Cath Staincliffe - Ruthless

Shock riveted Janet to the spot. She could hear noises in the background, voices, more distantly the thud of a bass line. A shout of laughter.

‘Where are you?’ Janet said.

‘At the party.’

‘What’s happened?’

‘Olivia’s collapsed. I can’t wake her up.’

‘Why’s she collapsed?’

‘I don’t know,’ Elise said wildly, ‘I don’t know, she just… she just fell down.’

‘Call an ambulance-’

‘But-’

‘Elise, listen, call an ambulance and tell them exactly what happened. Stay with Olivia. Do whatever they tell you. Yes?’

‘Mum-’

‘I’m coming. What number is it?’

‘Sixty-four,’ she said, beginning to cry.

‘Elise, hang up and call the ambulance. Call them now.’ The line went dead.

Janet ran downstairs, heart in her mouth. She told the custody sergeant she was leaving, a family emergency, and to inform Noel Perry’s solicitor to attend the following morning at 9am for a 24-hour superintendent review. At that point, all being well, they’d be granted another twelve hours to talk to the Perrys, and if they needed yet more time then they’d go to court to apply for a further thirty-six hours.

Thankfully the lights were with her all the way as she drove as quickly as she dared to the address Elise had given her. Reaching the avenue – a development of upmarket three- and four-bedroom modern houses, with open-plan gardens – she saw the ambulance was already there and a patrol car as well. People outside the house, party-goers, Janet assumed, were drifting away in small groups.

The front door was ajar, all the lights on, inside more young people, and an atmosphere she recognized: the drained, worried faces, the stunned silence or muted comments.

‘Where’s Olivia Canning?’ she said to a couple sitting on the stairs. They both held bottles of Spanish beer, slices of lime wedged in the necks.

‘Through there,’ the girl said, nodding at a door towards the back of the house.

As Janet reached it, the door swung open and a uniformed cop came through. Behind him she glimpsed the high-vis jackets of paramedics.

‘Olivia Canning,’ Janet said.

‘You her mother?’ said the cop.

Janet shook her head. ‘My daughter’s with her. I’m DC Scott.’

He blinked, reassessing her. ‘They’re bringing her out soon. Taking her up to A &E.’

‘Do we know how-’ Janet began but he apologized, ‘Sorry, I need to get names and addresses.’

Janet stared at him.

‘She’s unresponsive,’ he said. He didn’t say any more. Janet swallowed, fought the fears crowding behind her breastbone. She went into the room.

‘Mum.’ Elise broke away from a group of teenagers huddled to the left of the room and came to Janet, who hugged her. Olivia lay on the floor on a stretcher. The paramedics had put an oxygen mask over her face, a cellular blanket around her.

‘Can you get the door?’ the nearest paramedic said.

Janet released Elise and pulled the door open.

‘Cheers,’ he said. They lifted the stretcher, releasing the wheels that turned it into a trolley, and guided it slowly through the entrance hall.

‘Which hospital?’ Janet asked.

‘Oldham General.’

‘Did you ring Vivien and Ken?’ Janet said to Elise.

Elise looked wrung out, puffy red nose, swollen lips, mascara smeared black under her eyes. She pressed her lips together and more tears came. ‘They’re away for the weekend,’ she said.

‘But you were staying… Oh God. Away where?’

‘Edinburgh,’ she squeaked.

‘They need to know, now!’ said Janet.

‘I don’t have their numbers.’

‘Christ!’

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-’

‘What? Spin me some story?’ Janet had almost rung Vivien to check she was happy about the arrangements. But she had trusted Elise. She took a deep breath. ‘Never mind about that now. We need to get to the hospital and get Vivien’s number from Olivia’s phone. She’s never collapsed like this before, has she?’ Janet studied her daughter’s face.

‘No.’

‘What was she drinking?’

‘Just cider.’

‘Just cider,’ Janet said. ‘How much cider?’

‘Not much,’ Elise said.

‘Did she take anything?’ Janet was vaguely aware of people in the room clearing up cans and dirty glasses.

‘No,’ Elise said. Too quickly. Janet looked at her; Elise wouldn’t meet her gaze. ‘What did she take, Elise?’ Janet lowered her voice, repeated the question, ‘What did she take?’

‘It was legal, Mum.’

‘What?’

‘They call it Paradise.’

‘Paradise,’ Janet said. ‘Did you take it as well?’

‘Yes. It’s supposed to just give you more energy, a bit of a buzz.’

Janet felt like screaming.

‘Did you tell the paramedics?’

‘Yes.’

Thank God for that . ‘Come on.’ Janet, her blood boiling, frightened and furious, led her daughter out into the hall.

They were stopped at the front door by the police officer. ‘I need your name and contact details,’ he said to Elise.

‘Elise Scott,’ she said. She gave her address and her mobile phone number.

‘And you rang the ambulance?’ he checked.

‘Yes.’

‘You accompanied Olivia to the party?’

‘Yes,’ Elise said.

As they got into the car and Janet started the engine it struck her that she’d seen no other middle-aged adults at the house. ‘Where are the boys’ parents?’ she said. ‘Weren’t they supposed to be supervising?’

‘They went to the theatre,’ Elsie said. ‘They’ll be back later.’

‘Bloody hell, Elise, was there anything else you lied about?’

Elise began to cry. Christ , Janet thought, just let Olivia be all right, please. Let her be OK .

Janet’s phone rang again while she was parking at the hospital. Unknown number.

‘Hello?’ she answered.

‘Janet, it’s Vivien Canning,’ her voice shook, riddled with fear, ‘we’ve just heard from the hospital. Have you seen her?’

‘Vivien, I’m so sorry, we’ve just got here,’ Janet said. ‘We’ll try and find out what’s happening.’

‘They say she took drugs,’ Vivien said.

‘Yes, some sort of legal high, apparently.’

‘Ken is going to get a hire car, there are no flights at this time of night. Oh God, Janet.’

It could’ve been me , Janet thought, Elise on the stretcher.

‘Please, anything you hear, anything at all-’

‘Of course,’ Janet said, ‘I promise.’ Even with the best driving in the world it would take four hours to travel from Edinburgh.

Elise had her eyes closed. Janet shook her, a rush of terror that she was having the same reaction. ‘Are you all right?’

‘Just dizzy.’

‘I’m going to ask them to look at you,’ Janet said.

‘I’m fine.’

Janet glared at her.

‘OK,’ Elise said, close to tears.

At the Accident and Emergency reception, Janet first asked after Olivia.

‘Are you a relative?’

‘Loco parentis,’ Janet said, ‘our daughters are friends. I’ve just spoken to Olivia’s mother, they’ll be here as soon as possible, coming down from Edinburgh. I was looking after Olivia while they were away.’ As an afterthought Janet showed her warrant card. This would mean that she was CRB-checked at least – fit to work with children. That seemed to be enough. The clerk looked at the screen. ‘She’s in Resus.’

Janet’s stomach turned: resuscitation was not good. Resus meant that Olivia was critically ill, that her life was in danger, that they were trying to revive her.

‘She’s going to be all right, though?’ Elise said.

‘We are doing everything possible,’ the clerk said.