She’d thought Simon would go to sleep for a couple of hours, but their bedroom’s empty when she walks back in; so Jude did wake up after all. The black jumpsuit that she’d worn last night hangs prominently in her open wardrobe, prickling her conscience. She tucks it out of sight, knowing she’ll never be able to wear it again.
Stepping into her more usual attire of leggings and baggy T-shirt, she hastily makes the bed, lifting the duvet into the air. A dull thud hits the floor and she instinctively knows it’s her phone and groans. It’s landed face down and Lauren turns it over slowly, grimacing at the potential cost of a replacement. But when she sees what’s written on the screen, no amount of money could possibly repair the damage caused.
42
Kate
The headline on the double-page spread in the Echo reads:
I Found My Sister, But Who’s My Mother?
‘It looks good,’ says Matt as he stands against the kitchen counter, spooning cornflakes into his mouth.
Seeing Jess’s picture staring out at her from Matt’s laptop unnerves Kate, and she swallows the doubt that she’s done the right thing by letting him run it.
‘Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?’ he’d asked late last night.
Kate had thought about it for a few seconds longer, knowing that once she gave him the go ahead, he’d push the button to go to press. But they’d both decided that if they couldn’t prevent the fire, they could at least try to control the flames.
‘For better or worse, we now know Jess is my father’s daughter,’ she’d said resignedly. ‘She deserves to know who her mother is and hopefully this will find her.’
Kate’s phone rings now and she watches as it vibrates away from her on the worktop.
‘It’s your sister,’ says Matt.
‘Uh-oh,’ says Kate, taking a deep breath. ‘Here we go.’
She’d thought about ringing Lauren last night to pre-warn her that Jess’s story was running, but it was late, and besides, she didn’t think she’d have a problem with it. In fact, Kate imagined that Lauren would be thrilled that steps were being made to help find Jess’s mother. After all, hadn’t that been her intention all along?
‘Kate! Kate!’ Lauren is screaming down the phone. ‘He’s taken the kids. I don’t know what to do!’
Kate looks at Matt, wide-eyed.
‘What do you mean?’ she says, feeling as if the breath is being sucked out of her.
‘Simon! He’s taken the kids and I don’t know where he is.’
‘Are you at home?’ asks Kate, running into the bedroom and reaching for the first pair of sweatpants she can find.
‘Yes,’ sobs Lauren. ‘I don’t know what to do.’
Kate slings a T-shirt on. ‘Okay, stay where you are. I’m on my way.’
Matt wordlessly falls into line with her as she grabs her car keys and makes her way out of the flat.
Not surprisingly, Lauren’s a wreck when they reach her ten minutes later, collapsing into Kate’s arms as soon as she walks through the door.
‘What’s happened?’ she asks. ‘What’s going on?’
‘He’s gone, and taken the children with him,’ cries Lauren.
Kate steers Lauren onto the very sofa they were sitting on last night. How can so much change in such a short space of time?
‘But why?’ asks Kate. ‘When did he leave?’
Lauren passes her sister her phone and sobs even harder.
‘Do you want me to call the police?’ asks Matt.
Kate shakes her head as she reads the texts on Lauren’s phone.
Lauren: Happy I could help out last night
Sheila: Help out? I’m not sure that’s what I’d call it! I can’t stop thinking about you. Hope everything was okay at home?
Lauren: I need to see you again
Sheila: You have no idea how happy that makes me. When?
‘I’m sorry, I don’t understand,’ says Kate, reading the messages over again. ‘Who’s Sheila? And what’s she got to do with Simon and the kids?’
Lauren’s head falls into her hands. ‘Sheila’s Justin,’ she says.
Kate’s mind feels frazzled. ‘Your Justin?’
Lauren nods.
‘You’ve been seeing him?’ Kate asks incredulously, as the pieces begin to fall into place.
‘Just twice,’ says Lauren quietly.
‘So that’s where you were last night? And now Simon’s seen your messages?’
‘They’re not my messages. He was on to me this morning, when he got back from work, and whilst I was in the shower, he must have started this chat, checking that my story stacked up. I told him that Sheila was a midwife and I’d helped out on the ward last night.’
‘Shit!’
‘And by the time I’d come out of the bathroom, he’d gone, and taken the children with him.’
‘I assume you’ve tried ringing him,’ says Matt.
Lauren nods and wipes her nose with a tissue. ‘I don’t know what he’ll do. I don’t know what he’s capable of.’
‘What do you mean?’ asks Kate, taken aback.
‘You don’t know him.’ Lauren sounds broken. ‘He has a temper – that he struggles to control.’
‘Are you saying you’re frightened of him?’
Lauren nods.
Kate is lost for words. How did she not know that her sister had been enduring this?
‘If he’s so much as laid a hand on you . . .’ says Matt, his nostrils flaring.
Lauren looks at the floor, almost as if she’s ashamed. It makes Kate hate Simon all the more.
‘Lauren, why haven’t you spoken to me about this before?’ asks Kate. ‘I thought you were happy. I thought you had the perfect family.’
‘It’s funny what we both thought the other one had,’ says Lauren.
It’s a flippant remark, but as the two women look at one another, as if seeing each other properly for the first time, the truth of Lauren’s words burrows deep into Kate’s psyche.
‘So what are we going to do?’ asks Matt, breaking the spell. ‘I can’t see that the police are going to
