Frankie shook her head. ‘Nah, it’s too hard to tell but she must be desperate going with that creepy bastard.’
Before anyone could comment further, and to Frankie’s surprise, in a swift motion Herbert moved from the driver’s seat and sat on top of the woman. They all had a clear view of the action because the car was side-on and even though he’d parked it away from the beam of the security light. With every flash of lightning that lit the sky, the occupants of the car appeared in silhouette against a silver-white backdrop, like a photo negative, crisp and clear.
Bea spoke in a horrified whisper. ‘Oh my God, he’s going to shag her! He is, isn’t he?’
Then Scarlet: ‘I can’t believe I’m seeing this, surely he’s too old.’ She nudged Frankie by her side. ‘You always said he was a perv and you were right. Ooh, no, I can’t look it’s too gross.’
Frankie glanced sideways and giggled as Scarlet covered her eyes with her hands. She wanted to do the same but then something about the movement of Herbert’s body made her stare harder. Squinting through the rain and flashes of bright light she saw the car rocking, his hands were moving fast, like he was pulling at the woman’s clothing and then she was hitting him. The light dawned: they were struggling not making love.
It was Bea who gasped, then said more or less what Frankie was thinking, causing Scarlet to spread her fingers wide and peep out.
‘Something’s wrong, Frankie. Scarlet, stop being pathetic and look. I think he’s hitting her… oh God, I think his hands are on her throat. They are, aren’t they?’
None of them answered. Frankie’s body went stiff, frozen solid with terror and her lips wouldn’t work. Scarlet was leaning forward slightly, hands clasped over her mouth that was making gasping noises while Bea began to say, ‘Oh no, oh no,’ over and over.
Then the rocking stopped. Nothing happened for what seemed like an hour but was probably only minutes, then Herbert slid off the woman and sat back in the driver’s seat.
‘We need to go, now! We have to tell someone… Ring the police, Frankie, ring the police,’ Scarlet spoke, her voice hushed but hysterical.
When Frankie felt a push from Scarlet it jolted her out of the trance, forcing her to scramble in her pocket for her phone. She flipped it open. No signal. There never was up there, yet she begged for a miracle. ‘Please work, please work… please.’ Nothing. ‘There’s no signal. Try yours. For fuck’s sake, hurry up.’
Before either had the chance to do so, Bea reached out and gripped Frankie and Scarlet’s arms, stilling them both. ‘Oh God, he’s got out… shush he might hear us.’
They all ducked lower and watched as Herbert walked around the car and pulled open the passenger door, then dragged the woman’s body out by the shoulders, letting it flop onto the tarmac below. Bea, Scarlet and Frankie looked on as he bent down and grabbed her feet from behind, and then dragged her across the yard. Frankie knew it was now or never.
‘Come on, run, quick while he can’t see…’ She tugged at Scarlet’s coat who in turn took Bea’s hand and pulled her upwards. None of them took their eyes off Herbert’s back as they edged along the row of privets and once out of sight, ran like the devil was behind them.
The lightning had eased but thunder still rumbled like an angry ogre while overhead the clouds raced across a sky that spewed rain. Once they were on the lane, lit now only by the moon, Scarlet stopped in her tracks and did the same, cheesy puffs and blue WKD spraying the grass verge. Despite her friend’s obvious distress Frankie took control, urging her on. ‘Scarlet, come on, mate, we can’t stop. He’ll be here any minute and he’ll see us. Please, you have to run. Scarlet, come on.’
Bea was crying as she grabbed Scarlet’s arm, Frankie copied and took the other, both of them dragging their friend along the lane, turning every second, looking for headlights. They’d just made it to the main road when a white glow in the distance caused Bea to scream. The terror in her voice made Frankie do the same. Herbert’s car dropped into the dip of the road but once he got over the hill, she knew they’d be caught in his spotlight.
‘There.’ Frankie pointed to a gap in the wall and the wooden stile that led to a public footpath.
They made it over in seconds, Bea almost shoved Scarlet over before leaping onto the field, followed by Frankie who hit the earth with a thud, paralysed with fear as the chugging engine sped past. None of them moved until it was well out of earshot, the sound of the speeding car receding while the sobbing of three terrified girls was muffled by another roar of thunder.
Once she was sure Herbert was gone, Frankie lifted her head. ‘Are you okay?’
Scarlet and Bea nodded, then picked themselves up, the fronts of their clothes sodden and covered in mud, their trainers soaked and ruined. Sucking in gulps of air, Frankie spoke first. ‘We need to tell the police… Or my dad? My house is nearest.’
Bea: ‘But what about that woman? Shouldn’t we go back and see if she’s okay. He could have dumped her anywhere.’
Scarlet shouted her answer. ‘NO! I’m not going back up there! No way. Check your phones, see if there’s a signal.’
All three pulled out their phones. Frankie’s battery was flat and the other two had one bar. Frankie began to shiver. It was cold now after the storm. ‘It’s no good, we’re just going to have to make a run for it. I say we go to mine and tell my dad. He’ll ring the police.’
Scarlet: ‘But what if he comes back…?’
Bea tutted. ‘Why would he do that? He’s not going to chance anyone seeing him now. I say we go with Frankie to hers and then the police will send an ambulance up.’
‘I think she’s dead. She was all floppy when she fell on the floor and he dragged her away.’ Scarlet’s voice was a whimper, the whites of her eyes looked huge, terrified.
Frankie’s heart flipped. Hearing the words confirmed her own fears and panic swelled and swirled in her stomach. ‘Right, that’s it. Come on, we’re going to mine. Run, we need to tell someone, NOW!’ With that she turned and made for the stile, followed closely by the others. Once over the other side she grabbed a chunk of loose limestone from the top of the wall.
‘What’s that for?’ Bea asked.
‘In case he comes back. If he does we can throw them at his windscreen or bash his head in if he comes near us. Hurry up, grab one each.’ Frankie heard the rising hysteria in her voice and was desperate to get going.
Once Bea and Scarlet had found their own lumps of stone they ran and didn’t stop once, not until they reached Frankie’s house where all three battered on the door, screaming for help. The moment her mum appeared Frankie thought it was over – they all did. But in some ways the worst was yet to come.
