Breaking the Circle by S. M. Hall Read Free Book Online Page A

mumbled, diving for the bathroom. ‘Your food was great.’
    Returning to the bedroom, Maya found Leona and Evie were still asleep. Leona was in her own bed with one leg flung out at the side and Evie was buried inside a sleeping bag, on top of an air
mattress that seemed to have deflated in the night.
    From her sports bag, Maya fished out jeans, T-shirt, cardigan and trainers, dressed, packed away the previous night’s red silk top and sandals and went downstairs. Sadie was in the kitchen
clearing plates and loading the dishwasher.
    ‘Not too much mess,’ she said cheerfully.
    Maya looked around at the smeared dishes, the half-eaten food, the glasses toppled onto their sides and the stains all over the work surfaces and table.
    ‘Sorry, I’d give you a hand but I have to get back to Gran – she’s expecting me. Tell Leona I’ll call her and thanks for the party. It was cool.’
    ‘You’re welcome, girl, you’re welcome any time,’ Sadie replied, holding out her arms for a hug. ‘Remember, when your mum’s away, my door’s always
open.’
    Leaving behind the comfort of Sadie’s kitchen, Maya felt suddenly nervous, and glanced around cautiously as she set off down the road. She was being stupid, she told herself, there was no
way Gerard would be up and about at this early hour. It was nine o’clock, curtains were drawn and outside doors were firmly closed to morning sunshine. When she reached the little concrete
square where she’d found Kay two nights previously it was empty, apart from piles of litter and the two rusty shopping trolleys. Nobody was around, it was too early for most of the
‘Parkies’, as residents of the Parkland Estate were known.
    Sauntering past three boarded-up shops, she saw that the last one was open and decided to buy some gum to freshen her mouth. Inside the shop, a couple of boys were standing in front of the
counter, cramming their bags with papers. She thought she recognised the back of a head and, sure enough, when the smallest boy turned round, it was the cheeky crop-haired kid –
Gerard’s messenger. He didn’t say a word, just gave her a funny look as he passed. She followed him out of the shop and grabbed his bike.
    ‘Oy, what you doin’?’ he yelled. ‘I gotta deliver me papers. I’m late already.’
    ‘I want a word.’
    ‘It’ll cost ya.’
    Maya seized his hand, pressing his little finger back. ‘I don’t think so. I’m specially trained, see, know all the tricks. See this place?’ She touched the back of his
ear. ‘This is your weak spot, I press there and you’re dead in three seconds.’
    The boy shrank back, shuddering.
    Maya leaned forward and muttered sharply in his ear, ‘Tell me where Kay hangs out – the girl who was with Gerard, the one who took my stuff.’
    ‘I dunno, I dunno.’
    Her hand moved towards his ear.
    ‘All right, all right. I’ll tell you what I know, but don’t tell Gerard you got it from me.’
    ‘I won’t if you tell me the truth.’
    ‘She sometimes shacks with Gerard, in them boarded-up ‘ouses, top end of the estate. Dunno which one exactly.’
    ‘You do.’
    ‘Can’t remember, somewhere in the middle, “Beware of the dog” sign on the gate.’
    ‘Yeah, that figures,’ she said.
    * * *
    Moments later, Maya stood in front of a row of old brick semi-detached houses, the only ones left standing when rows of similar homes had been cleared to make space for the
flats. The houses looked derelict – windows boarded-up, heaps of rubble and corrugated iron fencing strewn around in front gardens. Heavy graffiti covered the walls and on one of the houses,
a letter O with a cross through it featured boldly. She moved towards this house. A gate hung so crazily on its hinges it wouldn’t have stopped any dog getting out or any pedestrian getting
in. But behind it, there was wire fencing and a sign attached to it shouted: Beware of the dog!
    She waited, wondering what to do. She had to see Kay, but what if