

Quickly! Scarlet’s fingers were shaking so much that she could hardly pick them up. One, two, three, four.