‘Patrick, please. I honestly think it’s better if you just stay here.’
She was angry with me for telling everyone what I’d overheard. Maybe she was justified– she had asked me not to and I’d done it anyway– but surely she could see that the truth was more important than anything?
Zack went out the front door after Charles, the two of them with their heads close together, no doubt talking about what had just gone down. I could see them through the front window. Charles looked pissed off. I guessed he was angry with Zack about letting Miranda take his laptop. Charles gesticulated, and Zack nodded, seemingly contrite.
Holly went to the use the bathroom, leaving me with Miranda, who was putting her boots on. This was my chance to talk to her alone.
‘I did hear what Lewis said to you. I’m not lying and I wasn’t mistaken.’
She glared at me. ‘Let me give you a word of advice. If you want to be part of this family, you need to learn to keep your nose out and your mouth shut.’
‘What do you mean by that?’
She didn’t answer directly. ‘You know stuff now, like Lewis being fired, and this whole doppelgänger thing. Maybe you’ll be lucky. Maybe you’ll be offered a pay-off like Morag. A nice fat monthly deposit in your bank account.’
‘Isn’t that for her housekeeping duties?’
She shook her head. ‘No wonder you couldn’t find that missing musician.’
She left the kitchen and went out to join her dad and Zack, leaving me wondering what on earth she’d been talking about.
Holly came in and saw my expression. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘It’s Miranda. She said something strange.’
‘What, was she slagging me off again?’
‘No. It was about Morag. She said she’s not really paid three grand a month for housekeeping duties.’
‘Did she?’ She looked through the window, to where the other three were huddled together by the cars. ‘Her and her big mouth.’
‘What is she paid it for?’
‘I don’t have time right now. They’re waiting for me.’
She turned to go, but I caught her arm.
‘Are we okay?’ I asked.
She sounded impatient. ‘Yes. We’re fine. I’ll talk to you later.’
I put on my Arnie voice and said, ‘You have to split.’
No reaction.
She moved towards the door, and I followed her.
‘Holly. Be careful.’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘Because we don’t know what happened at the caves. There might be someone else out there…’ I didn’t complete the sentence. ‘Just be vigilant, okay? And be careful on the roads, especially with this snow.’
‘Stop worrying.’
Through the front window I watched as Miranda and Holly got into the Land Rover, and Charles and Zack took the Jeep.
‘Happy fucking New Year,’ I said to Watson, who was lying on his bed. He cocked his head then trotted over to me. There was a packet of dog treats on the side of the counter, so I gave a few to him and set about clearing up the kitchen. After that, I went upstairs and changed out of the clothes the doctor had lent me, changing into my own jeans and the sweater that Holly had bought me for Christmas. Still needing to do something to distract myself, I went back into the living room and took Charles’s book off the shelf, but I couldn’t stomach reading it now, even if I’d been in a state to concentrate.
