Chapter 56
Fifty-Six
Gemma
No. Why is this happening to us? First Cora and now Morgan. I stare at Quinn. ‘Where is she?’
She shrugs. ‘I’ve been with you the whole time. Maybe she’s with Harry; he wasn’t home when I came out.’
‘Your house.’ I glance back at Ethan. ‘Stay here with Cora and call the police. Tell them about the bones and tell them that Morgan is missing. She might be hurt. Call an ambulance too.’ This feeling in the pit of my stomach is telling me that Morgan being missing is more than a coincidence.
I carefully step across the lane, aware that Beanie doesn’t need me to fall.
Quinn races ahead. Once I catch up, I step inside her pitch-black house while I listen to her running through the rooms, opening and closing all the doors.
‘Morgan, Harry,’ she shouts. She comes downstairs flashing her torch in my face.
I hold a hand over my eyes to shield them from the glare.
‘The back door was open. Diggerty is gone too. Maybe they’re out walking him. ’
‘And they left the back door open?’
She bites her bottom lip in thought. ‘The dog must have escaped and they’re looking for him.’
‘They’re in the woods.’ I know Morgan doesn’t listen to me and she was so upset.
She thinks I blame her and she’s run off to the den with Harry.
My heartrate picks up as I think of someone coming and going through our house all this time.
I lean on the door, feeling woozy. First Cora, now Morgan – what if there’s a bigger plan at work here?
I stare at Quinn and wonder if she’s working with someone else.
I don’t understand who it could be. She’s just confessed to everything she’s done.
I don’t trust my husband, I don’t trust Quinn and I don’t trust any of the neighbours.
My heart feels as though it’s going to beat its way out of my mouth.
Turning my back on Quinn, I dart out of her house. I need to find my daughter before it’s too late. If I’m right, whoever sent all the letters is behind what’s happening tonight.
The poisoner is trying to take from me what they think I took from them. My mind whirrs back to Ruby. I know Jasmine had a half-sister who was a little younger, more like Ruby’s age now. How could I not see what was right in front of me? It has to be Ruby.
I hurry to Ruby’s house and hammer on her door. She slept with Ethan to hurt me. That was only the start. Maybe she has Morgan. No one answers. I peer through the windows but it looks like no one is in. Did she look familiar or am I clutching at straws?
I cross the road and head towards the woods.
Quinn calls me. ‘It’s Harry. He’s back.’
Harry runs over towards me with Quinn. ‘I can’t find Diggerty. He escaped. I’ve checked the pond because I spotted his lead over there.’ He points and blinks rapidly.
‘Where’s Morgan?’ All I want is for her to run around the corner so I can take her in my arms and tell her how much I love her.
‘I haven’t seen Morgan tonight.’
I run towards the woods. There’s a strip of path, shielded by the arching trees above. Something has been smashed on it. I edge closer, wondering if it’s what I think it is and it is. I place a hand across my heart. Quinn and Harry catch up.
Quinn points. ‘It’s the four-leaf clover plaque that used to be outside your aunt’s house.’
Someone left it here on purpose and I know it wasn’t Morgan. ‘Go back, wait for the police and bring them to the den.’
‘I’m not leaving you out here alone, Gem.’ Quinn turns to Harry. ‘I’m going with Gemma. Go back and stay with Ethan.’
Harry nods and runs back up the path.
‘I don’t know what’s going on here, Gemma. I do know this started with us and now we have to finish it. I am not running away like I did that day when you pushed Jasmine. I should never have run away. I am not the enemy here. Let’s end this.’
The letter we first received and the word fall whirl around my mind. Cora nearly fell. Then there was the note on the den wall – JASMINE WOZ ’ERE. Whoever is behind all this has Morgan and they’re at the den. The plaque was a breadcrumb and they want me to follow it.
I’m coming and God help them if they’ve hurt my daughter because I will kill them.