‘You a social worker?’ he said scornfully.
‘Try it,’ Rachel said.
‘Fuck off.’
‘I dare you.’
He looked askance.
‘Bring the bike, we’re building a stunt circuit. You can do stunts, can’t you?’
He glared at her.
‘Open three till ten every day. Doesn’t have to be like this,’ she said. Cursing herself as the words left her mouth, sounding all touchy-feely like Alison. He looked at her, raised eyebrows, a hint of humour in his eyes. Why did she bother? She’d tried this sort of thing with Dom and that had worked out really well, hadn’t it?
Janet sat with Elise and two detectives from division in the soft interview room at Middleton police station.
DC Goodman was doing most of the questioning. Young – well, young in Janet’s eyes – and mild-mannered with a slight stutter, he had explained to Elise her rights, why she was there and that she was free to leave at any time.
His colleague, DC Khan, spoke to introduce herself, then kept notes and listened intently to Elise’s answers.
So far Elise herself had been subdued, cooperative. No tears today, though she sometimes came close. There were tissues on the table, water and glasses.
‘Then we went to get a drink in the kitchen,’ Elise said.
‘What did you have?’
‘Cider,’ she said.
‘And Olivia?’
‘Same.’
‘And then?’
‘We talked to some people there and then went in the living room. Someone was playing music, on decks,’ she said. ‘We got another drink, more people came and then this girl was going round, talking to people and selling things, drugs.’ Her voice wavered. ‘Olivia said we should try some, to have a laugh. The girl stopped by us and she said, “What are you after?” Olivia said, “Something for the party,” and the girl held up some pills with smileys on. “Es,” she said. I said, “No, it’s all right.” I didn’t want to get them but then she said, “How about some Paradise?” We didn’t know what she meant. Then she showed us these tablets, said it was legal, there was no law against taking it or buying or selling it. And that it would put a smile on our faces like E. I thought maybe she was making it up, but she said check it online if you want to, everyone’s selling it, you go into Headspace in town and you can get it there. It just sounded better. So we said yes.’
‘How much did you get?’ DC Goodman asked.
‘Two each, ten pounds altogether,’ Elise said.
‘And who paid?’
‘Me, I did,’ she said, glancing at Janet, her face clouded with misery.
‘Can you describe the person who sold you the drugs?’ DC Goodman said.
‘She wasn’t as tall as me, she had black hair, wavy. I think she was mixed race. I don’t remember anything else.’