Need You Dead

9 Monday 18 April

Just over an hour later, as her client was leaving, Lorna’s phone rang.

‘Hello?’ she answered.

‘Lorna Belling?’

‘Yes?’

‘My name’s Cassandra Montagnini, I’m a Domestic Violence caseworker. Is it safe to talk?’

‘Yes, yes, it’s fine. Thank you.’ She glanced at her watch. Her next client wasn’t due for half an hour. She had two more bookings this morning, then the prospect of another very interesting lunchtime!

Screw you, ‘Greg’.

‘So, how are you, Lorna?’

‘I’m OK.’

‘The officers told me about the incident at your home a little earlier this morning. Would you like some help from us? We can give you support to try to make you feel safer.’

‘Yes, yes, I would, please.’

‘OK — I wonder if we can just talk things through.’

‘I have my next client coming in about half an hour — I’m a hairdresser.’

‘Would you like me to call back later?’

‘Now is fine.’

‘OK, if your client comes we can continue later. Is that OK?’

‘Yes, thank you.’

‘How did your husband hurt you?’

‘He punched me in the face and chest, and I think I may have a cracked rib. He usually hits me where it doesn’t show. He also tried to push dog crap into my mouth and covered my face in it. Now I’m really terrified of him. He does this when he gets into a rage about something, which seems to be more and more of the time these days.’

‘What are you frightened of, Lorna?’

‘The police said they’re arresting him. He’ll be livid when he comes home. It’ll be even worse.’

‘OK, I’ll talk to them. I’ve been told they’re waiting for him to arrive at his office, where he’ll be arrested. We will make sure that if and when he is released you are safe. OK?’

Lorna thanked her again.

‘How are you feeling in yourself?’

‘I’m just so depressed, I’d never hurt myself but I constantly feel like shit.’

‘Have you considered moving out at all?’

Boy, had she considered that. For the past eighteen months of her living hell she’d been planning her new life with Greg Just waiting for him to give her the word and she was out of here. Now, from what she had learned, that was not going to happen and she was back to square one. ‘Yes,’ she answered.

‘Other than how you feel, are you healthy, Lorna?’

‘I’d say so. I walk the dog or go to the gym most days.’

‘Your husband has quite a history with the police. He’s been arrested for attacking you twice previously, hasn’t he?’

‘Yes. But this is the first time I’ve spoken to your organization.’

There was a brief pause. Lorna heard the putter of typing on a keyboard.

‘Do you and your husband have any other problems?’

‘No, but money’s tight. He had a very good job as a salesman with a tech firm, but when he got done for drink-driving and lost his licence, he lost his job. He got another job with this firm in Burgess Hill, but at much less money, so he’s not contributing much.’

‘How else does he treat you?’

‘He’s very controlling. He calls and texts me throughout the day, wanting to know what I’m doing, who I’m seeing, and why I’m not at home whenever I go out. It’s driven me to getting a second phone he doesn’t know about, so he can’t track me all the time.’

Cassandra Montagini said, ‘Lorna, from what you have told me I think we need to get someone out to you to complete a proper risk assessment. Would you be comfortable with that, and, if you are deemed high risk, that I refer you to an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor?’

‘Um — well, I–I don’t know. Yes, I suppose I’d be fine with that,’ she said, hesitantly. ‘Actually, I’d be very grateful.’

‘Perhaps we should consider moving you somewhere else, before your husband is released? How would you feel about that?’

‘I–I — can’t — I’ve got clients booked in to see me — I can’t let them down. And we have all these tropical fish — I — he has — he has to look after them — I mean he — and I have — six tiny puppies.’

‘Your safety is the most important thing at this stage, Lorna.’

‘Yes, thank you, I appreciate that. But I can’t leave — not at the moment. Not until the puppies are old enough in a few weeks — they’ve all been reserved. But I have to keep them until they can go to their new owners.’

‘All right, what I’ll do is have an advisor call you as soon as possible. Are you going to be in for a while?’

‘I am, yes, until around lunchtime.’

As soon as the woman ended the call, Lorna read the text that had come in on her new private phone. Very few people had the number.

Instantly, her spirits lifted a little.

Only to be dashed again, moments later, by another incoming email on her laptop from the current bane of her life, Mr Nasty.