‘Seriously?’
She told him about the DNA results, that Issy was her half-sister.
‘Holy shit,’ Pete said slowly, when she’d finished. ‘What are you going to do?’
‘WhatcanI do? She hates me. She thinks I’m a liar. She wants nothing to do with me.’
‘Could you confront Malcolm alone?’
‘He’d just deny it. Bella Ash could be anyone. The results are useless without Issy’s support.’
‘Does this change anything?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, if these people are your flesh and blood, are you still happy to blow the top off their corrupt property deals?’
Meg thought for a moment. ‘It changes nothing. I’m more determined than ever.’
‘Good, then listen to this.’
Meg ran through the plan in her head as she drove to the jail. It was time to come clean, to tell Issy the truth about Ashworth Property and hope she might believe her. But when she reached the spot by the towering jail wall where Issy’s vintage Mercedes was usually parked, the space was empty.
The engine idled as Meg tried to decide what to do next. If she called her, Issy wouldn’t answer. A text message would be pointless; Issy would ignore it. The only way Meg would be able to speak to her was to ambush her. She would drive the streets of Hartwell until she found that car.
She started working her way up and down the quiet streets, systematically moving from east to west. Fifteen minutes later, just as she was wondering if Issy might have left town, Meg caught her breath. There it was, parked outside a pretty sandstone cottage with a red tin roof. Issy was sitting on the front veranda with an older woman. Meg drove past, keeping her pace steady, and stopped far enough down the street that she wouldn’t draw their attention. She adjusted her rear-vision mirror so she could watch them, and waited.
It was ten minutes before they stood, Issy towering over the tiny woman with dark curls and a kind face. Heart racing, Meg got out of the car and walked towards them. When they reached the gate, the older woman took Issy’s hands, speaking intently, then pulled her into an embrace. They stood like that for a long time.
Meg stopped a few metres away, feeling like she was interrupting an intimate moment. When they parted, they both looked in her direction, sensing her presence. Issy’s face was red, her eyes swollen.
Meg stepped forward, searching for words, but none came.
For a long moment, they all stood in silence, eyeing each other.
The older lady spoke first. ‘This is the sister,’ she said to Issy. A statement, not a question.
Meg and Issy both looked at her, confused.
‘Yes,’ Issy said. ‘How do you know?’
The woman looked at Meg. ‘You have your mother’s eyes.’
Meg felt tears. She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. ‘You knew her?’
‘Yes. Anna. She was my friend.’
‘Meg, this is Rosa,’ Issy said. ‘She was my nanny when I was a baby.’
‘What happened?’ Meg whispered.
Rosa shook her head. ‘I’ve said too much already.’
‘Please?’ Meg begged.
‘You tell her what I told you,’ Rosa said to Issy. ‘But I need you to go now.’
They watched as Rosa went inside and closed the front door.
