AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She walked out of the school, towards home, holding on to Aldo’s hand. The way he clung to her was surprisingly reassuring.
Perhaps she should just tell him the truth. She hated it when her mum lied to her, and he probably wouldn’t even understand half of it.
‘I don’t know if Trey’s mum is dead yet,’ she said, ‘but I know she’s very sick. That’s why he had to go and be with her for a bit.’
‘Where is his mum?’
‘She’s in a hospice in St John’s Wood.’
‘What’s a hospice?’
‘It’s a special hospital where people go to die. When they’re very sick.’
‘Why don’t we go there, then? So if his mum dies, he won’t be all alone? If our mum was going to die, I’d want Trey there. Wouldn’t you?’
Lizzie stopped and stared at her brother. Apparently, while she’d been panicking about what the best thing to do was, Aldo had come up with the answer.
‘Hi, my name is Lizzie Best and this is my brother, Aldo.’ Lizzie held on to Aldo’s hand while sending the receptionist her most reassuring smile. ‘We’re friends of Trey Carson and we were wondering if he’s here today.’
‘Yes, he is,’ the older woman said. ‘Are you here to pay your respects to the deceased?’
‘Trey’s dead?’ Aldo’s distressed cry accompanied the massive leap in Lizzie’s heartbeat.
‘Oh, no.’ The receptionist smiled, almost amused. ‘I meant Ms Carson. His mother. I just assumed …’
‘His mother died, then?’ Lizzie clutched Aldo’s hand to stop it juddering.
‘Yes, about two hours ago.’
Oh, shit, Trey. No wonder you haven’t been answering my text messages.
‘Who did you say you are again?’ the receptionist added.
‘Lizzie Best, we’re good friends of Trey’s. Really good friends,’ she reiterated, seeing the look of suspicion beginning to cloud the woman’s face. ‘Is he still with his mum, then?’
‘He’
s with the funeral director at the moment.’
‘Is there anyone else with him?’ she asked. ‘Like a friend? Or some family?’ They would leave if he had someone with him. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe the loneliness she’d sensed was all in her imagination, and he had loads of people to help see him through this. And he didn’t need her or Aldo there.
The woman’s face softened, and Lizzie could feel her sympathy for Trey stretch towards them across the Formica desk. ‘I’m afraid not. He’s the only authorised visitor Ms Carson’s had since she arrived four months ago.’
‘Could we go through? To offer our condolences?’ Lizzie asked, desperate to see Trey. No one should have to do something like this all alone.
The woman hesitated. ‘I’m afraid only relatives can be authorised to go through. Were you related to Ms Carson?’
‘Yes, we’re her …’ Lizzie racked her brains. ‘Her second cousins, once removed.’
‘Are we?’ Aldo asked.
‘Shhh.’ She shot her brother a shut-up-you-muppet look. And, for once, Aldo actually shut up without arguing, knowledge dawning in his eyes.
Unfortunately, knowledge had dawned in the receptionist’s eyes, too. And a moment passed as Lizzie waited for that knowledge to turn to refusal.
She braced to make a run for it, giving Aldo’s hand a warning pump. If they had to, she and Aldo would storm the doors of the hospice.
But the woman simply indicated the clipboard on the desk, her expression kind and sympathetic. ‘Sign in, then you can go through.’
