33. Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Three
Eva
My mouth turns dry. Staring at Carrie with my lips parted, I mustn’t have heard her correctly. “What?” I question her disbelievingly, my hands hanging heavy by my sides.
“Tell me you know who this woman is?”
“What woman?”
“Her, Eva! Adam’s sister! Why is she in this photo with you?” Her finger madly taps the glass on the front.
She says those two words again. Adam’s sister. She isn’t talking sense. None of what she’s saying is making any sense.
“I…” I sound guilty, when the reality is, I’m scared. How the hell can Adam’s sister be in a photo with me?
“You see it? Right?” Carrie advances towards me, her hands visibly shaking. She’s scared. “Look.” She thrusts the picture forward.
With one finger over the image of my friend, I look up, then down to the photo.
“Adam and Luke have a sister, Eva.”
“I know, he told me.” My voice rattles.
She shakes her head, her eyes still wide and filled with endless fear. “Did he tell you she cut him off? ”
“Yes,” I stammer, wondering what Carrie truly knows. She said Luke never shared his past with her. She can’t know why Luke’s sister chose to cut him out of her life. That she ousted the only person seemingly trying to protect his family.
“Fuck. He was right.”
Her shout has me jumping, my eyes darting to the stairs which lead to where Liam sleeps.
Carrie follows my line of vision and her eyes droop momentarily before she’s reaching for her phone and ringing someone.
This time, someone answers.
Judging by her hollowed expression, hauntingly watching me, I’d say it isn’t who she expected to answer. I can’t hear the person on the other end of the line, but I watch as tears flood Carrie’s eyes. She looks so beaten. So at a loss as to what to do.
“I know who you are now, bitch. If you hurt either of them, I will spend the rest of my days hunting you down.”
Just her words alone have my legs buckling. I grip the counter behind me, trying desperately not to break.
“They’re a lot stronger than you think,” Carrie snidely tells whoever answered the phone. “It will take a lot more than that.”
Then her hand drops and she slides her phone into the pocket of her trousers. “I have to go.”
Like heavy weights dragging me down, I tiresomely try to lift my rooted feet to get to her. “Wait,” I cry strangled, one hand letting go of the counter. “Tell me what’s happening.”
Carrie’s chest bounces up and down, one hand flying to her head. “Your friend isn’t who she says she is, Eva. It was my job to be ready in case she showed up here tonight, but she beat us to it.”
“How?”
“Because she fucking lied! That’s how.” I can see her inner battle, tossing her to and fro. She apologetically shakes her head as she begins pacing. Thinking.
All I do is try to think how this all happened. “Luke said he knew someone was following him. Was it her? ”
Looking to the heavens, Carrie takes a few deep breaths. “This all makes sense now.”
I step closer to her, wanting and needing her to explain.
“When Luke asked me to look into your friend, I couldn’t understand why nothing was coming up. I’ve been questioning my abilities all this time, when really, she isn’t who she says she is.”
“Carrie, I need more than that.”
Our eyes lock on each other. “The night we met—at the function—it was dark, but I thought she looked familiar. Luke was so determined to get you to talk to him, I just overlooked it.” She hits her head, agitated. “Then, when he asked me to look into her properly, nothing was coming up.”
“When was that?”
“The same day you spent with your parents, after she told you she read the note.” She holds out her hand like she’s waiting for me to work this out for myself.
My heart bangs. My head pounds. Seeing colourful, swirling patterns, I close my eyes and everything turns upside down. The tightening of my chest makes it harder to breathe.
“What did she tell you exactly?”
I lick my dry lips. “That when she went by the house to grab Liam’s stuff, she saw it on the table.”
Carrie laughs sadistically which doesn’t suit her. The longer this conversation goes on for, the more I see her anger rising. “She never saw the note, Eva. Luke had it on him the whole time.”
What? I take a breath. “That’s why he froze when I told him she was spooked by it,” I say to myself, the pieces unwantedly fitting together. Shaking my head with confusion, I don’t believe what I’m hearing. “No. Carrie, this is ridiculous. Jamie is one of my best friends ,” I tell her. “We’ve been that way since we met at Uni.”
“Oh yeah?”
I nod quickly.
“Did she tell you why she never saw her family? Didn’t you ever question why she never told you about any of them? ”
“She did!”
Another laugh, and I don’t know why I feel so defensive. My loyalties lie with the people I love. And Jamie’s one of them. This has to be wrong.
“What did she say?”
I try to plead with Carrie as she looks for her jacket, her eyes scanning my house like she’s readying herself to leave. “She told me her parents had both died and that she had a younger brother who moved away.”
“Younger brother?” She laughs. “She and Adam are twins. Luke’s mother was their mother, that much I know.”
“I…” Fuck. I’ve only seen Adam in passing. I didn’t pay much attention to him them. “I didn’t know.”
“They’re not identical, but here,” she taps the photo again, “here she looks just like him. See for yourself.”
I’m handed the photo of me, Jamie and Tiffany. It was our second year at Uni. The three of us all studied different courses, but we hit it off right away.
Scanning my eyes over the image of Jamie, her long, dark, curly hair is nothing like the blonde head of hair I saw on Adam.
“She looks more like Luke.”
Carrie grabs her jacket at the same time my phone chimes on the kitchen counter.
“Where are you going?” I ask in a rush.
“Everything I had on them went dead, but I know roughly where they are. I have to go find them.”
I step closer to her while she threads her arms through the sleeves of her jacket. “I’m coming with you.” I hear myself. I’ve gone mad.
“Christ, Eva. No.”
I know I can’t go. I have Liam. But, “There has to be something I can do?” I say.
Carrie picks up her phone and stares at the screen. Her fingers then start typing wildly.
My phone chimes again, skating across the counter. Reaching for it, I read the text.
Eva. Are you able to do me a favour? Laura was supposed to be sleeping in tonight, but she’s broken down at a friend’s
Sure, Mum. What do you need? x
I drop my phone on the side but it sounds again instantly.
Could you pick her up and drop her here?
The timing couldn’t be any worse. My heart aches as it tears in two.
Is there any way I can call her an Uber? Liam’s in bed x
She won’t feel comfortable getting in one of those. I need her, Eva. Dad isn’t settled. I’m worried
Carrie huffs, making me look up. Mum wouldn’t message unless it was urgent. I watch as Carrie begins frantically searching something on her phone, then I type.
Don’t panic. I can sort something x
The dots wiggle and stop instantly. How am I going to convince Carrie to stay here while I run an errand? I can’t. But I can’t let my dad down, either.
Please hurry
Mum’s tone scares me. She’s not telling me something. Rather than cause a panic, I look at Carrie. “Something’s wrong with my dad. I need you to stay here until I get back.”
“Eva, this isn’t a joke. I have to leave. Now.”
She starts moving towards the door, and I block her exit. “Please, I have to help them. Give me two minutes to figure something out,” I say pleadingly, my mind racing.
Where is she?
Mum sends me the address, and I look at Carrie. “My dad’s carer is stranded somewhere. I have to pick her up and take her to my mum’s. He needs her.”
She looks at me like I’m deranged. “Boo fucking hoo for her. This is Luke and Adam we’re talking about, Eva. Their psycho sister is lying about being your friend and for the fucking life of me, I can’t figure out why.”
Panic floods my veins like a rush of adrenaline. “The address isn’t too far away from here. I have to do something. I have to call for someone to go pick her up.”
“Eva, call a taxi for the girl, whatever. I have to go and find them before something happens.”
I cover my face with one hand like it will somehow stop all the worry and the panic making me shake uncontrollably. “What’s going to happen?”
She pauses, waiting until I look at her. “I don’t know. But I’ll be damned if anything does.”
I nod, understanding. Stepping to one side, I move out of her way. “Go.” Tears stream from my eyes as I send my mum a text.
I’m calling her a taxi, Mum. I can’t leave. I’m sorry. Love you x
Mum reads the text but doesn’t reply which is unlike her.
Carrie opens the front door. “Keep this locked. Don’t answer the phone unless it’s me. I wrote my number down for you. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Anything feels off, call the police.”
All I can do is nod and watch as she gives me a look. It’s somewhere between hopeless and fearful. The wrench of sadness hits me harder than anything I’ve felt before. I’m powerless. Completely and utterly unable to help anyone that I love.
I look down rereading Mum’s texts. “Wait!” I cry out, just as Carrie turns her back to me. My heart leaps to my throat. Have I missed something? “Wait.” My voice has quietened. My fingers works fast, a misty haze quilting my mind as I act without really thinking.
Glad you found your phone. I’m sorry I can’t help. I’ll call you in a minute. LYL x
The dots wiggle.
No need. Yes, found it down the back of the sofa cushion. Not thinking straight because of Dad
No, I love you.
None of her usual sign off.
What is going on?
“Eva?”
I look at Carrie.
Seeing my face, she immediately closes the door and steps towards me. “What is it?”
Disbelievingly, I wait until the initial fear has shifted just enough so that I can speak. “I don’t think I’m talking to Mum.”
She steps in front of me, eventually looking down at the phone in my hand. “What do you mean? ”
My eyes don’t move from the place on the wall they’re fixed on. “My mum lost her phone. I had to call her landline earlier. I don’t think this is her.” Carrie waits for me to explain. Twisting my head to look at her, the tears steadily fall from my eyes, coating my cheeks. “Whoever’s messaging me, isn’t my mum.” I can feel it in my gut.
“You’re sure?” she counters quickly.
I nod. “Mum always signs off her texts with love you lots like jelly tots. This isn’t her.”
Reading the messages, Carrie then gasps. “Do you know the address she sent you?”
The bleakness of her voice has me rereading the message when she angles the phone towards me. “No.” It doesn’t look familiar.
“That’s not too far from the last location I had for them.” Carrie’s quickly on her phone, checking. “The woman who answered mentioned revenge. But for what? Where is she taking them?”
Carrie talks to herself, but my world stops.
My heart shatters.
My hearing fades.
My eyes close.
Every bone in my body feels like it’s going to give way.
I killed the person threatening to cause them harm, Eva. Right there in my own home.
“Luke’s old house.”
Everything around me comes crashing down in the second it took for me to say those words out loud.
Carrie loses her breath. “It’s her, Eva. We need to act fast.”
Steadily lifting the phone to my line of vision, I wipe my tears, only for fresh ones to fall.
“What are you doing?”
I call Laura, putting her on loud speaker.
“Hello?” she answers all friendly.
“Laura, it’s Eva.”
“Hi, Eva. Everything alright? ”
I look up, swallowing the lump scratching my throat. “Mum just called, said there had been an accident on the motorway. She wanted me to check you were alright.” I lower my head as I tell my lie, then glance a look at Carrie.
Lifting one hand, she steadies my shakes, holding the phone between us.
“Aw, that’s sweet of her.”
“Is it your night to sleep in?”
“No,” she chimes, very much not sounding stranded. “That’s tomorrow. I was in there earlier. I left just as your friend arrived.”
The hairs on the back of my neck instantly rise. Sweat cascades down my back, leaving unnerving cold tracks across my skin.
Carrie signals for me to keep her talking.
“Which friend?” I say in a rush, my voice cracking.
Carrie then raises a hand, silently telling me to stay calm. I close my eyes, nodding and taking deep breaths.
“Jamie,” she says all light and cheerily.
“That was kind of her to drop by and see Mum and Dad.” I fake a lightness to my voice. It’s the polar opposite to the way my insides are now churning.
“Yeah. She came by around lunch to say goodbye? I didn’t realise she was going anywhere?”
I blow out my cheeks trying to steady myself, looking at Carrie. “She landed a new contract abroad.” One of Carrie’s eyebrows raises.
“Aw, that’s sad. But good for her, though.”
“Yes,” I feign sadness, “really sad.” I then straighten my spine knowing I need to end the call, pronto. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. I’ll make sure to let Mum know you’re okay, too.”
“Appreciate you looking out for me. See you tomorrow.”
I hang up, and Carrie instantly moves back into the kitchen. “Okay, I’m going to make a call, then I’ll go to the address, see what’s going on.”
Taking a few steadying steps, I lift my hand, gently resting it on her arm. “I have to go.”
She laughs not looking at me. Grabbing her bag, she rummages through it, shaking her head .
I don’t speak until her movements slow, and we’re standing, silently watching each other. “You know as well as I do that it has to be me.”
She has no argument. Dropping her bag with a thud, she glares past me.
“If it’s her,” I swallow down the realisation, “then she’s going to be expecting me, isn’t she? You show up, and anything could happen.” I try my hardest not to think of the worst outcome here. Would Jamie really be capable of hurting someone? “She won’t hurt me.” No. She wouldn’t hurt me. Her pain comes from the loss of her mother. This is about her and Luke. Not me. Not really.
“And I what? Let you go into somewhere unarmed? Not happening.”
“Then arm me, but whatever you do, do it fast.”
I change and make it back to Carrie in under two minutes. On the dining table sits her black, leather bag.
With reluctance, Carrie swipes for it. She begins methodically emptying items as I button up my jacket. “Did you send the text?”
“Yes,” I tell her, pulling out my phone and checking it one last time.
Next-door are going to sit in with Liam. I’ll grab Laura and drop her round. Please don’t worry. Everything will be okay. See you soon x
You’re a star, Eva. I knew I could count on you. Mum
The more times I read it, the sicker I feel. I knew I could count on you . I know whatever happens tonight, I’m going to lose my friend for good.
“When you get there, they’re going to want you to go inside. You need to say no, but eventually follow them. You hold this in your hand as if it’s your own.” Carrie holds up a mobile phone.
“Why? What is it?”
Blue lines crack through the air making me curl and hold my body tight with fear. “Phone taser,” she says like it’s her favourite toy. “Don’t let this go, you hear me? You need to be close enough to touch her with it, or anyone who comes close to you in a threatening manner. Okay? ”
My blood turns cold. “And if I can’t get close?”
She pulls out what looks like a normal hairbrush but swipes off the handle, revealing a knife. “You throw this at them.” I feel my bottom lip wobble as she goes back into her bag. “If what you’ve said about the Jamie you know is true, you’re not her target. This is about making Luke pay for something. But, Eva, if she’s the sister I’ve heard about, then she holds a lot of hate towards Luke. Hate that lingers like that for so long tends to make people do crazy things.”
I think of Luke and the desperate state I could find him in if he’s there. His old house where he suffered his abuse. If he’s hurt, or… I can’t think about it, but I can only imagine the demons that will resurface once this is over.
“If you miss, use any one of these.”
There’s a window breaker. A knuckle duster.
A gun.
Carrie spots my hesitation. “Not my first choice, either,” she says much slower, almost as though she’s reminiscing.
After a beat, I step closer, inspecting everything. “You’re like the scariest Mary Poppins I’ve ever seen.”
She laughs under her breath leaving me wondering what’s so funny. She then looks at me. “Do you think he even knows who Mary Poppins is?”
Pools of fear mixed with sadness, blur my vision. The small smile I give is the hardest one I’ve ever pulled. Quickly dragging my sleeve over my hand and drying my eye, I pull myself together. “I don’t know how to use a gun,” I say shakily, “but I can take everything you tell me to.”
Carrie nods her head firmly, her lips pinching. “They wanted me to have this for my safety. I never saw the point, but they both insisted. Take all of it.”
I rub her arm, letting her know that I get it. She never imagined this stuff would be used; let alone to save the men she cares for.
“Liam’s safe with me.”
Her words make me look in the direction of his room above. “I know.” I crept in and gave him a kiss a few moments ago. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Leaving him has bore a hole through me in a way no words even come close to describing. It’s vast. An empty void where even if you screamed at the top of your lungs for help, no one would hear you .
Agatha Christie once said; love knows no law, no pity. That it dares all things and crushes down remorsefully all that stands in its path.
It’s true. My love for my son and the man who needs me, shines brighter than any fear I may feel. I know my boy is safe with Carrie. If Luke trusts her with his life, then I trust her with my son’s.
“Time to go.”
She nods. “I’ll make the call.”
Walking to the door, I take a stupid look back at the life I built for myself, unable to think about where the future is headed after all of this is done. I don’t really care about where. All I care about is who’s going to be there with me.