A Place of Safety

‘Maybe she was wrong,’ said Jack.

The boy shook his head and wheeled the gun back towards the boarders, his sights on the largest. The redhead.

‘This piece of shit does not deserve to live,’ he spat.

A stain spread across the redhead’s groin. ‘Don’t shoot me.’

‘Put the gun down,’ Jack shouted.

The boy shook his head again. Almost imperceptible, but Jack caught it. There was a shift. Conversation was at an end.

Jack watched the boy’s finger touch the trigger as if in slow motion. He knew what he had to do. He raised the gun in his own hand, conscious of its weight, its girth. He closed his eyes and discharged two rounds. When he let the light in, the boy lay on the ground. His shoulder gaped, blood and bone splattered over his overalls. An ugly wound, enough to disarm him, not fatal. But the boy didn’t move until Jack turned his lifeless head and saw the second wound, clean and perfect at the left-hand side of his temple.

‘Are you okay?’

Lilly stood in the doorway of her cottage, bewildered.

Penny Van Huysan stood in the dusky shadows and pushed her carefully highlighted hair behind her ears.

‘Are you okay?’ she repeated gently.

Penny was another Manor Park parent. She was girly, giggly and chichi. She knew what everyone’s husband did for a living and could spot a Christian Louboutin pump at two hundred yards—yet she chose to spend her time with Lilly rather than the other Yummy Mummies.

They had formed a bond during the Kelsey Brand case, when Lilly’s life imploded and Penny had proved an unlikely form of support. She was flanked by Luella, who had all Penny’s shallowness but none of her charm or compassion.

‘Lilly?’ said Penny. ‘Can you hear me?’

When Lilly didn’t reply Penny and Luella exchanged glances and ushered her inside.

‘Is Jack here?’ asked Penny.

Lilly shook her head.

Penny ran a glass of water and pushed Lilly into a chair. Lilly gulped it down. She hadn’t even realised she was thirsty.

‘He had to go back to the station, to explain what happened.’

‘And what did happen? People are saying a gang from the hostel tried to shoot everyone?’ said Luella.

‘No, no,’ said Lilly. ‘There were two, a boy and a girl, just kids.’

‘But there was a shooting?’ Luella asked.

Penny put her hand on Luella’s knee.

‘The headmaster specifically told us not to gossip about this.’

‘We’re not gossiping,’ said Luella.

‘He doesn’t want the press getting hold of this and descending on us.’

‘No one wants that,’ said Luella.

Lilly could see she was desperate to extract information. That was the only reason she had come.

‘Is Sam in bed?’ said Penny.

‘Yeah, he didn’t really see what happened, but he was shaken all the same,’ Lilly replied.

Luella persisted. ‘So what did happen?’

Penny frowned a warning but Luella waved her away.

‘We’ve a right to know.’

Lilly sighed. Luella would not be put off, so Lilly might as well fill her in before the school bongo drums went into overdrive.

‘Like I said, they were just kids.’

‘But they were armed,’ said Luella.

‘Yeah. Jack disarmed the girl, but the boy wouldn’t…’ She paused, unsure how to explain. ‘Jack had to shoot him.’

‘Dead?’ Luella almost screamed.

‘I don’t suppose Lilly took his pulse,’ said Penny.

Lilly smiled. ‘You’re right, I didn’t, but I’d say he was dead. The wound to his head was too serious to survive.’

‘Jack must have thought the situation was pretty grave,’ said Penny.

‘It was. The boy might have shot someone else,’ said Lilly.

Luella could barely contain herself. ‘Someone else! You mean he’d already killed someone?’

‘I don’t know. They took someone off in an ambulance.’

‘Who?’ asked Penny.

Lilly squeezed her eyes shut, picturing the boy, white and still on the stretcher. ‘A pupil. One of the boarders. Charlie Stanton.’

Silence fell on the three women as the enormity of what had happened at their children’s school sank in. At last, Luella stood up and dusted down her skirt. She had obviously processed the information.

‘I’m sure we’re all agreed that something must be done.’

‘The police are dealing with it,’ said Penny.

‘I mean about that hostel,’ said Luella.