19. Romy
NINETEEN
Romy
T here was a police cordon when I got to school. My phone had been pinging with messages from the parents’ group, Liv phoning me and Roe also calling, telling me exactly what to do.
Everything felt like it was spinning. My head throbbed, I felt hot then cold seconds later and I wasn’t sure how I was still breathing.
Amelie met me at the police cordon, Heidi wrapped around her. As soon as Heidi saw me, she squealed and legged it right into my arms. Half of me felt better. The other half was stuck inside the school
“What do you know?” I kept hold of Heidi as I walked even though she weighed the same as a week’s worth of shopping.
Amelie looked grim. “You might be more up to date than me.” She looked around us. Throngs of parents were standing with their children, some parents were hurriedly moving away, which was what the police were encouraging them to do. Police were everywhere and a helicopter hovered above. I wasn’t sure if it was a police one or one from RAF Valley.
“I know Cara’s in there with Mia and Cassian and she has an object.” It was a knife, but Heidi didn’t need to hear that.
“Pretty much. They’re trying to get a negotiator to persuade Cara to leave.” Amelie cast a glance at Heidi. “How about Heidi goes to the Puffin Inn with Roman and Caleb?”Heidi clutched me tighter.
“You’re not going to leave here, I know.” Amelie smiled reassuringly.
I nodded, seeing Caleb and Roman coming towards us. “I think that’s a really good idea.” I hated having to leave her, but I couldn’t keep her safe from whatever the aftermath here was going to be, and Amelie was right. I couldn’t leave. “Heidi, will you go with Caleb and I’ll come straight there when Mia’s come out of school?”
She nodded, too quiet for her, especially with Caleb in the mix. My daughter thought he was better than sliced bread with jam and butter.
“Thank you, baby.” I passed her to Roman who did some trick where she ended up on his shoulders. “Thank you. Phone me if she starts to get worried.”
Roman gave a discreet nod. “Freya’s there too, and Ruby, so she’ll have company. Plus we have the dogs.” He looked at Amelie. “Are you staying with Romy?”
“I am. Looks like something’s happening.” She was watching a car with blacked out windows turn up, a tactical aid unit behind it. “Take Heidi now.”
More of the parents and people who’d just arrived to watch were being ushered away and the police were extending the cordon. I saw Liv, coming off her phone as usual, her eyes finding mine.
She was over with us twenty seconds later, moving us further towards an oak tree with a thick trunk.
“Stand over here. When was your last update?” She sounded stressed, which I guessed anyone would be in this situation.
“From Roe about five minutes ago.”
“So you know what’s happened?”
“Kind of. Cara’s been hiding in the thicket at the end of the field, wanting Mia to come to her, and when she didn’t she’s managed to get herself onto the school grounds. How did that happen?” I knew the police were covering the school, but the field at the back made it difficult.
Liv nodded. “Pretty much. She’s got into the building by breaking through the cleaning store, which isn’t alarmed during the day and the lock on that external door is dodgy to say the least. She’s put a cleaner’s tabard on and blended into school to find Mia – one of the teachers is absolutely beside himself because he saw her and didn’t challenge her. Poppy was covering, but she’d gone out to look for Cara after Mia had said something and got bashed around the head. She’s okay apart from a concussion. We’ve got eyes around the back of school and we can see in Cassian’s office, which is where Cara is with Cas and Mia.”
“What’s she doing in there?”
“She looks very calm, but she’s pointing a knife at them. The problem is the door to Cassian’s office leads straight out onto fields. We know she wants to take Mia, but if Cassian lets her we will struggle to intercept. And she’s armed. She has a knife.” Liv shuddered. “I’m not a fan of knives unless I’m using one on my steak.”
“They must be terrified.” I was starting to shake. Amelie put an arm round me. “What’s the plan? You must have a plan.”
“We do. We’ve got the strategic response team - ”
“The ones with guns?”
She nodded. “Those ones. Lovely big egos they have, but that’s what comes with being a master marksman. At the moment, Cara is blocking the external door so no one can leave, so there’s no clear shot, and she’s got hold of Mia. We’ve got a hostage negotiator on the way and we’ve got an open phone line because Cassian managed to answer his phone. He’s doing okay. Very calm and he’s got Cara talking to him.”
“What’s she been saying?”
“She knows she’s going to be arrested, how much she loves Mia, how she just wants to take Mia somewhere safe. That sort of stuff. He’s being really good at trying to help her rationalise, but she doesn’t stay rational for long. My guess is that she’s high on drugs and life. In other news, we’ve arrested Blake Harris for possession with intent to supply. He was pulled over about an hour ago just near the lighthouse and made it easy for us with the volume of cocaine he had in his boot.” She smiled at that. “Fucking idiot.”
I nodded, not really taking much in past the bit about Cassian and wondering how the hell I helped Mia after what she’d been through when this was over and they were both back safe and well. How did you help a little girl who’d been held at knife point feel safe again?
Liv left us, heading back to her inspector who was saying something urgently to the team. Then Amelie and I watched as a line of armed police went into the school, the helicopter grew closer, or so it felt and then all of a sudden, everything started to move. Noise, air, feet pulsing over dry ground.
I wondered whether Cassian would try to be a hero and take the knife away somehow, maybe getting hurt in the process.
Like Joel had.
Just like Joel had.
I closed my eyes, tears wrecking my vision anyway and prayed to skies and every god I could think of that they’d both walk out of there.
I couldn’t lose someone else. I couldn’t have another void in my life that I’d never fill.
“Romy. Romy!” Amelie elbowed my ribs. “Here’s Mia.”
I opened my eyes, seeing the little girl being carried by a mountain of a man in a stab vest. She was crying and struggling to get out of his hold.
He put her down when another officer pointed at me, the police cordon lifted, and Mia ran out, moving quicker than I’d ever seen, and another tumble of a child fell into my arms.
I gathered her up, kissing her, reassuring her, desperate to know where Cassian was.
“He’s here.” Amelie’s words crash landed me back on earth. “I think he’s even smiling.”
I saw him too, striding out of the school building looking like he was just coming off a football field after a win, his shoulders broad and proud and he was alive and looked unharmed.
He headed straight to us, the police officer and paramedic either side of him. They came with him, pausing when he took the last few feet to get to us. Straight away he threw his arms around me and Mia, pulling us into a tight hug. She let go of me and clung to Cassian, sobbing quietly.
“Hey, hey.” He cuddled her. “It’s okay and your mum’s safe as well. The paramedics are looking after her.” He crouched down, still holding her. “You were so brave, Mia. So, so brave.”
Her chin tipped up and she looked at me, completely overwhelmed, and then I was kneeling down next to her, cuddling her while she started to let it all out.
The paramedic joined us down there, checking Mia over. “Hey, Mia, I’m Beth and I’m here to make sure you’re okay.” She looked at Cassian. “You as well. You’re Mia’s head teacher, aren’t you.”
He grinned, but now I could see that his eyes were full of worry. “Mia was the star pupil this week. She got the award in assembly before lunch.”
Mia nodded while she cried. Her sobs were slowing and I figured she was going to be absolutely shattered. I had a feeling both she and Heidi would be sleeping in my bed tonight, if they wanted to or not.
“That’s amazing, Mia,” I said. “Maybe you can tell me about it later.”
“I painted you a picture,” her bottom lip quivered as she spoke. “I wanted to bring it home. Can I get it?”
I looked at Cas, then the police officer.
The police officer shrugged. “I don’t see why we can’t get it.”
Cassian nodded. “The teacher near the gates will know where it is.” He pointed at Mia’s teacher, who was standing with a group of her colleagues, looking over at us.
“I’ll go and speak to her. Can I ask you stay here so we can organise taking a statement – it doesn’t have to be tonight.”
“I’d rather do it tonight.”
The officer nodded. “I understand.”
There was more busyness, people around us, someone getting rid of a journalist, someone talking to Mavis. I was lost in the midst of organised chaos, paramedics, police, Mia’s social worker who gave her a cuddle as soon as she saw Mia. Mia liked her, which was such a good thing, and I only hoped that Sue Samuels didn’t get moved to a different department anytime soon.
There were medical checks in the ambulance for Cassian and Mia, who was a mixture of curious about what was in an ambulance and wanting to get out of it as fast as possible and go home.
An hour later and a police car drove the three of us round to the cottages, Liv standing at the gate to the path waiting for us. There had been a bit of an argument as to whether she needed to be checked at hospital, but the decision had been made that as she was physically unharmed, a local after-child-medical could happen tomorrow instead.
She was quiet in the police car, nestled into me, Cassian on her other side, looking incredibly shattered. My evening was rightly going to be spent with her and Heidi, Roman on his way with Heidi from the Puffin Inn, where she’d been anxious and worried, but very good, spending most of the time stroking the dogs, which made a change from when she wanted to try and ride them or dress them up.
I still didn’t know what’d happened in Cassian’s office, or how the three of them had gotten out physically unharmed. I knew Cas well enough to see that he was shaken and exhausted, the adrenalin crash happening before my eyes.
“Stay the night with us,” I said as we walked down the path into my home. “Sleep in Heidi’s bed; the girls will be with me.”
He nodded and half collapsed into the sofa as soon as we were there. Liv made herself comfy in the chair. I sat next to Cassian, with Mia lying across me, and a few minutes later, Heidi almost timidly walked in. She saw me, started to trot towards me and climbed up onto my knee, I pulled her in for a hug, feeling muscles that’d been tense for weeks finally relax.
“How was the Puff Puff?” I smiled as I said it, although she’d started giving it its proper name the last few weeks.
“Good. I brushed the dogs.” She gave me a broad smile that showed a missing tooth. A gap that hadn’t been there a couple of hours ago.
“Did your tooth fall out?”
Roman stepped further into the room, pulling a small zip lock bag out of his pocket. “I’m told this is for the tooth fairy.”
Heidi scrambled off my knee and took the bag. “Thank you.” She smiled at him and then jumped back on me, almost kicking Cassian. “Caleb says the tooth fairy will take my tooth when I’m asleep and pay me for it.”
I glanced at Roman who was smirking in exactly the same way his son did.
“Did he say how much?”
Heidi nodded. “Five pounds.”
I looked at Roman again, glaring. “Tell Caleb he can foot that one.”
“Foot?” Heidi frowned, tugging at my sleeve. “Does the tooth fairy take feet too?”
“Only Caleb’s. A toe at a time.” I made sure my expression was as serious as my tone.
“I’ll leave you to discuss the toe fairy.” Roman gave me a salute. “Call if you need anything. I’ll let the rest of the town know you’re all okay – expect a chain of people delivering dinners for you for the next month.”
I laughed for what felt like the first time in too long. “I like the idea of no cooking. Thanks, Roman.”
“Anytime. She’s been a delight. She wobbled the tooth out, by the way. Caleb did not tie it to an open door handle and shut it, whatever she tells you.” His eyes twinkled. “Take care.”
He was replaced immediately by Liv’s boss, Detective Inspector Jones, who I’d met a couple of times in the last week or so. He didn’t sit, just rested his back against the radiator and looked relieved.
“I’m told you’re all in one piece?” He studied Mia. “Sleep’s probably the best thing right now.”
Cassian nodded. “One piece and exhausted. How’s Cara?”
“On her way to hospital. She’s under arrest, but I suspect she’ll be in hospital for a few days before we can start to interview her. She’s not a well woman.” He stayed looking at Cass. “Apparently we should be offering you a job as negotiator?”
“I still don’t know what happened in there.” There were gaps in the timeline, long silences that I knew I needed to fill before I could process it all.
“Your man here managed to talk her into letting them walk out. I think it was a bit hairy for a second, though.” The detective folded his arms.
“A couple of times. Mia was amazing, by the way.” Cass put an arm around my shoulders, Heidi lounging on both of us, listening far too much. “She was so calm and she kept trying to distract Cara, telling her about her award and really happy things – I did wonder whether Cara got cross a lot.” He stroked Heidi’s hair, which seemed to be making her sleepy. “Do we still need as much security – is this all over now?”
Detective Jones looked at Liv. “Olivia can give you more details once the girls are in bed, but the short answer is that we don’t think there’s a threat to Mia anymore. I’d go as far to say she’s pretty well protected.” He looked back at her. “Her father was very pleased to hear about her award in assembly this week. He’s asked if he can have a copy of her school report.” The expression on his face was unreadable. “Again Liv can tell you more.”
The house emptied of everyone apart from me, the girls, an exhausted Liv and Cassian. Cass hung a hammock in the garden because it was only seven o’clock, and the evening was gorgeously still with copper skies.
Mia woke, happy to go out in the garden and play on the hammock, making daisy chains with Heidi, who was obsessed with the gap in her teeth, sticking her tongue through it. For a few minutes, it felt like nothing had happened, and then I was clouded with relief and felt lightheaded with it all.
“We know Blake’s arrest was a set up by Stan’s boys. Stan got pissed off with what was happening with Mia – no one messes with his kids and that now includes her.” Liv kept her voice low, although the girls were at the other side of the garden, immersed in a made up fairy world involving daisies and buttercups and clovers.
“What about Cara? And why were they after Mia?” I needed some things clarified.
“Mia was leverage over Stan. Blake’s lot wanted Anglesey as their patch – turf wars. I think what they did was scare tactics, and we reckon they thought Mia was Stan’s granddaughter rather than daughter, and Stan’s son, Kai, isn’t in Stan’s good books at the moment. Wait until I’m on a day off and I can tell you the whole story, if you ply me with enough gin.
Cas nodded, lounging back on the patio chair. “Cara talked a lot about Stan – there were a few rambling speeches. She wanted to grab Mia and run away with her although when Mia asked where, Cara didn’t seem to know. She was trying to hide from Blake.”
“Blake was pissed off with her because she’d passed the drugs she was looking after for him onto one of Stan’s boys,” Liv said. “She was effectively a double agent, but I don’t think she intended to be. I think she was just desperate for money and someone to look after her.” Liv almost looked sorry for her. “She’s going to be sent down for a long time – possession and supply of Class A drugs, attempted kidnap, aiding and abetting, and all the knife stuff. Poor Mia.”
I looked over at where she was playing with Heidi, full of daisies and wonder at a pretty blue butterfly that would no doubt be named queen of the garden. She looked like nothing had happened, but I knew that wasn’t how things worked. Mia was a clever girl, she was good at reading people, probably because she’d learned to keep herself safe when she was in the place she should’ve been the safest – in her home with Cara. There would be nightmares, fear, anxiety – all results of the trauma she’d experienced.
But she’d be okay.
We’d make sure of it.
“Cara was happy Mia had stayed with you,” Cas said. “She asked Mia what’d happened when she’d left – she sounded like she thought Mia was about sixteen – and Mia told how you’d found her. It was weird, not going to lie, Cara was saying things like ‘oh are you having a nice time’ and ‘remember to say it was Logan’.” He looked over at Liv. “She was definitely not well.”
“She was off her tits on coke and speed.” Liv shrugged. “Whereas I’m off my tits on tiredness and exhaustion. You did well in there though. We were worried you were going to try to disarm her.”
Cas shook his head. “I had some training by some guy in London who’d been in the police and he was giving a talk on behaviour management and what to do if one of the students had a knife – we all know there’s more and more knife crime. He went through the whole distraction, staying calm, where to place yourself, all of that. I’d hoped I’d only need to know it out of interest, but it came in useful today.” He paused, tipping his head back towards the sun. “She shouldn’t have been able to get in the school.”
“She shouldn’t,” Liv said. “And you have a staff member who is absolutely mortified they didn’t raise an alarm when they recognised her.”
“And we don’t have any fencing at the back. I know the governors want to think that small towns are impenetrable to everything that goes on elsewhere, but they’re not.” He shook his head, looking exasperated.
“You know it won’t have made any difference. Cara wanted to get into the school to take her daughter. If there’d been a twelve foot fence there that was electric, she’d have still found a way in. Don’t beat yourself up. You were a hero in there.”
That was when I burst into tears.
He was a hero. And he’d come home.