Killer Princesses: Gripping and gritty, a twisty and tantalising thriller...

by Jennifer R Hollis

  The taxi driver had asked for her address or the address of someone who could look after her. Various options ran through her mind. She thought of her Dad’s, but then she remembered that he and his real family had moved away to an unknown location. Then, she thought about her mother’s flat, but she hadn’t told her about the attack. Telling her about it could tip her over the edge again.

  She also couldn’t bring herself to give the driver her address. The thought of going back to her small, cold room in Melwood was unbearable. She could deal with loneliness and discomfort, but not the fact that people from Princesses knew she lived there.

  She considered giving him Ethan’s address, but she knew he wouldn’t give her any proper space. He’d demand answers to questions she wasn’t ready to answer. Why was she hanging around the garages with those boys that night? And why did she have so many cuts on her arms?

  There was only one person she could think of who might want to help. Who wouldn’t question her, and who’d offered to meet up over Christmas, even before the attack. So, she gave the driver Renee Beck’s address and hoped that she’d find her at home alone. She thought about messaging Renee to check, but it felt too awkward, so she decided to turn up and hope for the best.

  As she struggled out of the car, she looked down the street at the many festive lights. They’d started to sparkle and twinkle in the dusk. Fake frosted snow and ‘Santa Stop Here’ signs covered the surrounding gardens. There were no decorations on Renee’s house, but the living room light was on behind the blinds, and her car was on the drive.

  Jade thanked the driver as he passed her a small bag and a pair of crutches. She approached Renee’s front door gingerly and winced again with each step. She rang the doorbell twice and hoped she wasn’t interrupting anything important.

  After a few seconds, Renee opened the door wide enough to expose her head and bare shoulder. Jade felt the warmth from within the house rush out towards her. She looked up at Renee and mumbled “Hi.’”

  Renee looked back down at her, shocked and flustered.

  “Jade!” she exclaimed after a short pause. “Oh my God, I didn’t even realise you were out.”

  Jade wondered why Renee stood with the door ajar, shielding herself and her hallway from Jade’s view. She guessed it was a sign that she didn’t want Jade there, bothering her.

  “Yes, they let me out. I thought, well you live close to the hospital, and it was easy to get here. You did say I should pop round. But, sorry, I’m sure you’re busy. I’ll go.”

  “Oh. No, no don’t go,” replied Renee. “You should come in, of course, we can talk. Go through to the living room, and give me a minute, I’ll go and get changed.”

  Renee spun around and pulled the door open behind her. She ran, in shorts and a vest top, up the stairs without looking back. Jade was sure she heard Renee swear under her breath.

  Jade entered the warm and cosy house, removed her coat and hobbled into the living room. The fire was on and magazines, books and an open laptop were spread out across the floor by the armchair. She didn’t want to pry, so she walked past them, sat on the sofa, and stared at the swirling flames in the fireplace.

  A minute later, Renee reappeared in leggings and a woolly jumper and gasped at the mess on the floor. She scooped up the books and magazines and threw them all behind the armchair.

  “Drink?” she asked. Her face was reddening in the heat.

  “Oh, thanks, I can’t have anything strong, you know, because of the painkillers.”

  “Herbal tea, biscuits, on the way,” grinned Renee. She closed the lid of her laptop firmly as she left the room. As she left, a large fluffy white cat padded in. Princess jumped up onto the sofa next to Jade and stared back at her curiously.

  “What’s up with your mum then?” whispered Jade, as she started petting the purring cat.

  It was a bizarre coincidence that this Princess resembled the cat on those horrible old business cards, thought Jade. Princess yawned and rubbed her head against her shoulder. As the kettle started to boil, she climbed onto her lap and settled down.

  Jade absent-mindedly removed her phone from her pocket and checked her messages. There was one from Ethan earlier, telling her he’d visit her at the hospital after work. She rolled her eyes; she’d have to reply to him now, to let him know she wasn’t there. She shifted Princess gently to make herself more comfortable and typed a response:

  Hi, don’t go to the hospital after work, they’ve let me out early. I’m at Renee’s, but she seems busy, a bit frantic about something, so I’m not sure how long I’ll be here, will let you know when I leave.

  She started to balance her preference to avoid his fussing and questions with her desire not to be alone in her room. At least at Ethan’s house there would be a warm bed and food; his parents had always been kind to her.

  Renee returned with a tray of tea and chocolate cookie-style biscuits. Princess leapt off Jade’s lap and trotted over to join her on the armchair.

  “I can’t stop eating these,” laughed Renee. She dunked a cookie into her mug of steaming tea and stroked Princess with her free hand. “But what about you, are you OK? What on earth happened?”

  “I got attacked and beaten up. Didn’t see who they were. Random, I suppose. But the doctors say I’ll be fine if I can rest somewhere warm and comfy for a bit.”

  “Was Ethan with you when it happened?” asked Renee through a mouthful of biscuit.

  “Um, no, he wasn’t. He found me on the ground and called an ambulance.”

  “Bit of a coincidence, that he just happens to be walking by the Croydon garages late at night, at the same time as you. How can you be sure it wasn’t him who did it?” probed Renee, as she leant forward to grab another biscuit.

  “Oh, no, it wasn’t Ethan who attacked me,” answered Jade. However, she paused to consider Renee’s question; what was he doing there at that time?

  “Thought you didn’t see who attacked you,” mused Renee. She stared at Jade with an eyebrow raised, her amber eyes reflecting the firelight.

  Jade looked into her lap. She didn’t like lying to Renee, but at the same time, she didn’t have the energy to tell anyone the whole story. Where would she even start?

  “That’s the problem with secrets, Jade, they catch up on you,” sighed Renee. “Take it from the expert.”

  “Is everything OK, Renee? I’m sorry I disturbed you, you seem…”

  “Oh, no, don’t be sorry,” replied Renee with a wave of her hand. “But you should know, nothing good comes from having secrets. Especially ones that you can’t keep hidden forever. Don’t make the same mistakes that I have, Jade.”

  “I don’t know what you mean. Has something happened?”

  “I’ve got a secret Jade. Well, many secrets. And everyone is going to find out sooner or later,” hushed Renee. “I think someone already suspects something. If so, I’ll have to deal with her. And, of course, there is someone else I have to tell first.”

  Renee’s eyes flitted around the room. Jade was lost for words, but Renee filled the silence again.

  “How can I sit here and tell you not to keep secrets? When what I should be doing is coming clean about mine. I have to. The walls are closing in, so to speak.”

  “What’s going on, Renee? I don’t understand...”

  “Ah, it’s a long story, Jade, such a long story. You will find out, everyone will, and when you do, please try not to think the worst of me. Think of it from my perspective and what you would have done.” Tears welled up in Renee’s eyes as her voice shook.

  “Tell me what it is,” urged Jade.

  She suddenly yearned to get lost in someone else’s secret. Already, it made her feel less alone. Renee put her biscuit down, removed Princess from her lap and put her head in her hands. She took deep breaths as if she were trying to stop herself from crying.

  Jade hadn’t expected this at all. Renee was always so sure of herself, and Jade had no idea what to do to comfort her.


  “It’s such a mess,” cried Renee from behind her hands. Before Jade could attempt to move from the sofa, Renee’s mobile rang.

  “My cousin,” she muttered. “She’ll try and stop me, just you wait.”

  Renee got up from the armchair and left the room. Jade remained on the sofa, feeling both shocked and curious. She could hear Renee on the phone in the kitchen, raising her voice at her cousin.

  “No, I need to do it now, Claire,” shouted Renee. “I should have done it months ago. Gillian is going to find out if she doesn’t know already. So, I need to go and explain myself to Kevin. He deserves to hear it from me…”

  There was a pause - presumably, Claire was trying to talk Renee out of her plan. What could Gillian have found out about Renee? And why on earth would Renee have to explain herself to Gillian’s husband?

  “I’ve made up my mind, Claire. I need to deal with this. I’m going to Fair Lawns now.”

  A minute later, Renee marched back into the living room and threw her phone into her handbag. “I’m sorry Jade, I have to go out, something urgent has come up,” she announced without making eye contact.

  “Stay here if you like, make yourself comfortable, or leave if you have somewhere else to be. I’ll be a while. And thank you, Jade, for listening and making me see what I need to do.”

  Renee grabbed her car keys and left the house before Jade could respond.

  Princess meowed at the door and then at Jade, who shrugged her shoulders in return. She checked her phone and saw that another message from Ethan had popped up.

  Jade, you have to trust me. Get out of Renee’s house now, make an excuse and leave. If you can’t, don’t worry, we’re on our way there now.

  She re-read the message in disbelief. What on earth was going on with everyone this evening? Why was Ethan telling her to get out of Renee’s house, and what did he mean, ‘we’re on our way’? Who was ‘we’? Whatever was going on, she wanted no part of it; she’d had enough drama already.

  She hauled herself up with her crutches and shuffled towards the living room door. She leaned over and peered behind the sofa at the books and magazines Renee had thrown there.

  “Ah,” muttered Jade as the penny dropped; “that certainly explains a lot.”

  With a final, apologetic glance at Princess, Jade put on her coat and left Renee’s house. She limped away down the street, with no firm idea of where she was going.

  28: Fight and Flight

  Monday 24th December 2018, 17:25 - Marie

  Marie drove through the busy Melwood Junction, casting an eye towards the supermarket. As expected, the front doors were already locked, and the lights dimmed. She smirked and wondered how Karen and Ethan had coped with the crowds. She didn’t feel guilty about leaving them to it, after working back-to-back days over the last two weeks. She’d needed the day off to wrap and deliver presents before she returned to her mum’s home in Sussex.

  Renee, who was more of a people-pleaser than her, had almost agreed to cover for Karen. But Marie had put a stop to that; Renee had enough to worry about without adding a Christmas Eve shift into the mix. She drove towards Croydon town centre, then veered into a quiet, well-decorated road. In the distance, she saw a young girl on crutches, struggling to walk along the pavement.

  Given her tight schedule, Marie considered driving past. But at the last minute, she slammed on the brakes. She had recognised the blonde hair and pale face of Jade Dimont. She swerved into a parking space ahead of Jade and lowered her window as she approached the car.

  “Jade! Jade!” she called, and the young girl turned towards her with a scowl on her face.

  “Are you OK?” asked Marie.

  She took a closer look at the crutches and the yellowing bruises on Jade’s face. She looked awful, and Marie couldn’t believe she was wandering the streets alone in that state.

  “Oh, yeah, I’m just great,” replied Jade through gritted teeth. She was breathing heavily and sweating despite the cold outside.

  “Do you need a lift somewhere local? I can squeeze you in if you want.”

  “No, thanks, I don’t even know where I’m going,” mumbled Jade. “You get on with whatever it is you’re doing.”

  “Well, I’m going to drop Renee’s present off.”

  “Yeah, good luck with that,” snapped Jade before she hobbled off.

  Marie sat for a moment, perplexed. She was only trying to be helpful, so why had Jade reacted in that way? No answer came to mind immediately, so she shrugged it off. She drove another hundred metres down the road and reached the front of Renee’s house.

  She grabbed a massive gift bag from the boot, containing presents for both Renee and Princess the cat. She walked down the front garden path and rang the doorbell twice, without response. She turned to the living room window instead and peered through the blinds. The lights and fire were on, and she could see Princess on the coffee table, licking a plate of biscuits.

  Marie turned to the driveway, and to her disappointment, she realised there was no sign of Renee’s car. She sighed, took her phone from her pocket and dialled Renee’s number. There was no answer, so she sent her a message instead.

  Ren, I’m at yours with presents. I thought we said 5.30? Can’t wait long, got to go to Rachel’s before leaving for Mum’s. Hope you’re OK xxxx

  She sighed and slouched back towards her car.

  “Typical Renee,” she muttered.

  She’d have to come back after Boxing Day with the gifts unless she received a reply in the next five minutes. Before she reached the top of the path, a familiar car screeched to a halt in front of her.

  “It can’t be!” Marie gasped. But then she saw Debbie Gomez climbing out of the driver’s seat with a clenched jaw. Even more bizarrely, Ethan jumped urgently out of the back seat. Karen then got out of the front passenger’s seat, with a more reluctant look on her face.

  Debbie rushed towards Marie and blocked her exit from Renee’s front gate. She looked fevered.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

  “I could ask you the same question. Last I heard, you were in a cell,” replied Marie, as she attempted to shove past Debbie and get to her car. She had no desire to hang around, answering to her three least favourite colleagues. Debbie, however, continued to block her way.

  “Oh, for God’s sake,” protested Marie, holding up the gift bag. “I came to drop off Renee’s Christmas presents, but obviously, she’s not here, so I’ll try again later. What’s it to you, anyway? Why are you here?”

  “Where’s Jade?” asked Ethan, from somewhere behind Debbie. “Is she inside there?”

  “No,” replied Marie as she craned her head to look at him. “If you’re here for her, I saw her heading down the road five minutes ago. It won’t take long to catch her up. She wasn’t going very fast.” Ethan nodded, turned on his heel and ran in the direction Marie had indicated.

  “Right, can I get through now please,” Marie demanded, as she tried to shuffle forward.

  She avoided eye contact with Debbie, who was still glaring at her. Though Marie was trying her best to hide it, she felt quite scared. She was alone in the dark, with her exit blocked by a woman who’d spent two weeks under caution for three murders. What if the police had made the wrong call, and shouldn’t have let her go? What if Karen had given her an alibi, but was some kind of accomplice? Marie swallowed and tried to keep her composure.

  “No, you can’t,” replied Debbie, her arms outstretched.

  Marie looked past Debbie and saw Karen leaning against the hood of Debbie’s car, picking her nails. If she could get past Debbie, she’d be able to run to her car and leave.

  “Tell us where Renee is,” Debbie continued.

  “I don’t know. I came here because I thought she was here, but she’s not,” rushed Marie. She tried to push past, but Debbie reached out and grabbed her arm to hold her in place.

  “No, Debbie, get off me!” Marie twisted and turned but couldn’t shake her off.r />
  “Debbie!” gasped Karen, paying attention at last.

  “What are you doing? She doesn’t know where Renee is, so let’s go. We have other things to discuss, remember?”

  For once, Marie agreed with Karen. She tried again to wrench her arm away from Debbie, who tightened her grip in return.

  “She’s lying Karen,” hissed Debbie. “She knows where Renee is, and she knows what horrible things Renee has been up to, what she’s capable of.”

  Marie bristled. “It’s none of your business what Renee does in her own time. Who are you to judge?”

  “None of my business?” roared Debbie, frenzied. “How can you say that? I know everything Marie, I know about ‘Princesses’, I know about the murders, and I know you’re involved in it all.”

  With her spare hand, Debbie thrust a crumpled business card in front of Marie’s face. It had a cartoon cat on it, and the word ‘Princesses’ written in pink italic letters.

  Marie stared at it, confused.

  “I don’t know what you mean. I don’t know what this is, I’ve never seen…”

  “How could you, Marie?” interrupted Debbie with disgust. “How could you sit by and let Renee get away with this? She’s killed innocent people to protect her secret, she’s killed my friends, and they arrested me for it! Can you even begin to imagine what that was like? And you say it’s not my business! Can you hear this, Karen?”

  “You’ve got this all wrong,” trembled Marie. “I know she’s not perfect, but Renee has nothing to do with any of that, I promise. She’s not a killer; she couldn’t even...” Marie paused, unsure whether to break Renee’s confidence.

  “Couldn’t what?” snarled Debbie.

  “Perhaps you should look a little closer to home for Janice and Caitlin’s killer,” cried Marie. “Haven’t you noticed your best friend over there has been acting strangely lately?”