Page 70 of The Half Sister

She needs to think quickly. ‘We’ve got a relative of someone who’s been charged with an offence in the US,’ she says, biting down on her lip, hating herself. ‘A mother who the police were able to trace the criminal’s DNA back to.’

Matt lets out a long breath. ‘Is she even allowed to talk?’

‘Seemingly so,’ says Kate, praying that he’ll take the bait.

‘And you’re definitely running it tomorrow?’

‘Yep, ’fraid so.’

‘Okay, I’ll give you until then, but if it doesn’t go to press, I’m printing mine the day after.’

‘Cool,’ she says, grateful for the extra twenty-four hours she’s got to stop that from happening.

‘You’re a royal pain in my arse, d’you know that?’

Kate forces a laugh. ‘You wouldn’t want me any other way.’

By the time Kate gets off at Waterloo, she’s caught up in the after-work throng that’s spilling into the station. If she didn’t have to get somewhere else urgently, she’d go for a walk along the South Bank, the need to not waste such a lovely evening at the forefront of her mind. She’d no doubt stop off to listen to one of the many buskers, each hoping to be the next Ed Sheeran. Kate always bought the home-burnt CDs that were sold out of the musicians’ empty instrument cases, mostly because she wants to support hard-working talent, but there’s a little part of her that likes to think that maybe, one day, she’ll own a rare recording of a global superstar.

She smiles at the thought, but then reality steps in, and drags her kicking and screaming to the here and now.

She needs to stop that story from running, knowing that if it does, it will destroy her family once and for all.

29

Lauren

Lauren’s just put Jude to bed when the doorbell goes, and she knows that at gone 10 p.m., the only person she’s going to answer the door to is Simon, who she assumes has forgotten his key. She does a cursory look out of the front bedroom window and is dismayed to see Kate standing on the pavement below. After the day she’s had, she doesn’t need this right now.

‘Hello,’ she says wearily, as she opens the door.

‘I need to talk to you,’ says Kate, stepping straight into the hallway.

Lauren probably has things she should tellher, but she’s tired.

‘Can we do this tomorrow?’ she says, looking at the time on her phone to emphasize the point.

‘There’s something you need to know about Jess,’ blurts out Kate, seemingly unable to hold it in.

Lauren can’t help but roll her eyes. ‘Seriously, Kate, can’t you give it a rest?’

‘I’ve been checking her out,’ says Kate, almost triumphantly. ‘And she’s not who she says she is.’

‘I don’t think evensheknows who she is,’ says Lauren.

‘No, you don’t understand,’ Kate goes on. ‘She’s lying to you, me, everyone. Jess Linley isn’t even her real name. She’s nothing but a fraud.’

The words slice through Lauren as if cutting the very strings that are holding her up. She doesn’t want to believe it. Sherefusesto believe it.

‘I assume you’ve used your usual unethical methods to find this out,’ asks Lauren, hoping to expose a weak link in the information that Kate thinks she’s garnered.

‘Does it matter?’ asks Kate. ‘All you need to know is that Jess is up to something and you shouldn’t trust her as far as you can throw her. She’s playing us.’

‘What iswrongwith you?’

‘Me?’ exclaims Kate. ‘You’re the one who wants to believe everything she’s telling you.’

‘Is this the person you’ve become?’ says Lauren. ‘Forever the cynic, not wanting to believe anything anyone tells you.’ She laughs falsely. ‘D’you know what? I used to think your job made you better than me. That working amongst people deemed to be important madeyoumore important by default. But I’m glad I’m me, because all your job has done is make you a mistrusting egotist who doesn’t want to see the good in anyone.’

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