Page 79 of The Good Sister

‘Well, no-one spokewithMum. After her overdose, Mum couldn’t say two words. She improved a little over the last year. She was starting to talk in short sentences.’ I think of what she said to me about my baby.Don’t give Rose the baby.‘Recently she told me not to give Rose my baby.’

If only I’d listened.

Detective Brookes writes some more in her notebook. Then she frowns thoughtfully. ‘That’s a pretty bold statement. Why do you think she would say that?’

I look at her. ‘I don’t understand. Why are you asking me about Rose and my mother? Aren’t you here to charge me with kidnapping?’

She smiles. ‘Not at this point.’ She taps my bracelet with her pen. ‘Let me guess, your sister has a matching bracelet?’

‘Yes,’ I say. ‘But with a rose on it.’

‘Because her name is Rose.’

I nod. She rises to her feet. ‘You’ve been very helpful. That’s all I need for now.’

‘Wait!’ My voice is hoarse. The detective raises her eyebrows. ‘Will I get my baby back?’

More than anything, I wish I had the ability to read other people’s facial expressions. Because when Detective Brookes narrows her eyes and says, ‘Leave it with me,’ I have absolutely no idea what it means.

An hour passes. Then two. I’m in hour three when I recognise the person loitering in the doorway.

‘Owen?’

‘Hey, Fernie.’

I blink. It’s him. It’s really him. ‘What are you doing here?’

He shrugs. His hands are tucked into his pockets and he seems as close to shy as I’ve ever seen him. ‘Can’t a guy visit his sister-in-law in the nuthouse?’

He’s had a haircut. Which isn’t unexpected, I suppose, since he’s been away a year. It suits him like this. He appears to have lost weight and gained muscle. Owen had always been well built, but these last few years he’d become a bit softer-looking.

London must be treating him well.

‘How did you know I was here?’ I ask.

‘Rose called me. She does that when she gets herself into trouble.’

‘And you came all the way from London?’

He looks confused. ‘London? No, I came from Brunswick.’

‘Oh,’ I say. ‘When did you get back from London?’

‘I haven’t been in London, Fern.’

‘Of course you have. You’ve been living there for the past year.’

Now he gives me a meaningful look. ‘I was going to ask what you’re doing in here, but clearly youaremad.’ He chuckles. ‘Why’d you think I was in London?’

‘You haven’t been living in London?’

‘No. Why would . . . wait. Did Rose tell you this?’

‘Yes. She said you have been working on a project over there. She went over to visit you last year.’

He laughs, but it is one of those nervous laughs. ‘Fern, for the last year I’ve been living on the other side of town. A few months back, I actually came and visited you a couple of times at the library. I didn’t want to go to your flat as I thought that might get you in trouble with Rose. When you didn’t get back to me, I assumed Rose had turned you against me and I gave up.’

‘I remember a mystery visitor coming to the library. That was you?’