Page 85 of Don't Say A Word
‘Sorry.’ I release her. ‘Sorry. I’m just…upset.’
‘What did she do to upset you so much?’ she asks.
For a second I think she’s talking about Teri, and I’m about to laugh – maniacally – and tell her thatshe has no idea, but then I realise from the jut of her chin towards the supermarket that she’s talking about Diana Ashford-Wells.
‘She…’ I shake my head. ‘Actually, I don’t want to talk about it right now.’ I push my hair out of my face. ‘Thank you for trying to stop me from making a fool of myself back there. That was good of you.’
‘That’s all right, Mrs Price. I think I was too late, though.’
I give her a small smile, thinking she’s making a joke – a somewhat rude one – but then realise she means it.
I pull the strap of my bag over my shoulder and take a breath. ‘Would you like a lift home?’
‘No. I was just going to get some snacks. There’s no one at home. Mum and Dad are both at work.’
‘What time do they get home?’
She shrugs. ‘About eight?’
‘Wow, that’s late.’ I’m a bit surprised they work such long hours. No wonder she goes out to get snacks.
I stare at her, then glance at my watch. It’s almost five.
‘Could I take another look at your car?’
36
I drive by the scene of the crime, so to speak, and slow down to a stop.
‘What are we doing?’ Scarlett asks.
‘Just checking something,’ I say. I have no idea what. Especially considering it’s dark and this road is not well lit.
We’re back on that quiet residential road around the corner from Scarlett’s. The houses are set back and hidden behind perfectly trimmed hedges. An odd place to go for a run. There are no pavements exactly, more a wide verge of grass and gravel punctuated by trees. I bend down, looking through the windscreen for cameras, which is what I’m really interested in, but I can’t see any. Probably because the houses are too far back from the road and too hidden. So far, we haven’t seen a single car on this road.
I hear something, a sniffle. I look at Scarlett and realise she’s crying.
‘Scarlett! What’s wrong?’
‘I’m really sorry about everything, Mrs Price.’
‘I know that.’ I reach for her arm and pat it. ‘You have nothing to be sorry for. I mean, you do, but you know…’ I thinkback to what Penny said. Scarlett would most likely get off with a fine if it ever came to that. ‘Don’t worry about it.’
‘It’s just that…’ She wipes her nose with the back of her hand. ‘I know that Holly isn’t allowed to hang out with me anymore?—’
‘That’s not true,’ I say, rifling through my bag for a tissue and handing it to her.
She takes it without looking at me. ‘I know it is, and I get it, I really do. I did a really bad thing. Holly told me when I asked if she wanted to hang out at my place this weekend that she wouldn’t be allowed because of what happened.’
Did I tell Holly she couldn’t see Scarlett? I don’t even remember.
‘And your friend, that lady?—’
‘Which lady?’
‘The one we ran into.’
‘Teri?’
