boy charged across the playground, spinning around and almost running backwards at one point as he waved goodbye to one of his little friends.
Her heart in her mouth, she waited until he approached where she stood just inside the school gates. She hadn’t seen any sign of his father. He was obviously running late. It was possible someone else was here to pick him up, but she thought not as she watched the boy slow to a stop and glance searchingly around. Taking a breath, she agonised for a moment, then, ‘Liam?’ She smiled warmly and walked across to him.
Liam nodded, but his expression was wary.
‘I’m Sarah,’ she said. ‘Ollie’s mummy.’
He frowned, seeming to assess her as she stopped in front of him. ‘Is he in my class?’ he asked after a second.
‘Not yet. He’s a bit younger than you, but he’ll be coming to your school soon.’
Giving her another small nod, Liam appeared to accept this. ‘Will he bring his football?’
‘Probably.’ She laughed. ‘Very likely, in fact.’
‘We can only bring soft footballs,’ he informed her knowledgeably.
‘Ah, I’ll make sure to tell him,’ she said with an appreciative smile. Then, ‘Are you waiting for your mummy?’ she asked tentatively, praying she didn’t upset him.
Liam shook his head this time. ‘No,’ he said, his face clouding over. ‘She doesn’t live with me and Daddy any more.’
‘Oh dear.’ Sarah ached for him. ‘You still see her sometimes, though?’ she ventured.
His expression unsure, the boy answered with a shrug, which Sarah took to be a no. ‘Do you miss—’
She stopped as someone shouted from the gates. ‘Oi!’ Her stomach flipped over as she guessed who it was.
‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ Liam’s father stormed across to her.
‘I spoke to you on the phone,’ she said quickly. ‘I know Laura.’
‘Commiserations,’ he retorted, walking around to Liam’s side to take hold of his hand.
‘She’s living with my ex,’ Sarah persisted, trailing after him as he ushered the child towards the gates. ‘Why doesn’t she see him any more?’ she asked, assuming he would know what she meant.
The man didn’t answer, marching on so swiftly Liam struggled to keep up with him.
Sarah hovered behind him as he urged the child into the car and strapped him into his booster seat. ‘It can’t be good for him, surely?’ she said, once he’d closed the door.
Halfway to the driver’s side, he stopped and turned to face her, his eyes filled with palpable fury. ‘I will never let that woman near my child ever again,’ he seethed.
‘But why? Mr Jameson, I need to know. I have a son of my own,’ Sarah beseeched him as he wrenched the driver’s door open.
He faltered, appeared to deliberate, then, ‘Keep her away from him,’ he said, his voice full of dire warning. ‘She’s dangerous.’
Sarah’s blood froze. ‘Dangerous how?’
He held her gaze for a second. ‘Ask her about her brother,’ he said cryptically.
But she knew about her brother. Unless … Was there something she didn’t know? Something that wasn’t general knowledge, as Joe had said?
‘You might also want to ask her about her previous job,’ he added, climbing in. ‘And why she left it. Whatever you do, just keep her away from your child.’
Twenty-Nine
‘Night, night, munchkin.’ Trying to quash the nerves and nausea churning inside her, Sarah smiled as she tucked Ollie in. Clutching his whale, he beamed her a smile in return. Her beautiful boy, innocent and oblivious to all the wicked things in the world. He seemed to have forgotten about Bunny. Sarah hadn’t. His severed ear now seemed to be serving as another dire warning. Something was very wrong. She’d known it. Somehow, she’d known it before she’d even met Laura. But could she really be dangerous? Might her ex-husband be trying to get back at her for whatever reason their marriage fell apart? No. Her gut instinct told her it wasn’t that; that he truly believed she was a danger. He’d been furious – she’d felt it emanating from him – but beyond that, she’d sensed he was frightened, as frightened as she was.
‘Mummy, am I going to see Daddy and Laura on my birthday?’ Ollie asked as he wriggled down.
Sarah’s stomach turned over. She’d been trying to avoid the subject of the birthday garden party Steve and Laura were arranging for him. She’d hoped it might be rained off, but the forecast promised good weather, and Steve had already bought the balloons and bunting. There was no way she could let Ollie go.