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“I’d like a report please,” Iris said in a strangely business-like tone. “From your meeting. I like to keep abreast of everything discussed and the actions agreed. It helps in keeping people accountable.”
“You’ll get one, Mother,” I assured her. “I promise.”
Then I guided Elspeth out of the room and out of Blackcap Hall for the very last time.
Vivian
As soon as we were safely inside Minty’s flat, I made straight for my phone. I’d been as good as missing in action for the last two days and knew Em would be on my case. I switched on my phone and the screen glowed back to life. I was right: three texts and two missed calls from Em; one missed call from Richard and five from Peggy. I flicked through the voicemail messages until I found Peggy’s, then held the phone to my ear.
With each desperate word that left her mouth, the more obvious it came to me that she was hooked. She’d become unwittingly hooked on a drug I could no longer supply. My heart beat dully and my stomach churned. She was erratic on the other end of the phone, flip-flopping between sounding petrified at the thought of her pain returning, and angry at the slow pace with which I was getting her more Basidiomine. I dreaded telling her there would be no more.
I dropped the phone and covered my face just as Minty entered the room. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Peggy,” I mumbled, pressing my fingertips into my eye sockets as if that would make this pain go away. “She’s really suffering.”
Minty crouched down in front of me. “Because of the opioids?”
When stars appeared where I’d almost popped my eyeballs out, I scraped my hands down my face. “Yes. I can’t bring myself to speak to her because I don’t have any good news to share. I don’t know how I can ease her pain. She’s practically begging me for the next delivery. And there’s nothing I can do. I just roasted the entire plantation!”
“There is more Bas,” Minty said, squinting. “On the Isle of Creally. Hasn’t Rupert told you?”
“What? Already?” I asked, breathless. “I knew he was working on something, but I didn’t know how far along it had progressed.”
“He’s being cautious about the new crops,” Minty said. “It’s such early days. It’s taken months – even years – to find the right soil and nutrients that will produce the same agarics. The crops are tiny and they’ve only just processed the first batch into powder form.”
“Where is it?” I rushed out, conscious that suddenly I was the one who sounded like an addict.
Minty cocked her head to one side. “It’s on the Isle of Creally,” she said slowly, as if I were a toddler who hadn’t quite understood her the first time.
“Rupert wouldn’t mind if I took some for Peggy.”
“No, he wouldn’t. He’d do anything for you, you know that. But I don’t think this stuff has been tested yet…”
“It hasn’t been mixed with anything though, right? How much worse than the current formula could it be?” My chest fizzed with the possibility I may have found an answers to my sister’s suffering.
“Well, there’s no harm in asking him, is there?”
“I guess not,” I replied. “But I don’t see him having a whole lot of time to get it in the next few days, with the Consortium meeting and Iris’s return. There’ll be a burial service for Sinclair and Ossian, I’m sure. He won’t have time to take me to the island.” I knew I was rambling.
Minty held my hands tightly. “She’ll be fine, Viv. She’s been through enough for anyone’s lifetime; she’s a tough cookie.”
“But…”
“No buts, Viv. You’ve done so much for her and this isn’t your fault, okay? Can she go to her doctor and get some methadone or something?”
“Methawhat?”
“It’s a prescription drug that’s given to heroin addicts to help them manage their withdrawal symptoms.”
I was stunned. “Peggy is not a heroin addict.”
Minty smiled softly. “She’s addicted to an opioid, Viv. It’s the same thing.”
My chest hollowed out and I felt sick.
“I have to go home,” I whispered. “Maybe I can help her. I could take her to the doctors or something.” I stood on wobbly legs and glanced about, not really sure what I was looking for. “I need to go home.”
Minty stood too and wrapped her hands round my elbows. I didn’t mind; they helped keep me upright. “You can’t go home now, Viv.” Her eyes were pleading. “Rupert needs you.”
