A Place of Safety

Snow White watched the toddlers turn their mouths and chins orange as they sucked the additives from their snacks.

‘Sadly not.’

‘It’s the same on match day,’ said the woman. ‘The skinheads hijack the whole thing with their shouting.’

Snow White turned to defend the reasonable turnout of brothers that had come to make their feelings heard, but the woman had already pushed on to the bus stop.

At least these comrades had the courage to stand up for what they believed in, however unsophisticated they might be in making their point. She had had some misgivings about involving them but, seeing them now, standing shoulder-to-shoulder against the enemy, the press documenting their every move, she knew she had done well. She wished she could join them but knew it wasn’t possible. She used to resent having to keep her views secret, but now she realised it gave her an advantage. She could infiltrate, gather information and destroy the enemy from within.

The chanting reached a crescendo and a can was hurled at the foreigners.

The magistrate was the intelligent and intuitive Mrs Lucinda Holmes. Many wondered why she had spent so many years in the Youth Court; certainly she could have sought out promotion. Lilly had always assumed that, like her, she just loved kids.

‘Before we begin,’ Mrs Holmes fixed the advocates with a steely look, ‘let’s remind ourselves that Tirana is a minor and this is not an episode of LA Law.’

‘Yes, Madam,’ said Lilly.

‘Now,’ said Mrs Holmes. ‘Do we need an interpreter?’

‘No,’ Anna shouted.

Mrs Holmes smiled at her, civilly but not warmly. ‘We find things work better if you address the court through your solicitor.’

‘Sorry,’ Anna muttered.

‘She neither needs nor wants one,’ said Lilly.

Mrs Holmes made a note with a silver fountain pen. ‘Then let’s proceed.’

‘This is a case of conspiracy to murder,’ said Kerry. ‘The prosecution say that the defendant went with Artan Shala to Manor Park Preparatory School, each with a firearm. The intention of both parties was to kill pupils at that school. They were unfortunately successful in their plan, fatally shooting Charles Stanton before Ms Duraku was disarmed and Shala shot dead by a police officer at the scene.’

‘I gave the policeman the gun before Artan shot the boy,’ said Anna.

Mrs Holmes frowned at Lilly. ‘Miss Valentine, you must keep your client in check. This is not a free-for-all.’

‘I’m sorry, Madam, but what my client says is true. She voluntarily handed her weapon to Officer McNally some time before Artan was killed. There is no question that he acted alone.’

Mrs Holmes nodded. ‘That is for another tribunal to consider. Today I simply intend to transfer this case to the Crown Court. Nothing more.’

‘What about an application for bail, Madam?’ said Lilly.

Mrs Holmes replaced the top on her pen before laying it gently but deliberately on the pad before her. ‘Do you intend to make one, Miss Valentine?’

Lilly thrust up her chin. ‘Indeed I do.’

The magistrate opened her arms.

‘I realise, Madam, that this is a serious matter and wouldn’t normally attract bail, but this case is unusual in any number of ways,’ said Lilly.

‘Go on,’ said Mrs Holmes.

‘You may deny bail, Madam, if you believe my client is likely to re-offend.’

‘Indeed I may,’ said Mrs Holmes.

‘Which is why I know you’ll have worked out that re-offending in this case is impossible,’ said Lilly ‘Anna is charged with a conspiracy with someone who is now dead. They could hardly plot anything else together, Madam.’

Mrs Holmes bit her lip. ‘And what about the possibility that Anna might abscond?’

Lilly gave her best theatrical shrug. ‘Where would she go? She has no living family and few friends. The Hounds Place hostel is her only lifeline.’

Mrs Holmes breathed evenly, clearly thinking things through.

‘Who would supervise her at the hostel?’

‘There are social workers on duty, Madam, and Milo Hassan visits every day’

Mrs Holmes shook her head. ‘There’s insufficient continuity for my liking. One person needs to be in charge.’

Lilly looked over at Anna. Every molecule of her being looked terrified, and Lilly was consumed with guilt. If she had stepped in to prevent Artan taking the law into his own hands, Anna wouldn’t be here now.

‘She can stay with me,’ said Lilly.

Everyone stared.

Lilly gulped. She’d surprised herself as much as anyone else.

‘Stay with you?’ Mrs Holmes repeated.

‘Yes,’ said Lilly. ‘I will undertake to the court to supervise her in my home.’

‘That’s a huge commitment, Miss Valentine.’

Lilly gulped. It was huge. Bloody huge. Lilly pushed the implications to the back of her mind and nodded.

As they left court in Lilly’s car, Milo rubbed Anna’s shoulders. ‘It’s over.’

Lilly didn’t speak but an old quote came into her head.

‘This isn’t the end. It’s not even the beginning of the end.’

‘Tell me this is a joke,’ said Jack.

‘Am I laughing?’ said Lilly. She stared out at the field beyond her kitchen window. The earth was brown and hard. The harvest had been and gone and nothing would grow until spring.

‘You can’t have her living here,’ he said.

‘The court says I can.’