Don’t Say A Word

Prologue

‘Where is your husband, Mrs Price?’ PC Michaels asks.

I open my mouth, but no sound comes out. Everyone is staring at me, and I’m pretty sure I look like a fish out of water.

If only.

Teri jumps in. ‘You want to know where her husband is?’ She’s speaking to them, but she’s looking at me, smirking.

My chest hurts with the effort of breathing. I close my eyes. Oh, God. She knows. This can’t be happening. I look at her pleadingly. ‘Please don’t.’

Her smirk turns to outright triumph. ‘He’s in their house, next door.’

The police officers turn to me. ‘Why didn’t you say so?’ PC Michaels asks.

‘Because he’s dead,’ Teri says.

The room tilts.

‘What did you say?’ PC Watts asks Teri.

‘She killed her husband, and she hid his body in the freezer in the garage. He’s been in there for over a week.’ She gestures to Holly, my sixteen-year-old stepdaughter, a child I love as fiercely as if she were my own, who so far has been watching this exchange without uttering a single word.

To my horror, Holly goes to her. Teri puts an arm around her shoulders, and it’s all I can do not to pounce and yank her arm away.

‘Now, do you see why Holly is afraid of her, officers?’ Teri says.

Holly isn’t afraid of me. Why would Teri say such a thing? I stare at Holly. The sweater she’s wearing has a stain on the front. Did it look that way when she left the house this morning? I can’t remember. I haven’t been paying attention. When’s the last time I even washed her school uniform?

‘Mrs Price?’

Holly’s face is completely blank. What’s wrong with her? She should be defending me. Why isn’t she saying anything?

‘Oh, God, Holly.’ Tears sting the back of my eyes, burn the inside of my nose.

I tip my head and whisper, ‘What did you tell her?’ which I know is ridiculous.

They can all hear me. They’re all watching, puzzled, probably wondering why I’m not denying these ridiculous accusations.

But I can’t stop staring at Holly, standing so close to Teri, almost snuggling into her.

I start to shake and cross my arms. A wave of horror engulfs me, tightening my chest. I can’t breathe. What have I done? I will her to say something, to show she’s on my side, that this isn’t really happening, but she stays resolutely silent, watching me.

I’m going to be sick. A tear rolls down my cheek; I wipe it away quickly. ‘After everything we went through?’

PC Watts comes to stand in front of me. ‘Mrs Price, where is your husband?’

I don’t reply. I can hardly say, ‘He’s dead. He’s in the freezer. Just like she told you.’

They’ll find out soon enough.