The Stepmother(115)
I look at Scarlett’s clever, pretty face and then at Luke. It must have been hard for this plain, less-talented boy. Living in his sister’s shadow, trying to win his mother’s love.
‘I liked Jeanie,’ Scarlett says. The gun is trained, not at her twin, but at her mother. ‘Jeanie was nice to me…’
‘I’m nice to you.’ Her mother sounds pathetic. ‘Aren’t I, love?’
‘Don’t make me laugh.’ Scarlett does laugh, and it’s a hollow, emotionless echo. ‘You just control me. That’s all.’
It’s starting to make more sense now.
‘And you must be Marlena?’ Scarlett says to me, but she’s still staring at her mother with eyes of steel. ‘Sorry I stood you up.’
‘No worries.’ I feel surprisingly calm, considering the size of the Beretta in the teenager’s grasp.
‘I was gonna come, but then my mum texted me,’ Scarlett says. ‘She likes to know where I am, don’t you, Mum? At all times. Never a minute’s rest, being Mummy’s best mate, is there, Mum?’
‘Scarlett,’ Kaye is pleading, her eyes welling up. ‘You’re really freaking me out.’
‘Not as much as you freaked us out, Mum. You couldn’t f*cking bear it, could you? You couldn’t bear it that Dad had moved on, so you had to mess everything up for everyone.’
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Kaye says weakly, but her lies are transparent now.
‘You wanted us to hate our dad so much.’ Scarlett’s own steely resolve is fading a little; I can see the emotion taking over. ‘But that was the last straw.’
‘What?’ Matthew’s sweating too. ‘Come on, Scarlett, hon…’
‘You made me hate my dad, you made Luke your little puppet – so desperate to please you, Mummy, he’d do anything. And yet you’ve always been horrible to him, poor Lukie… no wonder you’re a f*ck-up.’ She actually shoots her brother a look of love now, and I feel some sense of relief. Perhaps she won’t actually kill us all.
‘And then you had the f*cking nerve to get back with him. You tried to make me hate my dad, you tried to make me ruin him – and you lied. And then you got back with him.’
‘I’m not back with him,’ Kaye cries.
‘Luke says you are.’ Scarlett’s eyes narrow. ‘He saw you last night, kissing. Don’t f*cking lie.’
‘Kissing?’ Matthew says. ‘When? We weren’t kissing, Luke…’
‘I’m not back with him, I swear…’ Kaye pleads.
‘Not for want of trying though.’ Matthew’s voice is harsh. ‘But we weren’t kissing. She hugged me. I was so relieved the allegations were being withdrawn. But she wanted to take it further…’ He looks at Kaye as if he’s had a sudden revelation. ‘God. Scarlett’s right, isn’t she?’ he says very slowly. ‘They’re both right. I didn’t see it…’
‘I hate you.’ Scarlett suddenly starts to cry, and the gun wavers in her hands for the first time. ‘I really, really hate you, Mum.’ Snot runs down her face, snot and kohl, and she looks like the frightened little girl she is. ‘You were meant to look after us – but you broke it all apart. And then you tried to ruin Dad’s and my relationship – you lied…’
Kaye keens. ‘I was just looking out for you…’
‘You wanted me to hate Jeanie; you tried to make me hate her too – but she was always really nice to me.’
Jeanie; lovely Jeanie. What cesspit did you walk into unwittingly?
‘It wasn’t till I spoke to Alison properly that I understood.’ For the first time the gun looks like it’s too heavy in Scarlett’s skinny arms.
‘Alison?’ Kaye expostulates. ‘That dried-up bitch…’
‘For God’s sake,’ Matthew snaps. ‘She’s your oldest friend.’
‘You’re so f*cking jealous, aren’t you?’ Scarlett takes a step closer to her mother. ‘Of other women. You couldn’t bear Dad having any girlfriend or us liking them, so you tried to stop each one…’
‘It’s not true.’ Kaye’s sobbing too. ‘Please, baby. I’m sorry. I can make it all right…’
Jesus, bring out the violins.
I’d really like to go now. Scarlett’s little speech has answered most of my unanswered questions. I’m dying for a fag, I need to start heading north – and I’m fairly sure Scarlett’s not going to fire the gun.
But what do I know?
She pulls the safety catch back; the click echoes round the summer garden.