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‘She only starting work tonight but will be pictures on the website soon. You can show your husband.’ Luba laughs, nudging me. ‘She got long dark hair.’ Luba marks a spot under her chest with a hand. ‘She’s beautiful, like a princess. Come, I show you around while it’s quiet. Make your mind at rest.’
‘Is the new girl here now?’
Princess…
‘No, but she come here this evening. Look, when men leave the Cloisters, I see their faces changed, like something inside them regrow. It will be good for your husband. And good for you, right?’
‘Right,’ I say. ‘I…I’ll have to think about it.’ I head towards the door. Belle is not here, and I need to get out.
I go back to the hall, my thoughts all over the place as I glance up the stairwell. In my mind, I see the girls’ faces peering over the edge of the banister rail, their hair hanging down in cascades and their hands reaching out to me as they beg me to save them.
‘Thank you,’ I say, grappling with the door catch to get it open. A second later and the warm air of the street replaces the fetid stink inside the Cloisters – desperation mixed with cheap air freshener – and I run towards the end of the passageway not knowing where I’m going. Just anywhere to get away.
And that’s when I see her up ahead, crossing the street. Striding along, looking purposeful, her long hair billowing over her shoulders.
I swear it’s her. My princess.
‘Belle!’ I scream out, kicking off into a run. ‘Belle, wait! It’s me!’ My throat burns as I charge off after her. But when I get to the end of the alley, turning in the direction I saw her heading, there’s no sign of her. She’s completely disappeared. Frantically, I look about in case she’s got into a car, but there are none in the vicinity. I dart out into the road, lurching to a stop as a cyclist yells at me, nearly running me over.
‘She was here…I saw her, IknowI saw her…’ I sob, bending forward with my hands on my knees, panting and wondering if I imagined it. Refusing to give up, I duck into a couple of nearby shops, searching all around, shoving and pushing past people so as not to waste a moment. She must be close by.
‘Belle!’ I yell out again in the street, everyone staring as I panic, standing on tiptoe, desperate to find her. The sight of her scarf, its unmistakable pattern, haunts me as I pull out my phone to call Rob. That’s when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I freeze for a second and, when I turn round, I see Darren standing behind me, leering down at me as he digs his fingers into my skin.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
HANNAH – NOW
‘Hello,Hannah…’ he croons into my ear. ‘I figured I’d see you around here soon enough. Vaughn’s in town. I’m sure he’d love to see you.’ He laughs as his hand slips down, latching tightly around my upper arm.
I yank myself away, but he catches both my wrists, pulling me close.
‘Where is she?’ I spit up at him, struggling to get free. I scan the street again in case I catch sight of her.
‘I take it you want Belle back in exchange for the money,’ Darren says in a low voice. ‘Perfect timing. You can give the cash to Vaughn directly. He’ll appreciate the gesture.’
‘You know I can’t come up with that amount. For Christ’s sake, it’s eighteen years ago. You’ve had your chance. Anyway, I…I saw Vaughn earlier…he’s barely alive, the sick fuck.’ I try to squirm free, but his grip is strong. ‘And Belle isn’t up for sale. Where is she? What have you done with her?’ I don’t tell him that I thought I just saw her, in case he doesn’t even know she’s in London.
‘She’s safe. Luba loves her, you know. She’s going to be a popular one. She’s already got clients booked in for tonight, and her photos will be live on the site later. She can get to work paying off your debt. She’ll make you so proud.’
‘You fucking bastard,’ I spit, trying to pull my arms away from him. But he tightens his grip and I daren’t scream out for fear of what he’ll do. A single phone call would see him have another of Vaughn’s men take Belle somewhere I’d never find her. Whereno onewould find her. But what he said is more confirmation that she’s been at the Cloisters, that he’s spun her some story about working there, just like he lied to her about Vaughn’s place in Bristol.
Across the other side of the street, I spot two police officers on patrol, a man and a woman, walking side by side in full uniform. I stare at them longingly, hoping they’ll glance my way, notice the look on my face, come over to ask if I’m OK…then they’ll arrest Darren without me even having to tell them anything and Belle will appear magically out of a shop, her face lighting up when she sees me and then we’ll go home and…and…
‘Go on, then,’ Darren says, shoving me towards the road, laughing. ‘Go over and tell the cops everything. Tell them what you did…Tell them you’re nothing but a common, thieving whore. A murd—’
I whip up my right knee and shove it in Darren’s groin, connecting hard. He bends double, howling in pain, allowing me to yank my wrists free. Then I leg it – though I don’t head after the police. I can’t bring myself to do that. Not yet. Instead, I dash off down a side street, knowing that Belle is around here somewhere and that I’m not leaving London until I find her.
Once I’m far away from Darren, sitting on a low wall in a small, secluded park, I phone Rob. I tell him the bare minimum of what has happened.
‘Jesus Christ, Hannah, you need to get out now. This has all gone too far. Where are you, exactly?’
‘Is Amber OK? And Leanne and Kate?’ I ask, ignoring his question. ‘I’m sorry I left them with you.’ Everything back home seems so far away, as if I never even had my life with Rob, the girls, my business, our lovely home. Perhaps itwasall just a dream, and I’m still seventeen. Maybe I smoked too much weed or took ecstasy in a club and I’m hallucinating about a life I’ve never had and, really, I should get back to the Cloisters because Darren and Luba will be mad at me and…and…
‘Hannah? Can you hear me? Are you still there?’
‘Rob?’ I say weakly, bowing my head. It feels as though I’m losing my mind. ‘Isawher. I swear I saw Belle. I ran after her but lost her in the crowds and then I couldn’t find her.’ I sob down the line, wondering if I imagined it. ‘What the hell do I do now?’
Clients booked in for tonight…Photos online…
