at the end, before the weather, and then all they got was a little grainy, jerky video footage taken with a hand-held camera, or a mobile, and a voice-over that didn’t really explain what was going on, except that an armed police raid had taken place on a quiet leafy street in Eastvale. Laburnum Way. Tracy felt her jaw dropping in shock at the familiarity of it all as she watched. She recognized all the houses, knew almost everyone who lived on the street.
When it was over, they were not much the wiser. Erin’s name hadn’t been mentioned, nor any possible reason for a police search of the house in Leeds.
“What’s going on?” Tracy asked again.
Jaff turned off the TV and stood up. “I don’t know,” he said. “But I don’t like the look of it. An armed police raid? Why? It seems serious. What was Erin doing at home, anyway?”
“After last Thursday,” Tracy said, “she didn’t come back to the house that night. I thought she’d…you know…just stopped the night with you. On Friday, she came by to pick up a few things to go home for a while, so she said. Rose was there.”
Jaff paced. “She did stop with me on Thursday night. Well, she stopped here, at any rate. Crashed. Passed out on the sofa. Whateveryou care to call it. We weren’t on speaking terms by then. It was late. We had a row.”
“Because of what happened earlier?”
“Partly. But it’s been brewing longer than that. She’s been getting too possessive. Too clingy. I hate that.”
“So what happened?”
“I had to leave early, drive down to London. She was asleep. I left her here.” He paused. Something seemed to dawn on him. “I left her here alone . Stay here a minute, please, would you?”
Tracy did as he asked while Jaff hurried into the bedroom. He came back moments later and seemed even more agitated than before.
“Shit! The stupid bitch.”
“What is it?” Tracy asked, picking up on his sense of alarm..
“I’ve got to get out of here. They could turn up any moment. The stupid, stupid woman. She doesn’t know what she’s done.”
“Why? What were they looking for at the house?”
Jaff turned and touched Tracy’s hair so gently that she felt a little shiver run up her spine. “You ask too many questions,” he said. “You sound like a policewoman yourself. You’re not, are you? I wouldn’t put it past them to plant such a pretty girl on me.”
“Don’t be silly.”
He smiled at her, flashing those so-white teeth. “Of course not.” Then he went back into the bedroom.
“Will you please tell me what’s going on?” Tracy called after him.
“I would,” he answered, popping his head around the door, “but I don’t know. I haven’t seen or heard anything of Erin since last Friday morning. And you know quite well what happened on Thursday night.”
Tracy felt herself blush with shame at the memory. “I’m sorry. It was all my fault.”
“Like I said, it had been building up for a while. That was just the last straw. It doesn’t matter. I should never have left her here alone. Now look what she’s gone and done. The stupid bitch. She took something of mine. Something…really important. Now I have to go and lie low for a while until I know what’s what. I just need to put a few things in a bag first. Will you wait here? Please?”
“Of course. If there’s anything I can do…”
Tracy walked back out to the balcony, leaned on the railing, sipped her gin and tonic and stared down into the oily canal. Laughter rose from a group of people under one of the umbrellas. The drink tasted good, better than she remembered. Why had Jaff asked her to wait? Did he want her to go with him, wherever he was going? To London? An adventure. The idea both excited and scared her. She couldn’t just take off with him, surely? But why not? What had she got to hang around Leeds for? What prospects? What future? Her lousy job in the bookshop? An absentee mother and a father who seemed incapable of growing
When it was over, they were not much the wiser. Erin’s name hadn’t been mentioned, nor any possible reason for a police search of the house in Leeds.
“What’s going on?” Tracy asked again.
Jaff turned off the TV and stood up. “I don’t know,” he said. “But I don’t like the look of it. An armed police raid? Why? It seems serious. What was Erin doing at home, anyway?”
“After last Thursday,” Tracy said, “she didn’t come back to the house that night. I thought she’d…you know…just stopped the night with you. On Friday, she came by to pick up a few things to go home for a while, so she said. Rose was there.”
Jaff paced. “She did stop with me on Thursday night. Well, she stopped here, at any rate. Crashed. Passed out on the sofa. Whateveryou care to call it. We weren’t on speaking terms by then. It was late. We had a row.”
“Because of what happened earlier?”
“Partly. But it’s been brewing longer than that. She’s been getting too possessive. Too clingy. I hate that.”
“So what happened?”
“I had to leave early, drive down to London. She was asleep. I left her here.” He paused. Something seemed to dawn on him. “I left her here alone . Stay here a minute, please, would you?”
Tracy did as he asked while Jaff hurried into the bedroom. He came back moments later and seemed even more agitated than before.
“Shit! The stupid bitch.”
“What is it?” Tracy asked, picking up on his sense of alarm..
“I’ve got to get out of here. They could turn up any moment. The stupid, stupid woman. She doesn’t know what she’s done.”
“Why? What were they looking for at the house?”
Jaff turned and touched Tracy’s hair so gently that she felt a little shiver run up her spine. “You ask too many questions,” he said. “You sound like a policewoman yourself. You’re not, are you? I wouldn’t put it past them to plant such a pretty girl on me.”
“Don’t be silly.”
He smiled at her, flashing those so-white teeth. “Of course not.” Then he went back into the bedroom.
“Will you please tell me what’s going on?” Tracy called after him.
“I would,” he answered, popping his head around the door, “but I don’t know. I haven’t seen or heard anything of Erin since last Friday morning. And you know quite well what happened on Thursday night.”
Tracy felt herself blush with shame at the memory. “I’m sorry. It was all my fault.”
“Like I said, it had been building up for a while. That was just the last straw. It doesn’t matter. I should never have left her here alone. Now look what she’s gone and done. The stupid bitch. She took something of mine. Something…really important. Now I have to go and lie low for a while until I know what’s what. I just need to put a few things in a bag first. Will you wait here? Please?”
“Of course. If there’s anything I can do…”
Tracy walked back out to the balcony, leaned on the railing, sipped her gin and tonic and stared down into the oily canal. Laughter rose from a group of people under one of the umbrellas. The drink tasted good, better than she remembered. Why had Jaff asked her to wait? Did he want her to go with him, wherever he was going? To London? An adventure. The idea both excited and scared her. She couldn’t just take off with him, surely? But why not? What had she got to hang around Leeds for? What prospects? What future? Her lousy job in the bookshop? An absentee mother and a father who seemed incapable of growing
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