‘I don’t know.’ He doubts me and himself. ‘I messaged Robbie and asked him to grab a doorbell camera, but we don’t have Wi-Fi yet so that’s not going to help. He also put a new smoke alarm in the apartment.’
I want to shout about how that is his fault but arguing now wouldn’t be the best thing to do. I’m also livid that we forgot to book an appointment with the nursery for Cora. As for the Wi-Fi problem, I can’t believe the engineer cancelled on us due to the weather. Morgan is going to be upset and it’ll be me who bears the brunt of her moods. We need to collect our daughter. ‘Great, I guess we have no choice but to stay.’ I wish my mum was still alive. If I could bundle the kids up into the car and drive away from Clover House, I would, but the truth is, we have nowhere else to go. Ethan’s parents live in a one-bedroomed flat in Cornwall and they have barely any money. We can’t just turn up there and camp out in their living room. We’re trapped.
‘I love you, Gemma. We’ll get through this and we’ll get the job done quicky.’
‘I love you too.’
My phone beeps. I read the WhatsApp.
Harry’s mum took me home. X
My heartbeat ramps up. I call her. ‘Morgan, where are you?’ I put her on loud speaker so Ethan can hear.
‘Chill, Mum. I’m at Harry’s, that’s why I messaged you. I used their Wi-Fi. Is the Wi-Fi sorted at ours?’
‘Cancelled due to bad weather. Sorry, love.’ Ethan delivers the bad news.
Morgan hears him through the phone. ‘Great. Stuck in the dark ages still. I’ll call Mai on WhatsApp while I’m here.’
‘Morgan.’
‘What?’
I reply, ‘Whatever you do, don’t go back to the apartment. The team are there doing a bit of work. Morgan…’ I can’t tell her that someone was recording us. It’s too much.
‘Yep.’
‘Why did you get a lift home instead of staying in the café like I asked you to?’
‘James and his friends were heading there. I didn’t want to be around him.’
I let out a long breath. ‘Okay, just stay put. We’re on our way back.’
Cora sleeps in her chair on the back seat, and snow has started to fall thick on the windscreen. The wind whips up the trees. ‘Ethan?’
‘Hmm.’ He indicates and we’re soon driving out of the town and along the country roads.
‘It definitely wasn’t Tessa’s nephew, James. Morgan just told me that he was going to hang out at the café by the school, which means he was at school when we received that letter.’ I owe Tessa an apology, but then again, she wasn’t exactly nice to me.
I worry as a weather report comes on the radio.
Keep safe out there tonight in Whitby. We’re expecting snow and there have been several reports of fallen trees. Emergency services are attending to a major incident on Belmont Street. Stay tuned because we’ll have more details for you soon. Keep checking in for more updates on public transport and school closures. The traffic report is coming up next.
My mind goes back to the letter which said new friends, old friend. I’m more certain than ever that this is about me. Whoever is doing all this is out to get me, not my children, not my husband. Me. The police think we’re a joke but I know things they don’t, things that are utterly terrifying.
Twenty-Eight
Quinn
‘Mum,’ Harry calls up the stairs as Quinn sits on her bed.
‘Yes, sweetheart.’ She throws the letter into her bedside drawer as Harry enters her room.
‘What was that?’ he asks.
She raises her brows and smiles. ‘Nothing. I’m just tidying up a bit and having a rest. I’ll be down soon.’
‘Cool. Morgan and I were going to walk Diggerty in a bit. Thought I’d let you know in case you wondered where I’d gone.’
