The Dead Ex(36)



‘For your mother,’ he said quickly, and then pressed a tiny envelope into her hand. ‘Doing all right, are you?’

He ruffled the top of her head and then walked away before she had a chance to answer.

‘Who’s that?’ asked Dawn.

‘No one.’

‘What did he give you?’

‘Mind your own business.’

Quickly she stuffed the envelope into the grey backpack that Camilla had got her.

‘You can keep a secret, I’ll give you that.’ Dawn said it in a way that suggested this was good.

But inside, Scarlet’s heart was all wobbly.

‘Excited?’ asked Camilla on Saturday as they walked towards the visitor centre.

Scarlet nodded. The envelope felt heavy inside her sleeve, even though it was only light. She’d wanted to open it, but it had lots of brown tape stuff round it.

‘Put anything you’re carrying in the lockers,’ barked the dragon lady.

Camilla squeezed in her large black briefcase with the shiny silver lock. ‘You haven’t got anything, dear, have you?’

Scarlet shook her head. Her chest began to thud as though footsteps were walking up and down her heart.

Another uniformed woman was running her hands over Camilla.

Then she nodded at Scarlet. ‘Off you go.’

Phew!

This time, Mum was already waiting for them. ‘Thought you weren’t coming,’ she said accusingly to Camilla. ‘Felt like a right prat, I did. The other girls thought I’d been stood up.’

‘The traffic was bad, and we had a long queue to get in here,’ said Camilla. ‘Didn’t we, Scarlet?’

She nodded. Mum hadn’t even hugged her! She was all snappy instead. Maybe she didn’t love her any more! Dawn said that might happen.

‘Give us a kiss, then.’

Overcome with relief, Scarlet flung herself into her arms.

Mum sneezed.

‘Bless you,’ said Camilla brightly.

Mum sneezed again but this time she pinched Scarlet’s arm. Hard.

She’d almost forgotten!

Carefully, just like Mum had said, she passed over the folded tissue.

Mum wiped her nose and then put it in her own sleeve.

Nervously, Scarlet glanced at Camilla. But she was looking at the woman at the next table, who was arguing with her visitor. ‘But you promised,’ one of them was saying. ‘You can’t let me down.’

Then Mum stood up. ‘Officer, I’ve got to go to the toilet.’

Two uniforms were marching towards her. ‘Haven’t you heard of TV surveillance, love? We saw you. Training your daughter to be a mule now, are you?’

A mule was a donkey, wasn’t it? What did that have to do with Mum and her?

‘She was just bloody giving me a tissue …’

‘This it?’ One of the uniforms was shaking it out. The package fell to the floor. Camilla gasped.

‘Scarlet?’ Then she turned to Mum. ‘Your daughter is already in enough trouble as it is.’

‘She’s a good girl. Like me. Get off. There’s been a mistake.’

‘You can say that again. This way.’

‘I said, get your fucking hands off me.’

‘MUM! I’m sorry. I tried to …’

‘SHUT UP, YOU SILLY LITTLE COW.’

Scarlet burst into tears. Mum never usually talked to her like that.

Camilla had her arms around her. ‘It’s OK, Scarlet. It’s OK.’

But it wasn’t.

The police came to the Walters’ house the next day. Camilla was with them. They had a video recording of the shop and the girl with the shiny shoes. Dawn was taken away. ‘You’ve made a mistake,’ she said, pointing to ginger Darren. ‘It was his idea.’

‘Then he’d better come as well,’ they said.

How nice of Dawn not to blame her too!

‘I don’t want that one either,’ said Mrs W, pointing to her. ‘She might look cute, but she’s trouble.’

‘It could take us time to find somewhere else,’ Camilla said. Her eyes were sad. ‘And we’ve got to review her case first.’ Then she shook her head. ‘Scarlet, I’m really disappointed in you. Did the others put you up to this?’

Don’t tell. Don’t tell.

‘Up to what?’

Camilla shook her head again.

‘Can I see Mum again next Saturday?’

‘I’m afraid not. She’s not allowed visits now for a bit.’

That night, Scarlet couldn’t sleep. The bedroom felt really empty without Dawn. ‘Mum,’ whispered Scarlet into the darkness. ‘Where are you?’

Then, as if by magic, the door opened.

The universe had answered her prayers! Then she smelled sweat.

‘Be a good girl,’ he whispered. ‘Or I’ll tell my wife about those crisps and chocolate that you lot have been hiding under the beds. Think I didn’t know about that? If I blab, you’ll go to prison like your mum. And you’ll never ever get out.’

‘What’s up with you?’ demanded Mrs Walters as she put cold toast on the table for breakfast. ‘Cat got your tongue?’

‘Maybe she’s lost her voice,’ said one of the boys, scraping the last bit out of the marge tub. ‘Didn’t say nothing in the toilet queue this morning. Just peed on the carpet while she was waiting.’

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