Sitting rigidly on the sofa I take my mobile, opening the recording. I have to know.

Swallowing hard, bracing myself for what I might see, I hit the play button.

‘Come on, then. Who are you and what do you want with my family?’

Chapter Seventy-One

Barb

I’m rereading the letter from her again before I destroy it. I intended to burn it along with the picture, but somehow in the confusion and stress, I forgot, stuffing it into the back of the photo album instead. It was only after seeing Patrick that I remembered. Silly mistake. I’d gone to such great lengths to retrieve it from Leo’s school bag before he could hand it over to Amber – how could I then have left it somewhere where someone might have found it. Not that anyone comes here, of course. Not even Nick seems to visit these days.

But Patrick might well come sniffing around again. I can’t have it falling into the wrong hands.

The second I set eyes on it, when Nick passed it to Leo in the car, I recognised Geraldine’s scrawly, looped writing. I can’t believe she had the gall to write those words, let alone send them to Amber. How dare she? And how did she find out Nick’s new address? Someone must’ve given it to her. She would’ve been wary of sending it to Amber’s house, knowing it had once been mine. Awful, nosy woman – no doubt she was afraid I’d see it, intercept it before Amber could read it. She underestimated me. As everyone else does. But she was obviously too scared to address her letter to Nick. She’d know he wouldn’t believe this utter drivel.

Conniving old hag.

She must know about the separation. That’s why she decided to write to Amber – more likely the lies she’s spilling in these pages would penetrate. Bad-mouth the ex-mother-in-law – yes, that’s the way to go. And Amber would believe it. Or at least, it’d give her pause; she’d consider the lies to be truths. She’d tell Nick. Geraldine Harvey would get what she wanted.

And I can’t have that.

This ball that’s started rolling, it’s gathering speed. I doubt I’ll to be able to control it. I’m trying my best, but the more I have to do to safeguard my family, the deeper I’m getting into dangerous territory. Just as I feel confident I’ve stopped one thread from fraying, another strand pops up. So many threads and strands. So many factors. How can one event have such far-reaching implications?