‘I just . . . I needed to get out for a while.’ She couldn’t, when it came to it, tell him about her suspicions. It would destroy him if he knew she could think that of him.
‘You broke a fucking window! You just went off without telling me! You took the car! I didn’t know where the fuck you were!’ He grabbed her arms. ‘I was about to call the police!’
‘Oh, Nick, I’m sorry! I needed to get out, to be on my own for a bit, and I didn’t think you’d let me, so . . . But that’s not important. I’ve got something really wonderful to tell you, but – it’s going to be a really big shock.’ She took his hands in hers.
A soft light came into his eyes. ‘You’re pregnant?’ he whispered. ‘Your period is late, isn’t it?’
‘It’s a little late, but no.’ Lulu was on the pill. She couldn’t be pregnant. She was sure it was just the stress messing with her cycle. ‘Come in and sit down, Nick.’
She took his hand and led him into the drawing room, and they sat side by side on the sofa. A wave of love, of pity for him swept through her, so powerful that a little sob came out of her mouth.
‘What is it?’ Nick squeezed her hand and put his other hand to her forehead. ‘You’re soaked.’
‘I – I went for a drive into Langholm. I stopped for petrol, and while I was filling up, I was watching the cars going by and I saw . . . Nick, this is going to knock you for six.’ She squeezed his hand back. ‘I saw Maggie and Duncan! At least, I thought I did. I followed the car to this place called Rose Cottage, a holiday let, and Michael was there. He called the woman Maggie. It’s definitely them! They’re alive! Presumably, Isla too, I mean, it’s –’
Nick shook his head. ‘That’s not possible.’
‘I couldn’t believe it either, but it was definitely them.’ Her voice was shaking, emotion rushing through her at what this meant for him. ‘I recognised them from the photos. Nick, they’re alive!’
‘What were you doing in Langholm?’
‘What?’
‘Why were you filling up with petrol? There was still half a tank left.’
‘I was just driving at random,’ Lulu improvised. ‘I was hungry, and thought I’d stop at the garage shop and fill up while I was there. But that’s not important. Did you hear what I said? Your dad is alive!’
‘No!’ he suddenly shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her like a doll. ‘You’re lying! Why are you lying to me? Dad can’t be alive. He would never have gone off with that woman and that brat and left me! He would never have done it!’
‘Nick, you’re hurting me.’
He didn’t let her go or even slacken his grip.
‘I’m not lying to you.’ Lulu tried to keep her voice level and calm. ‘It was definitely your dad. And it was Maggie. I’ve seen photos of her online.’
‘When?’ he growled. ‘When did you go snooping about online?’
‘I – I was obviously curious to see –’
‘Why the fuck would you want to go looking at photos of that evil bitch?’
‘But she’s not!’ Lulu wriggled in his grip, making herself hold his angry gaze. ‘Duncan was there too! He’s fine, Nick! Your dad’s alive and well. Maggie didn’t do anything to him!’
Nick threw her from him, got up precipitously and strode out of the room. Lulu hurried after him, across the hall to the kitchen.
‘Nick,’ she said, her voice breaking. ‘They’re alive.’
Standing in the middle of the kitchen, Nick suddenly turned and looked at her. ‘Liar.’
Lulu made herself breathe. She sucked saliva into her dry mouth and said in what she hoped approximated her therapist’s voice, ‘I’m not lying. Why would I? Let’s go to the cottage, the cottage where they are, and you can see for yourself.’
For a long, long moment, he stared at her.
And then he nodded.
30
Maggie - June 2019
Maggie took the whisky bottle from Duncan. ‘No more. We need to keep clear heads.’
Duncan drained his glass before nodding.
‘But what can we do?’ Michael slumped further down in his chair. ‘As usual, he’s thought of all the angles. Yvonne’s dead. She must be dead.’
Maggie fixed him with one of the hard looks she used to give Isla, the odd time she misbehaved as a kid. ‘Let’s have a bit less defeatism, aye? What if she’s alive? What if she’s alive, and you’re sitting here going, “It’s hopeless, let’s just give up now”？’ She frowned. ‘What we need Nick to do is give away what he’s done to Yvonne. Where she is.’