14

It had been four days since Sandman had made an appearance, tonight was meant to be the night that Kaleen saw Mark, she didn’t see much of him with him working away the rest of the week this was there special night the only night she’d have to see him. What was she going to do? What and how was she going to tell him? She couldn’t tell him that she couldn’t see him because Sandman was back and was in the house it would blow his cover and she didn’t want that not a repeat performance of what happened five years ago.

The phone rang. Kaleen picked it up. ‘Hi.’

‘Kay its Mark.’

As if she didn’t know that sexy, but jagged voice.

‘Hey, what’s up?’ She said sarcastically, it hadn’t meant to come out the way it had, so abrupt.

‘Are you coming out tonight?’

‘Sorry, Mark, I can’t’

‘Why not? We always go out on Wednesday, it’s our special night remember.’

‘I know, I just can’t.’ She replied sharply.

‘What’s up Kay?’

‘Nothing I’ll call you.’

‘Okay.’ He said, knowing that there was something that she was hiding away from him, but didn’t wish to pursue. He was too upset to even persist her with allegations; instead he slammed the phone down.

Kaleen place the receiver down ‘he seemed so upset I hadn’t meant to upset him.’

‘Who was that?’ Sandman asked, startling her forgetting what she was thinking, making her jump.

‘Shit Sandman you scared me.’

‘Who was that?’

‘Mark.’

‘You didn’t tell him anything did you?’

‘No!’ She snapped. ‘He wanted to know if I was coming out tonight that’s all. I told him I couldn’t.’

‘Good.’ He said, grabbing her round her throat. ‘And if you do I’ll kill you this time and I won’t stop for any one got it!’

‘Sure.’ She replied trying hard to swallow, tears filled in her eyes. Almost unable to see. ‘Y-You know the police will be looking for you.’

‘As long as you feed them some shit they aint going to know you’ve seen me are they!’ He said one eye brow raised. The other lay dormant.

She knew what he was saying and that he was being serious. ‘I- I suppose not.’

He loosed her throat, and leaned forward. ‘Shit what’s he going to do next?! He’s already tried to kill me once will he do it again?!’

He placed his lips on hers, her lips trembled, her eyes still full of tears, and getting worse. ‘Relax.’ He said placing his hand on her face, placing his lips back on her

lips kissing her, she returned his kiss reluctantly. He kissed her passionately as tears rolled down her face.

It was getting on for seven and Kaleen was on her way out to work. The phone rang startling her. She picked it up all in a fluster. ‘Hi.’

‘Hi it’s Karen.’

‘Hi Kaz, what’s up?’

‘What’s got into you? Mark’s really pissed, he’s really upset about the way you talked to him last night. You were sharp with him.’

‘I know I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to I was having a bad day.’ Kaleen replied with a quiver in her voice.

‘What’s going on Kay?’

‘Nothing.’ She replied her voice starting to shake and a little wobbly as she felt herself fill up.

‘It doesn’t sound like nothing.’

‘It’s not really.’

‘Come on Kay what’s going on? I can tell when something’s wrong your voice goes all funny as if you’re about to cry.’

She knew Kaleen only too well. ‘If only I could tell her, if only she knew what was going on, what was happening to me and Candice, but I don’t want us to die!’ ‘Nothing, honest.’

‘Kay you can tell me.’

‘Look I’ve got to go I’ll be late for work.’

‘Kay.’ Karen started.

Burrrr.

‘Kaz, Kaz.’ Kaleen shouted down the phone.

Looking down at the phone a large thick index finger lay across the receiver. She looked up. ‘Sandman why did you do that for? why did you cut me off?’

‘She was asking too many questions. I could see you were about to crack.’

‘No I wasn’t.’

He took the handset off Kaleen taking his finger of the receiver placing the handset down.

He moved closer placing his lips on hers kissing her softly, his lips felt a lot hotter than they used to be.

He moved away. ‘You better go to work don’t want them getting suspicious do we?!’ He said.

He walked back into the lounge, Kaleen wiped the tears away, reapplying her make up. Shutting the door behind her.

A knock echoed through the house. Kaleen ran down the stairs almost tripping over the last few steps as she opened the door. Two police men stood in front of her. ‘Good morning miss Police.’ He said quickly showing his badge just quick enough for her to acknowledge it.

‘How can I help you?’

‘We’re sorry to have to inform you, but the Hearshaw brothers have escaped from prison, and we suspect that they may be in this area, and Justin Hearshaw may come looking for you, have you heard anything from him?’

‘No I haven’t seen him since the night on the beach. She lied. ‘That’s it just keep cool, act dumb like he never turned up like five days ago, what took them so long?’

‘If you see him phone us straight away, we believe he’s in the area we believe that there are old debts to be paid. We’re going around the area warning everyone. We thought we’d tell you first before anyone else.’

‘Thanks.’ She replied. ‘Even though it’s come a little too late!’

‘Don’t forget call us if he turns up here or you see him at all.’

‘No problem.’

The police officers walked away, Kaleen shut the door. She leant against the door stared up at the ceiling. ‘I hope they believed me I really do.’

She looked across to the tip of the stair case, a pair of doc martins, combat trousers, faded black tee-shirt, shaggy blondish brown hair, and bright blue eyes. She knew those eyes anywhere. ‘Sandman!’ She said, startled. ‘How long have you been there?’

‘Not long.’ He replied. Walking down the stairs. ‘Who was it?’

‘The police.’

His face filled with fear for the first time ever!

He stepped into the hall stood in front of Kaleen looking at her blank. ‘What did they want?’

‘They told me that you’d escaped from prison, they asked me if I’d saw you.’

‘What did you say?’

‘Just that I hadn’t seen you since the night on the beach.’

‘Good. Keep it up.’ He said leaning forward kissing her. ‘You’ve done well.’ He said moving forward once again.

Her body started to tremble as he kissed her once more. But she knew if she resisted he’d have another spack. She returned his kiss she didn’t want it all up in the air again she just wanted her and her sister to keep safe and to stay alive!

He moved away, taking her hand leading her upstairs.

Sandman fell asleep shortly after with his arm placed firmly over her. She lay there staring at the wall feeling disgusted with herself and even sicker than she had the day that he’d returned. ‘Why is he doing this to me? I hate him, he makes me tremble with fear, was he just doing it to get back at me, or was it something deeper than that?

A lot deeper. After all it was me that shot him to the police that night making him snap it was me that made him do what he did he nearly drowned me and killed me what am I doing here? Am I one of his old debts that had to get paid? Or is there anyone else?’ She thought as she lay there tears rolled down her face on to her pillow until she closed her eyes.