“Poor Michael,” Laura says.
Edwin makes a noise in his throat. “Just—let’s remember,” he says. “Like Joel said, Michael’s statement might not reflect the truth. Gran might have been trying tocatchMum.”
“I don’t think so,” Alex says.
The dining chair rocks backward as Edwin leaps to his feet. He looms over Alex, his fists curled.
“That’s becauseyouwant to pass the blame,” Edwin snarls. “It’s your fault Mum was out there in the first place. Gran had no reason to push her. Much more likely she jumped—because of you.”
“Hey,” Joel springs up and catches hold of Edwin’s arm. “This isn’t helping.”
Kiara shrinks farther into her corner of the sofa, away from both Edwin and Alex, her eyes wide. Edwin takes a step back.
“I agree with Alex,” Danny says suddenly.
Edwin turns on him. “You’re talking about Gran here.”
Danny’s voice is a roar.“She’s not my grandmother!”
Edwin sways as if he’s been punched. Laura holds a hand over her mouth. I feel all alone suddenly, with Joel up by Edwin and Danny radiating fury on the sofa next to me. Danny is so sure Vera’s guilty, and Edwin is so desperate to believe she isn’t. I feel trapped in the middle, uncertain and isolated.
Kiara looks across at me.
“Do you think she did it?” Kiara asks me. “Do you think she killed them? Your mum, and your—your dad?”
I want to hug her for calling him my dad. The others look at her, and then look at me. Danny’s real twin sister will be much better for him than I ever was, I think. I draw a shuddery breath.
“I don’t know,” I say. “She said she knew something about us wasn’t right. But she never knew exactly what. Why wouldshe go to such extreme lengths when she didn’t even know what the secret was?”
“Because she was frightened,” Laura says quietly, curling her fingers around her locket again. “Vera was frightened that if the truth came out—whatever it was—it would tear your family apart.”
There is a pause, and then Danny says, in a voice that starts off low but swells to fill the room, “Well, it looks like she was right.”
I stand up then, and I look from Danny to Edwin, and I am filled with more certainty than I’ve felt about anything since Dad died.
“We need to talk to Vera,” I say. “Ring Martin again, Edwin. If she’s innocent, she needs a chance to explain. If not, we deserve to know the truth.”
34
Seraphine
MARTIN IS WAITINGfor us at the imposing redbrick police station in King’s Lynn, and he accompanies us into the interview room where Vera sits. Her back is straight and her chin is high. I try to read her expression, but my heart thuds painfully every time I come close to meeting her gaze, and I find myself scrutinizing the rest of the room instead: the camera in the corner, the mug of pale tea by Vera’s elbow, the row of three unpadded chairs that we hover behind. It’s uncomfortably warm in here.
Vera draws her face up into a smile. “Darlings.” She gestures at the mug. “They’ve run out of Earl Grey, can you believe it?”
“Sit down, please,” Martin tells us. “Mrs. Blackwood, you have ten minutes.”
We waste the first sixty seconds in silence, and I stare at my hands in my lap. It takes all my will not to leap up and run out of the room, and I have to remind myself that I can do that atany point if I want to. Vera can’t. Vera has no option but to stay here and endure this.
And then she speaks. “I admit it.”
Martin shuffles his feet in the corner of the room, and Vera shoots him an annoyed look.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, Martin, not your ridiculous charges,” she snaps. “The sooner we get those dropped the better. No.” She composes herself. “I admit I wanted to persuade Laura not to talk to you because I was afraid she knew something about you, something about your birth. I was just trying to protect you. As far as I’m aware, that isn’t a crime.”
I glance at Edwin, wondering if he’ll say something, but his expression is watchful, guarded.
Vera sighs. “I always knew it was possible that one of you wasn’t Ruth’s. After what she said on the cliffs. But—it didn’t matter, don’t you see? I didn’t want to know the details. And I certainly didn’t want Laura tellingyouthe details.” She pauses, twists her rings. “But I admit I went about it in a—” She pauses again, and tilts her chin a fraction higher. “In a poorly thought-out way. Which I’m sorry for. But I certainly didn’t hurt anyone on purpose.”
