‘And then you received those messages?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why would Mary send those messages? She wouldn’t want you to know what they’d done.’
I wrap the blanket tighter around my body as I stand under lamplight. ‘I don’t think she sent them. Someone else knew everything. Natalie overheard something… you’ll have to ask her the details. Natalie wasn’t my messenger.’
White-hot pain flashes through my head and my stomach is gargling. I feel awful and all I want to do is go back to the cottage, pack and then go home.
‘Mummy, your turn.’ Millie enjoys being carried by Damien and Rosie reaches up and holds her sister’s hand. There’s so much love between the two of them. I swallow back a tear. If only I was as caring towards Jess that day.
‘We’ll speak later. For now, get checked over.’
I nod and head over to Damien. ‘What did they say?’
‘This little one has no water in her lungs. She swam like a pro, didn’t you, Millie?’
Millie snuggles into his chest and buries her face.
‘I’m so proud of you, sweetie.’ I lean in and kiss her, then I bend over to kiss Rosie. I never want her to feel left out.
About fifteen minutes later, I’ve been checked over and Millie and I are going to hospital. They want to know that all is okay with the baby and they want to observe Millie for awhile. Damien stands over me, a hand on my shoulder as we wait. I bite my nails while he frowns and placates the girls. I’ve only known about my pregnancy for a couple of days and Damien has only known for a few hours but both of us know that if anything has happened, we’ll be heartbroken. If this little life has clung on through all that it’s been through, it deserves a chance.
‘Kate, I heard what happened. They’ve just let us moor the boat up.’ Cody stands outside the ambulance as we all wait. ‘Oh, I’m sorry. This is a really bad time.’
‘Damien, can you and Rosie bring the car to the hospital while we go in the ambulance?’
He nods, understanding that I need a moment with Cody. Millie lies back on the bed and pulls the blankets over her while I sit at the end.
The man I thought was behind all this deserves to know the truth about his father.
‘Archie didn’t hurt Jessica. All he did was find her red hat. You’ve been carrying that burden for years now, you can move on.’
Daisy spots her father talking to me and she runs over. ‘Dad, are you okay?’
I can see he’s not. ‘I think your dad will need a stiff drink after this. Mary made him believe that his father killed a baby. Archie was a hero and you both deserve to drink to that. He saved a toddler from a car and had nothing to do with what happened to Jess.’ This is the first time I’ve seen the man in front of me look sad and speechless.
He holds a hand over his mouth. ‘Thank you, thank you so much.’ He grips my hand and presses his lips together. ‘I need that drink, Dais.’
Daisy smiles as she leads her father away. He glances back at me and waves. I’ve seen everyone now and the only person I’m missing is Rachel. No doubt she will know of Kyle’s arrest and Mary’s death. She also knows about me. If I had the energy to stand, I’d walk straight out of this ambulance and find my little sister but I need to know that my baby is okay. I wonder if it was all too much as she ran away from the pier. I swallow, wondering if she’ll ever want to see me again.
FIFTY-SIX
KATE
Millie has had the all-clear but they’re keeping me in for a few more hours. Things are looking good but I have hypothermia. The shivering has been that bad, I feel as though I’ve torn ligaments. As soon as the adrenaline wore off, it hit me like a train. I don’t know how Millie bounced back so quickly.
I had to force Damien to leave in the end. If he’d had it his way, he and the girls would have been sleeping in that hospital chair next to my bed all night. He’s left me a box of chocolates, which have been most welcome. Well, they would have been had they not kept sticking in my throat. I yearn to speak to Rachel but I can’t. My phone has had it. Damien promised to get me a new battery but I won’t have it back until tomorrow. I need to know that Rachel doesn’t hate me.
The curtain around my bed flutters and I stare. ‘Jess.’
‘It’s Rachel.’ She fiddles with the ends of her pink hair.
‘Rachel. I’m sorry it had to come out like this. I’m sorry about your mum and dad.’ I have to remember that Kyle and Mary are all she’s known. My eyes tear up. It’s been emotional and my hormones are playing havoc with me. ‘I never gave up on you.’ My bottom lip trembles.
She steps in and throws her arms around me. ‘I knew it was you. It was me who sent the messages. I brought you here.’
I pull away. ‘You’re Will?’
