Page 185 of Serenity Falls

She reaches into her pocket and takes out a chunky silver crucifix on a chain.

‘Where did you get that?’ I ask.

‘When I fell in the lake, I told you, I saw Serena’s car.’

‘Well, you can’t be sure it was—’ I break off at the look on her face. ‘Okay, go on.’

‘This was inside it – it got caught around my ankle.’

I look at the crucifix. It’s quite distinctive. ‘Well, they found a few of Serena’s things in her car. I can give it to May. I’m sure she’ll be glad to have it.’

‘It’s not that.’ Her voice is fierce.

‘Then what?’

‘I already went to visit May in the hospital.’

‘You didn’t tell me.’

‘Because you would have tried to stop me.’

‘Well … yes.’

‘I showed her the crucifix. She said it wasn’t Serena’s. It belonged to Milo.’

‘May has dementia, Sadie.’

‘She sounded pretty certain.’

‘So, what’s your point?’

‘Why did he give this to Serena – and when?’

I feel a coldness stir in my bones. ‘Sadie—’

‘Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed the resemblance?’

I don’t need to ask what she means. Davey and Father Miller. I have, and I’ve wondered about it too. Miller was Serena’s friend. But was he something more?

‘I’m going to talk to Miller,’ she says.

‘No, you’re not. Jesus.’ I try to bite back my frustration. ‘Sadie, we’re a few days away from being able to leave this place. I’m not going to let us get dragged back in.’

‘Davey should know the truth.’

‘Why? The truth isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. Sometimes it’s black and bitter and it has teeth that will rip your heart out.’

Sadie stares at me, tears in her eyes. ‘Is that why we don’t talk about Mum?’

I take a breath, and it hurts. It hurts bad. Teeth. Sharp teeth.

Then I hold out my hand for the crucifix. ‘I’ll go and see him.’

57

We sit on the cold, hard pews in the chapel.

‘I loved her, you know. So much. She was my first love.’