I want to interrupt but I stand there stunned, unable to say another word. After shaking my muteness away, I speak. ‘Zoe, I didn’t do this. There was a note on our door too. I was about to tell you before Dad knocked.’
‘What note?’ Dad looks worried now, and Cora’s bottom lip is quivering. All my baby sister knows is that we’re all shouting and we’re all upset.
‘The door was open and I know I locked it. When I went to close it, I saw a note stuck to the front door. It’s still there.’
Zoe still looks unconvinced of my innocence. She knows as well as I do that I could have left it there when I went out, and that I could have lied about the door being open. Time wise, I could have done all that she’s accusing me of and, if I were the police, I’d suspect me.
Veins bulge at Dad’s temples. He’s angry but I hope he can keep his calm. If he gets arrested again, I don’t know what I’ll do. Zoe won’t want me here. It’ll be me and Cora, all alone at Clover House. I gently hold his arm and lead him towards the door. ‘I think we should go, Dad.’
I’m grateful that he follows me. ‘My family are not the problem here,’ he says in a raised voice as he stomps out of the door leaving me with Zoe.
I can’t hide that I’m hurt. Zoe has turned on us just like all the others, and it’s worse because I liked her. Sausage snuffles at my feet and wags his tail. ‘I didn’t do it.’ I leave, knowing that I can’t make her believe me.
Once I’ve caught up with Dad outside our house, he’s standing there with the note in his hand.
‘Do you think Mum knew Jasmine?’ I ask.
He slowly nods. ‘There’s a bigger reason why your mum didn’t want to come back here and we need to find out what it is before whatever secret she’s holding destroys us all, unless I’ve already destroyed us.’
Forty-Three
Morgan
I wake in darkness with tears running down my face. For a moment, I don’t know what day it is then my mind clears and I know it has to be Thursday now. I had a nightmare. I was in the den alone and there was a baby, but it wasn’t crying or moving. A deep sadness fills me and I’m scared something has happened to Mum while I was asleep.
There are no windows in my cupboard. I’m disorientated. Cora – I’m meant to be looking after her with Dad but I fell fast asleep. Dad wasn’t in a good place last night which means I should have been more alert. After grabbing my phone and selecting the torch, I run from my cupboard and see that Dad isn’t on the couch anymore. I turn the main light on and check the time. It’s six in the morning and I still don’t know if I’m going to school in a bit. I think I’d have a good excuse as Mum was admitted to hospital last night. ‘Cora.’ I knock on Dad’s bedroom door, wondering why he isn’t dealing with her cries. He doesn’t answer. ‘Dad?’ I open the door to see Cora alone. She’s flung herself out of her cot and is now sitting between the wooden structure and my parents’ bed.
She points to her arm. ‘Mog, hurts.’
I hurry over and pick her up, kissing it better. Dad wouldn’t speak any more about Mum and what happened at the hospital last night. As soon as we got in, he said he needed to be alone. He put Cora to bed and, eventually, I managed to fall asleep. Something has happened between my parents and I think it’s bad. When I woke up in the night, I checked on Dad. He’d been fast asleep on the settee with an empty beer bottle clutched to his chest.
Once again, I’m livid and not just because I’m the one getting the blame for these letters now. I hate that Zoe could think it might be me but I can see why. Anyway, where’s Dad? First, he leaves the apartment door open and Cora wanders out on her own and now this. Again, I’m having to be the adult here and it’s not on.
A loud bang comes from below. It sounds like half of the house has just been knocked down in one blow.
‘What the hell?’ I grab a blanket to keep Cora warm, and I pop my feet into Mum’s slippers before leaving the apartment. My pyjamas are thin so I’m shivering but at least Cora is okay despite being fussy.
More loud bangs come from the ground floor. I keep following the noise down the sweeping staircase and past the front door. It’s closed and appears to be locked from the inside, thank goodness.
I flinch as another loud bang comes from the back of the house. Cora wipes sleep from her eyes and glances ahead. I can’t put her down to walk because she’ll tread on sharp things, so despite my arms feeling heavy from her weight, I keep a hold of her. ‘Dad.’
With my phone balanced in my hand and Cora fidgeting in my arms, I somehow manage to light the way through the open plan downstairs at the back of the house. It’s sparser now and looks ready to have the kitchen fitted, but that’s not what my dad is doing. It sounds like he’s demolishing a part of the house. There’s another bang.
Light bleeds from under a door at the far end. ‘Dad?’
The sound of china crashing to the floor makes me jump.
‘Dad.’
He opens the door and stares at me, his eyes wide. Dark circles frame them and his normally long hair seems to be tangled up, like he hasn’t combed it. ‘I couldn’t sleep.’
‘What are you doing?’
‘We need to get out of here. Mum’s right. This place is destroying us. I need to finish this and we need to go but…’
‘But what?’
‘This wall, with the dresser in front of it, Mum said to leave it but it’s not right. I think someone made this room nice so it’s never been touched. I’ve looked at the plans. If you check out the other room next door, the recess goes back another metre, but not this one. It’s not right.’
