Blood is seeping through her sweater in her stomach area. I check her pulse. It’s weak and she’s losing blood fast.
‘We need a cloth to stem the bleeding,’ I say to Hannah. ‘And help . . . we need to get some help.’
I look up. Hannah is still standing there, motionless.
‘Hannah!’ I scream. ‘You have to go and get help now.’
‘I can’t.’
‘Hannah, please.’
I feel something brush my skin and I turn and see that Sally has opened her eyes.
‘It’s okay,’ I tell her. ‘We’re going to get you out of here. You’re going to be fine. Just stay with me.’ I press the blanket against her stomach wound.
‘Kate,’ she whispers. ‘It can’t be. You’re . . .’
Her face drains of colour and I’m worried that, along with the blood loss, the shock of seeing me could send her into cardiac arrest.
‘It’s okay, Sally,’ I say, rubbing her forehead with my fingertips like Mum used to when we were little. ‘Just keep calm. Breathe in and out, just like this, in and out.’
Her eyes are wide, like a child’s, and she doesn’t take them off me as together we fight to keep her alive.
‘Hannah, you need to go and tell someone that we need help,’ I shout.
In and out. In and out.
‘That’s it. Good girl, Sally,’ I say. ‘Everything’s fine.’
‘Paul,’ she says suddenly, grabbing my arm. ‘Paul.’
‘It’s okay,’ I say soothingly. ‘Paul will be here as soon as he can. He’ll be worried about you.’
She shakes her head and her breath starts to rasp.
‘Shh now,’ I say. ‘Remember, in and out.’
She grabs my hand.
‘No,’ she gasps. ‘Paul . . .’
‘We’ll call him from the hospital,’ I say. ‘Let’s just concentrate on your breathing. It’s all going to be fine.’
‘No,’ she cries, shaking my arm. ‘Paul did this.’
‘What?’
‘Paul . . .’ she says, her voice hoarse and shallow. ‘He did this . . . kept Hannah . . . raped her when she was just –’
She lets go of my arm and clutches her chest as though trying to squeeze the words out.
‘The boy,’ she gasps. ‘Paul . . . his dad.’
Her breath gives out and she slumps back.
‘Sally, come on, we can do this,’ I say, trying not to let the shock that is permeating my bones show in my face. ‘Come on, in and out, in and out.’
I turn round and look at Hannah. She is sitting on the edge of the mattress now, the boy in her arms. She looks terrified.
‘Is it true?’ I say. ‘What your mum says, is it true? In and out, Sally. Good girl.’
Hannah nods and it feels like my head is on fire.
‘Where is he, Hannah?’ I say, turning my head so Sally can’t hear me. ‘Where’s Paul?’
‘I don’t know,’ she says. ‘He told me not to try to escape . . . If he comes back . . .’
‘We need the police,’ I say. ‘You look after your mum. I’ll go and call them.’
Thump.
The boy whimpers and Hannah leaps to her feet. There are footsteps overhead.
‘It’s him,’ Hannah whispers, her face ashen with fear.
45
‘You’re still alive then,’ he snarls. ‘Christ, you must be stronger than you look.’
I watch from my hiding place underneath the mattress as Paul steps into the room and walks towards Sally. He’s holding a sheet of plastic, and is wearing rubber gloves.
Hannah is sitting on the other mattress with the boy. She holds him to her chest but her eyes are on the man bearing down on her mother.
I note the position of the wooden chair lying on the floor a yard or so away.
‘Well, Sally,’ he says, crouching to his knees. ‘I’ve found a lovely spot for you. I think you’ll like it. Just a short car ride away.’
Sally whimpers and it takes every ounce of restraint to stop myself from going to her but I have to do this right or we’re all dead.
‘It’s a site you know well,’ he continues, kneeling next to her, stroking her hair. ‘The perfect resting place. Somewhere no one will disturb you. I’ve made sure of that. It will be nice and quiet, Sally. After all the chaos, you’ll finally have what you wanted. A bit of peace.’
Sally’s breathing grows shallow as he starts to heave her on to the plastic sheet. I need to act fast. I slither out from under the mattress and crawl on my stomach along the floor behind him. I am almost at the chair when something clatters. My pen. It’s fallen out of my coat pocket. Shit.
‘What was that?’ he says.
He jumps to his feet and turns round. There is nowhere for me to hide. His eyes widen.
‘What the fuck?’ he cries.
He puts his hand to his chest and I take advantage of his shock by grabbing the chair, but before I can lift it his foot is on my hand, pressing down.
‘No you don’t,’ he says, glaring at me.
‘Kate, please,’ whispers Sally. ‘Just leave it. Don’t fight him.’