Girl Unknown(51)

‘Just hang on a minute,’ I said, coming forward to break up their tableau. ‘Is that it?’

‘What do you mean?’ he asked.

‘She lied to us about something pretty serious. What else has she been lying about?’

‘I’m right here in the room, Caroline,’ Zo? said quietly, which I found a little rich, considering how she had refused to make eye contact with me throughout the exchange.

‘I’m not happy to have a person I don’t trust living in this house.’

‘Caroline …’ David began, weariness leaking into his voice.

‘We have to think about the children. What lies have you been telling them?’ I demanded of her.

‘None!’

‘All those hours you and Robbie spend together upstairs, what have you been filling his head with?’

‘Caroline, that’s unfair,’ David interjected.

‘Is it? Look at his behaviour in school since she moved in. His grades have dropped, notes have come home about him not paying attention in class, not to mention his recent suspension. I’m absolutely dreading his parent-teacher meeting.’

‘Well, that’s hardly Robbie’s fault,’ David replied waspishly.

I stared at him, wounded by this sudden attack. His pointed remark, a reference to my indiscretion, in front of Zo? – I could hardly believe it. Glancing at her, I thought I caught the trace of a smirk at the corner of her mouth. In the background, the doorbell rang. None of us made any move to answer it.

‘If you want me to leave, I’ll leave,’ she announced, breaking the silence.

‘For God’s sake,’ David muttered.

‘Just say the word and I’ll pack my bags. I’ll even drop out of university – that way you won’t have to see me at all.’

‘Don’t be so stupid,’ he said, clearly annoyed at the turn the conversation had taken. ‘No one wants you to leave.’

‘I want her to leave,’ I countered.

She glanced at me, then looked at the floor, her shoulders slumping forward again, adopting her vulnerable pose. ‘I’ve tried to be friends with you, Caroline. Why don’t you like me?’

I treated that with the disdain it deserved. ‘If she’s lying to us, then what’s she been saying to Robbie and Holly? Don’t you think we should consider their needs, their safety?’

‘Jesus Christ,’ David snapped. ‘Zo?’s their half-sister, not a sociopath.’ The kitchen door opened and his attention momentarily shifted. She caught my eye and I saw her brow arch just a fraction, triumph briefly flashed across her face.

‘It’s Chris,’ Robbie announced, standing in the doorway, glancing nervously at Zo?.

‘Sorry, is this a bad time?’ Chris asked, coming into the kitchen behind him. ‘We’re going for a pint, remember?’

David had his hands to his face, fingertips pressing against closed eyes. Drawing his hands away, he looked tired and defeated. ‘Sorry, Chris. I’d forgotten.’

He made no move to leave, and Chris, detecting the atmosphere in the room, said: ‘Look, we can do it another time. If you guys have things you need to discuss …’ His eyes settled on Zo? as if noticing her for the first time. ‘Hi,’ he said, coming forward and offering his hand, which she shook briefly. ‘I’m Chris.’

‘Zo?.’

‘Do you mind if we leave it?’ David asked, with an air of apology. ‘I’m just back from Belfast and there’s things I need to sort out.’

‘Don’t worry about it.’ Chris shrugged. ‘I’m happy enough going for a drink on my own.’

‘I’ll go with you.’

We all looked at her in surprise.

‘I mean it,’ Zo? continued, reaching for her jacket, which was slung over the back of a kitchen chair. ‘I could do with a drink.’

‘Okay, sure,’ Chris said, surprise tinged with excitement on his face. He stood back to let her pass, then turned and raised his hand in salute before following her out.

Seconds later, we heard Robbie going into the living room, then slamming the door behind him. David and I were alone.

‘Does Chris know about Zo??’ I asked him, and he shook his head.

‘Great,’ I remarked flatly. ‘God knows what lies she’ll tell him.’

‘Would you stop that?’ David said, exasperated.

‘What?’

‘I’m so sick of it, Caroline, this constant negativity towards Zo?, your resentment.’

‘My –’

‘If you actually tried to get to know her, rather than maintaining this suspicion, maybe you wouldn’t feel that way.’

Now anger rose within me, too, like a pain, but his back was already turned. He began opening cupboards and the fridge, pulling out bread, cheese, relish, hastily slapping them all together into a sandwich.

‘I have every right to be suspicious,’ I countered. ‘She’s been lying to us –’

‘About one thing, that’s all. And I can understand her reasons.’

‘Oh, of course you can.’

‘Drop the sarcasm, will you? I’m tired and not in the mood. And another thing,’ he said, moving past me to the kitchen table, bringing his plate down with a hard thud. ‘I thought it crass the way you said she should leave when she was right there in the room. What got into you? Didn’t you see how upset she was?’