Page 32 of The Girl in the Woods

She crawled under the duvet and sobbed.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Laurie couldn’t focus on what the teacher was saying, something about revision and their GCSEs.

‘What do ya fancy for dinner then?’ Kerry whispered. ‘Shall we sneak out for pizza?’

Laurie didn’t lift her head from her exercise book. ‘I’ve got to see someone,’ she said.

Kerry stopped writing. ‘You going for a job interview?’

‘No, I’ve got a doctor’s appointment,’ Laurie lied.

‘What’s up with yer?’

Laurie turned. ‘Mind your own,’ she said, tapping her nose.

Kerry gasped. ‘Oh my God, you’re not pregnant, are yer?’

‘No, I’m not, you silly cow.’

Kerry looked curiously at her. ‘You’re acting weird. Are you going to tell me or not?’

The teacher hovered over them. ‘Less chat, you two.’

The hands of the clock struck one, and the sound of slamming books echoed around the room, followed by the click-clack of shoes as everyone made for the door. Laurie didn’t stop to talk to anyone but left the building and walked the ten minutes it took to get to town. The STD clinic was down a side road, and Laurie walked briskly past it, stopping to check no one she knew was behind her before retracing her footsteps and entering.

It was easier than she’d imagined. No one judged her as she’d dreaded, and the examination and swabs were easy. Chances were, he hadn’t given her anything, but she didn’t want to take that chance. How many other vulnerable girls like her had he drugged and raped? Girls exactly like her, no doubt, with reputations that would go against them in court.

‘It looks a bit sore in there,’ said the nurse.

Laurie didn’t speak.

‘Do you want to talk about anything, Laurie?’ the nurse asked gently.

Laurie shook her head. Tears were threatening to flow; that was the last thing she wanted. Keep it together, she told herself.

‘I’ll prescribe something for the soreness. You can get down now.’

Laurie got off the couch and sat in a chair opposite the nurse. Sitting down hurt, and she grimaced.

‘I’m also giving you a prescription for the morning-after pill. It’s your choice whether to take it. If you want to come back anytime, Laurie, feel free to do so, even if it’s just for a chat. We should have the results in a few days.’

‘Thanks,’ said Laurie, taking the prescription, but she knew she would never return. It was humiliating and shameful, and for that, she hated him.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

PRESENT DAY

‘Can I have everyone’s attention,’ Beth said, facing her team.

The clattering of keyboards stopped, and everyone turned to face her.

‘You all know by now about our local vigilante, who seems to have taken it upon himself to hand out justice. He thinks we’re not doing our job properly.’ She turned to Ana. ‘You took a statement from the coach driver?’

Ana opened her notebook, and Matt smiled at her keenness. ‘On Saturday 12th July, Alan Mitchell, a local man who drives the Oxford Tube coach, said there was an altercation between some skinheads and a Pakistani lad. It got nasty, and one of the lads smashed the coach’s radio with a hammer when Alan tried to get help. At this point, a stranger appeared, wearing a balaclava, combat trousers, and a khaki top and held a machete to the throat of who the driver thought might be the head of the gang. Mr Mitchell said The Vigilante threatened to slit the gang leader’s throat if his mate didn’t drop the hammer. Unfortunately, they blacked out the coach’s CCTV cameras, so we have no ID.’

‘Any CCTV of them boarding the coach?’ asked Beth.

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