“Are you driving back home today?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I don’t have to. I could stay the night.”
“Do you want to help me?” I ask. “I need to find my sister, otherwise the police are going to think I hurt her.”
“All right.” He sounds surprised. “If you want me to.”
“I do.”
I gaze into Nathan’s eyes, wondering if I’m making a huge mistake by putting some of my trust in him. But I remind myself it’s only some. I could never trust this man completely. Not since he killed my baby.
CHAPTER 39
FAYE
Nathan hands me a pill and tells me to take it. He nods encouragingly. “It’s your usual medication. I think, anyway.”
I check it over before I put it in my mouth, and he’s right, it appears to be my usual pill. He passes me a glass of water and I swallow it down.
We’ve only been home a few minutes and Nathan is already making himself at home, kicking off his shoes and raiding the fridge. I’m tired and everything in my world seems off kilter. My daughter has no idea that I’ve been questioned by the police or that I’ve been in hospital, and I can’t decide whether or not to ruin her spa break with my drama. As Nathan pointed out, Penny does fuss, and there’s a chance she might overreact. But she’s my daughter, she deserves to know what is going on.
I’m just so embarrassed.
The police all but accused me of being a murderer, and when I was under pressure, I crumbled. I lost myself. It’s not something I can change and unless I’m able to find Claire, I can’t prove my innocence.
“I bet you want something stronger than a cup of tea, don’t you?” Nathan asks. “Where’s your whisky?”
“The back shelf in the pantry.” I wave an arm in the general direction and then head into the living room to collapse on the sofa. My head is throbbing. I don’t really want whisky but I’m happy to let Nathan have some.
I check my phone but there are no messages from Alistair. I sigh and drop the phone onto the coffee table.
“No word from lover boy after your tiff?” Nathan says, coming over to the sofa.
I ignore him.
“I poured you two fingers. Three for me,” Nathan says, handing me a glass of amber liquid that smells like firewood.
The glass is cool in my hand. Maybe I do need this whisky after all.
“How are you?” he asks. Again, he seems genuine. But I don’t want to confide in him.
“Fine. Just tired.” I place the whisky down on the coffee table. “I might go to bed. You know where the spare room is, don’t you?”
“But what about helping you find this missing twin of yours?” His voice is conspiratorial and I’m not in the mood.
“I’m shattered, Nathan. I can’t face that tonight.”
I get up to leave the room and he prattles on.
“You know I have really fond memories of staying here as a kid. I had the room down the hall from Penny.” He sips his whisky. “I used to convince her that her room was haunted.”
I roll my eyes. “I knew that was you.”
“I’d move her things around and leave the wardrobe door open. I even unscrewed her lightbulb so it wouldn’t work. She never did figure out it was me.”
“That’s awful, Nathan.” I shake my head. “She was terrified. And very young.”
He shrugs. “It was character-building.”
