Behind Blue Eyes: The Good The Bad & The Blood Read online

  Chapter 15

  Mia reached the hospital looking quite a mess. Tears were still running down her face, and there was mud and blood on her knees and hands from when she had fallen.

  Sue was on reception. It had been a quiet day and she managed to paint her nails bright red without interruption. She sat there admiring them, and jumped when the door slammed. Her eyes widened with disbelief. “Oh, my God, Mia! What happened? Are you all right?”

  Without waiting for an answer, Sue picked up the phone and called Jess.

  “Jess, can you come to reception straight away? It’s Mia. She’s in a bit of a state.” Sue came out from behind her reception desk and Mia collapsed into her arms.

  Sue shouted and an orderly ran over to help. Jess came running into reception. They carried Mia into a cubicle and paged Doctor David Porter. He arrived just as Mia was coming around.

  “Mom,” was all Mia could say as she remembered what had happened, and what was going to happen when he came home. “No, no more,” she screamed. There was no way out. He was going to kill them both. Then the uncontrollable hysterical sobs began, her body shaking.

  “Did someone do this to you?” Jess looked at David but Mia never answered.

  “Let me take a look at her, Jess.”

  After Doctor Porter had examined Mia, he spoke to Jess.

  “She’s okay, just a sprained wrist and some minor cuts and scrapes. But you need to get her to talk to you.” David was worried over what someone might have done to make Mia like this. She was unresponsive during the examination. Her shouting out ‘No, no more!’ worried him. “I will find Darna and come back. Meanwhile get her to open up to you.”

  The doctor left to contact the children’s psychologist.

  Jess stood in the cubicle rocking Mia in her arms. Her eyes reflected the horror she felt and she was unable to stop a tear sliding down her face. She knew she needed to be strong and hold it together for a little while longer. “Mia, what happened? Did someone hurt you?” There was no response. “Please talk to me.”

  Mia looked at her mother. Should she warn her of what Phil was planning to do? Would that save her? “He said he would kill you, Mom.”

  Jess’s gasped. “What? Who said that? Who’s going to kill me?”

  “He’s going to kill me for telling too.” As Mia spoke she looked up at the ceiling. The despair in her mother’s eyes was making her feel worse and she just wanted it all to go away.

  “Mia, please. Who said they’re going to kill you?”

  “Phil.”

  “Phil? Why would Phil want to kill you?” Phil would never hurt either of us, would he?

  “He said if I told….” But Mia could not say any more, she was crying too much for the words to come out.

  Jess covered her mouth with her hand. Oh, no! Please God, no. Horrible thoughts raced through her head. “What did he do to you?” Mia just sobbed. She could not look at her mother.

  “Please, Mia. Tell me.”

  Mia screamed at her mother. It was the only way she could say the words. “It was my fault, Mom. I started it.”

  Jess shook her head slowly. “Oh, God, Mia. No, you could not have done anything that would make him want to kill you. It can’t be your fault. You need to tell me what happened.”

  “He only does it when you’re out.”

  Jess could feel herself going to pieces as David walked into the cubicle. “That bastard has hurt my baby. He’s done God knows what to her and told her it’s her fault. I am going to fucking kill him! David, will you call the police?”

  “Yes, but who has hurt Mia?” the doctor asked.

  “Phil.”

  “As in your Phil?”

  Jess nodded as she broke down and sobbed into Mia’s hair. “I am so sorry, baby. So, so sorry. Please forgive me.” They both held on to each other, crying, for what felt like an eternity.

  When David returned, his eyes were damp as he looked at Jess. “The police will be here shortly.”

  A few minutes later two female police officers entered the cubicle. “Hello, Jess, what happened?” one of the detectives said.

  “Phil has been hurting Mia,” Jess said quietly, staring at the floor.

  “Hello, Mia. Do you remember us? I’m Detective Rose Timmers and this is Detective Carolynn Palmer.” Of course, everybody knew everybody in Clamton.

  Jess wiped her nose and tried to compose herself. “Mia, you need to tell the officers what has happened, what Phil did to you. I’ll be here. I love you, so please don’t be scared. He can’t hurt you any more, I promise.”

  Jess listened as Mia, in between sobs, told the police that her stepfather was touching her, kissing her, and hitting her. She was scared witless because he threatened to kill her and her mom if she told anyone.

  Jess was boiling inside and her knuckles turned white, her fist so tightly clenched her nails dug deeply into her palm. It took all her strength not to break down again in front of Mia. She would not make it harder for her than it already was.

  The police officers put out an APB on Phil and explained to Jess and Mia that she would have to tell the full story, starting at the beginning. They would leave that until she had had a good night’s rest.

  Jess’s father, John, had already heard the rumors. The news had got around pretty fast that Mia had collapsed at the hospital and the police had been called. John rushed over to the hospital. He arrived just as the policewomen were leaving.

  David was trying to convince Jess to spend the night at the hospital, with Mia, but Jess insisted she was going home, so that if Phil came back, she would be waiting for him. Jess heard the commotion outside as they were talking. She recognized her father’s voice.

  “Mia, I’ll be back in a minute.” Mia nodded her head and Jess left the cubical.

  “Dad, what are you doing?”

  “What the hell has happened to Mia? Why didn’t you call me?” Sue came running down the corridor. He glared at her. “Tell Barbie to back off.”

  “It’s all right, Sue. Dad, calm down.” Jess took a few seconds to compose herself. “Phil’s been hurting her.”

  After Jess explained what little she knew John insisted on escorting Jess and Mia home. He would stay the night at the house with them.

  “Just in case the bastard has the nerve to show his face around here. He’s a sick fuck, and five minutes alone with him will be enough.” John did not look his age and for a grandfather he could still handle himself. In his younger days he had been a bare-knuckle fighter so Phil would have little chance against him.

  ***

  Jess had spent the night in Mia’s bed with her, both afraid of what would happen if Phil came back. Jess had stashed a knife under the bed in case he got past her father.

  At nine a.m. the two policewomen knocked on the door. Yesterday had been hard for them too. This had been the first case of its kind they had come across in their time with the force. They were both dreading listening to all the details today, but that was their job. They needed to be professional and not let their personal feelings interfere. Rose had been a detective for three years and Carolynn just six months.

  “Hi, Jess. How’s Mia?” Rose asked.

  “She had a very restless night, but she’s better than yesterday. Have you arrested him yet?”

  “There hasn’t been any sign of him. Do you think Mia will be up to an interview now?” Carolynn asked.

  “I suppose so, but take it easy on her, please.”

  “If things start to get too much, we’ll stop,” Rose said.

  Jess took the officers into the living room. “Dad, you know Rose and Carolynn.”

  John nodded a hello to the officers. “Have you caught the bastard yet?”

  “No they haven’t, Dad. They have come to interview Mia. Could you leave us alone for a while?” John gave Jess a sharp look. “I don’t want you hearing this, and Mia won’t be comfortable talking in front of you.”

  John looked pained. “You’re right, Jess,
but I’m not going far. I’ll be in the kitchen.”

  He walked over to Mia and put his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be right here, kiddo. He’s not going to get past me.”

  Mia gave her grandpa a hug. John walked to the kitchen, still hoping that Phil would eventually show his face so he could deal with him the old fashioned way. No police, but justice would be served.

  Mia sat down and was told to take her time, to start at the beginning, the first time she remembered Phil hurting her, or saying things she didn’t like. She sat looking down at her hands, not sure what she should say. Her eyes were stinging from trying to hold back the tears.

  Jess sat next to Mia, her face as white as a sheet.

  “Just start at the beginning, Mia. What’s the first thing you remember him doing to you?” Carolynn was trying to sound as friendly as possible and not wanting to push her too hard.

  Mia looked at her mother. “He said he was going to tell you I was teasing him, then you would hate me because it was all my fault. And you wouldn’t want me, just like my dad.” Then she broke down again.

  Jess couldn’t help herself. Tears were rolling down her face too. “It was not your fault, Mia. You did nothing wrong, do you understand?”

  Mia covered her face with both hands. How could it not be my fault?

  Jess tried to calm herself. This was tearing her apart. “Just take your time, honey, there’s no rush.”

  Mia managed to calm down, although the tears did not stop and her body was still shaking uncontrollably. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  Jess managed a smile. “It’s okay, honey, you have nothing to be sorry for. Can you tell the officers what he did to you?”

  ***

  By the end of the interview Mia was hugging herself tightly, unable to look at anybody. She felt so dirty, so unlovable, she was sure they would hate her when they fully realized what she’d done.

  Jess hugged Mia. “It was all him, baby. I’m so sorry. I never knew. I would have stopped it. Please forgive me.”

  “Okay, thank you, Mia. You’ve been very brave. Jess, she will have to be examined by Doctor Vodita to confirm that…. Well, you know why, Jess. I’m sorry, but it’s routine,” Carolynn said.

  “I know.” Jess took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. She had to be strong for her daughter, help her through the trauma. “I’ll make the appointment tomorrow. Mia has been through enough today. She needs to rest now, so if you don’t mind….”

  Carolynn and Rose said their good-byes and let themselves out.

  The next day, Mia was examined by Doctor Frances Vodita.

  Mia thought about her grandma. This doctor was a lot like her. She missed her, the way her whole face would light up when she smiled. Dr Vodita was very kind, explaining everything that was going to happen during the examination. But Mia still felt embarrassed and dirty. She wondered how many more people were going to know what happened to her.

  Chapter 16

  Days had passed and still there was no news of Phil’s arrest. It was hard for Jess to relax. She jumped at every sound and slept in Mia’s bed every night. She was dreading going back to work, but the school term was about to start and there was no point her staying at home when Mia wouldn’t be there.

  Mia was desperate to get out. She needed to find Cain, but her mother would not let her out of her sight for one minute. Jess would cry herself to sleep at night when she thought Mia was sleeping. Mia felt numb. She had done all her crying, and she had promised herself that she would never shed another tear because of that animal.

  They were both finding the strain of not knowing hard to bear.

  Jess was trying to relax by taking a bath. There was a knock on the door. Mia got a strange feeling that she knew who it would be before she opened the door. Indeed, Cain was standing there smiling.

  Her face lit up. “Cain, you came back!” She searched his face, lingered on his smile, and then she threw her arms around him.

  Cain put one arm about her shoulders. “Hello, Mia. Are you all right?” He had been watching out for her, but it had been nearly two weeks since they had spoken. He could not wait any longer. He had to know that she was okay. She had lost a little weight and had black shadows under her eyes, but apart from that she looked well.

  “I didn’t tell anyone about you.”

  “I know you didn’t. I just came to see if you were all right. You look tired.”

  “I’m okay. He’s not coming back, is he? You made him go away?”

  “No, he will not bother you again.” He pulled Mia’s arms from around him when he heard her mother asking who was at the door. “I have to go now, but I’ll be watching out for you. You will be safe.”

  Mia’s heart sank. So he was leaving again. Her eyes filled with tears.

  “Don’t be sad, Mia. You haven’t seen the last of me.” He smiled once more and then turned to walk away.

  Mia heard her mother shout again.

  Jess scrambled out of the bath when she didn’t get an answer.

  Mia knew her mom would be panicking about who might be at the door. But her throat was too tight with the effort of holding back her tears to be able to shout back. He had gone, but he would be back. She just knew he would be.

  Jess rushed down the stairs, tying the corded belt of her robe tight around her still wet body. “Mia, what’s wrong? Who was here? Was it him?” Her voice was high-pitched. “Mia, was it Phil?”

  “No, Mom, it wasn’t him.”

  “Who was it then? Why are you crying?” Jess insisted.

  “It was no one, Mom. I just…well, I need to get out of here. I can’t stay locked up inside forever.”

  “I know, but can we wait a little while longer, wait for school to start? Maybe we’ll have news about his arrest soon.” Her eyes pleaded with Mia to understand.

  Mia hugged her. The look on her mother’s face and the terror in her eyes made Mia feel guilty for lying to her, guilty for allowing Phil to do what he did, and guilty for trying to pressure her into letting her go out. “It’s okay, Mom. He’s not coming back. We’re both safe.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Jess said, “but there’s no way we can be sure until the police track him down.” She looked up and down the road nervously and then pulled Mia back into the house, shutting and locking the door against a hostile world.

  ***

  Two weeks and three days after Phil had disappeared school started up again. There was still no news of him. Mia was glad when school term started as she could finally get out of the house. She needed the freedom. She had been cooped up for too long.

  It was in the second week of school, in class, that she felt Cain’s presence. It was strange, but she believed she knew when he was around. At lunchtime she went to the school nurse and told her she wasn’t feeling well. The nurse called Jess to come and collect her. Mia was told to wait outside as another child was being carried in with blood pouring from his nose.

  She had to see Cain, no matter what. She snuck out of school and ran to the woods. But not a sign of him, and yet earlier she had been sure he would be here.

  She jumped when her cell phone started ringing.

  “Mia, where are you? Are you all right? The nurse said you weren’t well. I’m at school but I can’t find you. I called the house and there was no answer.”

  “Mom, calm down. I’m on my way home. It’s just a headache.”

  “Why didn’t you wait for me?”

  Mia sighed. “I just wanted some fresh air.”

  “I’ll be home shortly. Don’t open the door to anyone.”

  “Okay, Mom.” Mia rolled her eyes. This was getting ridiculous. She felt safe.

  She made her way home and arrived just two minutes before her mother came running through the door and immediately began to make a fuss of her. After being almost force-fed some pain killers Mia headed to her room to lie down. She saw it as soon as she entered her room—a large envelope lay on her bed. Slowly she picked it up, her heart hammering. Sh
e opened it and started reading, hardly able to believe that he had been right here and she had missed him.

  My Angel

  That man you were afraid of is no longer around. I will never let anyone hurt you again, I promise. Wear the pendant. It will protect you! You may not see me, but I will always be near. This I promise you. Thank you again for helping me.

  And please burn this letter as soon as you can.

  Cain

  Mia tipped the envelope upside down and a silver angel pendant on a delicate chain fell out onto the bed. The angel was two inches high and an inch wide. As she held it up to the light the red heart in the center moved as if it had liquid inside the glass. Mia ran her finger along one of the folded wings. She thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. “Oh, Cain,” she said out loud, “thank you. I will never ever take it off.” She knew he would be listening.

  ***

  Mia went down for breakfast the next morning wearing the pendant. Jess noticed it and walked over to her. “Where did you get the necklace from?” She lifted the angel and turned it over a couple of times, scrutinizing it carefully before letting it drop again.

  Mia turned away from her mother and sat at the table before she answered. “I found it when I was in the woods, ages ago.” It was the only thing she could think of to say.

  “You have to put up flyers, in case someone recognizes it. You can’t just keep it because that’s stealing.”

  “But what if someone says it’s theirs and it’s not?”

  “No one would do that, but we don’t have to put a picture on the flyers, then if someone tries to claim it, we can ask them to describe it.”

  Mia reluctantly agreed to help put some flyers up around town.

  ***

  Weeks turned into months and there had been no sign of Cain. Mia had her pendant, and no one had tried to claim it. She knew he would be around, and even if she could not see him she sometimes felt like he was about.