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  ‘The Andrews girls left because of the father. He wasn’t exactly easy to deal with. It was his decision to remove the girls from the school. I offered to help them, but he wasn’t having any of it.’

  Annie Carr looked into Miss Betterway’s eyes as she said innocently, ‘Did you discuss the other girls’ behaviour with their parents? Only I have a feeling that you didn’t. I think you didn’t ever tell the other girls’ parents about the little sex ring that was going on here. I also have a feeling that it’s not on any of said girls’ school records. Would I be right about that?’

  Helene Betterway had the grace to look away. She couldn’t look Annie in the eye, she was so ashamed of her actions. ‘It was not how you think. Mr Andrews had already found out what had happened with his daughters. Our hands were tied. He came here like the Antichrist, he wanted to know everything. I don’t know exactly how he found out, but it certainly didn’t come from us.’

  Annie believed her. She had a feeling that this woman was actually trying to do what she thought was right for the girls under her wing.

  ‘Do you think that Kylie or one of the others involved was capable of letting him know what his daughters were up to?’

  Miss Betterway sighed heavily, and Annie could see that the woman was defeated. ‘Honestly? I don’t know for sure. But believe me when I say I wouldn’t put anything past any of them. Not any more.’

  Annie could hear the sadness in the woman’s voice, and she could see the abject fear at what she had been involved with and what it had caused in the long run. Annie Carr didn’t think for a second that Helene Betterway had done anything for any other reason than to help her pupils. But it seemed that her good deeds were coming back to bite her on her proverbial arse.

  ‘You do realise that I need you to come down to the station and make a statement? I am heart-sorry for you, because I believe that you did what you thought was right. But this is serious – you and Mr Yalding deliberately kept information from us that could be relevant to our investigation. We don’t know how far this so-called sex network had spread, or exactly how many people were involved. We will want all the boys’ names too. I can assure you that they won’t be walking away this time.’

  Miss Betterway nodded, as if she had expected this. ‘Actually, I did make up a file for my own purposes. I wanted to know exactly who was involved – the boys as well as the girls. It galled me that they were ignored because they weren’t seen as doing anything wrong. The girls were wearing these bracelets that told the lads what they were willing to do. The boys walked away because they weren’t deemed to be at fault.’

  Miss Betterway stood up. Taking a bunch of keys from her handbag, she went to one of the filing cabinets and she proceeded to open up the top drawer. She looked at Annie Carr as she said sadly, ‘I kept the bracelets. I put them in here for safety. I don’t know why. Mr Yalding told me to destroy them, but I had a feeling that one day they might be needed.’

  Annie stood up and looked into the drawer at the tangle of nylon bracelets. They looked so innocent, so innocuous.

  ‘The blue was for oral sex. It broke my heart, as most of the girls wore that colour. I thought they were friendship bracelets at first. Jennifer Andrews told me that when the other girls exposed her and her sister over the sexting incident. And do you know the strange thing, Detective Carr?’

  Annie didn’t say anything, she knew she didn’t need to. Miss Betterway was now open to telling everything she knew to anyone who asked. It was as if she had been waiting for the chance, which she probably had.

  ‘The strange thing is I still think there is something rotten in this school. Jennifer and Claire were victims of their own father. A man who was only too ready to believe that his daughters were whores, as he so succinctly put it. But I always felt that we should have told the other parents about their children’s behaviour. The boys’ parents as well as the girls’. It’s why I kept all these bracelets, and also the notes I made when the girls spoke to me. I kept everything. Now I think it’s time I gave it to you. I wanted to protect the girls because I knew they were the ones who would eventually suffer for their actions.

  ‘It’s supposed to be a different world now, but it isn’t. In many ways it is a worse world where girls are concerned. They see themselves as sexual from such a young age. Mothers dress their little girls up in the latest fashions from babies. I loathe the expression “mini-me”! The girls are bombarded with images of females who are dressed provocatively. They watch TV, where they see only pretend people with pretend lives. The saddest day of my life as a teacher was when a twelve-year-old girl told me that she wanted to be a lap dancer like her big sister. So you take all this, and you tell these girls’ parents what their beautiful daughters are capable of, because I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to ruin everything for everyone concerned. But I ask you, how do you tell Kylie’s and Destiny’s families about all this now?’

  Annie didn’t answer. She couldn’t deny there were going to be some difficult conversations ahead.

  Miss Betterway shook her head sadly. ‘See, it’s a different ball game, isn’t it, when you have to bring all this into the open? Now you know why I tried to shield these girls as best I could. My job is probably finished now, but I don’t care what happens to me. I’m relieved it’s all finally out in the open, because now you can deal with it. All I wanted to do was protect my girls from the consequences of their actions. But I failed. They aren’t bad girls, Detective Carr, they are a product of their environment. They are just children who have no idea about the real world.’

  Annie saw the exercise books underneath the bracelets and wondered what the hell she would have to read about these young women. She went to her handbag and took out her mobile phone to ring the station. Everything here needed to be taken in as evidence. She also needed to talk to Mr Yalding and bring him in to be interviewed.

  Miss Betterway sat back at her desk, and Annie Carr saw that while the woman looked completely defeated she also appeared relieved to have finally unloaded her worries on to someone else. She was a decent person who had done what she thought was best. Annie Carr respected her for that much at least.

  Chapter Sixty-three

  Annie Carr might not be the flavour of the month at the station, but her discovery of the school’s secrets was at least a feather in her cap in the process of the investigation. The bugbear was that the victims were now seen as not as innocent as they had been assumed to be, which put a completely different spin on things. Their main worry was the media getting wind of it; this would be absolute gold to the gutter press and it would also colour the investigation in more ways than one. But Annie Carr might have potentially discovered new evidence that could help crack the case. At least she hoped so, because she really didn’t want to taint these girls’ reputations unless she had to. As she read through Miss Betterway’s notes she found herself wondering if these girls’ parents had any idea at all of what their children were getting up to when they left their homes.

  Destiny Wallace was apparently capable of giving three blow jobs in one lunchtime! And from what she had read, the girl was actually proud about that! She also wore the pink bracelet that meant she was open to having oral sex performed on her. It was the same with Kylie Barlow. These were girls whose parents thought they were good girls, who they believed were intelligent enough to look after themselves.

  She now understood Miss Betterway’s reluctance to bring this out into the open. Although she had been wrong to listen to Mr Yalding, Annie could see why she had allowed herself to be talked round. No one would want to deal with this if they didn’t have to. She believed that fundamentally Miss Betterway had tried to protect these girls who were too young to really understand what they were doing and how it might affect them in the future. Miss Betterway had far more experience with young girls than Annie – everybody had more experience with young girls than she did! But one thing Annie was sure of: somehow this new information had a bearing on what had hap
pened to Kylie and Destiny and she intended to put the hard word on Mr Yalding about concealing vital information when she brought him in.

  As Annie waited for Andrea Connor and her parents to arrive at the police station, she wondered for the hundredth time how she was going to approach this without World War Three starting. But it had to be done, and she was the one who would have to do it.

  She wasn’t relishing telling Kylie Barlow’s or Destiny Wallace’s parents what she had found out either. And there were still plenty more girls and boys to be interviewed. It was a fucking minefield all right, and she had uncovered it.

  Chapter Sixty-four

  ‘The Christmas brothers! You are joking.’

  Kate’s laughter was loud and genuine, and Patrick laughed with her.

  ‘I know! Fucking liberty takers or what, eh?’

  Kate wiped her eyes as Patrick poured them more wine.

  ‘That has really cheered me up, Pat. Eddie Thomas! I remember him when he was a young aspiring Face. He was about as frightening as a power cut. He used to wear these fucking combat trousers, and he never changed them. They would have followed him up the road if he had taken them off. We used to call him the Weekend Warrior. Oh, listen to us! I used to hate sitting there listening to the older police talking about old cases. Used to really piss me off, and now I’m one of them!’

  They laughed together again, but not as heartily as before.

  Patrick sighed and, taking a gulp of his wine, he said quietly, ‘When I was on my way up I used to love hearing all the stories from the old Moustache Petes. I think that’s the difference with our lives, Kate. I couldn’t hear enough of their stories, you know? The old London fuckers, who had their creds, were who I wanted to be, I suppose. You know, listening to them talking about the old days, about Faces long gone, about scams and robberies – I was in my fucking element! But I remember one old lag saying to me on the snide, “Remember, son, the only real villains are the ones who never get caught, and did no time.” I took that on board and all!’

  Kate laughed again. ‘I gathered that – you always covered your arse!’

  Patrick grabbed her hand and said saucily, ‘Covered yours a few times and all, girl.’

  Kate looked at the man she had spent the best years of her life with, and she said honestly, ‘And I thank God for that every day of my life.’

  They were quiet for a few moments, just enjoying each other’s company.

  Then Patrick said seriously, ‘You are OK with all this, aren’t you, Kate?’

  She smiled and nodded her assent. ‘I must admit that Bella is not exactly my kind of person, but then I don’t think she is anyone’s kind of person. But Joseph and the kids are wonderful. Especially Amanda – she’s a little sweetie-pie. I think Joey Junior needs time to take everything on board, but he seems a sensible lad. All we can do is wait and see, mate. From what you have said about this Christine, I think there is going to be aggravation ahead. But you know, it’s his life and he has to live it how he sees fit, I suppose. It isn’t really any of our business, is it?’

  Patrick Kelly shrugged and, opening his eyes wide, he said honestly, ‘I can’t say much, can I? Considering the relationship I had with his mother. I was a married man at the time. You know the strange thing, Kate? I had actually forgotten about it. I was so ashamed because of Renée and her being ill.’

  Kate smiled sadly. If she was truthful, now she’d had time to process her feelings, she realised it gave her a hint of satisfaction that he’d been unfaithful to the Sainted Renée, even though she knew that what she felt was unfair. But it had always been so hard competing with a woman who had died and who Patrick had still been in love with. She wasn’t proud of her reaction, but she was honest with herself – even if she would never voice her thoughts to the man before her.

  ‘We are all guilty of it, Pat. None of us want to admit things we did – especially when it wasn’t our finest hour, so to speak!’

  Patrick smiled in agreement. ‘That’s why I love you, Kate. You know the score, girl. But I do worry that if Joseph goes on the trot, what that Bella is capable of. I think she’s a few paving slabs short of a patio! She has a strange way about her, as you know.’

  Kate didn’t say anything, but she had asked Annie to have a look at Bella and her family history, and she was waiting to hear what Annie had to say before she committed herself. But, like Patrick, she had a feeling that there was something off where Bella was concerned. She had been in the game a long time, and her instincts were rarely wrong. Knowing about this Christine, she couldn’t help but wonder if that was what was wrong with the woman. It was obvious she adored her husband and, if she thought he was playing away, it could explain the woman’s behaviour. After being married to Dan, Kate could find it in her heart to sympathise with Bella’s predicament in a way. There was nothing worse than knowing that you were suddenly an also-ran. That the man you loved was sleeping with someone else. She knew better than anybody how much that hurt. She should do, it had happened to her on more than one occasion.

  ‘I think, Patrick, the best thing we can do is leave them to sort it themselves. We haven’t known them that long.’

  Patrick nodded, but Kate knew that his natural instinct would be to try to look out for his new-found son. Still, it was a bit too late for that, as far as she was concerned.

  ‘We don’t want to do or say something that could muddy the water in the future. We have to take a big step back, Pat.’

  He knew she was right, but he hated seeing his son in such a quandary.

  Kate could read his mind, and she sighed as she said, ‘A couple of weeks ago you didn’t even know he existed. Remember that, Patrick Kelly. This is all new to everyone.’

  ‘I just want to be there for him, Kate. I know it’s fucking mad but I was never there for him when he was growing up, was I?’

  ‘Well, how could you be, Pat? Stop this now. Just be glad you have this opportunity and enjoy it! But take my advice: keep out of his private life, because that’s when things can get a bit messy. Be there, listen. Otherwise, unless he asks you to interfere, you keep as far away from it as possible.’

  Kate watched Patrick struggle to keep his feelings under wraps. She knew him better than he would ever know himself. But she felt he had to take a step back, because this was all too raw and too new for him to be able to see what would be for the best in the long run.

  Patrick filled their glasses and said lightly, ‘I know you are right, darling. Anyway, let’s relax and enjoy the night, eh?’

  Kate smiled sadly. ‘I love you, Kelly!’

  Patrick grinned happily and, raising his glass, he said seriously, ‘I love you too, Kate. But do me a favour, will you? Let me know what Annie comes up with about Bella’s background. Only she’s a bit of a mystery, ain’t she?’

  Kate laughed despite herself. He had sussed her out all right, and the thought made her feel good.

  ‘I know you so well, Kate Burrows. Never forget that!’

  Kate raised her glass to him as she said wryly, ‘As if, you fucker!’

  Chapter Sixty-five

  Andrea Connor looked terrified and Annie couldn’t blame her. The girl was dressed in ripped jeans, a crop top, and her hair looked like it had been professionally styled. Even her nails were perfect. Annie could see that they were false nails – they were decorated with fake diamonds. Her mother had the exact same pattern, so she assumed they had had them done together. The ‘mini-me’ syndrome that she was hearing about so much was in evidence here.

  Juliet Connor looked worried as they settled down in the interview room, and Annie was sorry for her. The surroundings would press home the seriousness of what she wanted to find out. The woman seemed to realise that this time was completely different; until now every contact they’d had had been in friendly surroundings, where they had all felt comfortable. She saw Juliet Connor looking around the room, at the scratched table, the scuffed walls and the video equipment, with a frown.
/>   Andrea Connor was sitting opposite her with her beautifully made-up eyes, and Annie could see the fear in them. She wondered if Miss Betterway had warned her. She wouldn’t put it past her. Miss Betterway did genuinely care about her charges.

  Annie smiled at them in a friendly manner. ‘Now, Andrea, something has come to our attention, and I need you to tell me the truth, OK?’

  Annie opened a file and took out the bracelets that she had removed from Miss Betterway’s office. Andrea nodded, but her face had lost all of its colour – even her thick foundation couldn’t mask that fact. She looked ill. Her eyes were glued to the bracelets that Annie had put on to the desk in a neat pile. Annie Carr felt a huge sorrow for this little girl because, at the end of the day, that is exactly what she was – a little girl. All of the make-up, nails and clothes in the world couldn’t change that fact.

  ‘Andrea, I am not going to tape any of this unless I think what you tell me warrants being documented. You know that this is serious, and if I could avoid doing this I would. I know it is not going to be easy for you, sweetheart, especially with your mum listening. But you need to be truthful with me, OK? Do you understand what I am saying?’

  Andrea Connor was still staring at her. The fear was almost palpable now. But she had been offered an alternative appropriate adult and she had refused, insisting on her mother accompanying her. Annie could tell she was regretting that decision big time.