Read Online A Kind of Hush by Richard A. Johnson - Free Book Online

almost depressed manner. She stood by the gate to the gardens in the middle of the square clutching her handbag and staring at her feet. I decided to go for a walk.
    I walked out of the door of the hotel and across the road towards her, she had her back to me. One of the girls with her said, 'Hello darling.'
    I smiled and walked past. I turned to go into the gardens and glanced at her face, her eyes met mine and for an instant the world stopped. Her jaw dropped as she recognised me.
    'Stu?!' she said. 'Is that you?'
    'Yes,' I said, frowning.
    'It's me, Stu, Jenny.'
    'Jen,' I said. 'It can't be.' Jen is my sister, she was a skinny eleven-year-old when I left home, but this, this was a young woman. Suddenly, recognition hit me like a brick full in the face. We threw our arms around one another and hugged and hugged. I had a million questions to ask her, but I didn't know how to start. I was speechless, she was sobbing.
    One of the older girls walked over, Jen looked up at her and whispered, 'It's my brother, I've not seen him for years.'
    She smiled and said, 'Okay, love, but don't be too long. If you're not here when he comes back, you know what'll happen.'
    'Thanks, Sally,' said Jen and we started to walk towards the hotel.
    'No, not there,' she said. 'It's too close.'

    'Okay,' I said, 'come with me.' I took her down the side of the hotel to the car park.
    'Hang on a sec,' I said and I ran in the back door, through the kitchen to the chef's office and took the van keys from the hook by the door. I ran back out, grabbed Jenny by the hand and pushed her into the small Escort van that we use for the meat-market. I jumped into the driving seat, started the engine, slammed it into gear and sped off.
    I drove out to a pub that I know in Chiswick overlooking the river. Parked up, bought a couple of drinks and we sat looking at the boats.
    'What happened?' I asked.
    'It was Dad,' she said. 'He got worse and worse, used to bring his friends in to do us while he watched. He got fed up with us, bored he said. Started to call us names like slag and whore, he put Ali in hospital when he thought that she had enjoyed one of his friends too much.'
    Ali is my older sister Alison.
    'She's still in there. He broke her arms and ribs and ruptured her spleen. She's in a terrible state, I don't dare go and see her.'
    'Which hospital?' I asked.
    'The Whittington,' she said. 'But don't go, if he catches you, he'll kill you. He's mad, out of his head.'
    'Don't worry,' I said. 'I know what I'm doing. Now what about you?' I asked. 'Why are you out here?'
    'He sold me,' she said.
    'W - w - what?!' I stammered.
    'He sold me. He got fed up with me, I got too old for him and he sold me.'
    'How? Who to?'

    'Someone that he met through his dirty film club, a bloke named Gus. He gave Dad a thousand pounds for me and takes kids to him when he needs them. I've been with him for about three weeks now, he's an evil bastard, he hurts me, Stu, I can't walk sometimes.'
    'Okay, babe,' I said and slipped an arm around her as she started crying again.
    'I've got to sort this,' I said, 'I've got to sort this. First I've got to get you safe.'
    'You can't,' said Jen. 'I've got to go back, if I don't Gus will have me burned.'
    'No, he won't,' I said. 'Trust me, I left you once, I'm not going to let you down again.'
    We got back into the van and I drove out to Greenford.
    We arrived at Beryl's at about eleven o'clock. I rang the bell and waited with my arm protectively around Jen. I felt terrible.
    Thousands of things were going on in my head and I needed time to sort them out. Beryl opened the door, saw me and beamed, then she looked at Jen's tear-stained face and pulled us both inside.
    'What's happened, love?' she asked. Looking at Jen, she said, 'Who's this lovely thing and why so sad?'
    While Jen used the bathroom I briefly explained the situation to Beryl, and before I could ask she said, 'Of course she can stay here, I'd love the company. Now don't you worry, you go