Bad Sister(36)

‘If you say so. Look, I know you mean well, and you’re trying your best for me. But you can’t save me. No one can.’

‘What do you mean by that? Why do you believe you can’t be saved?’

‘It’s written in the stars. Set in stone. My destiny – whatever. I wasn’t meant to live, was I? Death …’ Steph gave a quick sideways glance, lowering her voice to a hushed whisper. ‘Death will come for me. I know it. I feel it.’

Connie shuddered. Steph’s face was set, her jawline strong; defiant. Did she even want Connie to disagree, argue for the opposite? Say she was wrong? Her mind seemed made up. Resolute.

‘No, Steph. Death will not come for you. The reason Miles brought you here under the protected persons scheme was to do just that – protect you. And Dylan. But to ensure your safety we need to know everything that’s going on.’

Steph’s eyes darted from Connie to Dylan and back again.

‘Right, yes. I know. And I trust you, Connie. Whatever they’re saying about you in the news.’

Connie lowered her head as a heat spread from her neck to her face. No time to deal with that right now.

‘Have you had any further letters?’

‘No, not letters.’

‘Then, what?’ Connie’s brow creased.

‘I had some calls. But when I picked up, no one spoke.’

‘How many, and when?’

‘I dunno. Three, not many. One a day for the last three days. All in the evening, about eight.’

‘Just the last three days …’ Connie ran her index finger over her bottom lip. ‘Yesterday, I went to the quay, for lunch.’ Connie kept her eyes on Steph’s. There was a flicker in them, she was sure.

‘Yeah?’

‘Yes, and I saw you and Dylan, playing on the pirate ship. I was a distance away, so you didn’t hear me when I shouted to you.’

‘No, well – my mind was elsewhere. I took Dylan out of school then too, so we were just having some fun.’

‘It looked as though you were having fun, yes, and it was great to see you and him playing like that.’ Connie smiled. ‘But then I saw a man. He seemed to be hanging around.’ She almost added ‘watching you’ but stopped herself.

‘Yeah, some weirdo. Black hoody?’ Steph bounced against the back of her chair.

‘Yes, that’s right. Weird how?’

‘I think he was a druggy. Either that or an alky. Wanted a handout, that’s all.’

‘Ah, I see.’ Connie wasn’t convinced. But if Steph had been concerned it was Brett, she would’ve said, wouldn’t she? Now, thinking about it, it was more likely that the bloke was who she got her weed from and perhaps he was touting for more business.

‘I didn’t want to hang around to find out, so I took Dylan and left.’

‘And no other weirdos have approached you?’

‘Nah. Just that one time. I’m still feeling like someone is watching, though. Get that creepy feeling where the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. I’m always looking over my shoulder, expecting Brett to be there.’

‘Is it only Brett you’re worried about?’

‘I think the others from the gang might want to get hold of me. The ones who didn’t get sent down. There were two who got off. But they didn’t have a lot going for ’em; one wash short of a load, both of ’em. So I’m not sure they’d be able to find me. Can’t rule it out, mind. Vince’s lot would string me up if I was in Manchester, I know it. But it’s Brett. He’s the one wi’ the biggest grudge. And he’s the one who threatened me.’

‘But why do you think he holds such a big grudge?’

Steph paused for a long time, fiddling with a ring on her finger. Connie wondered if she was even going to answer. Finally, she sighed, and looked Connie straight in the eye.

‘’Cos he expected me to keep shtum about it. Stick up for him, I s’pose. Kept saying I was his big sis, I should protect him. And I didn’t. First thing I said that night was, “It was him, he did it, he killed him”. I remember it so clearly. His face, in the back of the cop car – the way his eyes looked through me; right inside to my core. He hated me in that moment.’

Connie placed a hand over Steph’s. Such an awful experience, no wonder she was afraid now Brett was released. ‘I’ve got Miles looking into it. He’s going to check where Brett is.’

‘You mean he actually took me seriously, that Brett is a threat?’

‘Yes, he took it very seriously, Steph.’ She didn’t add that he’d said she didn’t even have a brother, or that Steph was making a whole load of this stuff up.

‘Surprises me. He wasn’t interested when I told him before.’

‘What, about your fear of Brett having found where you were?’

‘Yeah. Flapped his hand, said not to worry, no one but the team knew my location.’

‘And it was specifically Brett that you told him about. Your brother?’

‘Yeah, why?’

‘Just checking.’ Connie took a while to recover. Why had Miles acted as though Brett was new information? She made a mental note to challenge him about it. ‘Right, well, with Miles on the case and you being vigilant and reporting any incidents out of the ordinary, like anyone approaching you, for whatever reason – even if it’s just to ask directions – I think we can keep you safe here. Don’t you?’