Beth
This isn’t a game, Nina!” I shake her by the arms, trying to make her look at me. “Why did you do it?”
Nina’s expression is closed now; she turns her head away. Sadie moves to the window, to the gap in the curtains, and the relief in her voice makes my heart ache.
“The police are here.”
I’m shocked to feel tears welling up. Jonas has called for help. We’re going to be okay. I turn back to Nina, but still, she refuses to look at me, and I feel my anger rising.
“What was this all for?” I gesture at Sadie and the other guests huddled in their dressing gowns and overcoats; at the abandoned whiskey glasses; at the door that hides the blackened staircase beyond. “Just tell me, will you?”
“Yes, tell us.” Nazleen’s voice is indignant. “You don’t even know me. Why would you want to hurt me?”
“Yeah,” Zach chimes in plaintively. “What did we ever do to you?”
Finally, Nina meets my gaze—only for a fraction of a second, but it’s enough to make my blood freeze. I stumble backward, away from her, away from the ice-cold fury in her eyes. I know what some of us did to her.
Leonora made her sick, hid her from the world and from her own grandfather. Jonas switched his attentions to me when I came on the scene. And as for me, I took her place, pretended to be her, stole her only friend away from her . . .
“There’s no point in looking for a rational reason,” Everett growls from his armchair. “She’s a criminal. She needs locking up.”
Nina gets to her feet. Blue light slices through the window and washes over her face. She moves closer to the armchair by the fire.
“Dr. Everett,” she says, “I notice you haven’t asked me why I invited you here.”
Everett’s tone is aggrieved. “I’ve never met you before either.” He glances around the room nervously. “I had no idea that woman was your mother until just now.”
“That woman,” Nina says, “has a name. Leonora Averell. Do you remember her? Please tell me you haven’t forgotten driving her back to your house, years ago, when she was alone and vulnerable.”
Everett’s dark eyes widen, and Nina nods as something tightens in his expression.
“I see you do remember,” she says.
Blue light fills the room now. Car doors slam outside; boots pound across the gravel.
Everett barks at Zach. “Get them in here, quick. They need to take her away, lock her up.”
Nina tilts her head, and she looks him straight in the eye. “Dr. Roy Everett. We haven’t properly met. I’m Nina Averell. And I’m your daughter.”