Somewhere to Hide (The Estate, Book 1) (41 page)

‘You stupid bitch.’ Austin took hold of Josie’s arm and threw her at Cathy’s feet. ‘You are not going to spoil my party!’

‘Austin, I –’ Cathy tried one more time to reach him. The smoke was getting thicker now. She began to cough.

Austin glared at her. She blinked back tears as she saw the hatred he had for her.

‘I’m sorry,’ she managed to say.

But he wasn’t listening anymore. ‘I don’t care about you,’ he replied. ‘Today is all about me. It’s my birthday and I promised I’d go out with a bang. This isn’t quite how I’d planned it as I was going to make sure you were dead first. But I figure it will hurt you more this way. And hey, I’ll make sure you’ll never forget the date.’

‘Austin – Simon. I can assure you that I will never forget your birth date. Ever.’

‘But this way I can make absolutely sure.’ He turned the gun and aimed it at his forehead. ‘It was because you made me do this.’

‘Nooooooo!’ Becky screamed.

Austin gave Becky one final look. ‘Bye, Becks.’ He winked at her.

Then he pulled the trigger.

Cathy cried out as Austin’s body hit the floor. What was left of his face fell towards her: remnants of hair attached to a bloody mass of tissue. She squeezed her eyes shut tight to rid herself of the image. But even then, she knew it would haunt her dreams forever.

Josie covered her mouth with her hand and ran over to the room where the fire was. She managed to close the door, hoping to contain the flames and gain them a few minutes extra before the lounge was completely full of smoke.

‘He left a knife,’ Becky shouted over to her. ‘Over there between the candles.’

Josie raced across to it and hacked at the rope around Becky’s chest until it was loose. She undid her hands and handed her the knife.

‘Cut your feet free and then untie Cathy,’ she cried, coughing. ‘Then you’ll have to help me drag Matt out.’

‘He poured petrol everywhere,’ Becky spluttered, hacking away at the rope.

‘I know. We’ll be okay if we hurry.’ Josie touched Cathy’s shoulder. ‘Are you all right?’

Cathy nodded. ‘Please help Matt.’

Josie ran over to him. Blood poured down his face from a gash over his eye and he was out for the count. Coughing again, she slapped him about the face to stir him.

‘Matt! Wake up!’

Moments later, Becky was at her side.

‘We’ll have to carry him,’ she told her. ‘Here, grab his arm.’

They picked him up and slowly moved across to the exit. Flames were licking at the door behind them, singe marks visible where the fire was taking hold. The smoke was increasing as quickly as the relentless noise from the roar of the fire.

‘I’ll get his legs,’ Cathy said as she reached them at last. She picked up one foot but just as quickly dropped it in order to wipe her eyes. ‘I can’t see,’ she spluttered.

Matt groaned.

‘Matt!’ said Josie. ‘Thank God. I was beginning to wonder how we’d get you out.’

In the next room, the air was clearer. It gave them vital seconds to catch their breath and they headed towards the window. But Cathy dropped behind.  

‘What about Austin?’ she said.

‘There’s nothing we can do for him now,’ shouted Josie.

‘But I can’t leave him in there. He’ll burn to death!’

‘He’s already dead!’

There was a bang. Behind them, one of the doors swung open. Josie ran to close it again. She peered through the tiny window.

‘We can’t go back in there. It’s too dangerous. We have to get out.’

‘But –’

‘He’s gone, Cathy,’ said Josie again. ‘And we need to go too. Come on. COME ON!’

Becky climbed through the window to find Jess waiting on the other side.

‘You’re here!’ she exclaimed. ‘I rang the police.’

They helped Matt through and then Josie followed. Stepping down to the car park, she bent over, resting her hands on her knees as she gasped for air. When she stood upright and turned to see where Cathy was, she wasn’t there. Two police cars arrived in quick succession but she ran back to the window.

‘Cathy?’ she shouted. ‘Cathy! You need to come out. Right now!’

‘I can’t leave him! I can’t leave him again.’

Without thinking of her own safety, Josie climbed back inside. By now the smoke was coming underneath the doors in that room, enough for her to feel threatened. Cathy was on her knees staring at the door, one hand raised in front of her. Josie grabbed her arm and pulled.

‘We have to go!’ she said. ‘Now!’

Cathy looked up at her, pain etched on her face as tears slid down her cheeks. ‘I let him down,’ she cried, gut-wrenching sobs coming from deep within. ‘He was my son and I let him down.’

‘But you helped a lot of other people because of it.’ Josie coughed again. ‘Come on!’

‘I let him down.’

‘Come ON!’

Josie pulled her up and across to the window. Andy was climbing down from the seating. He helped them both to get back outside before jumping out himself.

When Matt saw Cathy, he struggled to get to his feet. As she got to him, she fell into his arms.

‘I let him down,’ she repeated over and over.

To the sound of sirens getting closer, they walked to the front of the building.

‘We made it,’ laughed Becky, throwing her arms around Jess. ‘We fucking well made it.’

Then she burst into tears.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

It took a couple of weeks for the dust to settle down after they all escaped. Austin’s body had been burnt beyond recognition when the fire had finally been put out. Due to the amount of rubbish inside and outside of the property, it had burned for hours. The investigation had taken place, the cause of death had been established and the building was due to be demolished as soon as possible.

Once the bruises had started to fade and the media attention stopped, everyone could reflect on their stories. Cathy, Josie and Matt were sitting around the table in Cathy’s kitchen.

‘You were so brave coming after us,’ Cathy told them both. ‘If you hadn’t worked it all out, Becky and I would have been toast. Literally!’

Josie smiled. She knew that joking was Cathy’s way of dealing with the reality of how close they’d all been to death.

‘We could all have been toast if it wasn’t for Austin,’ she concurred. ‘In his state of mind he could have booby-trapped doors, windows, anything to make sure we didn’t have a way out. And if he hadn’t left the knife, then we would all have struggled. And you,’ Josie pointed at Matt, ‘you need to lose some weight. You’re too heavy to be carried.’

Cathy patted Matt’s tummy gently. ‘You leave my man alone, Josie Mellor,’ she told her. ‘I like him exactly the way he is.’

‘Yeah.’ Matt pinched an inch of the skin around his waist. ‘These are my love handles, if you must know.’

Josie held up her hands in mock surrender. ‘I just meant that the next time you get stuck in a fire, don’t –’

‘
Excuse
me,’ Matt interjected. ‘I’ll have you know, the next time I get stuck in a fire, I want to be the one doing all the rescuing. I missed out on all of the action.’

Cathy blinked back tears as she looked around her kitchen. Everything could have been so different. Liz was on the mend now too. Apart from the mental scars, most of her injuries would heal fully over the coming months. She’d moved back into her flat as planned but Cathy had insisted on cooking her a good meal every evening until she was able to stand for longer periods.

Jess and Becky arrived a few minutes later in a burst of colour and laughter.

‘Guess what?’ said Jess as she and Becky came into the kitchen. ‘I’ve got a job.’

Cathy stared at her wide-eyed. ‘You?’

‘Yes, me.’ Jess folded her arms. ‘Why are you so surprised? You’re always on at me to get off my arse and do something.’

‘I have one too,’ said Becky. She sat down next to Matt.

‘It was Becky’s idea, if you must know.’ Jess sat down as well. ‘She saw the advert. The place is called Sparks.’

‘That’s the new bar opening in Stockleigh,’ said Josie.

‘Yeah, that’s the one. We walked in as bold as brass, lied that we’d worked in a bar before. They took one look at us and wanted proof of age. We looked a right pair of stupid mares.’ Jess giggled. ‘But they took pity on us and we’re collecting glasses. It’ll be boring but we’ll make it fun. We start tonight, eight ’til midnight. That’s okay, isn’t it, Cath?’

‘That’s fine by me as long as you look out for each other.’

‘And fine by me as we’ll get more time to spend alone,’ whispered Matt loud enough for everyone to hear.

Becky and Jess rolled their eyes at each other. But Josie beamed. It was great to see the two of them together at last.

Ten past ten that evening, with Jess and Becky doing their first shift at Sparks, Cathy was relaxing in Matt’s arms. They were curled up on the settee. An empty bottle of wine stood next to a half empty tub of peanuts on the coffee table. The sound from the television was low in the background as they sat silent with their thoughts.

Cathy slipped her hand up inside Matt’s T-shirt and ran her fingertips gently over his stomach. She was about to go in for the kill when something he said stopped her in her tracks.

‘Have you ever thought of fostering children, Cath?’

‘What’s brought that on?’ she replied after a moment.

‘I’ve been watching you with Chloe.’ Matt paused to collect his thoughts. ‘And the way she responded to you while you looked after her. She’s a great kid. I often wonder what mine would have looked like.’

‘Definitely ugly with green teeth and spotty skin.’

‘Cheeky.’ He paused before speaking again. ‘Would you?’

‘Would I what?’

‘Consider fostering?’

‘I’m not sure. I doubt it’s easy looking after other people’s children.’

‘I agree it would be a challenge but if we did it together…?’

Cathy didn’t know what to say. Since she’d started seeing Matt again, she’d quickly got used to them being an item. So for him to talk about something so important, so soon, felt really special. Here was a man who she hadn’t known six months ago, who knew all about her past, and was now saying that he’d like to be a part of her future.

‘It’s something to think about, to look forward to, maybe?’ he added. ‘I’m sick of dwelling on the past.’

Cathy looked up, only to find him staring intently at her.

‘Are you sure you want to be a part of my mad life?’ she questioned. ‘I can’t ever promise to know what tomorrow will bring.’

‘Even more reason for me to stick around.’ Matt kissed the top of her hair. ‘You need someone to look after you for a change.’

Cathy smiled. ‘You’re not the only one who maintains things around here. I haven’t got time to be looked after. I am the looker-afterer.’

Matt laughed. ‘There’s no such word.’

‘Even so. But say that thing about looking out for me again.’

‘Cathy Mason – or should I say, Ms looker-afterer extraordinaire – I am here for
you
whenever you need looking after.’

‘Mmm, I like the sound of that.’ In one quick movement, she straddled his lap as she’d done on that first night they’d slept together. ‘Fancy staying over?’

Matt pulled her closer and kissed her tenderly. ‘I thought you’d never ask.’

###

If you’d like to follow Josie Mellor through into the next book: 

Behind a Closed Door

Book 2 The Estate

Housing office Josie Mellor loves the community spirit of the notorious Mitchell Estate – when it doesn’t involve benefit cheats, aggression, or murder and mayhem, that is.
But it isn’t exactly a party for some of her tenants...
Kelly Winterton thinks Josie is sticking her nose in where it’s not wanted. Her partner’s just been packed off to prison and she’s left worrying how to fend for herself and her young daughter.
Charlotte Hatfield has fled from her violent partner. With four children in tow, she lives in fear of him finding her again.
Amy Cartwright has learning difficulties. She finds it hard enough looking out for herself and her six-month-old baby without being taken advantage of.
In the midst of it all, Josie has secrets of her own. Trapped in a loveless marriage, she struggles to escape her controlling husband. And as her home life deteriorates, she realises only a thin line separates her from the people she’s trying to help. Can Josie save herself and return the estate to relative normality when a spate of burglaries causes havoc and deadly violence erupts? Or will both she and her tenants become victims of violence that no one will see?
BEHIND A CLOSED DOOR - lies, dishonesty, heartbreak and betrayal... and the feeling that you’ll never trust anyone again.