Juliet … you’re fine …”
“Of course I am. What are you doing home already?”
“I … I skipped gym. I wasn’t feeling well.”
Shadow had jumped down from the sofa and was brushing herself against Sarah’s legs. She looked electric.
“Did you run all the way? You’re so out of breath! You should have called, I would have come to get you …”
“It’s OK. I’m OK. Just need a drink.” Sarah picked Shadow up and looked into her eyes. They were enormous. She was trying to tell her something.
“Go and sit down, I’ll get you a drink and some lunch, maybe? What about a ham sandwich?”
Just the thing.
“No thanks. Water will do. Where’s Harry?”
“Well, we had a nice chat this morning, about your mum and dad. He asked me so many questions … He made me a cup of tea, then …” Juliet looked confused for a second. “Then he went downstairs, I think. Yes, he went downstairs. He’s still in the basement.”
The basement? How did he get in? The door is always locked! She felt frantically under her jumper and around her neck. Her key was still there, hanging on a silver chain. So where did he find another key?
“And what did you do? After your chat, I mean?” she asked Juliet, trying to sound casual.
“I … I …” That look of confusion again.“I sat here, watching TV, I think …” She shook her head. “Funny that, I can’t remember! I must have fallen asleep …”
Sarah felt a knot in her stomach. “Well, never mind, Aunt Juliet, don’t worry. I’ll cook you lunch. I’ll just go and say hello to Harry.”
Say hello, indeed.
“Hi Sarah. You’re back already. No gym?” Harry seemed to materialize between them, silently. They hadn’t heard him coming.
Sarah felt her heart pounding in her chest.
“No gym,” she replied in a clipped tone.
“Exercise is good for you, Sarah. It makes you strong, and resilient.” His tone was mocking. For the second time that day, Sarah felt like slapping him.
“She got her exercise anyway, she ran all the way here!” laughed Juliet.
“Ran? Why? Was something on fire?” Harry’s eyes were wide with innocence.
“I just wanted home, that’s all.”
“Well, I need to get home for a bit,” Juliet intervened, putting her hand on Sarah’s arm. “Trevor must be drowning, with the girls and the house. I’ll be back tonight.”
“You don’t need to, Aunt Juliet,” said Sarah quickly.
“Better if I do.”
“We’re OK, Juliet. I’ve got it in hand,” said Harry.
Juliet looked uncertain for a second. Sarah looked at Harry. His handsome face, his clear blue eyes. The picture of reliability.
“OK then. OK. As you’re here …”
Sarah saw her aunt to the door, and gave her a big, tight hug. Juliet was surprised, but pleased.
“Take care, baby, see you tomorrow.” She looked into Sarah’s face. She was struck by how young, how vulnerable she looked. A child of seventeen. A young woman of seventeen. Alone in the world, but for her and Trevor.
And Harry.
The moment passed, and Sarah looked away.
“What did you do to her?” Sarah growled as soon as Juliet was out of the door.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You know very well what I mean. She was confused . She couldn’t remember what happened this morning. I thought you’d sent me to school because you wanted to be here alone, but you wanted to be alone with her . You asked her questions about my mum and dad. What did you do to her?” she repeated, in a staccato voice, her green eyes blazing. Shadow was beside her, her tail moving rhythmically, menacingly.
She looks just like Harry .
“I just needed to speak to her. I convinced her to stay for a while longer, and we had a cup of tea.”
“And then?”
“Then I sent her to sleep.”
What? “How?”
“Like I did to you last night. Like this.” He turned quickly and placed his hand on Shadow’s head. Shadow didn’t even have time to protest, or jump away, before she fell in a little heap at
“Of course I am. What are you doing home already?”
“I … I skipped gym. I wasn’t feeling well.”
Shadow had jumped down from the sofa and was brushing herself against Sarah’s legs. She looked electric.
“Did you run all the way? You’re so out of breath! You should have called, I would have come to get you …”
“It’s OK. I’m OK. Just need a drink.” Sarah picked Shadow up and looked into her eyes. They were enormous. She was trying to tell her something.
“Go and sit down, I’ll get you a drink and some lunch, maybe? What about a ham sandwich?”
Just the thing.
“No thanks. Water will do. Where’s Harry?”
“Well, we had a nice chat this morning, about your mum and dad. He asked me so many questions … He made me a cup of tea, then …” Juliet looked confused for a second. “Then he went downstairs, I think. Yes, he went downstairs. He’s still in the basement.”
The basement? How did he get in? The door is always locked! She felt frantically under her jumper and around her neck. Her key was still there, hanging on a silver chain. So where did he find another key?
“And what did you do? After your chat, I mean?” she asked Juliet, trying to sound casual.
“I … I …” That look of confusion again.“I sat here, watching TV, I think …” She shook her head. “Funny that, I can’t remember! I must have fallen asleep …”
Sarah felt a knot in her stomach. “Well, never mind, Aunt Juliet, don’t worry. I’ll cook you lunch. I’ll just go and say hello to Harry.”
Say hello, indeed.
“Hi Sarah. You’re back already. No gym?” Harry seemed to materialize between them, silently. They hadn’t heard him coming.
Sarah felt her heart pounding in her chest.
“No gym,” she replied in a clipped tone.
“Exercise is good for you, Sarah. It makes you strong, and resilient.” His tone was mocking. For the second time that day, Sarah felt like slapping him.
“She got her exercise anyway, she ran all the way here!” laughed Juliet.
“Ran? Why? Was something on fire?” Harry’s eyes were wide with innocence.
“I just wanted home, that’s all.”
“Well, I need to get home for a bit,” Juliet intervened, putting her hand on Sarah’s arm. “Trevor must be drowning, with the girls and the house. I’ll be back tonight.”
“You don’t need to, Aunt Juliet,” said Sarah quickly.
“Better if I do.”
“We’re OK, Juliet. I’ve got it in hand,” said Harry.
Juliet looked uncertain for a second. Sarah looked at Harry. His handsome face, his clear blue eyes. The picture of reliability.
“OK then. OK. As you’re here …”
Sarah saw her aunt to the door, and gave her a big, tight hug. Juliet was surprised, but pleased.
“Take care, baby, see you tomorrow.” She looked into Sarah’s face. She was struck by how young, how vulnerable she looked. A child of seventeen. A young woman of seventeen. Alone in the world, but for her and Trevor.
And Harry.
The moment passed, and Sarah looked away.
“What did you do to her?” Sarah growled as soon as Juliet was out of the door.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You know very well what I mean. She was confused . She couldn’t remember what happened this morning. I thought you’d sent me to school because you wanted to be here alone, but you wanted to be alone with her . You asked her questions about my mum and dad. What did you do to her?” she repeated, in a staccato voice, her green eyes blazing. Shadow was beside her, her tail moving rhythmically, menacingly.
She looks just like Harry .
“I just needed to speak to her. I convinced her to stay for a while longer, and we had a cup of tea.”
“And then?”
“Then I sent her to sleep.”
What? “How?”
“Like I did to you last night. Like this.” He turned quickly and placed his hand on Shadow’s head. Shadow didn’t even have time to protest, or jump away, before she fell in a little heap at
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