The Hornbeam Tree (31 page)

Katie sighed deeply and looked down at the soggy leaves and damp, broken twigs they were treading underfoot. ‘You’re probably right,’ she said. ‘I just wish she’d told me the police had talked to her about the picture she had confiscated, then the call this morning might not have come as such a shock.’

‘Well at least this monster, whoever he is, has been arrested,’ Michelle said comfortingly. ‘And what you have to do now is stop tormenting yourself with what could have been. I know it’s hard, but she’s OK, and thank God, she didn’t ever meet up with him.’

‘But if he’d been closer to home she might …’

‘Stop!’ Michelle broke in, gently but firmly. ‘She didn’t, and that’s as far as you need to go.’

‘She has to be told who he is though,’ Katie persisted.

‘Of course, but not today. Give yourself some time to recover from this first.’

‘What about taking her computer away? I really think I should …’

‘That’s going to be hard when you’ve told her you trust her not to use the chat rooms any more. And for all you know she’s kept her word.’

‘The police have asked to see the computer …’

‘Katie, why don’t you leave this to me. I’ll deal with Molly and the police, while you just concentrate on you.’

Katie’s eyebrows rose, but she said no more until they were back in the car and pulling out on to the
road
. ‘You’re going to deal with Molly?’ she said, sounding intrigued and even amused.

‘Do you have a problem with that?’ Michelle responded.

‘No, not at all,’ Katie assured her, opening another packet of biscuits, ‘but I think Molly might.’

‘Then Molly will just have to deal with it.’

Katie crunched into a ginger nut and offered the packet to Michelle. ‘Yes, she will,’ she decided, as Michelle shook her head. ‘I said I was going to stand aside and let you take over, so that’s what I’m going to do. In fact I’ve been creating the problem all along, by not letting you establish a relationship with her, so what better way to do it than to tackle her head on? Yes, I can see there’s some merit in setting off all the fireworks at once …’

‘Katie.’

Katie finished her biscuit, took out another and was halfway through that when she said, ‘Aren’t you scared?’

‘Stop it,’ Michelle laughed.

‘I know I would be,’ Katie confessed.

‘I’ve just had a hornbeam fix,’ Michelle reminded her, ‘so I’m fearless.’

‘You must have OD’d – either that, or you’re more in touch with your inner twig than I am. But I’ll say no more. You’re in charge now, and I can’t tell you how wonderful it feels to let go.’

Suspecting that a creeping exhaustion had forced that admission, rather than the truth, Michelle glanced over at her, and seeing how tired she looked, she gently removed the biscuits from her hand and told her to lie back.

Without a murmur of protest Katie turned her head to one side and rested it on the seat belt. She really was worn out, which was a pity, because she’d felt so alive at the weekend while they were researching for Tom’s story and talking to him and Elliot on the phone, but she’d be right on top of it again just as soon as she’d had some sleep – and after Laurie had reported back on the interviews she was conducting in London.

‘Did you manage to talk to Laurie before she left on Sunday?’ she asked, turning blearily back to Michelle.

‘You mean about her bringing a camera next weekend?’

‘No, about this situation with Elliot and Nick van Zant.’

‘Yes, but only briefly.’

‘It’s not good, is it?’

‘No, but it’s not for you to worry about. She’ll cope.’

Katie sighed. ‘I like worrying about other people, it takes my mind off me.’

‘Ah, but we need your mind on you if we’re going to pull off a miracle,’ Michelle reminded her.

Katie’s eyes remained closed as she smiled. ‘Miracles do happen, don’t they?’ she said softly.

‘Yes, of course,’ Michelle answered.

Still smiling Katie finally relinquished herself to the arms of sleep, while Michelle continued to drive, tears spilling on to her cheeks as she prayed silently and fervently to God to prove her right.

‘Where’s Mum?’ Molly demanded, coming to stand in the doorway.

Michelle looked up from where she was sitting at one end of the big, downy sofa, with a cascade of paperwork between her lap and the floor. She’d been so engrossed in the files they’d printed out over the weekend that she hadn’t heard Molly come in. She was certainly standing there now though, all bristling five foot four of her, with a school bag clutched in one hand, a damp raincoat shrugged half off her shoulders and a supercharged attitude that brooked no ignoring.

‘She’s upstairs, having a lie-down,’ Michelle answered. ‘Can I get you anything?’

‘No thanks. I’ll go and see her.’

‘She’s asleep.’

Molly’s face tightened. ‘So? I can still go and see her.’

‘I’d like to have a little chat with you first,’ Michelle said, gathering up the papers to stack on an arm of the sofa.

Molly’s defences couldn’t have shot up faster. ‘I’ve got homework to do,’ she blurted, already backing off.

Undaunted, Michelle rose to her feet. ‘The police were in touch today,’ she said, ‘about the person you were emailing.’

Molly’s eyes blazed, but Michelle could see a goodly amount of unease clouding up the anger.

‘He was found in possession of child pornography,’ Michelle told her, sounding perfectly matter-of-fact, ‘so the police were able to arrest him.’

‘It’s got nothing to do with me,’ Molly snapped. ‘I never went anywhere near him …’

‘No-one’s trying to say you did, but you should
have
told your mum that the police had talked to you …’

‘What’s it got to do with you?’ Molly retorted rudely. ‘I’ll tell her what I want to tell her …’

‘I don’t think you understand the position you put her in,’ Michelle said. ‘If the police think you’re hiding things from her, which obviously they do now, it makes it look as though she’s not paying proper attention at home, and forces them to wonder what else you might be hiding. As a result, they want to see your computer.’

Molly’s eyes opened wide with shock. ‘No way!’ she shouted. ‘That is my private property and no-one but me goes anywhere near it.’

‘They’re not insisting, but Molly, you have to realize, that kind of refusal only raises suspicions.’

‘Yours, maybe, but I couldn’t care less what you think. You’ve got no right talking to me about any of this anyway. It’s none of your bloody business …’

‘Actually, it is my business. You’re my niece, and I care about you very much, so I don’t want …’

‘That is such crap! You don’t even care about your own son, so how can you say you care about me?’

‘Of course I care about Robbie, but we’re talking about you …’

‘Not any more, we’re not.’

‘Molly! Come back here, and keep your voice down …’

‘I’ll shout all I want, this is my house, not yours, and she’s my mother, so if she wakes up …’

‘All right, if that’s how you want to play it,’ Michelle cut in, and almost before Molly knew
what
was happening she was being marched back into the sitting room and turned round to face Michelle. ‘Now you can listen to me,’ Michelle said firmly. ‘You are behaving like a spoiled, selfish, distinctly unintelligent brat, with no consideration for anyone but yourself, and we both know that is
not
who you are, or the way you’ve been brought up. You’re fourteen now, Molly, so it’s time to act your age and start facing some responsibilities.’

‘Don’t you dare …’

‘A good way to begin,’ Michelle cut across her, ‘would be to apologize to your mother for the worry and upset you caused her this morning – if you don’t, then I’m afraid I won’t defend you any more, and your computer will be taken away.’

Molly was beside herself. ‘I don’t need you to defend me,’ she shouted. ‘I can defend myself. So why don’t you just get out …’

‘And go back to where I came from? Yes, I know how it goes. Well, as it happens, this is where I came from, this very family, and if you can’t see that the people you’re hurting most by resisting me are you and your mother, then perhaps I’m wrong and you aren’t very clever.’

‘Well perhaps I’m not,’ she snarled, jutting her face out.

Ignoring the temptation, Michelle said, ‘Now you can either apologize for your outrageous rudeness and we’ll start over again, or you can go to your room and stay there until you’re able to demonstrate what a reasonable and worthwhile human being you actually are.’

Molly’s lips were curled in a snarl. ‘You can’t make me do anything I don’t want to do,’ she spat.

‘Oh yes I can, and if you want to put it to the test …’

Molly drew herself upright. ‘You lay one hand on me and I’ll smash …’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, I’m not going to hit you. Now I’ve given you your choices, apologize, or go to your room.’

‘I’m going to talk to Mum. She needs to be told what an absolute cow you are …’

Michelle was unbending. ‘Molly, don’t disturb her,’ she said sharply. ‘She’s had a difficult day …’ She drew back as Molly suddenly rounded on her like a hissing cat.

‘She’s my mother!’ she spat. ‘If I want to disturb her then I bloody well will.’

‘I’ve just told you, she’s had a difficult day so she …’

‘No she has not!’

Michelle blinked.

‘She has not had a difficult day! She doesn’t have difficult days any more. Everyone knows that.’ Her face was horribly stricken and Michelle had rarely seen such a struggle to cover so much fear. It made her want to pull her into her arms and swear to her that it would be all right, but how could she? She was in no position to make such a promise, and affection was clearly the last thing Molly wanted from her right now.

‘Listen, Molly,’ she said gently, ‘I understand how hard this is for you, but you know your mother’s sick, and running away from it …’

‘She is
not
!’ Molly almost screamed. ‘Stop saying that.’

It was hard, but Michelle knew she had to keep
pushing
, for it was the only way to start breaking the defences down. ‘Molly, you know it’s true,’ she said, ‘and you know it’s why I’m here …’

‘No! She’s all right. She doesn’t need you …’

‘Molly, please try to understand …’

‘Shut up! Just
shut up
!’ Her hands were over her ears, tears were rolling down her cheeks, but though she turned away, she didn’t leave the room. She just stood in front of the fireplace, still blocking her ears, her young shoulders shaking as her body convulsed with sobs.

Going to her, Michelle wrapped her tightly in her arms, wanting to convey the feeling of safety she needed. But Molly couldn’t accept it. If she did, it might mean having to admit the real reason why Michelle was here.

Michelle winced as a sharp elbow jammed into her side. ‘Get off me,’ Molly raged, ‘don’t touch me,’ and shoving her out of the way she ran into the kitchen and up the stairs.

Michelle remained where she was, one hand to her head, the other to her side where Molly had dug her. It had been a far from easy encounter, though really no worse than she’d expected. Even so, her heart ached with as much pity as it did frustration at her inability to ease Molly’s pain.

Upstairs in her room Molly was so enraged she wanted to lash out and hurt someone really, really badly. She had scissors and nail files that she could stab into her arms and legs, or Michelle’s face, or anyone who tried to stop her doing anything. She hated them all, the police, the teachers, her mother, Michelle – especially Michelle. She was going to
ring
Cecily and tell her she wanted her poisons, or her witchcraft, or anything else she could think of to get rid of her. She had to instant-message with Brad first though, and she was already late. Oh my God, she was late! What if he hadn’t waited?

As she connected to the Internet she dashed away her tears, as though pushing them off her face could push them out of her heart. Please let him still be there. If he wasn’t it would be stupid, fucking Michelle’s fault, for keeping her downstairs. And Rank Rusty’s, because she’d stayed behind to try and persuade him to shoplift the bracelet Allison wanted, but he’d refused to do it, and had even threatened to tell if she did it herself! Stupid, idiot fucking moron! She had to have that bracelet to get through to Step Five, which was going to happen on Friday night, when they all got together to contact Lilith and smoke some weed. Allison had said it was the best idea for Step Five, because there would be lots of weed at the party, so they could get in practice, and Brad definitely smoked weed, so she had to do it too, or he’d think she was a delinquent and wouldn’t want any more to do with her.

He wasn’t there! She was too late. Bloody, fucking Michelle. She hated her so much. He’d sent an email though, saying he couldn’t wait any longer, but would instant-message later, if she could make it at ten.

Yes, she could make it at ten, as long as they didn’t take her computer away. They wouldn’t though, because she wouldn’t let them. She just wished she knew what to do about the bracelet, because she’d promised Allison she’d take it over
there
on Thursday and she had to revise for a major maths test tomorrow, so tonight was the only chance she had to get it. She kept trying to think of excuses for not having it, but whatever she said she knew they wouldn’t believe her. They’d call her a coward, say she wasn’t fit to be a DOL, and then throw her out, which meant Cecily wouldn’t help her get rid of Michelle, she’d be banned from the party, she wouldn’t be Brad’s girlfriend any more, and she wouldn’t have any friends either.

It couldn’t happen. It just couldn’t. She had to get that bracelet or she might as well go on the suicide site again now. Unless … Oh my God! Unless … No, she couldn’t. It wouldn’t work. They’d find out and then it would be even worse than if she hadn’t got the bracelet at all. But how would they find out? Who was going to know if she bought it? All she had to do was make sure no-one was around when she went into the shop, then she could hand over the money and come out with the bracelet. Which was all just like, brilliant, if she had the frigging money. But she didn’t, did she? All she had was five lousy quid, and the bracelet was ten ninety nine.