Jodie got a call even before the ambulances and cop cars started arriving. Her face was so serious as she listened that Sandy knew that it wasn’t good news from the very start.
Jodie clicked the ‘call end’ button and clipped her phone to her belt.
‘Sandy, it’s going to get noisy in a minute – they’ve found someone in the stairwell.’
Sandy didn’t wait to hear the rest. Sirens and lights were filling the courtyard as she yanked open the front door. Emergency vehicles were converging on the entrance to the block. She peered over the edge of the balcony. A crowd was gathering too, mostly silent, looking towards the door to the stairwell, just watching. She leaned further to try to get a better view. She didn’t want to see Mina’s body there, lying on the concrete, but if this was happening she needed to see it.
Her screams were heard above the sirens, making people look up, a blur of faces.
Jodie came up behind her and grabbed her shoulders.
‘It’s not her, Sandy. Come away. Come inside.’
Sandy tried to shrug Jodie’s hands away, but that cow wasn’t letting go. She manhandled her away from the edge.
‘We’re going inside. I need to talk to you.’
‘No! Let me see her! I’m her mum!’
‘It’s not her. It’s a teenage boy. Looks like a stabbing.’
It took her a while to be calm enough for Jodie’s words to sink in.
‘I need to be sure. I need to see it with my own eyes.’
‘Trust me, you don’t. I’ve dealt with too many cases like this. It’s ugly. He’s still alive, just. My colleagues are dealing with it. It’s not Mina.’
She led Sandy inside. As the news sank in, numb despair replaced the panic.
‘What’s going on round here? It’s like everything’s out of control …’
‘Could be anything, Sandy. Knife crime is pretty prevalent around here. We did interview two lads yesterday as part of the investigation, though.’
‘Two lads? Why?’
‘We had reports that one of them had seen Mina on the Thursday. We’re still checking everything out.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘It’s a fast-moving investigation, Sandy. We’re following every lead we find, but we haven’t made any arrests yet. I’m not told about every last thing.’
Sandy slumped forwards in her chair. ‘I never even thought about kids with knives …’
‘Chances are this is completely unconnected – a gang thing. Try not to think the worst.’
What else was there to think about, though?