A Lesser Evil - Lesley Pearse [136]
It was like something from a film or a book. But people who got locked up like that always found some means of escape. She’d been over every inch of the cage, however, and there was no way out except through the door, and that was padlocked. They hadn’t even left her a bucket as a toilet like they did in films; she’d had to pee in the corner of the cage and she couldn’t bear the thought of how it would be when she wanted to do something more than pee.
And she couldn’t wash or clean her teeth either. How could anyone do this to her?
Her anger became as strong as her fear. She hadn’t done anything bad to anyone; she only went in to the Muckles’ house because she was worried about Angela. She went to that depot to try to help Stan. Dan left her because she lied about what her mother said in that letter and she only did that to spare his feelings.
If she ever did get out of here, she’d make sure she looked the other way if she ever saw someone hurt or in trouble again.
Self-pity overwhelmed her, tears running down her face as she thought of the way her mother used to nag and criticize her. It was all Clara’s fault; if she hadn’t been so nasty about Dan they wouldn’t have rushed into getting married. They wouldn’t have ended up in Dale Street, and Fifi would never have known that there were people like the Muckles.
She blamed her father too. He should’ve stood up for her. All he did was bury his nose in the newspaper when her mother was ranting at her. He’d said he was sorry when she lost the baby, but those were just empty words if he didn’t back them up with actions. Obviously he didn’t love her and was glad she was out of his hair.
Then there were all those so-called friends back in Bristol! Most of them she’d known since she was a child; they’d come to play with her, stayed to tea, even spent the night. Granted, she’d neglected them when she met Dan, but they’d done the same thing to her at times when they’d met a new man.
Why did they come round to the flat drunk that night if it wasn’t just to sneer at her? Not a present, a card or even congratulations! Fine friends they turned out to be!
A sound outside stopped her silent angry tirade short. She could hear a car and see a chink of light through the barn door, which had to be headlights.
Was it the men bringing her food? Or someone else?
She screamed at the top of her voice, hoping it was the latter.
‘Shut that racket,’ a male voice boomed out in the darkness, and a torch was switched on.
Fifi blinked in the bright light, unable to make out who was behind it. But as it came closer, she saw that it was Del and Martin again, and they were supporting someone between them.
As they came closer, she realized by the clothes that the third person was a woman, and her head was slumped forward as if she were unconscious. ‘Isn’t one prisoner enough for you?’ Fifi said sarcastically. ‘What’s she done to you?’
‘Shut up or you’ll get nothing to eat,’ Del said sharply, and leaving Martin to hold the woman up, he came forward to unlock the cage door. ‘Get over to the other side,’ he ordered curtly, the beam of his torch sweeping round the cage.
As he turned to beckon Martin to bring the woman over, the torchlight passed across her face. Fifi was so stunned to see who it was that she remained rooted to the spot.
‘Yvette!’ she gasped.
‘Get back,’ Del warned her.
He came through the cage door backwards, holding Yvette under her arms and dragging her. Dumping her on the floor like a sack of potatoes, he left the cage immediately and locked the door behind him.
Fifi knelt down by Yvette. There was blood running down her cheek and she was out cold.
‘What have you done to her?’ she asked, looking to Martin who was standing watching her, the torch in his hand. ‘Yvette wouldn’t harm a fly, why hurt her?’
‘She’s not hurt, she’s just had some knockout stuff to stop her screaming. She’ll be fine when she wakes up,’ he replied, his tone almost apologetic. ‘Look, we brought you some food. And some more water