A Scar Too Deep

By Charley Dee

1973

Synopsis

Darcy Lowe was lonely and vulnerable when she became involved with Ray Hunt, unaware he was a ruthless bully. Realising he has pushed her over the edge, drastic measures are required to keep Darcy from leaving, as she knows far too much about his illicit dealings. One night when Darcy is sleeping with their two year old daughter Amie, he grabs the child screaming from the bed and leaves the flat.
Darcey is devastated and heads straight to the police station for help, only to be told they cannot get involved in domestic disputes, and advised her to try her family. As Darcy is alone, she contacted Ray’s mother, praying she will have Amie and hand her back. His mother had the child but refused to hand her back, saying that although she disagreed with Rays actions, she feared his retaliation far too much to go against his wishes. As the door closed in her face all Darcy could hear were the frightened screams of her little daughter calling her name...
Darcy was distraught and frantic, having lived in constant fear of his violent attacks and bullying, she knew she had to be careful.
After learning that Darcy was not going to knuckle down, Ray let himself into the flat during the night, dragging the covers off of the bed he wrenched her to her feet and pushed her roughly against the wall. With his hands gripped firmly around her throat he threatened her life, if she should ever dare to utter a word about him to the law.
Darcy escaped later in the night, as she knew his threats were not idle. Her one objective was to seek legal advice and get her daughter back where she belongs. She had something on Ray Hunt that would change his life forever...
Would she find the courage to destroy Ray and get her daughter back, ...or will it all end in disaster?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charley Dee
• Release date: Dec 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9780956319050

Book preview

A Scar Too Deep

By

Charley Dee

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2014 Dee Brown

All Rights Reserved

ISBN 978-0-9563190-5-0

In loving memory of my dearest Dad

Synopsis

Darcy Lowe was lonely and vulnerable when she became involved with Ray Hunt, unaware he was a ruthless bully. Realising he has pushed her over the edge, drastic measures are required to keep Darcy from leaving, as she knows far too much about his illicit dealings. One night when Darcy is sleeping with their two year old daughter Amie, he grabs the child screaming from the bed and leaves the flat.

Darcey is devastated and heads straight to the police station for help, only to be told they cannot get involved in domestic disputes, and advised her to try her family. As Darcy is alone, she contacted Ray’s mother, praying she will have Amie and hand her back. His mother had the child but refused to hand her back, saying that although she disagreed with Rays actions, she feared his retaliation far too much to go against his wishes. As the door closed in her face all Darcy could hear were the frightened screams of her little daughter calling her name…

Darcy was distraught and frantic, having lived in constant fear of his violent attacks and bullying, she knew she had to be careful.

After learning that Darcy was not going to knuckle down, Ray let himself into the flat during the night, dragging the covers off of the bed he wrenched her to her feet and pushed her roughly against the wall. With his hands gripped firmly around her throat he threatened her life, if she should ever dare to utter a word about him to the law.

Darcy escaped later in the night, as she knew his threats were not idle. Her one objective was to seek legal advice and get her daughter back where she belongs. She had something on Ray Hunt that would change his life forever…

Would she find the courage to destroy Ray and get her daughter back, ...or will it all end in disaster?

1973   Chapter 1                                                                                      

Picking myself up from the floor after he’d left the flat I started to stuff things into a bag; underwear, a couple of tops and a spare pair of jeans. I couldn’t think straight. Rushing into the bathroom I grabbed my toothbrush and my makeup bag. The only cash I had was inside one of my boots in the wardrobe so I grabbed it, put it in my handbag and went in search of my car keys and mine and Amie’s birth certificates. Sitting on the edge of the bed I took deep breaths and tried to control my body from shaking. The more I tried, the more I trembled. I had to get a grip. This was really happening and somehow I had to get out of this flat, into my old car and drive…where to I had no idea. Purposely I hadn’t switched a light on in case he was out the back watching the flat. I didn’t want him to know I was about to leave. Peering through the corner of the curtain I could see his car parked in the back road. The sheer fact he was watching the flat made me shake even more. I tried to think logically; my car was parked facing down the road, which was on a slight incline and at this time of night there would be no traffic. I could get into the car, pull the door in without slamming it, release the handbrake and let her roll slowly down the road. Hopefully by the time I started the engine I'd be out of earshot. I knew it was my only chance, because if he saw me leaving my life wouldn’t be worth living.

Taking one last look to check he was still in the same place I grabbed my two bags, threw them both over my shoulder and ran quickly down the stairs to the front door. With the keys ready in my right hand I closed the front door with the key; at this point I wished a dog would start to bark or the neighbour’s tom cat would be out on the tiles. No such luck. I swiftly opened the car door and threw the bags onto the passenger seat, pulled the door inwards until it clicked and released the handbrake. Slowly the car started to roll forward and to say I was afraid was an understatement. My biggest fear at that moment was to see headlights of another vehicle behind me. I was approaching a junction at the end of the road so I knew it was now or never to start the engine. Turning the key, I was relieved that the engine turned over straight away. Just in case he had heard the engine and came to check it out, I pulled into a nearby side street and sat for a few minutes. When I thought it was safe I pulled back out onto the main road and headed towards London, and as far away from Riversdale Road as my old banger would take me.

My heart was aching for my baby girl and silent tears were streaming from my eyes as I hurtled along the road in the darkness. After filling up with petrol I managed to clear the city before the early morning traffic merged onto the streets. The day dawned cloudless and I had no idea at this point where I was headed. I rarely ventured further than London at any time. My little car was a reliable run-around however I silently prayed she would get me safely to a distant destination. I was far too confused to think rationally, that would come later, for now I needed to focus on the road ahead. Watching the signs I seemed to be following the route to the south west, so I stayed with the flow of traffic. I stopped off once to stretch my legs and from recent signs I appeared to be in Cornwall, Ray would never find me here surely? Continuing my drive I passed through many villages and places with the strangest names, this was all unfamiliar to me. I saw a sign for Redruth and turned in towards the town. I was flagging and my neck ached, it was time to stop.

I pulled into a side street and thought about my next move, I had so little money I knew I had to be sensible with any purchases. Winding the window down I called out to a man passing by, ‘Excuse me, I’m sorry to trouble you. Is there a library in the town?’

‘Yes my lovely. If you get back onto that road and follow it under the bridge, the library's on the right hand side and you can park outside.’ He pointed the directions as he replied cheerfully.

‘Thank you so much.’ Starting up the car I followed his directions and as he had said, there were parking places outside of the library.  Running a comb through my hair, I slung my handbag over my shoulder and got out of the car. I had to find somewhere to stay that was cheap, and a solicitor, and I felt this was the best place to start.

‘Good morning.’ I politely said to the librarian at the desk. ‘I wonder if you could help me.’

‘I’ll try my best.’ She replied as she looked up towards me.

‘I’ve only just arrived in Redruth and I’m looking for somewhere to stay that’s reasonable, do you have a local paper?’ I enquired.

‘Follow me, there are a couple of local papers you can look through. If you don’t find anything come back and I’ll see what I can come up with.’

 I sat at the table and spread out the local paper that the librarian had given me. As I scanned the paper I noticed a bedsit available in the town, it would be cheaper to rent this than pay for bed and breakfast. Rummaging in my handbag I found a biro and scribbled the address onto the back of the old envelope that contained mine and Amie’s birth certificates. The very thought of her name and the tears were burning in my eyes like fire…I found adverts for two solicitors so I jotted them both down, hoping that at least one of them would be able to see me at short notice. As cash was paramount I leafed through the paper until I found the 'jobs available' section. There was a small box advert for holiday cottage cleaner (car essential) and I wrote down the number. Anything would be better than nothing in these desperate times. As I was about to leave I asked the librarian if she knew where Clinton road was.

‘You’re in Clinton Road.’ She smiled. ‘It must be your lucky day.

I thanked her. If this is my lucky day I hate to think what my unlucky one would be like ….

Chapter 2

Leaving the car parked outside of the library, I decided to walk along Clinton road until I found Arundel House. Fortunately it wasn’t far, which was quite a relief as I felt exhausted. There were several steps leading up to the front door and I pressed the oversized doorbell, praying that it worked. Within seconds the door opened and a rather plump lady with a mass of red hair appeared in the doorway. ‘Yes duck, what can I do for you?’ She asked cheerfully.

‘I’ve come about the bedsit you have to rent.’ I said nervously.

‘Are you on your own?’ she asked bluntly.

‘Yes, just me.’ I replied cautiously.

‘You’d best come in then.’ She smiled as she opened the door wider.

As I stepped into the hall my head started to spin and I grabbed her arm as I began to sway. She swung round and steadied me. ‘You best hang on to me my lovely and I’ll take you into the sitting room.’ Within minutes I was lying back on a big comfy sofa.

‘I’m so..so sorry.’ I mumbled. ‘I’ve been driving through the night and I haven’t eaten since yesterday lunch time, I guess it’s caught up with me.’

‘I should say so ducks, you’re as white as a sheet. You sit there, I’ll make us a nice cuppa and then you can tell me all about it.’

I realised how stupid I’d been. It’s mid July, very warm and I hadn’t even had a drink let alone anything to eat for over twenty four hours.

‘Here we are ducks, a salad sandwich and a pot of tea. By the way I’m Molly Peterson. We can talk after you’ve eaten, you might feel better then.’ With that Molly went back into her kitchen and left me with a tasty lunch.

After three mugs of sweet tea and a sandwich followed by a slice of fruit cake, I began to feel much better.

‘Thank you so much Molly. I decided to drive through the night as I thought there would be less traffic.’ I avoided eye contact with her in case I burst into tears.

‘So what’s your name then lovey, and what’s brought you to Redruth?’ Molly asked curiously.

‘Oh I’m Darcy Lowe and I guess I just needed a change.’

‘Boyfriend trouble ducks?’ she probed.

‘Yes, I’m not in any kind of trouble.’ I muttered.

‘So have you got any kind of reference for the bedsit ducks? You understand I do need to know who I’m letting the rooms to?’

‘I have my birth certificate, Oh and my driving licence and insurance certificate, will they do?’ I asked hopefully.

‘That’ll be fine lovey. If you’re feeling up to it I’ll show you the room now.’

I followed Molly up two flights of stairs, the room was at the back off the house and there was a bathroom on the same floor.

‘You’ll find everything you want in the room lovey. The bathroom is shared with three others but it seems to work out ok. The rents paid each week in advance, no visitors allowed, and the front doors locked at eleven thirty every night.’

‘That sounds fine thank you Molly. Could I pay you now as I need to go out to find a phone box? And thank you so much for the lunch, you’re very kind.’

After giving Molly the rent money for a week, I put the keys in my handbag and went in search of a phone box. I had fallen on my feet finding Molly and Arundel House; I believe my lovely dad was looking out for me. If only he were alive he would have known what to do with the likes of Ray Hunt.

Walking back up towards the railway station I caught site of a phone box. After ringing both solicitors I decided to make the appointment with the second one as they could see me on Monday morning. I had to meet Mr Boyd in Chapel Row at ten o’clock. I only had to wait three days as it was Friday now; a flutter of hope ran through me. Then I rang the number for the cleaning job and was thrilled to be asked if I could work on Sunday to clean a cottage in a nearby village. The lady, who said her name was Maisie, arranged to meet me on the corner of Clinton road at nine thirty on Sunday morning.

Feeling as though I had at last made some progress I walked into the town and purchased a few essentials for my room. That included a notepad and another biro as I’d scribbled so many notes on the back of the old envelope it was difficult to decipher the words. I decided to move my car outside of Arundel House so I could keep an eye on it, being one of my only possessions.

As I unlocked the front door to the house armed with my bags, Molly appeared from her front room. ‘You look a lot better now duck.’ She remarked cheerfully.

‘Thanks Molly I feel better. All I need now is a good night’s sleep.’ I wanted to add ‘as I have a solicitor’s appointment to try and get my baby girl back and a cash in hand job on Sunday ‘however I thought better of it. So I simply smiled as I ran up the stairs to check out my little pad.

As I reached the second landing I noticed the bathroom was empty so I quickly let myself into my room, threw my bags on the bed, grabbed my toiletry stuff and went back to the bathroom for a much needed soak. I found a clean towel in the cupboard, locked the door and slowly immersed myself into the warm water. Laying back I closed my eyes and suddenly reality seized me with an overwhelming effect. Ever since I’d started my fearful journey, my body had been running on adrenaline. Now as I tried to unwind I felt as though I was choking with anxiety and emotion. All I could visualise was my precious daughter’s sweet little face…then the vision of that beautiful face changing to one of anguish, where her little heart was breaking….and then the silent screams…. Gripped by the severity of the emotion and trembling, I hastily washed and got out of the bath.

Back in my room I knew I had to get a grip with what was happening, panic at this stage could make me lose my nerve. Taking deep breaths, gradually the trembling eased and the tears flowed freely as a flood from my heart.

How long I’d slept I’m not sure. Exhaustion had taken over my body and I woke still wrapped in my towel, lying across the bed. Even though it was July there was an evening chill in the air, so I pulled on a clean t-shirt and sat cross legged on the bed, sleepily checking out the contents of my room. One word summed it up for me, shabby. However what did I expect for a few pounds a week? The floral wallpaper had faded and the corners were peeling, the décor of the room reminded me of an old movie, set in the fifties. The last tenant must have been a heavy smoker as even the ceiling was brown and there was still a faint odour in the air. There was an old butler sink, a fridge and a single hot plate, a small cupboard and a rickety table so at least I had the basics. Rummaging through my handbag I found my watch and saw that it was three thirty. I filled the kettle to make tea and while it was boiling, I opened the cupboard to reveal a conglomeration of items including pots and pans, oddments of crockery and cutlery, plus a mish mash of nondescript objects.

Settling back on the bed with my mug of tea I tried to put together some kind of plan for things I could do during the day, I had to keep focused. I could clean the room and then take a walk into town and buy food, Sunday I would be working and then Monday morning the solicitor and my first step towards getting my baby back where she belongs. When I’d finished my tea I slipped under the candy striped sheet and looked up at the ceiling. I watched as the light bulb seemed to be moving rhythmically to and fro and I drifted into a hypnotic sleep…..

Chapter 3

I was bewildered when I opened my eyes as I was hugging the pillow close to me, then reality hit me. I’d been dreaming that Amie was in bed with me. From the day she was born she had never really left my side, she suffered with baby eczema which I believe flared up when she had been awake and observed one of Ray’s violent attacks. However hard I tried to protect her when you share a small flat with a ruthless bully this becomes impossible. In a word Ray is a dipsomaniac which goes hand in hand with his illicit wheeling and dealing. When I first met Ray I was at a low ebb in my life. My father had died and as there had never been a strong bond between my mother and me, she’d moved away from the area without giving a forwarding address. In fact I was unaware that she’d moved until I called at her house one day to be met by the new owners. I had an older brother who lived in the north somewhere; needless to say we’d never kept in touch. He was married with kids and appeared to bask in his own life. I was lonely. And now I realise people make extreme mistakes when they have no one to turn to, and now I’m paying the price.

Ray is a control freak and a bully; at first I guess I was so devoid of affection and company that I couldn’t see what was staring me in the face. By the time I did realise it was too late, I can only describe that by then he’d reeled me in and I’d become an effective possession. Not because of any loving feelings he had for me purely because I knew too much about his illicit lifestyle. He never worked; his routine was to hang out in bars and appropriate dives with similar malingerers and layabouts. He had never provided for me. I had always worked and therefore my money kept us. I had to hide cash for utility bills or he would lift it for booze. Some nights he would beat me until I handed over any cash I had. It was after one of these beatings that I attempted to leave. Although I was a cashier in a big department store at the time, the last thing I wanted was my workmates to know the seedy life I was living. Therefore I had nowhere to run to. I booked into a hotel in the next town although I knew I would have to find somewhere permanent as I would never be able to afford hotel prices. As I left the hotel the next morning and was just about to open my car door he grabbed me from behind. I didn’t go to work for a week as my face was too bruised; I had to accept that for the time being there was no escape.

Ray’s family were equally unusual, or unconventional. His mother Pam Hunt was a small timid woman who on the couple of times we’d met I found difficult to converse with. He had a sister Janet who still lived at home; she was prejudiced and opinionated and seemed to share the same manner as Ray. However Ray had an identical twin brother Barry, who lived a few miles away and was as opposite to Ray as anyone could be. They were like chalk and cheese. Barry seldom ventured to his mothers because of the intense dislike he had for Ray.

After giving birth to Amie work became more difficult; I had to accept jobs that paid cash in hand so that I could take Amie with me. These varied from cleaning which was either early morning or after six in the evening, to being collected by a lorry to carry us out to the orchards for fruit picking, or potato picking. I even helped out on a market stall which was run by a middle age couple from London, George and Pat. Having mentioned I had a sewing machine Pat managed to get me a huge bag of material remnants so while Amie slept at night I made kids clothes for the market….. The siren of an emergency vehicle racing past the house brought me out of my reverie.

Hastily I got up and put the kettle on, after a mug of tea and a slice of toast I got ready and made my way outside. I knew I had to keep myself occupied today, so I walked into the town to find Chapel Row and the solicitor’s office ready for Monday morning. After climbing another steep hill I found the turning, I realised I would have to allow time to walk here. I only intended to use my car for getting to the cottages to save on petrol. To keep myself busy today I decided to clean the room. On my way back to Arundel House I noticed a bakery, looking in the window I read an advert for hot Cornish pasties so I joined the queue as a pasty would suffice for my lunch. As soon as I stood still the intense feeling of despair gripped me with a vengeance. I began to move nervously ringing my hands. Silently I reproached myself, ‘take deep breathes Darcy you can do this.’ I focused on the people in the queue there were six in all, so it shouldn’t take long to be served. Then I noticed the little girl holding onto her mother’s hand she was about Amie’s age though her hair was as dark as Amie’s was fair. She wriggled around happily, chattering constantly to her mother and asking all the usual questions beginning with ‘why.’ My heart ached where was my baby and what was she doing.

Later back in my room I concentrated on cleaning, everything had a greasy feel so with plenty of hot water and soda I started to clean. I was going to wash the curtains however after a close inspection I thought they could possibly fall apart at the seams. The floor was covered with lino which had started to curl up at the edges; kneeling on a table mat I made a valiant attempt to scrub the floor. I’d spent a couple of hours cleaning, and there really wasn’t much else I could do. So once again I put the kettle on for tea and ate my pasty which by now was stone cold.

I realised later in the evening that I must have