Looking down. At something in her hands.

She drops it as she turns abruptly, both hands flying to her chest in shock as she realises I’m there.

She looks guilty – as though she’s been caught out.

But it’s her who accuses me. ‘I’m glad you’re here. I know what you did,’ she says, her voice quiet.

‘And I know what you did,’ I say, anger attaching itself to my words like venom.

‘We should chat over coffee.’ She takes a bottle of water and unscrews the cap as she has a hundred times before. Only this time is different – and suddenly a dark veil descends over my eyes.

I hear shouting. Words echoing around the room.

An argument.

She’s enraged. But not about what I did, back then – it’s about now. About Brian.

‘I know you’re upset, but you’re wrong about me!’ She bangs the water down on the granite surface. It tips, water pouring out and onto the worktop, the floor. She rights the bottle although there’s very little left inside now. ‘I have done nothing but protect you, Louisa. More than once, actually.’

‘You’re a liar,’ I scream.

She lurches to the side of the island unit – to calm me down? To grab me?

I step back, and she slips as she moves towards me.

The deep thud sends a chill through my body. My stomach knots.

Blood.

Her eyes are wide and blood – viscous, dark – seeps into them, turning the whites red.

Her hands grasp for the worktop, knocking the bottle. Her body falls: limp, boneless, like a rag doll.

Bang.

She disappears from view.

I back further away, and then out of the patio door.

I force the lid of box three closed and swim back to the safety of the surface.

When I wake, it’ll be gone.

53

THE FUNERAL

‘Hey. I didn’t hear you come home last night. What time did you get in?’ Brian wandered into the kitchen, a shirt over one arm, the other holding up a hanger with his ancient suit on.

‘Oh, I’m not even sure. Lost track of time and ended up going back to Amber’s house.’ Louisa got up from the bar stool and filled the kettle.

‘Amber? Who’s she?’

‘A friend of Tiff’s.’ Louisa found the lie came easily, but then her back was turned. Lying straight to his face would’ve been harder. ‘Don’t you have a different suit you could wear? I swear you wore that to our wedding,’ she said, turning back to face him now she’d changed the subject.

‘Ha-ha. I wanted to get a new one, but I didn’t get around to it. This is serviceable, just needs a press.’

‘Leave it on the side, I’ll get to it in a minute.’

‘Okay, thanks. Your mum said she’d have Noah today, by the way, so we could concentrate on the funeral.’