Time To Play by KA Richardson (best book club books of all time TXT) 📗

shudders, and for the first time, she felt a bit of hope. Maybe it would be OK.

Sunderland City Police HQ – 19 November

Ali walked into the office with Elvie and Marlo in tow, and it was every bit as busy as it had been the day before.

‘Elvie, can you and Marlo go wait by my desk at the end? I just need to speak to Alex, and I’ll be with you,’ said Ali. Marlo showed Elvie where his desk was and started talking to one of the detectives as Ali made his way down to where Alex stood.

‘Hey, bro. Anything on Connor or his uncle yet?’

‘I’ve just had word from the hospital actually, Connor’s come around. Nurse said he’s still really groggy and the painkillers keep making him sleep, but he’s awake. I’m heading over there shortly to speak with him. The uncle is still in a coma, but they’re bringing him out of it today.’

Sunderland City Police HQ – 19 November

Elvie watched as Ali spoke to his brother and Marlo chatted with a woman in the office. She felt really alone and didn’t know quite where to put herself. Her eyes were drawn to the open file on the desk, and she tried to tell herself she wasn’t being nosy, but really, she was. There was a picture on the front that looked familiar.

Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she pulled the file towards her and focussed in properly. She couldn’t stop the scream that escaped her mouth as she realised who the picture was of. It was a very dead Nita Thress. She stumbled backwards, crashing into the filing cabinet behind her, sending trays and paperwork flying.

In the back of her mind, she could hear someone saying ‘no’ over and over. It took her a minute to realise that person was her. As Marlo reached her side, rapidly followed by Ali, she sank to the floor in a dead faint.

Sunderland City Police HQ – 19 November

‘Easy, love,’ said Ali softly as Elvie opened her eyes seconds after falling to the floor. ‘You’re OK. Take it easy.’

He had to grip her as she scrambled to her knees in panic, her eyes darting about wildly.

‘Nita. I saw Nita,’ sobbed the girl, falling forward into his arms and wrapping hers round his neck so tightly he thought she might actually stop the circulation. He gave her a few minutes to cry, then pulled back and looked at her.

‘Where? Where did you see Nita?’

Elvie turned and pointed at his desk, her face bleak. ‘In file.’

‘Wait a minute, what? Which file?’

Marlo quickly scanned the file that was open and glanced at him. ‘It’s one of the reservoir girls, the first one we got out.’

‘Elvie, listen to me. This is very important. Are you certain that the girl in that picture is your friend?’

Elvie nodded firmly. ‘Nita dead. Is my fault, Nita dead. I forget the road, I forget to tell. My fault.’ Elvie started crying again.

Ali knew the whole office was watching him. He was kneeling on the floor cuddling a girl who looked so much like the girls they’d pulled out of the reservoir.

‘Do me a favour, phone Mum? Ask her to come down?’ Ali asked Alex. ‘She’s now a witness in a murder investigation, I’m not handing her over to immigration, not yet.’

Elvie pulled away from Ali. ‘You will find bad men, yes? Bad men do this. Rocko and Gaz they do this to Nita. I see them in house.’

Alex paused, his mobile in his hand, and looked up. ‘Did you say Rocko?’

‘Yes, Elvie say Rocko. I think pronounce correct. He bad man.’

‘Where did you see this Rocko?’ Alex asked. Ali knew he was trying to keep the urgency out of his voice.

‘Elvie not see. Elvie hear of Rocko. First at big house where Yolanda kept Elvie and Nita. Then at dirty house. Gaz hurt Nita, Rocko tell Gaz hurt Nita. Danny help Elvie, stop Gaz and bad man hurting Elvie. Gaz tell Danny Rocko will kill him.’

The words Elvie were saying made little sense to Ali. He knew he needed to try to structure her answers so that they made sense. Flashing Alex a look, he got to his feet.

‘Elvie, come with me. I need to ask you some questions and write the answers down, OK? Marlo can come too. And Alex.’

Elvie nodded and clambered to her feet, wiped her tears on the back of her hand and stood there with a renewed look of determination.

‘Elvie will help.’

Once they were seated in one of the old interview rooms, Ali took the lead.

‘When you were brought here on the container who got you out of it?’

‘Danny and Gaz get Elvie and Nita out. Other girls too but Elvie not see them again.’

‘Where did they take you?’

‘Take Elvie and Nita in van to big house. Then we eat food and wake up much later.’ Elvie’s eyes dropped to her lap. ‘We wake up in different clothes. Wet hair. Smell of soap.’

‘So, they cleaned you while you slept,’ said Ali. He sidled a glance at Alex. Drugged. They didn’t need to speak the word – they were both thinking the same thing.

‘What happened then?’ asked Ali, keeping his tone soft. He was almost afraid of the answer.

‘Yolanda bad lady. She made Gaz and Danny take Nita, say Elvie will bring much money. Yolanda not know Elvie understand English. Noni teach Elvie English. Speak little, understand more. She say Elvie bring money because pure. Elvie not know what she mean but not like.’

‘Where did they take Nita?’

Elvie thought for a minute, obviously trying to recall the exact details. Tears pricked her eyes as she couldn’t remember. Determinedly, she closed her eyes and tried harder. ‘Real Street, maybe? Real not right though,