Read Online The Last Girl by Penelope evans - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Penelope evans
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joking of course, all
I wanted her to know was that her absence had been noted.
But there you
are with Mandy. Everything has to be complicated. I was only trying to be
pleasant, and before my eyes she goes bright red, and doesn't say a word.
That's not
the effect I'd been after, not when all I’d hoped for was to hear her chuckle
as she said, 'Of course not, Larry. What a thing to suggest. I just got in five
minutes ago.' Instead she was there, saying nothing that made any sense,
practically turning circles on the spot.
Suddenly I
wanted to end it, conversation and all, sign off with a few words that would
help her to explain everything. 'Don't mind me,' I said. 'I bet I know why you
were late. It's the buses. You're desperate to get home, and there they are,
all heading off in the opposite direction to Finsbury Park. It's enough to
drive you mad.'
All she had
to do was nod. Then we could both have gone to bed happy. But not Mandy.
'Actually, I
don't use the buses,' she says. 'Not unless I really have to. Most of the time
I walk.'
And that
stops me in my tracks. Makes me stare at her, wondering if I'd heard her right.
That college of hers is a good three miles away. I know because being
interested I looked it up in the telephone directory. It's right off down the
end of City Road. People used to walkthatsortofdistanceonce,andnotthinktwice about it, but not now, not in the
days of the bus pass and all.
She's still
talking, explaining. 'It doesn't take me that long, and it saves me pounds in
fares.'
I daresay it
does. But then, most people would be glad to spend all that just to save their
legs. I mean - six miles.
'That's all very
well, Mandy love,' I said, 'you walking like that, just to save yourself eighty
pee, but have you thought about this? The longer you take to get home, the
later it will be. I mean, half the time you don't leave that college of yours
until it's way after dark anyway.'
She shrugs.
As if to say, 'So what?' Starts fiddling with the handle on her door. As for
me, I just watch her for a moment, then say quietly, 'Oh Mandy love, you've got
to believe me. You're playing with fire. This is no place to be swanning around
after dark.'
There must
have been something in the way I spoke that caught her attention then. She left
off fiddling and looked at me properly for the first time. 'I don't
understand, Larry. What do you mean by that?'
I mean, 'Mandy
love,' I was still keeping my voice quiet, not wanting to panic her with what I
had to say next, 'I mean there are facts about this area that you just don't
know. See, things happen around here that, not to put too fine a point on it,
hardly bear thinking about.'
'What sort of
things, Larry?' At last she's beginning to sound serious.
'Well there
was this woman for starters,' I said.
'Yes?'
'Killed,' I
said. 'They found her less than three hundred yards from where we are now. Not
a breath of life left in her.'
Her eyes
shoot open at that. 'Larry, no. Really? When?'
'Let me
think, eleven, twelve years ago ...?' I was still trying to get it right,
answer the question properly, when what does she do but interrupt. And believe
it or not, she's laughing.
'Twelve years
ago. Oh God, Larry. You had me worried for a minute. Now if it had been last
week ...'
'No, no, wait,'
I said. 'That's only one. I haven't told you about the other yet. Someone else
was found almost in the same spot, exactly the same thing happened to her as to
the first one.'
'Oh yes, and
when was that, Larry? Nine, ten years ago?'
I don't mind
saying I almost lost my temper with her then. This wasn't what you'd expect
from a girl like her. Just for a minute I might have been talking to June. Then
suddenly she wipes the smile off her face and it's back to the old Mandy.
'I'm sorry,
Larry, I didn't mean to laugh. It's just you really did scare me for a moment.
Then when I heard it was all those years ago ...' Seeing the look on my face
she stops, and starts again. 'And the other
I wanted her to know was that her absence had been noted.
But there you
are with Mandy. Everything has to be complicated. I was only trying to be
pleasant, and before my eyes she goes bright red, and doesn't say a word.
That's not
the effect I'd been after, not when all I’d hoped for was to hear her chuckle
as she said, 'Of course not, Larry. What a thing to suggest. I just got in five
minutes ago.' Instead she was there, saying nothing that made any sense,
practically turning circles on the spot.
Suddenly I
wanted to end it, conversation and all, sign off with a few words that would
help her to explain everything. 'Don't mind me,' I said. 'I bet I know why you
were late. It's the buses. You're desperate to get home, and there they are,
all heading off in the opposite direction to Finsbury Park. It's enough to
drive you mad.'
All she had
to do was nod. Then we could both have gone to bed happy. But not Mandy.
'Actually, I
don't use the buses,' she says. 'Not unless I really have to. Most of the time
I walk.'
And that
stops me in my tracks. Makes me stare at her, wondering if I'd heard her right.
That college of hers is a good three miles away. I know because being
interested I looked it up in the telephone directory. It's right off down the
end of City Road. People used to walkthatsortofdistanceonce,andnotthinktwice about it, but not now, not in the
days of the bus pass and all.
She's still
talking, explaining. 'It doesn't take me that long, and it saves me pounds in
fares.'
I daresay it
does. But then, most people would be glad to spend all that just to save their
legs. I mean - six miles.
'That's all very
well, Mandy love,' I said, 'you walking like that, just to save yourself eighty
pee, but have you thought about this? The longer you take to get home, the
later it will be. I mean, half the time you don't leave that college of yours
until it's way after dark anyway.'
She shrugs.
As if to say, 'So what?' Starts fiddling with the handle on her door. As for
me, I just watch her for a moment, then say quietly, 'Oh Mandy love, you've got
to believe me. You're playing with fire. This is no place to be swanning around
after dark.'
There must
have been something in the way I spoke that caught her attention then. She left
off fiddling and looked at me properly for the first time. 'I don't
understand, Larry. What do you mean by that?'
I mean, 'Mandy
love,' I was still keeping my voice quiet, not wanting to panic her with what I
had to say next, 'I mean there are facts about this area that you just don't
know. See, things happen around here that, not to put too fine a point on it,
hardly bear thinking about.'
'What sort of
things, Larry?' At last she's beginning to sound serious.
'Well there
was this woman for starters,' I said.
'Yes?'
'Killed,' I
said. 'They found her less than three hundred yards from where we are now. Not
a breath of life left in her.'
Her eyes
shoot open at that. 'Larry, no. Really? When?'
'Let me
think, eleven, twelve years ago ...?' I was still trying to get it right,
answer the question properly, when what does she do but interrupt. And believe
it or not, she's laughing.
'Twelve years
ago. Oh God, Larry. You had me worried for a minute. Now if it had been last
week ...'
'No, no, wait,'
I said. 'That's only one. I haven't told you about the other yet. Someone else
was found almost in the same spot, exactly the same thing happened to her as to
the first one.'
'Oh yes, and
when was that, Larry? Nine, ten years ago?'
I don't mind
saying I almost lost my temper with her then. This wasn't what you'd expect
from a girl like her. Just for a minute I might have been talking to June. Then
suddenly she wipes the smile off her face and it's back to the old Mandy.
'I'm sorry,
Larry, I didn't mean to laugh. It's just you really did scare me for a moment.
Then when I heard it was all those years ago ...' Seeing the look on my face
she stops, and starts again. 'And the other
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