Breaking the Circle (6 page)

Zac nodded. ‘OK. I get it, but you aren’t from round here, are you?’

‘Close. I live the other side of the high street.’

‘The posh side.’

‘I suppose so,’ Maya admitted.

‘Other side of the tracks – different world,’ Zac said. He looked suddenly thoughtful, staring out at the rose-scented garden. ‘I grew up in the same street as my
friends, one of them lives next door, but he don’t want to know me now. He’s in a gang, heavy stuff. Things change, I guess.’

He let go of Maya’s hand and got to his feet. ‘I have to go. My mum worries.’ He squeezed her shoulder. ‘Don’t sit out here, OK? Go inside, drink more
water.’

For a moment he stood looking down at her. She didn’t want him to go. She wanted to tell him about Gerard, about how he’d threatened her if she didn’t deliver the package of
drugs. It was so tempting to ask him for help, but she had no right to involve him. Gerard was vicious – she’d seen the hate in his eyes – he wouldn’t hesitate to knife Zac
if he tried to interfere.

Zac smiled and bent close. She thought he was going to kiss her, but instead he ran his fingers lightly over her hair, his fingers brushing her cheek.

‘You’re cool,’ he said.

She handed him his jacket. ‘Good to meet you, Zac.’

‘See you soon.’ And he was gone.

Staring at the almost-full moon that hung above the shadowy trees and bushes, she felt worried and lonely. The night hadn’t turned out at all as she’d expected and she wished she
were going back to her own bedroom, snuggling down in her own bed, instead of sleeping over. The threat from Gerard was real, no doubt about that. She rubbed at her arm where his fingers had dug
into her skin. Tomorrow he was expecting her to deliver the drugs and, of course, she didn’t have them.

By telling Gerard that she, Maya, had the drugs, Kay had put her in danger. She didn’t doubt what Gerard had told her was true – wherever she went she’d be tracked, anytime,
anywhere, by Gerard or one of his gang. A sick feeling welled in her stomach as she remembered how he’d held the knife blade in front of her face. Was the best thing to tell the police, or
contact Simon, her mum’s deputy – ask him for help? But then, how safe would she be on the street tomorrow, and what would Gerard do to Kay? She needed time to think.

The best plan was to find Kay before two o’clock tomorrow, get the drugs and deliver them to Gerard. That way he’d be satisfied and he wouldn’t beat Kay up. If she managed that
then she’d have time to think – to plan how to stop Gerard selling drugs around her friends and, more than that, how to stop him dealing completely.

* * *

Waking up in the morning, Maya had a raging thirst and her head felt as if it were filled with cotton wool. Stumbling out of her sleeping bag and into the bathroom, she met
Sadie coming up the stairs with bucket in hand.

‘Not a pretty sight in there,’ Sadie said. ‘Can you wait while I clean it up?’

When Maya nodded, her head swirled. She leaned back against the cold painted wall and listened to Sadie, swishing and rattling stuff around in the bathroom, as if she were on another planet. She
was desperate to pee and stood with her legs crossed until finally she heard the toilet flush and Sadie came out.

‘I think somebody drank too much last night cos I know it wasn’t my food; nothin’ wrong with my food,’ Sadie declared.

‘No,’ Maya mumbled, diving for the bathroom. ‘Your food was great.’

Returning to the bedroom, Maya found Leona and Evie were still asleep. Leona was in her own bed with one leg flung out at the side and Evie was buried inside a sleeping bag, on top of an air
mattress that seemed to have deflated in the night.

From her sports bag, Maya fished out jeans, T-shirt, cardigan and trainers, dressed, packed away the previous night’s red silk top and sandals and went downstairs. Sadie was in the kitchen
clearing plates and loading the dishwasher.

‘Not too much mess,’ she said cheerfully.

Maya looked around at the smeared dishes, the half-eaten food, the glasses toppled onto their sides and the stains all over the work surfaces and table.

‘Sorry, I’d give you a hand but I have to get back to Gran – she’s expecting me. Tell Leona I’ll call her and thanks for the party. It was cool.’

‘You’re welcome, girl, you’re welcome any time,’ Sadie replied, holding out her arms for a hug. ‘Remember, when your mum’s away, my door’s always
open.’

Leaving behind the comfort of Sadie’s kitchen, Maya felt suddenly nervous, and glanced around cautiously as she set off down the road. She was being stupid, she told herself, there was no
way Gerard would be up and about at this early hour. It was nine o’clock, curtains were drawn and outside doors were firmly closed to morning sunshine. When she reached the little concrete
square where she’d found Kay two nights previously it was empty, apart from piles of litter and the two rusty shopping trolleys. Nobody was around, it was too early for most of the
‘Parkies’, as residents of the Parkland Estate were known.

Sauntering past three boarded-up shops, she saw that the last one was open and decided to buy some gum to freshen her mouth. Inside the shop, a couple of boys were standing in front of the
counter, cramming their bags with papers. She thought she recognised the back of a head and, sure enough, when the smallest boy turned round, it was the cheeky crop-haired kid –
Gerard’s messenger. He didn’t say a word, just gave her a funny look as he passed. She followed him out of the shop and grabbed his bike.

‘Oy, what you doin’?’ he yelled. ‘I gotta deliver me papers. I’m late already.’

‘I want a word.’

‘It’ll cost ya.’

Maya seized his hand, pressing his little finger back. ‘I don’t think so. I’m specially trained, see, know all the tricks. See this place?’ She touched the back of his
ear. ‘This is your weak spot, I press there and you’re dead in three seconds.’

The boy shrank back, shuddering.

Maya leaned forward and muttered sharply in his ear, ‘Tell me where Kay hangs out – the girl who was with Gerard, the one who took my stuff.’

‘I dunno, I dunno.’

Her hand moved towards his ear.

‘All right, all right. I’ll tell you what I know, but don’t tell Gerard you got it from me.’

‘I won’t if you tell me the truth.’

‘She sometimes shacks with Gerard, in them boarded-up ‘ouses, top end of the estate. Dunno which one exactly.’

‘You do.’

‘Can’t remember, somewhere in the middle, “Beware of the dog” sign on the gate.’

‘Yeah, that figures,’ she said.

* * *

Moments later, Maya stood in front of a row of old brick semi-detached houses, the only ones left standing when rows of similar homes had been cleared to make space for the
flats. The houses looked derelict – windows boarded-up, heaps of rubble and corrugated iron fencing strewn around in front gardens. Heavy graffiti covered the walls and on one of the houses,
a letter O with a cross through it featured boldly. She moved towards this house. A gate hung so crazily on its hinges it wouldn’t have stopped any dog getting out or any pedestrian getting
in. But behind it, there was wire fencing and a sign attached to it shouted:
Beware of the dog!

She waited, wondering what to do. She had to see Kay, but what if Gerard were inside? She stepped back, looking up at the windows on the upper floor; they were grimy and she couldn’t make
out anything or anybody inside. When a dog barked she jumped and shivered, remembering Gunner’s slashing jaws. It would be sensible to turn away, but that wasn’t in her nature.
Footsteps sounded, a figure loomed behind the wire fence. Through the gaps she saw a pair of boots; they were red and shiny – definitely not Gerard’s.

A loud grating noise sounded as the fencing was pulled aside. A girl in a pinstriped jacket and very short skirt opened the gate and closed it behind her. She didn’t seem surprised to find
Maya standing there.

‘You want stuff?’ she asked.

‘Is Kay in?’

The girl’s eyes swept over Maya. ‘You are her friend?’

‘Yes,’ Maya answered. ‘I’m a good friend.’

The girl eyed her suspiciously. ‘You do not look like a friend.’ She glanced back at the house and shrugged. ‘Kay is gone, there was a big fight. Gerard is angry.’

‘Do you know where I can find her?’

The girl glanced over her shoulder. ‘Maybe the warehouse at the canal.’

A dog barked again, closer this time. Maya’s heart pounded; that gate wouldn’t withstand a Gunner attack. She felt in her pocket, pulled out a ten pound note and held it out to the
girl.

‘What canal, where?’

The girl grabbed the note and gave her directions. Maya sped away, aware of Gunner barking, aware of the clock ticking.

Jumping down onto the towpath, Maya walked in the direction the girl had described, past carefully-tended houseboats festooned with flowering plants, grass clipped neatly at
the water’s edge, the backs of smart, newly-renovated flats – on to a point where the water became brackish and green. Here she stood in front of shabby warehouses built of crumbling
and blackened red brick with wide doors and peeling paint. A truck stood outside one of them and there were deep tyre tracks in the mud. Signs hung above the doors –
Bullock’s Body
Works, East End Electricals
– and then she spotted the sign she was looking for – a simple O with a cross through it.

The wide door was solid and padlocked. A smaller, narrow door, set into the big doors, was closed. Maya knocked, stood back and waited. Nothing, no answer, no sound came from inside. She turned
and looked across the water wondering what to do, then she heard a faint scraping sound behind her.

‘Kay? Kay?’ Maya said, moving closer.

She saw the narrow, inset door judder and open a few centimetres. When she put her hand on the door to pull it open, another grabbed hers and she was yanked inside. The door slammed shut behind
her.

It was murky inside, the only glimmer of light coming from a lantern set on a work bench.

‘Why are you here? What do you want?’ With relief Maya recognised Kay’s voice. ‘Did Gerard send you?’ she demanded.

‘No.’

Kay stood in front of the lantern so Maya could only see her silhouette.

‘Why are you hiding here?’ Maya asked.

Silence stretched out into the darkness, making a wall between them. Maya heard Kay sniff, then she spoke haltingly, breathing heavily in between words, as if the explanation were costing her
too much effort.

‘Yesterday I see Gerard with a new girl. I say he cheat on me. He is angry. Then he start shouting, he say I steal his drugs. He say he put the packet in your bag and I help you steal the
bag from vet’s. He say I have the drugs.’

Maya leaned forward, peering into the dim void. ‘Well you do, don’t you?’

Kay didn’t reply. She moved away and her face was suddenly illuminated in the glow of the lantern. Maya saw that her lip was bloody, one side of her face swollen, her right eye slightly
closed.

‘Did Gerard do that?’ she demanded.

Kay gave a harsh, bitter laugh. She ran her fingers over her swollen face, wincing as she touched her split lip. ‘He ask me where I put the drugs but I do not tell him. I say I know
nothing.’ She dropped her hand and gave Maya a challenging stare. ‘But then he kick me so I tell him you have the drugs. Now I am free. He thinks you have the package, and I have a
plan.’

‘What are you doing to do?’

‘I sell the drugs, keep the money, get away, escape.’

Maya’s stomach tightened. ‘Good idea,’ she said. ‘Except you’ve put me in a load of danger.’

Kay shrugged. ‘Not my problem.’

‘I could just go to the cops,’ Maya said, moving closer.

Kay looked at her with hatred.

‘OK, that was a stupid thing to say,’ Maya admitted. ‘Actually, I came here to try and help you.’

‘No!’ Kay shot back. ‘You come because you are afraid. You come to ask me for the drugs. If you don’t give the package to Gerard, he will slit your throat.’

A cold hand of panic clutched at Maya’s heart. For a moment she couldn’t speak.

Kay was silent too, retreating to the work bench and pulling a shoulder bag close to her. ‘This is my chance,’ she said, holding the bag in front of her. ‘I sell the drugs and
find a place to live.’

Putting the bag on her shoulder, she limped to the door, her head down, avoiding Maya’s gaze. Desperately, Maya followed.

‘How can you? Who’re you going to sell the drugs to without Gerard finding out?’

Kay put her hand on the door and pushed it open. ‘It is possible,’ she said, defiantly.

‘Kay, I’m sorry,’ Maya said gently. ‘I understand why you want to get away from Gerard but. . .’

Kay sniffed, leaned back against the door and pulled up the zip of her leather jacket. ‘How do you understand my life? You are a rich girl.’

‘That’s not true. I’m not rich.’

Kay looked sullen and tense. Her shoulders stiffened, she folded her arms and spat words out like broken teeth. ‘You know nothing. You have a good life. I come to the UK lying in the back
of a truck. Five days and nights, seven people in a tiny space – we cannot see, cannot breathe – the smell of the truck nearly choke me. But I hang on because I think I will have a new
life – then, I find only bad things.’