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Back Day of the Accident
Chapters (71)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. What readers are saying about
  5. Epigraph
  6. Prologue
  7. Part One
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. Part Two
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. Part Three
  61. 52
  62. 53
  63. 54
  64. 55
  65. 56
  66. 57
  67. 58
  68. Epilogue
  69. Acknowledgements
  70. THE NEXT THRILLER BY NUALA ELLWOOD
  71. THE BEGINNING

‘Hey, it’s what I’m here for,’ she says. ‘Listen, I’ve been thinking. How about we try to get your stuff back from that storage unit? It will be good for you to have your familiar things around. Perhaps having some of Elspeth’s stuff will help too.’

‘I don’t know if I could afford to,’ I say, taking a sip of tea. ‘I’d have to hire a van and that would be expensive. I’ve got just about enough in the bank to last until my benefits come in.’

‘Now that’s where I can help,’ says Sonia, smiling. ‘I’ve got this mate, Sid. He’s got a big old transit van and he owes me a favour. I spoke to him this morning while you were sleeping and he said he’d come with me to empty the unit. We could have it all done by tomorrow. What do you think?’

‘If it’s not too much trouble for your friend then that would be wonderful,’ I say, my eyes filling up. ‘Thank you, Sonia. I mean that, thank you, I don’t deserve …’

And then all the pain and anguish of the last few months comes spilling out and I begin to sob.

‘Oh, Maggie, love, don’t cry,’ says Sonia.

She takes the mug of tea from my shaking hands and puts it on the bedside table. Then she takes my hand and strokes it gently.

‘Hey, it’s going to be okay, I promise you,’ she says, and though I know she’s wrong, it will never be okay, I allow myself to close my eyes and for one moment let her hold me.

39

Dear Mummy,

You didn’t reply to my letter. I hope you are okay.

Things aren’t very good here.

Zoe has been acting really strangely. Weasel Face took her to the hospital yesterday and when she came home she just laid on her bunk making strange noises, like she was in pain or crying or both. That is odd because Zoe is one of the strongest people I know and she never cries.

When I was getting ready for bed she asked if I’d heard back from you and when I said no she said that it was no surprise. She said parents always let their kids down; that it’s part of life. She said that if she was me she would stop writing and just get on with things, stop deluding myself.

But I think she was saying those things because she’s poorly, because of whatever happened at the hospital and because of the pain.

I know you wouldn’t leave me here Mummy. I just know.

Anyway I’m going to put a stamp on this letter and send it to Freya first thing in the morning.

I’ve written my address on the top again. You can’t miss it.

I love you.

Your lovely daughter xxx

40

Tuesday 8 August