The Silent Ones: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller(56)

‘I didn’t do it on purpose, Dad. I just felt so tired. I couldn’t keep my eyes open.’

‘Thank God Chloe had the sense to come looking for you, that’s all I can say,’ Joan snapped.

‘I know you hardly slept last night, and you’d never knowingly put our Corey at risk, but—’

‘Oh stop pandering to her, Ray,’ Joan snapped. ‘It’s her fault Corey slipped and there’ll be a suitable punishment coming as soon as I can get my thoughts in order.’

Juliet gulped. The worst punishment she’d ever had from her mother was when she’d failed to tidy up her side of the bedroom she shared with Chloe.

While she was at school, Joan had gathered up her stuff, which included a letter from her late grandma, Ray’s mother, to whom she’d been close, and a selection of poems Juliet had written and painstakingly made into an illustrated booklet that had won top prize in the school’s young poet competition.

When she got home, her precious belongings were reduced to a small pile of ash in the corner of the yard. She’d felt raw for months afterwards. Violated.

‘I don’t know how I’m going to get to and from that hospital, Ray, what with this sciatica in my leg.’ Joan rubbed the top of her thigh.

‘You don’t have to, love. I can see to him while he’s in there. He’ll be home soon, anyhow.’

Joan opened the cupboard under the sink and plucked out the dustpan and brush, sliding it across the floor.

‘Get that cleaned up.’ She indicated the smashed crockery around Juliet’s feet.

‘I’ll come and visit Corey with you, Dad,’ Juliet said.

‘No chance. You’re grounded, and that includes going to the hospital.’ Joan’s mouth puckered into a tight knot. ‘You’ve done enough harm to your brother as it is. Stay away from him.’



* * *



A couple of days later, Juliet peered through the crack in the door and saw her mum and dad sitting close together on the sofa. Joan laid her head on Ray’s shoulder, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.

There was something curious about the scenario, something Juliet didn’t quite understand.

Since the accident, she had felt a relentless ache deep in her guts. There was no respite from it. She badly needed Corey to come home, to see him running around screeching in that boisterous way of his that used to drive her mad when she was trying to read.

But standing there watching the quiet misery of her parents, the ache had developed into a snaking sense of dread.

Something was wrong. She could feel it.

She crept upstairs and sat on her bed facing Chloe, who was sitting up against her headboard idly sketching on her drawing pad.

‘I’m worried about Corey,’ she whispered, keeping one ear alert for footsteps on the stairs. ‘It’s been three days and there’s no sign of him coming home yet. Mum and Dad are being weird together downstairs. I was wondering…’

‘Wondering what?’ Chloe looked up from her drawing.

‘Maybe we could secretly visit him. I hate not knowing how he is.’

‘Mum would crucify you if she found out.’ Chloe frowned. ‘He’ll be fine. Besides, it’s really peaceful here without him.’

‘Chloe!’ Juliet stood up, shocked.

‘Can’t you take a joke any more?’ Chloe wiggled her back further into her pillow. ‘It’s no good getting ratty with me. This is all your fault, remember?’

Juliet said nothing. Silence cloaked the room and Chloe went back to her drawing.

Her sister was right: this was all Juliet’s fault. But everybody made mistakes, didn’t they?

The awful truth suddenly hit her between the eyes.

Even when Corey was well again and back home, her family would never let her forget what had happened on Stony Side Hill.





Day Two





Forty-One





Juliet





I don’t know how, but somehow I manage to drop off into a fractured sleep, in which my nightmares from the past struggle to compete with the awful reality of what’s waiting for me in the morning.

When I wake, it’s not one of those instances where for a wonderful moment I think I’m still at home and everything is fine. No, I know from the second I open my eyes that today is judgement day. The day Maddy will be charged or, by some miracle, will be able to come home.

I reach for my phone and see I have a text from Beth.

I need to speak to you RIGHT NOW. Are you awake?? B x

It was sent twenty minutes ago, at 5.52.

Yes! What’s wrong? Can talk now. Shall I call?

I press the send button and throw the phone on the bed while I visit the small bathroom. The phone starts to ring while I’m still in there.

I rush out, hastily pulling up my pyjama bottoms, and snatch up the phone.

‘Juliet?’ Beth’s voice sounds frantic.

My heartbeat begins to gallop. ‘Is everything OK? Is Josh all right?’

‘Josh is fine.’ She pauses. ‘Look, I know today is shit for you before it’s even started, but I’ve found something and I have to tell you. I hope I’m wrong… but I don’t think I am.’

I close my eyes and press close to the wall. I want to throw up, but there’s nothing in my stomach.