The Hornbeam Tree (16 page)

Michelle went towards her and wrapped her in her arms. ‘I hadn’t realized it was that bad,’ she said. ‘You’re too good at hiding it.’

‘It’s not, not really,’ Katie responded. ‘Just now and again.’

Michelle drew back to look at her. ‘Don’t keep things from me,’ she said. ‘Whatever it is, I need to know.’

Katie smiled, but as she tried to pull away she found herself holding on tighter, and then her frail, emaciated body began to shake as a dreaded wave of self-pity broke through her resolve.

Michelle tightened her embrace and felt her own tears welling too, as the sharpness of Katie’s bones pressed up against her own, and her feathery hair brushed her cheek. She felt so helpless and angry that this should be happening, so confused by the world and all the pain it visited on the undeserving.

‘I’m sorry,’ Katie said, pulling away to dry her eyes. ‘It just comes over me sometimes. I’m fine now.’

‘You don’t have to say sorry to me,’ Michelle told her gently.

‘But I do,’ Katie replied, looking into her eyes. ‘I’ve treated you so badly, not just recently, but over the years …’

‘Ssh,’ Michelle scolded. ‘Sisters are like that with each other sometimes.’

A smile trembled on Katie’s lips. ‘I wish I’d allowed myself to get to know you better before all this,’ she said. ‘I really think we could have been friends.’

Touching her face, Michelle said, ‘What’s important is that we are now,’ and pulling her into another embrace she kissed her fuzzy hair and felt the bond that had lain dormant for too long finally starting to enfold them.

Reaching for another tissue to blow her nose, Katie said, ‘You still haven’t told me about your lunch.’

After checking that she really was steadier now, Michelle let her go and went to fill the kettle. ‘I can understand why Tom wants Elliot involved,’ she said. ‘He hasn’t wasted any time. Laurie’s coming to see you, by the way. She’s just dropping Elliot at the station.’

Katie immediately brightened. ‘Then I’d better put me ’air back on,’ she quipped. ‘Can’t have her seeing me like this, or I’ll scare her off.’

Michelle smiled. ‘From how fond she seems of you, I think that’s unlikely. I really liked her. Him too.’

‘So did you get the gossip? Are they back together? Or are they being all grown-up and twenty-first century by not letting personal issues get in the way of matters professional?’

‘No, I think they’re together.’

Katie seemed pleased, though she was shaking her head. ‘If they are, then frankly it’s a miracle she’s taken him back after he went off with that Brazilian tart. Gorgeous and irresistible as he is, I’m not sure I’d have taken him back if he’d put me through that.’

‘I got the impression it’s not altogether resolved.’

Katie’s eyebrows rose. ‘I’d be amazed if it was,’ she said. ‘It can take years for a relationship to recover from that kind of betrayal, and even then it’s never forgotten. Anyway, I’d better go upstairs and sort myself out before she gets here. The computer’s still connected if you want to check your email.’

There turned out to be nothing from Tom or Sajid, though Michelle guessed they’d contact Elliot direct now, so she’d have to wait to hear from him. However, there was a message from another quarter that seemed to confirm at least one piece of information that Elliot had been given by the US Embassy in Islamabad.

Spoke to Josh Shine ten minutes

ago. He’s in Frankfurt on way back

to Washington. Wouldn’t discuss Tom

or anything else. D.

‘D?’ Katie asked, when she read it.

‘Daphne Soliman. She’s an Egyptian lawyer, based at their consulate in Karachi,’ Michelle explained, after forwarding the message to Elliot. ‘I should probably call to let him know I’ve sent it.’

Katie stood back as she disconnected, and enjoying the sense of intrigue was about to pick up her tea when the phone started to ring.

Being the closest, Michelle answered.

‘Mrs Kiernan?’ said the voice at the other end. ‘It’s Mr Webb here, Molly’s headmaster.’

Michelle’s heart paused in its beat, for there was almost never a good reason for a head teacher to be in touch with a parent. ‘Uh, it’s not Mrs Kiernan,’ she said, wishing she could pretend to be in an attempt to spare Katie what might be coming. ‘I’ll put her on.’

As she handed over the receiver she mouthed who it was, and felt even worse as she saw Katie’s spirits draw into a knot of fear.

‘Hello Mr Webb,’ Katie said into the phone. ‘Is everything all right with Molly?’

‘She’s fine,’ came the hasty reply. ‘No accidents. Perfect health, but I would like you to come to the school for a little chat, if it’s not too much trouble.’

Wasting no time on relief that Molly’s physical being was intact, Katie’s concern instantly took off in another direction. ‘What about?’ she asked. ‘Is there a problem with her work?’

‘Not exactly, but something has come up that we need to bring to your attention. Could you come tomorrow, around three?’

‘Yes, yes of course. Around three.’ As she rang off her anxious eyes went to Michelle. ‘He wants to see me,’ she said. ‘I hope to God she hasn’t gone and done something stupid.’

‘He didn’t give you any idea what it was?’

Katie shook her head. ‘The question now,’ she said, stuck in the nightmare of a hundred different horrors, ‘is do I interrogate her when she comes home so I’ll know what I’m walking into tomorrow? Or do I save myself for Mr Webb?’
Closing
her eyes, she put her hands over her face and groaned. ‘I love her with all my heart and soul, I swear I do, and I know already I’m going to regret saying this, but sometimes, just sometimes, I wish I could forget I was a mother and throw myself into an orgy of unadulterated self-indulgence.’

Michelle smiled. ‘The plaintive cry of a million mothers around the world,’ she reminded her.

Katie shot her a look that made her laugh.

‘I could always go to the school for you,’ Michelle offered.

Katie hesitated, seeming to like the idea, but then she was shaking her head. ‘No. You two should reach more of a rapport before you get involved in any difficulties at school, otherwise the embarrassment factor could raise its ugly head, and I’m sure you’ll agree, one monster less is what we need right now, not one more.’

Chapter Six

MOLLY WAS SHOVING
her way past the queue of children waiting to go into the village shop when her mobile bleeped, letting her know there was a text. Having to put her can of Coke and crisps on a wall next to some moron’s bike, she fished the phone out of her bag and clicked on to read.

5.30.

Mtg of DOLs.

Feeling totally cool about being a DOL, and cooler still that she was going to be late for the right reason, she quickly sent a message back saying,

Mtg sm1 fm net @ 5.

Wl b thr aftr.

Hope nt rank.

Not wanting to think any more about rank, and how she’d just snogged it in the shape of Rank Rusty –
hurl, gag, vomit
– she tucked her mobile back in her rucksack, picked up her Coke and crisps and crossed the road towards the pub.

She was rounding the corner into Sheep Lane when a text came back asking her where the meeting was so they could be nearby to make sure no-one tried to rape or kill her.

Relieved she hadn’t made anything up she texted back the details telling them to be on the bridge – out of earshot but close enough to see – and was just putting her phone away again when she noticed the Porsche parked right outside their house. A Porsche! Like how cool was that? Who did her mother know who owned a Porsche? They used to know loads of people who had smart cars in London, but never anyone round here.

Dreaming of how lush it would be if it were Brad’s car and he’d just come round to pick her up, she sauntered in through the gate. Downing the last of her Coke, she meandered round the corner of the house to find her mother and Michelle sitting at the garden table with some blonde woman she kind of recognized.

‘Molly, here you are,’ Katie said.

‘No, I’m like somewhere else,’ Molly retorted.

‘Well I won’t argue that,’ Katie said dryly. ‘Come and say hello to Laurie. Do you remember her?’

‘Molly,’ Laurie smiled, getting up to greet her. ‘You’ve grown up a lot since I last saw you. How are you?’

‘Oh, I know who you are,’ Molly said, remembering now. ‘You’re Laurie Forbes, off the telly. Is that your car?’

‘My boyfriend’s actually.’

‘It is like, so cool,’ Molly told her. ‘That is so what I want my boyfriend to drive, when I get one.’

‘You mean you don’t have one now?’

Molly really wanted to say she did, but her mother was there and she was the last person she could tell about Brad. Already she was looking at her all like, curious, as though she was expecting some huge revelation or grandchildren or something. Bloody hell. Why did anyone have to mention boyfriends?

‘I can take you for a spin if you like,’ Laurie offered.

Startled at first, Molly’s eyes quickly lit up, then realizing she probably didn’t have time before she was due to meet Rank Rusty, she said, ‘I’ve got to go out. My friend’s helping me with my homework,’ and shooting her mother a look that Katie instantly mirrored, she tried not to laugh and started inside.

‘There you are,’ Katie said to Michelle, ‘all you need is a Porsche.’

‘I heard that,’ Molly snapped as Michelle laughed.

‘It was just a joke,’ Katie assured her.

‘Yeah, well you make me sick when you do that,’ Molly said sulkily, ‘and you’re drunk.’

‘I’ve had one glass of wine,’ Katie cried in protest. ‘Well, maybe two.’

Molly’s eyes narrowed, but she said no more, merely opened the fridge and took out a Twix. ‘Did you get my magazines this morning?’ she shouted as she started up the stairs.

‘They’re on your bed.’

Bloody good job, Molly was thinking, or there really would have been a row, because
Sugar
was giving away a poster of Busted this week and she had to have it. At least that was one good thing
about
her mother, she didn’t get her knickers in a twist about the posters any more, and it was like, so brilliant lying on the bed totally blissing out as she looked at them all and listened to her CD and imagined she was being snogged by Brad.

Out in the garden they were keeping their voices low as they talked about Molly. ‘She’s a stunner,’ Laurie was saying, ‘and quite developed for her age.’

‘Tell me about it,’ Katie groaned. ‘I just wish her mind was as developed. Or do I? Maybe not.’

They laughed, and Katie picked up the bottle to refill their glasses.

‘Now where were we?’ she said, casting her mind back to what they’d been discussing before Molly arrived. ‘I know, you were about to fill me in on this Sherry person you hired as a researcher and who ended up being arrested for trying to off you.’

Laurie winced and laughed, though she supposed it was an accurate enough precis, but as she began recounting the story she was thinking more of how relaxed and even peaceful Katie seemed, in spite of the terrible havoc that had been wrought on her looks, as well as her body, so what had it done to the rest of her? On the surface, she clearly wanted everyone to think she was still the same, for the way she’d greeted Laurie had been vintage Katie, saying she knew she looked like a Halloween ghoul, but be thankful she’d remembered the wig and hadn’t gone for the lipstick, because that was really scary, and now Laurie must feel free to be horrified while she got on and opened the wine.

Laurie could hardly begin to imagine the kind of courage it must take to come to terms with what
she
was facing, never mind being able to make light of it. How would she feel, she wondered, if she were in Katie’s shoes? How would she deal with the terrible knowledge that soon she would have to let go of the people she loved, and the life she treasured? It seemed so unreal. It must be changing her perspective on everything, perhaps in ways she hadn’t yet realized. And what was it like for Michelle, watching it happen, feeling powerless to ease the pain, or lessen the suffering. Having lost her own sister, though to a very different kind of death, Laurie’s heart went out to Michelle. Her position she could more easily imagine, knowing how utterly shattered she’d been when Lysette had taken her own life.

‘So, are you going to tell us what you’re working on now?’ Katie demanded, after she and Michelle had finished enjoying Laurie’s behind-the-scenes story.

Laurie inhaled the crisp afternoon air, loving how peaceful and relaxing it was here, light years away from the usual chaos of her life. ‘Well, Rose is in Iraq,’ she said, taking another sip of wine, ‘and one of our researchers is looking into the number of girls who go missing from Eastern European resorts each year, so that about has our overseas quota covered for the moment, which leaves me trying to come up with something on the domestic front. And as a matter of fact, I’m wondering if I might have found it.’

Katie frowned. ‘You mean Tom’s story?’ she said, not certain how it fitted into the definition of domestic.

‘No, though I guess it could turn out to be part of
it
,’ Laurie answered. Her eyes dropped to her glass as she continued to think through her idea, while wondering if it was acceptable even to suggest it.

‘Goodness, I’m intrigued now, aren’t you?’ Katie remarked to Michelle when the pause continued.

Michelle was watching Laurie closely.

Laurie glanced at her and, to her surprise, caught a very brief widening of the eyes, almost as though Michelle had read her thoughts and was telling her to go ahead.

‘Actually,’ Laurie said to Katie, ‘I was thinking about you, and what an excellent subject you’d make for a programme.’

Katie blinked, took a breath and found herself speechless.

‘You’d be a tremendous inspiration to women in your position,’ Laurie explained. ‘Your humour, your courage, the way you’re dealing with all you’re having to go through. It’s asking a lot, I know, but there are thousands, if not millions of people out there who’d get so much from your story, who’re genuinely interested in how you are, and how Katie Kiernan is dealing with the very disease we all live in such fear of.’