Holly spilt coffee on the way back to the table and I was overcome with hatred. Your daughter was the exception to the rule. I was authentic with her. I trusted her.

You should never have asked her to keep a secret from me, but Holly should never have agreed. Her lie was worse than yours, Bella. I nearly threw boiling coffee in her face. Maybe next time I will.

Liam

‘This one’s worse,’ Jack said, handing her the second letter.

Dear Bella,

I shouldn’t be writing this now as I’m moody. Holly always leaves me feeling moody.

It’s the eat-it-too blast radius again. It has taken her in, as well as thousands of others. Some of the ripples have been so big they’ve made their own blast, and I am afraid Holly may be one of them.

She was always glum, was she not? Probably because we didn’t buy her any dolls. She reminds me of you, Bella, when you were at your worst, which was always, in the end. Crying one minute, laughing the next. Needy-whiney-needy then all don’t-mess-with-me. She wants me to live with her when I get out. The very thought! She visits every week, and I wish she wouldn’t. How can I look at her, Bella, when I also wanted her dead?

I’m having negative thoughts and Julie has warned me not to have these. It’s because of Holly. I might take her name off my visitor’s list.

Liam

Jack folded the letters with shaky hands. ‘She was supposed to go for oysters that day.’

‘Who?’

‘Holly. Her parents were fighting in the car, she got out at a red light and walked home. Her father yelled “GET IN THE CAR! GET IN THE CAR!” for ages but she kept walking.’

‘And…’

‘She hears him yell that in her sleep. She’s always blamed herself, see, thinks if she went like she was supposed to it never would have happened. But her dad didn’t snap. He made a plan, and the only thing that went wrong was that Holly got out of the car.’

‘The poor girl,’ Mary said. ‘I’m not surprised, though.’

‘It surprised Holly. She’s not answering her phone.’

‘We’ve got a few hours till court,’ Mary said. ‘You go to hers and wait in case she comes back. I’ll check the cemetery.’

‘Of course. Okay. I love you, Mum.’ Jack hugged her at the door.

They were talking! The wave of tingles! ‘I love you too, my baby boy.’