her usual stripy top and jeans. Holding a cup of tea. Thought you might Pink rushed up her cheeks and her eyes widened. Staring at me.
Wearing nothing but a pair of socks, the phone clamped to my ear.
Oh. She spun around, facing back the way she d come. Sorry I Breakfast is on the table
I dragged my trousers on. Answer the bloody phone!
The other end rang, and rang, then: Oldcastle four nine six, zero three two seven? A man s voice, rough with cigarettes.
Is Katie there? Katie Henderson?
The voice became sharper. Who is this?
Her dad. I need to speak to her, now. Who the hell did she think she was kidding? Pulling the same trick twice in one week, as if we were idiots.
You re her dad, are you? Well done: what a sterling job you did. Last time she was here she had fifty quid out my wallet lucky I didn t call the police! It wasn t the same Tennent s Lager Tory I spoke to on Wednesday.
Where s Ashley s father?
And another thing if she doesn t stay away from my daughter, I ll
Where is he?
Right here. I m Ashley s dad, and she s doing a lot better at school now your sodding Katie s not dragging her down.
I stared at my mobile. But she was there Wednesday night.
She s not been near our Ashley for three months. And it s staying that way, or so help me
He slammed the phone down.
Three months.
I hauled my shirt on. Dialled Katie s mobile again. Come on. Come on
Voicemail. Same as the last three times I d tried.
Katie, it s your dad where the hell are you? Your mother s worried sick!
Struggled into my shoes, grabbed my jacket and hurried down the stairs.
Dr McDonald was waiting at the bottom, still wearing her pinny.
Is everything OK, only I made you an omelette, you like omelettes don t you, it s got ham and mushrooms in it and some cheese, and there s bacon and orange juice and croissants
I kept walking, buttoning up my shirt on the way to the door.
I have to go.
You don t like omelettes: I knew I should ve made pancakes, I can make pancakes, it ll only take a minute? Ash?
Outside, it was still dark the sky a heavy lid of slate and dirty-orange, hanging over the city, streetlights like flickering candles buffeted in the driving rain.
Dr McDonald followed me out into the downpour, stopped beside the rusty Renault as I fought with my keys. Wringing her hands. What did I do wrong?
I yanked the car door open. Katie s missing.
She stood there, staring at me, the rain battering the curls around her head. Oh God, that s terrible She tore off her apron and chucked it over her shoulder, then sprinted back to the house. Slammed the door.
By the time I d got the engine started she was clambering into the passenger seat. You drive, I ll call the police.
The city flashed by the car windows: the dirty sandstone tenements of Castle Hill giving way to rows of Sixties concrete boxes. Silver and gold shimmered back from tinted glass as the sun peered through the gap between the surrounding hills and the bruised sky. Rain bounced off the bonnet, the windscreen wipers going full tilt. yes No, you ll have to speak up No, no I don t Dr McDonald clutched the phone to her chest. Where are we?
Tell the useless bastard to get a patrol car over there now!
Back on the phone. I don t know, coming up to a big bridge over the river Yes. Ash says Oh, you heard that. Right And?
The Renault s back end shimmied as I hurled her around the corner and onto Epsom Road, right in front of a bus. An outraged squeal of brakes and horn. Then up onto Calderwell Bridge.
Blackwall Hill loomed before us, still wrapped in shadow.
He says they re sending Bravo Three, should be there in five minutes, do you want them to start broadcasting?
Yes, of course I bloody do: all the surrounding streets. I want every patrol car he s got out looking for her.
A pause. Uh-huh Uh-huh He says they re doing everything they can.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, overtaking a boxy little Berlingo van with DREADNAUGHT BAKERY down the side.
Fuck, fuck, fuck A line of traffic cones cut the lane in half, sickly yellow lights flashing on top. Why couldn t the bloody council fix the potholes at night when no one needed to use the sodding roads?
Left at the roundabout, skirting Montgomery Park sunlight flaring on the boating lake and river beyond, then right, under the railway line and up into Blackwall Hill, the speedo hitting fifty.
Dr McDonald pointed through the windscreen. There.
A patrol car raced across the road in front of us, two junctions down, lights flashing, siren blaring.
It was sitting outside the house as I pulled into Rowan Drive, a pair of uniformed constables clambering out into the rain. I squealed the Renault to a halt and followed them up the path.
Michelle had the door open already, holding onto the frame, eyes darting up and down the street. Did you find her? Her blonde hair was plastered flat to her head, cheeks hollow, eyes red. Fingernails chewed to ragged stumps.
One of the Uniforms took out his notebook, the rain pattering on the brim of his peaked cap. If we can start by taking a few details, it Hey!
I shoved past. Have you tried all her friends?
Michelle blinked, then backed into the house. I followed, Tweedledum and Tweedledee bringing up the rear.
Have you called Katie s friends?
A nod. Soon as I spoke to you Oh God, Ash Not again. I can t take it again!
Tweedledum took off his hat. Do you have a recent picture? Any idea what she s wearing?
The front door clunked shut, and there was Dr McDonald. She gave me a little wave, her mouth pinched in a tight line.
I put a hand on Michelle s shoulder. It ll be OK. It ll be fine. We ll find her.
I don t It was night. I was asleep.
Tweedledee tried a big Cheshire smile. Not to worry, teenagers run off all the time. They re usually back soon as they re hungry He licked his lips, staring at my bunched fists. Then up at his partner who was making throat- slitting gestures. Ah, right Sorry, Guv, we only It s what we re supposed to say I didn t mean
Michelle stood at the kitchen sink, staring out into the back garden, shoulders slumped, a cup of tea going cold on the work surface next to her. How can we be such horrible parents that both our girls run away?
We re not horrible parents.
How can we not be? Rebecca walked out on us, and now Katie What did we do wrong?
Michelle, we re going to find Katie. It s going to be OK. My stomach lurched, acid burning at the base of my throat. Please let it be OK. Don t let it be like last time.
The sound of a loudhailer blared outside Tweedledum and Tweedledee driving slowly around the area broadcasting Katie s name and description.
I scrubbed a hand across my face. Think. And she didn t say anything?
Lots of things. None of them nice. Michelle s shoulders drooped a little further. As if someone had chained another weight to her arms. She used to be such a sweet girl Bloody Rebecca! This is all her fault she poisoned everything when she abandoned us. The mug crashed into the sink, sending shards of china clattering back in a spray of murky brown liquid. Selfish little bitch
