Meagan was facing the road they’d just walked along. ‘The game’s over, Mummy.’
Tricia was looking out at a field, watching a small herd of cows that were sitting close by. ‘What do you mean, Meggy?’
Her daughter was pointing at the road. ‘There’s Daddy’s car.’
Tricia watched in horror as her daughter went racing towards the road.
‘No, Meggy, stop. Please, Meagan.’ Her mind raced, images playing out from the past, hoping they’d become distant memories. The cruelty at the hands of Sean, keeping her locked up, the beatings. If he found them he’d most certainly kill her, and she couldn’t take that chance.
Tricia reached her daughter and pulled her to the ground. They kept low, watching the car speed past, Sean driving.
‘Is he still looking for us, Mummy?’
Tricia struggled to communicate. Her body ached, she was tired, feeling she couldn’t go on, but they had to. Tricia had to do it for Meagan.
‘Yes, Meggy. He’s still looking. We need to make tracks; the station is just a little further. You okay to keep going?’ Tricia crouched beside her daughter, stroking her hand through Meagan’s hair.
‘Yes, Mummy. If you’re okay, then I am too. Arthur is sick. He has a cold, but I’ll look after him.’
Tricia made sure the car had passed, and her husband was out of sight, then they gathered their belongings and headed to the station.
The car park was quiet. A couple of taxis were waiting patiently at the side rank, the drivers reading newspapers. A young couple were embracing outside the main doors, and Tricia wondered if one of them had arrived or was just leaving. She hated goodbyes. It broke her heart when she had visited the west of Ireland as a child, and she had watched her uncle’s tear-soaked face as the train pulled out, heading to Dublin.
As they walked through the main doors, Tricia worried if they’d brought enough clothes with them; if the trains were running; if her sister was home.
She glanced up at the departures board, while Meagan stood beside her. They watched the letters flapping and forming the destination names.
An announcement came over the tannoy. ‘The next train to Exeter will arrive on platform nine in ten minutes. Please make sure you keep your belongings with you.’
Tricia looked at her daughter. ‘That’s us, Meggy. Quick, we need to get tickets. We haven’t got long. You ready?’
Meagan smiled at her mother, and the two of them went to the kiosk.
Sean had driven for half an hour and spotted no sign of his wife. His body was pumping with aggression, anger and fear. Fear of what he’d do when he found Tricia. He frantically rubbed his face, pulling down hard on the skin of his cheek, forcing the gearstick, pumping the clutch, gripping the steering wheel and squeezing it in his hands.
‘What the fuck is she doing? Running out on me, taking my daughter!’ Sean screamed out, punching the side window. He pulled into the train station, parked up and raced inside, checking the toilets, shops, looking along the platforms and questioning the taxi drivers outside as he darted back and forth.
One of the guys gave a quick response. ‘You want to take care of your family a little better, mate.’
Sean squared up to him, and another driver stepped in the middle to calm the situation.
Sean was back in the car and driving along a country road, slowing up, peering into the fields either side. It was like looking for a sand grain on a pebbled beach.
He pulled up, parking beside a field, traipsing across the long grass, calling his daughter’s name.
After a few minutes, he got back into the car and decided to head back to the station and take another look.
Tricia collected the tickets, paying in cash, then led her daughter to platform nine.
She flashed the tickets to a woman dressed in a smart black uniform, who smiled and wished them a pleasant journey.
‘Wow, Mummy, the train is ginormous. Look, Arthur. We’re going for a ride on that. Poor Daddy will never find us. It’s not fair on him.’
Meagan was climbing the steps, looking at the tracks underneath. Tricia followed close behind.
The train was busier than Tricia had expected. People were hoisting luggage onto the racks overhead and the corridor was full of people with red, frustrated faces, pushing past commuters hogging the aisle as they tried to settle.
Tricia instantly felt claustrophobic and had to fight the tightness in her chest.
Once seated, Meagan placed Arthur on her lap, while Tricia waited anxiously for the train to pull out. She watched a family to her left; a mother and father with their teenage son. They had a newspaper spread out on the table and were sharing a crossword, the three of them contributing. The woman got one of the clues and her partner looked proud, applauding her, praising her effort. The woman laughed, basking in her glory. Tricia watched them holding hands, relaxed, so content in each other’s company. The guy stood, asking what they’d like from the buffet car.
How Tricia wished that her life was like this.
A loud piercing whistle sounded from the platform, the doors closed, a beeping noise echoed through the carriage.
Tricia’s heart pounded. She fought back the tears as she watched the excitement on her daughter’s face, her eyes wild with anticipation.
They were sat in the first carriage, Tricia facing the platform, watching as the train pulled out slowly.
Suddenly there was a commotion by the ticket barrier, someone running to the platform, racing towards them, with two people in uniform giving chase. Tricia rose in her seat to see what was going on. The guy was jumping wildly, frantically waving his hands for the train to stop. He reached their window, pounding his fist on the glass.
‘Mummy. It’s Daddy. Wow, I knew he’d find us. He’s so good at this game, isn’t he? Can I open the door for him?’
Tricia sat in sheer terror. Her face was frozen, numb and expressionless. She watched as her husband became a distant figure, the train gathering speed, leaving the platform and station behind until it was surrounded by miles of fields and empty country lanes.
‘Get the fuck off me. That’s my wife and child, you arsehole.’
A security guard was holding Sean to the ground, asking him to calm down, telling him the train had already left and there was no way he was getting on. Sean was fighting to get the guy off him. A lady in a smart black uniform stood behind, saying something into the walkie-talkie that was clipped to her jacket.
As Sean cooled off, they let him stand, watching him brush himself down, wiping his shirt.
‘Where is the train going?’
The staff looked at each other, then the guy answered. ‘Exeter.’
Sean raced from the platform, out to the car park and into his car. He knew the roads to Exeter; it wouldn’t take long. Tricia will be so pleased to see me.
19
Present day
Meagan stood in the hall of apartment six. She reached into her handbag, removed her mobile phone, dialled Oliver’s number and waited.
A minute later, she heard his voice. ‘You’re through to Oliver. Leave a message, and I’ll return the call when I can.’ A long beep sounded.
‘It’s me, I know I’m not supposed to call you, Rob doesn’t know I have a spare phone so don’t worry, but I need to talk. Can you ring me back? Urgently.’ She hung up and went into the kitchen, placing the phone on the table, pacing up and down the floor like a caged animal.