Flesh and Blood (A DI Amy Winter Thriller) by Caroline Mitchell (simple ebook reader .TXT) 📕

about my brother, Jacob, and he asks about my mum and dad. Jen has come back. She’s zipping up her jacket and her skin is flushed pink. But she’s on her own and tells me that Jezza has gone home. I throw my empty bottle in a bin and hear Jen and Wes mumble something, but I can’t make out the words. Wes is smiling, and my heart flips as I realise he is watching my every move. I start to shrug off his coat, but Wes tells me to keep it, tugging it across my chest. He’s looking down on me now and his eyes are on fire. “I’m going to take care of you,” he’s saying. “Is that OK with you?”’ Mo’s breath quickens as she describes the scene.

‘I blink, amazed. No fella has ever offered to do that before. I manage to nod, and my legs turn to jelly as he pulls me towards him and kisses me on the mouth. His skin is rough, and I feel his tongue jab my lips as I keep them tightly closed. We pull away, and my mouth is sore from my teeth bashing against them. It is my first kiss. Wes seems amused as he releases me. “See you soon, gorgeous,” he murmurs into my ear. He smells of stale cigarettes and booze, but I don’t mind. As we leave the park, Jen gives me what she calls “sisterly advice”.’

Mo could feel the scrunch of stones underfoot as they walked down the gravel path. ‘I know Wes of old. He’s a good bloke, and he’ll look after you. If you’re with him, you’re safe.’ Safe. It sounded like the most beautiful word in the world. ‘Clothes, booze, presents. You name it, Wes will get it for you. If you want to be his girl.’

‘What’s happening now?’ Ms Harkness’s voice invades the scene.

‘Jen’s asked if I will be Wes’s girlfriend, but I’m thinking I must have crossed wires. Wes is at least ten years older than me. “He likes you,” Jen is saying. “He thinks you’re hot.” But her words sound like they’re meant for someone else. I imagine him taking care of me, buying me nice things. “Can he do something about Lizzie?” I ask. It’s the first time I’ve mentioned her name. I hadn’t wanted to admit that I was being bullied before. “She’s been a right cow to me in school,” I’m saying. I would have dropped it, but I knew Lizzie was gearing up for more. The thoughts of her embarrassing me in front of so many people set my nerves on edge. I didn’t think there was anything I could do about it – until now.’

Mo took a deep breath as a timer went off from what felt like very far away. Their session had ended, and now her therapist was bringing her back. Mo blinked her kohl-lined eyes, feeling as if she had come to the surface for air.

‘How do you feel?’ Ms Harkness asked, checking her watch.

Mo stretched her legs before planting her feet on the floor. ‘Happy I could see so much. Angry I allowed myself to be taken in.’

‘You were just a child,’ her therapist said, launching into a spiel about the effects of grooming. Mo did not want to listen. She had heard it all before. All the session had done was strengthen her resolve. She had been meek and subservient in her childhood. But tread on a worm and it will turn.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Chemtrails streaked the red night sky as the sun began its descent in Clacton. Amy bowed her head to check her iPhone. She had been gone just twenty minutes. There were no messages from Donovan, no texts from Paddy asking for her advice. She was blessed to have a lot more freedom than other people of her rank. Superintendent Jones had given her a long lead when it came to her time in Clacton, and she promised him regular reports. She felt a little bit of admiration there. He treated her as you would a creative person, putting special measures in place to allow for her ‘special insights’. But she would not ‘take the piss’, as Paddy so eloquently put it. Sally-Ann’s visit was unscheduled, but still, she found it hard to tear herself away. She should have been talking to Chesney’s wife, but a quick text to Donovan had reassured her that everything was in hand. He was another person who went above and beyond his remit to look after her. She worked many extra unpaid hours, but it wasn’t about the money. A sense of duty had followed her throughout her career. It was why she’d found it hard to switch off.

‘The lights are on, but it looks like nobody’s at home,’ Sally-Ann mused. They must have walked a good mile from the station and were now heading back. The sky was clear of clouds, the backdrop a chatter of tired families heading home amidst the inhalation and exhalation of the tide.

‘Sorry,’ Amy replied. ‘It’s been a long day.’

‘And you’ve got DCI Dreamy to be getting back to.’ Sally-Ann winked. ‘Can’t say I blame you.’

‘Work. I was thinking of work!’ Amy replied, refusing to be drawn in.

But Sally-Ann was on a roll. ‘And aren’t you lucky, getting paid to look at him all day? I’d give you a run for your money if I didn’t have my Paddy to come home to. I’ll be keeping him occupied tonight if you need to sneak into Donovan’s room.’

‘La la la . . . not listening!’ Amy put her hands over her ears. Paddy was like a brother to her, and she didn’t want to imagine him having his way with Sally-Ann, who was the closest thing she’d had to a mother in her early years. She smiled at her sister, linking arms once more. ‘If it weren’t for Donovan, I wouldn’t be here. I should be back at work.’

‘I know.’ Sally-Ann patted her hand. ‘And I don’t