Page 58 of Carbon

“I don’t know, but what do we have to lose?” He gave a long sigh, and pain leaked from his eyes. “It’s only money.”

* * *

I watched the chauffeur put Father’s suitcase in the boot of the Bentley the next morning, and five minutes later, the car purred off along the driveway, leaving Dorothy and me to deal with Mother, who’d taken to self-medicating the moment she woke up. The family doctor stopped by every afternoon to caution her about the dangers of liver damage and bring more sleeping pills.

“Sidney’s here,” Dorothy informed me at ten o’clock, right afterThe Jeremy Kyle Showfinished. Usually, watching it cheered me up, but right now my life was in even more shit than his guests, so it was actually kind of depressing. Oh, for my biggest problem to be a wayward boyfriend who’d pawned my video games console.

“What does he want?”

“I’m not sure.” Her voice dropped. “But I don’t think it’s good news.”

“Show him up, and keep him away from Mother for crying out loud.”

A few minutes later Sidney knocked on my door, and I could tell from his sombre expression that Dorothy was right.

“Do I need a drink first?”

I tried a joke to lighten the atmosphere, but it fell flat.

“Best if you don’t. It’s bad enough having one, er, inebriated lady to look after.”

“Drunk. Don’t water it down for my benefit.” Because Mother certainly hadn’t. “She’s a drunk.”

“I’m sure it will pass. Everybody’s having a tough time at the moment.”

“Why are you here, Sidney?”

“The DNA results have come in. I thought you should hear it from me rather than anybody else—the semen in Angelica matched Beau, and the hair on his pillow matched Angelica. The police are insisting on speaking to you again.”

I sagged back against the wall, my legs jellied. It couldn’t be. Anything but that. “I don’t want to talk to them.”

“You can refuse, but they can still force you to court based on your original statement. And your refusal will only raise more questions. I must admit, I don’t understand it either. Why won’t you help to catch your sister’s killer?”

Because it was looking more and more like Ben might have been responsible, and if I changed my story now, I’d implicate myself as well. And Jade Bosley? What if Ben was a rapist too? Why, oh why, did this have to turn into such a big bloody mess?

“I just hate the way they talk to me.”

“How about I ask for someone different to interview you? Maybe a woman?”

“I guess that might help.”

He squeezed my shoulder. “Then I’ll get it set up. Hang in there, Augusta.”

No sooner had he disappeared than Dorothy appeared with more bad news. “Gregory called again. What should I tell him?”

“The same. That I can’t deal with anybody outside of family right now.”

“Yes, ma’am, I’ll tell him, but I don’t think he’s going to like it.”

Tough. “Is there anything else?”

Dammit, I sounded so imperious, and I hated myself for it.

“That private detective your father hired is waiting downstairs.”

“And he wants to speak to me?”

“I imagine he needs to start somewhere, ma’am. And we know even less than you do.”

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