Page 2 of Wistful Whispers

“Get down, drop the gun, and get down,” I hear someone shout. “Get. Down!”

“Sean, do what they say,” I scream in the hope my brother hears me even if I don’t know if they’re even talking to him or Grant, who I can’t see either.

“Drop the weapon,” a harsh female voice shouts. And then there’s more shouting. I feel so hopeless, pinned to the floor with no way of seeing what’s happening. No way of helping Sean.

“Drop the—” The person doesn’t finish the sentence. A gunshot echoes through the night. And then a second one. Then there’s silence. Just for a second—but I don’t know what’s happened and that makes the second feel like an eternity. Then the chaos resumes.

"Control, this is Alpha team. All suspects have been secured we have one male suspect down with a gunshot wound. Requesting immediate ambulance to our location, over. Suspect is conscious, bleeding heavily, wound to the lower abdomen. Officers are administering first aid. Over."

When I hear the words, my heart starts beating faster. Please don’t let it be Sean, please don’t let it be Sean.

“Who is it? Who did they shoot?” I try to get the policeman who is securing me to talk but he just ignores me. Out of nowhere some heavy boots stop in front of me.

“Get him up,” a voice orders. Two men put me back on my feet and I’m faced with the inspector who questioned me earlier at mum’s place.

“I’m sorry, Jake. It doesn’t look good.” He appears genuinely remorseful, but in this moment, all I want to do is punch him in the face. I’m led to the back of the house where two police officers are trying to stop the bleeding from Sean’s stomach.

My legs feel weak and I collapse to the floor next to him. I cradle his head carefully.

“Sean, just hang in there. Please hang in. For Mum. Please,” I whisper. He briefly gives me a weak smile but I can see in his eyes that the life is slowly draining out of him.

“Sean, please.” Tears are streaming down my face. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t come here they wouldn’t have followed me.

“I love you, baby brother,” I whisper just as I feel him slipping away.

Chapter 1

Present Day

Hannah

Okay, this fucking skirtis starting to annoy me. No wonder my brother gave me a funny look earlier. It’s supershort and keeps riding up, threatening to show off my knickers to the whole nightclub.

The techno beat vibrates through my bones. The good looking guy, who has been flirting with me ever since Marisa, her sister-in-law Nour and I sat foot in this club, approaches from behind and pulls me into his arms. He sways with me, rubbing his crotch against my bum which makes my fucking mini skirt slide even higher.

I grab the hem angrily and pull the material down. The guy slides his hands around my waist and when they land low on my belly I’ve had enough.What the fuck am I doing here?

“I need the bathroom,” I shout over the noise and point to the back of the room before slipping from his grasp. I push through the crowd with no regard for anyone. I just need to get out of here. Rather than going to the bathroom, I head straight for the exit. It’s only when the cold air hits me in the face that I can breathe again.

People in random Halloween costumes look at me curiously and giggle when they see me hunched over and panting.

The screen of my phone lights up when I pull it from my handbag. It’s only nine o’clock. Marisa and Nour have been looking forward to this Halloween party in Manchester for weeks. I can’t make them leave now.

I’m about to text them that I’m going back to the hotel room when a message from Jake comes through.

Jake

Having fun?

Jake is my best friend in the world and he hates it when I go to Manchester or London to have fun at a nightclub and hook up with a guy. I don’t do it regularly but every so often I need to escape our small village and just have fun. You can’t randomly shag a guy in Fellside because you’ll see him again. There’s no hiding. And somehow I’ve never found a man for a relationship. I’m starting to wonder if I’m not a relationship kind of person.

But I have Jake. I can rely on him. He’s always there for me and I am for him. I took him under my wing when he moved to Fellside eight years ago. The village was alive with gossip, like it always is when someone new moves to Fellside, but the gossip about him wasn’t nice. Something about a dark past in London. Jake never commented on it. He’s a quiet one, a thoughtful person. He can be broody but never when he’s with me.

I hate people judging people so to spite the village folk, I made an effort to become friends with him. Once he let me in we were like two peas in a pod. I’ve never asked him about the rumours of his dark past because as far as I’m concerned that’s the past and none of my business.

Me

Nah. I’m not feeling it today.

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