The Take by Graham Hurley Read Free Book Online Page B

seconds to map the room where Shelley appeared to live. An unmade single bed in one corner. A baize card table supporting a battered-looking hi-fi stack. Posters of Ralph Fiennes and Brad Pitt. Bits and pieces of food, chiefly biscuits and crisps. Piles of paperbacks and magazines lapping at a dinner plate on the floor. The dinner plate obvously doubled as an ashtray, and Stapleton studied it with interest while Dawn explained the reason for their visit.
    At the mention of her father’s worries about Paul Addison, Shelley shook her head. Her father had no right to go on like that about Paul. Her life was her own. She didn’t want to talk about it.
    ‘Is he right, though? Is there some kind of relationship between you?’
    ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
    ‘I’m talking about you, Shelley. You and Paul Addison.’
    She shook her head again, turning away. Her father was off the planet. He’d always hated her going to college. Woolies or B&Q would have been more his mark. Somewhere he could keep an eye on her. As for Paul, it was all a fantasy.
    ‘That’s what he says.’ It was Stapleton’s turn to take up the running. ‘He says he dresses you up.’
    ‘That’s right, he does. We both do. It’s called role play. It’s part of the course. Is that illegal?’
    ‘Not at all. Unless …’ He shrugged. ‘Unless you’re not up for it.’
    ‘Not up for what?’
    ‘Shagging.’
    ‘Is that what he’s saying? My dad? We dress up and then shag?’
    ‘Something like that. Only you’re not keen. That’s what’s bothering him.’
    Shelley said nothing, and then crossed towards the window to let in some air. As the light caught her face, Dawn thought she saw the faint remains of a bruise beneath the girl’s left eye.
    ‘We’re really here to help,’ she said softly. ‘You’d be wise to trust us.’
    The faintest smile crossed Shelley’s face, but she didn’t reply. As far as she was concerned, their little chat was over. Stapleton bent to the carpet and retrieved the dinner plate, counting at least three roaches among the litter of stubbed-out butts. Then he looked Shelley in the eye and nodded at the plate. Shame to taint a nice relationship like this with anything as silly as a visit from the Drugs Squad.
    At length, Shelley shrugged.
    ‘OK,’ she muttered, ‘he might have … you know … tried it on.’
    ‘Might have?’ Stapleton was frowning. ‘You’d know, surely.’
    ‘Yeah, but … these things … it’s me as well, you know.’
    ‘What does that mean?’
    ‘I dunno. I dunno what you want.’
    There was a long silence. Dawn could hear the steady drip of water from the overflow outside.
    ‘Rape isn’t trying it on,’ she pointed out.
    ‘No, I know, but—’
    ‘Are you telling us he raped you?’ Stapleton this time, the smile gone. ‘Just yes or no, love.’
    ‘No, but … I dunno.’
    ‘Have you had intercourse with him?’
    Shelley was biting her lip. Stapleton asked the question again. She didn’t reply. Dawn had circled behind her.
    ‘So whose idea was it?’ she enquired softly. ‘His or yours?’
    ‘What idea?’
    ‘Shagging.’
    ‘I didn’t say that.’
    ‘You don’t have to. We’ve been there. No games, Shelley. Just tell us.’
    ‘But it’s not like that. It’s nothing like that. Honest.’
    Dawn turned away, leaving her to Stapleton.
    ‘Then why’s your dad so uptight?’ he enquired.
    ‘You tell me.’
    ‘That’s not an answer, love.’
    ‘But I’m telling you. I don’t know.’
    ‘Yes, you do.’ Stapleton was in her face now. ‘Addison tried to get his leg over and you were bloody upset and you told him what happened and he came to us and now you just want us to go away. Isn’t that it?’
    ‘The last bit’ – she stepped away from him – ‘definitely.’
    She was frightened, Dawn could tell. In terms of anything useful, anything evidential, they were light years away from a result, but they’d stumbled on something here,