She laughed incongruously. ‘He said he’d been waiting. He-’ She stopped abruptly, and her face went blank. ‘Are you staying for tea, Ricky?’ Her brother was as nonplussed as me. ‘I’ve got lasagne in the freezer.’
‘Debbie,’ I said gently, ‘did he touch you?’
She looked at me crossly. I was an irritation.
‘What did he do? I need to write it down, for evidence.’
‘I didn’t do anything!’ she exclaimed.
‘I know. You haven’t done anything wrong. This man is frightening you, that’s why I’m here. What he is doing is wrong. We want to stop him. What did he do?’
Her hands lighted on her hair, her chain again, then she crossed them round her neck. ‘He held me.’
‘Like, that round your neck?’
‘He kissed me.’ She began to cry.
‘Jesuschrist,’ Ricky swore and stood up abruptly.
‘I’m sorry,’ she wailed.
‘Debbie, it’s all right. He shouldn’t have done that; it’s an assault. it’s not your fault. Debbie?’ She looked up at me. ‘Did he do anything else?’ She shook her head.
‘What he did, that’s a criminal offence, he can be charged.’
‘Mum.’ A child’s voice from the lounge.
She stood quickly, wiped her face roughly with her hands, and went through to the lounge.
‘Ricky?’ He stood with his back to me, arms braced on the edge of the sink looking out to the backyard. ‘Your sister needs to see her doctor. She can’t take this.’
‘Bastard!’ He banged his fist on the edge of the sink.
‘I know. Look, she shouldn’t be on her own. Can you stay with her? Is there anyone else?’
He nodded. ‘I’ll be here.’ He turned to face me. ‘If he comes within a mile of this place I’ll smash his fucking face in. I’ll do for him, I will.’
‘I can see how you feel but that’s not what Debbie needs at the moment,’ I told him. ‘She needs to feel safer, calmer. Maybe there’s somewhere else she could stay, her and the kids. She needs to get out of here till we’ve sorted this guy out. She’s cracking up.’ I emphasized it.
‘What d’you expect?’ He rounded on me. ‘First she’s in the bomb, that does her head in, then this pervert.’
‘I know,’ I retorted, ‘but the best you can do is to just get her some help. Take her to a doctor, get her out of here. Don’t keep ranting on about the stalker and what you’ll do to him. Concentrate on her. Ring me when you’ve sorted something out.’
He glared at me for a moment then nodded. ‘What about…?’
He jerked his head towards the front of the house.
‘If there’s any sign, ring me. I’m going to brief the neighbours, ask them to look out too.’
‘If you’d followed him today…’ he began sulkily.
‘I couldn’t. I had Debbie in hysterics on the phone and when I found that door open I didn’t know what to expect, what she might have done to herself.’
He looked at me. The prospect of suicide appalled him. ‘Nah.’ He shook his head then laughed dismissively. ‘Nah, Debbie would never do anything like that.’
‘Maybe not, but she’s ill. She’s cracking up, Ricky.’
Debbie came in then. I told her I’d be asking the neighbours to look out for the stalker and let me know when he returned. I said that Ricky had promised to stay with her for the time being. I left it up to him to discuss moving out for a while. Then I asked her where her tablets were.
She looked confused, went out and returned with a bottle. I read the label. ‘Have you had any today?’
She appeared to think about it then her face became dreamy and vague. I checked the date and counted out the tablets. By my reckoning, she’d missed three doses.
‘Take one now,’ I suggested, it’ll make you feel better.’ She complied.
‘I’m fine she said, her smile trembling. ‘Just fine.’ Then her hands began to dance again.
