Mary grips my child with such force, I can see tears running down her little cheeks. Millie is too scared to make a noise or move and my heart is breaking to see her like this.
‘There’s no other way out. All I wanted to do was start a new life, replace the one you ruined. Why did you have to come back, Kate?’
‘You messaged me.’
She let out a huff and shook her head. ‘You ruin families, first your own, then mine. Go away, Kate.’
‘Please, I’m pregnant with Millie’s brother or sister. We’re a happy family and she needs to be with me and her dad. You have a granddaughter who you love, a lot. Please think of my children. We all need each other. Millie needs me.’
The wide-eyed way she looks at me gives me the chills and her blonde hair is billowing in the breeze. ‘I am thinking of my child. I can’t think of anything but. You ruined everything. The past was in the past but you came along and whipped everything up. This is all your fault, Kate.’
Rachel pushes through the crowd. ‘Mum, please come down from there. I love you. We love you. Don’t do this.’
Mary turns her head back, the warmth of her skin tone framed by the darkest of thundery clouds. My heart begins to hammer. If they go into the sea, I will follow. My worst nightmares are coming to life.
‘Look what you started, Rachel.’ With pressed lips the woman smiles at her daughter.
‘Mum, I’m sorry.’ Tears streamed down Rachel’s blotchy face.
‘Rachel, what is she talking about?’
‘You don’t get it, you don’t get any of it.’ Mary slaps her free palm on her head.
A crash of sea spray sloshes against the pier, soaking my little girl and she shrieks. It’s like my heart has stopped but I have to keep trying to get through to her.
‘What don’t I get?’
‘No, no, no.’ Mary keeps repeating those words as she shakes her head and sobs.
A huge gust of wind bellows and another wave crashes against the wall, splashing over me too. I can barely feel my shivering body or trembling fingers.
‘Mary, please come down. It’s too dangerous for both of you.’
‘Mum, please.’ Rachel goes to step closer.
‘Stay back.’ Mary’s manic stare is enough to stop Rachel from taking another step. ‘Do you really want the truth because the truth stinks?’
I nod as tears slip down my cheek. Is the truth worth all this? I ask myself that question and I think that maybe it isn’t. Millie’s life is at risk and I could have prevented that. I wish I was back at the cottage packing to go home with Damien and the girls after having a lovely family holiday. Sobs come from deep inside as I imagine snuggling up with him, in our bed at home, cuddling the girls as I tuck them in for the night. ‘Yes.’
The woman stares into the dark sea. ‘I can’t keep this secret any longer. Rachel died. We loved her more than anything.’
‘Mum,’ Rachel cried.
‘Why Jess?’ I press her for more.
‘It was an accident. When Kyle and I saw Jess with your father, we took our chances. Kyle took Jess, then he took the boat back out immediately, while you were in the ice-cream shop with your mother, and I took the car and met him along the coast. We transferred her into the car and into our lives, and everyone thought she was Rachel. I left Jess’s red hat behind and old Archie picked it up. While I was getting into my car, I saw Archie on the pier, holding the red hat before dropping it into the sea. We didn’t plan it, you have to believe me. We didn’t want Cody to believe that his dad had done such an awful thing but we promised we’d keep his secret. Now, I’ve lost two children.’ She shook her head and stared at Rachel. ‘I fell in love with little Millie here and I wanted to start all over again, be a mother and look after her.’
‘Millie needs me, she needs her sister and her father. Please climb back over. If she falls into that sea, she’ll die. If you love her like you say, you’ll let her go.’
Rachel is sobbing so hard. The girl runs as fast as she can off the pier and into Bethany’s arms.
Jess is still alive and Cody thought that Archie had accidentally killed her all those years ago. Rachel is Jess, I know that now. All these years I thought she was dead. The look on Mary’s face is deep. I need to keep her talking while I think. When she stops, she stares out at the sea in a way that makes my stomach lurch. ‘What happened to Rachel?’
‘Mummy,’ Millie whimpers.
A guttural roar escapes her lips and her whole body shakes in a way that I’ve never seen before in a person. My heart bangs away and another wave crashes over the side. My pain has gone, I’m too numb to feel.
‘She wouldn’t sleep. She cried and cried all night. It was because she was…’ Mary paused. ‘She was poorly. I couldn’t shut her up. The only way she’d stop crying was if she was in our bed. I’d had a couple of drinks. She slept and slept after I lay her next to me. We all slept. Me, Kyle and Rachel. Then she was—’
