Cath Staincliffe - Dead Wrong

Pitt seemed to be considering what I’d suggested. He nodded a couple of times.

‘The other way of looking at it,’ I said, ‘is to think about what would have happened if Zeb and Jay were both innocent. The security guy from the family firm kills their cousin. How would they react? Not like this, surely.’

‘Unless they actually believe Luke Wallace did it.’

‘No,’ I was clear, ‘Zeb has invented evidence, I’m sure. They got together after it had happened and worked it out. The Siddiqs picked Luke out of a line-up. They didn’t know him, so how did they identify him? They’d been briefed.’

‘Not easy to describe someone…’

‘But with a photo…’ I thought of the postcard picture of the band. They’d had hundreds done – all Ahktar’s family and friends would have had them. Zeb or Jay could have shown the Siddiqs.

‘As for the warning, both Zeb and Jay were involved in some serious criminal activity, you know. It could be connected to that. Maybe Ahktar stumbled onto something or was threatening to inform on them.’ I told Dermott Pitt all I’d learnt about the suspected drug trade that the Khans were mixed up with.

‘Zeb seems to be the feckless one. He has a drug habit himself and he’s a gambler. Jay’s in charge. I’ve not met him yet.’

‘I wouldn’t advise it at present,’ Pitt observed dryly. ‘And the accomplice, the man who was with Mr Siddiq?’

‘Don’t know anything about him.’

He checked his watch and drew our meeting to its conclusion. ‘I will do what I can with this today,’ he said. ‘My first step will be to make an application for bail. That’ll put the wind up the prosecution, and I am very hopeful that Luke will be released some time in the next few days. Whether they discontinue or press for trial is a matter for the other side. Now,’ he rose, obliging me to do the same. Held out his hand. Smooth and cool.

I was deflated. I should have felt pleased. In all likelihood Luke would soon be out of Golborne. All down to my efforts but there was no elation. I tried to work out why as I returned to my car in the multi-storey. Had I expected praise perhaps? A ‘Well done’ or a ‘Bloody brilliant!’ from somebody? Was it the remaining uncertainty that undermined my sense of satisfaction? There was no definite outcome yet. And the thought that they would still take Luke to court and try him for Ahktar’s murder rankled with me. Hadn’t he been through enough?

When I got back to Nana Tello’s, I found Maddie asleep. Proof, if it were needed, of her sorry state. If she’d had a cough or a cold or even sickness I wouldn’t have bothered taking her to the doctor, knowing that she’d get well by herself. But earache was another matter.

Our doctor Moira, who is also an old friend, has no appointment system. It leads to long waits but at least you get seen the day you need to, rather than some time the following week. We were sixth in line. Not bad really. Maddie wanted to sit on my knee. I found a dog-eared Beano comic which we looked at together. She was subdued. Half an hour crawled by. I was hot and tired and Maddie was whining about her ear again. My stomach growled and gurgled. It had started eating itself.

‘Sal, Maddie, come in. Sit down,’ barked Moira. ‘What’s up?’

I explained and Moira told Maddie she was going to look into her ear with a special torch.

‘No,’ Maddie began to panic, ‘no, Mummy.’

‘It’s only a light,’ I struggled to keep the irritation from my voice.

‘You look into your mum’s ear,’ said Moira to Maddie.

‘Can I?’ Her face brightened.

‘Thanks,’ I muttered, and played patient until my daughter was relaxed enough to be examined.

‘Yes, there’s quite a lot of inflammation. I’ll give her a short course of antibiotics, in suspension; give her five ml three times a day after meals. You can carry on with the Calpol today. Should kick in pretty quickly after that. Make sure she finishes the course.’

‘Would it clear up if she didn’t have them?’ I asked, thinking of all I’d read about super bugs and immune systems.

‘Probably. Take longer, though and I’d want to see her every couple of days to make sure it was no worse.’

‘Mummy, I need the medicine,’ Maddie became tearful.

‘Yes, you do. We’ll take it.’ The prospect of trailing back and forth to Moira’s all week and having Maddie off school for twice as long helped me make the decision. And she didn’t have antibiotics very often, I reassured myself.

Maddie clutched the bag containing her bottle of syrup as we drove back. I accepted that this would be a short working day. I had to call Mrs Deason, tell her to warn Joey. I had better ring Victor Wallace, too. I’d pass on the information on the stalker, now Gary Crowther, to Rebecca Henderson and let Debbie know that things were moving. But after that it would be bliss to curl up with Maddie and try to catch up on some sleep.

There was a white van parked opposite my house. I felt giddy and sick. I drew up into the drive and sat in the car wondering what I should do. Before I could make a decision, I saw Rashid Siddiq get out of the van and make as if to cross the road. I told Maddie to stay put. I got out and locked the car behind me. I intercepted him at the gateway, my prime concern to keep him away from my child.

‘What do you want?’ I demanded.

Close up he smelt of Imperial Leather and I could see a nick on his chin where he’d cut himself shaving. He was a big man, large-boned, with very broad shoulders.

‘You wanted to see me, didn’t you?’ he said softly.

‘Not now I don’t.’

‘No? You’ve been to see little Joey. Now he may have told you stories. No truth in them. His head’s totally fucked.’ The language was more shocking because of his gentle tone. ‘Too many drugs. He can’t tell night from day. He’s a junkie. He sees things. Things that aren’t there. Sad bastard. You should forget everything he said.’

And if I don’t? I didn’t speak. There was plenty I wanted to say but I thought it wise to keep quiet. Silence as a form of self-defence. All I wanted to do was for him to leave.

‘Little girl not at school?’

A wave of rage. For a moment my eyes blurred red and I couldn’t see him. I forced myself to remain still and silent, refusing to meet his eyes, knowing that I’d see in them the hot glint of the bully underscoring his threat.

‘Forget it.’ He turned and walked away.

I rushed to the car and got myself and Maddie inside the house, anger searing my belly like burns from an iron. I locked the doors and settled her with some bread and soup, doses of medicine, drink and a video. All the while the impotent fury bucketing around inside me. How dare he, the bastard, how dare he!

I wouldn’t sleep but at least I should eat. I felt nauseous but it would help to have some food. There wasn’t much in and for a moment I felt a tantrum of disappointment start. Wasn’t it about time Ray did his share of the shopping? Why didn’t he notice we were getting low on supplies, why did I always have to tell him? Oh, get on with it, I chided myself. I made fried egg and mushrooms and cut thick slices of bread. I gobbled it up, drank two mugs of tea and had a banana.

Fortified by this mega-snack, I dialled Mrs Deason’s number. Let it ring fifteen times. No answer. I rang Detective Sergeant Hatton at Bootle Street, the man I’d talked to previously about the case. I told him that I wanted to report that I was being intimidated by a witness. I had their name and the registration number of their van.

He heard me out and said he would make a note of it.

‘Will that be a formal complaint?’