The Other People: A Novel(49)
“C’mon,” she said. “It’s getting late.”
Alice walked slowly out of the playground, clutching her bag like a shield, small shoulders hunched. She stopped a short distance from Katie. When children are scared, Katie thought, they bundle up like hedgehogs, all tightly bound, spikes out. But at some point, especially when they are tired and hungry, they have to let it go.
“Have you eaten?” she asked.
Alice shook her head.
“D’you like cheese on toast?”
A tentative nod.
“So do my children.”
“You have children?”
“Yep. Sam’s ten, Gracie is five. They like cheese on toast with brown sauce. What about you?”
“I like cheese…but not brown sauce.”
“Okay, just cheese then.”
Katie saw the spikes gradually retracting, Alice’s shoulders relaxing. She held out her hand. After a momentary hesitation, Alice took it.
“Let’s go home.”
* * *
—
ALICE REMAINED SILENT on the journey back, the bag resting on her lap. It had made a strange rattling sound when she sat down, like she had stones or something inside. Katie was curious, but she didn’t push it. Questions could wait. The police could wait. For now, the girl needed food, rest and a warm bed.
Katie glanced at Alice again as they pulled onto her street. She had taken her hood down, revealing more of her face, which was pale and fine-boned. Long dark hair hung lankly on either side, except Katie couldn’t help noticing that the roots were lighter. Almost blonde. Dyed? Why would you dye a child’s hair?
As if feeling her eyes on her, Alice looked over.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Katie said brightly. “We’re here.”
“This is your house?”
“Yes,” Katie said, suddenly conscious of how small and twee her tiny terraced house looked, with its hanging basket and cheap potted plants.
“It’s nice,” Alice said. “Like a proper home.”
The longing in her voice squeezed Katie’s heart again. What the hell was her sister thinking? What had she got herself into? Katie couldn’t claim to have been close to Fran, even before she left. They were very different. Fran had always been highly strung, impulsive, argumentative. More like Mum, in fact. But Katie couldn’t believe that she would just desert her daughter, not unless she had a very good reason, or unless…something terrible had happened.
“Okay.” She pulled on the handbrake. “Let’s go and get you fed.”
They walked up the short path to the front door. Katie inserted her key and pushed it open.
“We’re back!” she called out, leading Alice into the kitchen.
Sam and Gracie bounded out from the living room, curiosity winning out over the television and the iPad.
“This is Sam and Gracie,” Katie introduced. “And this is Alice, your cousin.”
“We didn’t know we had another cousin,” Sam said.
“Alice’s mum lives a long way away,” Katie said.
“In Australia?” Gracie asked. “Jonas and his family moved to Australia, and that’s a long way away.”
Katie smiled at Alice. “Jonas was in Gracie’s class last year,” she explained.
“In Australia they have spiders the size of dinner plates,” Sam said. “But they don’t hurt you. It’s the little ones that can kill you.”
“Sa–am,” Katie warned, but Alice smiled.
“Redbacks,” she said. “They live under the rims of toilets.”
“Yuck,” Gracie said.
Sam grinned, regarding Alice with newfound respect: “Do you like Spider-Man?”
Alice shrugged. “I prefer Wonder Woman.”
“I like Peppa Pig,” Gracie informed them.
“Peppa Pig is for girls,” Sam announced loftily. “Spider-Man is for boys.”
“Boys and girls can like both,” Alice said.
Sam thought about this. “S’pose. D’you want to see my Spider-Man game?”
“Okay.”
“That’s a good idea,” Katie said. “Why don’t you all go in the other room while I make Alice something to eat? It’s past bedtime and she hasn’t had any tea. Alice, you can put your hoodie and bag in the hall—”
“No…thank you.”
“Sorry?”
“I— I’d like to keep the bag with me.”
Alice clutched it protectively to her chest.
“What’s in it?” Gracie asked.
“Just…pebbles. I collect them.”
“I collect Lego cards,” Sam said.
“O-kay,” Katie said slowly. The flowered rucksack was obviously some kind of security blanket. “That’s fine. Just the hoodie, then. Sam, can you show Alice?”
Sam led Alice into the hall, Gracie skipping behind. Katie took out some sliced bread and cheese and tried to ignore the uneasy feeling in her stomach. The feeling that was telling her that something about this was all wrong. Alice was scared and nervous. But not scared or nervous enough. She didn’t seem surprised by her mother’s sudden disappearance. Hadn’t even asked when she would be back.