Force of Nature (Aaron Falk #2)(86)

‘Beth. Stop.’ Bree looked up at last, her fingers picking at her arm.

‘Why? It’s a fair question. Why is it just us in here?’

‘Seriously, Beth. Shut up,’ Bree said. ‘Wait until the sergeant gets here.’

Falk could still hear King’s voice on the phone. Wavering in and out, but clear enough where it mattered.

When we found her body, we found something else.

What?

Beth stood very still. She was staring at her sister.

‘Why is it just us?’ she said again.

‘Stop talking.’ Bree was stiff in her chair, her fingers still pulling at her bandage.

Beth blinked. ‘Unless it’s not?’ Her eyes darted to Falk. ‘Not us, I mean. Not both of us.’

Falk couldn’t help shoot a glance at Bree, with her grey and fraying bandage and, underneath, the infected bite wound.

When we found her body, we found something else. King’s voice had been hard to hear.

What?

Hiding in a dead tree right next to her. Bloody big carpet python.

At last, Bree met her twin’s eye. ‘Shut up, Beth. Don’t talk.’

‘But –’ Beth’s voice shook.

‘Are you deaf?’

‘But –’ Beth faltered. ‘What’s going on? Did you do something?’

Bree stared at her. Her hand had stilled, the bandage forgotten for once. ‘Did I do something?’ She laughed, short and bitter. ‘Just don’t.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You know what I mean.’

‘I don’t.’

‘Really? Okay, then. What I mean, Beth, is don’t stand there in front of the police and ask me what I did like you haven’t got a clue. If you really want to do that, then let’s talk about what you did.’

‘Me? I haven’t done anything.’

‘Seriously? You’re going to pretend –’

‘Bree,’ Falk started. ‘I’d strongly advise you to wait –’

‘Pretend you’re all innocent? Like you had nothing to do with it?’

‘Nothing to do with what?’

‘Jesus, Beth! Are you really doing this? You’re really pointing the finger at me? With them right here?’ Bree waved towards Falk and Carmen. ‘None of this would even have happened if it wasn’t for you.’

‘None of what would have happened?’

‘Hey –’ Falk’s and Carmen’s attempts to interject were drowned out. Bree was on her feet now, eye to eye with her twin.

Beth stepped back. ‘Listen to what I’m saying, I have no idea what you’re talking about.’

‘Bullshit.’

‘No. I mean it.’

‘That is bullshit, Beth! I can’t believe you’re actually doing this.’

‘Doing what?’

‘Trying to wash your own hands and drop me in it! In that case, why the hell should I even try to help you? Why shouldn’t I look after myself and tell the truth?’

‘The truth about what?’

‘That she was already dead!’ Bree’s eyes were wide, her dark hair swinging. ‘You know that! Alice was already dead when I found her.’

Beth took another step back and looked at her twin. ‘Bree, I don’t –’

Bree let loose a wail of frustration and spun around, her eyes pleading as they fell on Falk and Carmen.

‘It wasn’t how she’s making it sound. Don’t listen to her.’ Bree’s hand shook as she pointed at her sister. ‘Please. You have to make Sergeant King understand –’

‘Bree –’

‘Listen, Alice was already dead.’ Bree’s beautiful features were twisted and there were tears in her eyes. ‘I found her. On the path, early on Sunday morning. And I moved her. That’s when I got bitten. But that’s all I did. I didn’t hurt her, I swear. That’s the truth.’

‘Bree –’ Carmen tried this time, but Bree cut her off.

‘She was just slumped there. She wasn’t breathing. I didn’t know what to do. I was scared someone would come out and see her, so I grabbed her. I was only going to hide her in the bush until –’

Bree stopped. She glanced back at her sister. Beth was gripping the back of a chair so hard that her knuckles glowed white.

‘Until I could speak to Beth. But then I tripped and I felt the snake near my arm.’

‘But why did you hide her, Bree?’ Beth had tears in her eyes.

‘Jesus. You know why.’

‘I don’t.’

‘Because –’ Bree’s face was flushed, two hot spots of colour on her cheeks. ‘Because –’ She couldn’t seem to finish her thought. She reached out a hand to her sister.

‘Because why?’

‘Because of you. I did it for you.’ She stretched, grabbing her sister’s arm this time. ‘You can’t get sent away again. It would kill Mum. She never told you, but it was so bad last time. She got so much worse. It was horrible, watching her so sad, knowing it was my fault and –’

‘No. Bree, it was my fault I got sent away last time.’

‘No, it was my fault.’ Bree tightened her grip. ‘It wasn’t my neighbour who told the police you robbed me, it was me. I called them because I was so angry with you. I didn’t realise it would go that far.’