Blood Rush (Lilly Valentine) (15 page)

‘I don’t know about you, Lilly, but I’ve got better things to do, so let’s do this in court and go home.’

Lilly knew it was pointless to argue, turned on her heel and left.

Being Saturday, the court was almost deserted. Only suspects nicked on Friday night were brought over. There was just one woman slouched in a chair, two inches of dark root showing on either side of her parting, as if someone had chopped at her skull with an axe and her head were coming apart.

‘Are you here for Terry May?’ she asked Lilly, her voice as dry and cracked as her lips.

Lilly shook her head and the woman sighed.

‘He promised me he’d put all this behind him, that he was off the gear for good.’

The woman’s eyes were beyond sadness, they were empty.

‘His dad’s given up on him, says he’s washed his hands,’ she
continued
. ‘But a mother can’t do that, can she?’

‘No,’ Lilly whispered.

When the woman turned away, defeated, Lilly made her way to the stairs and headed down to the cells. She wasn’t surprised to find Annabelle waiting for her at the thick, metal door.

‘I’ve been up all night, trying to get as much information as possible for you.’ She pushed a sheaf of papers into Lilly’s hands. ‘There are the last three social services reviews which show Tanisha is doing really well. And all the doctor’s notes on her
pregnancy
, of course.’

‘Thanks,’ Lilly muttered and pressed the buzzer with her thumb.

She heard the tell-tale clank of the locks inside and the door opened.

‘Morning ladies.’ The security guard was cheerful. Saturday mornings meant double time.

‘Tanisha McKenzie,’ Lilly smiled back.

The guard led them through to cell three. ‘Not had a peep out of this one. She can come again.’

Annabelle opened her mouth to speak but Lilly placed a
warning
hand on her arm.

‘He shouldn’t talk like that,’ Annabelle hissed.

‘He’s probably spent most of the morning being sworn at by junkies doing their rattle, he’s allowed a little joke,’ Lilly replied. ‘And trust me, you need to keep these guys on side.’

He opened the cell and Lilly stepped in. Tanisha was curled up on the bench, a grey blanket pulled up to her chin.

‘You okay?’ Lilly asked.

Tanisha sat up. ‘I’m starving.’

‘Haven’t they fed you?’ Annabelle was appalled.

‘I ain’t eating their muck,’ Tanisha said.

Annabelle pushed past Lilly, sat close to Tanisha and put her arm around her shoulders. ‘As soon as we get you out of here, I’ll make you some fruit and toast.’

Tanisha glared at her and she laughed. ‘Okay, bacon and pancakes.’

Lilly’s stomach growled. She hadn’t had time for more than a cup of tea.

‘Will they let me out?’ Tanisha asked.

‘Of course they will,’ Annabelle said.

Lilly moved further into the cell. Tanisha was tired, her eyes rimmed with red. A Friday night spent in the cells wouldn’t have been relaxing.

‘The CPS are refusing bail,’ she said.

‘What?’ Annabelle almost screamed. ‘How can they do that?’

‘The prosecutor says it’s too serious,’ said Lilly. ‘She’ll lay it on thick for the magistrate.’

‘But Tanisha didn’t do it,’ said Annabelle.

‘Obviously I’ll tell the court that,’ said Lilly. ‘But it’s not going to be easy.’

‘Once you tell them about the baby, they’ll have to let her out,’ Annabelle said.

Lilly was about to admit that this was probably her trump card when Tanisha spoke.

‘No.’

‘What do you mean, no?’ Lilly asked.

‘I mean,’ Tanisha’s eyes flashed, ‘that you can’t mention the baby.’

‘Tanisha …’ Annabelle pleaded.

Tanisha pushed her away. ‘I don’t want the police or the court or Social Services knowing about this baby. Not any of dem.’

‘You haven’t thought this through,’ said Lilly.

‘Yes I have, I been thinking about it all night,’ she shouted. ‘And you’re my brief, right?’

‘Right.’

‘So you gotta do what I say.’

‘You give me your instructions, yes,’ Lilly said, ‘but I also have to give you my best advice.’

Tanisha nodded. ‘Well you’ve given me that advice and now you gotta take my instructions. And I’m tellin’ you not to breathe a word about this baby.’

Kerry patted her belly. It was definitely getting smaller. The
waistband
on her skirt was loose. She couldn’t wait for next Tuesday’s weigh-in at Flab Busters, sure she’d get a round of applause.

She pulled a Golden Delicious from her bag and took a bite. Soon she’d be the same size as Lilly Valentine. Ha. She took another vicious bite, juice and pulp running down her chin. She loathed that woman, all wild curls and low-cut tops.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Jack McNally, the officer in the case, opened the door and poked his head inside.

‘Ready to go on the McKenzie case?’ he asked.

Kerry narrowed her eyes at him. For as long as she’d known Jack, he had been a scruffy no-hoper, working on small fry in child protection. When he got Lilly Valentine pregnant, she was sure she’d seen the last of him, that he’d be transferred to traffic. Instead he got a promotion to the MCU and here he was
heading
up an attempted murder.

‘I’m surprised to see you here, Jack.’

‘It’s my case,’ he replied.

Kerry gave a sly smile. ‘It’s all a bit tricky, though, with Lilly representing the defence.’

Jack entered the room and slid the door shut behind him.

‘Miss Valentine and I are both professionals.’

Kerry shrugged. ‘Of course you are.’

‘I will do my level best to win this case and no doubt she will do hers to secure an acquittal.’

‘No doubt at all,’ said Kerry. ‘She’s already been in here demanding bail for her client.’

Jack’s tone was even. ‘And what did you say?’

‘I told her to take a hike, that this was a serious case. Don’t you agree?’

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. ‘Naturally.’

‘So do you have anything for me to make sure Lilly’s case is dead in the water?’

He paused for a second, then reached into his briefcase. The photograph he extracted was of the victim. Kerry allowed herself a smile. It was horrific.

‘And here’s the list of injuries.’ He handed her a printed sheet.

A litany of wounds and broken bones. Kerry nodded in
satisfaction
. There was no way the defendant was getting bail.

Lilly was hurrying up the stairs to the court room, when she saw Jack. Her stomach lurched. She’d known he’d be there but
actually
seeing him in the flesh still set her synapses into a frenzy.

‘Morning, Lilly.’ His jaw was tense and he smoothed down his tie.

‘Jack.’

Their formality seemed ridiculous, yet how else could they behave?

‘Who’s got Alice?’ he asked.

‘Penny.’

‘That’s kind of her.’

‘It is.’

They stood together for another moment, neither knowing what to say. At last the list caller announced the case and Lilly gratefully scuttled into court.

‘Court rise,’ the usher called.

Lilly jumped to her feet, pulse racing. She had been away from the criminal courts for six months and she felt nervous, out of touch. Jumping back in with such a serious case wasn’t ideal.

The door between the magistrates’ chambers and the court room opened and a white-haired man appeared. He had a
pronounced
stoop and it took time for him to make his way to his desk. Lilly had read on the court list that his name was Andrew Manchester. He was new and Lilly prayed he was nice.

‘What’s been holding things up?’ he snapped.

Lilly groaned inwardly.

‘This is the last case on a Saturday morning,’ he eyed Lilly like a hawk. ‘Everyone is waiting to go home.’

‘I’m sorry, sir,’ Lilly kept her tone even, ‘but I had matters to discuss with both my colleague for the prosecution and my client.’

Mr Manchester gave a humph, clearly unconvinced that Lilly hadn’t been spending the morning brushing her hair in the
toilets
. He waved a bony finger at the usher. ‘Call the defendant up.’

The usher mumbled into a phone on her desk and moments later another side door opened and Tanisha was led through by two security guards who pointed her towards the dock. Tanisha hesitated.

‘For goodness’ sake, what is the matter?’ Mr Manchester barked.

Lilly cleared her throat. ‘Actually, sir, my client is a child and has no experience of the adult courts.’

Mr Manchester rolled his eyes. ‘I suppose you want her next to you?’

Lilly swallowed her annoyance. She might be out of practice but this man was taking the piss.

‘It’s not a case of what I want, sir, the rules for young offenders are laid out very clearly.’

Mr Manchester glowered at Lilly, but she refused to look away. Their eyes remained locked for several seconds until the
magistrate
growled. At last he nodded at the guards who led Tanisha to the seat next to Lilly.

‘What are we here for today, Miss Thomson?’

Kerry pulled herself to her feet. Lilly could see a gap between her neck and the collar of her shirt. She tried not to imagine the rolls of skin that must drip off Kerry like melted wax, after so much fat loss. Next to her, Jack kept his eyes fixed firmly on the magistrate.

‘Tanisha McKenzie is charged with attempted murder, sir, and I ask that this case be transferred straight to the Crown Court,’ Kerry smiled sideways at Lilly, ‘where she will sadly have to become accustomed to the procedures of the adult courts.’

Mr Manchester gave a humourless snort and Kerry followed suit. Jack’s face remained motionless.

‘Before you make the order for transfer, sir, I would ask you to deal with the issue of bail,’ Lilly said.

‘Bail?’ Mr Manchester narrowed his eyes as if he’d never heard the word.

‘Indeed,’ said Lilly. ‘I understand that the issue comes up often in both the youth court and the adult courts alike.’

He leaned forward so Lilly could see the papery thin skin of his throat. ‘Be very careful here, Miss Valentine.’

Lilly tossed her head. Magistrate or not, the man was a bully and she would not give in to bullies. She clenched her fists so her hands wouldn’t shake and pressed them into the table until her knuckles turned white.

At last, Mr Manchester whipped his glare at Kerry. ‘What do the prosecution have to say?’

‘This case could not be more serious, sir, and if convicted the defendant would serve a custodial sentence whatever her age,’ said Kerry.

She extracted a photograph of Malaya from the inside cover of her file and slid a copy under Lilly’s nose. Lilly checked her urge to gasp. The poor child’s head was swollen unnaturally, like an overripe melon left out in the sun. Both eyes were closed and purple. Her lips were split grotesquely into four separate sections.

Lilly watched with trepidation as Kerry passed the photograph to the magistrate. She could well guess what his reaction would be and decided to meet the challenge head on.

‘This was indeed the most horrific of crimes,’ she said. ‘Utterly heartless and brutal.’

‘Then why are you still making an application for bail?’ Kerry sniffed.

‘Because, quite simply, my client isn’t guilty and I can see no good reason why she should spend any time in custody for
something
she hasn’t done.’

Mr Manchester shook his head. ‘This isn’t the place to assess the evidence. Your client will have a full trial in due course.’

‘But that could take many months, sir, and in the meantime Tanisha, a fifteen-year-old girl, shouldn’t be forced to spend it in prison.’

‘I’m sure a place will be found for her in a secure unit,’ said Kerry.

‘It’s not like booking a room in a hotel,’ said Lilly. ‘A free place has to be found. Who knows how long that might take, could be weeks, even months. Whichever way you cut it, if bail is not granted this morning Tanisha will go straight from here to jail, then she’ll be locked up and forced to slop out like everyone else.’

Mr Manchester sighed. ‘Miss Valentine, I am not the architect of our system.’

‘But this morning, sir, you are the arbiter. You can decide that where the prosecution have little more than circumstantial
evidence
, you will not be responsible for sending a child to custody.’

She scanned the magistrate’s face for any sign of compassion. She knew she was pushing it but all she could think of was Tanisha and the tiny baby growing inside her.

‘I don’t need to tell you, sir, that women’s prisons are soul destroying places. Suicides are common, violence an everyday occurrence.’ Lilly pressed on. ‘And it would be an unconscionable act to send a child there when the CPS know perfectly well that they have very little chance of winning this case.’

‘We know nothing of the sort,’ Kerry interrupted. ‘We can place the defendant at the scene of the crime with CCTV and we have a witness who says she saw her take part in the attack.’

Lilly slapped the desk with her open palm. ‘This so-called
witness
has a list of previous as long as my arm and you don’t even have a written statement from her.’

For the first time, Mr Manchester looked interested. Lilly decided to push harder.

‘The witness isn’t an innocent bystander.’ She looked at Jack. ‘She’s well known to the police as a local gang member.’

Mr Manchester looked at Kerry. ‘Is this true?’

Kerry leaned in to Jack and whispered a question, but Lilly steamed on.

‘Not only that, the witness has a history of personal dislike towards the defendant. There’s bad blood between them.’ Lilly’s voice rang clearly across the courtroom. ‘She’s made an allegation to the police knowing full well the trouble she can cause, but we all know she won’t turn up at court when the time comes and the prosecution case will collapse.’

‘We’ll get an order for her attendance,’ said Kerry.