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On the top floor, I head along the concrete balcony, the side of which is walled by breeze blocks covered with more graffiti. A couple of bikes partially block my way and, eventually, I stop outside number forty-eight. The front door is smarter than the others and has a little wreath hanging on it with sun-faded plastic flowers.
I knock, hoping Leanne answers.
‘Hi, love,’ I say when a young girl opens the door. I assume it’s Kate. ‘Is your sister here?’
She stares up at me from behind long lashes the same as Leanne’s, holding the door open only a foot.
‘Who is it?’ says a voice from behind. A bald man in a grubby white vest appears. He looks me up and down, a sandwich in one hand and a can of Special Brew in the other. ‘You the fuzz?’
I smile, amused that he’d think that. Though perhaps my dark trouser suit could be mistaken for something a detective might wear. I’m almost tempted to say yes if it means we get to leave on time. ‘I’m here for Leanne. She’s expecting me. I’m Hannah, her boss.’ I add another smile in case he thinks I’m here to cause trouble.
‘She ain’t expecting no one,’ he says, about to kick the door closed with his foot.
‘Wait, I’m coming,’ I hear a voice I recognise say. Then Leanne ducks under the man’s arm, her face a picture of concern. ‘You be OK for a bit, Kate?’ she says to her younger sister. The girl doesn’t look too sure as she stares up at the man towering above her.
‘’Course she will be,’ he says with a phlegmy cough. A fat hand comes down on her shoulder, making the girl flinch.
‘Mum’ll be back soon,’ Leanne says quietly, stepping out onto the balcony, looking back over her shoulder as we head off with me leading the way back to the car.
‘Where we going?’ Leanne says once we’re on our way. ‘I can’t be gone long. I…I shouldn’t have left Kate there. I don’t trust him.’ She fidgets in her seat, pulling at the seat belt strap.
I grip the wheel, fighting against my instincts to go back and fetch her sister. The man indeed looked unsavoury, reminding me of…I shake my head. No room for intrusive thoughts this morning. ‘How about I come up to your flat after the meeting, check Kate’s OK?’ If there’s a whiff of trouble, I’ll step in and do something to help – call social services or speak with their mother. But Leanne just shrugs.
The traffic through town, for once, is kind to us and fifteen minutes later we head down the ramp into C-Tech’s underground car park, having gone over the reason for the meeting several times with Leanne. I also tell her that I’ve smoothed things over with the Morris family and reimbursed the money, explaining to them how Leanne had intended putting it in a safe place for them but forgot.
‘So, this meeting. It’s like you want me to be your poster girl, but like in reverse? Apitygirl, is that it?’ she says.
‘No, no, not at all, Leanne. But as you know, Greene & Clean takes on employees who’ve sometimes had a bit of a struggle in life. We like to give everyone a fair shot at earning a living. It’s your chance to tell your story, plus I get to show off one of my best cleaners, show them how we’re not only doing our bit for the planet but for society too.’
‘But…but I nicked forty quid.’
‘Best we don’t mention that bit,’ I say, pulling on the handbrake. ‘Come on, just be yourself and it’ll be fine.’
Later that afternoon, when I’m back in the office, I get a phone call from Jim.
‘Hi, Jim, I’m so very sorry about earlier,’ I say, knowing what’s coming. The meeting couldn’t have gone any worse. ‘Leanne’s been through a rough time recently. With hindsight, I shouldn’t have brought her along. I can only ap—’
‘What are you talking about, Hannah? The others loved your new proposal. Hearing about the struggles of that young girl and how we’d be giving her, and others like her, a purpose in life – it fits right in with our ethos here at C-Tech. Great PR for us, and if the rest of your team have as much spunk as her, then we’ll get along just fine. We’re within budget now, so we’ll be emailing the contract back soon, detailing everything. As you know, we have branches all over the UK.’
‘Oh,’ I say, not expecting to hear that, though I can’t help bristling at his choice of language.Others like herreminds me too much of myself, as if those with less fortunate starts in life are a different species. Not only had Leanne got angry with the HR team at C-Tech when they’d asked intrusive questions, but she’d burst into tears and run out of the room after telling them she had to get home because the man her mother had moved in was likely beating her little sister up right that moment and she should never have come. I’d tried phoning her after the meeting, and had even driven back to her estate, venturing up to the flat again, but there was no reply when I knocked on the door.
Once my head had stopped spinning from shock when she ran out of the meeting, I’d apologised on Leanne’s behalf and had continued with the remainder of my proposal, explaining about our eco products and methods all over again, but presuming I was on a hiding to nothing. Turns out I was wrong.
But straight after the call with Jim ends, the sweetness of a new deal is short-lived when my phone rings from a number I don’t recognise.
‘Hello, Hannah,’ he says down the line.Him.
It’s the second time that my head has spun today and, when I’ve steadied myself, I get up and close my office door. Amy glances up from her desk so, for good measure, I pull the slatted blinds closed along the glass wall that separates me from the rest of the open-plan office.
‘What do you want?’
There’s a pause before he speaks again, making me wonder if something’s happened to Belle. But as far as I know, she’s at home today as Jenny was coming round.
‘Just thought I’d check in and see how you’re getting on. Can’t a future son-in-law do that?’
‘You’re not going to blackmail me,’ I say, bluffing and trying to keep my voice steady. My nerves are already shredded. ‘If you keep up this harassment, I’ll be going to the police. I don’t care about the consequences for me, but you’re not marrying my daughter and that’s final.’ The hollow threat echoes through me, with his ensuing laughter making me hold the phone away from my ear.
‘You always did make me smile.’
