‘Yes, fine. See you then.’ And with that, Amy was gone.
Hannah stared at the phone momentarily after she’d hung up. It was unlike Amy to try something new at the last minute, and basketball? What a strange choice.
She pushed it to the back of her mind. It would be easier to talk to her father, Sue and Nat without Amy there, so it had worked out well.
Hannah packed the muffins into a container and set about cleaning up the kitchen, her thoughts concentrated on how she was going to deliver her news. There was no good way to do it, and she could only expect them to be upset.
That was confirmed when just after six, sitting in her father’s kitchen, she watched Nat’s face pale as she delivered the findings about Jacob’s company. ‘I’m sorry, Nat, I hate telling you this, but my fraud guy was the one to provide this information.’
‘What about the money I’ve withdrawn?’
‘The money is only a figure on the computer screen. It doesn’t exist.’
Nat turned to her father. ‘You didn’t invest yet, did you?’
He nodded, his face mirroring Sue’s pale and shocked expression. ‘Deposited a cash cheque into Jacob’s account this morning. The money has gone from our account. I checked with the bank. It can’t be retrieved.’
Nat put her head in her hands. ‘I think I’m going to be sick. I’m so sorry.’
‘You didn’t make us invest the money. Don’t be silly. It’s not your fault.’
Nat raised her head. ‘Of course it is. You wouldn’t have even known about it if I hadn’t mentioned it to you.’
Hannah rested a hand on Nat’s shoulder, doing her best to convey as much sympathy as possible in her words. ‘You were used, Nat. They’re internet predators. It’s believed they’ve done this before in a range of different circumstances. On this occasion, they preyed on people who had addictive personalities and were willing to take risks with money to get large returns. They counted on you getting money from friends or family. They probably never expected you to invest yourself as they knew you had no money.’
‘But Eliza, the woman I met in the chat room. She’s so lovely. I had drinks with her too, so it’s not like she doesn’t exist. I met Jacob as well. And what about Suze then? She’s the other woman in the chat room group. I wonder if she was real like me or working with them?’
Hannah had to bite her tongue. The one thing she hoped not to reveal from all this was the identity of Suze. She knew Nat well enough to know that above and beyond everything else she’d have trouble forgiving her for this.
‘Do you think I should warn her?’
Hannah shook her head. ‘I think you need to stay out of the chat room for the next couple of days and just let all this play out. If you warn Suze and she’s working with Eliza and Jacob, then it might alert them to the fact that they’re being investigated. If they suddenly disappear, it will be tough for the authorities to take this any further.’
‘Do you think there’s a chance Dad and Sue will get their money back?’
Hannah thought back to her discussion with Jacob about keeping people’s expectations low so that they weren’t disappointed. That advice was relevant right now. ‘I’m afraid I think it’s unlikely. But it’s not impossible, so let’s keep our fingers crossed and see what happens over the next couple of days.’
Nat nodded, her face so stricken Hannah wanted to cry for her. Instead, she did something she hadn’t done since they were teenagers. She took her in her arms and hugged her.
Nausea settled in Hannah’s stomach as she drove away from her father’s house. She hated that she was the one to deliver such devastating news.
Her phone rang as she turned left on to Warrigal Road and her stomach churned as the caller display showed it was Damien. She’d never felt so nervous about accepting a call from her husband before. She wasn’t sure she could handle anything else tonight.
She cleared her throat. ‘Hello.’
She wasn’t sure what she expected, but it wasn’t the frantic sound of her husband’s voice.
‘Han, meet me at Box Hill emergency department.’
‘What?’
‘The school called. Amy’s had an accident, and they’ve taken her there.’
‘Oh my God, is she alright?’
‘Yes, she’s had a fall and done something to her arm. She’s in a lot of pain, but one of the teachers is with her. I have to go. I’m just walking in now and need to switch off my phone.’
Hannah accelerated through a light as it changed to amber. ‘Okay, I’ll be about ten minutes.’ The call ended, and she did her best to clear everything from her mind and concentrate on the fastest route to the hospital.
Fifteen minutes later she hurried through the emergency room doors. She glanced around the crowded waiting room, but there was no sign of Amy or Damien. She went straight up to the desk.
‘My daughter was brought in a little while ago. Amy Anderson.’
The receptionist checked her computer and looked up at Hannah. ‘She’s with a doctor. Just a moment and I’ll have someone take you through to the consultation room.’
Hannah shifted from foot to foot, wishing they would hurry up.
‘Mrs Anderson?’
She turned to find a male nurse standing behind her.
‘If you’d like to come with me, I’ll take you down to see your daughter. Your husband’s with her already.’
A small flicker of relief registered for Hannah. She wasn’t alone. She had Damien with her.
‘Do you know what happened?’ She asked the nurse as she followed him along the sterile corridor.
‘I believe she fell. The arm needs to be X-rayed. Even without an X-ray, I’m afraid to say it’s broken. Hopefully, it’s a clean break and won’t need surgery.’
A shiver ran up Hannah’s back. Surgery? She hoped that wouldn’t be necessary.
They turned into another corridor and the nurse directed her into a room. Damien was sitting in a chair next to a space where Hannah imagined a bed would usually be. He stood as soon as she entered the room and crossed the floor to her. He took her in his arms.
She could feel the tremble in his body.
‘She’s okay, isn’t she?’
Damien nodded. ‘They just took her to X-ray her arm. She’s in quite a bit of pain, but the painkillers they gave her should work quickly.’
Hannah drew back from him. ‘You’re shaking.’
He gave a wobbly smile. ‘It was a fright getting the phone call, that’s all. Made me realise I should have been at home, not at Mum and Dad’s.’
‘She hurt herself at school. It wouldn’t have made any difference.’
‘I know, but it also makes me realise what’s important. I’m sorry, Han.’
The nurse cleared his throat. ‘I’ll give you some privacy. You’ve probably got half an hour or so before Amy is brought back.’
They waited for him to leave, grateful that the other two beds in the room were empty.
‘Did she tell you what happened?’
Damien nodded. ‘She fell when she was mucking out the stables. Tripped over a piece of wood, apparently.’