Somewhere to Hide (The Estate, Book 1) (37 page)

Liz’s sob was enough to tear a hole in Cathy’s heart.

‘I – I thought he was going to kill me,’ she cried, clinging on to Cathy’s arm. ‘He stabbed me with the knife and I dropped to the floor. He kept on hitting me. I tried to crawl away but he kicked me in the back. It was a rage I hadn’t seen in him before. He grabbed my arm and turned me to face him. I thought I was a goner.’

By this time, Cathy was crying openly too. She held Liz close to her as she finally broke down.

‘I said one word that stopped him, Cath. I shouted out Chloe’s name.’

‘You were so brave,’ Cathy whispered into her hair.

She was too. Cathy couldn’t begin to imagine how she would have reacted in that situation. Everyone thought she was strong because she could stick up for herself and the women she looked after but, in reality, she would have gone to pieces if she’d had to put up with what Liz had gone through.

Liz pulled away then and they sat in silence with their own thoughts. Shortly after, Cathy looked over to see she was asleep. She left the ward quietly, deep in thought, only to find Matt sitting on a chair outside in the corridor. The awkward look on his face matched her discomfort at the sight of him; a few yellow-green bruises were all he had left to suggest he’d recently been attacked.

‘Can we talk?’ he asked.

‘No, I don’t think so,’ she told him sharply. ‘I think it’s a little too late for that.’

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

A porter wheeled a bed past with an elderly patient lying in it, a nurse carrying his belongings. A man with his leg in plaster to the knee hobbled past on crutches. A male cleaner mopped a floor. Visitors coming and going: staff in varying uniforms walking up and down. Everyone around them was oblivious to Cathy’s personal trauma.

‘You have some nerve,’ she told Matt. She made to move past him but he touched her arm.

‘Please! Let me explain.’

‘Do you think you can say anything to take away the hurt and humiliation you caused because you thought of me as nothing but your latest conquest?’

Matt looked uncomfortable. ‘Josie told me that you thought that.’

Cathy glared at him. ‘I might have known. Pray tell me, what lies did you tell her?’

‘She made me realise how stupid I’d been but I did have my reasons.’ He pointed to a row of empty chairs. ‘Give me five minutes to explain. Please?’

The look that he gave her could have melted her heart had she been in the right frame of mind.

‘Five minutes,’ she told him.

Ten minutes later, Cathy’s head was in turmoil after he’d told her Josie’s opinion about things.

‘But why didn’t you stand up for yourself?’ she questioned

Matt bowed his head before raising his eyes to meet hers. ‘I admit that he got to me. I’ve never been a fighter and I was terrified when he said he’d hurt you. Yet since I’ve had that conversation with Josie, I can’t get it out of my head that it was that man, Kevin, who thought I was after his wife. I could have prevented Liz’s attack.’

Cathy instinctively touched his hand. ‘You mustn’t blame yourself for his actions,’ she told him. ‘He would have done that anyway. He wasn’t of sound mind.’

‘But I should have done something to protect her.’

‘Actually I think I could have done something too.’ Cathy told him about the notes that had been pushed through her letterbox. ‘I should have shown them to her,’ she said afterwards.

‘Most people would have done the same in your position.’

‘I doubt that very much.’

Matt smiled shyly. ‘Maybe neither of us should blame each other and realise that Kevin McIntyre would have got to Liz regardless.’

‘That’s what Josie said. But it doesn’t make me feel any better.’

‘I think we should listen to her.’

Cathy paused for a moment while she looked into Matt’s eyes. Honest, earnest eyes that were telling her so much more than what he was saying. Matt had kept away from her because he feared for her safety as well as his own. He’d taken a right old beating, had been scared enough to think that whoever attacked him would do her harm. He might not be as hard as Rich Mason but he cared for her all the same.

She kept her eyes trained on his as a porter wheeled a young boy in a wheelchair past them. ‘Would it help if I said I was sorry?’ she asked.

Matt shrugged like a petulant child.

Cathy knew that he sensed victory and shrugged her shoulders too. ‘That’s that, then.’ She stood up but he pulled her down again.

‘Of course it would help.’ He grinned. ‘I think it would help more if you said that you were willing to try again. And then much more if you kissed me too.’

‘Don’t push your luck, matey.’ She sighed loudly. ‘Let’s hope this is the last time anything happens for a while.’

‘Hospitals and funerals; suicides and attacks. You get the lot, don’t you?’

‘What, me in particular?’ said Cathy, knowing full well what he meant.

‘Actually, yes!’ Matt smiled.  

‘Well, let’s hope things calm down for a while.’

‘At your house?’ Matt scoffed jokingly. ‘Things will never be quiet with your lot.’

Becky had been out shopping in preparation for Austin’s birthday in the morning. Luckily, she had managed to save up a few pounds from the pocket money Cathy gave to her for completing chores around the house.

By four thirty, she’d bought him a striped shirt and a cheap CD player with rechargeable batteries. She was fed up with sitting in silence in the pub and if they were going to celebrate properly, they’d need some music. She bought a couple of CDs, chocolates and nibbles, a bottle of fizzy wine and two bottles of vodka.

By five thirty she was in her room, rolling out wrapping paper on her bedroom floor. Of the presents she’d got, she hoped he’d like the shirt best. Maybe she could get him to put it on tonight rather than save it until tomorrow.

She broke a strip of tape with her teeth and fastened down one corner of the paper. But when she pulled again, the roll came to an end.

‘Shit!’ She rushed downstairs to search through the drawers. Cathy must have some more somewhere.

‘What are you after?’ Jess asked as she walked in.

‘Sellotape,’ Becky cried. ‘I’ve used the last of the roll I found this morning. And I can’t find any more.’

‘What do you need it for?’

‘To wrap up presents.’ She kept her back towards Jess as she continued to rummage. ‘It’s Austin’s birthday tomorrow. He’s twenty-one so I’m making a special effort. I want everything to be perfect.’

‘He doesn’t act like he’s that old,’ Jess taunted.

Becky turned her head to stare at her. ‘Don’t start that again.’

‘You’re all alone in that pub. No one can hear you scream.’

‘I’m not that scared of him. He’s just a lot more streetwise than Danny Bradley. I suppose you could say he’s more of a man.’

‘We all knew Danny’s background though, didn’t we? He’s been raised on the estate, part of the scratty Bradley family. He was bound to do something stupid sooner or later. That’s why he murdered that security guard. It was in his genes.’

‘I know exactly what’s in Austin’s jeans.’ Becky giggled this time.

Jess laughed too. Then her expression became serious. ‘All I’m saying is be careful, Becks. You’ve only known him for a few months. To be honest, I’ve never felt safe with him. And I can’t understand why he won’t tell you anything about his past.’

‘But that’s where you’re wrong,’ Becky said triumphantly. ‘He’s been telling me about his parents. His mum gave him up for adoption. He’s never known who his father is. He’s not sure if he has any other family because he hasn’t wanted to find any of them. Doesn’t that tell you that he needs to settle down with someone who loves him?’

‘You mean you, don’t you?’

Becky nodded. ‘He makes me feel special. He’s fantastic at sex. I’ve nearly passed out some times, he – well, he always thinks of me. Not like Danny Bradley. He’s all mouth when it comes to –’ Suddenly she stopped.

‘You cheap slag!’ Jess cried out when she realised what she was about to say. She grabbed hold of Becky’s hair and tried to punch her face.

But Becky fought back. Her first punch landed on the side of Jess’s face.

‘You told me that Danny never screwed you!’ Jess slapped Becky. ‘You lying bitch!’

‘Girls!’ said Cathy as she walked into the room. She threw down her bag and keys. ‘GIRLS! Stop! I could hear the both of you the minute I got out of my car.’

Jess swung for Becky again but Becky lashed out with her feet. She caught Jess on the shin. Jess let go of her then.

‘Ow! I’ll bloody kill –’

‘I said break it up!’ Cathy pushed herself between the two of them. ‘Right now.’

Jess pointed at Becky. ‘She started it,’ she accused.

‘I did not,’ said Becky, trying to catch her breath. ‘It was you. You grabbed my hair.’

‘Only because –’

‘Girls!’ said Cathy. ‘You’re supposed to be friends!’

‘Friends don’t shag each other’s boyfriends, do they, Becky?’ Jess pushed past Cathy and ran upstairs to her room.

Cathy stared at Becky. ‘Care to tell me what’s been going on?’

Becky shrugged her shoulders, her reddening cheeks giving away her embarrassment. ‘Do you have any more tape, Cathy? This roll has finished.’

Back in her room, her head and cheek stinging, Becky wrapped Austin’s remaining presents. Then she preened and perfected herself while ignoring Jess’s taunts every time she walked past outside her room. Stuff her, she thought. She’ll come round eventually.

At seven, in eager anticipation, she raced out of the door and down to the end of the street where she could see Austin waiting for her. They drove straight to the White Lion.

‘Mmmmm!’ Becky stretched out on the mattress half an hour later. Every nerve in her body had just been set on fire. The smile on her face had grown to full capacity. ‘You certainly know how to make me feel like a woman.’

‘I thought I’d give you something to remember me by.’ Austin lit a cigarette.

Becky sighed. ‘You’re talking in riddles again. I’ll never be able to work you out, will I?’

‘It will all become clear soon.’

‘Maybe the birthday boy would like some more loving first?’

Afterwards, Austin swigged back more vodka. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and burped loudly.

‘Two more hours,’ he said.

‘Until your birthday?’

‘Until I can unleash my plan.’

‘What plan?’  

 Austin flopped down beside her, ignoring her question. ‘Let’s get wasted.’

Cathy was catching up with
EastEnders
when Jess appeared in the doorway.

‘Can I talk to you?’ she asked.

‘Sure you can.’ Sensing the urgency in her tone, Cathy pressed the record button and patted the space next to her on the settee.

‘I’m worried about Becks,’ Jess started. ‘Ever since she’s been messing about with that Austin fella, she’s gone all strange.’

‘Worried about her?’ Cathy frowned. ‘You were practically trying to rip her hair out from the roots earlier on.’

 Jess shrugged. ‘That was boy talk. She’s crazy about Austin now. But he’s said some really creepy things. And she doesn’t know much about him. He scares me when I see him. His eyes are so cold.’

‘Not everyone is going to fancy you, Jess,’ Cathy teased.

But Jess didn’t find it funny. ‘She told me that one minute he’s nice and the next he can get real nasty.’

Cathy caught her breath. ‘He’s not hitting her, is he? Oh, dear God. Not after what happened to Liz.’

‘You remember those bruises on her wrist? He did that. I don’t know exactly how but she told me. He could have held her down or something.’

Cathy shuddered, a sense of déjà vu taking over.

‘What do you say you know about him?’ she asked.

‘He’s been into care. That’s about it. Becky doesn’t know where he comes from, why he’s come here, how long he’s staying. She doesn’t know anything about him really.’

‘And you want me to try and talk to her?’

Jess nodded. ‘You always have a knack of getting things out of us. Even when we
don’t
want to tell you anything.’

 Cathy smiled. ‘Okay. I’ll give it a go but even though you think I’m good, there are times when I know you girls hold back on me.’

‘Becky?’

‘Hmm?’

‘Becky. Wake up.’ Austin nudged her. ‘It’s midnight.’

Becky opened an eye. The few candles she’d lit earlier flickered in the gloom, disorientating her slightly. Then she realised what he’d said.

‘Shit!’ She sat up and pulled her top over her head quickly. ‘Why didn’t you wake me? Cathy’s going to kill me.’

‘Don’t I get my presents before you run off?’

Becky shuffled over to the carrier bag that she’d brought with her. Despite trying to get him to open anything earlier, Austin had declined. She pulled out a brightly coloured parcel and shuffled back to him.