“At least you don’t have hypothermia.” Harry picked up a magazine and fanned her.

“Small mercies?”

“Yep.” Harry’s phone rang and he frowned at the screen as if he didn’t recognize the number. “Sorry. I need to take this. It might be to do with the kids.”

“Of course.”

He stood up. “Harry Waxman … Ah, yes … No. Yes, of course. Hang on, I’ll ask her.” He pressed the mute button. “It’s Libby. She sounds exactly like you.”

“Utterly devastated?”

“That too. She wants to talk to you.”

The calm that Harry had instilled in Alice vanished and when she accepted the phone, her hand shook. “Hi, Libs.”

“Oh, thank God. We’ve been worried sick. Are you alright?”

“I don’t think so.”

“But you haven’t hurt yourself?”

Alice glanced down at her feet and saw dried blood on them. “Maybe a few scratches. I didn’t realize I wasn’t wearing shoes.” It suddenly occurred to her Libby didn’t know Harry. “How did you know I was here?”

“I didn’t. We thought you’d go to Dan’s. Nick drove over there and then found Dan at the sports center. They’re both out looking for you. I’ve called everyone you know. It was Dad who suggested Harry.”

The mention of Peter drove a knife into her heart. “How are they?”

“Dad’s beside himself and Mom’s asleep. She was in such a state, I had to sedate her.”

“Libs, I don’t understand any of this.”

“Me neither. Dad’s refusing to talk about it until Mom’s ready. I’m angry with them and my mind won’t stop spinning. ”

“I’m that and more.”

“Oh, Alice, I’m sorry. When I got the results, I thought I was doing the right thing telling everyone together. I didn’t want to upset you with unanswered whys and hows. I honestly thought that if I showed them irrefutable evidence, Mom and Dad would tell us the truth. I never imagined Mom would fall apart. I mean she’s a rock. I’ve never seen her like this.”

“No.” When it came to Karen, Alice was flailing between devastating betrayal and anxiety. How was it possible to be furious with someone and worried about them all at the same time?

“I was panicking that Mom was stroking out and I didn’t realize you’d left,” Libby said. “That’s when I lost it. We’ve all been frantic. I didn’t know if you would—Please come home.”

“I can’t go back to Pelican House.”

“Then come to Burrunan. Please. I need my twin.”

Alice’s hand fisted around the blanket. “But I’m not your twin, am I? I’ve never been your twin.”

“You will always be my twin.”