Emma rubbed her hand over her chest, massaged her heart. ‘Lizzie, do you know this man?’
Lizzie tilted her head. ‘I’m not sure,’ she whispered.
I came closer, said, ‘As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee . . .’
Lizzie touched her forehead. ‘How do you know that?’
‘Lizzie, who is this person?’ Emma said.
I came closer, opened my bag of goodies. ‘I thought you might like your items returned. I was going to hand them over to your uncle but things got complicated.’ I smiled at them both. ‘Actually, I’m glad I kept them. Because now I can get what is owed. Directly from you.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Lizzie was a puzzle.
‘My payment. John asked me to help you both. I held on to a secret. I realise now that John won’t uphold his end of the deal.’
‘I don’t speak to Uncle much anymore.’ Lizzie said it like she was in a daze.
Emma pulled at Lizzie’s shoulder, tried to get her away from me. ‘I’ll call the police.’
The sun was hot, made skin itch. I reached into my bag, pulled out Abby’s skull piece, placed it on the ground. Lizzie touched her forehead. ‘I found this in the room,’ I said.
Lizzie reached for the skull and Emma covered her mouth, went white. ‘I had a strange dream that night,’ Lizzie whispered.
‘And then I found this.’ I pulled the stained axe head out, placed it next to the skull. I looked up at Emma, said, ‘Did you know she was going to do all this?’
The sisters stared at what lay in front of them. Emma stiffened, a coffin stance, and she watched her sister, took a look at me. Something caught in Emma’s eyes, like she was working things out. ‘Is this real?’ Emma choked.
Lizzie turned to her sister and Emma stood back. Lizzie began with, ‘It can’t . . .’
Emma pointed to the objects, was calm. ‘Take all of this away from me.’ For a moment everything was quiet. There was a light breeze. Then Emma’s body began to tremble, a landslide of feeling. A strange noise dribbled from her throat. I would’ve laughed at her had I not wanted my money from the sisters so badly.
Lizzie tried to wrap her arm around Emma’s back. ‘I knew,’ Emma whispered. ‘I knew.’ Emma pushed Lizzie, ran as fast as she could towards the house.
I looked at the skull and axe head. ‘Lizzie,’ I said, ‘I’ve been wondering: are you happier now that your father is dead?’ A part of me wanted her to say no. I didn’t want to be the only one who felt unfulfilled after they’d punished their parent.
Lizzie let out a scream, spat at my feet. ‘You wicked, you evil,’ she stuttered, looked as if everything was draining from her.
‘That’s how you thank me for taking the weapon? I helped save you. I kept it secret for you. I want my money.’
She touched her forehead, stared at me dirty. She reached into her little purse, took out a coin and threw it at my feet. I did not care for that. Lizzie took off rickety towards the house, left me thinking all manner of things. There was some commotion coming from houses, neighbours sticking heads out of flyscreened doors. If I wasn’t careful, I’d have a crowd. I could not let myself be caught, not now when I was so close. It was because of Lizzie and her uncle that I was in this position. I picked up the objects and put them back in my rucksack.
There was only one thing to do. I’d have to punish her, just like Papa, just like I did to make things right. I could taste sweet blood. A bird sounded loud in tree branches, front doors opened, voices flowed from them. My legs were leather as I walked towards Lizzie and Emma’s house, whip-crack, whip-crack, hands thick, made of knuckles. I got to feeling that Lizzie owed me an explanation of exactly what happened that day.
I could tell the house had been freshly painted, white on white, and there was a small, drooping rose garden of pinks and white. The concrete steps leading up to the door were thick, primitive, a good place to crack a skull. A sweetheart seat swung in the wind on the front porch and as it swung, from the corner of my eye, I saw a man walk out from his house, hedge clippers in hand, and I gave him a nod of the head, good neighbour.
‘What are you doing?’ the neighbour called.
I turned my head. He cleared his throat, watched me. I ignored him, figured I could deal with him later if need be, went back down the front steps towards the side of the house. That voice of his called out again. By the side of the house there was a small dip in the ground and above that an open window. I searched around for something to stand on, saw a wicker chair near a pear tree. I lumbered the chair over, sat it under the windowpane and looked into the house. I heard Lizzie and Emma down the hall, their voices broken ceramics.
‘You can’t do this to me,’ Lizzie said.
‘I’ve believed you as long as I could.’
They came closer, Lizzie’s back faced the entrance of the room. She stomped her feet. ‘You promised you’d never leave me.’
‘And you promised me that the past would stay there.’
I licked my lips, pushed against the side of the house and leaned closer through the window. I was helping to destroy them.
‘That wasn’t my fault. That was a madman.’
‘I don’t want you in my life anymore.’
‘You don’t mean that.’ Lizzie’s voice was beginning to thin, to die, like it did when she found her dead pigeons.
‘I’m tired, Lizzie.’
Lizzie’s fingers grabbing, moving across Emma’s hands.
‘I’ve already called Mr Porter. He’ll be here soon to pick me up.’
‘You’re breaking Mother’s promise.’
‘Don’t you dare.’ Emma gave a little push, made Lizzie stumble, and she went down the hall, left Lizzie screaming guttural, ‘We’re sisters! We’re sisters!’
Lizzie called after Emma, said, ‘But I love you.’ She shouted one last, ‘Don’t make me be alone, Emma.’
I thought of Mama, that was how things had ended between us too. No more promised love. I ground my teeth.
The neighbour shouted, ‘What are you doing?’ and I turned from the window, saw him standing across from me in his yard and I knew my time was running out. I jumped away from the window, ran back along the side of the house towards the front door. My teeth clenched. I imagined my hand covering Lizzie’s mouth, the weight I’d push into her.