“Come inside,” Amy called from the porch. “I’ve made lunch, and we can all find out what happened.”
Ed joined Tess, slipping his hand into hers. Always there for her. She hesitated. The urge to follow them inside was strong, but there was one thing she had to deal with first. “I have to call my parents.”
“Of course.”
She didn’t want to bring such potential ugliness into the house. “Can I borrow your phone?” She wanted to video call her parents. She needed to see if they were lying. Her pulse fluttered as she dialled the number.
“Tess!” Her mother appeared on the screen. “You’re all right! Did you speak to Tan?” Behind her, Joy moved into the frame, concern in her eyes.
Tess nodded, wandering towards the shed where Maggie lay in the shade. “Where’s Dad?”
Her mother hesitated, glancing at Joy.
Tess’s stomach clenched. “Mum, where is he?”
“He’s at work,” Joy said.
Did Joy not know? “Mum?”
Her mother nodded. “He left for work this morning.”
Tess couldn’t read her expression—defiant, determined, scared? “You lied to me.”
“I said what I was told to say.” There was no apology in her expression.
“I need to speak to him. I’ll call you back.” She hung up and with trembling fingers, she called her father.
Ed squeezed her hand.
Would her father answer? He might not be able to depending on where he was. She met Ed’s gaze, and he said, “I’m right here.”
That made all the difference.
“Hello?” Tess could faintly hear her father’s voice over the sounds of machinery in the background, but he was dressed in his work clothes and appeared as healthy as the last time she’d spoken to him. Behind him were several large shipping containers.
Nausea rose in her stomach. “Dad. You’re all right?”
“Tess? What’s happened? Where are you?”
She closed her eyes as the betrayal washed over her. She couldn’t speak over the lump in her throat.
“Tess? You need to call Tan.”
She inhaled deeply. “Mum told me you’d been kidnapped. She said Stonefish would kill you if I didn’t turn myself in.” It had never occurred to her to call her father, that her mother would lie to her about something so serious.
Silence.
“Well, I’m glad you were smart enough to call me first.”
Disbelief made her speechless. Tears blurred her vision. “I almost died,” she whispered. “If not for some friends, Tan would have killed me.” She hung up, unable to look at him any longer. Both her parents had spouted the lie without hesitation.
Ed gathered her into his arms and held her as she sobbed. What would she have done in the circumstances? Had her mother really believed Tess would call her father to confirm what she’d said? Had she trusted Tan’s word that Tess wouldn’t be harmed? Or had she simply put her life above her daughter’s?
“I’m sorry, Tess.” Ed rubbed her back and pressed kisses against her head.
She clung to him, needing the touch, needing to know someone cared about her. Her phone rang, but she ignored it. She couldn’t deal with more right now.
It took a couple of minutes before the wave of grief passed. She leaned away from him. “I have to call Mum back.” She didn’t want to, but she needed answers.
