Page 43 of The Serial Killer's Sister
‘She’s pregnant,’ I say, the words spoken sourly, through gritted teeth. I’m surprised at the venom I hear – maybeeven jealousy. Serena shakes her head, her earrings tinkling as the movement gets more forceful. I wait. It’s as though she’s been struck dumb. It feels like five minutes have elapsed before she speaks.
‘No, I can’t believe that.’ She narrows her eyes, crossing her arms as though it couldn’t possibly be true. ‘Ross? Youmustbe mistaken.’
A burst of laughter erupts from deep within me and I can’t stop. I laugh until I sob, not even caring about the other people around us. I’m past that. Serena’s arms wrap around me and she rubs my back as I rock back and forth, all of the past few days’ emotion oozing from me like a river of black, polluted slurry.
‘There’s no mistake, Serena. He told me himself after …’ I pull myself up short, almost letting slip that it was after I presented him with the evidence of his affair. I can’t face going into all those details right now. ‘After I accused him of screwing her.’
‘Oh, lovely. I’m so sorry. Bloody men.’ She squeezes me again, and I press against her, the smell of her perfume comforting me. It’s good to have her by my side, and I wish Ihadcalled her earlier.
‘I thought we’d come through the blip. He agreed about us not having children, then changed his mind without bothering to tell me. All these months, he’s been acting like we’re the happy married couple, and all the while he’s been sleeping with another woman, trying to impregnate her! Well, he succeeded. He’s going to get everything he wanted and leave me with nothing.’
‘You’ve got me. You’ve got your kids at—’ She stops abruptly, realising that’s another thing I might not have for much longer. ‘Shit,’ she says. ‘Not been a good weekfor you.’ She closes her eyes and slumps. It’s like she’s feeling all my pain.
And she doesn’t know the half of it.
‘It’s been the worst time I’ve had for ages,’ I say, twisting my wedding band. ‘I’m not sure I can pick myself up, dust myself off. If I don’t get reinstated at Seabrook …’ I let the sentence hang.
‘The video is still circulating,’ Serena says, her eyes cast downwards. It’s like she’s delivering news of someone’s passing. In some ways, I guess she is. ‘Have the police found out who hacked the CCTV?’
My head snaps up and I stare at her, my mind scrambling around trying to pinpoint when I told her it had been hacked. As far as I recall, I haven’t mentioned it. Or maybe I told Beaumont when I was summoned into his office yesterday and she’s heard through him.
No. I don’t think I did. I said about it being a smear campaign, that’s all.
‘Who told you about the CCTV?’ I ask. If Beaumont has said something to her, it would be a way to link him to all of this.
Serena frowns. ‘What do you mean?’
‘The fact it was hacked. I haven’t told anyone that.’
Serena sits back, her creased brow deepening. ‘Anna. I don’t know where you’re going with this, but it’s obvious that whoever did this managed to access the CCTV. Doesn’t take a detective to ascertain that it was hacked.’
‘So no one has told you that? About the CCTV?’
‘No, I just assumed.’
I take a moment to contemplate her words, before realising of course she’s right. Just because she’s come to that conclusion without me telling her, doesn’t make itsuspicious – on her part or Craig Beaumont’s. I apologise, blaming the stress of being the local villain for my paranoia.
We talk a bit more about the pages of comments my zebra crossing incident has initiated, Serena trying very hard to make me feel better by saying I have a lot of support as well as haters. There are apparently numerous mentions of how the footage conveniently cuts off with my hands raised in the air making it seem as though I’m about to strike Isobel, with some people saying it’s someone with a grudge against me who’s posted the footage everywhere. Knowing at least some people are backing me gives me hope.
We settle back into our usual dynamic, my stupid comment seemingly forgotten as we walk back to Serena’s car. Serena’s a good person; I’m lucky to have her – especially now, when everyone else is against me, or leaving me.
‘Thank you for coming over and checking on me,’ I say. ‘It means a lot.’
‘You don’t need to thank me, that’s what friends are for.’ She reaches across and gives me a hug.
Will she remain my friend once she finds out that I didn’t fully confide in her? That I lied, withheld the number one reason my week has been so awful? How it’s going to get even worse? If the boot were on the other foot, I’d feel hurt thinking she didn’t trust me enough to share the truth. Henry’s riddle shoots into my mind:TRUST. I’d be devastated to think Serena had gone through such turmoil and not reached out. Yet I can’t bring myself to open up. It would release a whole can of worms I’m not willing to share. Besides, if I were to tell Serena, it would put her in an uncomfortable position. Not to mention propel her into this mess, too. That would be unfair.
I shudder at the thought. ‘You should go,’ I say, breaking the hug to check my mobile for the time. ‘It’s getting on and I don’t want you to be late for your date. One of us should be getting laid tonight.’
I attempt a laugh, but it comes out as a choking sound. Serena smiles.
‘You’re one tough cookie, you know that?’ she says. ‘Are you sure though? Honestly, I can put him off and stay over at yours. I could run to the shop, grab us some wine and we could have a girls’ night?’
‘I really appreciate the offer. I’ll have an early night, though. I’m exhausted.’
‘You do look totally washed out … if you don’t mind me saying.’
‘Only you can get away with that level of honesty,’ I say, smiling. ‘I’ll give you a call tomorrow. You can tell me all the gory details about your date.’
