A new angle.
Marie shook her head.
‘You must have had something in mind when you asked us here earlier. Tell me.’
‘You’ll… You’ll hate me once you know.’
‘I won’t. I couldn’t. Marie, please, what is it?’
A new angle.
Wasn’t it enough that their dad had arranged their abduction to save his business? The community had been outraged when the truth came out, some disbelieving. There had been a smidgeon of reassurance when it was thought the girls had been abducted by a stranger – there was only a slim likelihood it would ever happen again. The revelation that Simon had arranged it had hit the town hard. A monster walked among them and they had sat with him in the pub, stood next to him at football matches, chatted to him as they walked their dogs. They had never guessed and were horrified but, however bad they thought they had it, it had been a million times worse for Carly.
She had chosen to love him. Chosen to think of him as her dad. Even now, it was impossible not to label him this way because she thought of Leah and Marie as her whole sisters. They’d never thought of themselves as anything but. Once a journalist had thrust a microphone towards her mouth and demanded to know whether Carly wished her mum had never met Simon so Carly wouldn’t have gone through such an ordeal. The notion threw Carly. The small space of her throat had closed and she’d pushed past the woman with her weasel face, her acrylic red nails and thoughtless questions.
Did she wish her mum had never met Simon?
If she hadn’t met him then the twins would never exist and how could she ever wish for that? That man had ruined her life with one hand but given her something precious with the other.
Sisters.
And for a time they’d all been happy. A proper family. Leah and Marie had been the closest, of course, but that was because they were twins, not because she had a different dad. She had never felt any less.
A new angle.
What was so bad that Marie couldn’t meet her eye?
Half a sister.
Half a person.
Half the truth.
‘Tell me,’ Carly demanded over and over until Marie falteringly began to speak.
Chapter Fifty-One
Marie
One week ago
‘I… I…’ Marie’s hands were shaking, her teeth too. ‘I overheard Mum and Dad talking… planning, I suppose. The abduction… I—’
‘Mum didn’t know!’ Carly said.
‘She did… I heard them.’
‘When? Where were we?’ Carly’s eyes narrowed.
‘It was late. You were in bed, and Leah was asleep. I was wide awake, worrying.’
‘About what?’
Marie scratched her arm. ‘You, I guess. I was thinking you’d gone off us, that you preferred Dean Malden to—’
‘Oh, for God’s sake,’ Carly snapped. ‘Tell me about Mum and Dad.’
‘Well, I crept downstairs and they were in the kitchen. They didn’t know I was outside the door. I was about to go in when Mum said, Tell me again and there was something in her voice that made me hesitate. Dad explained to her that, with the right media coverage, missing children can attract a lot of attention. People would donate money—’
‘Even if he said that, Mum would never agree. Why would she?’ Carly cut in.
‘She did say no… at first.’
‘What changed her mind?’ The expression on Carly’s face told Marie that she didn’t believe any of it.
It was a sharp and jagged truth and, as much as Marie didn’t want to share it, it was a relief in a way. She’d carried it alone for such a long time.
‘Dad said that… he said that if Mum didn’t agree then they would lose the house—’
‘So? Big deal. Loads of people move.’
‘And… and that we wouldn’t be able to stay together. He had a friend who would probably put up him and… me and Leah, but you and Mum would be on your own. Back to the council estate. He said you’d probably end up on drugs or worse.’
‘Well, that’s fucking ironic, looking at you.’ Marie didn’t blame Carly for lashing out.
‘Dad said it would only be for a couple of days and there wouldn’t be any lasting effects.’
‘Yeah, right.’ Carly jabbed her finger at Marie. ‘Junkie.’ She pointed a finger at herself. ‘Too scared to trust anyone and Leah…’
‘I know.’ Marie hung her head.
‘Christ.’ Carly pressed her fingers into her skull. ‘Sorry. I don’t mean to take it out on you but… really? That’s all it took to persuade Mum?’
‘Dad really scared her. He said we’d all have to change schools. That me and Leah probably wouldn’t see her or you again. She was terrified. He told her that in time we’d forget it ever happened. “It will be just one small event in their long and happy lives,” he said.’
‘Yes, because we’re all so happy.’
‘He asked her to trust him,’ Marie said. ‘And I suppose she did.’
Neither of them spoke. The muscle in Carly’s jaw was pulsing, quick and angry. Marie felt it all again. The fear that she might lose her sisters but this time it would be all her fault. She should have said something before. Her stomach contracted, veins screamed, body craving a numbness that she couldn’t afford. Right now there was only Carly and the truth.
‘Why the fuck didn’t you tell us?’ Marie flinched as Carly swore at her. ‘In court Dad said he’d acted alone. Mum swore she didn’t know anything. They were lying. You were lying. Why didn’t you tell us before it happened?’
‘I wanted to but I thought I could talk Dad out of it. I tried, I really did.’
Carly rose to her feet and began to pace the room. Four steps to the window, turn. Five steps to the door. Marie’s breath hitched in her throat, afraid Carly would leave but equally hoping she would just go. Carly strode over to the bookcase. Giant angry steps for such a small oppressive room. ‘Tell me everything.’
‘Okay.’ Marie closed her eyes and she remembered.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Carly
One week ago
Carly thought that nothing Marie could tell her now would be as bad as what had been revealed moments before.
She was wrong.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Marie
Then
Marie closed her eyes as her mum pressed the back of her hand against her forehead.
‘You don’t feel hot but you are very pale. And it’s your tummy?’
‘Yes. It hurts.’ Marie wasn’t lying. Ever since she’d eavesdropped on the conversation between her parents last night, the knot in her stomach had tightened and she felt a constant dull ache. ‘I think Leah’s sick too. She should stay here.’
‘God, if they’re both claiming to be ill they’ve probably got a maths test or something. Mum, we’re going to be late,’ Carly said unfairly. The twins were often ill at the same time. Chicken pox. Measles. Once Marie had lost her voice although she hadn’t felt remotely poorly, not knowing that Leah had gone to see the school nurse, hit by a sudden bout of tonsillitis.