Dear Diary,
As soon as I’d answered the phone I ran back into the living room my heart pounding. What did they want with me?
Leo was sat on the edge of his armchair, tapping his knees along to the song playing through the speakers. He looked up at me, saying:
‘God Ambs, you weren’t half in a rush to get to that phone! Who was it?’
‘The police,’ I said.
‘What?’ he replied, standing upright, his magazine falling onto the carpet.
‘What do they want with you?’
‘They want me to go to the station. Right now.’
We stood silently for a few seconds, him standing at one end of the room by the fire, me standing at the other. He didn’t need to ask how I was feeling. He just said:
‘Right, get your coat then, let’s go and sort this out.’
I went to the porch and put on my boots, zipping them up to my knee with wobbly hands. My mind was blurry, trying to figure out what might have happened. They didn’t tell me anything on the phone. Just – come down to the station. Now. I reached for my duffle coat, put it on and buttoned myself up. I could hear Leo rummaging about in the kitchen.
An image of that man, curled up at the side of the lane kept appearing in my mind. What if they think I did it? The whole pub saw him have a go at me like an hour before.
I heard his words echo in my head:
‘Ah, I remember your Mum used to sing here. Right here in this very pub. Oh yeah, I remember her.’
A shiver shot down my spine. Ew. I remembered his red, alcohol face pushing right up to mine.
Leo barged through the porch door, grabbed his coat from the hook, took me by the arm and bundled us out the back door. The sky loomed above us. Great clouds swirled in the sky, carried along by huge blasts of wind. Leo’s hair flew up and so did mine. He grabbed me around the shoulders as we stood in the backyard.
‘Let’s go and sort this out, sis. Don’t look so worried. You didn’t do anything wrong. Whatever happens, I’ll be there remember, I’ll look after you.’
He pulled me towards him for a hug. The wind spiraled around us, all my plant pots shuddering and swaying.
‘Thanks Leo,’ I said.
‘Come on, let’s go,’ he replied.
He linked arms with me and we set off down our street, towards the village center. As we flew past the houses, an image of that guy crept into my head again:
‘She used to sing here too, didn’t see? Oh yeah, she were a right cracker. I knew her very well.’
Why did he say those things? I think my Mum did used to sing at that pub. She never told us much about it but I do remember she would go off some nights and leave us with Granddad. I always knew she would be out that night because the sweet smell of her perfume filled the whole house.
Leo looked down at me as we walked along.
‘Are you all right, sis? You look pale.’
‘No, I’m fine. I just want to find out what they want with me.’
We were at the end of our street and we turned onto Ecclestone Street – the one that would eventually lead us to the station. The sound of trees swishing in the wind filled my ears. I held onto Leo and kept walking.
I couldn’t help but remember how on those nights I always heard Mum singing in the bathroom. And how she would come downstairs looking so pretty. Her hair would be curled and flowing down her back or maybe it would be pinned up, showing off her face. I must have been so tiny in those days.
‘Come on Ambs,’ said Leo, looking at me with eyes that flickered with concern. ‘You look like you’re in a daze.’
‘Oh, er, no, I’m alright,’ I said, trying to keep pace with Leo’s racing legs.
‘You don’t have to tell them anything you don’t want to. Remember, these guys are idiots who can’t solve cases,’ he said.
‘Mmmm,’ I said.
‘They didn’t do much with our case anyway,’ he mumbled, looking the other way as he said it.
‘But do I tell them I saw that guy in the lane?’ I said.
‘That’s up to you Ambs, just play it by ear when you get in there. It might be something and nothing, we just don’t know yet.’
‘Alright,’ I said.
‘Come on,’ he said, surging along the pavement. ‘Let’s just get there.’
He practically pulled me along the street, almost breaking us out into a run. After a few minutes we arrived outside the station. I looked up at the blue sign hanging above the door and felt my heart pulsating in my chest.
'POLICE'
Leo put his arm around my shoulder and as the wind howled behind us we walked through the doors. Once we got inside the first thing that struck me was how calm the air was. The atmosphere suddenly seemed so peaceful.
There were seats lining one side of the reception area and a big counter running along the other side. A few people were sat in the seats. We went up to the counter and leant our arms on the top.
A woman with a police uniform stood at the other side.
‘Are you the Harwood kids?’ she said.
‘Yes,’ we both said.
‘Well, we’re not really kids,’ said Leo. ‘She’s seventeen and I’m eighteen.’
I nudged Leo in the ribs. He ignored me.
‘It’s just Miss Harwood we were wanting to see,’ said the woman.
From behind her a tall policeman appeared, the same one that had questioned me in Bilberry Café. This time he didn’t have his hat or jacket on, just a white shirt beneath a big body warmer with lots of pockets on the outside.
‘Ah, Amber Harwood. You’re here. Take a seat in the waiting area. I’ll be right with you,’ he said.
‘What do you want with her?’ said Leo, leaning over the counter.
‘Never you mind young man,’ said Officer Guthrie.
‘I’m her brother,’ said Leo. ‘I have a right to know.’
I squished his toe with my foot. I wished he would shut up.
‘Ah, Leo Harwood. Right. No, Leo, you don’t have a right to know. Please take a seat with your sister.’
‘I want to come in with her when she’s called,’ he said.
‘No, you can’t do that,’ replied Officer Guthrie, folding his arms across his chest and moving towards the counter.
The woman stepped back slightly and after a few moments the officer had reached right next to the counter.
‘In fact, I think I’ll have one of my colleagues speak to you as well, whilst you’re here,’ he said.
‘What?’ said Leo.
‘You were also there on the night in question. You can give us your side of things too.’
‘Fine,’ said Leo. ‘That’s fine with me. Seems stupid just wanting to speak with Amber anyway.’
With that, we both went to the row of seats and sat down.
‘What are you doing?’ I whispered, trying not to draw any more attention to us.
‘What? Nothing!’ said Leo. ‘I’m looking out for you.’
‘Oh God, Leo. Just sit here and say nothing.’ I said.
‘Fine,’ he said.
We both sat back in the chairs. I shuffled around on the hard plastic, unable to get comfortable. I looked towards the person two seats down. He hung his head low, bending his body like a hunchback.
A clock hung behind the counter and I watched the seconds hand tick all the way round. I then watched it tick all the way around again. And again. And again. We sat in those seats for over an hour. Leo kept going up to the counter to ask when we would be seen, every time the woman saying:
‘The officer will be with you shortly.’
As I sat tracing the pattern of the tiles on the floor with my eyes, in so much of a haze I was almost falling off the chair, suddenly I saw someone being led through the reception area, from the door on the left side. I recognized the bouncing curls. It was Cheryl.
Leo looked up too. A policewoman held onto her elbow. They swept through reception, right past where we sat. Cheryl looked at us without smiling. She turned around slightly so that we could see her face but the policewoman couldn’t. She mouthed something at me. It was so quick I could hardly make out what she was trying to say. It looked to me like:
‘Don’t tell them.’
Within moments she was led through reception, into the right door at the other side of the counter. Leo and I looked at each with wide eyes. He whispered:
‘Did you see what she said?’
‘Yeah, I think I did,’ I replied.