The Declaration

to Anna’s face and pushed some hair away from her forehead. Her hand was so soft, and the action so tender that Anna found herself covered in goosebumps, and she shivered. The woman leant down and kissed her on the forehead and said, ‘Anna, my precious, precious child, you’re safe now. You’re home now.’ Anna saw a solitary tear wending its way down her cheek, and suddenly Anna was crying too, and the woman pulled her towards her chest, and the two of them stayed like that for ages, just sobbing and holding each other, until Anna didn’t think she had a single tear left and her arms were trembling. And then she fell asleep again.
    An hour later, Mr Roper closed his notebook and smiled at Julia.
    ‘You’re sure they said Bunting?’
    Julia nodded nervously. ‘I only overheard them,’ she said quickly, ‘so I can’t be absolutely sure, but he said that her parents had changed their name when they got out of prison. So she was Anna Covey, but they were . . . Bunting. Yes, I’m sure that’s it.’
    ‘Thank you,’ Mr Roper said. ‘And do send my best to Mr Sharpe.’
    ‘Do you think you’ll catch them?’ she asked tentatively.
    ‘Of course we’ll catch them,’ he replied. ‘We always catch them. Every time.’
    And with that, he and his colleagues left Mrs Sharpe, got into their car, and purred off down the street.

Chapter Twenty-one
    Sheila sat silently in Central Feeding, methodically lowering her spoon into the grey soup in front of her, lifting it to her mouth and swallowing. Gradually, rumours about Anna and Peter’s escape had started to circulate around Grange Hall. And Mrs Pincent said they’d been sent to a detention centre, but no one believed that. And for the time being, Sheila wasn’t being bullied because she was considered someone who might have inside information on how they did it, even though that didn’t stop Tania from taunting her. Left you behind, did they? Can’t say I’m surprised. Anna probably escaped just to get away from you.
    She snuck her left hand down the side of her overalls and into her pocket, where the silk knickers she’d stolen had taken up permanent residence, soft and indulgent, Sheila’s only link with the world Outside from which she had been wrenched. The world where she knew she belonged.
    Then, after draining her bowl of soup, she stood up. She had half an hour before she was due in Laundry, and she planned to go to Female Bathroom 2, her new refuge from the brutal world of Grange Hall. She had replaced Anna’s diary in its hiding place hours after Anna’s disappearance, but it wasn’t Anna’s diary any more. Now it was Sheila’s diary. She thought she might hide the knickers in the same place, build up a little treasure trove of beautiful things.
    But as she made her way to the door out of Central Feeding, she found Surplus Charlie blocking her way.
    ‘On your own, Sheila?’ he asked softly, a mocking look in his eye. ‘Got no friends now Anna’s left without you? Not much of a friend, was she?’
    Sheila glared at him.
    ‘Get out of my way,’ she said, her voice flat. ‘Leave me alone.’
    Charlie glanced around to check that no Instructors were nearby, then smiled superciliously at Sheila.
    ‘Poor little Sheila,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘No Anna to protect you any more, is there? No one to protect you at all.’
    He stuck his hand out and prodded her in the stomach menacingly.
    Sheila felt herself tense up in fear, but stared at him defiantly.
    ‘Leave me alone,’ she hissed. ‘Just go away.’
    ‘You can’t talk to me like that,’ Charlie said, his eyes glinting. ‘I’m a Prefect, and you have to do what I say.’
    He had moved towards her now, bending down and coming so close that he was almost touching her, his chin at the level of her nose, his breath heavy on her forehead. Sheila could feel her legs trembling beneath her. She’d seen Charlie bully other Surpluses, had seen him taunt and hit them. But he’d never seemed to have noticed her before. Not before Anna left. Not before Anna deserted her.
    ‘Charlie, Sheila, come here, please.’
    They both turned immediately at the sound of Mrs Larson’s voice, and walked towards her, heads bowed.
    ‘And what were you talking about so secretively?’ Mrs Larson asked crossly. ‘Explain yourselves, please.’
    ‘Charlie was . . .’ Sheila started to say, then stopped.
    ‘I was reprimanding her,’ Charlie said smoothly. ‘She left her bread, and I told