‘What are you talking about? Charlotte killed herself.’
‘Look, I know I’m not making any sense, but it’s a long story . . .’
‘She’s a fourteen-year-old girl, what the hell were you thinking?’ Dad asked.
‘I didn’t touch her!’ I yelled in frustration.
‘Then what was she doing alone in a car with you? You say you gave her lifts home! I’m not a teacher and even I know that’s wrong. And why the hell were you trying to break into someone’s house?’
‘You’re not fucking listening to me!’ The speed at which I flew off the handle took even me by surprise. ‘You’re as bad as everyone on Facebook, believing those lies! You’re not letting me give my side of the story.’
‘You’ve had some kind of breakdown,’ Mum continued, tears streaming down her face. ‘The stress of what happened with Charlotte, you’re not dealing with it properly. You’ve been confused. And those things aren’t helping.’ She pointed towards a fresh six-pack of lager. ‘We can get you help.’
‘No, no, no,’ I said. The room began swimming faster and faster and the walls and ceiling were closing in on me. I had to get out of there and away from their noise.
I grabbed my car keys from the bedside cabinet and pushed past Mum. However, my shoulder caught hers and knocked her off balance, sending her spinning into the wall and then the floor.
‘Shit, I’m sorry,’ I said and went to help her up. Dad retaliated by shoving me out of her reach and raising his fist towards me. We remained in stalemate for a moment, before he thought better of it. Instead, he bent down to help Mum up.
There was nothing else I could say or do to pacify them, so I left the flat and staggered towards the car.
I no longer had any choice in what to do next. I knew I had to go and see the only person who could bring an end to all of this, and beg the woman who killed my wife and baby to show me mercy.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
LAURA
‘I assume you weren’t expecting to find me here?’ I said.
Janine hovered by the door, debating whether to leave, or stay and face the music. She hesitated, before curiosity got the better of her.
‘No, I wasn’t,’ she replied.
‘Take a seat.’
She didn’t move. ‘I don’t answer to you, Laura.’
‘But you want to know why I’ve gone to the trouble of getting you here though, don’t you?’
‘If it was you who put Ryan Smith’s name in my diary, then I’m quite sure I can guess why. You’ve learned that he and I have met, and now you want to convince me that he’s some kind of fantasist who has an obsession with you. Does that about cover it?’
‘And what would you say if I said yes?’
‘I’d tell you that when he first called asking to see me and gave a brief outline of why, I did think that he was just a troubled soul. Then I’d tell you that I did a little background research and discovered he was a teacher.’
‘Did he mention that he’s also taught my daughter Effie?’
‘No.’
‘Or that he spent months grooming her before making sexual advances towards her? She’s fourteen years old. He’s currently suspended, pending investigation.’
‘No, he didn’t. But then I only have your word for that, don’t I? And you are hardly the epitome of honesty, are you?’
Janine sank her shapeless frame into the sofa opposite mine, crossed her legs and folded her arms.
‘Your body language is quite hostile,’ I continued.
‘Let’s just say that you don’t bring out the best in me.’
I leaned forward. ‘And why is that?’
‘I’m not like the others upstairs who think the sun shines out of your backside. They only like to see the good in people, but I can see what they can’t. I’m not blind to how you operate; I’ve watched you manipulate people with your Mary Poppins act. You can float into the office on an umbrella with your store-bought cakes and the clothes you pretend you’ve repaired. And you can impersonate a wonderful, devoted-to-her-family mum as much as you like, but I can see through you.’
‘I’ve never claimed to be perfect.’
‘You’ve never tried to dispel the myth either.’
‘You made a judgement about me without knowing me. From the day you started, you disliked me.’
‘And I was right to, wasn’t I? I’m a good judge of character and I’ve met plenty of people like you over the years. You convince everyone that you’re on their side but it’s all for show, it’s all to hide who you really are.’
‘Who am I then? Enlighten me.’
‘You’re someone who gets her kicks from encouraging vulnerable people to die.’ When no expression crossed my face, she continued. ‘Ryan was right about what you did to his wife, wasn’t he? And she wasn’t the first. That’s why this branch’s suicide statistics are higher than any others, because you are actively encouraging it.’
My eyes flicked towards the security cameras. Their green lights didn’t flash, indicating they weren’t recording.
Finally, I gave her a condescending smile. ‘There is one thing that I like about you, Janine – and believe me, it’s only one thing – your self-belief. You really think everything that comes out of your own mouth is the gospel truth.’
‘When it comes to you, yes, I do.’
‘And just so it’s clear, your perception of me has nothing to do with the fact that you’re screwing my husband?’
Janine’s calm composure faltered ever so slightly before she quickly regained it. ‘So it was you, then . . . The word scratched into my car door. I told Tony that it was your doing, but he was adamant you didn’t know about us.’
I was happy to hear my husband still saw the good in me.
‘You try to put me down and make these horrible accusations, when all you really want to do is push me out of End of the Line so you don’t have to see my face every day and feel guilty for what you’ve done to my marriage. You’re a homewrecker.’
‘I’ve done nothing wrong, so I don’t feel guilty about anything. Tony and me got together long after he walked out on your madness.’
‘But you set your sights on him before that, didn’t you? I saw your hopeless attempts to flirt with him at Mary’s sixtieth birthday dinner.’
‘Only they weren’t hopeless, were they?’ She gave me a sly smile.
‘And I suppose you think you know me after everything my husband has told you about me?’
‘He’s said very little, actually.’
‘Do you expect me to believe that?’
‘I don’t care what you believe. But for some reason, probably only because you’re the mother of his children, he still feels a sense of loyalty towards you.’