Buying The Virgin Part 1-3

Chapter 94: The Girl Who Was Hunted - Chapter Ten

ELIZABETH

Charlotte nods, relaxing a bit, unfolding her arms. Will regards her, chin resting on his fist.

“You don’t like the Police much, do you Charlotte?”

“Not much, no.”

“Why not? I think there’s more to it than this misunderstanding over James.”

The folded arms are back. “Because on the half dozen or so occasions I ran away from Blessingmoors, every single time, the Police caught me and took me in, and regardless of anything I tried to say to them, delivered me right back there to have the shit beaten out of me.”

Will rubs his lower lip thoughtfully. “So, why did you agree to help us at all?”

“Because Mr Haswell asked me to.”

Will looks startled. “Mr Haswell? Richard here?”

“Yes.”

“What has he to do with it?”

“I owe him.”

Richard doesn’t look up, instead, paying close attention to his lamb in mint.

Will continues. “And you pay your debts?”

“I do.”

“Do you think this pays your debt to Richard?”

“Nope. I reckon I owe him a bit more than this.”

Will pulls a document wallet from his briefcase. “So, Charlotte, about Blessingmoors, I have your file here, taken from the records on the premises at the time it was closed down….”

She looks uneasy, shuffling in her chair. Michael’s hand snakes out, taking hers.

Will continues. “I have to say that it doesn’t look too good. It says here that you were in trouble numerous times for all kinds of petty crimes…. shoplifting.”

“I’m not a thief.”

“That’s not what it says here.” Will waves the file he is holding.

“It’s still not true. How can I have been a shoplifter when they never let us out?”

“So, you’ve never stolen anything from a shop?” Will raises an eyebrow, looking sceptical.

“Well, yes, I did, but it was when I was trying to run. I was a kid. I had no money. I had to eat…”

He says nothing, simply nodding as he writes a note in the margin.

“Drugs….”

“I’ve never touched drugs.”

“Not ever?”

“Not ever.”

already, that Blessingmoors was rife with drugs.

hardly matters. Yes, they were there.

sighs, then scribbles in

a warden? On several

that bit is true.”

“What were the circumstances?”

to… you know. Other times, it…. just kind of burst out

say, ‘You know’….

I always fought back, and…. I didn’t look like much then. It always ended up with one of the other girls.… or boys.… getting it

for assaulting a customer in ‘Francesca’s’ tea rooms in the

did

that occasion, Will, I know personally of the circumstances. Two drunken louts were trying to…press their attentions on Charlotte and my wife. Charlotte put

says nothing, but pencils

listed as disruptive, and a bad

loved school. She’s told us

foster family. Yes, it was great there. The school at Blessingmoors,

“Why not?” asks Richard.

to speak of, and never tried to teach us anything beyond basic reading and writing. I’d got all that by the time I was six or seven, so after that they were just trying to make me sit in a classroom, staring

last thing I need to ask you about Charlotte, is that according to our records,

see what that has to

sighs. “The point Charlotte is that I am trying to establish

“Sorry?”

to go through the courts. The people we are dealing have a great deal of money from their…. trade… and can afford the best of legal representation. If you have the kind of character that a lawyer can simply

is violence in her eyes at his words, but her voice

think I am a non-credible

solicitor and say that you only stole because you were a child, and you were hungry. Or that your personal

yes, I could

“Yes?”

anything else in that

at

“Anything earlier?”

stares at her for a minute. “Yes,

whispers, her eyes big.

table. “Here, take a

the file, Michael’s eyes following her all the

*****

CHARLOTTE

of words, phrases…’Ward of the court’….’, …taken into

to the paper, an old photograph, tiny, curled up at

eyes are badly

*****

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