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Behind us, Ash laughs. ‘Don’t you get it, Mum? Aunty Fran? He’s saying if you don’t hand over your phones, Theo’s going to do something to Jenna and Rose.’
Tristan colours. ‘I didn’t say that.’
‘You don’t have to say it, though, do you? And then, afterwards, you can pretend it isn’t what you meant. But it is.’
‘I’m doing this for you,’ says Tristan.
Ash shakes his head. He’s smiling, and I suddenly notice that he’s got one bare foot.
Tristan stares at his son, the muscles in his cheeks rippling as he clenches his teeth. ‘Where’s your shoe?’
Ash shrugs.
Tristan stalks over and grabs Ash by the shoulders. ‘What have you done?’
Ash holds still. I see Mina sliding her hand over her pocket. It hits nothing and I realise she doesn’t have her phone any more.
I glance out at the lawn we all used to play on – Frisbee, badminton, cricket – grown long, dense brambles eating in at the far end. I step forward and then see it: Ash’s shoe, and I can bet inside is his mother’s phone.
But that’s only any good if it gets picked up by the police before Tristan.
Did Ash think to dial 999 before he tossed it?
Tristan lunges past me, down the corridor, and roars as he pulls and pulls on the locked annexe door.
87
BEFORE
As she was leaving, Bevan gave me a cryptic look that I read as: I know you’re lying, and I’m going to get you. And I believed her.
I realised that not only would I lose Neil, but I would never teach again.
I waited until their car turned at the end of the street and then sat down with my phone. The messages had come in at ten thirty-two, while I was taking a bath, pretending relaxation was a possibility.
We made a mistake.
I found the tape and I’ve watched it.
Message deleted.
Message deleted.
Message deleted.
I’m going to send you a recording. But don’t watch it. This is just in case something goes wrong and I can’t get it to the police when I want to.
Georgia, please don’t watch this. It’s not something you need to see.
Stay away from Trevethan.
The last message had an attachment. I stared at it. Tapped it with my thumb. In the frame appeared one of those old pink Disney TVs we all used to have. The mottled grey screen began to shift and I heard my mum’s voice for the first time in three decades.
‘Is it on?’ she said, and my heart broke. I tapped to close the app, sank down to the ground and pressed my forehead on the cool carpet.
What was Lydia up to? Something at Trevethan that she didn’t want me to see. I called her.
‘Frances says she never watched the tape,’ Lydia spat. ‘She says she never knew what was on it. She says Tristan is going to stop the search for Jenna – he has police contacts. Of course he bloody does. So I’ve told them Rose is missing too, and we’ll see if Tristan can squash a case for two missing girls. The police are on their way.’
