Page 79 of Glasshouses

Locked.

I kicked at it, needing the noise, trying to alert someone, unable to force it open because it swung the other way. I tried my phone, no reception, no chance of calling someone.

Another kick. Then another and another.

I’d been locked in. Someone didn’t want me finding Lily.

Chapter Twenty-Two

It took about fifteen minutes until I was released, and another ten after that for Vinny to get there from the Fishbowl. He saved the lecture about me going off on my own, probably because he’d given it so many times in the last couple of years he knew there was no point, and then started to speak to anyone he could find to see if they’d seen Lily or a man matching the description she’d given, which could’ve applied to half of Manchester.

I was indignant and irritated, and Lily’s phone was still going straight to voicemail.

“She could be anywhere,” Vinny said, sitting at the table in the first-floor café. He’d bought me a coffee and for himself, some carnival queen of a matcha tea, which I took a photo of and sent to the rest of the team. “She might not have even been here.”

“She said she was being followed.”

“The locals have been told we’re looking for her; someone’s gone to check her house – she could be home by now.” His expression reminded me of the sky before the storm.

“Or the person who threw the brick through her window has her.”

“How likely is that? She said she was in Afflecks and would wait for you here. No one’s seen her and it would be difficult for anyone to yank someone out of here, either conscious or unconscious.” He sighed, giving me another glare for good measure. “I’ve got Carly tapping into the cameras that catch all the entrances. We’ll see if Lily was here at all.”

My phone started to ring, Lily’s name on the screen. I flashed it at Vinny before answering it.

“Mia,” Lily said, sounding much better than before. “I’m so sorry, my phone died.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m at home. The police have just been round to check on me.”

I was annoyed with her and myself, feeling foolish. “When did you leave Afflecks?”

“Oh, I decided to head home, and my phone died on the way. After I spoke to you, I couldn’t see him, so I jumped in a taxi. I really wanted to let you know but my phone took ages to switch on and I - ” She carried on rambling for another few seconds.

“It’s fine, Lily, I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“I’m so sorry I put you to so much trouble. I think I’m getting paranoid; all this talk about the past has made me really shaky. Damien’s offered for me to stay at his tonight in the annex, and I think I’ll probably do that, just in case someone was following me.”

I didn’t tell her that someone had locked me in the bathrooms, not sure whether that would worry her more, or signify something else for her. “Maybe the company would do you good.”

“Maybe. He’s the first friend I’ve really had. That sounds so sad, doesn’t it?”

“When did you tell him about being followed today?”

“Just before I called you, when I was still in town. He suggested I call you directly, that if I phoned 999 I wouldn’t be taken seriously. I keep wondering whether it’s just in my head, that it was a different person I kept seeing and my mind was playing tricks on me. Maybe it’s me and I’m going mad. Or maybe I was never sane to begin with.” She laughed, but there was no mirth in the sound.

“As long as you’re feeling okay now.” Which was the sympathetic thing to say, if not what I wanted. “Lily, were you friends with a boy called Stefan?”

She laughed again, too high a pitch, too short. “Maybe. My brain’s blanked out a lot of stuff from then.”

“Okay, not to worry.” I shook my head at Vinny who was slowly shaking his head at me. “Look after yourself.” I ended the call, putting my phone on the table. “No point Carly going through the cameras.”

“I want to see if she was here at all.”

“I definitely heard a coffee machine in the background when she called. She could easily have been here and then in a taxi by the time I got here.” I wasn’t convinced either way, and that was the problem.

“Let’s get Carly to check. Lachy spoke to Scarlett Walton; she only remembered Adele and a lad called Dean from that night. She said there were at least three or four others with them, and they were people Lily knew rather than her or Adele.” Vinny finished his princess drink. “Scarlett also said they weren’t drinking that night. None of them had any money, just a few cigs so they’d gone for a smoke. She remembered they’d all gone home early because they were bored and it was cold. Lily went off with one of the lads she knew and that was the last Scarlett saw of her.”