Someone Like me (6 page)

CHAPTER 11

‘What do you mean?’ My heart was thumping in my chest. Tess focused her attention onto the biscuits, avoiding Helen’s eyes.

‘I’m not on Facebook, so we can’t be friends.’ She avoided our eyes. ‘Mum won’t let me.’

‘How old are you Helen?’ asked Tess. Helen looked quite young and her voice was high and girlish.

‘I’m twelve,’ she said, ‘in two months and three weeks’ time I will be a teenager. I can’t wait. Mum won’t be able to stop me doing what I want, then.’ Helen narrowed her eyes. ‘So why are you here?’

‘Look,’ I said. ‘Are you the Helen Brown who’s been in the newspapers, the friend of that girl who disappeared?’

‘Miriam,’ she said, her lip trembling.

‘I want to talk to you. I thought I had made friends with you on Facebook – I must have got the wrong Helen. It’s a common enough name. When you do join Facebook then we can be friends for real.’

Tess raised her eyebrows. I nudged her under the table.

‘It must be really hard for you, what happened to Miriam. I would hate it if anything happened to Tess.’

‘Tess?’ Helen looked confused. ‘Don’t you mean Tania?

I held my breath for a moment.

‘Look, I’m going to be honest with you OK? I’m Jasmine, this is Tess, from London. Well, I am, but Tess – oh never mind all that, it isn’t important. We didn’t expect to see your aunt like that; I didn’t know what to say so I made up names on the spur of the moment. Everything else is true.’

Helen closed her eyes, clenching and unclenching her fingers. After a moment she opened her eyes and stared at me.

‘What do you want?’

‘Tess is friends with a girl called Fiona Barton. She’s the one who went on that drama weekend in London and ended up sharing a room with Miriam. Tess’s older brother Mark is best friends with
Khaled. . . ’

Helen gasped, her face going pale. ‘Khaled?’ she whispered and put her hand to her mouth.

I nodded slowly, looking at Tess for support.

‘What’s the matter? Do you know him?’

Helen shook her head, her lips pressed tightly together. There was a hammering sound in my brain.

‘You must feel pretty lonely,’ I said. ‘I bet you haven’t told anybody about this, have you?’

She shook her head. ‘I can’t. Miriam made me promise. I already feel bad about what I said to that policewoman, but Mum kept on at me and I was worried about Miriam. Do you think it’s my fault that she…’ her lip started quivering and her words dried up.

‘Of course it isn’t,’ said Tess. She moved closer to Helen and handed her a tissue.

‘It must be terrible carrying all these secrets inside of you, on your own,’ I persisted. Tess threw me a warning look, but I ignored it. ‘Wouldn’t you feel better if you could tell somebody?’

Helen sighed. ‘You promise you won’t tell? I don’t want to get into trouble.’

‘I promise. We’re on Miriam’s side, remember? Together we might be able to help her.’

Helen glanced over at the house,
then leant forward.

‘I think you know anyway,’ she said. ‘It’s Khaled, he’s Miriam’s secret boyfriend. The one she met online. I had to tell in the end, but I didn’t give them his name. I pretended I didn’t know. Then I saw it in all the newspapers and I thought if I didn’t tell anyone his name then I wasn’t betraying Miriam. That way I was keeping some of the secret, wasn’t I?’ Her eyes looked beseechingly at me.

‘But Khaled can’t be...’ Tess started to say.

‘Of course you were,’ I said loudly, reassuring her, drowning out Tess’s voice. ‘But we didn’t know. Khaled has never mentioned Miriam. So you don’t have to worry about that, he isn’t going round telling people and if you haven’t told anyone then her secret is safe.’

‘I’ve told you two,’ she pointed out sulkily.

‘You can trust us,’ I said. ‘I promise on Tess’s life.’

‘Great. Thanks a bunch,’ said Tess.  At that moment Helen’s aunt came to the back door and called her over. She ran back into the house.

‘On my life!’ said Tess. ‘I might as well slit my throat now.’

‘Don’t be such an idiot! I can’t believe you nearly told her about Khaled.’

‘But he’s Fiona’s boyfriend.’

‘Yes but she doesn’t know that does she? And she doesn’t need to know. We’re not doing anything wrong and I’ve found out a crucial piece of information.’

‘Crucial?
How?’

‘Well  I
  don’t  know,  but  I’m  sure  everything  will eventually fall into place.’

Tess shook her head. ‘You’re crazy. I should never have come.’

Helen appeared at the table at that point.

‘Auntie Lou says you’ve got to go. She’s taking me to the dentist’s. Will you stay in touch with me?’

‘Sure,’ I said. ‘Anytime. Do you have a mobile?’ She recited the number slowly and I punched it into my phone. ‘I’ll ring you tomorrow. I promise. Come on Tess. Stop eating those biscuits.’

Helen led the way back to the house.

‘You need to be careful,’ Tess warned, as we walked back down the drive. ‘She seems so young.’ We turned back to wave. ‘Are you really going to ring her?’

I looked back at Helen. She looked lost. Tess was right.

‘Yes, I will.’

Suddenly it seemed terribly important to find out what had happened to Miriam, regardless of Michael and his involvement.

CHAPTER 12

The postman stepped back as I wrenched the door open.

   ‘Easy!’

   ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you jump.’ I held out my hand. ‘I think those are for me.’

   He pushed his glasses up his nose, peering at the envelopes he held in his hand. ‘Miss Jasmine Robertson.’

   ‘That’s me!’ I said, grabbing it from him. It was slightly thick. My heart rate increased.

  
‘Birthday is it?’

   ‘Something
like that.’ I pushed the door shut with my foot, while trying to see through the envelope. It was the Eurostar tickets. It was really happening. I sat back down at the kitchen table where I’d left my breakfast when I’d seen the postman approaching. I took a large bite of toast and tried to swallow the anxiety I suddenly felt.

It was already getting dark when I left school after my revision class and set off to meet Tess, shivering as I stepped out into the windy street. She’d sent me a text at lunchtime. A light rain had started and I hurried around the corner to where I had arranged to meet her. Five o’clock  her  text  had  said.  I  wondered  whether she’d seen Fiona. It was five minutes past and I was getting irritated when she suddenly appeared at my side.

‘Let’s go,’ she said.

‘Where are we going?’ I asked.

‘You wanted to see Fiona didn’t you?’ I stared at her. ‘Come on,’ she urged, pulling my arm. ‘In here.’ She dragged me into the door of a small café next to the bus stop. It was normally full of workmen and I had never been inside before. Sadie wouldn’t be seen dead in a place like this. I looked around and there at a table at the back was Fiona. She was hard not to miss, with her icy blonde, iron straight hair and her thick black eye make-up. She was with a boy.
A boy with short black hair and big brown eyes.

‘Tess!’ I hissed. ‘Is that…?’ She nodded. Khaled had his arm slung around Fiona’s shoulders and they were looking at a newspaper, which was spread out on the table.

‘Hi Fiona, hi Khaled,’ she said. ‘Do you  remember Jasmine?’

Fiona raised her heavy dark eyes and stared at me. Her eyes flashed with recognition as her gaze travelled up and down. Her lip curled.

‘You haven’t changed,’ she said.

‘I hope you have.’

Khaled nodded at me. Tess pulled out a chair and sat down so I did the same. Although the paper was upside down I couldn’t help noticing the headline
MIRIAM LATEST.

‘I still can’t believe this,’ Fiona said, pointing at the large
black  letters. She  was very small and  had  dainty features, like a doll, which made her eyes stand out in a startling way. Khaled squeezed her arm.

‘Fiona was sharing a room with Miriam, you know the girl who was killed?’ Tess looked at me. I nodded.

‘What is she doing here?’ Fiona addressed the remark to Tess.

‘Jasmine wants to talk to you about Miriam.’
Khaled shifted around in his seat, he looked uncomfortable.

‘I went to see Helen,’ I said, ‘Miriam’s friend, Helen.’ Tess shot me a glance. Something flickered across Fiona’s eyes.

‘So why don’t you speak to her then, if you’re so interested?’

‘I have, she told me to talk to you.’ My hands were starting to sweat; I was making this up as I went along. ‘She feels bad for dropping you in it.’

‘So she should.’ Khaled’s voice was deep, with a slight northern accent.

‘A girl has died!’ said Tess. ‘She did what she had to.’

Fiona put her hand to her mouth. ‘Yeah, you’re right. I can’t stop thinking about it.’

‘What was Miriam like?’ I asked Fiona.

‘She was very funny. A great mimic. Some of the people on the course took themselves really seriously and she hated that.’

‘It said in the paper she had a boyfriend. Is that true?’

Fiona nodded. ‘She kept it secret for ages, but she had to tell me in the end because she needed me to cover for her when she went out in the evening.’

‘Where did she go?’

She shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Out with her boyfriend.

Does it matter?’

‘So did you meet him?’ I was watching Khaled out of the corner of my eye during this. He was playing with a sugar packet, twisting it round and round.

She shook her head. ‘It was funny though, because when she went to meet him she was so excited and
then when she came back her mood had completely changed. She wouldn’t talk about what had happened and I hardly knew her anyway, so I didn’t push it. She did say one thing.’ She paused and took a sip of her coke. Khaled twisted the sugar again, tearing the paper so that it spilled out over the table. ‘Clumsy!’ she said, brushing it away absentmindedly.

‘What was that?’ asked Tess.

‘She said she had wished she lived in London, how it was easy to escape here.’

‘You mean she wanted to run away? You should tell the police.’ That was Tess. Khaled’s head shot up. His leg was fidgeting under the table.

‘No, I think she meant it was easier to be anonymous here, to get lost among the crowds. I got the impression her parents were very strict, that she didn’t have much freedom. She had a hard time even getting them to let her come on the course! She comes from a very small place, where everybody knows each other’s business.’ She rounded on Khaled. ‘What? I’ve told the police all this anyway. I’d do anything to help them. It’s awful, to think that she’s… not here anymore.’

The woman behind the counter was counting out the cash in the till. We gathered up our stuff and went outside. The conversation continued on the doorstep.

‘So is it true that she told you her boyfriend was a Muslim?’ Tess persisted. Khaled rounded on Tess.

‘What’s with all the questions man? She’s told you already. You’re too nosy Tess, that’s your trouble. Anyway…’ he smiled down at Fiona. ‘Muslim boys are the best
innit?’ He bent down and kissed her on the side of her mouth. ‘Let’s go babe,’ he said. ‘Tell Mark I’ll see him tomorrow.’ That was directed at Tess. He ignored me.  He  turned to walk off and collided with a girl who was walking past.

‘Khaled!’ she cried and threw her arms around him. Fiona narrowed her eyes and put her arm through his, pulling him possessively towards her. My heart started beating fast. I would
recognise that red hair anywhere. Good job I had my hair up today and was still in uniform. Why exactly had I wanted to look like her? I kept my head down, making sure to keep them in view.

‘Sadie,’ he said, sounding confused.

‘Let’s go,’ said Tess.

‘Wait!’ I hissed, grabbing her arm. I couldn’t believe it. Khaled knew Sadie.

‘What?’ She shook my arm off. 

‘That girl with Khaled, do you know her?’

Tess looked ahead at them. Khaled and Sadie were engaged in conversation while Fiona pouted at their side, still clinging on to Khaled’s arm. Sadie was different somehow. She wasn’t flirting I realised. The hug had seemed almost needy.

‘Oh her,’ she said dismissively. ‘She’s one of those rich kids who live up by Blossom Hill. Mark knows her; he went to a party at her house once. You know those
massive  houses?  He  said  it  was  a  great party but he doesn’t like her much. Says she’s stuck up.’

‘How does he know her?’

‘He goes to college with her brother, Josh. He’s alright, he comes round to our house sometimes to jam with Mark. Mark’s thinking of asking him to join his band. Why do you want to know anyway?’

‘I want to know everything there is to know about Khaled,’ I said, ‘since I found out about him and Miriam. He looked uncomfortable when you were
asking Fiona about Miriam, did you notice? He’s of far more interest to me than Fiona now.’

‘Fallen for those big brown eyes have you?’

‘Get lost!’ I looked back over at Khaled. ‘It looks like he’s got a big enough fan club as it is without me joining in.’ The group was breaking up now, going their separate ways. I watched as Sadie left. What was her relationship with Khaled? It bothered me. ‘Let’s go,’ I said, my stomach in knots. Following Sadie was a crazy thing to do, and the realization that it had to stop struck me like a punch in my gut. Tess’s phone bleeped in her pocket. She pulled it out.

‘Fiona,’ she said, ‘that was quick.’ She read aloud:

Did you see that cow with Khaled?!!  BTW Jasmine’s not as annoying as I remember.

    ‘Gee thanks,’ I said. ‘I love her too.’