Walking in Beckys Shoes — Chapter 9
By
Julie D Cole

á“h no young man I am coming with you to find out what’s going on around here.’

I looked at Steph and she looked back lifting her eyes from my toes to the top of my head. Then she looked over her glasses and shook her head a little. She smiled and said ‘Well I’ve seen it all. Well I thought I had anyway. Come on then both of you I suppose all will be clear soon.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
As we approached the open door of Stephs office I could see the police officer scribbling something in in notebook. He stood up immediately and offered mum and gestured for mum and I to sit down. ‘Here you are miss I’m sorry and I know this must have been a bit of a shock but I need to ask a few questions. Just a moment whilst I ask a colleague into the room since we have to have a female officer present even though you are accompanied. Is this your sister or a friend? ’ Mum was apparently so flattered with the complement that she didn’t speak out.

‘No this is my mom. She just arrived so she doesn’t know what happened tonight or what Nick and I were doing.’

‘Just a minute Miss whilst my colleague arrives. Here she is this is Constable Atkinson so if you feel that you want to talk to her instead of me just let me know.’

‘No it’s OK. I’m in an awkward situation here officer I’m not a Miss I’m a Mr. Nick and I are mates from school.’

‘Mates? I thought you were his girlfriend. That’s what it says here in the nurse’s daybook and the register at reception. Mr Nicholas Harvey and Ms Rebecca Cole friend. Did you say Mr?

I looked at mum and at Steph as she closed the door and left us in privacy. ‘Yes, I am in the notebook and the register as Rebecca Cole but that’s not my name. I’m not his girlfriend I’m his boyfriend. Well no sorry not his boyfriend his friend and I’m a boy.’

‘Well are you sure about that? What’s wrong are you frightened of getting into trouble? ‘He looked across at mom expecting her to comment but I jumped in. ‘Mum didn’t know we were out tonight together since I am supposed to be home studying.’

‘Well Miss you’ve certainly attracted trouble tonight by being out without permission and your boyfriend is a very lucky lad. See what happens when you deceive?’

Officer I’m not his girlfriend. Look these are just clothes I wore as a disguise so we could trap the guy who attacked Millie. He attacked me too and so I was angry and Nick and I wanted to try to lure him out and catch him.’

Mum looked shocked. ‘Who attacked you? When? You didn’t tell me. What happened and why didn’t you tell me?’

‘Look here Miss or Mr. Are you now telling me something else happened and you were attacked too? Did you report this? This is getting a bit more serious and perhaps we’d better go downtown and have a deeper chat. This was serious enough if it was just a knife fight but it seems there is more to this.’

I lowered my head in shame since I’d not intended to mislead or deceive anybody and I was only here to help and look after Nick. Mum stood up and put an arm around my shoulder to let me know I wasn’t in trouble. Come on spit it out dear. What’s all this about?’

I told them what we’d been doing but not that I’d been dressed to go out leaving them you conclude that both Nick and I had dressed to act as bait and Nick had been confronted by the madman.

‘We think we know who it is. Well we were pretty sure so Nicks knew he could handle him but he didn’t reckon on the knife. I told him it was stupid and to let me do it. He finally agreed and only went to change.’

‘But you were attacked before so why would you want to be so stupid to act as bait? Just see what’s happened. You should leave these things to us experts.’

I must have been bright scarlet by now. I did feel stupid and embarrassed. ‘We were annoyed since this guy is the same guy who raped Millie. Well we think it is. He’s a pervert. Look what he did to my neck.’

‘If you didn’t report this didn’t you at least tell your mother?’

‘No I couldn’t.’

‘Why and why the lovebite and not a knife mark or a bruise or two. Why would he attack a boy and bite your neck?

‘He didn’t attack a boy he attacked me. I mean I wasn’t dressed as a boy I was dressed like this. Well different clothes but like this.’

‘’So you and Mr Harvey did the same stupid thing before. You came back for more? What on earth did you hope to achieve playing a game like this?”

I was sinking deeper and mum was trying not to speak out. She held me tighter and the lady constable suggested I sat down and wanted to talk to her colleague outside. So they left us and of course mum wanted to know the full details. I still couldn’t bring myself to tell her about Becky and how this mix up occurred. I kept stopping short because I couldn’t risk the chance of being grounded or of being forced to stop my trips out even though Millie was angry with me. But she was outside somewhere and might still blow my cover. Well she might make it more obvious that there was more to this than attempts to capture a madman.
‘
By now I was bursting and I desperately needed to pay a visit to the bathroom. Mum called in the two police officers. In the circumstances and looking at you I think you’d be better to go with Officer Atkinson and she’ll stand by. You can hardly use the Men’s dressed like that. I’ve enough on my hands without more trouble. ‘

Mum offered to come too and helped me tidy myself up. Strange but she seemed more at ease about the situation than I could have expected.

As we came out Millie appeared at the end of the corridor. ‘Becky is everything OK? I’m sorry but you’re not in trouble are you?’

‘No Millie everything is OK. I’m fine and I’m just helping. This is my mum. This is Millie.’

“Oh, you are Millie. I’m pleased to meet you at last. Is it true that you are both friends?’’

Yes Becks and I are friends but I was awful to her and I shouldn’t have been. I’m sorry Becky please forgive me.’

I didn’t quite know what to do but mum just squeezed my arm and glanced at me giving me a smile of reassurance. Why wasn’t she angry? Why didn’t she correct Millie?’’

‘’Lock Millie we are helping the police to understand what happened to Nick so can we talk later and you just find your mum and Nicks mum. We might be a while.’

She nodded and we walked back to Stephs office. I looked at mum and she whispered ‘Well I couldn’t hurt the poor girl. Does she think you’re your sister or something? Where does all this Becky stuff come from I thought this was just you and Nick trying to catch someone. There seems to be something at the back of all this. Am I right?’

‘Well mum I wanted to tell you but I couldn’t risk hurting Millie. I need to talk to her. ‘’I didn’t want to say too much in front of Officer Atkinson. Luckily mum seemed to sense that things were better left unsaid.

Somehow we resisted the visit to the police station on the basis that mum and I would report there the following day to suit mums working arrangements and school. I wanted to see Nick so badly and the feeling I had was strange. I felt strangely protective of him and wanted to be sure he was out of danger.

As the police officers left to go back on their beats Steph came over to us. ‘’Is everything alright? No trouble is there you two?’’

I answered and it was funny since Steph wasn’t treating me differently than before. ‘He’s OK now and you don’t need to worry. He’ll be sore for a while but why don’t you get home for some sleep and come back tomorrow. Leave his mum and her friends with him for a while. Give her chance to feel comfortable.’’

With that we shook her hand and agreed to leave. She held my hands and smiled. ‘’It’s not the first time is it? I must say you handled the situation very well. He’s a lucky guy. I hope he realises how much you like him. Maybe you two need a chat when he’s on the mend.’’

‘’Yes I will. I’ll be back tomorrow if mum agrees.’’

‘’Well first of all let’s get you home you have some explaining to do. Where is your change of clothes? Are you going to change now or later?’

‘’Mum I can’t since I’ve left them behind in a bag in a shop doorway. Can we go get them on the way home since my wallet is in my pocket and it has my credit card and some cash inside?’

‘’Oh no that’s all we need come on show me where. You can explain some of this on the way. I just knew something was going on young man.’’

To be continued…….