CHAPTER 5
Once more, the pattern of my days was set by lists, names and club numbers, as we called criminal records. As with one nightmare of a prison visit, the pattern of offending seemed to be clear, just--- thankfully--- nowhere near as extreme. It fell into particular areas of social failure, and they all clung to the coat tails of self-destruction and lack of any sense of self-worth. Addictions of various kinds, steady theft and criminal damage habits seeming to be as much of a compulsion as drugs or alcohol.

Jon and I visited a number of addresses throughout the wider Mersey and North Wales areas, and I was reminded more than once of Paula. So many of the people we spoke to not only seemed to have hated the people at Mersey View, but now actively appeared to hate themselves. There were others, of course, but they were no longer able to give interviews as they had managed to finish what Mersey View had started.

Each one brought home to me how lucky I really was, how lucky even Charlie, Tiff and Paula were, and I resolved to find out where the Petries were buried and leave some flowers for them. They were my anchor point throughout; as the despair took me, and my soul wilted at each new piece of wreckage, I thought of two people who would have been condemned as pikies, tinkers, gypsies, held in contempt by ‘decent’ folk, and despite that had made such a difference for the good.

With the aid of my fresh meat, I finally had a bundle of files ready for Sammy to vet, consider and pass to the relevant forces for their own consideration. One of the problems of being a resource to the wider police community was demarcation, and while they were happy to let us do the leg work, it appeared that some of the forces were a little jealous of their turf, wanting any prosecutions that might be seen as publicity magnets drawing the acclaim directly to their own brass.

I couldn’t have given a shit about that, as I had almost had enough of the stories in too many witness statements and more than a few coroner’s reports. Time to speak to one more witness, I decided.

“Sammy?”

“Yes, Di?”

“I think we’re just about done with this part of things, so I have a request”

“I’ve already spoken to the Super, girl”

“Pardon?”

“You want a trip to Carlisle, don’t you?”

I considered that, and I realised he was wrong.

“Not really, but I think it’s got to be done. What I would really like would be to take Deb Wells up with me, let her have a look at him. I am guessing he is not going to be looking like much of a threat”

“Give her that, what’s her word? Requital?”

I nodded. “Absolutely. Not really allowed, though, is it?”

He thought for a second, then grinned.

“I think I can see one way. Let me speak to Williams, see what he can weasel out of the Cumbrian boys and HMPS. They might be a bit cute, if you do it in the prison, but if we can persuade them to go for a decent nick for the interview, I have an idea”

“Interview?”

“Oh come on, girl, you’ve dyed your hair back now, so don’t play blonde with me. Candice has that one covered! You telling me you just want to look at him? Not go full Clarice?”

Of course, he followed that up with a tooth-sucking impersonation of Dr Lecter, and while I laughed dutifully, I had a flashback to that day in Long Lartin.

I grimaced, and he just shrugged. “No sense of humour, these brunettes. I’ll have a word with Williams, as I said, but you have a chat with Ms Wells and make sure she actually wants the opportunity”

“Fair point. I was going to stop by there tomorrow, anyway. It’s their liaison officer’s regular visit”

“Let me know what she says, then. No Blake with you?”

“He’s still digging in that case out to Newport. Got a home visit and interview that evening”

Well, let me have the SP as soon as you can. Now let me get back to this pile of shite, and if you don’t mind…”

I took the hint and left him a cuppa, before wrapping everything up and heading off for Deb’s place, texting her as I walked to my car. There was no response, so I settled myself in a corner of the usual café to await her response. I had just settled down with the triple Sudoku in the Metro, as had nothing else to absorb me, when the door opened, and two young women walked in.

Charlie and Tiff walked in. They were smiling and joking with each other, seemingly relaxed at being out without a guardian, but Charlie’s eyes were still restless, scanning the whole café till they found me. They widened, and her face almost split with a grin, and she nudged Tiff, whose reaction was just as happy.

Tiff nudged her friend, handing her some cash, which was waved away, before coming over to my table for a hug.

“Hiya, Di! You coming round to the house?”

“I am. I sent Deb a text, but she’s not come back to me”

“Oh, she’ll be driving, then. Got a call yesterday, girl up in Brecon having a bad time. She’s off to fetch her. You worried she was OK?”

“Yeah, sort of. Goes with our lives, yeah? What are you two up to?”

“College!”

Charlie came over with a tray, two cokes, a tea and three toasted sandwiches on it.

“Got you ham and cheese, Di, if that’s OK?”

I let her put the tray down before I stood for a hug, which was warm indeed.

“Nana’s out; did Tiff say? She’ll be back before Paul comes round, though”

“So Tiff tells me. She also tells me you two have just been to college”

Charlie nodded, smile shrinking.

“Yeah, we have. Not just ‘been’ but ‘are going’ to college now, isn’t it?”

“You feel OK out like this?”

Her trademark sniff was there.

“Well, Kim’s managed, and Gem’s doing well, so why not? It’s a big thing, Di: they are gone, banged away. Nobody to fear now”

Tiff looked up, shaking her head.

“Not true, Charlie, not really. Just those ones, innit? Di, it’s not really something we can keep doing, hiding away. You showed us that, and Paula, yeah? She’ll be round tonight, just so you know”

I looked her in the eyes, and there was nervousness there, but resolution behind it.

“So you two decided to get a life at last, then?”

A sniff, naturally.

“Yeah, and why not? All those turds locked away, why should we be the same? Tiff’s got herself on a hairdressers’ course, and doing GCSE recap stuff”

“And you, Charlie?”

“Doing my GCSEs as well”

“that all?”

“Um, doing social studies also. Thought I might be able to, well, do a bit of care stuff, social work, like”

“What brought that on?”

She tilted her head to one side, looking at me as she considered her answer.

“Di, I know what I’d like to do, yeah, and it’s your work, but that’s not what I’d be good at. I just need to find a way to give stuff back, to do what you do that isn’t work, yeah? Make a difference, make things better. Then there’s Paula, and she’s been more fucked up than either of us, so if she can make a life, get it moving, why not us?”

“Paula? What’s she doing?”

“Apart from going all silly round our pet copper? She’s doing catch-up at college as well. She’s not stupid, Di, not a thicko, isn’t it? Anyway, finish that and we’ll get home. Late meal tonight, and Tiff and me’s got cooking duty”

We walked over to the house, and as we turned the corner into the back alley I saw the ‘Tranny van’ parked up, the side door open onto the load space and Deb pulling out a couple of bags. With her was a girl of about fifteen, and once again I had to force back my automatic filter of ‘boy in a dress’. Deb spotted us, grinned and turned to the girl.

“Clara, these are some of your new friends, Tiff, Charlie and Diane. Tiff, want to take Clara in and get her settled? I’m putting her in with Imogen for now”

“No problem, Nana”

Once they were gone, Deb turned to me with a frown.

“Another one picked up by a chaser, di. Didn’t want to say that in front of Tiff. Charlie, love, could you do the kettle? I’m fair syched”

The two of us waited by the van till she was gone, and then Deb gave me the raised eyebrow treatment.

“And tonight’s starter for ten is…?”

“Got a proposal, girl. I’ll leave it till after, if you don’t mind. I want a clear head to see what Paula’s up to. And Charlie and Tiff out on their own now?”

“Aye! They’re really coming out of their shells now, what with the threats gone, they’re feeling easier, but I still have to set boundaries. They’re not stupid, though, neither of them”

“I know that very well, and I also know they’ve got heart and soul. I’d be happy to do some coaching if they want or need it”

“Thanks, Di. They’d appreciate that. Now, you stopping for a meal?”

“Well they said they were cooking tonight, so will it be safe?”

That broke her serious mood, and after a bark of laughter she hugged me.

“Cheeky lying sods! Gemma prepared it yesterday; they just have to divvy it up and whack it into the microwave. Only cooking they are doing is boiling potatoes and carrots. Come on; have a cuppa, see what the new girl needs, and we’ll talk later”

“Sounds good to me”

We went straight through the airlock this time, through the connecting door and into the main room, where a group of girls was waiting for us, Tiff not included. Charlie called from the kitchen, “Spuds and carrots cooking, Tiff will be down with Clara in five. She just wanted a wash”

I settled onto a dining chair as another girl brought Deb and me some tea, and just as Clara came downstairs again, the doorbell rang. Deb turned to our new friend.

“Clara, that will be our liaison officer PC Welby. He is a good man, a real friend to us. You do not have to be here for this; if you’d prefer, you can wait in your room till he’s gone. We could bring your tea up there if you prefer”

Clara’s voice was a light tenor, not quite a contralto.

“You say he’s one of the good ones?”

“Yes. Absolutely. But he is a bloke”

“Can I stay and see how it goes, then?”

“Of course, love. I’ll just go and get him”

She was off to the airlock again, and a few minutes later returned with Paul and a rather neater-looking Paula. I smiled and waved, and with a hint of a blush she waved back. There was a little bit of strained small talk before Charlie called for help, and the meal was dished out to us all. Deb made the introductions round the table, clearly for Clara’s benefit, and then conversation flagged as we worked our separate ways through a very nice beef stew and vegetables. I caught Paula’s eye as her plate was emptied.

“How are you doing, mate?”

Once more, she looked embarrassed.

“Not too bad, Di. Got the clinic cutting my dose down steadily, and that’s hard. Get a few shakes, night sweats, crap like that. Appetite’s being a cow a lot. Nice to get something so tasty; lets me eat more easily. Usually, it all tastes like bloody cardboard”

She looked down at her plate.

“And yes, me and him, we’re taking it steady. Not easy, given, you know. Where my head was at for all those years”

Deb called over to Clara.

“See what we have here, love? People who’ve stopped being victims, that are taking back control. You want in on that?”

The first real smile I had yet seen from Clara was followed by a simple declaration.

“I think I do, Deb!”

There was a small round of applause, and she was hugged by each of the other girls, and as they said hello to her properly, Deb simply took my hand and drew me back through to the airlock.

“That’s them settled now, so we have a few minutes. What’s on your mind, girl?”

“I have a possible offer to you, Deb. My boss needs to confirm it upstairs first, but if we can I’d like to come along with me to an interview. I think I know what Sammy is trying to get for us, and it would mean you watching the thing by video link. You be up for that?”

She stared at me, expression totally unreadable.

“This interview, Di. Would it by any chance be in Carlisle?”

“yes. You wouldn’t be allowed to hear it, but it would be an opportunity for you to see the suspect. If we go to trial, your evidence has to be untainted, but I thought that seeing him as he is now might lay some old ghosts”

“You are talking about Charlie Cooper, aren’t you?”

“Yes. I might have one other with me”

It wasn’t that far from Southport to Carlisle, and if Sammy could manage to arrange the right place to do the interview, I could surely add a little bit of requital.