Amy Cooper Forever

by Craig Mullins

  By twelve forty-five the car park was packed with people in clusters chatting. Then en masse they appeared to move as one as if propelled by some mystical force. They followed the path that led to the chapel. Pinky locked his car and mingled with the last of the stragglers as they headed along the same path. He kept his distance and when they reached the chapel he chose a seat four rows from the back. He thought if he picked the back row it would look like he wasn’t supposed to be there. In his heart he knew he should be on the front row with the family, no one had loved Amy as much as he did. But he was adamant that this was Amy’s day and nothing was going to ruin it–not even him. At five minutes to one the chapel was packed and he watched as Mr & Mrs Cooper along with their daughter Hayley entered via the side door and took their places on the front row. Mrs Cooper wore a straight black skirt, white blouse and a black jacket. Mr Cooper wore traditional funeral attire for a man, but Hayley was the exception. She wore a white summer knee length dress with lace hem; a black band a few inches wide circled her waist. They had barely sat when music started playing; it was Sinead O’Conner’s ‘Nothing Compares to you’. Then the coffin was carried in by six strapping young men, the casket was resplendent in white with silver handles and fasteners. Pinky watched as she was carried past him, he realised then that he was the only one in the room that knew exactly what was hidden in the box. While everybody else would remember the Amy they knew, all he could see was the heartless body sprawled on the kitchen counter after his meal. The tears wanted to come but a smile broke free as he remembered the fun he had had.

  Forty-five minutes later Amy was in the ground, they had all said their goodbyes when a hand rested on Pinky’s shoulder. He had just got to his car, he had hoped to get away before anyone engaged him in conversation.

  “Thank you for coming Pinky.” He knew the voice in an instant–Mr Cooper–he’d thought they’d linger at the graveside. Sure enough he turned around and there stood Mr and Mrs Cooper with Hayley. One thought screamed through his head, ‘Hayley when did you grow up?’ He’d seen her in the chapel but that was from a distance. This close and it was clear that though she was still only thirteen she was blossoming into a fine young woman.

  “I’m so sorry for your loss.” Was all he could think to say. Not once did he take his eyes from Hayley.

  “You will come back to the house won’t you?” Mrs Cooper said.

  “I’d love to but I don’t want to impose.” He’d had no intention of going to any kind of wake, let alone back to their home, the scene of Amy’s most heinous crime.

  “Pinky you’re family. We wouldn’t hear of you not coming. I’m sure you know the way but you can just follow our car.” Mr Cooper insisted. “We can have a proper catch up then.”

  Pinky had a story for what he’d been up to the last four years just in case anybody today had asked. He’d never dreamed he’d be telling it to Amy’s mum and dad. It had been four years since he’d had any contact with the family. To them he’d just vanished one day, he didn’t know what Amy had told them.

  “OK I’ll see you there.”

  “See you later.” Hayley said before pushing her arm through her mother’s. What stayed with Pinky was the look Hayley gave him. He was convinced she wasn’t the sweet and innocent little girl her parents believed her to be.

  For a moment after he got in his car and watched the Coopers return to the funeral car it flashed through his mind to just drive. Drive back home, skip the wake and never set eyes on the Coopers again. But the look in Hayley’s eyes told him he had to follow them. For some inexplicable reason he wanted–no had to–see her again. He knew she was only thirteen but Amy was only fourteen when he met her.

  The traffic was fairly light back to Moor Park and for once there was no hold up on the M25. Pinky hadn’t realised how fast funeral cars were capable of going, he’d only ever seen them follow a hearse at a snail’s pace. His old banger barely managed to keep up. Not that it mattered because like Mr Cooper pointed out he knew exactly where to go.

  He pulled in through the familiar gates of ‘Cariad’ it seemed like only last week he was here. He pulled over to the far left to ensure that no one could block him in and he’d be able to leave when he was good and ready. He waited in the car until the Coopers were in the house and a couple of other guests had gone in–he didn’t want to be alone with them. He noted the distinct absence of any of Amy’s friends, it appeared to be only family that were invited.

  As he mustered all his courage he still had to resist the urge to get back in his car and drive. He made it to the front door just as Hayley was coming out.

  “I was just coming to get you.” She said.

  “Sorry I just needed a minute.” He lied.

  “Have you got any cigarettes on you?”

  “Yeh, Why?”

  “Let’s go for a walk, I’ve been dying for one all day, sorry excuse the pun.” She led him back out of the driveway and headed down one of the lanes. As they walked Pinky lit a cigarette and handed it to her. No sooner had he lit his than he felt her hand grab his and hold it. “I think she loved you.” Hayley blurted out.

  “No she didn’t, I asked her many times.”

  “After going with Adam I think she realised that you were the only one she wanted to be with. She’d be so happy that you came today.”

  “I’m sorry I stayed away so long.” He thought to himself ‘here I go again apologising for my absence’. She squeezed his hand as if to say ‘it’s ok you’re here now’.

  Pinky noticed that this obviously wasn’t her first cigarette as she tossed her butt a good two drags before he finished his. “When did you start smoking?”

  “About a year ago, all my friends smoke.” She said as if to justify her actions.

  “So if they all jumped off a cliff would you follow them?” He laughed, it was one of his mum’s favourite sayings whenever he copied someone else’s foolish actions.

  “Of course not, but they told me sex was great and they didn’t lie about that.” She gave him a knowing look.

  “Please tell me you’re joking?” She just smiled at him and left it at that. “We should probably go back, your mum and dad will be worried about you. You could be with anyone and considering the circumstances…”

  “It’s OK, I told them I was coming to get you, they’ll just think we got chatting. There is no one they would trust me with more than you Pinky. You treated my sister like a princess, you never took advantage of her or treated her badly.”

  A tear rolled down his cheek because with the exception of the final night he spent with her everything Hayley said was true. He did treat her with the utmost respect, he did treat her like a princess. If she hadn’t given it up so quickly or easily with Adam then he would still be treating her that way today.

  Back at the house there was Mr. and Mrs. Cooper and six others. There was a modest spread of food on the dining table along with a variety of drinks including red and white wine. “Help yourself son.” Mr. Cooper said as Pinky entered the room.

  THIRTY FOUR

  Friday 17th September 1993

  He was going to miss the station and his colleagues but it was time to move on. It was barely six in the morning when he swung his car in next to Siobhan’s, he was glad that she was working his last shift.

  “So, are you ready for your last day?” Siobhan asked as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

  “Not really, it has sort of crept up on me a bit.” He laughed. Since DI Sian Price had pointed out to him how attractive Siobhan was he kept fantasising about her. He was having one of those moments now as he watched her stand there with her back to him while she tried to retrieve something from her bag situated on her front seat. She could certainly make the staid, boring police issue uniform look sexy.

  “Have you had any luck with a job yet?” She still had her back to him So was unaware that his eyes hadn’t shifted from her rear.

  “No, but I’ve got digs sorted.”

  “But
no job, how are you gonna survive?” She’d retrieved what she needed from her bag and was now facing him. “Were you staring at my arse you perv.” Her words were harsh but playful.

  “I might have been, it is rather nice to look at.”

  “It’s a shame you’re quitting on me when things are just beginning to get interesting.” She walked away leaving him to stare at her once more. “I know you’re staring.”

  He ran to catch her up as they walked into the station, just like any other day only this was to be his last day as a police constable. He’d always envisaged working his way up the ranks like DI Sian Price had. But now it was over and it was time to move back closer to his roots. Not closer to his parents although by default that would inevitably happen, but closer to what had once meant the world to him. He had applied for many positions, mostly to do with security firms or prisons. He liked the idea of staying within the justice system, but no longer felt comfortable as a police officer.

  They were buzzed through by the desk sergeant and made their way to the staff room where they both got a large coffee from the vending machine and took seats opposite each other at one of the many vacant tables. Philip nodded to a couple of colleagues and they returned the gesture, then he spotted DI Sian Price standing in the doorway. She motioned for him to come to her and as she did she turned and headed to her office certain in the knowledge that he would follow. Sure enough he appeared at her office door thirty seconds later.

  “Close the door Philip and take a seat.” She said.

  “Have I done something wrong?” He said before taking a seat opposite her.

  “No, it’s nothing like that. I just heard that today is your last day. I hope the Amy Cooper case hasn’t had any bearing on your decision?” What she really wanted to know was if their illicit tryst had any undue influence. She didn’t feel she could ask outright but the last thing she needed was a complaint made against her. “If you’re looking to move stations I could always give you a recommendation, just say the word.”

  “If you are wondering if this has anything to do with our trip down to Watford it hasn’t. It is a decision I’ve been struggling with for a while, the Cooper case helped me decide. I’ve realised I want something more, actually not more, I don’t want a job with the intensity of what we deal with on a daily basis. I know I’m probably not making much sense but after seeing what you had to do when you went to see them, what you must have gone through sat in that room while you delivered the worst possible news to them. I couldn’t do it.” He looked at his hands in his lap, he couldn’t look her in the eye and see the derision in them.

  “You’re stronger than you think Philip Thorne. If you ever need a recommendation you can give them my number.” She said handing over one of her business cards. “And good luck in whatever you decide to do.” She stood up and offered her hand, he took her lead and they shook before he left to go and start his shift.

  He really wasn’t in the mood for work but what was one more day. He was on foot patrol as he’d already handed the squad car over, they didn’t like exiting employees risking going into overtime. Apparently it was traditional to work your last day as a bobby on the beat.

  As last days went it was quite pleasurable. He enjoyed walking the beat and chatting to people, his feet ached but in a good way. He hadn’t laughed so much or so hard in a long time. It was three o’clock when he made his way to the beach front at Hemsby, he’d been slowly making his way in the general direction all day. Now he found himself walking the familiar beach, the one he’d walked many times before. It held both good and bad memories for him and if challenged he wouldn’t be able to explain why he’d walked nearly four and a half miles from his scheduled beat just to be there.

  He sat in a dip in the dunes and watched the sea slowly approach, his shoes and socks beside him as he dug his toes into the loose sand. A couple of seals frolicked in the surf as his mind wandered. He knew it would be strange going back to his roots, he hadn’t seen or spoken to his parents in almost four years. When he moved away they made no attempt to find him, or at least he assumed they didn’t. His assumption was based on the fact that they hadn’t found him and he wasn’t hiding. He found a room on the new estate being built around the corner from the council estate he grew up on. As close in proximity as he was going to be to his parents he had no intention of seeing them.

  The seals had stopped their antics and were headed back up the coast as he thought about his reasons for giving up his job and moving back to the town he grew up in. Though part of his reasoning was the stress of the job the real reason was a girl. She didn’t know it yet but he was going to marry her, whatever it took. She was beautiful, sassy, sexy as hell and she was going to be his. He knew it was an extreme move but every bone in his body was telling him it was his destiny. When he saw her he knew she was the one, and the brief time he spent with her he felt that his feelings would be reciprocated if he pushed things. His lease on his current apartment was due to expire in two days and he’d already told the landlord that he didn’t want to renew. The guy wasn’t happy with the short notice but had accepted Philip’s reason for doing it.

  In thirty minutes his shift was due to finish and he still had four and a half miles to walk back to the station. He radioed PC Siobhan Redmond to see if she would be able to swing by and pick him up, he really didn’t fancy the long walk. As it turned out she was in Hemsby just finishing up on a call. He made his way back along the beach taking one last look at the sea as he made his way to the police car waiting at the top of the ramp.

  “Have you really walked all this way?” She asked.

  “Yeh, it was nice, chatting to people, it was the reason I joined the force believe it or not. I loved the idea of the old fashioned beat bobby. I knew it wouldn’t be like it used to be but I was hoping to become a part of the community I served.”

  “So what happened?”

  “Amy Cooper” His clipped reply took her aback slightly. “That was where it happened.” He looked out to his left at the Belle Vista chalet park and all the memories suddenly came flooding back. “Stop, could we just go back, I want to see the chalet one last time before I leave. I know you won’t understand, but it is something I just need to do. It was the reason I walked here today, but I didn’t manage to summon the courage to come down this far. I tried.” He said as she applied the brakes and turned the squad car around at the next turning. She drove the car into the park as Philip told her which turns to make before they ended up at a small car park, the same one Philip had parked his in that fateful morning.

  “Do you want me to stay in the car or come with you?”

  “Come with me if you don’t mind.” He said as he got out of the car. She took his hand as they walked past the bins to where the chalet was. As the sun beat down on them the screams from kids on holidays with their parents created a wholly different environment to the one Philip was called to on the morning of July fourth. “That was the one.” He indicated pointing his finger at chalet number sixteen. It was vacant, he’d heard that it had only recently been released back to the park and obviously it would need a complete refit if it was to be let again. He wondered if anybody would actually want to stay in it if it became common knowledge about what happened in there. The park had already suffered as a result of the news coverage with many chalets remaining empty over the summer. When the story had broken it had made headlines around the country, some International news syndicates had even run with it. He squeezed her hand as he spoke. “You can’t imagine what it was like seeing her there, she was beautiful and yet ugly if that makes any sense. It was the way she just lay there, motionless. I haven’t told anyone this but when I found her all I wanted to do was hold her in my arms and tell her everything would be alright. That whatever had been done to her could be undone. I knew it couldn’t because of the gaping hole in her chest.”

  “Why are you torturing yourself over this, it wasn’t your fault. It was some sick bastard.” She told him as h
e released his grip and walked up to the door. The windows were still boarded up, and a security door had been fitted to stop the ghouls from breaking in and stealing souvenirs. The local tales had started shortly after the event with the most common being ritual slaughter-not that any details had been released but people will speculate and the manager had caught a glimpse of the scene before it had been locked down. Philip hadn’t discussed the scene with anybody except DI Sian Price.

  “Do you know if they are any closer to finding who did it.?” He asked. He hadn’t heard anything, not even speculation. But then he knew how CID worked, they loved to keep their cards close to their chest.

  “All I heard was that they had no concrete leads, but that they were questioning a previous boyfriend whose name they’d been given by the Cooper family. That was from Mark, my boyfriend, do you know him DS Shaw?”

  “I think I’ve seen him about but I haven’t spoken to him. I didn’t know you had a boyfriend, let alone one in CID. How long have you been dating?”

  “Only a couple of weeks, I’m not sure he’s the one though, all that matters to him is his career, not that there is anything wrong with that but it is all he ever talks about. And I’m sure he has some sort of obsession for DI Sian Price. He mentions her all the time, ‘Sian this, Sian that’” She said the last part in a winey sarcastic tone and they both started laughing. “At one time I thought you might ask me out.”

  This threw him and at first he didn’t know what to say. “This is the age of feminism, you could always have asked me out.” It was all he could think of, he had thought about it but didn’t want the complication at the time. If he was staying things would be different, but he wasn’t and since he now knew who is rightful soulmate was supposed to be, why waste time on anyone else.