The Boy No One Loved and Crying for Help 2-in-1 Collection. Casey Watson

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СКАЧАТЬ he said again. ‘Here, let me grab that one as well. It’s just that there’s some other stuff come up – quite serious stuff – that needs discussing. Hence the big boss being here, and all the others. Go on – you go and start getting some drinks sorted or something. I can take these through and get everyone settled.’

      I tutted at John in mock indignation, though, in truth, he was a master at putting people at their ease, and I always felt more secure when he was around. Which was just as well, because these people, all together, were all a little bit intimidating. They didn’t mean to be, I was sure, but they couldn’t help it. They just were. They were the ones who made all the life-changing decisions, whereas I felt very much the little pit pony, toiling at the coal face.

      I went into the kitchen and pulled down my large coffee jug and tea pot and, once I’d filled them, I took them into the dining room to sit alongside the assortment of china I’d already taken through; my non-matching milk jug and sugar bowl and mish-mash of different cups. Why would I have matching cups, though? In our family, we all used mugs.

      Seeing them all, I felt slightly embarrassed at my lack of taste in such affairs, even so. It was something I’d definitely inherited from my mother; we’d always been a make-do-and-mend kind of family, always able to find a bit to enjoy a nice treat with the children, but not so fussed on wasting money on posh china. But perhaps, now that I was going to be hob-nobbing with the great and the good of social services, I ought to splash out a bit. I made a mental note to buy a matching set of cups, at least, the next time I did the shopping.

      No-one else seemed to notice though – or, if they did, it wasn’t obvious – and, to my surprise, Harrison leapt up and proceeded to be mother; it was the most animated I’d seen him so far.

      It was Gloria – the ‘big boss’ – who started the ball rolling, by introducing herself and letting us know she’d be chairing the meeting and also taking minutes – this was going to be pretty official, it seemed. She seemed really nice, though, and I found myself warming to her immediately; she had a friendliness about her, and I wondered what her background might be. She seemed both warm and wise: a reassuring combination. Which was important, as over the last few days, and amid all recent the trauma, I was beginning to find a sense of maternal protectiveness growing inside me. I felt professionally responsible – which I was: Mike and I both were, of course – but now also emotionally responsible for Justin’s welfare.

      The next stage was for everyone present to give an update to the others about their contact with Justin and his current condition. John confirmed that he’d been unable to glean anything further concerning the disclosures I’d recently passed on to him. Harrison did likewise – he had no notes with him, but said pretty much the same as John had; no further progress.

      Julia did have news: she was able to update us about the recent school exclusion. She was able to confirm what the school had told me, that the girl’s parents had decided not to take the matter further; but added that as the girl had told the school that she was still frightened of Justin – as were several other pupils – it had been decided that Justin be supervised at break times and lunchtime. He wasn’t happy about this, apparently, but they were going to stand firm – it would continue for the foreseeable future.

      Helen had more positive news. Apparently Justin’s behaviour in class had improved slightly, as had the level of his academic accomplishments. As a result they’d decided to reset his school targets in order to make him push himself even harder, the key to an improving profile being very much grounded in the child constantly striving to do better. They believed this particularly applied to Justin, as they felt that, academically, he had much more to offer than anyone had originally thought, which was pleasing.

      It was then my turn and I spent some time describing in detail the distressing disclosures, the discovery of self-harming and the blow-up following Justin finding out I’d passed it all on. I felt strongly, and said so, that though we’d come through it and were okay now, that he was still quite distressed at having to deal with the feelings that confronting these suppressed memories had evoked.

      Gloria nodded her agreement. ‘I think you’re absolutely right, Casey,’ she said. ‘This is a pattern we see regularly with abused and damaged children. It all comes out and, well … then, sadly, we see what we’ve seen.’ She consulted her notes. ‘Anyone got anything else to add here? I see that you’ve something, John, yes? Some information from one of the younger siblings’ social worker?’

      I felt my stomach shift. So here was that ‘something else’ I’d been expecting.

      John cleared his throat. ‘Yes, and I only got the phone call confirming all the details this morning, so what I’ve discovered will be news to all of you, I think. But, yes, a colleague rang me to inform me that Mikey – he’s the older of Justin’s two younger brothers – has given a teacher at his primary school cause to believe that he’s been subjected to sexual abuse.’ He paused to let all of us take this news in. The implications, if so, were very serious – particularly, I realised, with an already sinking heart, for poor Justin himself.

      John continued. ‘He apparently told his teacher that his mum’s “friend” had been “pulling on his winkie” and that he “didn’t like it”. And of course, since this fits in with what Justin’s told Casey about similar occurrences involving drug dealers in the past, we’ve alerted the child-protection team. They’re obviously investigating it as a matter of urgency because if she still has relationships with any of these characters, then the two boys are obviously at risk.’

      ‘So contact for Justin needs to be suspended, then,’ Gloria said.

      John nodded. ‘Yes, of course. Certainly while all this is going on.’

      ‘Which is going to be tough on him,’ I said.

      ‘I appreciate that,’ Gloria answered, smiling at me sympathetically.

      ‘And what about the other boys?’ I asked. ‘Will they be taken into care too?’

      ‘Too early to say,’ she said. ‘Depends what the child-protection team discover. All I can tell you for sure at the moment is that Mikey, Alfie and Janice are all very much under the microscope.’

      ‘But whatever happens, it’s going to impact badly on Justin. Seeing his little brothers is such an incredibly big thing for him. If he’s denied that …’

      ‘Well, we’ll just have to keep everything crossed that doesn’t have to happen,’ soothed Gloria. ‘But don’t worry in any case – whatever happens with the siblings in relation to their mother, we’ll make sure they can remain in contact with Justin. We’d obviously make that a priority.’ She glanced at her notes and shook her head slightly. ‘And from what I’ve read, the relationship with his mum is pretty fractured in any case.’

      Not half as fractured, I thought privately, than it would surely become if Janice found out that Justin had disclosed details of the abuse he had suffered and the part it was about to play in the current investigation. If the intervention by social services meant she lost her younger sons, she’d blame him. Of that I was sure. However peripherally his own past was a factor compared to the disclosures made by Mikey. However morally wrong and muddle-headed that position might be.

      I thought sadly of the contact they had at the moment, which amounted to one phone call to Janice every week. He barely spoke to his little brothers – there’d be the odd time they’d come to the phone, but it wasn’t often – and the calls (still, despite everything, a highlight of Justin’s week) were absolutely heartbreaking to listen to. The halting conversations, the banality of the subject matter, the lack of anything approaching meaningful, СКАЧАТЬ