Now his eyes softened, just a bit. ‘I can understand. Yes.’

‘So can I talk to Chrissy? Please?’

‘All right then. Come in.’

53

Chrissy Foster was in her room, curled up on her bed reading a magazine. When her dad knocked at the door and she saw Nula coming in, her expression froze. She scrunched up on the bed, looking much younger than her nineteen years, pulling the sleeves of her frayed orange pullover down over her hands and crossing her arms defensively over her body.

‘I haven’t come to make trouble,’ said Nula quickly, seeing the alarm in the girl’s eyes.

Chrissy’s father stood there, unmoving. Nula glanced at him. ‘If we could have a few minutes alone? Just to talk?’

Ben Foster looked at his daughter. ‘Chrissy?’ he asked.

The girl stared at Nula’s face. Then she nodded, very slowly.

‘I’ll be right outside,’ said Ben. ‘If you need me.’

He went out and shut the door behind him. Nula took a step into the room and Chrissy shrank back further on the bed.

‘Look,’ said Nula. ‘Both Charlie and me, we were very upset about Jake. If we took it out on you, I apologize. I mean it. I’m sorry. But we were out of our minds. Don’t you understand?’

Chrissy cleared her throat and nodded. ‘Yes. Of course.’

‘We really don’t blame you, Chrissy. Not any more. I promise you. Only . . . somebody has said something to me, and I wondered if you could shed some light on it. That’s all.’ Nula edged toward a hardback chair loaded with discarded clothing. ‘Can I . . . ?’

Chrissy nodded. Nula shoved the garments off the chair and sat down.

Chrissy tucked strands of pale blonde hair behind her ears and eyed Nula intensely. She had big stick-out ears, Nula realized for the first time, and it gave her a vulnerable look.

‘What’s this thing they’ve told you?’ Chrissy asked.

‘Maybe they got it wrong,’ said Nula. Now that it was coming to the crunch, she found that she really didn’t want to hear about it. She had to force herself to stay here, sitting with her hands on her lap, instead of running from the room. Aware of her chewed, ragged fingernails digging into the palms of her sweating hands, she fought for calm.

‘It’s just a silly thing someone said,’ said Nula, feeling her throat closing, her mouth drying to dust and ashes.

‘Oh? What?’

‘It’s wrong, probably. Only someone said they saw Harlan coming out of Jake’s room at four on the morning he . . .’ Nula swallowed hard.

But Chrissy was shaking her head, frowning. ‘That can’t be right. Harlan was asleep in the top nursery. Milly too. I got up at seven to go down and see to Jake and they were both still sleeping.’