‘I can’t.’
‘You have secrets from Louisa?’ She feigned mock horror.
‘I have secrets from everyone.’
‘Let’s play true or false.’
‘I’m a grown man. I don’t play games.’
‘It’s only a bit of fun. You tell me the darkest thing you’ve ever done and I have to guess whether it’s true or a lie.’
He sighed. ‘You go first.’
Sarah paused for a moment. ‘I killed someone,’ she said.
His eyes widened as he turned towards her. ‘You’re joking, of course.’
‘My mum had this man. He’d been messing around with her and thought he could do the same with me. I was only fifteen at the time. The pervert saw me on the landing as he came out of the bathroom, tried to grope me and as I pushed him away, he fell down the stairs. I still remember the crack of his head on the floor as he got to the bottom. He didn’t get up again.’
‘What happened to him?’
‘Mum saw me standing at the top of the stairs, a look of shock on my face, and she guessed what had happened. She went ballistic with me because she had to call an ambulance.
‘She toldmenot to say anything. She told thepolicehe’d fallen down the stairs and I was asleep in bed. She was so angry for days because I’d brought trouble to her door. But he was a vile bastard. An evil predator, and he wasn’t putting his hands over me.’
Richard drew her into his arms as she tried to push away the memories, the fear of wondering what the man was going to do to her. The push that saved it happening again.
‘Remind me not to show youmydark side,’ Richard teased.
‘Do you think that’s true or false?’
‘I’m not sure.’
‘Gotcha! I did push the bastard down the stairs, but he didn’t die. He was concussed and broke his leg. So, what about you?’
Richard went silent and for a moment she wondered whether he’d join in or not. But then he spoke.
‘You know I told you my father shot himself? Well, he didn’t. I killed him.’
It was Sarah’s turn to look wide-eyed.
‘One afternoon, he came in drunk and started laying into me. I’d taken beatings off him before but on that day, I’d had enough. While he was in a stupor, he was slouching in the armchair, his legs stretched out in front of him. I got the shotgun and shot him, making it seem as if he had done it. Then I called the police as if I’d just found him.’
‘Didn’t they suspect you?’
‘I was questioned but there were no witnesses to say otherwise. No evidence to say it was me. We both used the rifle to shoot foxes and rabbits. We also both had access to the gun cabinet and cartridges.’
Sarah stayed quiet for a while, wondering about his story. ‘Why do I have a feeling that what you’ve just told me is the truth?’ she asked eventually. ‘Does Louisa know?’
‘No.’
‘I think you’d be wise not telling her either. You know how neurotic she can be at times.’ She paused. ‘Don’t you ever wish you could get rid of her? Send her back to Derby perhaps and live your life without her.’
‘With you, you mean?’
‘Well.’ She grinned. ‘Maybe.’
‘I didn’t think you’d ever say that. I thought you had your sister’s best interests at heart.’
