Page 182 of The Guilty Girl

‘Didn’t he wonder where you’d gone?’

‘It was only for an hour, and he was training for two hours. Please don’t tell him.’ The conversation was making Sharon uncomfortable. She couldn’t help staring at Lucy’s silver trainers. They were fab. And expensive.

‘Shaz, you need to stay away from Terry.’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t like the way he was acting with you.’

‘What do you mean?’ Sharon felt awkward and scuffed at pebbles with the toe of her runner. She really needed to get new laces.

‘I saw you in his car. He had you on his knee.’

Feeling sick to her stomach, she jumped when Lucy stood in front of her and grabbed her by the elbows. Her long black hair was wild, like a witch’s, and Sharon was suddenly afraid of her.

‘Don’t be scared, Shaz, I’m your friend. But remember this, Terry is not your friend. Do you hear me? You have to stay away from him.’

Sharon wondered if Lucy was jealous. ‘He was nice to me. He bought me an ice cream.’

‘I’m sure he did.’ Lucy paced.

When she turned around, she leaned down and was so close their noses were almost touching. Sharon had to stifle a giggle.

‘This is serious, Shaz. I want you to tell me everything he did, no matter how bad he made you feel.’

After biting her lip for a few seconds, Sharon said, ‘Is he a toxic man?’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘Jake warned me to stay away from toxic people and you’re telling me to stay away from Terry …’

‘Honey, Terry is so toxic he will poison you to death.’

The shiver that took hold of Sharon was so fierce it made her cry. ‘I didn’t want to do anything wrong. I’m a good girl. He made me.’

She felt Lucy’s arms wrap around her, and the smell of her jumper was like the lilies on her dad’s grave the day he was buried.

Between sobs, she told Lucy what Terry had done to her.

And then Lucy cried too.

‘Don’t worry, petal,’ she said. ‘I’ll make Terry Starr regret the day he ever laid a hand on you.’

‘What are you going to do?’

Lucy was silent.

And Shaz was suddenly scared of the darkness that filled Lucy’s eyes.

82

Lottie had spent ages in the shower and had lashed on a bit of make-up to hide the bags under her eyes. After pulling on a clean pair of black jeans, she found a white T-shirt that somehow had made it out of the wash unscathed. She wasn’t sure if it was Boyd she wanted to look good for, or whether she wanted to make an impression on Sergio. But first she had an audience with her boss.

The sound of the superintendent’s shoes stomping back and forth was driving her nuts. Her head would spin right off and hit Farrell in the face if the woman didn’t sit down soon.

‘Any hope of getting DNA from the knife found in the canal?’ Farrell said.

‘Gráinne believes they might get something. Anyway, Terry Starr’s DNA is a match for that found on Lucy. She fought hard for her life.’