Buying the Virgin

MICHAEL

“Charlotte, you don’t have to do this.”

“I think I do.”

I hold her hand as we stand together at the demolished site of the old Blessingmoors institution. Now a wasteland of rubble awaiting redevelopment in the new City Project, the only pointers to the old buildings are the road layout and a few hard to identify pillars and gateposts. Nonetheless, we believe we are standing on what was once the threshold of the Blessingmoors building.

Charlotte is pale, even more so than usual, and her hand, as I hold it, is clammy. James is here, his face a mask, as he stands, hands in pockets, simply watching, but his eyes follow her everywhere as she steps over the rubble.

The others; Haswell, Stanton, and a variety of investigators in white paper coveralls, also stand by, watching.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “I just don’t recognise any of it. There’s nothing here to recognise.”

“Perhaps with your eyes closed?” I suggest. “Start at some known point and see if you can walk in the dark? Keep hold of my hand. I won’t let you stumble.”

She doesn’t speak, simply nodding as she licks her dry lips. She turns to Haswell. “This was the front entrance?”

“Yes.”

Then, closing her eyes, gripping my hand tightly, “I’ll try. I was smaller then, of course. And it was a long time ago.”

Stepping forward. “There were three steps, up into the hallway.” I steady her as she walks.

She continues. “There was a door here.” She indicates ahead. “Then a corridor and another door.” Eyes still closed, she opens invisible doors, walking through unseen halls.

She waves to one side. “That’s a staircase, up to the dorms.” Stanton is beside us now, examining some old document. I glance at him, not liking to ask. He holds up the sheet; a tattered floor plan. As Charlotte speaks, he is comparing her words with the plan, nodding agreement.

We walk a little further. She indicates the other way. That’s the corridor to the kitchens. Two of the cellars came off from there. I think one was an old coal cellar. The other was just general storage.”

Stanton nods. “Yes, we know about those.”

She hesitates, her face churning.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can smell it…. It’s got to be just in my head, but I can smell the place.”

“What does it smell of?”

know. It’s just how it smelled. I’d never thought about it before, but it feels like….” She

“You okay?”

“Yes.”

take a

I want to

with us now, walking quietly behind us as Charlotte continues her blind walk in the

lived. I was never up there. I think they had bedrooms and a common room, but I never saw it.” Then she veers to one side. “But there was another door here, by the

looks puzzled, looking at his plan. “Are you sure of that, Charlotte? It shows a blank wall

only see it if you knew it was there. But it led to another cellar, the one they used as a punishment

Then he turns to me. “Get her out of here.” Waving over to the white coveralled technicians.

nodding James to join us. “C’mon, we’re

not staying here,” I say. Still, she hesitates. “Charlotte, I’ll drag you off if

I’ll help

she comes

the Centre,” I say. “You can have a swim, and I’ll give

really looking

James. “I want a word

*****

might persuade Tracy to stop making cows eyes at me. She was never in with a

if I use the gym

anything you want.

you want.” She chooses trainers, jogging pants and a top. I add in the kind of heavy-duty sports bra that a girl with her figure needs, and a swimming costume. “Female changing rooms are over there.” I point. “And the gym’s

checked if anything needs my attention, Charlotte is already in the gym, jogging on a treadmill, upping the

“Everything alright?”

to perspire as she warms up, so I join her on the next machine, jogging along to keep her company.

minutes, I see James walking by and wave

an afterthought, I put a bottle of water on the shelf in front of her.

towards her. “She

her another ten minutes on there, then I’ll get her into the swimming pool and give her a massage

up the speed yet again. Dripping sweat, she pounds the treadmill. Chest heaving and face red, she’s

a good

say, I’ll give her a few minutes to burn off some stress, and then wind her down. Why don’t you

the direction of

away, so walking over, I reach across the control panel, setting the machine onto a cool-down program.

over-doing it. Time for you to ease

a moment she looks furious, but then washes a more polite