Then She Vanishes(27)

But then she started to feel anxious. Where was Flora? It was gone nine fifteen and if they weren’t home by half past Mum would go nuts.

And then she saw her and Dylan striding towards them. Well, Dylan was. Flora was stumbling more than striding, and she looked ill, as though she couldn’t put one foot in front of the other, but she was giggling, her head lolling on Dylan’s shoulder.

‘What’s wrong with her?’ Heather hissed, turning to Jess with concern.

Jess frowned. ‘I dunno.’

‘Take a chill pill. She’s fine,’ said Dylan, stopping in front of them. Heather wanted to wipe the stupid smirk off his face. ‘Your sister’s just a bit tired, that’s all.’

‘Has she been drinking? Is she drunk?’ demanded Heather.

‘She’s definitely not drunk.’

Flora’s eyes looked huge and dark, the green irises almost obscured by her enlarged pupils. ‘I’m fine,’ she insisted, as she attempted to stand up straight. ‘We’d better get home.’

‘I’ll walk with you,’ said Dylan. ‘Make sure she gets home okay.’

His suggestion instantly grated on Heather. She was more than capable of looking after her sister. She grabbed Flora’s arm and pulled her away from Dylan. ‘She’ll be fine,’ she said firmly. ‘Come on, Jess.’

Heather was almost the same height as Flora, despite being two years younger, and Flora kept trying to rest her head on Heather’s shoulder. Jess took the other arm and they whisked Flora away, leaving Dylan standing in the middle of the busy fair with a vacant expression on his face.

‘What has he done to you?’ demanded Heather, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. ‘Has he spiked your drink?’ She’d heard something about this in a newspaper report recently.

Flora giggled in response.

Heather and Jess half dragged, half carried Flora away from the fair and across the field. It was almost dark now, with only a sliver of a bright orange sun left on the horizon. When they got to the turnstile where they usually parted ways with Jess, they stopped. From here they could see the edge of the Powells’ caravan park and the main house beyond that. Heather noticed her mother’s bedroom light was on. Would she be worried yet? They were ten minutes late.

Jess hesitated. ‘Are you going to be all right?’

Heather nodded. ‘It’s not far now. Thanks for helping, Jess.’ She flashed her friend a watery smile but inside she felt like crying.

Jess returned the smile, then untangled Flora’s arm from around her neck. ‘Good luck with your mum.’

‘Thanks.’

Heather watched as Jess almost vaulted onto the stile, scuffing the toes of her blood-red DM boots, jumping down the other side and running over the neighbouring field towards her cottage.

Flora groaned. ‘Just leave me here. I’m too tired to go any further.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous. We’re already late.’

‘You’re such a goody-goody.’

Heather sighed. ‘Yep. So you keep saying.’ The things she did for her sister, she thought, as she helped her across the field. Flora kept stumbling. It hadn’t rained for weeks and the grass was hard, with patches of dusty, dried mud. Didn’t Flora care about being grounded? Heather certainly didn’t give a toss. It would be Flora who suffered, not her, Flora who wouldn’t be able to meet up with her precious Dylan any more.

They entered through the side gate, bypassing the caravan park, but it led to the path that ran parallel with the paddock. Uncle Leo was bringing in Margot’s horse, Saba, for the night. He turned when he heard them, a frown on his face. ‘What are you doing?’ he whispered. ‘Your mum’s going insane in there.’ He waved towards the house.

‘We’re only ten minutes late,’ said Heather, thinking on her feet. ‘Flora fell over and twisted her ankle so it took longer getting back.’

He took in Flora’s unsteadiness and her glassy-eyed look. ‘Has she been on the wacky-baccy?’ he hissed.

Heather was certain that Flora had taken something. She wasn’t that na?ve. She’d read about drugs and they’d had to watch a video at school last term. But she wasn’t about to tell Uncle Leo that.

Leo sighed, pushing his dark curls away from his face. Margot was now striding out of the front door and marching towards them.

‘Say nothing,’ he said. ‘I’ll cover for you. But get Flora into the house.’

‘Sorry, sis,’ called Leo, as Margot approached. ‘The girls were just helping me with the horses.’

‘They’re late,’ she snapped, glaring at her daughters and folding her arms over her chest. ‘I told you to be back at nine thirty.’

Before Heather could open her mouth to defend herself, Leo interjected, ‘They were here. Flora had sprained her ankle so was just sitting on the grass. That’s why I didn’t see them.’

Flora groaned, and Heather wasn’t sure if she was playing along or it was the effect of whatever she’d taken.

Margot uncrossed her arms, instantly thawing. ‘Oh, right. Was it the left one?’ When Heather nodded, Margot turned to Flora. ‘Are you okay, honey? You have to be careful with that ankle.’ Flora had broken it when she was six in a skipping accident, which had weakened the bone. Heather felt a sudden stab of guilt that they were playing on Margot’s worries.