Free The Elephant Girl (Choc Lit) by Henriette Gyland Page B

her life a misery. Fay was smiling.
    One day you won’t be smiling like that.
    ‘I like it,’ she replied to Jason’s question.
    ‘Fantastic,’ said Charlie. ‘We could do with another woman in the house.’ She reached for the coffee pot, sloshed coffee into four mugs, then passed them around. There seemed to be a special unity between the three of them, the way they would follow up on each other’s actions. It was like a strange, modern dance, beautifully choreographed, and Helen wondered if she’d ever find that.
    The last mug was still standing empty in the centre of the table. As if on cue, the kitchen door banged open and a young man came in. He was lanky with mocha skin and almond-shaped brown eyes framed by thick dark lashes, and his black hair was arranged in thin plaits running across his scalp in a sideways pattern. He wore a tight-fitting T-shirt, low slung hipster jeans, and a chunky silver chain around his neck, and looked like a cover model for a hip hop fashion magazine.
    She wasn’t the only one affected by his presence. Charlie had gone rigid, but it was hard to say whether this was due to attraction or dislike.
    ‘This is Lee,’ said Jason. ‘He lives on the top floor. Lee, Helen’s going to move in across from Fay.’
    Lee filled the last mug, stirring in milk and sugar. ‘C-cool,’ he stuttered and left the room.
    ‘He doesn’t say much,’ Jason explained.
    Charlie scowled. ‘That’s because he has nothing to say for himself.’
    Definitely dislike.
    ‘Charlie,’ Jason warned.
    Charlie ignored him. ‘He’s nasty. He mugged some old lady and kicked her in the stomach when she was too terrified to let go off her handbag. I just think Helen ought to know before she moves in that Lee’s done time for violence.’
    Helen’s eyes cut to Fay, but Fay was staring at her mug. She then sent Jason a questioning look, wondering if she’d been mad to agree to stay. The thought of a mugger in the house didn’t bother her as much as the idea of having walked in on someone else’s argument.
    Jason seemed to pick up on her concern. ‘Don’t worry, Lee’s harmless. You know what I’m trying to do here, Charlie. I don’t judge based on the past, but on what people do now and what they contribute.’
    ‘He doesn’t contribute anything. The old dear died of fright. You talk to her family about c-c-contribution,’ she mocked.
    Jason held his ground. ‘It’s a tough one to swallow, but he’s got to live somewhere. I’d rather it was me making sure he sees his social worker than no one doing it. Besides,’ he added, ‘I think everyone deserves a second chance.’

Chapter Six
    ‘Do you have a lot of stuff to bring?’ Jason asked when Helen was about to leave. ‘I have a small van if you need transport.’
    ‘One of those little three-wheeler thingies?’
    ‘Almost. It has four wheels, though. It’s even got advertising on the sides.’
    ‘Yeah?’ She cocked her head to one side, gently mocking. ‘What does it say?’
    ‘Vinyl Destination.’
    ‘Really?’ She laughed and shook her head. ‘No, it’s all right. I’ve moved around a lot recently, so I don’t have much.’
    Part truth, and partly an excuse, Jason thought. Maybe she had been asked to leave from her previous address, and he could guess the reason. Maybe she didn’t want him to run into her old flatmates in case they bad-mouthed her. Keeping him at arm’s length made sense.
    This child’s death would weigh heavily on her conscience. It would for anyone, unless they were made of stone, so he hadn’t pressed her when she confided in him on the landing. Instead he’d suggested going back to the kitchen for a cup of coffee to give her some space. His was a policy of one step at a time. When she was ready to talk, he’d listen, but he wouldn’t force any details out of her.
    Her caginess and the way she’d looked away, then met his gaze full on as if challenging him told him something else too. A part of her