Secrets (12 page)

If my books don't sell well it won't really matter. We could make do with a very modest flat. We could maybe even rent one on the Latimer Estate. Then Treasure's family could come and visit every day. I don't think I want my family to visit at all. Not even Dad. He hates the Latimer Estate.

We drove through it after lunch. I was feeling sick. Dad said he'd take me out to lunch, just us two, anywhere I wanted. I was thrilled he was in a good mood for once. I thought hard, trying to think of the perfect place. I thought Dad would like somewhere really fancy and sophisticated. I remembered this lovely Italian place we went to once on Mum's birthday.

‘Let's go to La Terrazza!' I said.

‘Oh for God's sake, India,' Dad shouted.

It was the worst choice ever. I hadn't realized it was terribly expensive. Dad went on and on about it, asking if I thought he was made of money. He thought
I'd
choose McDonald's like any other kid, maybe Pizza Express if I was pushing it – but La Terrazza was ridiculous. Still, he'd said I could go anywhere, so fine, right, never let it be said that he couldn't keep his word. I was practically in tears by this time. I told him that I didn't really want to go to La Terrazza and I'd
love
to go to McDonald's – but Dad wouldn't drop it. He took me to La Terrazza and I chose the dish of the day because it was supposed to be a bargain. It was a seafood spaghetti dish that looked horribly like cooked worms and slugs. I pretended it was delicious. I said I was having a lovely time. I told Dad he was wonderful, giving me such a treat. Dad ate lots too – and he drank a bottle of wine.

I thought we'd leave the car outside the restaurant and get a taxi back home but Dad opened the car door, gesturing for me to get inside. I didn't know what to do. I knew he shouldn't be driving after all that drink (he'd also had a brandy while I struggled with three scoops of ice-cream) but I didn't dare say anything in case he got mad again. He'd cheered up now. He said I was his little princess, the number-one girl in his life.

So the number-one girl got in the car and crossed her fingers and prayed. He drove carefully enough, singing cod-Pavarotti arias: ‘Oh, La Terrazza, all the waiters are Prats-sa, we'll give them no tips, why can't we eat ch-i-ps . . .' I laughed as if I thought he was the funniest man ever, peering out of the window as we drove through the Latimer Estate. I looked out for
Treasure.
I wanted to tell Dad all about her but I knew it wouldn't work.

One of the skateboarding boys swooped dangerously close to our car, only just jumping off in time, his skateboard going clunk against our bumper. Dad braked furiously and leapt out the car. He shouted at the boy. The boy shouted something much ruder back, and stuck his finger up in the air before running away. While Dad was angrily examining his scratched paintwork, Mrs Watkins who lives next door to Treasure's nan came shuffling past, her weird grown-up son loping along beside her, swinging their Safeway's bags.

‘Watch them bags, Michael! Don't bash them like that,' she grumbled.

‘Sorry, Mum,' Michael said meekly – but when he saw me sitting in the car he stuck his tongue out and waggled it behind his mother's back. I smiled politely. Dad looked up, frowning at both of us. He got back in the car, slamming the door.

‘What a stinky dumping ground this is,' he said, driving away. ‘Foul-mouthed little vandals and total nutters. They should all be locked up. I wish we didn't live so close by.'

I wondered what Dad would say if he knew I'd been to tea here with my best friend. I was desperate to see her again but I knew it was better to bide my time. When we got back home Wanda greeted us wistfully, asking all about the meal. I felt bad, wishing Dad had invited her too. Mum was out again. She'd left a note
to
say she'd gone to an art exhibition with Bella, Miranda's mum.

‘Big Belly-Button,' said Dad, crumpling up the note.

Bella isn't really big, she's got a lovely figure, and her belly is as flat as a pancake but Dad always acts like she looks awful. Maybe he tried to chat her up once and she wasn't interested? I quite like chatting to Bella myself because she treats me like a real person and she doesn't always seem to be sniggering up her sleeve at me. I'd have normally been hurt that they hadn't asked me along too. I'd been wanting to find out how Miranda is getting on at boarding school – but now I couldn't give two hoots. I'm not bothered about boring old Miranda any more. I don't think she ever really wanted to be my friend. Anyway, I've got a much, much, much better friend now. And with Mum out of the way maybe I could sneak out to see her.

Dad said he had to catch up with some figurework and went off to his study. Wanda trailed along after him, wondering if she could help. Wanda, who can't even count her change properly! Dad screwed up his face and sighed at her, so she sloped off, looking mournful. I don't know what she
sees
in him.

I waited half an hour, racing through my weekend homework to while away the time. I heard clinking and little
glug-glug-glug
sounds from Dad's study. He was having even more to drink. He'd be seeing double when he looked at those figures.

I hovered in the hall. I heard Wanda in the living
room
whispering on the phone. I hoped she was talking to all her relatives in Australia. Serve Dad right if he had to pay a massive bill. I walked heavily up the stairs to my room in case Dad or Wanda were listening – and then tiptoed down a minute later,
sooo
softly, right along the hall and out the front door. I shut it behind me very slowly so that it clicked shut with scarcely a sound.

I stood outside in my own driveway, took a deep breath, and then set out for the Latimer Estate. Treasure would be so surprised. I'd thought I'd only be able to see her after school but now there seemed no reason at all why I couldn't slip away at the weekend too whenever I had the chance.

Treasure wasn't in the grounds on her bike. I asked one of the skateboarding boys if he'd seen Treasure but he just shrugged. At least he didn't call names after me. I looked more normal in my Saturday jeans and sweatshirt and jacket (all from Gap – absolutely
not
Moya Upton). I was dying to show Treasure I don't always look like I've stepped straight out of
The Twins at St Clare's
.

I opted for the stair route so I was breathless by the time I got to Treasure's landing. I hurried past Mrs Watkins and Mumbly Michael's flat and knocked on Treasure's door. Her grandma answered it. She looked different, older somehow, and her hair was all tousled as if she'd been running her fingers through it.

‘Oh, it's you . . . India,' she said, obviously barely remembering my name.

‘Can I see Treasure?'

She swallowed, glancing behind her. ‘She's not here, pet. She's gone out with the other kids.'

‘Oh. Well, do you know when she'll be back?'

She looked anxious and shook her head. Someone was shouting inside her flat. Some man.

‘You'd better run back home, dear,' Nan said.

This man suddenly came out into the hall, a horrible man in a check shirt and black jeans, his dirty-blond hair all greasy and flopping over his forehead. His eyes were green and glacial.

‘Who are you?' he said, glaring at me.

I knew who
he
was. Terry, Treasure's stepfather. The one who marked her face. I looked at his waist. There was the belt. I saw the buckle and shivered.

‘It's just a little girl from up Parkfield,' said Nan. She nodded at me. ‘Off you go, pet.'

But the Belt Man stepped forward. ‘Are you a pal of Treasure's, eh?'

I nodded.

‘So where is she, then?'

‘I don't know.'

‘Of course she doesn't know, Terry. She thought she was
here
.'

‘Or maybe Treasure sent her, to see if me and her mum had cleared off yet?' said Terry. He suddenly seized me by the shoulders.

‘Leave that kid
alone
, Terry,' said Nan sharply.

He loosened his grip a little. ‘You're
sure
you don't know where Treasure is?'

I shook my head, trying to act like he couldn't scare me.

‘Let her
go
,' said Nan.

‘I'm not doing anything to her,' said Terry. He put his head close to mine. ‘Well, listen here, sweetheart. You tell your little pal Treasure she's to stop playing us up and come on home. She's making her mum poorly. You tell her, right?'

‘I'll tell her if I see her,' I said, wriggling my shoulders free.

‘That's it, lovie, you scoot off home,' said Nan.

I ran all the way. I forgot to be cautious going back. Dad heard the front door and came out into the hall.

‘India?' He blinked at me, looking fuddled. ‘Have you been out?'

‘Yes, but just . . . just to the shop on the corner.'

Dad's face cleared. ‘Ah! Chocolate?'

‘Don't tell Mum when she comes back, will you?'

He grinned and put his fingers to his lips. ‘Your secret's safe with me.'

He slurred the
s
's a bit but I pretended not to notice he was drunk. Dad frightens me sometimes now because he's so moody – but he's nowhere
near
as scary as Terry.

Poor, poor Treasure. I'm so scared for her.

Eleven

Treasure

I DON'T KNOW
what to do. I've been sitting in McDonald's for hours and hours. We've had a Big Mac and French fries, then Cokes, then ice-cream with butterscotch sauce, then more Cokes, and then one further portion of French fries between us. Willie's gone to have another scout round to see if Terry's van is still parked at our flats. He'll ring if it's safe to come back. I've got Loretta's mobile. She's gone home with Britney. It's OK, Terry won't pick on her. It's only me he's after.

Patsy should go back too. She's curled up in the corner with my new red coat over her as a blanket. It arrived this morning. I love it. I hope Patsy doesn't dribble on it. She's sucking her thumb, nearly asleep.
She's
been crying. Terry wouldn't go for her – Nan would tear his head off his shoulders if he did – but she might panic and blurt out where I am. Loretta's too canny to give so much as a hint and Britney can't talk so I don't have to worry about them.

It's been such a
long
day. It was fun at first. Nan gave us each five whole pounds and we went round the market for ages choosing stuff. I bought a new big, fat spiral notebook with a gold cover because I've filled up every single page of the Terry Torture book with my diary entries. Patsy bought a little pink glittery notebook and some pink daisy hairslides. Willie bought a weird garage CD and two old copies of
Viz
off a second-hand stall. Loretta donated her fiver to Britney and bought her three yellow plastic ducks with orange beaks, the sort you float in the bath. Britney always grizzles and fusses when Loretta baths her, though she's fine when I have a go, splashing round like a little water-baby, but it would NOT be tactful to point this out. As soon as she spotted the ducks Britney loved them and wanted them right now, this instant. She didn't want to hold just one, she wanted to clutch all three, which is a bit of a job if you've got normal-size hands and totally impossible if you're a baby. After a great deal of fussing we got her holding the big mother duck with the two ducklings tucked either side of Britney in her buggy.

Britney was so excited she kept trying to kiss the big duck and getting pecked all over with its plastic beak. She had little pink peck marks on her cheeks and
forehead
but she didn't seem to mind a bit. I said, ‘Yes, Britney, duck! Lovely duck, three lovely ducks. Who's a lucky girl to have a duck, eh?' so often that she seemed to get the hang of talking too and said ‘duck' herself, over and over. Only she hasn't got enough teeth to make a clear ‘d' sound so it seemed like she was swearing and we all burst out laughing.

Then we took her to the park and we all had a swing. I started showing off, climbing up the rusty swing poles and hanging by my hands from the top. Patsy squealed and Loretta nagged but Willie was dead impressed, I could tell. He tried to shin up himself but he kept slipping down. He said it was because his hands were sweaty, but that was an excuse. Then a green mini-van pulled up and I started sweating myself but it wasn't Terry, it was just a woman with a whole load of dogs, though it made me start worrying all the same. I thought we shouldn't be hanging around somewhere like the park. It was one of the first places Terry might come looking for me.

I couldn't think where else we could go. Patsy was starting to droop a bit and Britney was getting hungry and needed changing.

‘We'll go round my friend Marianne's,' said Loretta.