All the Rage

Adam Fawley
1 April 2018
14.15

`˜So what do you want us to do?' says Baxter.

It's just gone two and Everett is briefing the rest of the team on the Appleford case. Or rather the Appleford incident, which is all it's ever going to be, unless and until we get a good deal more to go on. Which is pretty much what I say.

`˜There's not much we can do. Faith is claiming that it was all a misunderstanding. An April Fool's joke that got `њa bit out of hand`ќ.'

`˜Pretty nasty April Fool,' says Quinn darkly, folding his arms. `˜And doesn't yanking out someone's hair without their consent count as ABH these days?'

`˜It could have been cut,' says Somer. `˜I couldn't really see.'

I intervene. `˜Either way, Quinn is right: that's ABH. But we're still just guessing. Faith hasn't actually said that's what happened. And given she's also refusing to say which of her friends was responsible `“'

`˜Pretty nasty friends too, if you ask me. To do something like that.' It's Quinn again. And I can't be the only one who's slightly wrong-footed by this sudden access of empathy on his part. I see Ev raise her eyebrows but thankfully no one actually says anything. I don't want this promising new development strangled at birth.

`˜Though it had to be a friend, didn't it?' says one of the other DCs. `˜I mean, you don't get an April Fool's played on you by a complete stranger, do you?'

`˜But you can be raped by one,' says Asante quietly.

There's a silence, then Baxter repeats his question. Stolid first, last and in the middle. `˜So what do you want us to actually do?'

He's frowning, and to be honest, I sympathize. This could well end up being a colossal waste of time. On the other hand, what if it happens again `“

`˜If a big case lands on us tomorrow, all bets are off, but in the meantime, I think it would be worth doing a bit of digging. Discreet digging. Let me be clear, Faith has done nothing wrong, and I don't want it to look like we're investigating the victim, but it's possible a crime's been committed and I don't want someone getting away with that just because Faith is too frightened to talk to us, OK? So let's start by talking to that minicab driver again `“ Mullins. Has he given a formal statement?'

`˜No, sir,' says Somer. `˜But we have his details. We can give him a call.'

`˜Good. And check the speed cameras along the Marston Ferry Road `“ see if we can work out where she came from and whether there was anyone with her before Mullins picked her up. And ask that petrol station on the roundabout for their CCTV.'

`˜Someone may have dropped her off,' observes Somer. `˜Mullins said the heel had come off one of her shoes. She can't have walked very far like that. Or very fast.'

One of the DCs points at Somer's boots. `˜Been there, done that, eh, Somer?' he says, grinning.

I wait a moment for the laughter to subside. `˜And let's have a word with the FE college. See if we can identify any of Faith's friends. Or if she's been having problems with anyone.'

`˜Girls that pretty aren't always popular,' observes Ev.

`˜There could be a bloke in the mix,' agrees Quinn. `˜Even if she really doesn't have a boyfriend, someone else's could have been showing too much interest. I mean, if she's as gorgeous as you lot say.' He runs one hand through his hair. He probably doesn't even realize he's doing it, though needless to say it doesn't go unnoticed. Quinn always has put the `˜I' into `˜eye candy'. Ev opens her mouth to say something, then with truly superhuman effort manages at the last minute not to. But I can see Somer grinning.

Baxter, meanwhile, still has his mind firmly on the job. `˜I can have a look at her online stuff too. Shouldn't be hard to track down who she hangs out with.'

`˜Good `“ do that. Asante, can you talk to Mullins, and Somer, I want you and Quinn to pick up on the college end.'

Somer looks concerned. `˜We'll have to be careful though `“ you know what those places are like. The way gossip gets round.'

`˜I'm sure you'll think of something. Safety on the streets, if all else fails. And Somer `“ don't change before you go.'

Her eyes widen. `˜OK, if you think it'll help.'

I smile drily. `˜What I think is that it's a fair bet Faith's friends are studying Fashion too.'

And if that doesn't work, there's always the not-so-subtle charms of Detective Constable Gareth Quinn.

* * *

The FE college reminds Somer of the school she taught at for a few months before joining the police. The same slab of concrete and glass, the same scuffed grass and plasticky shrubs, the same tired old cars that make Quinn's gleaming Audi look like a thoroughbred at a donkey derby. When they were still an item, Somer teased him once by playing that Shania Twain track about the guy who kisses his car goodnight, but wasn't at all surprised when he completely failed to see the joke. Right now, he's making a big show of parking next to a battered old Saab, and then takes an inordinate time locking up afterwards. Somer can see the looks they're getting from the students, about evenly divided between the car (boys), and the driver (mostly girls, but not entirely). And that's no surprise either. Quinn is tall, athletic and very good-looking, and he exudes confidence and self-belief. Even now, and despite what a shit he was to her after they broke up, Somer can still see the attraction. Though to be fair, he did eventually manage something as close to an apology as he ever probably gets. She's heard rumours of a new girlfriend lately too.

Quinn finally finishes fiddling about with his car keys and walks round to join her.

`˜So how do you want to play this?'

`˜I was thinking about that. How about we start with the principal to get the background, and if she's OK with it we can tell the students that we're here to talk about taking proper care on the streets. Like Fawley suggested.'

Quinn makes a face. He likes Fawley, she knows that, and the DI's had his back more than once, but Quinn's nothing if not competitive and he'd much prefer to come up with an idea of his own. A better one. As if that needed saying.

`˜How about we ask her?' he says. `˜See if there's anything that's happened here recently that might justify CID turning up out of the blue. Drugs or something.'

And she has to admit, that is actually a rather better idea.

She looks around for a sign to the offices, but Quinn forestalls her.

`˜Don't worry,' he says. `˜I'll ask someone.'

Five minutes later she's following Quinn and a student up the stairs towards the principal's office. They're taking the stairs because that will take longer and the student Quinn asked for directions just happens to have long blonde hair, a very short skirt and an apparently limitless readiness to be immensely impressed with anything Quinn says. He's already talked her through two murder cases Somer knows for a fact he barely worked on, but she's not about to rain on his charade. She just hopes the new girlfriend knows what she's letting herself in for.

* * *

Interview with Neil Mullins, conducted at St Aldate's Police Station, Oxford

1 April 2018, 4.15 p.m.

In attendance, DC A. Asante

AA: Thank you for coming in, Mr Mullins. Hopefully this shouldn't take too long.NM: It's OK. It's on my way home anyway. How is she `“ the girl?AA: She's very shaken up. We're still trying to find out exactly what happened. That's why we wanted to talk to you again. See if you remember anything else. Something you might not have mentioned before.NM: Not as far as I know. It was like I said on the phone: I saw her walking ahead of me on the side of the road. Well, not so much walking `“ staggering really. That's why I thought she was drunk.AA: She had her back to you?NM: Right. I was heading towards Marston and she was near the turn for that pub `“ the Victoria Arms.AA: That's a long way from any houses, isn't it? Didn't that seem odd to you?NM: Yeah. I suppose it did. That's why I slowed down. That's when I noticed.AA: Noticed what?NM: The state she was in. Crying `“ make-up all over her face, clothes all torn. I thought she was bleeding to start with but I realized after that it was just mud. It was all over the bloody car.AA: What was she wearing?NM: Don't you collect people's clothes after something like this? They always do that on the telly.AA: It's just for the records, Mr Mullins. You know what it's like.NM: Tell me about it. I used to spend half my life on bloody paperwork `“ that's why I switched to the cabs `“AA: The clothes, Mr Mullins?NM: Yeah, right. Sorry. Some sort of blue jacket. Denim, I think. A white top underneath but I couldn't really see much of that. Those sandal things, like I said. And a short black skirt.AA: Did she have a handbag `“ any sort of bag?NM: No. Definitely no bag.AA: What happened when you stopped?NM: I leant across and asked her if she was OK `“ if she needed any help. Pretty bloody stupid question `“ I mean, of course she wasn't OK `“AA: What did she say?NM: She sort of staggered towards me and asked if I could take her home.AA: But she didn't mind getting into your car? She wasn't frightened of you?NM: I suppose it being a cab and all that, she thought it was OK. And to be honest I think she was more concerned about getting the hell out of there. Though she wouldn't get in the front with me `“ she'd only sit in the back. And she had the window wound all the way down even though it was bloody freezing.AA: So she could call for help if she needed to?NM: I suppose so. I hadn't really thought about it.AA: Did she say anything at all about what happened?NM: No. I mean, I didn't like to `“ you know `“ be too pushy. I said I was taking her straight to the cop shop and she started panicking and saying no, she didn't want anything to do with the police, and then I said the JR then, but she didn't want the hospital either. So I just took her where she said she wanted to go.AA: Rydal Way?NM: Right. I thought afterwards that it must have been why she was walking that way. She was trying to get home.AA: And was there anyone there when you got there? Anyone in the house?NM: Dunno. She went round the back.AA: You didn't mention that before.NM: Sorry. I didn't think it was important.AA: You said before that she didn't have a bag with her. Could she have had her keys in her pocket?NM: I suppose so, I didn't really think about it.AA: But you definitely think she was able to get in?NM: Oh yeah. She said she could go and get me some money if I waited but I said it was fine. She didn't need to pay. She was crying, when she got out. Poor little cow.* * *

Sasha Blake puts down her pen and closes her notebook. She's sitting cross-legged on her bed, music on low in the background. The pen has a feather on the end and the notebook is pale blue, with a scatter of white flowers across the front. She likes the sheen of the pages, the feel of the book in her hand, but the real reason she chose it was because it's small enough to fit in her bag. She knows better than to leave it lying about anywhere, that's for sure. She loves her mum, she really does, and she knows she wouldn't snoop deliberately, but no mother has the sort of willpower you would need to stumble across a book like this and not read what's inside. Isabel gets round it by using code, and Patsie sticks everything on her phone, but Sasha likes being able to write things down. It makes it easier to demuddle her thoughts `“ helps her work through what to do. But her mum wouldn't get that. She'd think everything in the book was true. And it is, in a way. Just not the way her mum would understand.

There's a noise from downstairs now and Sasha quickly leans over and slides the notebook into the pocket of her pink satchel, then sits back against the headboard and picks up her copy of Keats.

`˜You OK, Sash?' asks her mum, pushing the door open, her arms full of ironing.

Sasha looks up. `˜I'm fine, just chillin' with my homeboy.'

Fiona Blake smiles. `˜Don't work too hard. You're allowed to enjoy yourself as well, you know.'

She shunts the laundry on to the top of the chest of drawers and pulls the door to behind her as she leaves. Sasha opens the book again. `˜Awake for ever in a sweet unrest, Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath.' She sighs. Imagine having someone talk to you like that.

* * *

`˜So, you can see why we're concerned.'

Somer sits back in her chair. The principal of the college hasn't said a word throughout Somer's entire account. She's just sat there, frowning, fidgeting with an elastic band, staring out of the window. Outside, the sky is darkening. It looks like rain and Somer curses to herself. She has no coat, no umbrella and entirely the wrong footwear.

The principal still hasn't said anything. Somer glances at Quinn, who shrugs.

`˜Mrs McKenna?' she says, raising her voice slightly. `˜Is there anything we ought to be aware of? Do you know if Faith has been having problems with any of her fellow students recently?'

The woman turns to face her. `˜No. Nothing I know of. Faith is very popular with her peer group.'

`˜Do you know who might have played this April Fool joke on her? Do any names come to mind?'

Another, deeper frown. `˜I hope you're not suggesting that one of our students might be responsible for this `“'

`˜Not at all. But we do know Faith's family only moved here last summer, so she may not have that many friends outside her college circle.'

McKenna starts fiddling with the elastic band again. Somer's a hair's-breadth from leaning over and grabbing it out of her hand.

`˜Mrs McKenna? It's quite urgent `“'

The principal turns to her suddenly and leans forward. It's like a switch has flicked. She's sharp, attentive, brisk.

`˜I'm afraid I can't tell you anything about Faith's personal life or what she does outside the college gates. I can tell you that she is a talented and hard-working student, and I fully expect she will make a great success of her career.'

`˜But she does have mates, right?' Quinn now. `˜You must have some idea who they are.' His tone is short of sarcasm, but only just.

`˜You want to interrogate my students?' The frown is back.

`˜Not interrogate, no,' says Somer quickly. `˜We were hoping to make it much more informal. Just circulate with the group and get a sense of whether there might be undercurrents `“ any sense of animosity `“'

McKenna raises her eyebrows. `˜In that case, I dare say I can't stop you. But I would ask you to exercise more discretion than the police are habitually famed for.'

`˜Have there been any incidents lately that might make our presence here rather more plausible? Any problems with alcohol?'

`˜No.'

`˜Or drugs?'

`˜Absolutely not.'

Somer senses Quinn's reaction but doesn't dare to look at him.

`˜OK,' she says evenly. `˜In that case we'll just make it something general about personal safety.'

`˜Good idea,' says McKenna crisply. `˜I've had two of my female students in here this week already because they thought they were being followed on the Iffley Road. It's a sad reflection on your constabulary that you see these issues only as a useful smokescreen for something else you evidently consider far more important.'

`˜Who the fuck does she think she is?' mutters Quinn, none too quietly, as they make their way down the stairs five minutes later. `˜Talk about bloody chippy `“ she's just the head of a poxy FE college and you'd think she was the sodding Master of Balliol.'

Who is, in fact, a woman. But Somer isn't about to point that out.

* * *

`˜You should change those,' says Baxter. `˜It's not a good idea to sit around with wet feet.'

Somer looks down. If her boots aren't completely ruined after the monsoon that hit just as she and Quinn were crossing the FE college car park, it will be a minor miracle. Her jeans are wet through up to the knees and she's given up on her hair.

`˜Seriously,' continues Baxter. `˜If you're harbouring any sort of latent cold virus `“'

`˜It's OK,' she says quickly. `˜Really. I'm more interested in what you've found.'

He gives her a look heavy with `˜well don't come crying to me', then turns back to his screen.

`˜Well, for starters, Faith Appleford does a fashion vlog every couple of weeks or so. You Gotta Have, she calls it.'

Somer smiles. `˜Clever.'

Baxter frowns. `˜Come again?'

`˜You know `“ `њYou gotta have faith`ќ. Like the George Michael song.'

Baxter is still looking blank.

`˜Forget it. Go on.'

`˜Right. OK. So she started it last autumn, presumably when her course began. It's pretty damn professional, actually. Technically, I mean. Here,' he says, turning to the screen, `˜have a look.'

Posted 18.46 06 February 2018Headshot, interior, direct to camHi, everyone, welcome to my channel about fashion, beauty and style. Lots of people have been asking me about how I create my own look. Basically how I choose what things to put together. Not just the clothes but bags and shoes and all the rest of it, because we all know the details can really make the difference between looking good and looking great. So that's what I'm going to be talking about today.Everyone always tells me they can't believe that most of the things I wear are just from mainstream stores, but I always tell them it's not about how much you spend, it's about being really smart about what you pick.Full-length view, by clothes railI always start with what I call the `˜key piece'. What do I mean by that? Well, it's easy: the key piece is the thing you build your look around. It might be a fabulous pair of shoes like these [holds up shoes].Headshot, selection of shoes in foregroundThese are my favourites for going out in the evening `“ they're from Irregular Choice and they are just gorgeous `“ fabulous colour and really distinctive with all this lovely silver detailing. And yes, they took up a pretty big chunk of my budget but they're going to last for ages and they give me a `˜signature look' for the whole of the rest of the outfit.Full-length with dress on hangerOK, so this is what I mean. This dress is from Zara, and I got it a couple of months ago for £39.99. I really like the cut of it and the fabric is quite nice given it's pretty cheap. It's basically a standard LBD, though with a bit of a twist with these pleats here at the back.Full-length, modelling dress and shoesSo now you can see what it looks like on. See `“ those pleats have a great swing to them when you move. And when you add the shoes you can see it's really starting to come together. The silver on the shoes picks up the silver bits on the neckline, and makes the whole thing look way more classy. And if there's one thing that never goes out of fashion, it's class.Full-length, modelling dress, shoes and accessoriesAnd finally accessories. You've heard me say this a lot, I know, but this is so important. I really love this bag `“ I got it from ASOS and I've had it ages. I specially love these tassels, and the strap can be detached if you want to use it as a clutch. The earrings are from Accessorize and they're tassels too. Cool, right? And as you probably know, when it comes to jewellery I think less really is more, which is why I haven't put a necklace with this look `“ with the silver on the neckline, a necklace as well would be too much and probably look a bit blingy, you know?Headshot, as per opening sequenceSo, that's it for today. Hope you liked this video, and next time I'll show you how I did the make-up I wore today. And if you haven't already, do please subscribe to my channel.This is Faith, signing off the same way I always do: Look good, be kind and love who you are.`˜See what I mean?' says Baxter as he presses pause.

Somer nods; and it's not just the technical presentation she's impressed with. This girl has more poise than most people twice her age. `˜What about her more personal stuff? Social media? Friends `“ boyfriends? Frenemies?'

Baxter shakes his head. `˜No bloke that I can find. She does a lot on Instagram but it's all just snazzy pictures and hundreds of bloody hashtags.'

Somer smiles to herself at the thought of Baxter staring at shot after shot of on-trend shoes and brow tattoo products. She can't even remember the last time she heard anyone use the word `˜snazzy'.

Meanwhile Baxter is still talking. `˜But she doesn't appear to be on Twitter at all and the Facebook account has barely been used. Seems she's more into broadcast than dialogue.'

Somer nods. `˜That's the impression we got at the college too. Everyone knows her but no one knows her very well. One of the girls described her as `њnice but really really private`ќ. I just can't see her pissing anyone off enough for them to play a joke on her `“ especially one as elaborate and cruel as that.'

Baxter's face is grave. `˜If it actually was just a joke. Sounded a lot worse than that to me.'

Somer nods. `˜I know.'

`˜But if it really was a sexual assault, why the hell won't she report it?'

Somer sighs. `˜She wouldn't be the first. Not by a long way.'

They sit there a moment, staring at the girl's face on the screen. Faith is frozen mid-smile, confident, happy, self-assured. She's barely recognizable as the girl Somer saw earlier.

`˜There was one thing I found a bit odd,' says Baxter eventually.

`˜Oh yes?'

`˜All Faith's social media `“ the Instagram, the Facebook account `“ none of it goes back further than last year.'

Somer glances across at him. `˜Nothing before that? Couldn't she just have deleted the old ones and started again?'

Baxter shakes his head. `˜I don't think so. I can't find anything.'

Somer frowns; this doesn't feel right. `˜And why would she want to do that anyway?'

He shrugs. `˜Search me. But what do I know about teenagers?'

Somer turns back to the screen. The video must have been filmed in Faith's bedroom. Somer can see the pinboard Ev told her about, and underneath it a white side table with make-up bags and toiletries, and half-a-dozen framed photographs.

`˜Can you enlarge those?' she says suddenly.

Baxter flicks her a quizzical glance but says nothing. He taps the keyboard and the photos fill the screen.

`˜It's just a bunch of old family snaps,' he says, sitting back again. `˜Faith isn't even in them.'

But Somer is on the edge of her seat, staring, and when she turns back to Baxter her eyes are bright.

`˜Exactly,' she says. `˜She's not in them.'

* * *

Sasha is lying on her back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Years ago, when she was little, her mum stuck little silver stars all over it that glow in the dark. And her mum being her mum, she didn't just stick them up any old how, she did proper constellations `“ the Great Bear and Cassiopeia and the Pleiades. She got the idea from some TV programme about Grand Central station. Some of the stars have fallen off over the years, and these days Orion has to manage without a head, but Sasha still loves it. She's promised herself that she'll go to New York one day and see the real thing. It's on her list, in the back of her notebook, along with `“

Her phone pings and she rolls over and picks it up from the floor. Patsie. A selfie with her poking two fingers towards her mouth, then a photo of a saucepan full of diced carrot.

Sasha types Gross and gets a string of green puking-face emojis in reply.

Are you back in school tomorrow? she writes.

The text pings back at once If I can b arsed. Rather watch the telly. There's a photo underneath of her feet propped up on a cushion in fluffy slippers. In the background the Jeremy Kyle Show is on the TV. A burly security guard is trying to keep two teenage girls from scratching each other's eyes out. The subtitle at the bottom says, `˜You slept with my boyfriend and I'm going to prove it!'

Look at those stupid mares, writes Patsie.

Sasha laughs and texts back, WTAF?

There's a pause then, and Sasha thinks Patsie must have tuned out until suddenly there's another text. Bloody Lee's here, it says. Prancing about showing his rancid tits again. There's another line of puking emojis. I wish Mum would just wake up and dump that loser.

Sasha frowns. You on your own?

Mum shd b back soon.

Don't know what she sees in that perv, writes Sasha. Sure you're OK Pats?

There's a kissing emoji now, then Awww U R the best. I told him to fuck right off. See ya tomorrow babe Xxx.

The stars above Sasha's head are just starting to glow and she gets up and goes over to close the curtains. There's a white van parked up on the opposite side of the road. A man is sitting inside, but Sasha can't see his face.

* * *

`˜Do you see what I mean?' says Somer. `˜Faith's not in any of these photos, and she wasn't in any of the ones I saw in the Applefords' sitting room either.'

Baxter is frowning. `˜So?'

`˜There were a couple of the mother, and some of a little girl with dark hair, but that's definitely Nadine, not Faith.'

`˜Still not sure what you're getting at. Perhaps she just doesn't like pictures of herself. Some people don't. Especially bloody baby photos. Mine just make me look like Shrek.'

Somer suppresses a smile. `˜But there might be a reason why she doesn't have any pictures. What if she's adopted?'

He shrugs. `˜But even if she is, what difference does it make? No one's going to attack her because of that `“'

`˜Can you pull up the General Records Office database?'

Baxter gives a heavy sigh but he's seen that look on Somer's face before. When she's in this mood it's best to just let her get on with it.

He taps the keyboard and a new screen opens. He turns to Somer.

`˜So, what do you want to know?'

`˜Can we look up Faith's birth certificate? She's eighteen so she must have been born in '99 or 2000.'

Baxter clicks through the search facility, then frowns.

`˜What? What is it?'

He points at the screen. `˜That can't be right. Can it?'

But Somer is nodding. `˜I think it can. In fact, I think it might explain everything.'

* * *

It's gone 11.00 when Everett gets the email from Somer, telling her what they found. And only because she forgot to turn off the phone before she collapsed into bed. The beep and flash of light has her wide awake and seizing the phone before she's even conscious she's doing it. At the end of the bed, the cat stirs and resettles. Everett can feel her heart pounding as she unlocks the phone and peers at the screen. It can't be good for your health to be jolted bolt upright like this.

Then she lies back down again, staring at a ceiling she can't see. Her heart is still pounding and, this time, being woken up in the middle of the night has nothing to do with it.

* * *