Girl A, Dan Scottow [best short books to read .TXT] 📗

at her father from the floor, but he wasn’t following her. He reached his hand up to the side of his head, dabbing at the blood. He looked at his wet fingers, confusion, then anger on his face. As he bellowed, Kitty sprang to her feet and ran. She ran as fast as she could and didn’t stop until she was sure her father wasn’t behind her.

That was the first and last time she stood up to him.

40

Heavy drops of rain bounced off the ground. Charlie inhaled the smell of wet concrete as he soldiered through the car park, holding his rucksack above him. He might not have a full head of hair, but he didn’t like looking a state. A leggy blonde in front of him held the door open, and he ran the last few steps into the building. She smiled at him, her eyes lingering a second too long. His cheeks felt hot, and he looked away. Rick, the security guard, winked, raising his newspaper to Charlie as he walked through the lobby. Charlie nodded back, swiping his pass to get into the lift.

He usually took the stairs, but this morning he couldn’t face them. He’d had a rough time with Daisy when he dropped her off. She’d been asking all sorts of questions about Beth. Where was she? When would she see her? Why were they not at home? Charlie didn’t know what to tell her. The truth wasn’t an option, that was for sure.

She’d ended up in tears, and he had to carry her into school kicking and screaming. Her teacher had looked perplexed. And so early into the new term as well. Mind you, at least she was talking to him. Which was more than could be said for Peter.

Peter was ignoring Charlie entirely. He’d decided whatever was going on must all be Charlie’s fault. Because it was always the man. Everybody thought Beth was so perfect. He couldn’t blame them, he had always felt the same. He smirked grimly as he imagined what they would say if they knew the truth.

As he stepped out of the lift, there was a strange atmosphere in the office. Something felt off. People stood in small groups, chatting. Worried expressions on their faces. What’s more, they were staring.

At Charlie.

He walked past the annoying twenty-somethings at the desks behind his. They stopped gossiping as he approached.

‘Morning,’ he said, trying to sound cheerful.

A chubby girl with black hair shot daggers at him. Charlie frowned, placing his rucksack on the floor beside his desk. He switched on his computer, turning briefly as he heard Derek’s door open.

‘Charlie! My office, now.’

The youngsters glared at him as he walked past. It seemed that everyone was staring at him.

‘Close the door,’ Derek commanded tersely as Charlie entered the room.

Again Charlie frowned, but he followed the instruction. Derek was sitting at his desk. He didn’t offer Charlie a seat.

‘What’s going on?’ Charlie asked.

‘What can you tell me about a bottle of perfume?’

‘Eh?’

‘Perfume, Charlie. Expensive stuff, birds wear it to smell nice. Chanel to be precise.’

Charlie didn’t understand. Gifts came into the office all the time. Derek had given Anna loads of stuff, he always called dibs on the best items. He’d once taken her an entire lingerie set from Victoria’s Secret and passed it off as a birthday gift.

‘Is there a problem?’

‘Yes, mate, you could say that. A bloody huge one!’

‘Derek, what the hell is going on?’

‘Ellie Beeson, from accounts. Sits behind you. Apparently, you gave her a bottle yesterday?’

‘I didn’t exactly give it to her, it got sent in, and she asked if she could have it. What about it?’

Derek stood up, pulling off his jacket. Huge dark patches pooled beneath his armpits.

‘When she went home and sprayed it on herself it burned half her fucking face off.’

The blood flowed out of Charlie’s head, fast, as if it was all falling straight out through his ankles. He felt dizzy. He blinked a few times, as the world seemed to go quiet and the room span. Everything appeared to be happening in slow motion.

‘Wh… what?’

‘Acid, they think. The police are running tests.’

A bead of sweat formed above Charlie’s eyebrow and ran down to his chin. It dripped, and he watched as it fell to the carpet below. He felt hot, thought he might pass out. He stepped towards Derek’s desk, steadying himself on the corner.

‘So?’

‘So what? You don’t think I had anything to do with it?’

‘No, mate, of course not. But this is bad. Very bad. I’ve got a duty of care here.’

Derek sat down in his chair, running his hands over his head.

‘Where did it come from?’

‘It was sent in. I found it with all the mail yesterday.’

‘Addressed to you?’

Charlie paused. If he admitted that the envelope had his name on it, it would make him involved. And he didn’t want to be involved.

‘No,’ he lied. ‘Nothing on it.’

‘Do you still have it?’

‘I threw it in the recycling. It will have been emptied by now.’

‘Damn. Right. The police are gonna want to talk to you.’

‘I’m not sure I can tell them anything of any use, to be honest.’

‘Doesn’t matter. You’re the person her husband has said gave her the perfume, so they will need to ask you some questions.’

‘Right, of course. How… how is she?’

‘She’s in hospital. Pretty shaken. The burns are nasty. She’s going to have… extensive scarring.’

If things had been different, Charlie would have taken the bottle home. Beth, maybe even Daisy, would have sprayed it on themselves. It didn’t bear thinking about. But Beth was clearly the intended target. Charlie was absolutely sure of that.

‘I’ll have to get security to start vetting the mail. This is a PR nightmare.’

‘Mate, I don’t know what to say… it’s horrendous.’

‘Imagine if I’d found it before you, taken it home for Anna.’

‘We’ve both been very lucky.’

‘Okay, Charlie, you get to work, buddy. I’ve given the police your details, so you can expect a visit at some point today, I reckon.’

Charlie walked out of