Good Girl

And poor Molly. She had to think of her own child too. It would affect her deeply, now that Erin was gone. Lucy couldn’t help but feel guilt as well as relief about Molly coming home and not Erin. Molly was the only child they had – but how could she explain to Sara that at least she still had Nat, without it sounding appalling? If anything happened to Molly, their family would be devastated. There would only be her and Phil. Lucy hadn’t been able to get pregnant again, despite them trying for a second baby. In the end, they’d given up. They spoiled Molly as a result – a little too much at times.

Suddenly, Lucy took a sharp breath. Could Molly identify the killer, but be keeping it to herself because she was afraid for her own life? No, no one would come after Molly. The two girls had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, that was all. It wasn’t going to happen again.

Feeling the need to see her child, she checked on Molly. She was in her room, curled up in a ball on her bed, hugging her teddy, just as she had been when Lucy had gone across to see Sara.

She knocked lightly on the bedroom door before stepping in. Molly turned her head but didn’t say anything.

Lucy sat down on the side of the bed. ‘Have you managed to get any sleep?’

‘A little but I kept having horrible dreams.’

‘Would you like to come downstairs and I’ll make you some toast?’

‘I’m not hungry.’

‘Okay. Well, I’ll ring the college later. There’s no way you can go in for the next few days.’

‘I don’t want to go ever again. How can I, without Erin?’

Lucy held back her tears as she placed a hand on Molly’s arm. ‘Things aren’t ever going to be the same, duck. You’re on a new path now. But you can do it. I have every faith in you.’

‘I can’t think of anything like that while Erin is dead.’ Molly seemed mortified at the thought.

‘I know this isn’t really relevant but when I was seventeen, I lost a cousin. She was like my best friend and I thought my world had ended.’

‘You mean Susan?’

Lucy nodded. Molly had only known her from photos, having not been born until seven years later.

‘I wasn’t sure I’d ever get over it at the time. I felt as if my life was finished, like my heart had split in two and would never recover. But gradually, it got better.’ She pressed a hand on her chest. ‘I never forgot her. She was, and is, always close by. I feel her presence at times when I need it. I can’t explain it, and I know it sounds weird, but I do.’

‘Erin was murdered, Mum. I saw it happen.’

Lucy pulled Molly into her embrace. ‘I know you did and I’m sure that will take time to fade as it’s a horrible memory. It’s not going to be easy while the police find whoever did this. I guess what I’m trying to say is remember all the good times that you and Erin shared while all the bad stuff is happening. But I also want you to know that I don’t hold you responsible in any way. Because I know you might be feeling that it’s your fault and it isn’t, Molly. It isn’t.’

‘But everyone is going to blame me,’ Molly replied, breaking into a sob.

‘No, they’re not. I won’t let them.’ She paused. ‘This sounds terrible but I’m so glad it wasn’t you.’

They sat in silence for a while.

Molly pulled away. ‘They’ll all think I’m terrible for leaving her, won’t they?’

‘Of course not. You went to get help.’

‘I just panicked. She was making such a funny noise.’

‘You did the right thing.’ Lucy paused. ‘Before I go back downstairs, is there anything you need to tell me?’

Molly wiped at her eyes. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Is there anything else you’ve remembered since last night?’

‘No.’ Molly shook her head vehemently.

‘You can trust me, if there’s something worrying you.’

Molly dropped down in bed again and pulled the covers closer to her neck. ‘I’d like to be alone for a while, please.’

Lucy left her then. Downstairs, she put on her coat, reached for her keys and let herself out through the front door. Outside it was cold, a bit of drizzle in the air, and people were starting to wake up for the day. There were a few lights on in the houses around her.

She padded across the road in the dark with an eerie feeling that someone was watching her. Of course no one would be, but it didn’t make her feel any better. Her senses were obviously heightened.

At the Ellises’ house, the lights were on upstairs and downstairs. Lucy wondered if either Sara or Nat had got any sleep last night. She glanced across to the entrance of the walkway, where there were two uniformed officers on guard. One of them came across when he saw her, stopping level with Sara’s gate. But once Lucy told him who she was, he let her go on her way.

She almost ran up the path to knock on the door, hoping it would be answered soon. Seconds felt like minutes as she waited to see her best friend.

Molly got off the bed and moved to stand at the window. As soon as she saw her mum go into Erin’s house, she picked up her phone and tapped out a message.

At half past six, there wasn’t much happening on the street right now. It was dark and would be for another hour. Then Molly reckoned it would be chaos again – more questioning, more upset.

She looked down at the note she had written in memory of her best friend. Later, she would take some flowers to the top of the cul-de-sac. More tears came as she remembered that Erin was dead. She would never see her again, how could that be right? How could so much have changed in a matter of hours? One minute, they’d been talking; the next, Erin was falling to the floor. All she could think of was Erin’s face as the colour drained from it and she fought for her breath.

She’d have to leave home sometime today, perhaps on the pretence of getting some fresh air. She had to see him. He hadn’t replied to her message yet, but it was early. He would know what to do to make things better.

Two doors down, one of the neighbours was going out to work. Fred looked up at Molly’s window and she moved away. She couldn’t understand why he would do that. She bet he never usually did. Or maybe she’d never noticed until now. Perhaps he was a pervert and always looking her way. She laughed a little manically.

Then she burst into tears. Erin would have found that funny. Now she couldn’t share anything with her. She was gone for good.

She got back into bed, ignoring the rumbling in her stomach. She didn’t care if she never ate anything again. She wasn’t getting up until she was forced to. The day was going to be horrible – she knew she would have to face more questioning from the police, and everyone outside the family would start to learn what had happened. They’d all be talking about her.

Would they all blame her too, she wondered? Would people say she should have acted faster in going to get help, or tried harder to save her friend’s life?

Molly vowed not to return to college for a long time. No one could make her, and she had somewhere to go if she had to skive off.

She picked up her phone and tried to call him this time, but still it went unanswered. She threw it down and curled up on the bed, hugging her knees for comfort as she felt so alone.

Already, she was lost without Erin. She wasn’t sure she wanted to go on without her after what had happened.

TWELVE

‘How are you feeling?’ Lucy said to Sara as soon as she answered the door. Then she shook her head and burst into tears. ‘What a stupid thing to say. I can’t stop thinking about Erin and I can’t imagine what you’re going through.’

And then she was in Sara’s arms as they cried together.

Afterwards they went into the living room and sat down on the settee. Sara’s house always had a lived-in feeling, without being too messy. Lucy could see Nat’s trainers by the side of the armchair, and an iPad on the chair. Yesterday’s newspaper was on the coffee table.

Despite the clutter, it was always clean, with a tang of an air freshener in the air. The kitchen hardly ever smelt of stale food, but there would be things left out on the worktops that would drive Lucy mad. She and Sara always joked about Lucy’s OCD tendencies and Sara’s relaxed approach to cleaning – Lucy was the polar opposite of Sara and couldn’t go to bed until all the cushions had been fluffed up again, and everything was cleared away and put back in its right place.

Though Sara may have been a little untidy, she was a good mum. There was never any doubt about that.

‘How’s Molly?’ Sara asked.

‘Devastated, as are we all. She’s in her room, trying to get some rest so I thought I’d come round. We barely had time to speak last night and I know the police will be here today. I needed to see you, see how you were. I can’t stop thinking about it.’

Sara sat back in the settee and wiped away tears. ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do without her. I keep thinking it’s a nightmare and I’ll wake up and she’ll come through the door and ask what’s for tea. I keep thinking she’s over at your house with Molly. I keep thinking … well, anything but the truth, because it’s so hard to bear.’

‘Don’t upset yourself,’ Lucy soothed. ‘How is Nat?’

‘Trying to act all grown up but failing.’ She gave a faint smile.

‘Does everyone know now? Your family? Rob? Do you need a hand ringing around people? I can take some of the onus for that, if you like.’

‘Thanks. Anna did some of it last night. You know, the important people. You, my parents, Rob and his parents. It was too late to call anyone else but would you do our mutual friends?’

‘Yes, of course. I’ll do that this morning.’

‘Thanks. I’ll ring a few people – Erin’s college, my work and the like, as soon as they are open, and Anna will be around this morning to do some more too.’ She shrugged. ‘I still don’t know what she’ll be able to do here beyond that though.’

‘I can stay as long as you want.’

‘It’s okay. You need to look after Molly. She’s going to be broken.’ Sara looked away for a moment. ‘I can’t believe I’ll never hear them coming through the front door like whirlwinds. That I won’t hear them running up the stairs to her room. That I won’t have to tell them to bring the noise down or stop squealing. Our homes are going to be so quiet without her, aren’t they?’

Lucy’s eyes welled with tears again and she patted Sara’s arm to comfort herself as much as her friend.

‘Have they said anything about when you can go and see her? Or when they will give out her name?’

‘I identified her at the scene, so it’s being released to the general public this morning. I’m going to see her again this afternoon though. I need to.’ She paused. ‘They want us to speak on camera, appeal to the general public. I’m not sure I can do that.’

‘You can.’ Lucy nodded. ‘I can help you if necessary. You’re not going to be alone to face this. And you have Anna and Mike too.’

‘All those times we’ve watched press conferences and said that one of the people speaking out were the murderers.’ Sara shook her head. ‘How could we have said that? Are people going to think that of us? Will—’

Lucy shook her head but knew she could do nothing to stop anyone thinking those thoughts.

‘Do you think it’s what we’ve been worrying about, though? Perhaps we should mention that to the police?’

Lucy grimaced. She and Sara had been concerned about the girls for a few months now. Yet each time they had tried to talk to either of them, they’d clammed up. Said there was nothing worrying them. That they were okay, everything was fine.

But they’d both come home drunk on several occasions, and one night, Molly had been so wired that Lucy had asked her if she’d been experimenting with drugs. Molly had flatly denied it.

‘I think we might have to.’ Sara wrung her hands. ‘Although we don’t have anything concrete.’

Lucy nodded. ‘I just hope they weren’t delivering things for other people.’

They had also been discussing the girls’ behaviour. They had both changed significantly over the past few months, but equally that could be down to teenage hormones. Lucy was forever arguing with Molly, but she could remember doing the same with her own mother. It seemed a rite of passage at sixteen.

‘Should I speak to the detective, Grace?’ Sara suggested. ‘She’s my family liaison officer. I could tell her what we know.’

‘Let’s tell her together then. I don’t want the burden on you alone. Did she say what time she’d be here?’

‘No, just that she’ll see me this morning.’

‘Will you text me when she arrives?’

Sara nodded. Eventually, after a silence, both women stood up.

‘If there’s anything I can do for you, or if you need to speak to someone,’ Lucy reiterated, ‘you can call me anytime. Or come across. You know that, don’t you?’

Sara nodded. They embraced again and then walked through to the hallway. Lucy didn’t want to leave but didn’t know how to be any more useful. She would pop across later in the morning.

She’d speak to Molly again too. She wanted to; needed to. Maybe Molly might volunteer a little more information. She and Phil would have to be firm with her if she was scared. Show her that they would deal with whatever she told them and then they would protect her if necessary.

Sara stood on her doorstep as she watched Lucy go into her house. Apart from the police officers and the crime scene tape she could see flapping in the wind, the street was mostly quiet. Lights on in the windows of the homes around her. Neighbours would be getting ready for work, heading off over the next hour or so. Luckily for them their lives hadn’t changed much. They could go about their business as usual.

As she turned to go back inside, a car drew up a few doors away and she heard someone shout her name. Sara narrowed her eyes to see who it was in the dark, then a sob broke through as she recognised it was Rob.

He got out and ran towards her. Although Sara hadn’t seen her ex-husband much during the year since he’d moved to Dorset, his familiarity comforted her. They were Erin’s parents. Between them they had created a loving and wonderful daughter. All the years of betrayal, fighting and acrimony between them evaporated in that moment as they mourned the loss of their daughter.

‘I came as soon as I could.’ Tears were pouring down his face. ‘Please tell me it’s not true.’

‘She’s dead, Rob, and I don’t know what to do.’

She rushed into his arms and they clung to each other as they sobbed.

Afterwards, they went inside and she told him what had happened the night before; finding Erin on the path, going to the hospital, the police bringing her home when there was nothing more anyone could do for their little girl.

‘Did she suffer?’ he asked.

‘If she did it wouldn’t have been for long. She was unconscious when I got to her and she … she never opened her eyes again. I didn’t get to say goodbye to her either.’

The noise of their voices brought Nat downstairs. When he saw his dad, he ran into his arms. Sara was going to leave them to it but Rob reached for her again.

They stood in a triangle of grief, supporting each other as they tried to take in the enormity of what had happened. Of how different their lives were about to become. Of how much Erin missing from their family would affect them all.

How they had lost a daughter and a sister before her seventeenth birthday at the hands of a killer.

THIRTEEN

Molly held the phone close to her mouth as she spoke to him. She’d been warned by the police not to communicate with anyone outside her family, or to release any details, but she wasn’t about to do that anyway. She just wanted to see him.

It was hard not to be with him. Their relationship had always been on the quiet but now they would have to be even more careful they weren’t caught. No one had known about them except Erin, and she couldn’t say anything now.

‘I can’t believe she’s dead,’ she said.

‘What are the police saying? Have they found anything out?’

‘I don’t really know.’

‘What were they asking you?’

‘Just what happened to Erin. I didn’t tell them anything else.’

‘Do you know who attacked her?’

‘I didn’t see.’

Even though they weren’t together, as she explained everything, she could almost imagine his features getting darker.

‘You’re sure you didn’t see who it was?’ he asked afterwards.

‘I swear.’

‘You’re not afraid to tell me?’

‘No. The police said they’ll be checking CCTV, looking at who had gone in and out of the walkway.’

‘You need to keep me informed of what’s going on,’ he said. ‘Can you do that for me?’

‘Yes, I’ll ring you as soon as—’

‘No phone contact.’

She flinched as he bellowed down the line. ‘Don’t be mad,’ she whispered.

‘Sorry, Mols. I didn’t mean to scare you.’

‘It’s okay.’ It wasn’t, really, but she wanted to keep him on the phone.

‘All right, then. It’s best if I ring you now, unless you have something to tell me. Are you clear on that?’

‘I’m not a child!’

‘I know.’ A sigh. ‘I’m just watching out for us both, that’s all. It would be hard if we couldn’t be together, wouldn’t it?’

Molly would rather kill herself than not see him again. Without him and without Erin, she’d be totally alone. ‘Yes, I’d hate that.’

‘Me too. So for now, for the next few days, we’ll stay in touch over the phone. We can’t be seen together, do you understand?’

‘But I need to see you soon.’

‘I’ll be in touch.’

‘When?’

The phone went dead just as Molly heard the front door open. She dived back into bed before it had closed, prepared to feign sleep if necessary. She needed to think about what to do next.

And she had to see him soon. It wasn’t enough to hear his voice. She wanted to be held in his arms, soothed by his words.

She had to find a way.

He cursed, banging the palm of his hand on the steering wheel of his car. This was too close to home again.

He needed to get out, but he was sure they wouldn’t let him. Once you’re in, you’re in, they had told him.

He hadn’t had much choice in the first instance after they said he owed them. In a way he did, but in others, he had paid his dues several times over now.

One thing was certain, Eddie wasn’t going to be too pleased. A smile played on his lips. Maybe he could use that to his advantage.

He picked up his phone and dialled Eddie’s number.

FOURTEEN

One year ago

At the party, the two men Molly had been talking to with Rachel had disappeared, leaving her alone. It was less than a minute before someone else joined her. This time it was an older woman. At a guess, she was in her mid-forties with a Botoxed face that tried and failed to lose her ten years. The dress she was wearing looked expensive and her heels were higher than Erin’s. Molly had recognised the red soles synonymous with Christian Louboutin when she’d seen her earlier.

‘Hi.’ The woman held out her hand. ‘I’m Angela. I don’t think I’ve met you before.’

‘Molly. Max invited me and my friend.’

‘Where have they gone?’

‘Max wanted to show us around. I stayed here and Erin went with him.’

‘Ah, Max.’ Angela purred. ‘He’s such a lovely guy. Have you known him long?’

‘A few months.’

‘He works for my husband, Trevor.’

‘I thought Max worked at Steele’s Gym.’

‘He does that as well. Trevor runs a security company.’

‘You mean, like bouncers on the doors?’

‘A little.’

‘Do you work for the company too?’

Angela tipped back her head and laughed. ‘Not me, darling. I let the men do the heavy lifting.’

Molly smiled, a little confused but not wanting to show it. It must be amazing to live such a lifestyle. It seemed obvious to her they had no money worries at all. The wine she was drinking was good stuff. Already she was feeling more than tipsy.

‘Why don’t you come into the main room for a while?’ Before Molly had time to say she was fine where she was, Angela had pulled her to her feet. ‘There are lots of people I can introduce you to while you wait for your friend to come back.’

An hour later, Molly was laughing with a group of men as they told her some anecdotes about working for Trevor. She found out that he also ran several beauty parlours around Stoke-on-Trent.

‘Everything is above board, legit,’ Angela explained as she rescued Molly from the group. ‘We’re not into anything kinky.’ She stared pointedly at Molly. ‘Unless you are, of course.’

Molly had no idea what she meant and felt too stupid to ask so she nodded. ‘Oh, I’m fine with it,’ she replied.

‘Good.’ Angela smiled. ‘Then I think we’re going to get along just fine.’

Angela was called away then, leaving her standing alone. She looked around the room, feeling a little more confident. One man kept looking over at her and smiling. He was very distinguished, Molly’s version of tall, dark and handsome. He flashed an expensive watch as he drank his drink, laughing with the crowd he was chatting to.

She’d noticed him earlier. He’d been talking to a couple of men until they had been joined by two women and gone to get drinks with them, she presumed. Angela had called out to him, letting Molly know his name was Chad.

He looked at her again, smiling. She smiled back shyly. Then she lowered her eyes to the floor momentarily as she saw him start to walk towards her.

‘Hi there. I know this sounds a bit corny, but I haven’t seen you here before.’

‘I came with my friend, Erin, and Max.’

‘Ah.’ He nodded in recognition. ‘Can I get you a drink …?’

‘Molly.’ She shook her head. ‘I’m fine, thanks.’

She knew if she had any more fluid, she’d have to nip to the bathroom and she didn’t want to leave Chad now he had come over to her. Up close, he could be as old as her dad, but he certainly looked after himself. He was clean-shaven with short hair, neat and tidy, and strong features. His white shirt had a familiar designer logo on its pocket, his jeans the cut of expensive denim. He looked … rich. She liked that.

‘So how are you enjoying the party?’ he asked.

‘I’ve had a great time. Angela and Trevor seem nice.’

‘They’re friends of mine. I’ve known them quite a while. They’re a good sort. How about you?’

‘How about me what?’

‘How do you know Max?’

‘We go to the same gym.’

His face seemed to darken for a moment, but then his smile returned. ‘A gym bunny?’

She laughed, aware her lie might come back to bite her. But she couldn’t very well say that she had met him at the local takeaway joint. How very immature.

They chatted for a while and before she knew it, Max had come back with Erin and it was half past ten.

‘Time to get you two home,’ he said, still holding on to Erin’s hand.

Erin stood beside him with a grin.

Molly could see she had no lipstick left on. Well, at least one of them seemed to have had a successful evening on the man front.

‘Bye, Molly,’ Chad said. ‘Hope to see you again soon.’

Molly gave him a quick wave before she and Erin left the house all of a giggle.

In no time at all, they were home. Max parked at the end of Sampson Street, killed the engine and turned to them sitting in the back.

‘Did you have fun, ladies?’

Both nodded, smiling at each other.

‘Fancy going to a party next month?’

‘It can’t be Trevor’s birthday again.’ Erin giggled.

‘No, but they have regular parties. He’s a good boss, is Trevor. Treats his employees well.’

‘We’ll think about it.’ Molly grabbed the door handle and shimmied across the seat. She needed some fresh air. If she went in like this, her parents would ground her. It was clear she’d been drinking.

‘Well, I’ll see you in the week, no doubt?’ He was looking at Erin rather than both of them. Molly felt a pang of jealousy.