Free The Girl in the Rug by K Leitch

have been rolling in something…’
    ‘Tracy, stop worrying,’ said Tim holding up his hand, ‘it’s
fine, he was just being friendly I’m sure…um anyway if you could ask your
neighbour that would be great.’ And with that Tim made as quick an exit as he
could without being rude.
    ‘Bloody hell buster!’ exclaimed Tracy when she had closed
the door on her new neighbour, ‘you are the most embarrassing dog in the
world.’ Buster hung his head and gave her a look of shame. ‘Oh no don’t think
I’m going to be fooled by that look either, you are a bad bad dog…and what’s
more you are going to get the bath to end all baths,’ she finished with relish
as she dragged him into the bathroom and firmly shut the door.

CHAPTER 11 - HELEN
    ‘If you are really that worried honey, tell that Brenda
woman…you know, what’s her name from social services,’ Helen said, over her
shoulder as she put the finishing touches to her latest canvas.
    ‘Brenda Massey,’ said Maya, who was sitting behind Helen
watching her paint. ‘I did try and get her last week, but she is away, holiday
I think. Anyway last time I speak to her, she just says I’m worrying too much,
maybe she’s right…but something is telling me this is not right, I don’t know
why. I mean the girl could have gone away to relative, but first Andy says it’s
grandma, then the mother tells headmaster that it is auntie. And Andy is not
right…he just sits you know…looking out of the window, never speaking unless I
make him…keeping away from other kids…he is not right.’
    Helen put down her brushes and put an arm around Maya,
‘Love, I can see that this is really worrying you…so tell someone. Even if this
Brenda has gone on holiday there must be someone else you can speak to…do you
want me to have a word with Carla, get her to check it out? Nothing official of
course, but maybe a visit to the home…see what the mother has to say?’
    ‘No, no I think that may be too much. You are right I will
speak to social services again, someone else…is only two weeks after all…is
possible she is at grandma’s all the time.’
    Maya phoned social services after school the next day and
spoke to a Scott Wilson who was standing in for Brenda while she was away. He
was very helpful, listened to what Maya had to say and said that he would look
into the matter personally, which he did by visiting the Hunt residence the
next day.
    He reported back to Maya that evening, ‘Well she’s a right
one that mum isn’t she,’ he began, ‘had to go there three times before she
finally answered the door…stank of booze and the place is an absolute tip, I
don’t know how people can live like that I really don’t. Anyway I managed to
get an address from her for this auntie…it was her sister not her mother,
mother’s been dead for a while, so why Andy said she was at his granny’s is
anybody’s guess. Lives in Chester, so I’ve got the services up there to check
it out…won’t be today though, I’ll let you know when I hear from them ok?’
    And with that Maya had to be satisfied, she was still
worried about the boy though. Looking at him reminded her of her youth in
Poland, living in filth and poverty with an abusive father; she had been just
the same reclusive child. Shying away from anyone in authority lest they asked
too many questions, constantly getting into fights with other kids in the
school who would take delight in picking on her and making her life even
harder…Andy was just such a child…a victim, like she had been.
    Except that Maya was sure that something else had happened
to the boy recently, something that had knocked the wind out of him completely.
There was a new desperation in his eyes; he looked like someone with nothing
left to live for, going through the motions, it tore at her heart strings and
she was determined to help him somehow.

CHAPTER 12 - CARLA
    With their torches sending out an eerie glow into the
freezing fog before