Trish headed out of the kitchen, and Cassie poured herself a glass of water and sat at the table. Trish had said eat, but she didn’t feel hungry in the slightest. Not when she thought about telling Trish that her son had admitted to breaking the neck of his pet rabbit.
She relied on Trish’s goodwill; that was what had gotten her out of jail. That goodwill might disappear if Cassie made an accusation that hurt or angered her.
Cassie knew she had to do whatever it took for Trish to be able to trust her, because she was at her mercy now.
CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN
Cassie felt uneasy being alone in the house. She couldn’t bear to look at the balcony where Ryan had died. She was terrified of breaking her bail conditions and wasn’t sure if they extended to the garden. It would be better to stay indoors, especially since the tabloids might be waiting with their zoom lenses ready to photograph her.
Trish would have to do all the fetching and carrying of the children. Cassie couldn’t even walk them to the bus stop. It scared her to realize how useless she was, and what a burden she would quickly become. If she and Trish were going to have their discussion, then the sooner it took place, the better.
When the family arrived home, she was encouraged to hear some laughter as the children ran to the front door. She hurried to greet them.
“Hello! How are you both doing?” she asked.
She was pleased to see that Madison looked more cheerful, and hoped that her day out had distracted her from her grief. As they walked into the house, both the children became more solemn and Madison’s smile disappeared.
“We’re all right, thanks,” Madison said.
Dylan didn’t greet her at all but trudged past with his head down.
“Food’s up!”
Trish, carrying the fish and chips in a large brown paper bag, closed the front door.
“Come on, everyone. It’s been an exhausting day. Let’s eat, and then you children need an early night.”
“Can I help you get ready for bed, Madison?” Cassie asked.
Glad to have something to do, Cassie ran her bath and helped her choose her favorite pair of pink pajamas.
“Do you think I can go to boarding school soon?” Madison whispered, as Cassie folded her bath towel.
Cassie was sure that Madison must feel as if her world had fallen apart. Perhaps boarding school would be a good idea in the long term, especially given the amount of traveling Trish did.
“We can ask your mum,” she said. “If you’re sure you want to go then let’s discuss it with her.”
To her surprise, Madison grew tearful and began sniffing hard.
“I already asked her. She said no. I asked her as soon as she came back from her trip. I asked her so nicely, Cassie, and she laughed at me. She said no. She said I was going to do what I was told and that until I was top of the class in math, I can’t do any more plays.”
“Oh, Maddie, I’m so sorry,” Cassie said, realizing why Madison had been so uncharacteristically moody for the past few days.
“I hate her, Cassie,” Madison whispered. “I’m never going to be top of the class in math. Telling me I must is unfair. I wish she was dead. She told me I couldn’t be Veruca Salt because I didn’t get good marks, and although my dad said I could, I was still scared. I had to make sure she wasn’t watching me, because she said if my marks weren’t good enough, she’d come up onto stage and drag me away. I wish she’d died instead of my dad.”
She burst into sobs as Cassie hugged her hard, but even as she did her best to comfort the young girl, whispering that her mother loved her and only wanted what was best for her, she felt deeply concerned about the implications of Madison’s words.
*
Supper was a quiet affair. Cassie could do no more than pick at her food. Tension knotted her stomach as she thought about the discussion to follow, and what she would say to Trish.
Dylan was the only one with an appetite. He piled his plate with food and had a generous second helping. Trish ate sparingly and Madison, clearly still upset, refused everything except chips.
“Put the children to bed, will you? I’ll clean up here,” Trish said when everyone was done.
Cassie was surprised that the obligatory hour of television was being skipped, but felt grateful that she and Trish could get onto the difficult conversation they needed to have.
Madison went to bed willingly, but Dylan grumbled about having to go so early.
“This is unfair,” he told Cassie as she shepherded them down the hallway.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“There was something I wanted to watch tonight.”
“Perhaps we can record it and you can watch tomorrow? I’ll ask your mum if you can have some extra time.”
Cassie was relieved that he wasn’t angry at her, because after what she was planning to say to his mother, he would have every right to be. She couldn’t protect him at her own expense, and would have to voice her suspicions to Trish.
Cassie knew she’d have to make very sure that Dylan was not listening in while she did so, because he was a light sleeper, and seemed to know far more about what was going on than he should.
For a moment, she felt sick with dread.
“Good night,” she said in a cheerful voice, but Dylan looked at her strangely, as if he saw right through her act and sensed her intent.
After making sure the children’s bedroom doors were firmly closed, Cassie headed back to the kitchen. She was
