The police officer sat across from me, and I could tell from his face it wasn’t good news. “We no longer have evidence from the pregnancy. It’s looking like the CPS will decide there’s not enough to charge. ”
I couldn’t believe it.
“You have got to be joking. Everybody knows what she did. The world is covered in CCTV. And yet you expect us to believe that you haven’t found any evidence of the two of them together?
”
The officer just shook his head. I felt like the ground had opened up beneath me. All this time, I’d been holding onto the hope that justice would be done, that Todd would see her pay for what she did. And now, nothing.
I left the station in a daze. I had a plan, though. A desperate one. I’d been talking to Carl, a bloke who owed me a favor, and he was supposed to help me get the evidence we needed.
But when I met him later, he was having second thoughts. “Theo’s a nutter, isn’t he? So, after I do it, I’m going away for a bit till he’s banged up. I’ll give you my bank details now.
You pay me and I can be long gone when it all kicks off. ”
“What, you want the money first? ” I asked. “No, not first.
I told you I’m going to do it now. What do you think I am? ”
“All right, well it doesn’t have to be the full amount. Let’s just say half, eh?
”
“No. Why would you even ask that? You’re obviously just going to do a runner. ”
“Hey, I want to see him go down just as much as you.
Debbie went to prison because of him. ”
“You don’t care about that. You don’t care about anything apart from the money. ”
“Look, I’m only asking you cuz I’m desperate.
And you’re only doing this because you’re desperate for the money. Let’s not pretend anything different, yeah? ”
He finally agreed. Then he told me his plan.
He wasn’t going to hurt Theo. He was going to wind him up, push his buttons, make him lose his temper in public. Theo was already on a court order to stay away from Todd, and the police were watching him. If he attacked Carl, he’d go down for breaking the order.
“It’ll work,” Carl said. I wasn’t so sure, but I didn’t have any other options. Meanwhile, Theo was still hanging around the street, even though he wasn’t supposed to be near Todd. He came into the pub, trying to get served, but the staff refused.
He started causing a scene, and I couldn’t help but get involved. “You’re barred,” I told him. “You talked to my staff like that, you’re barred. ”
“You missed an R,” he sneered.
“Did I? ” I said. “You’re barred, with two Rs. ”
He left, but not before making threats.
“I’ll come for you when it’s dark. You might not even see me coming. And when I hit you, I’ll make it count. And you won’t get up again.
”
I recorded him saying it. I thought that would be enough to get him arrested, but the police officer just shook his head. “It’s not against you, though, is it, you pillock? ”
I was furious.
“He just threatened me! Surely that breaks his protection order, right? ”
“Well, it doesn’t look good, does it? You hanging around here, Todd’s work.
”
I tried to explain that I was just passing by, but the officer wasn’t buying it. He gave me a warning: “Whatever you’re doing, stop it. This ain’t going to help Todd. ”
I knew he was right.
I was making things worse. But I couldn’t just let it go. At home, things were tense. My mum was going on about the situation, and I couldn’t take it anymore.
“It’s a disgrace, an absolute disgrace,” she said. “Yes, Ma, but harping on about it is—”
“Harping on, that’s what I’m doing, is it? ”
I didn’t have the energy to argue. I just wanted it all to end.
Then Carl came back to me. “It’s a no-go,” he said. “No-go? What do you mean no-go?
”
“I mean it didn’t work. So, unless you want me to actually batter it out of him, which to be clear, I wouldn’t do even if you wanted to. ”
“You mean you’re scared of him. ”
“Yeah, a little bit.
The guy’s a murderer, remember? ”
“What do you think I’m going to forget that? ”
“No, of course not. But maybe you should.
Why don’t you take that money and just go and enjoy your life somewhere? Cuz that guy’s dangerous and in a bad place right now. It’s only one way that ends. People getting hurt.
”
I felt the anger rising in my chest. “It’s not supposed to be you. ”
“What’s that supposed to mean? ”
“Never mind.
”
“You feel better now? ”
“Not yet. Maybe now.
“
