Sherry wasn’t here to apologise. No one would ever believe Laura if she tried to tell them that the only reason her mother kept turning up where she wasn’t welcome was to destroy her relationship, just as she had before. She wanted to keep Laura close, keep a watchful eye on her; feed her another sedative, keep her quiet. Failing that, she would destroy her. If her mother even imagined that she’d remembered, she would stop at nothing to keep her from telling her secrets, even if that meant having her labelled mad and locked away where she would no longer be ‘a danger to children’. If Laura tried to explain all that, peoplewouldthink she was mad. She couldn’t let her mother win, not this time. She had to keep Ollie safe. She had to find Jacob.
‘Morning, Mrs Caldwell,’ Steve said behind her, and Laura’s heart stalled. In using the surname that she had abandoned, he was no doubt hinting that he knew her history. But he only knew as much as her mother wanted him to. Earlier, realising he was on the phone, and guessing it was the landline since his mobile was on his bedside table, she’d picked up the phone in the bedroom, heard their conversation. Sherry had painted a distorted picture, hinting that Laura might have had something to do with what had happened to their dear lost little boy on that darkest of nights. She was challenging Laura to paint it differently. And then she would reiterate how much she cared for her, how she was scared for her and wanted to protect her. She was aliar, thinking herself safe in the knowledge that Laura had no way to prove it.
‘Morning, Steve.’ Sherry smiled warmly at him and stepped inside. ‘We spoke on the phone,’ she informed Laura, looking her over and for once refraining from commenting on her dress. ‘Such a lovely man. So understanding.’ She leaned towards her then, her voice lowered to a whisper. ‘You should forget the past and try to hold onto him, darling.’
Laura would have laughed at such a brazen threat had Steve not been watching her carefully, making Laura wonder whether his mind had been poisoned against her already.
‘It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?’ Sherry went on blithely. Laura could hardly believe she was discussing theweather.
‘It certainly is.’ Steve smiled, but the look in his eyes was wary now, as he glanced between them. He didn’t realise that Laura knew he’d been talking to her mother. That she understood why he was here this morning instead of at work. He was trying to facilitate a reconciliation between them, imagining that they would talk together, cry together, embrace and move forward. Poor, kind Steve, he’d been taken in by Sherry completely.
‘Why don’t you two have a chat in the garden?’ he suggested. ‘I’ll bring you some drinks. And some of Laura’s home-made chocolate cake, maybe?’ He glanced questioningly at her.
‘Oh, that would be lovely, wouldn’t it, darling?’ Sherry declared, striding towards the kitchen without waiting for Laura to answer.
Laura stared incredulously after her.She’s not here to apologise. She’s not trying to protect me. She’s protecting herself, she wanted to scream. But she couldn’t.
And her mother knew she wouldn’t.
Twenty-Six
Sarah
After phoning in sick at work – feeling horribly guilty – Sarah had steeled herself to call Steve. She’d been surprised when, sounding as if he’d expected her to ring, he’d invited her to come to the house. What was he doing there, she wondered, when he would normally be at work? Her hand shook with nerves as she rang the doorbell. She imagined he would be annoyed, realising she’d been digging into Laura’s past, whatever he knew or didn’t know about her.
‘Hi.’ He smiled warily as he pulled the front door open, as if he too was nervous. Sarah had to wonder why he would be. ‘Laura’s in the back garden,’ he said. ‘We can talk in the kitchen.’
‘No.’ She quickly declined. She didn’t want to see Laura, who might well come in from the garden – was bound to, in fact – if she knew she were here. She wanted to speak to Steve first. ‘If it’s okay with you, I’d rather talk here. I have something to show you.’ She pulled her phone from her pocket, hit the screen-on button and handed it to him with the relevant page already loaded.
Steve looked puzzled as he scanned it.
‘It’s Laura’s Facebook page,’ she explained. ‘Scroll down.’
He glanced guardedly at her and then did as she asked, his brow furrowing as he studied the various photographs.
‘She has a child,’ Sarah said. ‘Or it looks to me like she does. She’s also been married, which she categorically told me she hadn’t. Did you know?’
Steve said nothing, but she could see he was troubled. ‘He looks like Ollie.’ She pointed out the blindingly obvious. ‘You must see that?’
Sighing heavily, he looked up at last. ‘There are some things you need to know. Come through to the lounge,’ he said, his tone weary as he led the way.
Sarah glanced cautiously towards the kitchen and then followed him.
Going to the patio doors, Steve nodded towards the lawn. ‘That’s Laura’s mother,’ he said.
Sarah followed his gaze in surprise. Laura had said they didn’t get on. From what she had heard when the woman had called unannounced, it was obvious they didn’t. They seemed to be getting along now. She watched, confused, as Laura’s mother appeared to fuss over her, leaning across the garden table to smooth her hair from her face and then taking hold of her hand.
‘They’re having a chat,’ Steve filled her in. ‘They have some issues. I’m hoping they might be able to resolve them. At least start talking to each other.’
Sarah didn’t let on that she was aware of the issues. ‘About what?’ she asked.
Steve took a moment. ‘A lost child,’ he confided, looking at her cautiously. ‘It seems Laura once had a little brother.’
‘Had?’ Sarah’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Oh my God. Do you mean …? Is he …?’
Gathering what she was asking, Steve shrugged uncertainly. ‘They don’t know. He went missing.’ His expression was a mixture of compassion and confusion as he glanced out into the garden again. ‘I don’t have all the details, to be honest. I spoke to Laura’s mother. She filled me in on some of it. Laura obviously doesn’t find it easy to talk about.’
So Laura had never spoken to Steve about this? Why ever not? Sarah scanned his face. He looked as shocked and bewildered as she felt. ‘And the child on her profile?’ she asked. ‘Did you know about him?’
