She peeked out of her bedroom window to make sure the car was Danny and Billy. She felt sick with exhilaration at the sight of the Subaru. She could feel the blood pumping through her veins. Was her heart going to burst, she wondered, as it beat madly in her chest.
She had tossed and turned all night with a knot of anxiety in her stomach. The day held great expectation, it felt like Christmas morning. At four o’clock in the morning, unable to stay in bed, she’d got up and poured herself a drink of juice. Walking back into her bedroom, the short denim skirt and low-cut bright-pink lycra top hung on her wardrobe door were picked out by the light from the hallway. The thought of wearing them made her shivery with excitement and nerves.
She wished she knew where her pink thong had gone, but she could hardly ask her mum, could she? Even when she wasn’t in a mood, how could Pam explain she wanted a thong on a school day? It was a birthday present from her friend and, knowing her dad, he’d thrown it straight in the bin. He had been very vocal in telling her she was far too young for such a thing.
With a last look in the mirror and a spray of her mother’s expensive perfume, she ran out to the car, pulling the front door behind her with a bang.
‘Wow,’ Danny said. ‘Look at you.’ He held the door open wide.
Billy poked his head between the front seats, grinning sleazily at her. She smiled back; the sooner they could lose him the better, she thought. ‘You smell nice,’ Billy said, his eyes willing her top to drop and allow him a glance at her breast.
‘Thanks,’ was all she could muster. She was feeling very self-conscious of Billy’s roving eyes. She pulled the hem of her skirt down as far as she could and held her handbag tightly on her lap. Billy was weird, but Danny seemed to approve of him, so he must be alright really.
‘What did you decide to tell the oldies?’ asked Danny.
‘I haven’t,’ she said, shyly, as their eyes met.
‘And school?’
‘I’ll tell them I was sick tomorrow.’
‘I’m impressed,’ he said with a nod of his head. ‘Thought we’d go to the country park. It’ll be nice and quiet there and there’s that sandy stretch near the water where we can sunbathe.’
‘Great,’ she said. Her stomach did a flip.
‘I’m going fishing,’ Billy said with a wink.
Even better, thought Pam.
‘We’ll call at the garage and get some sandwiches, drinks and that,’ Danny said.
‘Oh, I’ve got some money for …’ Pam said, frantically scrambling in her bag for her purse.
‘No, put your money away,’ Danny said gallantly.
‘Yeah, that’s a first,’ Billy said, chuckling.
Pam screwed up her nose. He was a sick pig and she couldn’t wait to get rid of him.
Danny and Billy strolled into the garage and Pam took the opportunity to check herself in the mirror. She touched her cheeks, stroked her eyelashes and threw a smile that showed her even white teeth. She undid her bag and, taking her lip gloss out, she swiftly ran her index finger around her lips with the mint-flavoured sheen. She’d seen her mum do it often when her dad was filling up with petrol. Was this how it was going to be from now on? A warm glow engulfed her.
Flipping the mirror up, she watched the two friends saunter out of the store with carrier bags full to bursting. Danny opened the car door and passed a bag over the seats to Pam.
‘Didn’t know what sort of sarnies you liked so we got a selection,’ Danny said with a big smile crossing his face. ‘Pass a Snickers over will you.’
Pam delved into the bag. Beer, cider, sandwiches, crisps, more beer, she noted as she groped around.
‘You want a beer?’ Billy asked. He shook the can before pulling the ring tab. Foam and alcohol squirted all over the car, much to the amusement of the pair.
Pam squealed. ‘Oh, the lovely new car…’ she said, trying desperately to mop up the spray from her clothes.
‘It’s a car,’ said Billy, looking bemused. ‘What’s your problem? We can ’alas get a new one.’
Danny shook his head. ‘Humour him. Just have a drink!’ he said.
‘Maybe later,’ she said, blotting the liquid from her skirt. The smell of beer and now the motion of the car made her feel nauseous. She had never been a good traveller and as she felt the familiar shortness of breath and the colour drain from her face, she prayed that the drive wouldn’t take long.
The country park was bathed in glorious sunshine. Meadow grass wafted in the warm breeze along the long, winding path that led to the sculpture park. Pam breathed the warm, clean air in big gulps as she stepped from the car. The views were magnificent as far as the eye could see. Pam stretched her body to the sky. She lifted her face to the sun and was glad of its warmth. Swaying slightly, she found herself in Danny’s arms and for an instant she felt like she was in heaven.
‘Let’s go down to the water’s edge. Down there,’ Danny pointed, as he gazed at her lustfully. Billy handed her bags to carry.
‘Yeah, that looks like a good place,’ said Billy, heading for a shady spot under a huge willow tree. There was a path down to the lake. Pam wished she had worn different shoes as she tottered behind.
Turning around, Billy grabbed the bags from her grip and ran ahead like an over-excited child. Danny held back and reached out for her hand. She sighed with contentment as she closed her eyes and wallowed in his closeness, confident at last of his feelings for her.
This must be what it’s like to date an older, more experienced guy, she thought, as Danny swung her round and kissed her roughly on the lips before laying a blanket on the ground. She would have liked to be alone with Danny but it was their first date and having Billy around would maybe stop him getting over-friendly, she thought. She wasn’t ready to go all the way with him yet. After all, she was only thirteen.
The water lapped near the shingled path in front of them. They could have been at the seaside, she thought, as the boys discarded their tops and threw them under the tree. She reached out to fold them neatly, watching the boys playfully splashing around in the lake.
‘Get the cans out. I’m thirsty,’ Billy shouted as he got out of the water and began picking stones up and skidding them on the surface. Danny sat down next to her and threw a can of beer at Billy. It landed in the water and he waded out for it.
‘Fancy a skinny dip, Pam?’ Danny asked.
‘Oh, no thanks. It’s too cold for me,’ she said, feeling very mature as she took a sip from the opened can of lager Danny offered her.
‘Billy will do when he’s had a few more. He’s fucking mad,’ he said, rolling his eyes. For a split second she felt unnerved. She looked around. It was an isolated spot and, all of a sudden, she realised how little she knew of Danny Denton and Billy Greenwood. Danny put his hand on her leg just above her knee and stroked the inside of her leg gently without looking at her. She instinctively tensed.
‘Here, have some more lager, it’ll help you relax,’ he said, soothingly as he handed her a second can from which he had begun drinking. She took a long swig of the liquid and coughed.
‘I don’t usually …’ Pam started to say, by way of an apology.
‘Yeah, but today’s special, so have a drink with me to celebrate, eh?’
She tilted the can and took a long drink. Danny held the bottom of the can in the palm of his hand and tilted it so that the liquid came faster into her mouth.
‘Yeah, that’s it, good girl – have a good drink.’
The liquid started to run down her chin and onto her chest as her throat tightened up. She knocked the can to the side and gasped for air and coughed uncontrollably. Danny patted her gently on the back, laughing hysterically.
‘Come on, drink up. There’s plenty more where that came from.’
‘Let’s open a bottle of cider each and see who can drink it the quickest,’ Billy said, joining them and straight away reaching into another carrier bag. ‘Good game, good game,’ chortled Billy as he stood shiveri
ng in his wet clothes.
‘Perhaps we should have something to eat first,’ said Pam, hoping that they might forget about the stupid game.
‘Five minutes and there’ll be a consequence for the person who finishes last,’ Danny said.
‘But … I’m not used to drinking, so that’s not fair,’ said Pam, with a little cry. Her head was already starting to spin.
‘It’s not fair.’ Billy mimicked the whine of her voice.
‘No, Pam’s right,’ said Danny, holding up his hand in protest. ‘We won’t start to drink ours till Pam is halfway down her bottle. Billy, come on, don’t be a dick.’
Pam smiled nervously and looked to Danny for reassurance.
‘You’ll be fine,’ Danny said, laughing at the look on her face as he pulled her backwards onto the grass and leaned across to kiss her full on the lips.
‘Nice view,’ Billy whistled. Pam knew he could see up her skirt.
She sat up as quickly as she could, ‘Er, what’s the consequence going to be if you lose?’ Pam asked, taking a little sip of the cider.
‘What d’you think it should be?’ asked Danny.
‘I dunno,’ she said, quietly.
‘The loser skinny dips,’ Billy shouted.
‘That’s not a consequence for you, you do that anyway,’ said Danny.
‘Yeah, but I’m not gonna lose, am I?’ said Billy, with a squeal as he flopped backwards into the lake.
‘But, I haven’t got a towel.’
‘Ah, never mind,’ Danny said.
‘Aw, just strip off. We don’t mind,’ Billy said, chortling.
Danny threw his empty can. Billy threw his further. Danny hurled a cider bottle.
‘You shouldn’t drink any more, should you?’ Pam said to Danny. ‘You’re driving.’
Danny looked at her, eyes wide in disbelief. He sniggered. Billy laughed out loud.
‘I think I need a slash,’ Billy said, as he came to stand beside them. Stepping back, he unzipped his fly and urinated on the grass.
Pam’s heart jumped into her mouth. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks. It was the first time she had seen a man’s penis except in pictures or on statues. She didn’t know where to look.
‘Like the look of it, love?’ he said, laughing as he dangled his penis in front of them, shaking the excess drips from its end.
‘Quick,’ Danny said, giggling like a little kid. ‘He bloody means it,’ he said, pulling her up from the grass by her hand. ‘You bloody moron. Put it away and go do some fishing or sommat for a bit,’ Danny said, nodding suggestively to his friend.
Without a fuss Billy snapped a twig from the tree, picked up his drink and winked at Pam. He sauntered down the side of the lake and out of sight behind the trees.
Danny and Pam sat in silence. Pam shivered and goosebumps rose on her arms.
‘You cold?’ Danny asked, throwing his drunken arm around her shoulders. His breath smelt of beer as his mouth found hers and she gagged. ‘Bet you’re glad you skived off now,’ he said, putting a hand on her chest and guiding her body onto the grass. Within seconds his body was on the top of hers. He started to fumble under her skirt.
‘Stop, stop,’ she cried.
‘What the bloody hell’s up with you?’ he asked. ‘Oh, no, don’t tell me you’re a prick-tease?’
‘No, I … I … need the toilet,’ she said, pushing his body off hers. His eyes had lost all their friendliness. She could feel his anger.
‘Well, you’ll have to go in the bush over there. There’s nowhere else out here,’ he said.
‘Okay. I’ll just be a minute,’ she said, getting to her feet and brushing the grass off her skirt. Squatting behind the bush, she heard the sound of a ring-pull being torn from a can and she knew Danny was opening another can of lager. She looked heavenward, what was she going to do? The crack of a twig breaking close by made her jump. She stood hurriedly. Her heart raced. Billy was watching her. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Billy put his finger to his lips and grinned before casually walking away. Tears welled up in her eyes. She had a feeling that telling Danny in his inebriated state might antagonise things so she decided to keep quiet and try and get him to take her home.
‘Can we go home, please?’ she said as she sat down beside Danny, who was lying on the ground pointing to the clouds in the sky and giggling to himself. He didn’t reply but reached out towards her and pulled the back of her top with such force that she fell back to the ground. Instantly, he was on the top of her again, his hands up her skirt and inside the crotch of her knickers. Pam screamed and struggled to break free.
‘Danny, please stop,’ she begged, as tears sprung to her eyes.
He looked down at her, his eyes glazed and cold, and lifted up her top and yanked it off. Pam cried out for help. He smiled at her. ‘Nobody for miles around, I’m afraid, sweetheart,’ he breathed into her face. ‘Come on now. Don’t struggle, you know you want it as much as me.’ His voice was calm, rich and soft.
Pam saw Billy’s face hover over them.
‘Need any help?’ Billy asked.
Pam sighed, a huge sigh of relief. ‘Please Billy. Please tell Danny to stop,’ she begged.
‘I didn’t mean you,’ he laughed, taking Pam’s pink thong from his pocket and dangling it from his fingers above her.
‘Hold her arms, Billy,’ Danny said. ‘She’s a right bloody wriggler, this one.’
Pam screamed: the loud shriek of a frightened animal. Danny put a hand over her mouth. Billy held her shoulders down so tightly that she had no chance of breaking free. Seconds later she was being raped. Pam whimpered for her mum, for her dad, for anyone who could help her, but her muffled cries fell unheard in the miles of countryside that surrounded them.
‘I’m thirteen,’ she sobbed, turning her head into the grass. She heard a groan and the weight of Danny fall away from her. He rolled off and she lifted her head and retched to the side but, before she had the chance to get up, Billy had pushed her onto her back and was raping her too.
‘It’s your own fucking fault,’ Danny told her as he caught his breath. Billy bit her nipple hard and she screamed out in pain but once again a hand was put over her mouth. Billy quickly let out a moan and after a few seconds got off her. Pam turned away, curling instinctively into a ball, her arms cradling her body.
From her place on the ground she saw Danny pick up a can of beer and throw it into the water. They both walked to the lakeside and sat drinking, talking and laughing as if nothing had happened.
She sobbed. Bile rose in her throat as she tried to heave herself onto her elbow. Her body ached, her stomach swirled and, finally getting up on to all fours, she was violently sick.
Danny looked back, got up, walked towards her and, picking up her clothes, he hurled them at her.
‘For God sake, you silly cow, get dressed. What did you expect? Get dressed.’
Pam stood. Blood ran down her legs and she wiped it as best she could with the thong.
‘Dirty fucking bitch,’ Billy sneered. ‘Perhaps you should get a wash in the lake,’ he cooed. ‘Oh, but … we don’t have a towel.’
‘You, you raped me…’ she sobbed. ‘You raped me. How could you? I thought you liked me?’
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Dylan held the facsimile confirmation from the forensic science lab in his hand.
‘The headlight found in Denton and Greenwood’s garage is a match with the debris found at the scene of the Harvey murder,’ said the quiet, studious voice of the scientist. Dylan placed the phone down. He had it. He had the first positive link to Grace Harvey’s fatality, but the connection was to the car make and not the driver.
He picked up his phone, and thought for a moment before dialling DS Spiers’ extension. ‘Come and see me in my office,’ he said. Moments later, Taylor breezed in.
‘You wanted me, boss?’ she said flirtatiously.
He tried to avert his eyes from her over-exposed cleavage, but she saw his glance
and smiled.
‘Have a seat,’ he said. Taylor did as she was told, taking the seat directly across from his desk, and slowly crossing and uncrossing her long brown legs. He knew exactly what she was doing but, like a rabbit in car headlights, he was momentarily transfixed. Dylan coughed and resumed his conversation.
‘The glass recovered from the scene of Grace’s fatal.’
‘Yes?’ she said, leaning forward. ‘Come on, don’t you know it’s rude to keep a girl waiting?’ She licked her bright-pink lips as she played with the tips of her hair that was scraped back into a ponytail.
‘They’ve got a match with a headlamp seized from Denton and Greenwood’s garage,’ he said, shuffling the paper around on his desk.
‘Fantastic, when’re we gonna bring them in?’
‘Don’t get too excited, it’s a match for the make of car Denton owned. There’s a long way to go yet. I’m thinking about the day after tomorrow. That’ll give us a chance to plan the interviews and enable us to get stuck into their ribs,’ Dylan replied. ‘You never know, if they admit to Grace’s death, we might get them to roll over for Bridey and Toby’s murder too,’ he said, thoughtfully. ‘The carriage clock that Vicky mentioned; have we got proof it belonged to Mildred Sykes?’
‘Why would it? The fingerprints at Mildred Sykes’ house are not theirs, we’ve checked.’
‘Do we know if Denton and Greenwood knew Stevenson though? Could they be on his payroll?’
‘Dunno,’ she said. ‘Do you think they’ll soften under pressure in interview?’
White Lilies Page 13
