Deadly Lies by Ann Girdharry (book recommendations .TXT) 📗

counter. It was difficult to think straight and maybe her own imagination was playing tricks. If she was honest with herself, was she really certain it had been Sylvie?

Maria’s nose was running. It was the result of snorting and she couldn’t risk blowing it or it might turn into a full-scale nosebleed. In the past, when her using was out of control, nosebleeds were common. Maria dabbed it with a handkerchief and after a few moments it was her turn at the counter. She gave the pharmacist a fake smile.

‘A friend of mine has a cut which looks red and angry and I think it could be infected.’

‘If the mark is slightly red then an antiseptic might be sufficient.’ The assistant grabbed an item from the shelf behind her. ‘Try this, though if it doesn’t get better I’d advise you to consult your doctor. Is it for an adult?’

Maria hesitated. He was always drumming into her the need for secrecy and being ultra-careful except what’s the point of buying a product which might not be right?

‘It’s for a child.’

‘Oh that’s different. How old are they?’

Bloody hell this was getting complicated.

‘Ten,’ she lied.

‘I highly recommend you see a doctor if the symptoms persist.’

The woman changed the product for another one and Maria paid. When she stepped outside, she scanned the street. Seeing no sign of Sylvie, she hurried along, her heels tapping on the pavement. She was just being silly and imagining things and it hadn’t really been Sylvie. Sometimes the powder made your mind play tricks – that was likely it.

When Maria got to the house, he was standing with his phone in his hand and with the electronic stopwatch running. She could see paranoia in his eyes.

‘You were a long time.’

‘Was I? There was a bit of a queue.’

He twitched with suspicion and of course it wasn’t helped by the fact she’d actually got something to hide. If he knew she might have seen Sylvie and Sylvie might have seen her he wouldn’t be able to control himself. The whole point of bringing the children down to Brighton was to escape Himlands Heath.

‘I’d better get some of this on her arm.’

He slowly handed her the key. Slipping around him she raced up the stairs.

At the top she was in such a state she almost forgot to put on the mask. Emily was still slumped against the bed and she seemed to be half asleep.

‘Do you feel hot?’ Maria asked.

The arm looked worse than it had an hour earlier. She fumbled, trying to get the cream onto Emily as quickly as possible. Shit. What if it was serious like it had been with her little brother, Billy? Young children could deteriorate quickly. And what about him downstairs? He’d never agree to Emily seeing a doctor. Would she be able to persuade him to dump the child at a hospital Accident and Emergency?

Who was she kidding? She wouldn’t have the courage to suggest it. It would leave him with only one bargaining chip – Lisa – which he’d never agree to.

‘Happy now?’ he asked her when she went down.

‘She’s worse.’ The words slipped out before Maria could stop them.

‘Tough shit. Not having second thoughts, are you?’ He pushed his face towards hers and there was a nasty look in his eye. It was the paranoia again. From the powder.

She felt her emotions tumble around and there was fear and anxiety and neediness all mixed together. Right from the beginning she’d had zero chance of giving her opinion about his damn plan. There’d been no opportunity to say no because he’d dragged her into it. One day she’d been living her life and trying to build something and then he turned up and ruined it. He forced her. Or had he? Maria wasn’t sure anymore because holding it together had been exhausting and when he’d offered her an easier way she’d not put up much resistance, had she?

She bit her lip. ‘You know me.’

‘Yeah I do, babe, and while you were out, I got Emily to phone her mother.’

It came as a shock. ‘Oh, you did it when I wasn’t here.’

‘Yeah and until this is over, no more little shopping trips for you. You’ll be staying where I can see you.’

For a moment she fantasised about calling the police or an ambulance. Though she couldn’t, could she, because she was up to her neck in it. She was an accomplice and why would they have any sympathy for her? A druggie? A sad loser who couldn’t function without her fixes. She didn’t want to go to prison.

As if he could read her mind he reached out and snatched her phone from her jacket pocket.

‘And you won’t be needing this.’

He removed the SIM card and the golden square gave a little crack as he snapped it in half.

As he tossed it to the carpet he gave her a horrible grin and Maria knew it was far too late for her to get out.

20

Six months ago – Maria’s story

Maria hung the last of the new deliveries onto the rail. These were silky dresses which she would never be able to afford. Her hands were sore from a day unpacking and hanging out new clothes and boxing up returns to send to the warehouse. Where she worked it smelled of the chemicals they sprayed on the clothes to keep them fresh, and it was giving her a headache.

Four years earlier, when Maria first came out of the drug clean-up programme, her probation officer had found her a job in a factory. Maria grew to like it there. Then the factory went bust. They’d written Maria a good reference which helped land her this job at the fashion store. It was a big step up. The boutique owner had taken Maria on against the wishes of the shop manager, and as the shop manager didn’t stop telling Maria – Maria was damn lucky.

Maria didn’t feel lucky. She felt out of her depth.