Deadly Lies by Ann Girdharry (book recommendations .TXT) 📗

grazed down her front. ‘Go and make yourself look nice first, and remember, once you’re out of here I’ll be timing you every step of the way.’

In the morning, when they heard someone coming up the stairs, Lisa whimpered and curled up clutching her knees tight. Emily could feel her heart pounding as the key turned in the lock. Was it the man? What did he want? Was he going to hurt them?

Emily pushed herself up using one arm. The other one hurt too much to use it and she hugged it to her stomach.

It wasn’t the man. It was the woman and she wore a mask like the previous day. The knot in Emily’s stomach loosened a bit. Emily stared at the breakfast tray and didn’t feel like eating, even though the night before she’d been starving. The woman’s fingers were gentle as she pulled up Emily’s sleeve and Emily could smell the woman’s flowery shampoo.

Lisa didn’t move until the woman had left and the two sisters didn’t talk until the footsteps had gone away and they’d heard a door closing downstairs.

‘It’s jam on toast,’ Emily said.

Lisa opened her eyes and came closer.

‘Don’t you want any?’ Lisa asked.

‘Not really, you can have it all if you want.’

When Emily tried to sip her orange juice it turned her stomach. She really did feel strange but at least it was a relief to know they didn’t have to meet the man again. The woman was much nicer.

‘Is Mummy coming to get us?’ Lisa whispered.

‘Of course she is,’ Emily said, and she closed her eyes and listened as Lisa slurped her juice and scooped in scrambled eggs.

Her arm was throbbing and she could feel a thrumming in her head in the same rhythm as the one in her arm. Dum-dum, dum-dum. It made her feel dizzy and a bit sick like one time when Mummy told her she’d been in the sun for too long. Emily hoped it would go away soon.

19

When Maria left the house, the air felt fresh on her face. She’d showered and was wearing her favourite jacket with a flowery lining and a dress covered in poppies which brushed against her legs. Maria liked flowers because they somehow made her feel happier.

He’d not allowed her outside for days and it all seemed so ordinary out here – not full of drugs and booze and messed-up thoughts. Why not keep walking? Why not go to the train station and get away? Where to – the little voice said in her head. Where can you go? You know he’ll find you.

And if, or rather when, he caught up with her, he would show no mercy. Surely her safest bet was to see it through? Wouldn’t that be the best way and then she could get her money. And by sticking around she could do her best to help the children.

She mustn’t walk too fast or it might attract attention. Maria tried to ignore the thumping of her heart. She felt vulnerable in the open as if other people could see inside her and know she was worthless.

After about ten minutes she came to the brightly lit window of the chemist. Her palms started itching and she stopped to scrape them with her fingernails. Then, as she glanced around to see if anyone was watching, she froze. Was she hallucinating? Maria blinked hard and shrank back as far as she could into the shelter of the shop entrance.

The figure across the other side of the road was exactly the same as she remembered – auburn wavy hair, freckles and long legs. Bloody hell, what was Sylvie Delacourt doing in Brighton? Wasn’t she supposed to have gone back to Australia?

Sylvie was coming out of a large house. It looked like a doctor’s surgery. There was a gold plate on the wall and at the front of the property there was a notice saying ‘No Parking Doctor’s Clinic’.

Sylvie was heading towards a bus stop.

For one crazy moment Maria had an urge to rush across the road. She wanted to confess to her old friend and tell her everything. Sylvie might be willing to help. The young woman was much more confident than Maria and she had what Maria thought of as a free spirit. What if Sylvie helped her? What if they could escape to Australia together?

Cold reality burst Maria’s bubble. Because they’d never really been friends, had they? It had been an elaborate set-up masterminded by him and Maria had used Sylvie and then dumped her.

A red bus pulled up and a few moments later she saw her old friend taking a seat on the bottom deck. It was as the bus drove off that Sylvie lifted her head and she stared straight in the direction of the chemist. Maria clutched the wall so hard she ripped off a nail. She shrank into the shadows. It had been stupid to stand and stare.

The bus was soon out of sight. Whatever Sylvie was doing in Brighton was none of Maria’s concern. He must never know and she must never mention it to him. It would throw him into a fit. And if she didn’t get back in time he would go berserk so she should forget about it and get on with what she had to do.

Inside the chemist, it smelled clean. A horrible thought occurred to her. What if Sylvie had seen her and she came back to check? Maria’s heart began beating extra hard and she wondered if other people could hear it. Anxiety gripped her and sweat broke out on her top lip.

A shop assistant came alongside and asked if she needed help. The assistant was eyeing her so Maria grabbed a basket and walked to the end of the aisle, randomly throwing in a couple of items. She needed a moment to get herself under control and then she needed to get out of here as fast as she could.

She joined a small queue at the