the bastards that destroyed them.
‘Where does he live?’ Stephanie asked. ‘Stuart Reilly – Yo-Yo – where does he live?’ She looked at Georgia.
Georgia managed not to smile. They certainly had Yo-Yo Reilly’s DNA on record. If he was responsible for Haley’s murder the case would be tied up as soon as the lab results came back. Twenty-four hours might be optimistic, but by the end of the weekend Yo-Yo Reilly would be in custody and they would be toasting another solved murder. In the meantime they had Chantelle’s statement, which meant they could arrest and lock him up now. The most vicious criminal in South London was coming off the streets, and away from this crime-infested estate. And also, thanks to Stephanie, they also had Chantelle’s DNA on the tissue.
‘Where does he live?’ Georgia repeated Stephanie’s question. ‘Chantelle, does Yo-Yo live on this estate?’
Chantelle didn’t answer.
‘We can easily find out,’ Georgia told her.
‘He lives on the ground floor of this block.’ The voice was Luanne’s. She had been listening outside the door, as Georgia had expected.
‘If we tell you, are we finally going to be free of that scumbag?’ she asked Georgia.
‘What number?’ Stephanie asked getting up from the sofa and lifting her mobile ready to call for back-up.
‘He’ll get us for this,’ Chantelle said in a terrified tone to Luanne.
‘A hundred and thirteen,’ Luanne told them clearly. ‘He’ll be put on remand, won’t he?’ she asked. ‘I mean, the bastard won’t get bail, will he?’
Georgia shook her head. ‘Not a chance. He’s already got a string of offences for carrying weapons.’
‘We’ll need protection,’ Luanne said.
Now they both looked like the frightened, vulnerable teenagers they were.
‘There will be police up and down the walkways all night. You’re quite safe here,’ Georgia assured her. ‘Just make sure you don’t go out.’ She handed Chantelle a card. ‘If you need me, call that number. We’ll be back in touch tomorrow anyway. We’ll need an official statement.’ She turned to Luanne. ‘Do not let her out of your sight.’
‘Hold up,’ Luanne half-pleaded. ‘We’ll need long-term protection. Not just the weekend. He’s a killer, and he’ll get us somehow when he finds out we grassed on him. And he will find out.’
‘He’ll be locked up,’ Georgia reminded her. ‘For a very long time.’
‘That won’t stop him. He’ll get one of the Brotherhood on to it. We can’t stay here; you need to find us somewhere else to live.’ She looked at Alysha and Chantelle. ‘All of us.’
‘The police will be around the estate for quite a while yet,’ said Georgia. ‘Lock yourself in, and you’ll be safe. Keep your sister in too. On no account is she to go out alone. If anything frightens you call one of the police outside, then ring me.’ She handed Luanne another of her personal cards.
‘Everything frightens us! Blimey, where do I start?’ Luanne’s voice cracked and her tough front went with it. ‘I can’t believe I have just given him up,’ she gasped. ‘They’ll get us. They will seriously hurt us.’
‘I thought you said black-skinned girls were tough,’ Georgia said with an encouraging smile. ‘There are police all over the place; you’ll be quite safe. And you have my mobile number.’
They let themselves out, leaving the two girls huddled together on the sofa.
‘What have we done?’ Georgia heard Chantelle say.
FIVE
J ason lay in bed listening to the never-ending wail of sirens. He had promised his gran he would be gone by the time she got back from the market. She had told him she would sort the blood on his sweatshirt, and he wasn’t to think of anything but his new life. And she had told him over and over that she believed in him. Nothing, she told him, was to get in the way of this chance he had to start again. If he blew it, he would never get another one.
She didn’t want to know any
‘Where does he live?’ Stephanie asked. ‘Stuart Reilly – Yo-Yo – where does he live?’ She looked at Georgia.
Georgia managed not to smile. They certainly had Yo-Yo Reilly’s DNA on record. If he was responsible for Haley’s murder the case would be tied up as soon as the lab results came back. Twenty-four hours might be optimistic, but by the end of the weekend Yo-Yo Reilly would be in custody and they would be toasting another solved murder. In the meantime they had Chantelle’s statement, which meant they could arrest and lock him up now. The most vicious criminal in South London was coming off the streets, and away from this crime-infested estate. And also, thanks to Stephanie, they also had Chantelle’s DNA on the tissue.
‘Where does he live?’ Georgia repeated Stephanie’s question. ‘Chantelle, does Yo-Yo live on this estate?’
Chantelle didn’t answer.
‘We can easily find out,’ Georgia told her.
‘He lives on the ground floor of this block.’ The voice was Luanne’s. She had been listening outside the door, as Georgia had expected.
‘If we tell you, are we finally going to be free of that scumbag?’ she asked Georgia.
‘What number?’ Stephanie asked getting up from the sofa and lifting her mobile ready to call for back-up.
‘He’ll get us for this,’ Chantelle said in a terrified tone to Luanne.
‘A hundred and thirteen,’ Luanne told them clearly. ‘He’ll be put on remand, won’t he?’ she asked. ‘I mean, the bastard won’t get bail, will he?’
Georgia shook her head. ‘Not a chance. He’s already got a string of offences for carrying weapons.’
‘We’ll need protection,’ Luanne said.
Now they both looked like the frightened, vulnerable teenagers they were.
‘There will be police up and down the walkways all night. You’re quite safe here,’ Georgia assured her. ‘Just make sure you don’t go out.’ She handed Chantelle a card. ‘If you need me, call that number. We’ll be back in touch tomorrow anyway. We’ll need an official statement.’ She turned to Luanne. ‘Do not let her out of your sight.’
‘Hold up,’ Luanne half-pleaded. ‘We’ll need long-term protection. Not just the weekend. He’s a killer, and he’ll get us somehow when he finds out we grassed on him. And he will find out.’
‘He’ll be locked up,’ Georgia reminded her. ‘For a very long time.’
‘That won’t stop him. He’ll get one of the Brotherhood on to it. We can’t stay here; you need to find us somewhere else to live.’ She looked at Alysha and Chantelle. ‘All of us.’
‘The police will be around the estate for quite a while yet,’ said Georgia. ‘Lock yourself in, and you’ll be safe. Keep your sister in too. On no account is she to go out alone. If anything frightens you call one of the police outside, then ring me.’ She handed Luanne another of her personal cards.
‘Everything frightens us! Blimey, where do I start?’ Luanne’s voice cracked and her tough front went with it. ‘I can’t believe I have just given him up,’ she gasped. ‘They’ll get us. They will seriously hurt us.’
‘I thought you said black-skinned girls were tough,’ Georgia said with an encouraging smile. ‘There are police all over the place; you’ll be quite safe. And you have my mobile number.’
They let themselves out, leaving the two girls huddled together on the sofa.
‘What have we done?’ Georgia heard Chantelle say.
FIVE
J ason lay in bed listening to the never-ending wail of sirens. He had promised his gran he would be gone by the time she got back from the market. She had told him she would sort the blood on his sweatshirt, and he wasn’t to think of anything but his new life. And she had told him over and over that she believed in him. Nothing, she told him, was to get in the way of this chance he had to start again. If he blew it, he would never get another one.
She didn’t want to know any
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