‘He didn’t hurt me, Gina. He hurt you. He used to drink in the pub with Terry when you lived in Birmingham all those years ago. When you started coming to the café, he told me about Terry and the things he’d said about you when he was hammered. I know he locked you in a shed. It’s not a coffin but still, it must have been scary. I know back then that everyone at that pub talked about your bruises. All those people in the pub that knew what he was doing to you did nothing. You can imagine how disappointed I was in the man who brought me up. He gossiped about you in the café when you’d left, telling the other customers about your horrible ex-husband and they were all happy to listen, to take it all in. He even told the press a few little things and that made me sick. That was private stuff, not to be shared with our customers or anyone.’ She swallowed. ‘You know what clinched it? He knew and he could have helped you, just like Penny or any of the others could have helped me to get away from Alex and Cherie. They chose not to, and they had to pay, just like my father. There’s a price to pay for silence, especially when that silence caused so much harm.’
A tear streamed down Gina’s face. When she killed Terry there was no premeditation, but she still killed him. Lucy had gone one step further and planned it all to make them pay. ‘Lucy—’
‘Don’t speak. Before you ask, I’d been planning this for years. I wanted to hurt them but I didn’t know where Alex was. He had to be the first. I knew when I wanted to open a café that it had to be back in Cleevesford, where it all started. When I saw it was up for rent, it felt like it was meant to be.’ She paused. ‘I also built more into that stupid urban legend, about the ghost in the woods. The kids came in for cake all the time and they thought it was brilliant and, stupidly, they believed me. I thought it would get back to Cherie and freak her out, but it didn’t. She came in to read at the café but I could tell her mind wasn’t on the book. I didn’t even know it was Cherie at that point. Then when Alex came in, it was as if the light had been turned on. I saw that woman with the book was Cherie. She didn’t disguise herself brilliantly, but I’d failed to notice her until then. Her hair colour had changed and so had the style. It was short back then. The glasses placed a barrier against her eyes but when I caught sight of her on that Monday, I knew straight away.’ Lucy’s hair blew back as a gust caught it. ‘I enjoyed playing mind games with them, digging up Alex’s nan’s grave, sending messages, following them around and creeping them out.’ Lucy stood on the thin ledge and lifted the arms of her coat like a dark angel.
Gina felt her heart judder. ‘Lucy, please lean back.’
‘I’m sorry I drugged you. I’ve been taking ketamine for years to dim the pain. It was only a tiny dose.’
‘It doesn’t matter, Lucy. Please just grab the rail.’
She shook her head. ‘Do you know how good this feels? I’m free. I’m going to fly with the birds. For the first time in my life I’m just me and that’s enough.’
‘You are free now. You’re free because the truth has come out and your abuser has been arrested. Let justice be your freedom. Let me help you.’ Rightly or wrongly, if Gina could get Lucy off that ledge, she was going to be there for her after sentencing.
‘Those coffins, the three of them were mine, Dad’s and my older brother Ricky’s. He’s in the army, we barely see him. They were the last three Dad made before retiring from the business. He said he kept the best for us. I had a go at engraving them but my attempts weren’t good.’ She paused and made a windmilling motion with her hands. ‘This feels so good.’ Rain began to fall heavier, drenching her hair and saturating her coat. ‘I don’t care about coffins. I believe nothing happens when you’re dead. It’s just the end. He wasted his time. Had he spent more time helping the living, I’d have respected him more. He didn’t help you, Gina.’
‘Sometimes people don’t know what to do, Lucy. He might not have felt he could help.’ She wished someone had reported Terry back then, but she wasn’t going to tell Lucy that, not now. ‘I forgive your father, maybe you can too. If you step over, we can go into my car where it’s warm and dry.’ Gina took another slight step.
Lucy stopped abruptly. ‘Stay right there.’
Gina held her hands up. ‘Okay. I’m not moving.’ The rain fell heavier and began cascading down Gina’s face.
‘I wasn’t going to bring Cherie here but she kept shouting from the coffin and I hated her even more. I wanted her to suffer more horror than the others. I mean what’s worse than facing the thought of death once? Facing it twice.’
‘Why did you let her go?’
‘The world loves a hate figure. Her life won’t be worth living once the newspapers publish everything. I think she’s getting what she deserves. In prison, they hate people like her. A day won’t go by when she won’t have to watch her back. When she comes out, her precious children won’t want to know their mum. I’m pretty sure she’ll need a new identity.’ Lucy turned to face the sky, mouth open as she cried out. ‘I can’t face it.’
‘You can, Lucy.’ Gina reached over. ‘Please take my hand. You were a scared young girl and what they did to you was awful. The world will see your side of the story.’
‘I shouldn’t have gone to that party.’ Her face formed a pained expression as she trembled.
‘It was their fault, not yours. You were a girl and you went to a party; you did nothing wrong. They abused your trust. They were in the wrong.’
Gina reached for Lucy’s hand. Lucy turned, her chest heaving under the coat with every sob. Her hair stuck to her face. Lucy held out her hand. As Gina went to take it, she lifted it, twisted her body and fell back, arms spread out, her coat flapping in the wind. Gina noticed one thing: a light smile on the woman’s face.
Chapter Seventy-Two
As Lucy was about to hit the ground Gina turned away, unable to look. She felt her chest heaving and she couldn’t control herself. She’d lost Lucy but saved Cherie. She fell to the road onto all fours, then sat in the wet, crying, until Jacob ran over.
He put his raincoat over her shoulders. ‘Come on, guv.’
‘I tried to get her to climb over the railings. I thought she was coming.’ Her speech turned into a jumbled mess and she struggled to breathe.
Jacob wrapped his arm around her as he helped her up and walked her to the ambulance. ‘There’s nothing more you could’ve done.’
Maybe that was true, maybe it wasn’t. Everyone failed Lucy, even her father. She wished she’d known Lucy before and, maybe then, she could have helped her.
‘You did all you could, guv. I know you’re punishing yourself now but none of us could have done any more.’
She gave Jacob a slight smile as he led her into the ambulance and went in with her. ‘Jacob, thank you. I’m sorry for blubbing.’
He smiled. ‘No need. I feel like blubbing myself, but you can thank me with a pint when this is all over. We should all have a drink at the Angel Arms now slimy Samuel Avery has gone. Anyway, that’s for later. Cherie Brown is at the hospital being checked over but we should have her back at the station soon. You’ll have enough time to change out of those wet clothes and grab something hot to drink.’
Gina took a deep breath.Cherie Brown, it’s about time you told me everything. I want the accessories to the crime, the masked people that Lucy couldn’t identify but who must be Marcus and Isaac. I want you to relive every gory detail.She already knew who they were, but Lucy died not knowing. She wanted to see Cherie squirm as she forced her to relay the details. She would get revenge for Lucy, but it would be through the courts. She had to nail the confession or the woman could walk.
Chapter Seventy-Three
