Sisters - Michelle Frances Page 0,84

After all, if, as she now thought, Abby was genuinely looking out for her, what harm could it do?

Abby stared pensively at the hills, then shook herself. ‘We should get going.’ She pointed at a few bushes on the edge of a field. ‘Our bathroom?’

‘You first,’ said Ellie. She waited until her sister was out of sight and then looked back into the car at what had caught her eye. The gun was still lying on the back seat where Abby had thrown it the night before in their quick getaway. There was no need to be afraid anymore. Was there? Ellie looked up and saw her sister was still behind the bushes. She opened the back door of the car, quickly got the gun and put it back in her handbag.

They hadn’t been driving long when Abby glanced down at the dashboard. ‘Fuel’s low again,’ she said. ‘Going through the night pretty much emptied the tank.’

They found a petrol station and Abby pulled up at the pumps. Wearily she began to fill up. When the tank was full, she got back in the car next to Ellie.

‘Do you mind sorting it this time?’ she asked. ‘Only I feel so tired.’

Ellie felt she could hardly refuse – her sister had paid for everything so far. She tentatively got out and glanced up at the pump, her stomach sinking as she saw the figure on the dial. She crossed the forecourt and went inside. There was no one else there so she went straight to the till and took out her purse to pay.

Please work, please work, she prayed as she typed her PIN into the machine.

A frown appeared on the cashier’s face. ‘No funciona,’ he said, and Ellie gave a casual smile to hide her panic.

‘That’s strange,’ she said. She made a pretence of looking for cash, knowing her purse was empty. Should she just go and ask Abby? Her heart sank. It was so shameful.

‘I’ll just get some money from my sister,’ she said brightly, indicating through the window at Abby sitting in the car outside.

The cashier looked up, gave a cautious nod.

Ellie left the shop as nonchalantly as she could and got back into the car. She paused. Now was the time to tell her sister that she was skint and she needed Abby to bail her out.

Ellie took a deep breath, settled in her seat.

‘OK, all done.’

Abby, still sluggish with fatigue, slowly started the engine.

Hurry up, urged Ellie silently. She surreptitiously glanced towards the shop and saw the cashier watching them suspiciously.

Abby stretched, pushing her arms up to the roof of the car. Then she dropped her arms down, looked out of the car window. ‘Why is that man running towards us?’

Ellie turned her head to see the cashier running across the forecourt. ‘Go, go, go!’ she shouted.

‘What’s going on?’ asked Abby.

‘Just drive!’ yelled Ellie, and her sister finally put the car in gear and spun out of the petrol station.

‘What was all that about?’ cried Abby as they sped down the road.

‘Umm . . . my card didn’t work.’

‘What? You drove off without paying?’

‘Well, technically, you did.’

‘But that’s illegal!’

The sun was higher now and Ellie reached into the glove compartment and put her sunglasses on. ‘So is shooting someone,’ she said.

Abby narrowed her eyes. For a moment, Ellie thought she was going to go nuts. Then the corner of her mouth twitched. ‘Oh God, Ellie,’ she said. ‘You’re right, you’re right.’ She let out a small laugh. ‘Don’t do it again, OK? We need to get away, not leave any traces. Robbery leaves traces.’

So do dead bodies, thought Ellie.

‘Why didn’t your card work?’

‘Um . . . I’m in a bit of debt.’

‘How much?’

‘A few thousand.’

‘When you say a few, you mean—’

‘Eighteen thousand pounds,’ declared Ellie suddenly and the car fell silent. Ellie’s chest tightened. She felt exposed, as if she was going out into the street naked. She kept her eyes on the road ahead, didn’t want to see what she was certain was her sister’s gaping look of incredulity.

‘Eighteen grand?’ repeated Abby.

Ellie bristled, felt her cheeks heat up.

‘From what?’ asked Abby.

She shrugged. ‘Gradual build-up over the last few years.’

‘Build-up of what?’

Ellie snapped her head round. ‘Could you stop saying it as if I’ve robbed a bank or something. And as you’re so keen . . . I don’t know really. Can’t pinpoint anything in particular.’

Ellie felt the car slow and looked up at Abby in alarm. White-faced, her sister pulled over to the side of