Sisters - Michelle Frances Page 0,44

tell Abby.’

Ellie was vaguely aware of the ground reaching up, or was she falling? Then everything blacked out.

THIRTY-ONE

She came around to a blurry hand waving in front of her face. Ellie, eyes half open, saw two identical middle-aged women looking at her with concern in their eyes. As she blinked, the two women morphed into one and this woman was babbling to her in French.

Confused, Ellie tried to make sense of where she was. Her legs were splayed awkwardly and she instinctively pulled her skirt down so it covered her. What am I doing on the ground? Feeling vulnerable, she tried to get up but her head began to spin. The woman helped her but Ellie could only manage as far as sitting before she had to rest her back against the wall, as she tried to contain an onset of nausea.

‘Merci,’ she managed weakly to the woman, who on hearing Ellie’s poor command of her language immediately switched to English.

‘Are you OK? I saw you faint.’ She fussed and held out a bottle of water that Ellie took automatically. She drank, just as the woman was insisting. Then in a swift, breathless moment, she remembered.

Her mother had left her a message. Her dead mother.

It couldn’t be, thought Ellie. It’s madness. Her brain scrambled for some logical explanation – triumphantly relieved when she reasoned that the call must have been made before the accident.

But the relief was short-lived. Ellie remembered. The message had been left at quarter past ten that morning. Susanna had died on the terrace of Abby’s house yesterday. Ellie thought hard. Was it definitely her mum’s voice she’d heard? Yes, she was certain she’d recognize it anywhere.

‘Shall I call a doctor?’ the woman asked in her heavily accented English.

Ellie plastered on a smile of what she hoped was reassurance. ‘No, thank you. I’m fine. I think it must have been the heat.’

She let the woman help her to her feet and, steadying herself against the wall, she brushed herself down.

Her mother had called her.

She started to walk back towards the car, the woman still insisting on staying with her. Ellie could see Abby making her way over, a plastic bag in her hand with the phone shop’s logo on it. She was frowning at Ellie and quickened her pace.

‘What happened?’ Abby asked as she hurried up to them.

Abby was staring at her and Ellie felt her pulse quicken. She closed her eyes a moment, still bewildered. Aware she was being watched by her sister, she lifted her head, tried to rearrange her features into something resembling normality. ‘Nothing. Just passed out for a moment. Overheated. This nice lady helped me out.’

‘You look as white as a sheet,’ said Abby, placing a hand on her arm. She turned to the lady. ‘Thank you so much. I’m her sister. I’ll take care of her.’

‘She needs to drink,’ said the French woman.

‘Absolutely,’ said Abby. ‘And some shade.’

While they discussed her recuperation, Ellie indicated the hypermarket. ‘I think I might just use the bathroom,’ she said.

She went to head off but Abby said a swift goodbye to the French woman and then was by her side, insisting on escorting her. Ellie’s head was still spinning and she wanted to be alone, to think. Mum said not to tell Abby she’d called. None of it made any sense.

As they hit the wall of air conditioning inside the shop, Ellie knew what she had to do.

‘Abby, is there any chance you could get me something to eat?’ She waved towards the maze of aisles. ‘I’ve got a pounding headache. I think some food will help.’

‘Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you.’

Ellie smiled. ‘I’ll be fine.’ She spoke as firmly as she could. ‘I’m just going to use the ladies, then I’ll wait for you by those seats.’ She pointed to a row of bright green plastic seating just around the corner from the supermarket entrance. Next to them she could see a payphone.

‘OK. I’ll be as quick as I can,’ said Abby.

‘Honestly, don’t rush,’ said Ellie. She went towards the toilets and looked back to see Abby go through the turnstile into the shopping area. As soon as Abby had been swallowed up by one of the aisles, Ellie doubled back on herself and hurried towards the public phone. Hands shaking, she dialled her mother’s number. It rang for three rings, four, five, and Ellie thought she’d imagined it, the whole message – it was her mind playing tricks on her,