I stop breathing. It’s not Daisy’s, but Allegra’s voice I can hear through the phone.
“I keep shaking her but she won’t open her eyes.”
“Allegra? What’s happened? How long’s she been asleep?”
“I don’t know... I was at Shona’s... her mum cooked us... some tea. When I came back... I found Mum... on the floor... like this.” Between the crying and the sobs it takes her a while to get the words out.
“Is she hurt? Are there any bruises?” Of course, my first thought is Darren. If he’s beaten her up again and Allegra’s seen it...
“She’s been sick, and there’s blood on her nose. Can you help me wake her up? Please help me.”
I feel myself start to choke, but I need to hold it together. “I’ll be right over. In the meantime I need to call an ambulance, okay?” Please God, let Daisy be all right.
“Don’t hang up. I’m scared.” She starts to wail louder. “Please don’t leave me.”
“I won’t leave you. Not ever.” Suddenly, I couldn’t give a damn about the posh restaurant and any sense of decorum they may require. I run back inside and grab Simon’s arm, demanding he dial 999. A hush falls over the room as everybody listens in to our conversation and my garbled explanation. Even the waiters freeze on the spot. Moments later I have two phones in my hand, and am relaying instructions across to Allegra as she listens and cries.
Simon throws a pile of cash on the table and we leave, hailing a taxi with one hand while he holds me with the other. When a black cab pulls up he yanks open the door and we climb inside, Simon’s expression a mixture of horror and concern. He says nothing as we pull away, just reaches out to wipe the tears that are pouring down my face as I keep talking to Allegra, telling her I won’t be long. And though I don’t say it, from every response she gives to my questions, I know that Daisy is in deep trouble.
27
My mind works overtime as the cab winds its way through the dusky London streets. I can almost hear it whirring as I try to work out the distance between us and the estate, leaning forward to check the cab’s milometer to get an estimated time of arrival. I whisper reassuring words down the phone in an attempt to keep Allegra san
e, trying not to wince at her shuddering breaths echoing down the earpiece. Since the initial shock has worn off, I’ve found myself becoming calmer.
Allegra deserves to have somebody be strong for her. It’s a role I find myself stepping into without question. I take on the mantle of white knight gladly. If anybody needs a champion on a steed, it’s her.
When the cab pulls into the estate I jump out, leaving Simon in my wake. He’s about to follow me toward the tower block when I lay a hand on his shoulder, halting his movements.
He looks shell-shocked. Old. A flash of pity washes over me.
“Can you stay in the cab and wait for the ambulance?” I ask. I don’t tell him he’ll be a liability if he follows me up the stairs. “When it gets here, tell them the flat is on the fourth floor, on the second corner. I’ll have the door open for them.”
Simon hesitates and I take it as a submission. He stays seated.
“Don’t let the cab leave without you, okay? I’ll stay with Allegra and call you when we get to the hospital.” I feel as if I’m talking to an elderly gent, but he’s such a fish out of water here I’m scared he’s an easy target. Even the cab driver seems jittery, and I hear the clunk of the car doors locking as soon as I walk away.
I’m nearly at the tower block when Simon winds the window down and shouts out. “You can’t go up there alone.”
I don’t have time to quell his fears. I still have Allegra on the phone, her wailing replaced by a more ominous silence. There’s no doubt she’s my number one priority right now.
“Yes I can.”
Making my way across the littered square and into the stairwell, my high heels bang against the hard concrete. Though I consider taking off my shoes to speed my ascent, the thought of broken glass makes me rethink. Instead, I put my weight on the balls of my feet, eschewing my heels altogether. I pull the hem of my dress down in order to look halfway decent.
It’s fairly quiet when I get to the fourth floor. I make my way to Daisy’s flat, all the while speaking softly down the phone. “I’m nearly there, sweetheart. Just another minute, okay? Keep breathing.” By this point Allegra’s unable to talk. The only sounds I hear are soft sobs and the occasional gasp. I want to hold her and tell her everything is okay. But it isn’t; it hasn’t been for a long time. We’ve let her down, every single one of us. Made this eight-year-old child grow up so quickly.
“I’m outside the door, can you open it?” Taking a deep mouthful of air, I steel myself for what’s inside. There’s a rattling, followed by the complaining creak of a hinge, and the door swings open. Allegra launches herself at me, her head slamming into my chest. Her loud wails cut through the silence and it takes me a minute to realise she’s actually trying to say something. Chant it, really. I have to stoop down to make out the words.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Like a litany, she says it over and over.
I stroke her hair, murmuring gentle words in an attempt to calm her. “It’s okay, it’s not your fault.”
“It is, it’s all my fault. I lied, I said he wasn’t here. I told them she wasn’t taking drugs. Please don’t hate me.”
“I don’t hate you, I love you.” I hug her close, trying to show how much I mean it. Allegra’s cries become louder, almost hysterical. I bury my face in her hair. “I need to go inside and check on your mum. Do you want to wait out here?”
“Don’t leave me.” Her small hands make fists against my chest, clinging onto my dress as if she’s trying to hold me back. For the first time I hesitate, torn between an unconscious woman and her distraught child. When I see Daisy’s neighbour poking her moon-face around her door, I almost want to smile.