He's After Me

Chapter FORTY-FOUR



After Dad leaves, Mum says she’d better make us something to eat.

‘I’m not hungry,’ I say, but she ignores me and starts bunging pieces of chicken in the microwave and peeling veg. I think she needs to keep busy.

‘Where was Livi going after school?’ she asks.

‘I don’t know. She’d left before we came back from the police station.’ I’m exhausted. This horrible day seems to be going on and on and all I want to do is go to bed.

‘Well, give her a ring and tell her dinner will be ready soon.’

‘Dad’s got my phone!’ I remind her.

‘Use the house one.’

I do as I’m told but her number goes straight to answer phone. ‘Her mobile’s switched off.’

Mum tuts. ‘Ring her friends then.’

‘Who?’

‘I don’t know! You know who she goes round with more than I do!’

Actually, I haven’t got a clue who Livi is keeping company with nowadays. She changes her friends as often as she changes her clothes and, personally, I’ve been too absorbed in what’s been going on in my own life lately to notice! I ring round a few girls from her class whose numbers I find in the telephone directory. No one has seen her. I distinctly get the impression that Livi doesn’t go round with them any more.

‘No luck?’ says Mum. ‘Keep trying.’

I roll my eyes. What’s the big deal? Livi can eat when she comes in.

‘Try Cora Pugh,’ suggests the next girl I ring.

‘Cora Pugh? Wasn’t that the kid Livi had a fight with? No way!’ I shake my head in disbelief.

‘Ring her,’ says Mum. I flick through the directory until I find a Pugh who lives on the estate near school and ring them. It’s the right number. Cora comes on the line.

‘Do you know where Livi is?’ I ask.

‘Livi who?’

‘Williams?’ I say sweetly. How many Livis are there?

‘Who wants to know?’

‘Her sister.’

‘What for?’ she asks rudely.

I suppress the urge to tell her to mind her own business. I can’t say, ‘Her tea’s ready,’ or she’d laugh out loud at me. So instead I say, ‘My mother’s concerned that she hasn’t come home from school yet.’ And as soon as I say it, I realize that’s exactly why Mum has asked me to ring around.

There’s silence, then she says suspiciously, ‘What’s this got to do with me?’

‘Nothing. I just thought you might know where she is because you’re a friend of hers.’

‘Yeah, I am. She’s my bezzie mate.’ She sounds flattered. For the life of me, I can’t imagine Livi feeling the same way about her.

‘D’you know where she is then?’ I persist.

‘Dunno. She left school at lunchtime.’

‘Lunchtime!’

‘Nowt to do with me!’ she says immediately.

‘No, I know that! Only, do you know why?’

There’s a pause.

‘Maybe she was going to meet someone.’

‘Who?’

‘Dunno. That’s all I know. Got to go.’

She’s on her guard now, it’s obvious. I’m not going to get another word from her.

I don’t need any more information anyway. I’ve had my suspicions for a while. It’s pretty obvious who she’s skiving off school to spend time with.

Ferret.

Also known as Steven Ferris, to give him his proper title.

I put the phone down and gaze sorrowfully at my poor mum. What on earth did she do to deserve daughters like us?





He’d thought she might run back inside when she saw what he’d written but she didn’t.

She just stood there and read it then turned round, cool as a cucumber, and said, ‘No we’re not. Not all of us.’