Scarlett snorted from beside me. She’d heard every word of what I’d said to the guy.
“Is our girl okay?”
“I’m fine, Drake,” she replied for me, “I promise. I’m just cold and tired.”
“I love you, little wisp.”
“Love you too.”
“Take care of her, Pres. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
He hung up. Scarlett looked at me.
“You sure about taking us to Rosie?”
I reached over and stroked her thigh.
“Yes. It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
We lapsed into silence as I drove. What happened tonight was fucked up.
Scarlett fell asleep during the journey. When I pulled up at Mum’s house, I had to wake her. It had stopped raining by then. We’d be safer here than anywhere else, considering Mum didn’t have any close neighbours. I held Scarlett’s hand as we walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. We were met with the sound of dogs barking. Boxer, Bean and Bone were Mum’s Labrador Retrievers.
The door was pulled open a minute later, revealing Mum in a dressing gown with her blonde hair up. She’d clearly locked the dogs in the kitchen, as they weren’t on her heels. Her blue eyes widened when she took me in. I’d put my coat on and wiped the blood from my hands and face, but there was still mud all over my trousers and trainers.
“Prescott? What on earth are you doing here? What happened?”
Then her eyes fell on the girl beside me and her mouth dropped open. Our clothes were still damp. Scarlett had muddy streaks all over her legs and arms.
“Who is… oh my god.”
“Hi, Mum, listen, I know this is a shock, but could you perhaps let us in? Scarlett’s freezing and I need to put her to bed.”
Mum stood back to allow the two of us into the house. I didn’t lean down to kiss her cheek as I usually would. She shut the door behind us and locked it.
“I’m going to put her in the shower and myself too. I’ll talk to you after I’ve put her to bed, okay?”
She gave me a nod, but I could see her wanting to ask me a million and one questions. Right now, my priority was my girl. I tugged her away to the bathroom on the ground floor, glad my mum had tiled floors. Easier to clean the mud off them we were traipsing in. Scarlett came willingly and let me undress her after we got into the bathroom. We walked into the shower together when we were both bare. Scarlett’s eyes were drooping. My girl was absolutely exhausted.
We washed thoroughly before I turned off the shower and bundled her up in a towel. Then I carried her from the bathroom after slinging one around my hips and took her upstairs into the bedroom Mum kept for me here when I visited. Setting her down on the bed, I dug out one of the t-shirts I’d left here and pulled it over her head.
“Pres…”
“Shh, it’s okay. Get into bed and try to get some sleep. I’ll be up soon, okay, sweetness?”
I tucked her up underneath the sheets and pressed a kiss to her forehead. I’d done my best to dry her braided hair, but it was still damp. She didn’t seem to mind as she closed her eyes and drifted off.
I pulled on some jogging bottoms and a t-shirt before making my way downstairs. I gathered up all of our wet, muddy and blood-soaked clothes, taking them into the utility room next to the kitchen and stuffing them in the washing machine before turning it on. Then I grabbed our trainers and put them in the sink, washing away the mud and grime with the water. I set those on the side when I was done.
Taking a breath, I made my way into the kitchen. The dogs barked at me and I petted them so they’d settle down. Mum was sat at the kitchen table with a mug between her fingers. I took a seat and dragged my fingers through my hair.
“What’s going on, Prescott?”
“It’s better that you don’t know details.”
“My son turns up at the door covered in mud with a girl who disappeared ten years ago in tow and you expect me to not ask questions?”
I sighed and looked away. The three dogs curled up around Mum’s feet when they realised I wasn’t going to give them more attention.
“I expect you to trust me when I tell you if I involve you in this, you won’t like what I have to say.”
Mum had no clue what me and the others had engaged in for the past ten years. We’d all made sure our parents were none the wiser about our activities. It was better for them that way. And yet today, I’d brought Scarlett here for her safety.
“Are you in trouble?”
“Yes, and no. The only thing you need to know is Scarlett is back.” I paused, hating keeping things from her but knowing I had to, for all our sakes. “We need to stay a couple of days… if that’s okay.”