thought Anna. But then there was the rattle of a chain and the door swung open. ‘Come in,’ said Heather.
Anna nodded thanks and followed her along a dingy hallway that stank of dog and cigarettes to a small living room. The scag-faced man was stretched out on a scuffed white leather sofa. The girl was slouched across a mismatched armchair. Both were staring at a blaring television. A thickly muscled bulldog curled up on the threadbare carpet lazily eyed Anna. Smoke spiralled from an ashtray on a smeared glass coffee table.
‘What the fuck did you let her in for?’ the man demanded to know.
Ignoring him, Heather said to the girl, ‘Go to your room, Leah.’
‘I’m watching the telly,’ protested Leah.
‘Fucking do as your mum tells you,’ snapped the man.
With an irritated huff, Leah left the room. Heather gestured for Anna to sit in the armchair. She shoved the man’s legs off the sofa and dropped down next to him. Muttering to himself, he lit a cigarette with the end of his old one and offered the packet to Heather. She shook her head, staring at Anna as if to say, So come on then, let’s hear it.
‘It might be better if we talk alone,’ said Anna.
‘Me and Kyle have got no secrets from each other.’
Kyle scowled at Anna and spoke through his cigarette. ‘What are you, a copper or something?’
Anna shook her head. She told them the story of Jessica’s abduction, taking particular care this time to describe her sister as fully as possible. She wanted to make Jessica a real person in Heather’s mind, not merely a photo to be cursorily glanced at. Kyle made some impatient noises, but Heather shushed him sharply. A trace of softness came into her hard-pinched face when Anna showed her Jessica’s photo.
‘She’s beautiful,’ said Heather. She didn’t ask the question that subsequently came to many people’s lips – how could anyone ever hurt her? Something in her eyes – some glimmer of sadness – said she was only too aware of the answer to that question.
‘That’s a shitty thing to happen,’ said Kyle. ‘But what’s it got to do with us?’
‘I have to find my sister,’ answered Anna, keeping her gaze fixed on Heather. ‘I have to know what happened to her.’
‘I’d be the same if anyone took Leah,’ said Heather.
Bracing herself for Heather’s reaction, Anna showed her the sketch of Spider. ‘This is one of the men who abducted Jessica.’
Heather stared at it for a long moment. Her eyes glistened as though she might cry, but she blinked away any tears. ‘Give me one of them ciggies.’
Kyle did so and she snatched up a lighter and lit it. There was a tremor in her hand.
‘Who is he?’ asked Kyle.
‘He’s the one I told you about when we first got together. Remember?’
‘The one you used to have nightmares about? The paedo?’
‘Yes.’
Kyle’s gaze jerked to Anna. ‘Do you know where this motherfucker is?’ The bulldog lifted its head, growling at the anger in its master’s voice.
‘That’s what she’s here to try and find out,’ snapped Heather. To Anna, she added, ‘I take it you know what that man did to me.’
Anna nodded. ‘I’ve read the case-file Lance Brennan put together on Hopeland.’
‘Lance Brennan.’ Heather said the name with a slight wince. ‘They fucked him over good and proper, you know. And I helped them. I helped the bastards who raped me. Do you know what I got in return? Five hundred quid.’
‘That was a lot of money in them days,’ said Kyle.
Heather scowled. ‘I was a stupid little bitch.’
‘You were scared,’ said Anna.
‘Yeah, that as well.’
‘Who gave you the money?’
Heather was silent a moment, her gaze returning to the sketch. She stubbed out her cigarette as though she was grinding it into Spider’s face. Anna listened with barely contained excitement as, with an expression that suggested something nasty was crawling up her back, Heather began, ‘I got a phone call off some bloke.
Anna nodded thanks and followed her along a dingy hallway that stank of dog and cigarettes to a small living room. The scag-faced man was stretched out on a scuffed white leather sofa. The girl was slouched across a mismatched armchair. Both were staring at a blaring television. A thickly muscled bulldog curled up on the threadbare carpet lazily eyed Anna. Smoke spiralled from an ashtray on a smeared glass coffee table.
‘What the fuck did you let her in for?’ the man demanded to know.
Ignoring him, Heather said to the girl, ‘Go to your room, Leah.’
‘I’m watching the telly,’ protested Leah.
‘Fucking do as your mum tells you,’ snapped the man.
With an irritated huff, Leah left the room. Heather gestured for Anna to sit in the armchair. She shoved the man’s legs off the sofa and dropped down next to him. Muttering to himself, he lit a cigarette with the end of his old one and offered the packet to Heather. She shook her head, staring at Anna as if to say, So come on then, let’s hear it.
‘It might be better if we talk alone,’ said Anna.
‘Me and Kyle have got no secrets from each other.’
Kyle scowled at Anna and spoke through his cigarette. ‘What are you, a copper or something?’
Anna shook her head. She told them the story of Jessica’s abduction, taking particular care this time to describe her sister as fully as possible. She wanted to make Jessica a real person in Heather’s mind, not merely a photo to be cursorily glanced at. Kyle made some impatient noises, but Heather shushed him sharply. A trace of softness came into her hard-pinched face when Anna showed her Jessica’s photo.
‘She’s beautiful,’ said Heather. She didn’t ask the question that subsequently came to many people’s lips – how could anyone ever hurt her? Something in her eyes – some glimmer of sadness – said she was only too aware of the answer to that question.
‘That’s a shitty thing to happen,’ said Kyle. ‘But what’s it got to do with us?’
‘I have to find my sister,’ answered Anna, keeping her gaze fixed on Heather. ‘I have to know what happened to her.’
‘I’d be the same if anyone took Leah,’ said Heather.
Bracing herself for Heather’s reaction, Anna showed her the sketch of Spider. ‘This is one of the men who abducted Jessica.’
Heather stared at it for a long moment. Her eyes glistened as though she might cry, but she blinked away any tears. ‘Give me one of them ciggies.’
Kyle did so and she snatched up a lighter and lit it. There was a tremor in her hand.
‘Who is he?’ asked Kyle.
‘He’s the one I told you about when we first got together. Remember?’
‘The one you used to have nightmares about? The paedo?’
‘Yes.’
Kyle’s gaze jerked to Anna. ‘Do you know where this motherfucker is?’ The bulldog lifted its head, growling at the anger in its master’s voice.
‘That’s what she’s here to try and find out,’ snapped Heather. To Anna, she added, ‘I take it you know what that man did to me.’
Anna nodded. ‘I’ve read the case-file Lance Brennan put together on Hopeland.’
‘Lance Brennan.’ Heather said the name with a slight wince. ‘They fucked him over good and proper, you know. And I helped them. I helped the bastards who raped me. Do you know what I got in return? Five hundred quid.’
‘That was a lot of money in them days,’ said Kyle.
Heather scowled. ‘I was a stupid little bitch.’
‘You were scared,’ said Anna.
‘Yeah, that as well.’
‘Who gave you the money?’
Heather was silent a moment, her gaze returning to the sketch. She stubbed out her cigarette as though she was grinding it into Spider’s face. Anna listened with barely contained excitement as, with an expression that suggested something nasty was crawling up her back, Heather began, ‘I got a phone call off some bloke.
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