CHAPTER 15
CARA
I walked through the staff only door and into the back of the club, the door closing and drowning out the pounding music.
“I went to your place, Cara, looking for you, but the guy who answered the door said you moved out,” Kyla said as she strode down the stark corridor ahead of us.
“I’m so sorry I just disappeared. I would have contacted you, but so much happened and my phone was lost along the way.
I didn’t even have your number,” I explained as I hurried to catch up with her.
She grabbed a thick parka from a hook on the wall and pulled it on, wrapping it around herself tightly. It was far too big for her.
“Where have you been?” Kyla threw open the fire door out to the back parking lot and I froze as the bitterly frigid wind whipped inside at me.
“I…erm…my brother. We l-lost touch years ago, but he…he tracked me down and I went to stay with him,” I stuttered as I tried to keep a hold if myself.
“In the UK?” She asked.
“Yeah,” I nodded.
“You coming out? Frank will pitch a fit if he finds this door left open,” Kyla reminded me, and I knew she was right. Frank could be a real arsehole about anything that would cost him money.
“We don’t have to do this. We can just leave,” Cal whispered to me as he moved behind me and wrapped both of his arms around me.
“Yes, we do,” I countered shakily. I took one more breath then stormed forward and right through the door, knowing that was the only way I could force myself to do so.
Cal almost lost hold of me, but he managed to keep a hold on my shoulders as he followed, closing the door to, behind him, once we were both outside.
“So what are you doing back in this shit hole? I told you before - you get a chance to get away, you damn well take it, girlie,” Kyla told me as she pointed the two fingers clutching her lit cigarette my way.
“Honestly, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I puffed out.
I was fighting to only focus on Kyla, but it wasn’t working.
We were stood in the pathetic excuse for a smoking shelter I had been asleep in that day, when those men found me.
Snow was covering the ground, as it had been that day, and I knew if I looked up I would see it all before me – the place I had tried and failed to get through the fence and escape.
The place where those men had pinned me down while their accomplice assaulted me.
The back of the parking lot, where Dario had beaten that fucker, who raped me, to death with his bare hands.
Being back there was too much, but I had to hold on.
“Try me,” Kyla shrugged.
“I’m in trouble,” I announced honestly. “Someone killed my Mum and they’re coming after me now too.”
“What? Jesus Cara. Your Mom? I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks. I came back here because I think whoever is coming after me is linked to something my Mum got mixed up in and I need help.”
“You know I’ll do whatever I can, but I only met your Mom once and she was barely even sane,” Kyla reminded me, and I nodded.
I remembered the day. Kyla had called at my place to drop off my wages when I’d been ill with a vomiting bug.
While I’d spoken to her at the door, my Mum had appeared and started ranting that Kyla was a spy, there to check up on us, and, eventually, I had been forced to shut the door on Kyla so I could calm my Mum back down. Had all of that been an act?
“It turns out my Mum might not have been as cuckoo as she led me to believe,” I admitted, unable to hide my embarrassment at what a fool I knew I had been.
“What do you mean? No offence, but your Mom seemed fully on the crazy spectrum that day I saw her.”
“I know, and I believed that too, but I’ve since found out she was talking to people, conning them out of money.
I’m worried that she got mixed up with the wrong people, and got herself killed for it.
Now they seem to want to get to me too. I have to figure out who they are before it’s too late,” I told her in a rush.
I just wanted to get this conversation done and get the fuck away from there.
“Drugs, right? You told me that was her vise?” Kyla asked.
“Yeah. If my Mother had money to spend, she would have been buying from a dealer. I need to know who,” I clarified.
“You know I try to stay away from the bullshit that goes down around there,” Kyla sighed.
“I know, and I wouldn’t have come to you, but I don’t know who else I can speak to. I was going to try Luke, but he’s not here.”
“Stay away from Luke. He’s gotten himself mixed up with that new street gang and he’s already in way over his head,” Kyla warned.
“Can you tell me anything? Anyone else I could speak to?” I almost pleaded.
“There’s one person, but I’m guessing since you didn’t go right to him already, there’s a reason you avoided that route,” she said with a lift of her eyebrows.
I took a deep breath, forcing the rising bile in my throat back down. I had already revisited the sight of my worst nightmare. I didn’t want to have to face my biggest shame and regret too.
“I need to avoid that shitbag if possible,” I told her, glancing to Cal inadvertently as I said it, praying he wouldn’t ask more questions.
“I honestly don’t know then, hon,” she shrugged.
“What about Armenians? Have you heard any whispers about them working around your neighbourhood, or hanging around here? Any mention of them at all?” I tried.
“Armenians? No. Nothing like that.”
“Okay,” I nodded. “I knew it was a long shot. Thanks anyway.”
“If you give me your new number, I can keep my ear to the ground and contact you if I hear anything.”
“Thanks.” I handed over my phone so Kyla could type in her phone number, then I sent her a text so she would have mine when she got back to her own cell phone after her shift.
“And thank you for caring enough to look for me, Kyla. That means so much,” I added, trying and failing to hold back my emotions.
“Of course I cared, Cara. You’re a good person. Far too good to be working in a place like this. You get this shit figured out, then get as far from here as you can, you hear me? That’s what I plan to do,” she told me, gripping my hand in hers tightly.
“I will, but I have to get answers first. I can’t move on when my mother’s past is chasing me down,” I told her as I swiped at my glassy eyes.
Kyla studied me hard, and I could read the indecision that crossed her face.
“What?” I asked. “What is it?”
“I didn’t want to tell you this, but maybe…if it will help get you away from here faster,” she pondered, looking worried and unsure.
“Just tell me, Ky. I’m not here alone. I plan to be careful,” I assured her.
“There was a guy here about a week ago. Lia said he used to work here, way before my time. He was asking around…even spoke with Frank. But he looked like bad news, Cara. I really don’t think you should be going anywhere near him.”
“Why would I? Who was he?” I pushed.
“He was looking for you, hon. Asking everyone, even customers if anyone had seen you. Lia told me his name is Hilton. He used to be the bouncer here or something?”
“Hilt was here, looking for me?” I questioned, confused. “He was in jail last I knew.”
“Like I say, I don’t know him, but he was definitely here about a week ago,” Kyla shrugged.
“Did he leave a number or a way to contact him?”
“Cara…” Cal tried to cut in.
“It’s okay. I know Hilt, He won’t hurt me,” I assured him.
“You should speak to Frank. If that guy left details anywhere, it would be with him, though watch your back. Frank was pissed when you just stopped turning up,” she warned. “Anyway, I have to go, but I’ll call if I hear anything else.”
Kyla and I exchanged a quick hug then she rushed back inside, likely just in time for her next dance on the stage.
“What now? Who’s Hilton? I seem to remember you mentioning his name before?” Cal asked.
“He was a bouncer when I first started working here. He helped me, taught me to fight so I could defend myself. He’s the one who showed me how to shoot a gun,” I explained.
I made the mistake of glancing up and caught sight of the snow covered parking lot. It looked different, cars parked there now, and tyre tracks had disturbed the snow, but still my eyes honed in on the exact spot where I knew I had been held down and assaulted.
Images of that day flashed through my mind, like some sick slide show playing out, one after the other.
I closed my eyes and rubbed at my aching head.
My heart had been pounding so hard, that the beat of it had been rattling through my skull, ever since we pulled up to that place.
I needed to get Hilt’s details and leave before I allowed the cracks that were appearing, to break open any wider.
“Let’s go,” I told Cal, but I was already moving, pulling away from his hold on me and stalking back inside the club.
“Cara, just wait up. We should talk to the others first. We should…”
I didn’t hear what Cal said next, because I was already throwing the door to Frank’s office wide open.
Inside, nothing had changed. The heavy smell of old cigarette smoke billowed out around me, as I stepped into the dingy, yellow lit office.
Frank was behind his desk, the top of which was covered with mounds of papers, empty tumblers, and a heaping ashtray, overflowing with ash and stubbed out cigarettes.
“Fucking hell!” Cal cursed as he stepped in behind me and looked to the desk.
From behind the mounds of papers, Lia, one of the dancers popped up and looked right at me as she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.
“What the hell?” Cal gasped as he tried to pull me behind him.
When I didn’t move he stepped forward and partially in front of me.
“Who the fuck are you?” Frank growled at Cal, as he got to his feet while floundering to fasten his fly and belt.
“Not important.” I cut in, walking around Cal and right over to the front of Frank’s desk. “I want Hilton’s number. I know he left it with you,” I demanded.