Page 71 of The Cut
‘LILY!’ Nate was shouting to his sister around at the front entrance. ‘LILY, STOP, COME BACK!’
Ben’s head spun to the sound of their voices. Karine’s eyes left the viewfinder and found his, shining in the dark. She was already on the move with the camera.
‘Leave them THE FUCK ALONE,’ Ben snapped, slamming her into the wall with his shoulder.
Karine’s face scraped against the bricks, her knees buckling underneath her as the camera slipped from her shoulder. Ben lashed out but Karine ducked and his knuckles grazed the wall as she darted out past him. Ben’s hand shot out, grabbing for her, catching a fistful of hair in his hand, but Karine wrenched herself away, escaping down the side entrance. Ben sprinted out after her, but she had a considerable head start now. Nate and Lily were nowhere to be seen. Karine hit the middle of the landfill site and turned back, still filming, the camera slung low.
Panting and out of breath, she called to him. ‘You want to know what all of this is about?’ She staggered backwards, taunting him. ‘Come on, Ben … come and find out.’
Ben lurched after her as she turned and sprinted towards the mill, but she was too fast and Ben slipped and stumbled in the mud. He fell on to his hands and knees. Once he’d scrambled up, Karine was long gone; he would never catch her now. He made a decision. He turned back and strode towards his car.
Dani stepped out of the shadows and pulled out her phone to make a call; it went to voicemail. Hiding behind the recycling275bins, she saw Ben stagger back into the car park, covered in mud. She spoke in a whisper: ‘Lily, it’s me, let me know where you are … I’m worried.’ She watched Ben open his car door. ‘Just text me your location and I’ll come and find you.’
Ben started the engine and his wheels spun as he accelerated out of the car park, skidding on the wet tarmac. He slammed a left-hand turn out on to Forest Hill, determined to head Karine off at the bridge. An oncoming car, turning into the estate, swerved, just about missing him, lights blinding and a horn blaring. Ben stamped on the brakes, yanking on the wheel and mounting the kerb. He regained control of himself and the car before flooring the accelerator and speeding off towards the crossroads opposite the Maddock Farm. The shortest route would take him down Water Ford Lane … through the Water Splash. He knew exactly where Karine and his children were heading.
Dani’s head popped out from her hiding place; the coast was clear. She walked nervously to the front of the school and stared out across the playing fields. Where were Lily and Nate? Where had they run off to? In the distance, towards Cheney End and the mill, a faint light was glowing, illuminating the surrounding fields. Something was going down. Her eyes focused on a figure moving silently towards her out of the darkness. Trying not to panic, she slowly backed away, turned and walked confidently towards her car. Her heart in her mouth, she tried to stay calm as she clicked the locks. The headlamps flashed and the shadow of the man appeared, reflected in the rear window.
Dani opened the door and turned. ‘Get away from me!’
Her car key was positioned in her fist like a spike, ready to defend herself.
‘Nate? Oh God, you scared the life out of me!’ Dani dropped her fist. ‘You’re soaking wet … Where’s Lily?’ His Red Skull276make-up had run down his face and on to the collar of his white shirt, as if his throat had been slit. If he wasn’t a terrifying sight before, he certainly was now.
‘Karine said we were supposed to meet her.’ Nate turned his head towards the mill. ‘Down there.’
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49
JULY 1994
Dave drops the brown hood of his Obi-Wan Kenobi bathrobe, spits out his chewing gum and puts the viewfinder back to his eye. The cubicles are all lined up along the exterior wall and from where Patel is perched, down the side alley, peeping in through the glass fanlight, he has a good view of the girls’ changing room. In one of the toilets, Lynette Davis, dressed as Sarah Connor, is pinning a helpless Terminator up against the door with her tongue down his throat. Patel pans across as Princess Leia enters the bathroom. She dumps a sports bag down on the side and adjusts her earmuff plaits in the mirror before entering the cubicle to pee.
‘Come on,’ Patel mutters to himself. ‘Let me see you.’ He tilts the camera, trying to get a better angle on Annabel Maddock.
Sarah Connor freezes for a second and places her ear against the cubicle as Annie relieves herself. Lynette slowly opens the door and spots Annie’s bag on the sink. She shoos away her date and, making sure the coast is clear, creeps out from the cubicle, grabs an empty glass Coke bottle from the floor and moves over to the bag. She looks back at Annie’s locked door, then plunges the glass bottle into the bag, feeling around for something inside. Shooting another glance to the door, she breaks the bottle with her foot, stamping down on the leather with a muffled smash. She replaces the bag before darting out of the toilets. Obi-Wan’s camera whip-pans back to film Princess Leia, who is flushing.
‘David Patel! What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ A side door from the kitchen suddenly flies open.278
Patel jumps out of his skin and wobbles on the crate he is standing on. He clatters to the ground, only just saving his camera from hitting the concrete. He is face to face with Mr Branchflower, who steps in close enough that Patel can smell the alcohol on his breath.
‘I don’t know about perverts where you come from, but we don’t like Peeping Toms in this country.’
Dave pulls the rope of his dressing gown tighter and straightens up. ‘I’m from here … sir.’
‘Whatever you say … Patel. I’m going to report this either way.’
Dave steps in a little closer and sniffs. ‘You driving home … sir?’
‘Sorry?’ Branchflower’s spine stiffens.
‘Hey, Chris! Your dad on call tonight?’
Chris rounds the corner in a Freddy Krueger trilby, steak knives gaffer-taped to his goalie gloves, clattering along the brick. ‘He’s sat up at the gates waiting for takers, mate …’
‘I guess these are not the droids you’re looking for … sir.’ Patel waves a hand in Branchflower’s face as Chris Davis spits out a mouthful of Coke.
‘Get inside, both of you, I’m locking this door.’
