Murder at the Beach

Murder at the Beach     By Clare Whitmell

SATURDAY MORNING

When you wake up on a perfect summer’s morning, you never imagine that the day will end in a murder. Especially when you’re only 16 years old, and on holiday with your family.

Actually, ‘family’ isn’t the right word for us. I don’t have one of those big, happy families where the kids never argue and where the parents go out to work or send the kids off to school with their perfect packed lunches. I don’t remember my mother at all, though her brother - my Uncle Ray - tells me I look just like her. Ray has always looked after me and my brother, Luke. I’ve got a Dad somewhere as well, but he and my mum split up before I was even born.

Ray is in his own world a lot of the time, and Luke pre y much ignores me. He’s almost 18 and acts like he’s already the most important person on the planet. But for this holiday, at least, Luke has to look after me. Ray’s told him that he’s got to keep an eye on me while he’s working and make sure I don’t get into any trouble. We all know that I’m a bit out of control. I’ve already had two suspensions from school for bad behaviour.

But when I woke up that Saturday morning, I felt things could change. I was excited to be at the music festival and to be at the beach while the rest of my friends were getting bored back home. "It isn’t every day that you get to see music for free," Ray said when he got the job as sound engineer for the band. I guess he was just pleased that he didn’t have to pay for us to go on holiday this year.

The band are old friends of his. They’re called “Lost Cause” and they’ve known each other since art college. Ray stayed friends with them even after my Mum died and he started looking after us. I think Ray wishes he could be free and easy like them, always on the road, playing at one festival after another, but he’s got us and has a boring job in an office.

But this morning, I was in trouble. Everyone hated me and it was all my stupid fault.

THURSDAY

It started two days ago, on Thursday. We arrived in the evening, when the sun was just setting over the sea.

"Haven Beach!" I shouted. "We’re finally here!"

Ray drove up to the reception block and jumped out of the van to get the chalet keys. Luke said nothing, just staring out at the sea. I kept quiet. Luke needs time to find the right words sometimes.

Finally he said, "What Ray said about keeping an eye on you…"

"Yeah?" I answered. I knew what Luke was thinking.

"I don’t want you hanging around me all the time."

It was time for me to make a deal. "It’s simple Luke. Give me some money and I’ll stay away."

Luke got out his wallet and handed me a note. I put my finger up for a second one. He sighed and gave me the money, which I managed to put into my jeans pocket just before Ray came back out of reception.

I  got out of the van. "Can we just go and have a quick look, Ray?" I asked.

I  loved Haven Beach as soon as I saw it. It was quite busy in the early evening with some people si ing on the beach in small groups, and others playing a loud game of frisbee. We crossed the road separating the reception block from the beach, walking towards a bar. We gave it a quick look as we walked past. A few older men were in there, glasses of beer in front of them, while a couple of guys Ray’s age were playing on the fruit machines.

We carried on walking along the beach to where some men were building the stage for the band. It was a great spot for live music with the sea behind and soft sand for dancing. The band were playing on Saturday night, with a DJ set after them. The beach ended just past the stage, where huge black rocks stood in the sea water. We turned back towards the road. In front of us, on the opposite side of the road, was a large building on two floors. It looked like an old house, but without any glass in the windows or a front door. A path led up to it from the road.

Two people were in front of the house. A thin girl who looked a few years older than me and a much older guy, maybe about Ray’s age. Even though it was still quite warm, he was wearing a leather jacket and jeans. The girl looked cold in cut-off shorts and a black, long-sleeved t-shirt. She had the whitest legs I ever saw. They were talking together, the man speaking fast while he stared at her. She was looking at the ground as if she was unhappy about what he was saying. The man looked at us as we passed and put his arm out to stop us.

"Well, well, well," he said, without smiling. "Look who’s here." He looked at each of us like a cat looks at a mouse.

"What are you doing here, Jake?" Ray asked. "I heard you got five years."

Five years? So this man Jake had been in prison for five years. I’d never met a criminal before. But he seemed ordinary-looking. He was like one of those men who’s good-looking when they’re young, but then stops taking care of themselves. He was a big guy, but he was going a bit fat around the stomach. His hair was dirty, and he had a beard - like the one Ray has if he doesn’t shave for a couple of days.

"They let me out early for good behaviour, didn’t they!” he said with a smile on his face. "This your daughter Ray? Very grown up now, isn’t she. Last time I saw her she was just a child."

I didn’t like the way he was talking. He was looking me up and down like he was in a shop trying to decide if he was going to buy something.

"No, not my daughter. Don’t even look at her Jake. I’m warning you."

"Or what Ray? What are you gonna do?"

The thin girl stepped forward.

"For god’s sake Jake. Leave her alone. She’s just a girl, can’t you see?"

Jake laughed and smiled - a thin smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

"Just joking… Hey, let’s get together soon. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Come round anytime."

Ray nodded and the man let us walk past.

When we got to the campsite between the old house and the reception block, Ray put his hand on my arm.

"Kate," he said. "Don’t go into that house, OK?"

Ray’s normally a pre y tolerant guy and gives me a lot

of freedom, so when he’s strict about something I try to take notice.

Luke was curious. "What’s up Ray? What’s the problem?"

"I just don’t want either of you going in there. You can’t trust Jake."

We walked back to the van in silence and he drove it through the campsite to our chalet where we unpacked all his sound equipment. There was a lot of it and it took up most of the lounge area of the chalet. I was exhausted after our long day, but excited about the rest of our weekend.

FRIDAY

It’s impossible to sleep for very long when you’re in the middle of a festival. I could hear people in the campsite in front of us, playing music, talking and laughing. I was excited about the day ahead of me. Luke and I could go and explore the campsite a bit more and hang out on the beach. Ray had to do some soundchecks, and the band were arriving in the afternoon. It was going to be a good day. Maybe I could even meet some people my age and leave Luke alone.

Ray was in the tiny kitchen, making coffee. He didn’t look as if he’d slept well, either. He had dark bags under his eyes and his beard made him look old and untidy.

"Ray? Are you going to tell me who that Jake is?"

"Look, I told you. I don’t want you going there," he replied.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But who is he?"

"He’s just not someone I want you around. He’s bad news, Kate."

"So how come you know him, Ray?" Luke asked.

"Oh alright!" Ray was getting annoyed. "There isn’t a lot to say. I knew Jake years ago, that’s all."

"Yeah, but what happened?" I asked.

"Well, people said he was into drugs - really heavy stuff."

"So?" I asked.

    Ray sighed. "One night there was a huge fight and a guy was killed. Jake went to prison and I thought he was still there. I was really surprised to see him again yesterday."

"Wow, that’s heavy," Luke said.

"Don’t worry Ray," I said. "I won’t go anywhere near him - promise."

Ray looked at Luke. "You too, Luke. Just don’t get mixed up with him or any of his crowd."

"No worries," Luke answered.

The morning was cold and windy and we were happy to chill out at the chalet in the morning. Luke wanted to use his new video camera and he thought it was funny to film me doing stupid stuff like ge ing a coke out of the fridge. After a while it got really annoying.

"Can’t you turn that off?"

"Yeah later - I’m still trying to learn all the functions," he said.

After lunch we were beginning to get bored, so we headed off towards the beach.

"How many people do you think are here?" I asked Luke.

"Dunno. About 100, I suppose, but Ray said these festivals get very big. Today a lot more people will arrive I reckon."

We got to the bar and Luke remembered our deal from the day before. "Look, I’m going to have a game of pool. Meet you back here in a couple of hours?"

"OK Luke," I said. "See you later."

I walked down towards the sea. It was a blue-grey colour, and a bright white where there were waves. It would be nice to take my flip-flops off and walk in the cool for a while, but before I got to the sea, I noticed the girl from yesterday. Jake’s girlfriend. She was sitting, facing out to sea, with her hands holding her knees.

"Hey!" I said.

She studied me for a second, as if she couldn’t remember exactly when she last saw me. "Oh hi! You’re the girl with Ray."

"Yeah, he’s my uncle," I replied.

The girl took her hands away from her knees and stretched out her legs. She was wearing the same cut-offs and t-shirt from the day before. "Trying to get a tan… What’s your name, anyway?"

"Kate," I answered. "You?"

"Terri."

She didn’t look very well. Her skin was pale but red under her eyes. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and I could see marks on her neck and throat. She saw me looking and scratched the marks. "Oh yeah, Jake… Sometimes he gets in a bad mood. But he’s harmless really. Like a big dog - all bark but no bite." I was curious to find out more about her after what Ray said. "So are you his girlfriend?" I asked.

"Yeah, sort of. It’s a bit complicated. He looks after me, you see. When I met him I was in a bad way. I didn’t have anyone else, but he helped me and I stayed with him. In any case, he loves me. That’s all, really."

Ray once told me that you know if someone is lying by looking at their eyes. If they look upwards before they speak, it’s a sign they aren’t telling the truth. But Terri was looking straight at me. I trusted her. In fact, maybe we were quite similar. Like Terri I didn’t have anyone else. If Ray wasn’t there for me I don’t know where I’d go.

Suddenly she smiled. A big wide smile that made her look my age. "What about you Kate? Have you got a boyfriend?"

"No," I replied, but I could feel myself going red in the face.

Terri noticed. "Go on! Who is he?"

"No, nobody… Well, I like him but he doesn’t even know I exist." That was true. I liked a boy at school, but he hung out with an older crowd and I was just Luke’s kid sister to him.

 "Never mind!" Terri said, like she understood what it feels like when you like someone but they don’t even know who you are. "Lets go and get a coke."

"Actually, just stay here for a bit." I was worried about going back into the bar where Luke was playing pool. If he saw me with Jake’s girlfriend he might tell Ray.

"So, are you also here for the festival?" I asked.

Terri looked at me a bit suspiciously. I could see her trying to decide how much to tell me. "Well, in summer we do a lot of festivals and raves. Jake’s friends with the festival organiser and he does all the security. You know, stopping people from climbing onto the stage, making sure everyone’s got a ticket. That sort of thing. We’re staying in that old house over there. Jake hates camping."

"Couldn’t you get a chalet like us?" I asked.

Terri looked shocked. "Huh! No! That costs money! In any case, nobody lives in that house and we can have parties and stuff whenever we want. People just come over and chill out with us for a bit. Hey! Why don’t you come over now? You can come and meet some of the security guys."

"Er, no, um, I can’t. Ray told me to stay away from, er, from…" I stopped just in time. I didn’t want to insult Terri and repeat all the bad things Ray said about her boyfriend, but Terri didn’t seem to mind.

"Ah, don’t worry! Look, Jake isn’t here today. He’s gone into town to take care of some business. He probably won’t be back until tomorrow morning. C’mon! I’ve made it really nice in there."

It sounded cool. Terri was the nicest person on the beach - in fact she was the only person I’d met on the beach, and it would be cool to tell Luke that while he was playing pool with losers in the bar I was hanging out with the security guys.

But just at that moment I saw Luke coming out of the bar. Before I could turn away he saw me and shouted out to me.

"Kate! You’d better come here. They’ve arrived!"

"Aw, sorry Terri. That’s Luke, my brother. I’d better go."

"OK - maybe another time." Terri tried to look as if she didn’t care, but I was sure she was disappointed. Maybe she didn’t have any friends on the beach either and she was lonely.

"I promise!" I said, to try and make things better.

"Who’s that you were talking to, Kate?" Luke asked when I got back to him. Luke’s eye-sight is getting worse, but he refuses to wear glasses.

"It’s a girl called Terri. You don’t know her," I said. Luke gave me a funny look, but I was pleased that I had a secret he didn’t know about.

"The band just arrived. We’d better go and say hello."

"What’s the bar like, Luke?" I asked.

"Don’t ask!" he replied. "Full of bikers. They weren’t very friendly."

We got back to our chalet, where an old campervan was parked. It was in a terrible condition, with paint coming off and dirty rear windows.

Ray was chatting and laughing with a couple of guys from the band as I walked up. "Hey babe! You remember these guys, don’t you? This is Sean - you remember - the singer?" he continued.

Sean nodded to me. I remember that I used to be terrified of Sean. He was a giant, with long hair in a ponytail. Ray isn’t a small guy, but Sean looked as if he could push Ray over with one of his hands. Sean smiled and put a huge arm around Ray’s shoulders. Ray looked really happy.

"And this is Rob, the guitarist," he continued, nodding towards a serious-looking guy next to Sean. Rob was half the size of Sean, and was wearing jeans that looked two sizes too big for him, and an old Led Zeppelin t-shirt.

"Hiya," I said. I was going to offer to help them with their stuff when my feet suddenly left the ground. Two strong arms picked me up from behind and spun me around in the air.

"Yo Kate! Look how tall you’ve got!"

"Jem!" I screamed. Jem’s always been my favourite of Ray’s friends because he treats me with respect and asks my opinion. Most guys of Ray’s age think I’m just a stupid girl, but Jem takes the time to really listen.

“How you doing babycakes?" he asked. I really like Jem, but sometimes he uses these stupid words. Luke overheard and laughed.

"Babycakes! Babycakes!" he repeated. "That’s a good one."

"Oh shut up Luke!" I replied.

"Alright you two!" Ray said, but I could tell he wasn’t really bothered.

"Do you fancy tuning my bass?" Jem asked me. "I’ve still got the same one and you always get the best tuning out of it…"

I went red with pride. "Sure, Jem, Are you practising today?"

He shook his head. "Nah - tomorrow. We’re doing the sound check around five. Now we’re just going to set up the tent and chill out."

I was pleased that the band were sleeping in the tent and not in the chalet. It was already crowded enough with us three and all Ray’s stuff. We’d also have to put all the instruments in there after the band played, as it was the only place that we could lock.

A Land Rover pulled up.

"Ricky!" shouted Sean. "Get over here and have a beer!"

Two guys got out of the Land Rover and walked up to Sean.

"Hey guys!" Sean said. "Let me introduce you to Rick, the official photographer, and James, the festival organiser."

Rick and James weren’t alone. There was a younger guy with them, maybe about my age or a li le older. As he got closer I saw that he was the sort of guy the more stupid girls at my school liked to fight over at the disco. Blond curly hair and big blue eyes, and with a deep brown tan. He was wearing expensive gear too - much too fancy for the hippy crowd that were camping at the festival.

I looked down at my feet, feeling a bit self-conscious. In comparison, I was really badly dressed. Because I was sharing a tiny bathroom, I didn’t bring much cute stuff with me. No make-up, no hair straighteners - and only old shorts and t-shirts, and a pair of flip-flops.

James brought the younger guy over. "This is Callum, my son," he said. "But we call him Einstein…"

"Einstein?’ Luke’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Stop it Dad!" said Callum.

"No really, it’s because he’s so good at Maths," James explained.

Callum - or Einstein - looked about as embarrassed as you get when your Dad’s praising you to someone else.

"C’mon Callum," Luke said. "I’ll show you around the campsite."

"You coming too?" Callum asked me.

I looked up, surprised that he even asked. James smiled at me, and not knowing what else to do, I just nodded and joined him and Luke.

FRIDAY EVENING

When we got back an hour or so later, Ray and the band were sitting around, drinking beer and chatting.

"Your Dad’s gone to the bar to meet someone," Ray called to Callum.

"Oh, OK. See you!" Callum said and walked away.

"You have a good time, guys?" Ray asked us. Luke and I nodded. Ray doesn’t expect us to tell him everything, and he’s happy enough to know we aren’t in any trouble.

"Is there any dinner left?" I asked, seeing some empty pizza boxes.

"Sure - in the chalet," Ray answered, turning back to the band to hear another joke.

The kitchen window was open, and I could hear their conversation as I leant up against the sink. Perhaps Ray was drinking too much as his voice was louder than normal. "Guess who I saw yesterday? That guy Jake - you remember him. He got five years in prison after that young fan was killed."

"Oh yeah," said one of the band. "I heard he was out. But don’t worry about him Ray. He’s on parole and can’t get into any trouble."

"Well, I didn’t like the way he was looking at Kate," Ray added.

Then Sean spoke. "Mmm. I’m not so sure. He was mixed up in something nasty. Trafficking girls, I think. He finds girls who are vulnerable and makes them work for him. You know the sort. Ex drug addicts or girls whose families just don’t care anymore. There was a rumour going round about one girl who refused to do what he asked. She disappeared a few months ago. Jake just said she went back to her family, but nobody believes him."

"How do you know all this?" asked Ray.

"From James, you know, the festival organiser. He’s put Jake in charge of security because Jake knows a lot of bikers who can work for him. James overheard Jake on the phone doing one of his deals. You’ve really got to watch him Ray - make sure Kate doesn’t go anywhere near him."

"I’ve already told her. But she’s a good girl. She won’t do anything stupid."

My heart beat fast. Terri! She could be in danger. She told me that Jake loved her, but suppose it was just a trick? Suppose she was just another of his victims? Maybe Jake only wanted her to think he loved her and then he would force her to do what he wanted.

I was the only person who knew Terri’s story. I couldn’t tell Ray because he’d be angry at me for talking to someone connected with Jake. But I had to warn her. She was so trusting of him and maybe didn’t realise how dangerous Jake was.

But how? How could I warn her? Of course! There was an easy solution. I could go to the house because Jake wasn’t there. I could tell her what Sean said and then we could find a way to get her out.

I  walked outside. For my plan to work, I had to look casual, but I was terrified and hoped my voice would work properly.

I  coughed. "Ray, I’m still hungry. I’m going to go and get some chips. OK?"

"OK, but make sure you go with Luke," he said.

Luke wasn’t happy about that, I was sure. He wanted to sit around and hear the band and Ray gossiping. Maybe it made him feel grown-up. But I wasn’t happy about it either. I didn’t want Luke to know where I was going, or he would tell Ray. I had to invent an excuse to be alone.

We got to the road. "Look Luke, you can have your money back, but there’s something I need to do. Just give me fifteen minutes."

"What have you got to do?"

I had a brilliant excuse. "It’s me and Einstein - Callum. We agreed to meet by the stage."

"You? Einstein? What are you talking about?"

"Well, we kind of like each other. We agreed to meet up when you went into the bar to get us some crisps. Look, you can have all your money back - just don’t tell Ray. OK?"

Luke smiled. I bet he was happy to know something "secret” about me. "OK then, I’ll give you fifteen minutes. But no more!"

I ran off in the direction of the stage, trying not to bump into people. The beach was quite crowded and I quickly lost sight of Luke. I only had a few minutes to get to the

house, convince Terri to leave, and get back before Luke got suspicious.

Once past the stage, I sprinted across the sand and the road to the house and ran up the path shouting "Terri!"

Nobody came out of the house. It all sounded quiet. Maybe she wasn’t in. But I couldn’t come all this way and not try to see her. I didn’t like the look of the house, but I swallowed my fear and walked through the hole for the door.

Inside, there was a wet smell, like the smell you get at a lake in summer. I imagined lake plants climbing up the walls and shivered. It was cold inside, too. I was in a dark corridor, with a door on each side and another two doors further down. I didn’t know which one she could be in. Should I push one of the doors open to see if Terri was there, or should I call out first? I didn’t want to walk past the closed doors down the corridor without checking the rooms first.

I  could hear my heart beating fast. What should I do? What should I do? I chose the first door on my left, knocking on it and calling more quietly this time, "Terri? Are you in there?" Nothing.

I  turned and tried the door on the right. "Terri?"

Suddenly a hand landed on my shoulder. I froze. It was impossible to run. The hand was heavy and strong, and my legs were like blocks of cement.

"What do you want?" said a man’s voice. He definitely didn’t sound friendly. I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t say anything. My mouth was closed in terror.

"Well?" he demanded again.

"Um…” My voice sounded high and panicky to me. "Um, I’m looking for Terri."

"Friend of hers are you?" He turned me around so I was facing him.

He wasn’t very tall, but he was heavy, with a bald head and small eyes. He was wearing a bomber jacket and I could just about read "SECURITY" written in black on a red T-shirt underneath.

"Hmmm. You don’t look old enough to be one of Terri’s friends, but you’ll find her in there," he nodded towards the right-hand door further down the corridor.

"Thanks," I said, my heart still going fast.

I pushed open the door, but I couldn’t see anyone at first. The room was dark, with something over the window like a heavy blanket. The room didn’t smell very nice, either. It was like a room in summer when you keep the window closed but leave dirty socks in it. The walls of the room were old, with graffitti painted on them. "Chelsea FC" was written on one wall. I wondered when someone painted that. Years ago probably.

The floor was horrible; no carpet, but two or three

mattresses covering the bare concrete. In the far corner of the room I could see a pile of clothes. The pile moved and I saw a person lying down. It had to be Terri. I ran over to her.

"Terri! Terri! You’ve got to listen to me!"

As I got close to her, a bad smell of dirty clothes and unwashed body became stronger. Trying not to breathe too much, I leant over Terri. It was her. She was wearing exactly the same clothes but her eyes were closed. I touched her cheek. Her skin was cold.

"Hmm, hello, who…" Her voice was so low I could hardly hear it.

"Terri! It’s me - Kate! Wake up!" I touched her arm, trying to get her to open her eyes. Her sleeves were half-way up her arm and that’s when I saw more red marks in a long line on the inside of her arm. I was even more sure now that she was in danger and that Jake was violent.

My eyes adjusted to the dark and I could see that she was looking at me. Her eyes were tiny, her pupils little black dots.

 She was trying to focus on me. "Who let you in? Derek?" she asked.

"I don’t know his name. But you’ve got to come with me." I tried to pull her up into a sitting position, but for a thin girl, she was very heavy. She pushed my hands away and fell back down again.

I was going desperate. Time was running out. "Terri! Listen! It’s important. You have to get up. Come with me! I can help you!"

"And why do you think she needs your help?" Another man’s voice suddenly came from the doorway. There was only one man with that voice. It was Jake.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded again as he walked towards me. For a second I thought about running past him and out of the house, but my legs wouldn’t move. He came right up to me.

"Oh, it’s you! It’s Ray’s girl! Well, I asked you a question. What are you doing here?"

 I was in big trouble. Jake was dangerous and except for Derek and Terri, nobody knew I was here. Terri was half asleep, and Derek obviously worked for Jake. I was completely alone with a violent ex-criminal. My mouth went dry.

"I … I …"

"Yes? I’m listening…" Jake’s voice was low and calm, but I sensed the danger in it.

He had a horrible, knowing smile on his lips. "Oh, now I understand. You came on a social visit! How lovely!" His voice was sarcastic.

His hand grabbed my wrist so quickly and unexpectedly that I screamed. But in a second, his other hand covered my mouth. His fingers smelled of cigarettes and bank notes - a smoky and sweet smell that made me feel nauseous.

"So how are we going to entertain you?” he continued. I tried to twist away from him, but his hands were too strong.

"Not so fast, little girl," he said. "You’ve only just got here!"

I was panicking now. I tried to scream again, but he had his hand over my mouth.

"Well, little girl. This is your lucky day! Terri’s too tired to have a conversation with us right now, but that’s no reason you and me can’t get to know each other a bit be er. What do you say?"

 I couldn’t say anything. From the tone of his voice it was obvious he wasn’t giving me a choice. He was going to do something terrible to me and I couldn’t do anything to stop him. I tried to get free again but he was holding me too tight. I twisted to try and get a good angle to kick him, but he was holding me to one side. It was impossible.

He moved me towards one of the mattresses, his left foot trying to trip me up. I bent my knees. Maybe I could get him off-balance enough to get free and run. I got myself in position to drop to my knees, twist and run, but at that moment we heard a voice:

"Jake! Is that girl in there with you?"

Jake froze. It was Derek, I was sure.

"Only James is here looking for her," he continued.

James? Oh my God, James! Why was he here? But at least I was safe! Jake was still holding me tight so I couldn’t move. He moved his head to my ear and whispered, "You ever tell anyone about this and you’re dead. Understand?"

He finally let me go and I ran out of the room and into the corridor. James was standing at the entrance of the house. "Kate! Ray’s going to kill you!" he said, as I ran straight towards him.

SATURDAY

The perfect summer’s morning. Well, perfect for the weather, but not much else. Everyone was angry with me.

Ray was angry with me because I went to the house when he told me not to.

Luke was angry with me because I lied to him and told him I was going to meet Callum. As an extra bonus, I got Luke in trouble with Ray because he was supposed to keep an eye on me. Luke will probably never speak to me again.

No doubt Callum was also angry with me because I made him a part of my lie.

James was angry with me because I put him in a difficult position with Jake.

But most of all, I was angry with myself because now Terri could be in even more danger from Jake.

When James and I walked back to the chalet last night, I wasn’t sure what to say. Should I say sorry or should I thank him for rescuing me. In the end, I asked him how he

knew where to find me.

"Simple," he said. "While Luke was waiting for you, he saw Callum in the bar with me. That’s when he knew you weren’t at the stage with Callum and so he got worried."

Of course! I’d forgo en that Callum went to the bar.

"Anyway," James continued. "He asked me to go and find you. He had a feeling you might go to the house and he told me Ray told you not to. So why did you go there?"

I didn’t say anything. Whenever I say "It seemed like a good idea at the time," Ray always gets angry. It was be er not to say anything at all.

But James didn’t ask me to explain myself. In fact he was quite nice about it. "Look Kate. Don’t make things difficult for Ray, OK? He needs this job and I need Jake for the security. Just do what Ray says, OK?"

Luke and Ray were alone in front of the chalet. None of the other guys were there.

"Where the hell have you been?" Ray demanded.

"She was at Jake’s house, Ray," James said.

"Get in, both of you!" Ray was really angry, I could tell.

Luke didn’t say a word to me. He didn’t need to. He was furious with me.

"Well? Are you going to explain, Kate? Why did you go there after I told you not to?"

So I told him everything up until what happened with Jake. That I met Jake’s girlfriend on the beach but when I overheard Ray and the band, I got worried about her - that she might become his next victim. I explained that I wanted to warn her and that I thought it was safe to go to the house.

At least Ray listened to me, but he still wasn’t happy. "You’ve got to learn to keep out of other people’s business! Really! Jake’s girlfriend is an adult. She can make her own decisions. She doesn’t need you to save her."

He was also angry with Luke. "And as for you, Luke. You were supposed to keep an eye on her."

"But how was I to know that she was going there?" Luke asked.

"I don’t care," Ray answered. "You two have got to listen to me. I don’t want either of you going anywhere until the concert. Stay out of trouble. Do you understand?"

We both nodded.

"OK. Now that’s clear,go to bed - both of you!"

So this morning, nobody was in a great mood.

Ray told me again, "I have to go and set up for tonight. I don’t want you going anywhere. Get it?"

The front door of the chalet was open as Ray moved his equipment outside. Rick came in.

"Ready Ray?"

When he saw me, he was friendly. "Hi Kate! You OK?"

I didn’t say anything.

"No. She’s in big trouble," said Ray. "She went to Jake’s house last night when I told her not to. James found her there and brought her back."

"Why did you do that?" Rick asked me.

"Because I was worried about Terri, his girlfriend. Only now everybody thinks I’ve committed some terrible crime and I’m not allowed to move from here until the concert." I wanted to add "And it’s not fair!" but stopped myself in time.

Rick gave me a strange look. "Why are you worried about her? She can look after herself."

"Oh not again," Ray said. "Just shut up about her." He picked up his van keys and walked out.

Rick looked at him then at me. "Look, I know Jake. I’ll go over there a bit later and see if everything’s OK. Alright?"

"OK," I said. I was pleased that someone took me seriously, but it was strange that nobody else really cared.

He left and I sat on the front steps of the chalet watching everyone else having a great time. I still felt bad about Terri. Everybody else seemed completely OK about it. Why couldn’t they understand she was in danger? And now everybody was tired of me talking about her. I’d made a real mess of it.

Luke sat near me in a deck chair. He was listening to music through his headphones and playing with his camera, but I wasn’t fooled by his relaxed attitude. He wouldn’t let me out of his sight. It’s like having a guard next to you in prison. Every time I got up to get something to eat or find a book, he looked at me until I sat down again.

He was right about the campsite filling up. I watched as a burger van drove in. Before long the air was filled with a fantastic smell of barbecued meat and a queue of people formed. Families with children were enjoying the sunshine, with some kids playing football near our chalet. A young couple walked by holding hands. I remembered the lie I told about Callum. God! How embarrassing. He would think I was really stupid.

At lunchtime I was really bored. "Can’t we even go to the beach?" I asked Luke.

"No, we can’t."

It was torture waiting for the concert and watching everyone else having fun.

"Smile!" Luke said, pointing his camera at me.

I  pulled a face at him. "Don’t. Just don’t," I said. "But I’m practising for the concert," he replied.

I  couldn’t take it any more. I went inside the chalet and left him to take stupid photos.

Jem came up to the chalet at about 4pm. "C’mon Kate! You have to come and tune my bass." He had a huge smile on his face and looked pleased to see me. I felt terrible.

"Sorry Jem, but I can’t. Ray told me I have to stay here and Luke’s babysitting me," I answered.

"No it’s alright. Ray’s OK with it. He told me I could come and get you both," he said.

Being on the beach was like escaping a cage. Even the air was fresher and you could sense the excitement building for the concert and DJ set. The stage was huge with plenty of space for the band to dance and move around. Ray was at the mixing desk, and the rest of the band were on stage. Nobody really looked at me. They either didn’t know about last night or didn’t think it was a big deal.

I tuned Jem’s bass, putting my ear close to the strings as I adjusted the keys. It’s always a great feeling when you get exactly the right note, but you have to be patient and you have to concentrate. When the guitar is perfectly in tune you get this really beautiful, pure sound. I took my time tuning the bass because I wanted it to be the best ever for Jem.

After the soundcheck, Ray and I stayed behind. The band disappeared, but Ray was looking after the instruments and his sound equipment. He was studying the order of the songs and making notes next to the songs. When he finished he turned to me. "When are you going to start behaving more like an adult, Kate? I’m worried about you. I promised your Mum that I’d look after you, but it’s difficult to do that when you never listen."

Whenever Ray mentions my Mum, I know there’s no point arguing. Ray was close to her - he was her big brother after all - and I know that he still feels sad about her. She died when I was two and Luke was four.

"I’m sorry Ray," I said, but my apology sounded stupid. Ray’s right. I never listen to anyone else and it gets me into trouble.

He smiled at me. "Sometimes you’re so like her it makes me laugh. When she was your age, she was terrible, too. I remember one night she decided to go to see this band she liked, but on the way back…"

I let him continue his story, but I wasn’t really listening. Ray often told the same story. I was more interested in what I could see behind him. It was Rick and he was coming towards us. But he wasn’t alone - he was also with Terri. My heart jumped in relief. At least she was safe. Rick

was saying something and she was laughing. But then she fell and Rick held out his hand to lift her up. Even when she got up, he still held her hand and continued talking to her, and I got the impression that he was trying to persuade her to do something. But she shook her head and turned round, walking back to the house.

Luke came back with some burgers and fries, and we watched the beach for a bit. The stage lights went on and a few people around us cheered. Quite a lot of people were standing around, and a guy wearing a SECURITY t-shirt walked past. It was Derek. He looked at me and nodded at Ray. I didn’t say anything but I was glad Ray was there with me.

SATURDAY EVENING

The stage lights went on and the band walked out onto the stage. The crowd moved forward to see better. Rob and Jem played the introduction to the first song, "Last Summer". This song always gets people dancing, as it’s got fast rhythms and a chorus you can sing to. First there’s a simple drum beat, then the bass and guitars joined in, with Sean tapping his hand against his legs. The band played the first eight bars, then Sean leant into the microphone and shouted, "Let’s go!" He sang the lyrics in a low, urgent voice, tapping his feet in time to the lyrics. The crowd were mesmerised. The music got faster and faster, and the crowd went wild, with some people at the front jumping up in time to the music. The final chorus ended, and the crowd clapped. Some people whistled.

"Thank you ladies and gentlemen!" Sean was back at the microphone. "We’re called “Lost Cause” and this next one is for Suzie and Kate!" I was sure I saw Jem kiss the chain he always wears around his neck and then Rob was playing the first bars of my favourite song. My skin felt cold and hot at the same time. I always get a strange feeling when I hear that song. Suzie was my Mum and Ray told me it was her favourite song, too. The song’s called “It’s alright on the night” and it’s got a great bass solo. I closed my eyes and let the words and music fill my head.

"Well, it’s gonna be a long, long night We’ve got no end in sight

Money’s low when you’ve no place to go But it’s alright on the night…"

The band played eight more songs. They don’t play music like any other band I’ve heard. They’re not commercial, not pop and not rock. Maybe you could say they’re like a mix of punk and folk, with songs about everyday life. The crowd loved them. Luke was filming the people near the front of the stage. Their faces and bodies were just a blur of movement. Ray was smiling as he worked on the mixing desk and I was happy and relaxed.

Their final song ended with Sean shouting "Thank you Haven!" and the crowd cheered and shouted again. James got on stage and thanked the band. "Don’t forget - we’ve got a DJ set in half an hour!" he shouted.

The band left the stage. James and Luke helped Ray get all the instruments into the van to take back to the chalet. I stayed behind with Jem.

"How do you think it went?" he asked.

"It was great! I think they really liked the music! Did you see all those people dancing?"

We had a few T-shirts and CDs to sell. Normally you can sell quite a few after a good performance, but only a couple of people were interested.

Rick came up and took our photo. "That’s a lovely shot of you two," he said. "Your brother’s going to be a great photographer, you know! He took some fantastic video footage. A little bit of editing and we can put it online," he said.

I was pleased for Luke. I could see he was really happy when he was taking photos and videos. Maybe he could even become a professional photographer.

Rick picked up his camera again and clicked a few more photos. I watched where he was shooting. He was pointing his camera towards the stage and I saw a girl with long hair. It was Terri. This time she was wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, and the stage lights made beautiful shadows on her face.

We watched her walk across the road, back to the house. "She could be a model," Rick told me. "She’s got the right figure and an interesting face… Shame about Jake, though.

I asked her to leave him, I really tried, Kate. But I think she’s almost addicted to him. She told me that she knows he’s bad, but that she can’t leave. Such a shame…"

Terri got to the path which led from the road up to the house. Maybe there was nothing anyone could do. Rick had tried to warn her, but perhaps it really was love between her and Jake. I felt sick again as I remembered him trying to hurt me in the house. His cruel smile and sarcastic voice, and the feeling of not being able to escape.

We were still watching her when we saw Jake come out of the house. He walked fast towards Terri and slapped her hard, across the face. She almost fell back, but he pulled her up by her arm and forced her back towards the house. I saw her try to shake his hand off her arm, but like me, she wasn’t strong enough to stop Jake from pulling her.

"Oh no!" Rick said. "I’m gonna go and see if she’s alright."

"Don"t!’ Jem said. "He’s angry and he’s unpredictable."

"I think I can handle him," Rick answered. He ran off towards the house.

We watched him moving past the crowds of people on the beach.

"What do you think we should do?" I asked Jem. "Should we go after him?"

"No! You’re staying here with me. Rick’s not stupid. I’m sure everything will be fine."

I have to admit, I didn’t feel very happy about that. From the corner of my eye I saw someone I recognised. "Look Jem - it’s Derek!"

"Who?"

"You know, one of the security guys…"

Derek was heading towards the house as well, pushing past people instead of trying to walk past them politely.

"Kate - just stay here, OK?" Jem was putting away the unsold T-shirts and CDs into a box. I stood on tip-toe, trying to see what was happening further up the beach, but there were too many people now, all coming down to the stage for the DJ’s set.

"Here! Help me close the box, then we can put it under the stage for now," Jem asked. I turned back to help him tape down the top of the box. I didn’t see Ray and Luke come up.

"Hey guys! Make any money?"

"Nah, not much," Jem answered. "Enough for…"

Then we heard it. A loud shout. A man’s voice coming from the house. "Nooooooooo!"

We all turned round, some people near us also looking towards the house.

"Rick?" My throat felt tight.

"No, no, that isn’t Rick!" Ray answered.

He raced towards the house, followed by Luke, who shouted "Stay there!" at me as he left.

I watched them go, but I knew I couldn’t stay behind. The people I care about most in the world were rushing towards something terrible. I had to be there with them. I started to run as well, pushing past people.

"Whoah there!" said a man as I lost my balance. I got up quickly again and sprinted towards the house.

I ran through the doorway and followed the shouting along the dark corridor to Terri’s room.

Even though there were shadows in the room, I could see everything. Derek and Rick were standing up, with Derek holding Rick’s arms so he couldn’t move. Face down on the floor was a man in a leather jacket. There was a long piece of metal next to him. Under his head was a dark red liquid, moving slowly outwards.

"You killed him? You killed Jake? You murderer!" Derek was shouting at Rick.

"I tell you I didn’t touch him! I found him like that on the floor!"

I stopped suddenly, horrified at the scene on the floor. "Where’s Terri?" I said, to nobody in particular.

Ray turned round. "What are you doing here? Luke, take her back to the chalet!"

Luke was staring at Jake, his mouth open in shock.

"Get her back to the chalet - NOW!"

We got out of the house. Luke and I didn’t say anything until we got to the path.

"Do you think he’s dead?" My voice sounded tiny to me.

"God, I don’t know. It looks pre y bad in any case," he answered.

My head was feeling a bit strange like just before you’re sick.

"Are you OK?" "Kate?" Luke sounded a bit scared.

I shook my head. I felt cold thinking of what I’d seen in the house. Jake lying still on the floor, the blood underneath his head. Rick standing there over Jake. The soft candlelight and the atmosphere in the room. I shivered and Luke put his arms round me, half-supporting me off the road and onto the campsite. The noise of a siren cut through the music of the DJ set and the police car drove past quickly, a blue light flashing. I couldn’t believe there was still music playing. Maybe the people who heard the shout just thought it was part of the evening.

The campsite was deserted at least. I didn’t want anyone to see me. By now I was crying, and anyone who saw me would think I was drunk or something.

Luke got me to the chalet, half pulled me up the steps and unlocked the door. "God, you’re freezing! Look, stay here. You’ll be fine. I’m going over to the bar to get you some brandy."

He closed the door behind me and ran down the steps of the chalet. I was really cold now. Inside, everything was completely dark and still except a red, flashing light on the kitchen table. I reached out to switch on the light.

"Stop! Don’t move!" A voice from the darkness of the chalet kitchen sounded right next to my ear. I stood completely still. The voice was familiar.

"Terri? Is that you?" I asked.

Something sharp touched my throat. I swallowed, the movement in my throat pushing at the sharp object. It scratched me, like how a sharp pencil feels when you scratch yourself by accident.

"Shhh!" she said again. "If you move I’ll hurt you!"

"Sit here!" She pushed me onto one of the kitchen chairs. The sharp thing was at my throat again.

"Quick!" she said. "Where’s your room? I want some clothes."

"Clothes? What for?"

"Just tell me!" Her voice sounded panicky to me.

"OK." I didn’t like feeling something against my throat and I wanted her to calm down.

"You can’t see anything in there without a light," I said. "It’s on the wall, next to the fridge."

She moved her hand away from my face, found the switch and turned on the light. Finally I could breathe out. She didn’t have anything in her hands now, but when I saw her face I was shocked. She looked terrible. Her hair was a mess and one eye was closed, a huge red mark under it. Blood was coming from her lip.

"Terri! What happened? Did he, did Jake do that to you?"

She turned her face away from me.

"He saw me and Rick talking. He called me terrible names. He said he would kill me. He hit me..."

She paused, then continued, "He took his belt off. I thought he was going to hit me with it. He pushed me against the window. There was something there. It felt heavy and I, I…"

"What? What did you do?" I remembered the bar on the floor next to Jake’s head.

"I just hit him with it. Just a couple of times. Not hard, but he fell… Blood, there was blood…"

She shivered, then turned to look at me. "I thought that if I came here I could get some clothes. We’re almost the same size. I need to get away."

Now I could see that her clothes were dirty. The front of the shirt had small spots of blood on it.

"But what you did - it’s not your fault, Terri," I said. "All you need to do is tell the police what happened and…"

"No police!" she shouted. "I’m not talking to the police!"

"But Rick!"

"What about him? What about Rick?"

"Derek found Rick with Jake after… The police are there. You can’t let Rick go to prison for something he didn’t do!"

Terri put her hand into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a knife. It was one of our kitchen knives - one with a sharp point.

"Don’t mention the police!"

She was pointing the knife at my throat again. I couldn’t stop staring at it. I knew it was important to try and make her understand, then perhaps I could get her to put the knife down. "But Terri, you know it’s wrong they’ve got Rick. He didn’t do anything! I’m sure that if you explain everything, they’ll understand…"

"You really are stupid, aren’t you!" she said, with a look of complete contempt on her face. "I thought you were more grown-up, but you’re just a stupid girl! Of course they won’t understand. Nobody ever understands. They’ll lock me up in prison for the rest of my life."

Her face was ugly in anger. There was no sign of the old Terri, the one I thought looked beautiful with the light across her face down by the stage. This Terri looked angry and desperate.

"Look, I can help you! I can help you explain," I said, still staring at the knife.

"You?" She gave a little laugh. "You’re just as dangerous. You’ll tell the police and think that you’ve done the right thing. But all you’ll do is make it even worse for me."

The skin on her hand was white where she was holding the knife so tightly. She wasn’t ever going to agree to talk to the police.

"Fine. Look, you just go and I’ll say I never saw you. OK?"

"Please, Terri, say yes," I was thinking. "Please just go!"

We were both silent. She spoke slowly. "No, I don’t trust you. You’ll tell someone, I know you will. Sorry Kate, but there isn’t any other way. "

I had a terrible feeling of fear in my stomach. I imagined the knife going into my neck and the pain. "Please, no Terri. Please don’t hurt me…"

She laughed. "Not even I can kill you with a knife. I’m not that cruel. Look, I promise, it won’t hurt. I was going to have it myself later on, but you can have it instead."

She moved the knife into her left hand, still pointing it at my throat. I didn’t dare move. She pulled out a syringe from her pocket with her right hand. A strange, dreamy look came over her face.

That’s when I knew from all those drug education lessons at school: the long sleeves she usually wore, the marks on her arm, her tiny eyes yesterday at the house. Why didn’t I realise earlier? I was so busy trying to save her that I missed all the signs. "Terri! No! I’m begging you! Please no!" I was crying. "Please, take anything you need! Just go and I promise, I promise…"

But she wasn’t listening to me. "For someone like you, this is a fatal amount. It’s really good stuff, really pure. Jake got it specially for me. Just think, lucky you that you can have it all yourself."

She held the syringe in her mouth while she felt in her jacket pocket. She pulled out a long, thin tube, bending forward to get it all out. Her movement away from me was my chance to escape. I jumped up from the chair, pushing it back from me. I was on my feet, reaching for the door.

She screamed out at me, making so much noise I didn’t hear the feet coming up the steps of the chalet. I felt cold air as the door banged open.

"Kate!" shouted Luke. Callum was behind him.

"What the…?"

"Get her!" I screamed, as I saw Terri trying to move behind them and get out of the door. She hid the syringe and the tube back in her pocket. Something dropped into the sink. It was the knife.

Luke put his arm out and stopped her.

"Let me go!" Terri shouted.

"No you don’t!" Luke’s voice was firm and calm.

"What’s going on here?" Luke demanded. "Kate! What’s happened?"

I tried to explain about the knife and the drugs, but Terri started shouting. "It’s not true! Your sister’s mad."

"Look in her pockets! You’ll see her syringe!” I shouted back.

Luke stared at me.

"Luke, she was going to kill me!”

"Liar! Liar!" Terri spat the words at me with hatred.

“You’re the…” I stopped. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the red flashing light. I turned to Luke. “Luke, look! Your video camera - it’s still recording!”

The camera was on the table, probably where Luke put it when he came back with Ray with all the instruments.

“Yeah! You’re right,” he said, as he reached over to it and pressed a button.

At first silence, then some claps and cheers from the crowd. He pressed the button again.

My heart was beating fast. "Please," I whispered to myself.

Terri was looking at the camera as well, her eyes wide.

And then, a faint voice. "… that you?"

"Shhh! If you move I’ll hurt you!"

It was us! Terri and I talking!

Terri ran for the chalet door, but Luke was quicker. He caught her as she tried to get past, and Callum dived for her knees. She fell to the floor as the video camera continued replaying our conversation.

Terri was trying to sit up, but she couldn’t. Luke held her arms and Callum held her feet. She kicked, but Callum held her still.

Luke’s mobile fell out from his jeans pocket. I managed to pick it up before it slid across the floor. My hands were shaking, but I found Ray’s number on the speed dial.

SUNDAY MORNING

Luke is officially the number one hero. The police can use the recorded conversation as evidence against Terri. Rick said Luke needs a few lessons to operate a video camera, but he’s really happy. He spent a few hours at the police station, but there wasn’t much reason to keep him there after they arrested Terri. I don’t know what will happen to her.

Callum tried to get credit for his rugby dive on Terri’s legs. He’s been pre y nice to me in fact, and doesn’t seem to remember that lie I told about meeting up with him at the stage. The more I think about him, the more I like him. He and James left today, but he gave me his phone number before he left. There’s another festival next month and maybe, maybe, Ray will let me go. Callum can be my bodyguard…

Ray’s in a great mood again. He said I’m probably the worst sixteen-year-old he’s ever known, but he doesn’t mean it. After I went to bed I could hear him telling Jem all about me. The last thing I heard before I fell asleep was that I should get a medal for bravery.

And me? I’ve got a plan. I’m going to try really hard to keep out of trouble next year at school, then I’m going to ask Ray if I can help him with more festivals. I like being around musicians and I’m good with guitars.

Rock on next year!