She throws me a look of utter contempt, shakes her arm free and walks off.
I watch her go, anger simmering inside me. I was right. She’s the one playing with us, sneaking into the house and putting peanut butter into the cupboard, slipping the receipt into my pocket. Who knows what she’ll do next, especially now she and Lizzie are all pally.
I need to put a stop to this before I lose everything.
60
LIZZIE
Where the hell has Nick gone now? It had better not be to meet Alison again. I am sick of their secret trysts.
I want to trust Nick, I really do, but things don’t add up and my instincts are telling me that he’s hiding something from me.
‘Mummy.’ Grace opens the door. ‘I’m thirsty.’ Her face puckers as she looks at me. ‘Are you crying, Mummy?’
‘No, darling, I poked my eye. Silly me!’ I stand up and paste a big smile on my face. I’ve got to keep it together for my children’s sake. Whatever is going on I have to be strong and deal with it. I hold out my hand. ‘Come on, let’s go and get a drink.’
She runs over and clasps my hand, beaming up at me, and I feel the strength building in me. I will do anything to keep my kids safe.
I knock on Isaac’s door then open it. As I thought, he’s building his new Lego Batmobile. He looks up, triumph in his eyes. ‘Look, I’ve almost finished it.’
‘Well done. That’s brilliant. I’m going down to make Grace a chocolate milkshake. Do you want one?’
‘Please.’ He gets up. ‘And some crisps. I’m hungry.’
We all make our way downstairs and into the kitchen. The kids get themselves a bag of crisps and I make them a milkshake,listening to them chattering away happily. I’ll do anything to keep them this way. To stop them turning into a nervous wreck, like I was.
Where’s Nick gone?He’s been ages. My anger builds. Is he meeting Alison? Have they revived their relationship? If anyone had told me a couple of weeks ago that I would be doubting Nick’s loyalty, I would have scoffed, told them that I trusted Nick with my life. Now though I’m not too sure. Something is off, I know it is. I can feel anxiety building up in me and try to push it down. I give the kids their milkshakes then turn back to the cupboards and take out my bottle of calming liquid. I unscrew the top ready to pour some out.
‘Are you okay, Mummy? Why are you taking your special medicine?’ Isaac asks.
I turn around and see his troubled eyes watching me.
What am I doing to my kids? I thought I had it together but now I’m back to anxiety bands, panic attacks and calming medicine which will make me feel doped up. I’m stronger than this.
‘I’m fine, darling. And I’m not taking my medicine. I’m pouring it away because I don’t need it anymore.’
Isaac’s face lights up. I turn back to the sink and pour the medicine down it, wash the bottle out and put it in the recycling bin.
‘Well done, Mum,’ Isaac says in delight.
I’m proud of myself. I can do this. Then a message pings in. I bet that’s Nick telling me that he’s on his way home. I take my phone out of my pocket but it’s a withheld number. Curious, I open it up and gape at the message.
Don’t trust your husband. It’s his fault your father died.
I hold on to the sink, my head reeling. Who has sent this and what do they mean? Nick tried to save my dad. He called an ambulance for him.
I almost gasp aloud as thoughts crash into my mind.
Is this all tied into everything that’s been going on? Is this message from the person who came into our house and left the peanut butter, then came back and put the receipt in Nick’s pocket?
Has Nick had a message too? Has he gone out to meet this person? Is he in danger?
61
LIZZIE
I think back to what the doctor had said when Dad was taken to hospital. The extension cord was faulty and when Dad had plugged the photocopier in it had given him an electric shock. Only a mild one, but he already had angina – something he hadn’t told Mum or me about – so it was enough to give him a heart attack. One that he never recovered from.
