Ditch the van, that would be the only way to get away. She’d got rid of the tracker, driven as far into civilisation as she could before the thought had entered her head. The streets were beginning to darken as Louise pulled into a supermarket car park. She didn’t even know where she was, not having bothered to take in her surroundings. She wasn’t in Glasgow, that was for sure. She had, however, been driving for a while now, so she could be close enough to be able to reach home. She was beginning to panic; the overwhelming sensation that her throat was beginning to close up gripped her firmly, and her blood ran cold. But she wasn’t going to allow the panic attack to set in. She was the only person who could save her now. Tam had sacrificed himself to get her to safety, and she owed it to him to keep going.
Climbing out of the van and not even bothering to close the door, she ran towards the entrance. There weren’t many people around, and suddenly Louise realised that she was out in the open. Exposed. If there were crowds, she could hide in amongst them and go unseen by Donnie, if he was still on her tail. Louise had no way of knowing if that was the case.
Eyeing the small clothing section, Louise moved quickly through the aisles towards it, keeping her head down to hide the blood smeared across her cheeks. No one seemed to pay any attention to her, although it didn’t settle the worry or angst weighing heavy on her chest.
Grabbing a T-shirt and hoodie from one of the rails and gripping them tightly, Louise kept her head down as she moved towards the public toilets.
Stay calm, she thought as she placed her free hand on the toilet door and pushed it open. Upon a quick inspection, she saw that the toilets were empty and thanked the universe that she would have just a few moments alone to do what she needed to do. Locking herself in one of the cubicles, Louise took off her own top and pulled the T-shirt and hoodie on over her head. If she could change her appearance just a little, then it would help her in her quest to get as far away from what the hell had just happened, an event in her life that she still couldn’t wrap her head around.
Opening the door, she glanced at herself in the mirror above the sinks and realised that she still very much resembled herself. That, coupled with crimson-stained cheeks meant she had more work to do. She moved across the floor and splashed her face with water, before scrubbing at her skin. Washing away what was left of her brother, she thought. A lump formed in her throat at the vision of what was likely to have happened to Tam, before she pushed the images away and tried hard not to let out a wail of terror. She had to keep it together if she was going to get out of the supermarket without getting caught.
She’d considered going to the nearest police station, but the fear of no one believing her was too overwhelming. Who would believe a stupid little girl over a man like Donnie? A businessman, with a wife and a successful career? The idea was out of her head quicker than it took her to get changed in the bathroom.
She needed something else. A hat, maybe a wig? There was no more time, the hood would have to suffice. Pulling it up over her head, Louise took a deep breath and shoved her own tops into the hand towel bin beneath the sinks and opened the door. Stepping out onto the shop floor, she expected someone to be waiting on her, to ask her what exactly it was she thought she was doing. But to be greeted with empty space – and no one there to question her – flooded her with relief.
She rushed towards the door, fully aware that the alarms were going to go off because she hadn’t removed the security tags. Tam had told her how removing them would either set the alarms off before you even got to leave the shop, or ink would explode from the tag and stain the clothes. She’d rather set them off on the way out and try to run as fast as she could. She supposed that if she was caught by security and they themselves called the police, then she would have to tell them why she was stealing clothes, why she was running. There would be no other choice.
Reaching the exit, she passed between the scanners and prayed that they’d remain silent and she would be able to get away unnoticed.
Holding her breath, Louise stepped over the supermarket threshold onto the paved footpath outside and waited for the loud, high-pitched sound to come. It didn’t. No one seemed to notice that Louise was out of the store, with stolen goods on her back.
Her heart thrummed in her chest as she moved across the car park, weaving in and out of the parked cars. She no longer resembled the girl who’d been with Donnie just hours before. No longer was she the little sister of Tam, nor was she innocent now. She’d been stupid to fall for Donnie Black. But he’d been so convincing that he wanted her. It turned out that he only wanted her to suffer, to gain money from selling her to whoever he’d told Tam to deliver the van to.
Nausea crept up to her throat as she thought about Tam. She couldn’t believe that he’d sacrificed himself like that, just to let her get away. They’d both been fooled by Donnie and now Tam had paid the ultimate price. Maybe she could go back for him; maybe he would still be alive? Louise knew she was clutching at hope, when in fact all hope was gone the second she’d set eyes on Donnie Black.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced the nausea out of her mind and moved out of the car park and onto the main road. She was able to stop herself from being sick, but she couldn’t stop the tears as they trickled down her face.
‘Are you okay?’
The voice startled Louise as she glanced up in the direction of the person who’d spoken. A woman around her mum’s age was staring at her with a worried expression on her face.
Louise opened her mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say.
‘Do you need help?’
Nodding, Louise felt her legs go from beneath her. The woman put her arms out to catch her but missed. Louise sat down, her back against the wall surrounding the car park, and sobbed uncontrollably as the woman crouched down beside her and seemed almost close to tears herself.
‘My brother’s just died,’ Louise wept.
‘Oh love, I am sorry. Should you be at home with your family?’
Shit, what the hell was she going to tell her parents about Tam?
‘I can’t,’ she replied. ‘The people who did it, they’re after me.’
The look of horror which spread across the woman’s face scared Louise. ‘Did what?’
Louise glanced up at the sky through her tears and admitted defeat. She had to go to the police. There was no other choice.
‘Someone killed him and I need to get to the police. Please, help me,’ Louise said, failing to compose herself as the woman helped her to her feet.
‘Come on, love, my car is just over there. I’ll take you to wherever you need to go. Don’t worry, you’re safe with me.’
Louise allowed the woman to help her to the car, and as she climbed into the passenger seat, all she could think of was the look on Tam’s face when she last saw him. He knew he was going to die. Louise had known, on some level, that she was leaving her brother to face a brutal death all on his own.
She would never forgive herself for that, but she would get justice for him. Even if getting it killed her too.