Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2)(66)

‘I wish Mum would take that down.’ The voice came from behind them. Falk turned and had to force himself not to react. He now understood what Margot had meant in the car. Have you seen her?

The girl’s eyes were huge and had sunk deep into her skull. The only colour on her face came from the purple rings under her sockets and a fine web of blue veins that glowed beneath papery skin. Even from a distance, Falk could make out the bones in her face and neck. It was a shocking sight.

Cancer, Falk thought immediately. His own father had had the same blow-away look before he succumbed. But he dismissed the idea as soon as it arrived. This was something else. This had the sharp edge of something self-inflicted.

‘Hello. Rebecca?’ he said. ‘We’re from the police.’

‘Have you found Margot’s mum?’

‘Not yet.’

‘Oh.’ The girl was so delicate she seemed to almost hover. ‘That’s shit. I got lost in the bush once. It wasn’t fun.’

‘Was that at McAllaster?’ Carmen said, and Rebecca looked surprised.

‘Yeah. You’ve heard about that place? It was different from what’s happened to Margot’s mum, though. I lost my group for, like, two hours.’ A pause. ‘Or technically, they lost me. They came back when they got bored.’

She was fiddling with something in her hands, her fingers constantly moving. She glanced back at the empty hall. ‘How come Margot wanted to stay here?’

‘We suggested it,’ Carmen said. ‘She was a little reluctant to go to her dad’s place.’

‘Oh. I thought maybe it was because of the photos. I had some problems with that too. Not sex,’ she added quickly. ‘Food and stuff.’

She made it sound so shameful. Her fingers worked faster. Falk could see she was making something. Braiding silver and red threads together.

Rebecca glanced at the door. ‘Have you seen Margot’s photos?’ she asked, her voice low.

‘Margot chose to show us a couple,’ Carmen said. ‘Have you?’

‘Everyone’s seen them.’ She didn’t sound gloating, simply matter-of-fact. Her fingers continued to work away.

‘What are you making?’ Falk said.

‘Oh.’ Rebecca gave an embarrassed laugh. ‘It’s nothing. It’s stupid.’ She held out a colourful woven bracelet, the red and silver threads creating an intricate pattern.

‘Friendship bracelet?’ Carmen said.

Rebecca made a face. ‘I suppose. Not that I give them to anyone. It’s supposed to be a mindfulness thing. My therapist makes me do it. Every time I feel anxious or like engaging in self-destructive behaviour, I’m supposed to focus on this instead.’

‘This is actually really good,’ Carmen said, leaning in to examine it.

Rebecca tied off the loose threads and handed it to her. ‘Keep it. I’ve got loads.’

She gestured to a box on the coffee table. Inside, Falk could see a chaotic nest of silver and red. He couldn’t begin to count how many bracelets were in there. Dozens. It was disturbing to imagine how much time must have been dedicated to that pile, Rebecca’s thin fingers working away to distract her from the dark thoughts brewing in her mind.

‘Thanks,’ Carmen said, putting it in her pocket. ‘I like what you’ve done with the pattern.’

Rebecca looked pleased, her hollow cheeks sinking further into her face as she managed a shy smile. ‘I designed that one myself.’

‘It’s really beautiful.’

‘What’s beautiful?’ Lauren appeared in the doorway. In comparison with her skeletal daughter, her own small frame immediately looked huge.

‘We were talking about that new design. Mum has one in that pattern too.’

Rebecca glanced at Lauren’s wrists. She wore a watch on her left one, but the right one was bare. Instead, a thin red mark circled the skin. Rebecca’s face hardened.

Lauren looked down, horrified. ‘Love. I’m so sorry. I lost it on the retreat. I meant to tell you.’

‘It’s okay.’

‘No. It’s not. I really loved it –’

‘It’s fine.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Mum,’ Rebecca snapped. ‘Forget it. It’s fine. It’s not like I don’t have a thousand others.’

Lauren glanced at the open box on the table and Falk knew with certainty that she loathed the contents inside. Lauren looked up almost with relief as Margot appeared in the doorway, her eyes red-rimmed but dry for now.

‘Hi, Margot.’ Rebecca looked a little embarrassed. She reached out and snapped closed the box of bracelets.

There was a strange pause.

‘So have you seen the pictures?’ Margot didn’t seem quite able to meet the other girl’s eye, her gaze flitting around the edges of the room.

Rebecca hesitated. ‘No.’

Margot gave a tiny, hard laugh. ‘Yeah. Right. Then you’d be the only one.’

Lauren clapped her hands.

‘Okay. Girls, go into the kitchen and decide what you want for dinner – both of you, Rebecca, please –’

‘I’m not hungry.’

‘I’m not arguing. No, I mean it, not tonight –’

‘But –’