Blood Sisters(99)

Kitty had nodded solemnly.

‘Well he’s not dead at all. He’s been in prison for years because he murdered someone.’

A cold shiver shot through her. ‘Could he come and hurt us?’

‘No. He’s still in prison. But he wants Mum and Ali to visit him.’

She had a sudden picture of a scary man behind bars like a film she and Vanessa had once seen when the babysitter was there. ‘Isn’t that dangerous?’

‘It could be.’ They were nearly home now. ‘Actually, Kitty, I think you ought to tell Ali about her dad. Just in case.’

‘Why doesn’t Mum tell her?’

There was a sigh. ‘Your mum wants to wait a bit.’

‘Is that why you’ve been arguing so much?’

‘The thing is,’ said Dad, not answering her question, ‘that – like you’ve just said – it might be dangerous for Ali and Mum to visit this man in prison. Besides, we don’t want him in our lives, do we? We’re happy the way we are.’

Kitty nodded.

‘But if you tell Ali about her dad and explain why you don’t want her to visit him, then maybe she won’t.’

Kitty began to feel uneasy. ‘But Ali will be really sad if she knows her dad is a bad man. I would be sad if someone said that about you.’

‘You’re a sweet kid,’ he said, ruffling her hair. They had pulled up in the drive now. ‘But you won’t really mind upsetting Ali, will you? After all, it’s for the best. Anyway, it’s not like you’re that close, is it?’

That was true, Kitty told herself. But when she got ready for bed that night, Ali put her head round the door. ‘How was Guides? Did you have fun?’

Usually Kitty would have ignored her or told her to mind her own business. But Dad’s words were still whirling through her head. Might be dangerous. Happy the way we are.

‘It was OK.’

‘It must be nice to have a dad to pick you up,’ said Ali suddenly. ‘I’d have liked that at your age.’

‘But my dad always picked you up from Guides when you did it.’

‘Yes – he did. But like you said, he’s your dad. Not mine.’

Then this shadow seemed to pass over her face. ‘You know, I often wonder what life would be like if he was still here.’

Kitty felt another shiver. ‘But then I wouldn’t have been born.’

She could see Ali hesitating. Wondering if that would be a good thing or not. ‘You’re right,’ she said eventually. ‘And I’m glad you’re here, Kitty, I really am. I just wish we were better friends, that’s all. Anyway, I’ve got to get back to my revision or I won’t get anything done.’ She sighed. ‘ “Nothing comes of nothing,” as Shakespeare more or less said.’

‘What are you on about?’

Ali gave one of her superior smiles. ‘Just a quotation. See you in the morning.’

She could have done it then, Kitty told herself when Ali went back to her own room. She could have destroyed her sister’s life with a single sentence. ‘Your father is still alive but he’s in prison for murder.’

Yet she hadn’t because, even though Kitty didn’t want to feel sorry for Ali, she couldn’t help it. Besides, if she did blab to Ali, Mum would be furious. Hadn’t she told her off the other day when Kitty told her sister to ‘shut up’ because she was talking over the television. ‘You really need to be a bit kinder to her,’ she’d said. ‘Ali is very good with you, you know.’

Still, at least Kitty could now prove to Vanessa that she was worthy of being her blood sister.

‘Really?’ gasped Vanessa, when she told her about her sister’s real father. ‘Wow, that’s huge. I think she needs to know the truth.’

‘You can’t tell her,’ said Kitty desperately.

‘Why not?’

‘It would hurt her too much.’

‘Why should you care?’

‘I don’t.’

‘Then that’s all right, isn’t it?’

But no. It wasn’t.

‘Have you told your sister yet?’ Dad asked Kitty the next day.

‘No.’

‘Well, what are you waiting for?’ he snapped.

And for the first time in her life, Kitty began to feel that maybe Dad wasn’t as wonderful as she’d always thought he was …

Kitty did everything she could to make sure that Vanessa and Ali didn’t bump into each other. On the last day of term – a Thursday – she deliberately loitered upstairs so they’d be late for school. Then, with any luck, Vanessa would have already gone.

But she was there. Waiting for them. Grinning as she flicked her plaits and applied some lip gloss. Ready to wreck Ali’s life – and get Kitty into terrible trouble with Mum.

As they walked along – Vanessa trying to hitch up her school skirt as they went in case they saw some boys – Kitty tried desperately to think of a way to stop it happening. Crispin! That was the way. She could pretend the secret was about him. Threaten to tell Mum. Pretend she was on Vanessa’s side to keep her friend sweet.

Ali’s eyes had gone all strange when she’d told her about seeing her and Crispin making out in the summer house. When Ali had then pushed Kitty into the road, she had thought it would be the end of it.