All the Rage

Adam Fawley
4 April 2018
13.56

`˜Yeah, she's deffo had boyfriends,' says Patsie. There's a mug of tea on the table in front of her but she's barely touched it. She has her hands in her lap, and she must be fiddling about with something because I can sense the movement.

`˜Is she seeing anyone at the moment?'

`˜I think so. But I don't know his name. Me and Iz `“ we thought he might be older than her.'

`˜What makes you say that?'

She's still staring at her lap. `˜Just that she was, like, really cagey about him.'

`˜Do you know where this boy lives? What he looks like?'

She shakes her head. It's like drawing teeth. Yasmin catches my eye and shrugs silently as if to say Teenagers `“ what did you expect?

`˜And she's definitely had boyfriends before?'

Patsie looks up. `˜But she didn't tell her mum because she thought she'd be angry. You know `“ that she's had sex. She thinks Sash's still,' she blushes a little and avoids my eye, `˜you know, a virgin.'

`˜OK, let's leave that for now. Let's go back to last night. You said you went to Summertown to have a pizza and then Leah walked home down the Banbury Road and the rest of you got the bus back towards Headington together?'

A nod.

`˜What time was that?'

`˜Nine forty-five? I don't really remember.'

`˜Then you got off first, and Sasha and Isabel stayed on the bus.'

Another nod.

`˜And that was about 10.00 p.m.?'

`˜Round then, yeah.'

`˜And Sasha would have got off on Cherwell Drive.'

`˜Right.'

`˜But you don't know where she was planning to go when she got off the bus?'

She shrugs. `˜Up to her house? I mean, where else would she go?'

That, of course, is the whole point of asking. But there's no use getting tetchy with this girl.

`˜Does Sasha have any other friends who live near that bus stop, Patsie? Someone she could have gone to see after she got off the bus?'

A slow shake of the head. `˜I don't think so. Nobody we like, anyway.'

`˜So you can't think of anywhere she'd have gone, apart from straight home?'

Another shake of the head. She glances up at me briefly, almost shyly, and then stares at her lap again. It occurs to me `“ as it should have before `“ that she's been texting on her phone this whole time.

Time for a different tack. `˜Do you know anything about Sasha's dad?'

She looks up for real this time. `˜Why?'

`˜I just need to get the full picture. Do you know if she still sees him?'

Patsie hesitates, then bites her lip.

* * *

`˜She hasn't seen her father for thirteen years. Not since the bastard walked out on the both of us.'

Fiona Blake's tone has hardened and Somer can't honestly blame her. Abandoning a toddler isn't exactly her idea of doing the right thing either.

`˜Do you know where he's living now?'

Fiona shrugs. `˜Last I heard he'd shacked up with someone up north somewhere. But that was at least two years ago.'

`˜And he's never attempted to get in touch with Sasha?'

She shakes her head. `˜No. Not once.'

`˜So if he approached her in the street, she wouldn't be likely to go off with him?'

Fiona stares at her, and Somer can see the hope flare for a moment then die in her eyes. She shakes her head sadly. `˜She was three when he left. I doubt she'd even recognize him.'

* * *