‘I didn’t want her dead.’
‘Since when? It was always the plan. You told me that for years.’
‘I changed my mind.’
‘But she deserves it,’ he protested. ‘You know what she tried to do to us. I only did what you didn’t have the guts to do.’
Drew reached for the countertop with shaking hands and tried to pull himself up, yelling in pain but stopping short when I raised the wrench to shoulder height. It weighed several pounds and made my arms shake. But I wasn’t letting go of it. And even in that dimly lit room, Drew sensed the balance of power between us had shifted. He knew I’d hurt him again if I had to.
‘She’s brainwashed you, hasn’t she?’ he continued.
‘It isn’t her who’s brainwashed me. I know you opened the window in the supermarket storeroom so your friends could break in. And you left the key to the back door for them to find along and turned the burglar alarm off. Mum and Dad are dead because of you.’
His laugh was desperate and staged. I knew when my brother was lying to me.
‘Is that what she told you? Because it’s all lies, Joanna.’ He bit hard on his bottom lip, as if to stifle the ache. ‘I almost killed myself trying to save your life. Or have you forgotten that?’
‘The life you’d put at risk in the first place by letting them into our home?’ I countered. ‘Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten that. I also remember the fights you had with Dad, how he poured those pills down the toilet, how you yelled at him, telling him someone was going to kill you.’
‘It wasn’t my fault,’ he muttered. ‘Dad flushed away ten grand’s worth of ecstasy when he found it hidden in my room. Eddie was going to fuck me up big time. Telling him about the money in the safe was my only way out. He promised me they’d be in and out in five minutes. That no one would get hurt.’
‘But they did. They’re dead because of you. I wish the paramedics hadn’t resuscitated you. It should be you in a grave, not them.’
‘You don’t mean that.’
‘I mean every word of it. When Margot first became famous and I recognised her, you said you didn’t. That was a lie, wasn’t it?’
Drew nodded, then let out some sharp puffs of air as if trying to control his breathing. He must have been in a lot of pain. Good.
‘Why?’
‘I wanted you to forget about it all. Put it behind you and move on, like I had.’
‘And how did “moving on” work out for you? Depression, two stints in rehab for coke and amphetamine addiction, and now you’re an alcoholic. You couldn’t even attack me in my own home without a beer in your hand.’
‘Well tell me what I was supposed to have done?’ he snapped. ‘Told you when you were old enough to understand? “Happy sixteenth birthday, Joanna. By the way, our parents are dead because I got myself in a bit of trouble. Don’t forget to blow out the candles on your cake.”’
‘You could have found a way. Instead, you said nothing. And I will never forgive you for that.’
A moment of silence passed.
‘So what now?’ Drew asked eventually. ‘How do we move on from this?’
‘We don’t. You can’t be here anymore. In my house, in my life.’
‘You’re my sister. We’re family.’
‘Is that what you were thinking a few minutes ago when you were carrying a hammer upstairs? That I’m yoursister? That we’refamily?’
‘Says the woman who’s just kneecapped me with a fucking wrench. I am in agony here! Where am I supposed to go?’
‘Have I given you any indication I care?’
There was another pause before he removed his phone from his pocket.
‘Who are you calling?’ I asked.
Then he threw the device at me. And the grin etched across his face will live rent free in my head for the rest of my days.
