He's After Me

Chapter FORTY-FIVE



‘Where the hell has she got to?’ says Mum when I tell her Livi left school at lunchtime. She looks in such a state, I admit that I think she’s with Ferret.

‘Tell her to get home, NOW!’ she says, through gritted teeth, and I want to oblige, I really do, but the trouble is, I haven’t a clue where Ferret hangs out and the only Ferrises in the phone book deny all knowledge of him. I try Cora again but she doesn’t answer. I try Livi but it clicks straight through. And all the time my poor mum is pacing the floor and biting her nails down to her elbows, and the hands of the clock are moving on, and there is no sign of my little sister.

‘I’m phoning your father!’ she says at last.

When Dad comes back again, this time he’s got Jude in tow. Both of them look shaken.

‘What’s up?’ I ask as he shoulders his way through the door.

‘You don’t want to know,’ he mutters.

‘Yes I do,’ says Mum. ‘What’s happened now?’

Dad looks at Jude. ‘It’s all over the front wall of Williams & Barnes,’ she says, her voice trembling.

‘What is?’ Mum looks from one to the other. ‘Tell me!’

‘Filth,’ says Dad bitterly. ‘Stinking, foul abuse about Jude and me. We’ve just had a phone call from security.’

My heart sinks. It’s Jem, getting his own back.

‘Have you found Livi?’ asks Dad.

Mum shakes her head. ‘We’ve tried everywhere. I don’t know where she is. Anna thinks she might be with this boy she used to know called Fer … Steven Ferris – but I’m not sure …’

Her voice trails away and she stares at him miserably. It’s like they understand each other without having to speak.

‘I’m calling the police!’ he says decisively and takes out his phone.

‘Why?’ I say in surprise. ‘She’ll turn up, she always does. She’s done this before.’

Everyone looks at me sadly. Then Jude moves over to Mum and places her arm round her shoulders.

‘Do it,’ she says to Dad. ‘Do it now.’





He could see straight away, Livi wasn’t scared of him.

She was on his side.

Livi wasn’t scared of anything.

He should’ve picked her in the first place, he thought. He’d made the wrong choice. He’d selected the wrong sister.

Livi understood. She knew it was all Jude’s fault.

Livi would do anything for him.

Anything.