But when another van arrived that driver pointed to six of the other girls and waved them out of their seats to go with him. The London girls were told to give their passports to the new man. They exchanged hasty goodbyes with Marta, Zofia and Petra and wished each other luck.
Lee Stone drove them to the house and Harper had met them there. The place had recently been painted and carpeted. It smelled of cheap gloss and glue and mildew.
There was an older woman there too. She had orange dyed hair, a large bust and a wheezy voice. Her fingers were thick with rings. Mr Harper introduced her as Josie. Josie would show them the ropes, get them settled in. They should get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow there would be a party. Some of Mr Harper’s friends were coming over, keen to meet the girls.
Marta had felt her smile waver and noticed the flutter of nerves in the other girls’ responses.
‘Where are we doing the dancing?’ Zofia had asked.
‘Here darling,’ Josie had said. ‘And tomorrow we’ll sort you out with some nice new costumes.’
Marta closed her eyes. Her head still pounded and she felt sick to the stomach. No one had told them when they would be sent back to Poland. Probably Rosa’s remains would be sent back, too, so her family could bury her in the local churchyard.
If she got a chance Marta would call home; a night or two to see her own parents, find out how they were getting along. And then? She’d find out whether people could get her into Berlin or maybe Rome? Or London, she still fancied London and her English was much better now.
She looked again as the security van left the motorway and braked at a large roundabout. She stared at her own reflection in the glass, into her own eyes. London, she promised herself, next time I’ll make it to London.
*****
Back at base, Janine and Richard checked in with the incident room.
‘Nothing from the airlines,’ said Richard. They were trying to establish when and how Sulikov had entered the country
‘Maybe he drove. We’ll try the ports?’
‘Yes.’ Janine checked her watch. If she left now she could call at the shopping centre for essentials on the way back, get home more or less when she’d promised. ‘Take Harper’s statement,’ she said to Richard. ‘DNA swab as well. And bail him to return here first thing in the morning.’
Halfway round the mini-mart, with a thrill of panic, Janine remembered Charlotte’s appointment. Today! She had meant to cancel. Damn! She paid for the nappies and the crisps and the hair conditioner and on the way back to her car she scrolled through her phone directory for the doctor’s number.
