In The Frame Read online

  “Hi Terry,” I said, “can we talk to you for a moment?”

  He looked up at me. We knew each other well.

  “Anna, you really shouldn’t be here, you know?”

  “I know, I understand that, but please? Or is Sam in?”

  “He’s not on till later. And you definitely shouldn’t be speaking to him.”

  “Listen, Terry, I didn’t do this, okay? I know what everyone thinks. I know what it looks like, but really, honestly, it wasn’t me.” I pointed to Danny. “This is my friend Danny. We’re just trying to find out what really happened.”

  “Shouldn’t you be talking to the police, then?”

  “They’re as bad as everyone. They’re blaming me, and don’t seem to be looking for anyone else. But trust me, I know it wasn’t me. Please?”

  He seemed to think for a moment, then nodded.

  “Come on then,” he said, and indicated a doorway to the left.

  We passed through to a small office out the back, out of sight of the main reception.

  “I’ll have to stand here so I can keep an eye on the desk,” he said, “but you two take a seat.”

  “Thanks Terry,” I said. I appreciated the show of faith, and the possible risk he was taking by even acknowledging me. Danny and I took chairs either side of a small wooden table, covered with a pile of old newspapers, an ashtray and two mugs that could have done with a serious clean.

  “How can I help you, then?” he asked.

  Danny took the lead.

  “First of all, thanks for this, we really appreciate it.”

  “That’s all right. I may not have long, though.”

  “Understood. We’re just trying to find out what happened. We should probably speak to Sam really, but if you’ve heard anything, even if it’s just gossip, it might really help.”

  “I’ve just heard what everyone’s heard. Anish discovered the storeroom door smashed open, two cameras had been nicked, and the police then found them at yours.” He indicated to me.

  “Okay,” said Danny, “but what about the actual break-in? Do they know what time it happened?”

  “What? The actual minute?”

  “As close as you can get.”

  “I don’t know. All I know is that the room was locked up as normal about six so some time after that.”

  Danny turned to me.

  “What time were you all at the restaurant?”

  “Just gone eight.” I started to smile, a huge sense of relief welling up inside me. “Danny! So it could have been some time between six and eight, then. Which means it could have been Todd.”

  My joy was short-lived.

  “No, sorry,” said Terry. “Sam did his rounds, checking all the doors. That was about ten, after the night classes all left. It was still locked then.”

  “Is he sure?”

  “Cast iron. It was jemmied open. He’d have seen that.”

  “Shit.”

  “Does he keep a record of the security rounds?” asked Danny.

  “There’s a log book, yeah. Excuse me.”

  Terry moved back to the reception desk. I looked round the corner and saw him talking to a couple of students I didn’t recognise. They could have been first years.

  “What do you think?” I asked Danny, while we had a moment to ourselves.

  “I think it sounds tricky, if I’m honest,” he said. “I’d like to see the log, but if he did the round when he said he did, then it rules out Todd.”

  “I was so excited.”

  “I know, me too, but it’s never that easy. What time did you leave the restaurant?”

  “About half ten, maybe just after, by the time we were all on the street.”

  “And you got here?”

  “Ten, fifteen minutes later.”

  “And what time did Todd take Sophie back?”

  “That was right at the start. Probably half eight-ish.”

  “Bollocks. He couldn’t have done it, then. Unless this Sam bloke’s not telling the truth.”

  “No, he’s good. I’ve known him since the start of last year. He’s always seemed dead on.”

  “Sure?”

  “Yeah.”

  Terry returned.

  “Sorry about that,” he said. “I’m surprised some of them are clever enough to get here with some of the questions I get. Where were we?”

  “The log book?” said Danny.

  “Ah yes.”

  Terry fetched a ring binder from the top of a filing cabinet.

  “Here you go,” he said, turning to a page. “It all gets initialled when he does his rounds. Anything unusual gets written down. But that night, nothing.”

  “Was ten o’clock the last check?” asked Danny.

  “No, he’d do two-hourly rounds through the night.”

  “So how come he didn’t spot the break-in then?”

  It seemed a reasonable question to me.

  “Because the later rounds are just the periphery. Checking external doors, windows, all of that. There’s no need to check the stores again. Once that’s all locked up, it stands to reason nobody’s got access if the place is empty and nobody’s broken in.”

  “And was the place definitely empty?”

  “Definitely. Once the night classes finish, he’d go round locking rooms, then check the toilets, everything. He’d be pretty thorough.”

  “There’s no chance he could have missed someone?”

  “Not Sam, no. He’s been at this too long.”

  I was starting to feel the whole thing was pointless. Nobody else could have done it. And yet clearly they had. But how?

  Danny wasn’t finished.

  “You said nobody’s got access to the storeroom if nobody’s broken in, and yet somebody must have. Have you got any idea at all how that could have happened?”

  Terry paused to think for a moment, then shook his head.

  “No, sorry. The only other way would be for Sam to let someone in, if he had a visitor, but that’d get logged as well.”

  “And did he? That night?”

  “Only Anna.” He turned to me. “Sorry, love, I wish I could help you.”

  “You’ve been a big help,” I said, although really it was just out of politeness. I couldn’t see we were any further forward.

  “I’d better be getting back,” he said. “Sorry I couldn’t be any more use.”

  We both said our thanks and then made our way back out onto the street and started walking in the general direction of the student union bar.

  “It’s hopeless,” I said.

  Danny put his arm around me.

  “It’s not looking good,” he said.

  “And you still believe me?”

  “Anna, look me in the eyes and tell me you didn’t do it.”

  I turned to him.

  “I didn’t do it,” I said, the pleading evident in my voice.

  “There you go then. I believe you. We’ll work it out. Don’t worry.”

  But I was worried. I was beginning to think that we’d never work out what had happened, and time was fast running out.

  13

  I WASN’T sure that more alcohol would help, so I suggested going for something to eat instead. We soon found ourselves in a pizzeria, although in fairness I did then order a glass of wine, because I like it a lot, and couldn’t see it would do any harm. And they give you a free one if you show them your NUS card.

  “So how did you meet Todd?” Danny asked, once the food had arrived.

  “It was one night in the student bar. It was a eurodisco night, I think. He was a friend of a friend and we got chatting and he asked me out. Simple as.”

  “I’d never have had the guts.”

  “Am I really that scary?”

  “Not scary, just... I don’t know. Unapproachable.”

  “Unapproachable?” I was slightly taken aback. “Why’s that?”

  “You were always in a big group and by far the coolest person in there.”

  “
Really?”

  “Yeah, you always looked amazing. I saw you and admired from afar.”

  “Now I know you’re taking the piss.” I paused. “God. Were you stalking me like you stalk your journalist? Shit, poor Shelley.”

  “You keep on about Shelley. I thought you said you weren’t going to mention her if I didn’t call you Paddington?”

  “No, that was your love poems. Shelley fascinates me.”

  Danny laughed.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know anything about her, except she clearly doesn’t exist.”

  “She does!”

  “Have you got a picture?”

  “Not on me, no.”

  “Well there you go then.”

  “Next time I see you I’ll bring you a picture.”

  “I’ll look forward to that. Still not convinced, though. I’ll probably recognise which magazine it’s been cut from.”

  “God, you’re a pain.”

  I gave him my best confused look.

  “Changing the subject,” he continued, ignoring me. “Did Todd seem the jealous type?”

  “Maybe, but not especially. Actually, it’s weird. He stayed with me last weekend but seemed a bit off then, now I think about it. He just seemed easily irritated.”

  “By you? Surely not.”

  I didn’t rise to it.

  “Mainly. I couldn’t do anything right. On Saturday we had a ‘bring a door’ party in the common room...”

  “A what?”

  “Bring a door. You had to take a door. Don’t ask. We’re students, there was drink.”

  Danny laughed.

  “A door?”

  “Yeah, room door. Cupboard. Didn’t really matter.”

  “And why?”

  “It’s one of those things that seems like a good idea when you’re pissed.”

  “I’m beginning to be glad I’m not living in halls.”

  “I’d have said you were missing out, until Tuesday.” I sat back, momentarily overcome with a new wave of sadness. Whatever happened, the lifestyle I’d enjoyed since moving to London was never coming back.

  “Anyway,” I continued, eventually, “he didn’t like what I was wearing so I offered to get changed and he told me not to bother.”

  “What were you wearing?”

  “You probably already know if you’ve been stalking me.”

  “Ha! I was with Shelley last weekend, so three hundred miles away.”

  “On your own, then.”

  “I’ve probably still got the bus ticket.”

  “Bus ticket?”

  “Non-stop Clipper. It’s the cheapest way of getting back if you go up overnight.”

  He reached into his jacket pocket, wincing with the pain from his bruised ribs, and brought out his wallet. He started searching the compartments.

  “I must have chucked it,” he said, eventually.

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “You know what, I’m beginning to sympathise with Todd,” he said, making me laugh. “Anyway, so he didn’t like your outfit?”

  “No, apparently my skirt was too short, which is ridiculous as it’s the one I normally wear.”

  “I’ve noticed.”

  I raised another eyebrow.

  “And I had too much make-up.”

  “Isn’t that the point of being a goth, though? Short skirts, fishnets and lots of make-up.”

  “What?”

  “It’s like the uniform.”

  “No, I know what you mean, but I’ll stop you there. I am not a goth.”

  “You are a bit.”

  “You seriously calling me a goth?”

  “Not in a bad way.”

  “I think we need to have a proper conversation. Look at my hair. Is it black? No. Purple? No. Is it all lovely and luxuriant? Admittedly not today, but generally? Yes. Do I always wear black?”

  “Yes.”

  “Granted. But the answer you’re looking for is no. So no, not a goth. Although I do like The Cure, but that’s just a coincidence.”

  “I believe you. Although you do wear fishnets.”

  “Oooh. Anyway, yes, he didn’t like the skirt, didn’t like the make-up and wasn’t interested in sex if you want to get graphic about things.”

  “Prefer not to. Bordering on too much detail.”

  “I thought that as I said it.”

  Danny smiled. “In any case, he’d squash you. So something was up then?”

  “Seems like it, with the benefit of hindsight. It didn’t really occur to me at the time. I just thought he was stressed, maybe. Anyway, we had an okay weekend apart from that, and when he went back on Sunday I thought it was all back to normal. I just put it down to one of those things.”

  “And he was okay on the Monday?”

  “Yeah, although I suppose no, not really. He asked me to go back home with him but I said I couldn’t. And then as soon as Sophie got ill he was off like the proverbial. Didn’t make any attempt to come back. He just said he’d see me at the weekend.”

  Danny called the waiter and asked for the bill before continuing.

  “I don’t want to annoy you because I know he was your boyfriend, but everything I’ve heard makes me not like the bloke.”

  “I’m coming round to that way of thinking. And that’s before he beat you up.”

  “If it was him.”

  “I know but it sounds like it. So what now, Danny?”

  He looked at his watch.

  “Will he be home yet?”

  “Possibly. If not, then probably by the time we get there.”

  “Come on then. Let’s see what he can tell us.”

  I really wasn’t sure about this, but I was running out of options.

  * * *

  We weren’t there long.

  I knocked on the door, Todd eventually answered, then started laughing when he saw us. We weren’t invited in, although I didn’t expect to be. He denied having been anywhere near the hall of residence the previous night, but seemed to find Danny’s pain amusing. No, apparently, he didn’t know anything about it. Yes, apparently we could fuck off also. And then he slammed the door.

  “Do you reckon it was him?” I asked as we set off back to the bus stop.

  “Ninety-nine point nine percent definite. Did you see his hand and the broken skin on his knuckles? I think I could see bits of my face still in it.”

  “Bastard.”

  “Are you always this adept at choosing boyfriends?”

  “I’m utterly shit at it.” We arrived at the bus stop and I sat down on the bench at the back of the shelter. “Every one of them’s been a disaster. I’m going to give up.”

  “You can’t give up yet. You’ve just got to find the right one.”

  “But all the good ones have gone. And anyway, it’s never that simple, is it?”

  “Oh God. I’m going to wish I hadn’t asked.”

  “It’s just guaranteed to end in tears.”

  “Is it?”

  “Of course it is.” In the distance I could see the warm yellow glow of an approaching bus. I didn’t know if it was ours. I had no idea where we were going. Danny joined me on the bench.

  “In what way?” he asked.

  “It’s just blindingly obvious. Do you like one night stands?”

  “Wow, are you offering?”

  “No, and that’s the point. They’re shit, getting pawed by some drunken adolescent who’s more interested in my legs than my name. Why would you even bother? It’s like the relationship equivalent of going to McDonald’s.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. And falling in love and lifelong commitment is like fine dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant.”

  The bus got closer but neither of us moved. There’d be another one along shortly anyway.

  “Okay,” said Danny.

  “But when you first meet somebody you know nothing about them, so how do you know you’re going to be compatible long term?”

  “You don’t.
That’s why you go on dates and get to know them.”

  “Exactly!”

  I could sense Danny looking at me, but I refused to meet his eyes.

  “I’m failing to see the problem, then,” he said.

  “Oh Danny. Do you not get it?”

  “Get what?”

  “What’s in between the two extremes? That’s like going to a nice restaurant, kind of a mid-priced sort of place. Good menu, decent food. And you go there a lot, but they’re not too hot on hygiene. So one day, eventually, inevitably, you’ve got a whole spectrum of heartache, because the whole thing, by definition, is going to end in an unpleasant mess.”

  “Right.”

  “Frankly it’s not worth the trouble. As we’ve very much seen this week. The whole thing is fundamentally flawed.”

  The bus stopped. A couple of passengers got off, but we didn’t move.

  “How old are you?” Danny asked as it departed.

  “Nineteen.”

  “And you don’t think you might meet somebody, one day, who starts out as a standard kind of middle-ground relationship, but then as you get to know them, feelings develop and suddenly it becomes a lifelong thing?”

  “No, because as I quite clearly remember pointing out, all the good ones have, in fact, already gone. Look at you. Seem like a nice bloke - pact or not, I think I’m allowed to say that - but obviously Shelley’s already planted the flag, as it were. Albeit she doesn’t exist.”

  I paused to look at him to see if there was any reaction. Annoyingly, he just seemed to be humouring me and didn’t speak.

  “Anyway, where now?” I continued. “Seriously, I’m giving up on the whole thing, so unless we’ve got a better plan I should probably just go home where everybody hates me, and then stay in my room, crying until my eyes run out of tears, and wait for the executioner to come knocking.”

  Danny reached for my hand. I moved to lean in towards him, and rested my head on his shoulder. He put his arm around me and pulled me close. I tried to be sensitive to his bruises.

  “We’re not giving up,” he said. “And I’ve been thinking about you going home.”

  “Can’t wait to get shot of me?”

  Another bus was approaching.

  “No. Thinking you should come to stay with me.”