‘Terrible, and it’s only going to get worse.’ Fran jiggled the folders in her arms. ‘I need all this marked by the morning.’

Jenna held out her hands. ‘Let me take them.’

‘It’s fine.’ Fran heaved the folders onto the roof of the car then retrieved her key fob from her handbag and pressed the unlock button.

‘Are you still okay to go for coffee?’ Jenna asked as Fran loaded the book bag and folders into the boot. Fran had her back to her but she could hear the plaintive note in her sister’s voice. She sighed, rather louder than she meant to, then closed the boot and rested a hand on the car.

‘Is that a no?’ Jenna’s expression tightened. ‘I came here all the way from East London and you’re going to blow me off?’

‘Can’t you tell me now? Or give me a ring later? No, not later. I’ll be marking and—’

‘I can’t believe this family.’ Jenna steepled her fingers over her nose and took a long noisy breath.

Inwardly, Fran rolled her eyes. So it was about their parents.

‘Is anyone dead?’ she asked. ‘Or dying?’

‘No.’ Jenna gave her an exasperated look.

‘Then can’t it wait?’

And that was it. Jenna had stalked off to her own car and Fran had shrugged, wondering why everything had to be such a drama. It was the last time she saw her sister alive.

‘Well,’ Geraldine says now, as Fran turns the cold tap off and on, checking to see if it drips. ‘Are you going to go and confront Tom Wade or not?’

‘What makes you think I’ll get anything out of him?’ There’s a rough edge to her question but her resolve is fading faster than her irritation. She has no idea where her mother gets her energy from and it’s sapping all of hers.

‘Because you’ll be able to look him in the eye,’ Geraldine continues. ‘You’ll know if he’s telling the truth or not.’

‘Will you let this drop if I go to the retreat? You won’t berate me for the rest of my life for asking the wrong questions or saying the wrong thing?’

There’s a pause.

‘Imagine you’re me,’ her mum says. ‘And don’t give up until he tells you the truth.’

‘What if he refuses to talk to me about Jenna?’

‘You keep on at him until he does. You’re a teacher. It’s your job to get people to do what you say.’

Chapter 8

Then

JENNA

Jenna stares in horror at the thick, gooey, red liquid covering most of the clothes in one half of her suitcase. ‘What the hell?’

‘What’s wrong?’ In an instant Erica is beside her. ‘Oh!’ She stares at Jenna with big round eyes. ‘Is that …’ She tentatively touches a finger to the liquid.