Chav City !

There weren't exactly ghettos in this part of southern England but as in most towns, some areas did seem to generate a self perpetuating image of being more run down and deprived than others and Carol was aware that, as Charlotte had said, she was heading into Chav City. It was an estate of 1970s social housing that had been state of the art when it was built but was now really beginning to show its' age. Turning into one of the cul de sacs that radiated off of the ring road to the estate, she struggled to find a parking space for her SUV, conscious that it was a conspicuously more ostentatious vehicle than any of the others she could see parked up.

It was a warm early summer afternoon, verging on being hot. Carol left her jacket in the car, she would be plenty warm enough in the stylish new summer dress she had treated herself to with the first bonus she and Debbi had felt able to award themselves from their fledgling business. It was beige with a modest neckline but tailored to be tight fitting from the waist down, ending just on her knee. The good weather had encouraged the residents outside and Carol attracted the suspicious attention of those hanging around with cans of cheap beer. She would have expected these people to have been at work or school but neither activity seemed to be a priority around here. The atmosphere was not hostile as such but it could hardly be called welcoming.

The numbering of the terraced houses seemed to follow no set pattern; numbers 1 to 14 followed by 60 to 75. Carol looked for signs but these had been either lost or defaced. "Can I 'elp yer lady ?" asked an urchin of indeterminate age. "I'm looking for number 47" said Carol. "Bloody'ell ! Those tossers ?" was the somewhat alarming response. "A girl called Kayleigh Sanders" Carol continued. "Yeah, that's them. Just over there." The kid pointed to a block on the far side. Carol saw number 42 and followed on to 47. Her progress was now being followed even more closely by the curious onlookers.

Number 47 did not appear on the outside to be any better or worse than its neighbors. Refusing to be intimidated, Carol rang the door bell !