Mirror Man by Jacques Kat (ereader for textbooks txt) 📗

back. We need to talk about this mess you’ve created.’

I sighed, ‘Okay…,’ and climbed into the back of the car.

No one spoke all the way home. At times it seemed like we weren’t even breathing, as if no one dared make a sound, because if they did, then someone was sure to erupt. I was glad for the silence, though. It meant I could keep a careful eye on my surroundings as we drove home, checking for The Suit. He’d been watching me outside the shop, which meant he could be lurking anywhere, ready to pounce.

Once home, the three of us walked into the house to where Tina and Pete were waiting for us in the dining room. Tina was sat at the table with Pete stood behind her, dressed in his suit and with his hand on her shoulder. She looked like she’d been crying.

‘Sit down,’ Grandad told me. ‘And you, Pete.’

I sat down, as did everybody else. I scanned their faces in the mirrors. They all looked grim and stern. It was several moments before anyone uttered a word.

‘Did you do it?’ asked Tina softly.

‘Do what?’ I asked.

‘Oh, come on!’ Mum shouted. ‘Are you really that flipping stupid? Did you kill Mr Phillips?!’

‘Mum!’ Tina returned the shout, while Grandad banged his fist on the table.

‘Of course, he bloody well didn’t,’ he said. ‘This is our JC we’re talking about. Not a bad bone in his body.’

I hung my head in shame. ‘I didn’t do it.’

‘You what, John-Michael?’ said Tina.

‘I didn’t hurt Mr Phillips. Do you really think I could do that?’ I asked her.

At that, she seemed to sag with relief and gave a little sob. Pete put his arm around her. But she didn’t answer my question. I expected this from Mum, but not her.

Grandad exhaled long and hard. ‘See, what did I tell you? No grandson of mine is a cold-blooded murderer.’

Mum scoffed. ‘Great, Stephen. Your words are going to stop everyone pointing the finger, are they?’

‘Well, let’s not think about that now. We’ve got other things to discuss.’

Mum buried her face in her palm. ‘I’ll never be able to show my face again…’

‘Because it’s all about you, isn’t it, Mum?’ Tina growled.

Mum looked up and rolled her eyes. ‘God, I need a drink.’

At that, Tina promptly stood, almost knocking her chair over. ‘Yeah, that’s it, Mum. Drink yourself into oblivion! I thought you were cutting back?’

Pete reached out to calm her, but she didn’t accept more than his arm around her waist.

Mum stood too. ‘I was until soft lad over there turned into Peter Sutcliffe!’ she snarled. ‘I should have crushed more pills in your bloody warm milk.’

Tina’s mouth hung open in a giant O, and I clenched my fists. Peter Sutcliffe? Pills? Is that why the milk tasted funny? She had slipped something in my drink.

Pete removed his arm from around my sister and clasped his hands in front of him on the table. ‘Woah, Anna, that’s a bit harsh,’ he said. ‘The lad said he didn’t do—’

‘What pills?’ Tina interrupted. ‘Have you been drugging our John-Michael?’

‘It was just a couple to help him sleep after he witnessed the accident last week.’

‘For God’s sake, mother, you can’t just be putting pills in his drink! What if the police find out?’

So, that’s why I slept so well…

Mum exhaled loudly and left the table, heading to the kitchen.

Once the room was silent again, Grandad turned to me. ‘John-Michael…’

‘Yes,’ I grunted.

‘Why didn’t you tell the police, or me, or Tina even? We could have helped you. We would never have thought you capable of doing something like this.’

I looked back down. ‘I was scared. The man who hurt Mr Phillips said he would hurt me too. He wanted to snap my neck. He threatened Mr Phillips, said he would hurt me to get information out of him. But if he could do that to him, he could do it to me. I was scared he would follow me home and use you to get to me.’

Mum came back with a glass of whiskey. She even brought Grandad one too.

‘Thanks, Anna.’ He smiled grimly. Mum nodded.

I hoped she’d calmed down. I needed her to believe me. Well, not just her—all of them.

‘And you’ve told the police all about this man, haven’t you?’ asked Pete.

‘Yes, I told them everything. What he looked like, what he was wearing. Everything.’

‘Good. See, Tina, Anna, Stephen?’ Pete said. ‘The lad was scared because his boss had been killed. Come on, can you blame him for running away and not saying anything? Put yourselves in his shoes for a moment. How would you react to seeing someone killed in cold blood?’

They all sighed and nodded.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Mum. ‘I shouldn’t have called you by that vile man’s name.’

Everyone turned to look at her; now all our mouths hung open.

‘What?’ She shrugged.

The three of them muttered, ‘Nothing,’ but I stayed quiet, though inside I was smiling. It meant the world to have her back on my side. And what did it matter she’d put something in my milk? At least I’d slept better.

‘Now that’s all out of the way, we’ll leave the police to find the man responsible. We’ve got important matters to discuss,’ said Grandad.

‘Was what happened not the reason you called us here, Grandad? We’ve both left work because of this,’ said Tina, gently tapping her hands on the table.

‘Yes and no. With the death of Mr Phillips, John-Michael inherits the antique shop and the flat above it,’ he explained.

‘I do?’ I asked at the same time both Tina and mum said, ‘You what?’

‘How do you know this?’ asked Tina.

‘After his Mary died, he spoke to me about it. He had a will drawn up—both PC Williams and I witnessed it. It’s all above board, legal and all that.’

‘Blimey…,’ said Pete.

‘Did you know about this?’ Mum addressed me.

‘No, I knew nothing. Why would he leave it to me? What about his family?’ I asked.

‘They’re all in Australia, and they ain’t coming back to