‘She’s not in a good way,’ adds Julia. Her voice is emotionless. I turn to her, surprised at her tone. There’s something about the way she says it that sounds almostpleased.
‘Did you hear anything?’ I add.
He rubs at his stubble, his eyes red-rimmed and sore. ‘No. I was out of it. I’d … had a few beers last night.’
Julia throws him a withering look and storms back upstairs.
When she’s out of earshot, I say, ‘What’s going on with the two of you? And what were you doing down here?’
‘I told you. We had an argument. She kicked me out of the room.’
‘And Selena? Did you see her?’
He turns to me, his jaw set. ‘Of course I didn’t. For fuck’s sake. What are you trying to say?’
‘I’m … I just can’t help but think there’s something going on between the two of you. The way you are with one another, the rows with Julia …’
He clams up. And even though Mum didn’t give birth to him, in that instant, with his pursed lips and folded arms, he looks just like her.
I’m just putting the phone down when Adrian walks through the front door.
It’s not yet six thirty but I can hear stirrings upstairs.
He stands in the doorway, his hair wet from the rain, sweat patches under the arms of his grey T-shirt. ‘What’s going on? You look deathly pale.’ He sees the blood on my hands and looks alarmed. ‘Are you hurt?’
I start crying again and he pulls me to him. ‘What is it?’ he says, into my hair. ‘What’s happened?’
Between sobs I tell him everything. ‘I’ve just had a call from the police. We aren’t to touch anything. They’re coming over. For forensics. Why would they need forensics? It was an accident. She fell down the stairs …’
He pulls away, his expression full of shock. ‘What? My God. Is she going to be okay?’
‘I don’t know. Her head …’ I gulp, trying to push the picture of Selena’s dented skull from my mind. ‘She was injured badly.’
He wraps me in his arms again. ‘Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry, so sorry.’
‘Did you see anything?’ I ask. ‘When you left to go running?’
He shakes his head vehemently. ‘No, of course not. I left about five.’
‘Did you see anything before you left?’
He frowns. ‘It was dark. But I think I’d have noticed if Selena had been lying at the bottom of the stairs.’
There’s something about his defensive tone, and the way his eyes don’t quite meet mine, that tells me he’s lying.
We’re forced to get on with things. We have no choice. We’ve a business to run. Julia offers to look after Ruby while I shower and dress. The blood runs off my hands turning the water red.
I’m on the landing when Evie wanders out of her room in her nightie. ‘What’s going on?’
‘It’s nothing, honey. Go back to bed. It’s still early. I’m just going to make breakfast. Can you stay in your room until Daddy or I come to get you?’
‘Nana usually fetches us.’
‘I know, but Nana’s had to pop out.’
She pads back into her room. I know she won’t go back to sleep, but hopefully she’ll entertain herself for a bit. I pop my head around the door. ‘Make sure to lock it while you’re in here,’ I whisper, expecting to see Amelia still asleep. But she’s wide awake, staring into space. ‘Moo? Are you okay?’
‘W-what’s going on?’ she asks. ‘I heard something. Screaming.’
