Chapter 12
Twelve
Gemma
‘Do you want a fresh brew?’ Quinn asks as she points to the cold cup of tea she made for me after Morgan left to go to her house.
I regret panicking Morgan earlier when we ran up the stairs to see if Cora was okay, but Morgan understands that my anxiety is at an all-time high.
The stench of cold leftover pizza is making me queasy.
I check the time. Ethan has been gone for hours.
Cora lets out little breaths as she sleeps on the couch, oblivious to what’s going on.
‘Gemma?’
‘Sorry, Quinn. I’m okay. If I drink any more tea, I might as well just sit on the toilet and not move.’
She laughs at my little attempt at humour. ‘Do you remember the time we told my mum and your Aunt Dorette that we were going to the lake for a picnic with some of the other kids and we caught the bus to Whitby instead?’ She sips her tea.
I nod and smile. ‘I think we were about twelve.’
‘And we got the wrong bus to Whitby and had to wait an hour for the next bus and when we got there it started raining.’
‘It was always raining.’ I laugh.
‘But we didn’t let that stop us having fun. We walked all the way up those million steps to reach the Whitby Abbey ruins. We did all that, ate our cheese sandwiches and then came home.’
On that day, the wind had been flapping my coat while I looked down in awe at the view of Whitby town and the River Esk. ‘You tried to scare me by telling me Dracula stories.’
‘And then you panicked, wondering if we’d be able to get back home. But we did. Those were fun times.’
I recall panicking because I hadn’t been sure about going.
Quinn wanted to go and she had convinced me to lie to Aunt Dorette.
When we returned Jasmine was sitting on the kerb outside Quinn’s, poking a stick into a drain slat, her blue raincoat protecting her from the elements.
‘We should have taken Jasmine with us that day,’ I say, daring to mention her name.
I wonder if Quinn could have sent the hamper and left that article hidden under the veggies, but she doesn’t react to me mentioning Jasmine. I go to speak again but she interrupts.
‘You’re right. We should have been better friends. When this whole sorry mess is over, I think we should go out, have a good time and a proper catch-up. I can’t believe you’re a mum of two.’
I’m not sure if she’s just pivoted from the subject of Jasmine but my heartrate is speeding up. I don’t want to delve into what happened back then in the woods. I need to think about Beanie.
‘And I can’t believe you have Harry,’ I reply.
Quinn places an arm around me. She feels like quality wool and her blonde hair smells like fresh cut flowers.
‘Tea and cake it is,’ I say, knowing that drinks are out of the question in my condition. I start to bite the skin around my stubby nails.
‘He’s going to be okay, you know.’
I frown. ‘I don’t know.’
‘They can’t keep him in for long even if they charge him. He’ll be home soon.’
‘But I don’t want him to get charged. He didn’t do anything.’
She looks at me sympathetically. ‘You’re right. I’m sure the police will see that.’
I think of poor Jasmine, the girl who hasn’t been seen since that day in the woods when we were fourteen and she was sixteen.
I look at Quinn and she looks at me. I mentioned Jasmine and now neither of us can get her out of our minds.
Neither of us says a word. A crawling sensation moves across the back of my neck and I shiver.
The very thought of Morgan going into those woods makes me squirm.
I clear my throat and take a deep breath.
This is why I never wanted my children to come here – and now look at us.
We’re stuck here and I’m alone. The part of me that resents Ethan wants to yell at him as soon as he’s back, but the other half of me wants to throw my arms around him and never let him go.
I love him and I always have loved him and I always will love him.
Quinn walks over to check on Cora.
I swallow my nausea down, hating myself for lying to Morgan when I told her I know nothing of the missing girl. It felt wrong. But as long as she keeps out of all this and out of the woods, everything will be okay.
My phone beeps and I open the message. ‘They’re letting Ethan go. Someone came forward and corroborated his side of the story. I wonder who that was?’
‘See, I said everything would be okay.’ Quinn smiles.
I don’t know who called but I’m truly grateful.
Quinn downs the rest of her tea. ‘I’d say my work here is done.’
Did Quinn call the police when I ran downstairs?
Did she tell them that Ethan didn’t hurt Ray even though she never saw what happened?
Is that why she’s been so sure everything would be okay?
Why would she lie, though? I look at her and she’s smiling.
I know more than anyone that Quinn is good at telling lies.