Her One Mistake(45)

“So your close friend calls you, frightened and desperate, and for a while you did—nothing?”

“Not nothing. I had my daughter to look after—”

“But you didn’t call the police?”

“No.”

“Or tell anyone else?”

“No.”

“Despite how desperate Harriet sounded?”

I nod silently.

“Then what I don’t understand is why the delay in doing anything, Charlotte?” she asks. “Why did you sit around for what—an hour, more even—before deciding what to do?”

My mouth is dry regardless of how many times I swallow. I lean forward, my hands underneath my legs. My heart hurts it’s beating so hard, and all the while she doesn’t take her eyes off me.

But I cannot tell her the truth.

“Charlotte?” she prompts.

I wipe a thin streak of sweat from my hairline. I have to say something, but the harder I try, the faster words escape me. My voice is low and hoarse when I finally whisper, “I’d like to take another break, please.”





BEFORE


HARRIET


Captain Hayes arrived ten minutes after Angela had hung up, and Brian quickly ushered him into the backyard. “Let’s not worry my wife further,” he snapped at the detective. “She’s dealing with enough at the moment.”

Harriet watched them from the window. Both men had their backs to her; Angela stood mutely at their side. She knew that if it was anything serious they’d have taken Brian to the station, but she was still desperate to hear what they were talking to him about. What had he done to make the detective come by so quickly?

When Brian eventually came back inside, Angela and Hayes stayed talking outside. He slammed the door and banged his fists on the table, snapping his head up when he noticed Harriet hovering.

“Why were they questioning you?” She continued to watch the detectives.

“They weren’t,” Brian replied curtly. “They had questions, yes, but they weren’t questioning me.” He hesitated as if he was thinking about how to continue. “Are you hungry?”

“No, I’m not,” she said.

His body softened as he removed his balled fists from the table. “You haven’t eaten anything all morning. I’ll make you some toast.”

“Brian, I don’t want toast.”

“I’ll put some honey on it for you.” He began hunting through the jars in the pantry until he found a pot of honey at the back. He knew she didn’t like honey. He was the only one who ate it.

Harriet took a deep breath. “Why won’t you tell me what they wanted to talk to you about?” She hated begging, yet it scared her that Brian knew something about Alice she didn’t.

“Harriet.” Brian slammed the jar hard on the counter. “I am going to have something to eat. As I have just told you, I will tell you everything after I’ve eaten. But please, will you listen to me for once and accept what I’ve said instead of trying to manipulate everything? You must see what you’re doing to me.”

The scream started in her gut, shooting up through her body like a bullet, as it often did. If she opened her mouth she wouldn’t be able to stop it from coming out and filling the room with all the anguish inside her. She knew too well that if she screamed Brian would win, calling in Angela and the detective to tell them his wife seemed to be suffering a breakdown.

Brian wouldn’t tell her what had happened outside until he was ready. Not until he had played with the situation a little more. Maybe not until she left the room, wondering if a conversation with the detectives had even taken place by the sandpit.

Resigned, Harriet squeezed her eyes shut to push back the threat of tears until the smell of toast wafted under her nose. “Eat up.” He smiled, waving a plate of toast that was slathered in honey under her nose.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Then why did you just ask me to make this for you?” he snapped, and threw the toast into the sink.

? ? ?

ONCE HAYES HAD left, Angela came into the kitchen and found Harriet sitting at the table with her head in her hands.

“I’m trying to get my wife to eat something,” Brian said. When Harriet looked up at him he flashed her a smile.

“What were you talking about out there?” Harriet asked. She didn’t care who answered, as long as one of them did.

“Have you not said anything, Brian?” Angela asked.

“Oh, Harriet.” Brian shook his head and swept across the room toward her. Kneeling down beside her, he took her face between his hands, gently brushing her hair as he spoke. “Of course I’ve told her, Angela,” he said without taking his eyes off his wife. “I’ve just been through it all with her while you were both outside. Have you forgotten already, my love?

“I told Harriet it would be sorted and it’s nothing for her to worry about. Because I don’t want her worrying anymore.” He looked worried himself as he stood.

“Are you okay, Harriet? You do look a bit pale,” Angela asked her.

“You haven’t told me anything, Brian,” she said. “So will one of you please tell me what’s going on?”

Brian took another deep breath and gently nodded. “Of course. I’ll go through it all again if that will help,” he said with feigned patience. “The detective wanted to know why my alibi had fallen through.”