Blood Sisters(97)

This place gave her the shivers! Even little Vanessa was shocked enough to keep her gob shut. Kitty stared up at the high walls with barbed wire on top as Friday Mum stopped at the gate. It reminded her of a show that had been on the telly a lot recently. Something like Orange and Black. Friday Mum gave a piece of paper to the woman guard, who nodded curtly. Then she looked at Kitty in the back in her special chair and then at little Vanessa in hers and her face softened.

It took ages for Friday Mum to help her out of the van. Then she had to get little Vanessa, who had started yelling again. ‘Just as well I brought the sling,’ she heard Friday Mum muttering.

They had to go through these special gates and then through some more. ‘They need to frisk us,’ Friday Mum said. ‘Don’t worry.’

Frisked. Kitty ran the word round her head. They did that to people on telly if they thought they had drugs. ‘Get your fucking hands off me,’ she roared as one of the guards ran her hands down her body.

‘Ow!’

‘I’m so sorry.’ Friday Mum was babbling with embarrassment. ‘My daughter didn’t mean to hit you – she just lashes out sometimes when she’s scared.’

On through another door with a guard next to them, and then another and another. Along one corridor. Along the next. Friday Mum was puffing as she pushed Kitty’s chair with little Vanessa in the sling on her front. She was cooing now. As if this was one big game. Then into another room. There were two women there. Kitty recognized one. It was the lady from the room with the glass box.

‘Hello, Kitty,’ she said, smiling. ‘Remember me? I’m Lily.’

‘Hello,’ said the other woman.

Who the hell was she?

‘Kitty, this is Sarah. She’s your sister’s psychologist. Do you know what that is?’

Of course she fucking knew. They were always on breakfast telly, weren’t they?

‘In a minute, your sister will be here.’ This was the Sarah woman talking. ‘We’d like you to have another go at your machine, if you don’t mind.’

That’s when Kitty saw it. On the desk. How did it get there?

‘The hospital has kindly lent it to us for the day.’ The Sarah woman was leaning forward. ‘I know you got a bit upset the last time but we hoped you’d give it another go.’

Kitty’s body felt like ice. ‘I don’t want to,’ she began.

But then the door opened and this very tall woman with limp blonde hair and baggy blue trousers came in. Her eyes were on the ground. She lifted them really quickly to nod at Friday Mum and Kitty. Then she stared down at the ground again.

Kitty felt a bolt of horror passing through her. Could this really be Half a Sister Ali? The pretty woman whom she’d last seen in the court?

She looked so … well, upset. Older and more tired too.

For a minute, Kitty had a flashback to the home when Margaret sometimes used to come out with a swear word that had made Kitty giggle. It took her to another memory. One about Ali. Once, she had helped Kitty do an April Fool joke on the flabby-faced man who said he was her dad. They’d hidden his car keys. It had been her idea and to her surprise Ali had gone along with it. It had been nice, Kitty thought, doing something together like that. But then their mother had told them off and Kitty had blamed Ali.

Little Vanessa began to cry. ‘Not now, please,’ murmured Friday Mum. But Half a Sister held out her arms. ‘Is it all right?’ Friday Mum asked the Sarah woman.

‘Would you like to hold your niece, Alison?’

There was a nod.

‘Be very careful,’ whispered Friday Mum.

Everyone watched as Ali held little Vanessa in her arms, gently rocking her to and fro. The baby was staring up at Half a Sister, eyes fixed on her. She was quiet now. ‘I’d have liked a baby,’ murmured Ali.

That’s when Kitty felt it again. That funny thing inside her that was like a violin string being plucked. But this time it made a nice noise.

‘Perhaps you had better give her back now,’ said Friday Mum. She sounded nervous. Maybe she was scared that Half a Sister might drop Vanessa like she, Kitty, had almost done the other day when trying to take her. Just as well that Friday Mum had still been holding on.

‘Kitty. Your mum says that you got upset when you used the machine before. I’d like you to tell me why, if you can.’

Sarah pressed a button. A photograph of Flabby Face holding a little girl appeared on the screen. ‘That’s you with Dad,’ said Friday Mum. ‘On the beach when you were little. Do you remember?’

Kitty thumped the chair. ‘No. No,’ she babbled.

‘No, No,’ repeated the machine.

‘Do you remember why this picture upsets you so much?’ said Sarah.

Kitty began to scream. The machine made a horrible noise.

‘I’m not sure about this,’ said Friday Mum.

Then Half a Sister leaned forward and touched her arm. Her face looked so kind. So worried. So … sisterly. ‘What happened, Kitty? You must tell us.’

Don’t say anything, Kitty told herself. Stop. Right now. But the machine wouldn’t listen. ‘He told me. About your dad.’

‘What do you mean?’ said Lily, who had been quite quiet until now.

There was a funny sound. It was Friday Mum. Crying softly. Then the tinny voice took over.