Chapter Twenty-Seven
Having convinced Felicity she should do this alone and that she certainly didn’t want to wait for Nathan to return from his shift, Lisa found herself sitting on the very sofa she had discovered her engagement ring under, facing Sam. Why hadn’t she taken longer to consider what to say? While Sam looked at her expectantly, Lisa stumbled over her words. Thank goodness Brettwas out. She was sure having him there too wouldn’t make it any easier. As it was, Alex was in the kitchen, within earshot. The whole situation had the potential to go very wrong, but at least she had the screenshot. The evidence on her phone, held in her hand, gave her a momentary boost of confidence. She took a breath.
‘The thing is, last night, when you came upstairs, something, somethingof mine …’
Lisa heard Alex still in the kitchen.
‘Something of mine went missing.’
Sam, looked at her affronted, her normal soft, full lips hardened. ‘And?’
‘And I know who took it.’
Sam sat forward, folding her arms on her knees, her eyes meeting Lisa’s in an unflinching stare. ‘So why are you here? You’re not seriously suggesting one of us—’
‘No. I’m not suggesting itwas one of you. I know it was one of you.’
Sam let out a breath, before standing. ‘What the…? Does Nate know you’re here?’
Lisa decided to remain seated, it was less confrontational and proved she was going to stay and have her say. Her heart was beating too fast, and her foot had developed an uncontrollable shake, but she was determined not to leave until she had her bracelet and an explanation.
‘No. I thought it might be better to keep this between us, for now.’
‘For now? What does that mean?’
It means if I don’t get what I’ve come for, I’ll be calling Nathan for reinforcements.‘It means I’m giving Alex a chance to explain and to return my bracelet.’
A clatter sounded from the kitchen as crockery was dropped onto the floor. Sam and Lisa both jumped.
‘Are you mad?’Sam glared at Lisa.
Alex appeared from the kitchen door, his face ashen.
Sam motioned for him to stay where he was before turning back to Lisa. ‘How dare you accuse my son? You’d better get out.’ Her voice was thick with anger.
Lisa sat still, her eyes fixed on Alex, ignoring Sam.Don’t leave. Get what you came for.‘I’m not cross, but I do want it back.’
‘What are you saying?I’m calling Nate.’ Sam picked up her bag, shoving her hand in as she scrabbled for her phone.
Lisa lifted her gaze to Alex. ‘Do you want him to know? I haven’t told him.’
‘Mum, wait!’ Alex moved to Sam, placing his hand over her phone.
‘What? Why?’ Sam looked between Alex and Lisa confusion in her eyes while anger remained evident in the clench of her jaw and the grip she had on herphone.
‘Why don’t we all sit down?’ Lisa amazed herself by sounding calmer and more collected than she actually felt. Inside she was trembling. The boy’s face, his caught-in-the-headlights expression and the quiver in his hand, made her wish she had spoken to him alone. Lisa didn’t know why he had taken the bracelet, or if he had taken the ring and she wished she’d given him the chance toexplain before putting him in the firing line of a now angry Sam.
Alex sat at the opposite end of the sofa to Lisa, his head bowed, while Sam perched on the edge of the table, not committing to actually sitting. With the silence in the room adding to the weight of the anger-fuelled atmosphere, Lisa decided to speak.
‘Last night my bracelet, the one Nathan got me, went missing. I wasn’tsure where I put it, baby brain I guess, so I checked Uno’s Pet Cam.’ Lisa was aware she was sugar-coating the truth, but ‘I was pretty sure you’d taken it Sam and decided to search for proof’definitely wouldn’t have helped an already tense situation.
‘Pet Cam?’ Sam questioned.
‘A camera that’s directed where Uno sleeps. It takes in the hallway and the door to the kitchen too. I meantto turn it off, but I forgot.’
‘Like you forgot where you put your bracelet.’ Sam’s words were laced with sarcasm.
Lisa coughed. ‘Yes.’No, I know exactly where I left my bracelet.She was aware Sam was trying to discredit anything she had to say. She continued, ‘the camera is motion activated so as we were going in and out of the kitchen last night it was recording us.’
