But before Nick could reply, the kitchen was filled with noise and chatter as everyone came inside. Russ had found his way in and careered around the kitchen, his claws clicking on the flagstones as he greeted Nick.
‘Maggie, Jason, how fantastic to see you both.’ Nick hugged them, and Jason introduced Nick to Greta. Claire couldn’t help noticing how he stared at her pregnant body a moment too long.
‘It’s twins, if you’re wondering why I’m so massive,’ she joked, shaking hands.
Claire busied herself by filling the kettle and setting out a load of mugs. ‘Where’s Marcus?’ she asked Callum. He’d not said a word since they got back.
‘Out with Rain visiting his mates in the village. They’re plotting something for tonight. A house party in Newquay, I think.’
Claire rolled her eyes. She wanted everyone at her parents’ place later and wasn’t keen on ferrying teenagers to and from town at all hours.
‘Isn’t he a bit early?’ Callum whispered, eyeing Nick. He slipped his arm around Claire’s waist. ‘It would have been rude to leave him here alone, but you know I had important things to do today.’
‘I thought he was arriving later,’ she said quietly. ‘I’m sorry. What was so urgent anyway?’
But she never got a reply because Callum pulled away, easing between the group of friends who were all chatting and laughing. She watched as he left by the back door, staring out of the kitchen window as he crunched across the gravel, got into his car and sped off up the drive.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rain thought Marcus’s friends were as lame as he was, but a night out was a night out. And besides, she’d promised Katie and the girls that by the end of the week she’d have some gossip to report.
‘What was up with your mate Alex just now?’ Rain asked Marcus, as they walked away from the village back to the Old Stables. ‘He was acting really stupid. And what’s that disgusting smell?’
‘Alex is OK. He was just being awkward,’ Marcus said, laughing. ‘He’s not had much experience around girls.’
Rain choked on her Coke, nearly spitting it down her top. He’d been a complete idiot. But she also kind of understood, though would never say. ‘I don’t suppose he’s had much chance living here.’ She gestured around, spreading her arms wide. ‘I mean, look at it.’
To their right, the fields dipped down towards the coast. Further along they could see the white blocks of a caravan park where Rain imagined old people with little dogs went for their holidays. ‘There’s fuck all here.’
‘You’re very opinionated, aren’t you?’
Rain stopped. ‘What?’ She forced an indignant laugh, even though his comment cut deep.
‘All you’ve done is criticise where I live and moan about my mates.’
‘I can’t believe I agreed to come on this stupid holiday.’
‘My mum went to a lot of trouble to make this week nice for everyone. Show a bit of respect.’ Marcus pulled a packet of cigarettes from his pocket. ‘Want one?’
Rain’s eyes lit up. It was the first decent thing he’d done. She decided to take it as a kind of peace offering. She was stuck with him for a few days, after all. ‘Does Mummy know you smoke?’ She couldn’t help it. Boys like him needed teaching a lesson. ‘No weed?’
Marcus stared at her, narrowing his eyes. ‘I could get some,’ he said, swallowing hard and lighting their cigarettes.
‘So, what’s all this shit with the oldies getting together about anyway?’ Rain asked, as they started off again. She felt comforted by the first draw of smoke. The lane wound between the fields as if it was never going to end.
‘Granddad’s not well. He’s got Alzheimer’s.’ Marcus drew on the cigarette, trying to stifle a cough. ‘Mum wanted to get everyone together, to make it feel like the old days. Apparently, it might help him remember stuff.’
‘Don’t see how it would.’
‘Granddad was like a second father to her friends when they were kids. She thinks it’ll help.’ He flicked his ash. ‘Didn’t your dad want to come with you?’
Rain tensed. He might as well have hit her, and her instinct was to hit him back. She clenched her teeth, blinked the tears from her eyes. ‘It’s the smoke,’ she said, running her finger beneath her lashes. ‘I don’t see my dad much,’ she added, hoping it would shut him up.
‘Anyway, turns out Nan’s going to sell the farm and Mum’s all weirded out because they’ve been there, like, forever.’
Rain hoped the stupid place would burn down with everyone in it. She was so angry, her chest felt as though it had a strap around it. ‘Didn’t some kid get murdered there?’ Maggie had once mentioned something about it. ‘Surely that’s the real reason they’re all here, to find out which one of them did it?’
‘That kid,’ Marcus said, kicking the ground, ‘was Mum’s little sister. And she wasn’t murdered. She went missing.’
Rain gave a little smile, pleased she’d got to him. ‘Was it, like, a really big deal and stuff?’
‘Of course it was a big deal. It would be like Amy going missing.’
Rain had barely met his younger sister and wouldn’t particularly care if she did disappear, but it made her think. ‘That’s creepy. Did they find a body and a weapon, you know, like on CSI and stuff?’
‘It’s not some fucking TV show, for God’s sake. It was real life. My mum’s life. And no, they never found her body. No one knows what happened to her.’
‘But you didn’t know the dead kid, right?’
‘Of course not. It happened way before I was born. But Mum’s told me all about her. She was only thirteen but would be in her thirties now. And they don’t really know if she’s dead.’
Rain felt herself getting excited as she drew a last lungful of smoke, tossing her butt into the hedge. ‘That’s so cool,’ she said. ‘A real-life mystery.’
‘For fuck’s sake, Rain, just shut up, will you? And don’t mention it in front of my mum, right?’ Marcus muttered something under his breath, also chucking his cigarette butt into the hedge.
‘Do you think it was your mum’s fault, then?’ she said, pausing. ‘That’s what my mum said. Or worse, maybe your mum did it. Was she jealous of her kid sister?’
Marcus clenched his fists down the side of his legs. ‘Don’t be stupid. Mum was on the beach with her friends, looking after Lenni. She let her go off to buy an ice cream, but she never came back. Clear now?’
Rain cocked her head slightly. ‘So it really was your mum’s fault? She must feel terrible.’ Rain raised her eyebrows. ‘Or be a really good liar.’ For a second she wondered if she’d gone too far. ‘Going to get an ice cream aged thirteen isn’t exactly hardcore, is it? I roamed free around London when I was ten.’
Marcus was silent.
‘Grown-ups are pretty stupid though. They think that wallowing in self-pity for long enough makes everything better. They never consider actually getting stuff right in the first place.’
‘Lenni wasn’t like normal kids, apparently,’ Marcus went on, not sounding quite so angry.
‘What was wrong with her?’
Marcus took out another couple of cigarettes. He lit them both and passed one over. ‘She was just kind of “not right” apparently…’ He inhaled deeply. ‘My grandparents were really protective of her because of that.’
‘You mean, like, she was special needs?’ Rain didn’t really get it. She was just glad Marcus was being generous with his fags.
‘Yeah, exactly. And Mum said she was too trusting, couldn’t spot danger. She says these days she’d have got a diagnosis, but back then they wrapped her up in cotton wool instead. They were worried something bad would happen.’
‘Ironic,’ Rain said with a dry laugh. ‘Maggie doesn’t give a shit where I am. All she cares about is screwing money out of my father to pay for my boarding school so I’m out of her face.’
‘They’re divorced?’
‘Never married.’ Rain took a breath. She didn’t normally talk about this, let alone to imbecile boys. ‘My dad is, like, famous and everything. He’s a politician and always on the news. He’s got his own family. Maggie used to work for him in some crappy secretary job and so here I am. It’s all dirty keep-quiet shit.’ Rain felt a glimmer of relief. She’d never told anyone before.