They’ve found Sally Ward.
She’s dead.
Two boys found her in a river about two miles from the Homes. She was wearing a summer dress. The boys had been fishing when they spotted her, tangled up in the reeds and lifeless.
Mr Paterson announces this news at breakfast. I know something is up as he held me back from leaving for school at my usual time and told me to get a later bus. We are all eating and he’s been standing by the door waiting for everyone to come in before he taps an egg cup with a spoon to get us to be quiet. We know it is something bad. He only ever does something like this if it’s bad news.
His head is bowed and his voice is shaking when he starts talking. I’ve never seen him so upset. ‘I’m sorry to have to tell you all this, but Sally Ward’s body has been found by the river. It was found yesterday afternoon and it appears that she may – and I repeat may – have been murdered. The police will have to confirm this.’
There is a big intake of breath. Even though that’s what we had thought had happened, we still get a big shock that she is actually dead.
Jonesy says something like, ‘Oh God.’ I can’t say anything. I feel dizzy. I didn’t know the girl, but for a moment I think I might vomit on the floor.
Mr Paterson then says, ‘Now, obviously this is a very disturbing thing to happen; we wanted you to know the facts before any rumours start. We are going to keep the curfew in place. Don’t be afraid, but be careful.’
There is more silence. No one wants to be the first person to start talking, and no one wants to be the person to start eating or pick up their cutlery. How can you have breakfast when you have just heard something like that? We all sit trying to work out what to do next.
Eventually Mrs Paterson breaks the silence. ‘Eat up,’ she says. ‘This is terrible news, but you’ve all got to have breakfast or you won’t make it through the day. Come on, now.’
We slowly begin to eat, and kids start speaking, but only in a whisper. Most look stunned. One of the older girls is crying and another is comforting her.
*
After we finish, we run up to our bedroom. ‘Jesus. Jesus. Jesus,’ is all Jonesy keeps saying.
It is too shocking. Sally has definitely, definitely been killed. Why else are you dead by a river unless you’ve been for a swim – but why would anyone swim in that mucky cold river? No, she’s definitely been killed. We all agree about that.
Two dead girls in a month. It is the most scared I have ever been. Also – and I don’t know why – but I am excited, I think it’s just that the news is exciting. It is massive, massive news, the second most shocking thing that has ever happened here after Jane being killed.
I have to get ready for school and catch the bus. I usually like to go to school but right now I want to go to the Homes school with everyone else and talk all about what has happened.
‘Tell me anything you find out,’ I say to Jonesy as we say goodbye. ‘And stay safe.’
‘You too, Les.’
*
When we get back to the Homes in the evening, Jonesy is waiting for me on the porch of the cottage. She isn’t allowed out to wait for me by the gates any more.
It turns out that the Homes school was cancelled for the day, which Jonesy said drove Mr and Mrs Paterson crazy as the kids were all in the cottage and not allowed to go out. Mr Paterson gave numbers to four girls and put them in his book, for doing nothing. He’s going to have a whole morning of whacking them this Saturday. Surprisingly, Jonesy wasn’t one of them.
They can’t cancel school again tomorrow. They can’t have no school and no one allowed out of their cottages, it just makes the houseparents angry.
Jonesy says she heard that Sally had been strangled. Apparently, her neck was really red and her eyes were bulging out when they found her. She doesn’t tell me who told her this, so I don’t know if she knows this is true or if someone told someone who told someone who told Jonesy.
‘D’you think someone had sex with her?’ she says.
‘How can you tell?’ I ask.
‘The polis will know; they can just tell.’
‘How?’
‘They look in their fannies.’
‘Eugh.’
I eat in the kitchen while Jonesy fills me in on what’s been happening. At tea they had a minute’s silence for Sally, then they weren’t allowed to talk during the meal.
After I eat, we run upstairs to our room. Everyone is on Jonesy’s bed again. I sit on my bed and listen to them talk about Sally.
By the time the lights go out we are convinced there is a madman out there who wants to kill the girls from the Homes, and if we aren’t careful we will be next. We don’t tell ghost stories as we are all terrified enough as it is.
We ask Mrs Paterson if we can sleep with the light on. She says no. We all wail and she says she will leave the door open and the landing light on and if anyone is scared they can come and see her.
I have never known the Homes to be this collectively scared. The older girls are really worried, as whoever it is seems to be targeting girls their age. There is a lot of noise coming from their room and Mrs Paterson tells them to shut up. The truth is the killer could be after anyone. But as Gran said, life is harder for girls. I decide to go and see Eadie tomorrow, even though it’s not my normal day. I don’t think she’ll mind after what has happened; she will probably have a queue out the building.