Bone by Bone (10 page)

LAURA

I
t was so hard to hear with the wind whistling past her mobile. Laura was attempting to retrieve the tools one-handed from the back of the Land Rover and ignore Ted's frown as she called the school. The line had either been engaged or it had gone straight to answerphone when she'd tried phoning as she was walking to work. Just as she was about to hang up again, the secretary picked up.

‘Ashley Grove Junior School. May I help you?'

‘Yes, hello, can you hear me okay?' Laura put down the shears she was tugging out of the boot and opened the back door to create a wind shield. ‘It's Laura Baron-Cohen, Autumn Wild's mum. I'd like to arrange an appointment with the head teacher, please.'

‘Can I ask what it's regarding?' said the secretary.

Laura wanted to say, ‘No', flatly and loudly. Instead she said, ‘I want to talk to him about how Autumn is settling in. I've already spoken to her class teacher and she suggested I make an appointment.'

It was only a small fudging of the truth, she thought. Mrs Sibson hadn't phoned to tell her if she'd actually spoken to Levi's class teacher or not. And, in spite of what she'd said, Autumn couldn't know for sure either. She was certain the teacher wouldn't give her Levi's parents' number if she asked for it. What she couldn't understand was why the police or the boy's father, or even his mother, hadn't been round to see her, so it was better to speak to the head first, before anyone reported her. She would explain about the bullying and make sure something was done about it. She felt guilty, thinking of how upset Autumn had been this morning when she'd told her she was going to try and see the head. Would it make the situation worse? She had no idea, but she had to make sure the boy never had a chance to hurt her daughter again.

‘Mr George doesn't have any availability today. The earliest he could see you would be tomorrow at 2.30. Is that any good to you?'

She saw Levi's face as she'd laid her hands on his chest, before shoving him viciously; how he'd fallen away from her, almost in slow motion.

‘Yes,' she said quickly.

‘I hope you're not going to make a habit of this,' Barney said, squinting at his watch.

It was just before three. It
was
a little early to leave work, but she wanted to pack away her tools and make sure she wasn't late to pick Autumn up. She certainly wasn't going to let her daughter walk anywhere on her own in the late afternoon now that it was starting to grow dark, no matter what Autumn said.

‘No, of course, not. I'm really sorry, Barney. Just having a few problems with Autumn. I'm going to have to leave early tomorrow too – about two. Appointment with the headmaster. Hopefully it'll all be resolved then.' She smiled at him. She couldn't afford to lose this job. ‘I'll see you tomorrow.'

Barney merely grunted and Ted smirked at her. She hovered for a moment and then set off through the nature reserve to reach the school. Partly because it was so overcast, it already felt like dusk. Laura stumbled as she struggled to see the path. The wind scattered a few bedraggled leaves from the branches above her head and splattered her with icy rain drops. She'd felt unsettled all day: she'd kept thinking about Autumn and hoping that she was okay. Levi would have to be brazen to continue bullying her, but she couldn't be sure. She wondered if she'd see Levi in the playground and if he'd say anything to her. His class teacher was bound to ask about the bruise on his face… Would he tell Mr Bradley what had happened? She quickened her pace.

She hurried across the road to school, looking at her watch. Right on time. There was a small huddle of mothers in the playground: Rebecca, tall and statuesque in the middle, with Amy, Rani and Lily on either side. She was listening intently to a man who was standing in front of her. Laura walked towards the group, but changed direction when she saw Autumn coming out of the entrance. Autumn was pale and she looked upset. She glanced at the man and ran over to Laura.

‘How was your day, sweetheart?' asked Laura, her words catching in her throat.

Before Autumn could answer, Rebecca's head snapped up and she looked straight at Laura. Laura half-smiled and waved and then dropped her arm in confusion. Rebecca's mouth was set in a hard line. She gathered Tilly and Poppy towards her and turned away. Laura felt as if a smooth stone were slowly turning in her chest. Rebecca must have found out. The other mothers, the women she was starting to think of as her friends, looked over and their expressions were a mixture of anger and shock.

‘It's him,' said Autumn, but so quietly Laura could barely hear her.

‘Who, love?' she asked.

The man swung around to face her. It was Aaron. He looked agitated, running one hand through his hair.

‘Hi,' said Laura, startled to see him again so soon. She thought about his last email, the one where he'd described how to spot Jupiter. She hadn't replied yet – she was still thinking about what to say without sounding too flirtatious or needy.

‘You! It's her. She's the one who did it!'

Rage had turned him into a different person, his eyes wide, his features rigid, as he flailed his arms stiffly, pointing at her. Laura instinctively pulled Autumn towards her. Aaron strode in her direction.

‘How dare you? I even spent the evening fixing your fucking laptop, barely a couple of hours after you assaulted my son.'

‘What?' said Laura. ‘You must be—'

‘My son. Levi.'

‘Oh,' said Laura, and her face started to burn.

‘Oh, you remember now. How could you? He's a child.'

‘Levi? But I…'

She started shivering. Aaron raised his arm and she thought he might be about to hit her. She stepped away from him, pulling her daughter with her. Autumn stumbled and almost fell. Laura helped her up and looked back to see Aaron dragging Levi towards them.

‘She knocked him to the ground! He hit his head on a rock!' he announced loudly.

The circle of parents watching had grown larger. Laura swallowed painfully and felt her scalp tighten as the blush spread to the roots of her hair.

‘You're sure it was this woman?' said Aaron, turning Levi towards her and pointing at her.

‘Yes, it was her,' said Levi, looking at her expressionlessly and folding his arms across his chest.

The group of parents were all staring at her. Even as ashamed and uncomfortable as she was, Laura thought there was something different about Levi. It was his voice, she realized. He sounded like a nice, middle-class boy. The urban gangsta accent had gone.

‘He cut his cheek open!' said Aaron.

Laura forced herself to look properly at Levi. It was bad, but not quite as horrendous as she'd thought. His cheek, just below his left eye, was puffy and bruised, and there was a scab of dried blood, where the stone had sliced his flesh open. Thank God it was small enough not to need stitches.

‘He could have lost his eye,' said one woman.

‘He wasn't staying with me this weekend so I didn't find out about it until now. But by God, if I'd known earlier…' said Aaron.

Rebecca looked directly at her. She had an arm around each of her girls. ‘Is it true?' she asked. ‘Did you do this?'

‘He was bullying Autumn,' said Laura. ‘He tore up her paintings!'

Rebecca didn't reply. She turned and walked away quickly, hustling Tilly and Poppy in front of her. Levi calmly put his hands in his pockets and regarded her coldly.

‘There's been some misunderstanding…' said Laura desperately.

‘You're right there,' said Aaron. He jabbed his finger at her. ‘I'm considering whether to report you to the police. In the meantime, I suggest you stay away from my son.'

He put his arm around Levi's shoulders and led him away. A few parents muttered and shook their heads. Autumn suddenly burst into tears.

‘It's okay, it's okay,' whispered Laura, hugging her and wiping away her tears.

When her daughter had stopped crying, she took her satchel and her hand and they walked through the empty playground out of the school.

‘I want to go home,' said Autumn.

Laura hesitated and then shook her head. ‘Let's go to gymnastics, sweetheart. It'll take your mind off what happened. If we go home, we'll both keep thinking about it.'

It was dark as they turned past Ashley Grove and cut through the side streets to reach the School of Gymnastics, which was in a former church on Gloucester Road.

‘At least we know who Levi's dad is,' said Laura shakily, her heart rate beginning to slow.

‘He was in our house,' said Autumn.

‘How did it go today? Did Levi say anything to you?'

Autumn stared straight ahead and said nothing.

‘Autumn, love, I asked you a question.'

‘No, he didn't.'

‘There you go. I told you he'd leave you alone from now on,' she said.

So that was why the police hadn't called. Aaron didn't know until today, until just now.
But why didn't his mother tell anyone?
she wondered.
And what will happen if Aaron does report me to the police?

Laura pushed open the heavy door into the old church and was hit by the smell of chalk dust and stale air. Autumn went to change and Laura sat on a bench at one end of the church hall facing the array of beams, rings, a vaulting horse, a trampoline and mats. She felt like crying when she remembered Aaron's face, twisted with hatred, the mass of parents backed up behind him with their horrified expressions. Rebecca would never let Autumn go round for a play date again. She could try phoning Aaron later when he had calmed down, she thought; she felt ill as she imagined his response.

She had a lump in her throat as she watched Autumn. Her daughter had been doing gymnastics since she was a tiny child and although she wasn't particularly agile and she was often clumsy, years of practice and her own determination had lent her grace and strength. She'd been nervous about starting a new class; in London Autumn had gone to the same School of Gymnastics with the same coaches since she was two.

Autumn was waiting for her turn on the beam and a couple of children had already pushed in front of her. It reminded Laura of those early days when she was even more crippled by shyness than she was now. One time the teacher had held out a box of bean bags for each child to take one. Autumn had stood, rooted to the spot, as her classmates ran over and grabbed them. The teacher didn't notice Autumn waiting and when the others had all returned to their places and started throwing the bean bags around, she'd put the box away. It tore her heart to see her child standing there, unable to ask for assistance for something as simple as a bean bag.

One more child pushed in front of Autumn and then it was finally her turn. She was supposed to take a couple of steps along the narrow beam, toes pointed, and then do a handstand, sideways on, before cartwheeling around and standing upright again.

She's so pale
, thought Laura. Autumn had dark-purple shadows under her eyes.
She can't be getting enough sleep
.

Autumn looked down at the beam.

‘Look up, keep looking straight ahead,' shouted her coach, Tess.

Autumn stumbled and righted herself.

You can do this
, Laura silently encouraged her.

She'd been so proud the first time she watched Autumn do a handstand on the beam, a feat unimaginable to her. Autumn took a step. It didn't look right, thought Laura – Autumn had gone too far along the beam. She was moving jerkily, stiffly.

Laura stood up, her heart starting to flutter.

Autumn bent and twisted, placing both hands on the beam, her legs rising. There wasn't enough space left for Autumn to land on the beam.

Laura started to walk towards her.

It felt as if it were happening in slow motion. Autumn's hand slipped and now Laura was sprinting across the hall as Autumn's elbow gave way. Tess held out her arms to catch her but she was too far away, her reactions too slow. From the corner of her eye, Laura saw the other instructor running across the hall towards Autumn as the child spun in the air.

Laura leapt onto the crash mat.

Autumn's foot missed the beam and she started to fall.

Instinctively, Laura held out her arms.

Autumn fell, cracking one arm against the beam, her leg catching Laura's shoulder. She tumbled backwards, clinging to her daughter. The air was knocked out of her lungs as she landed with a loud thwack on the mat. For a moment there was silence. She lay motionless, Autumn a heavy, hot weight on top of her. She was aware of her daughter's heart-beat, sparrow-like, her own breath ragged in her throat, Autumn's hair tickling her neck, the feel of her daughter's ribs beneath her hands, the smooth sheen of her leotard against her skin.

The two instructors bent over her and then Jack, the older teacher who'd once been a professional gymnast and was now thick-set and solid, was lifting Autumn up and smiling and saying, ‘Mrs Wild, you should be an athlete. I've never seen anyone run as fast in this gym.'

Laura sat up, propping herself into sitting position with her arms behind her. Autumn looked dazed and then burst into tears.

‘Come on, duck, let's have another go,' said Tess.

‘I don't think she's ready,' said Laura, looking at her aghast.

‘My arm hurts,' said Autumn, rubbing it.

‘Let's have a little look,' said Jack. He held her arm between both of his hands and turned it between his meaty palms, bent it at the elbow and then gave her a little pat on the shoulder. ‘Just bruised.'

‘The best thing is to get back on as soon as possible. Otherwise she'll be too nervous the next time,' said Tess, smiling at her.

Laura looked at her furiously.
You didn't catch my child. And you were right there.

Autumn shook her head. Laura stood up. She could feel a tremor in her limbs. She put out her hand and took Autumn's. There was silence as they walked across the hall. In the changing room, Autumn started crying again.