nothing but a slight regret. Regret that they hadn’t met under different circumstances, regret that they had let themselves believe that what they were doing didn’t matter as long as his wife didn’t find out. It did matter, and this woman sitting before her was the victim of their actions. Karen had never even known about another daughter.
‘So why are you here? To find this Jessica Hamilton?’
‘Yes, she’s a patient of mine and I’m very worried about her.’
‘I don’t understand how you ended up here if you didn’t know Anne lived here.’
‘Because this is the address Jessica gave the practice when she signed up.’
‘Not possible. I haven’t heard her name in five years, and she’s never lived here.’
‘But you do know her?’
‘I know of her. She was a friend of Anne’s at college. I’ve never met her.’
‘Is Anne here? Can I speak to her?’
‘She’s gone out, thank goodness. She doesn’t need to see you here. How do you think I know who you are? I found a picture of you and Michael at some event in a book that Anne lent me last year. She doesn’t need to be confronted by her father’s mistress, thank you. It’s bad enough she knows you exist. I never wanted her to find out what her father was really like.’ She stood up.
‘I’m sorry I can’t help you find your patient. I have no idea where Jessica Hamilton lives. We haven’t heard from her in years. Goodbye.’
The confrontation Karen had imagined more than once had been nothing like the fiery affair she’d expected. The wife and the mistress bidding each other a civilised farewell.
Emily spoke again as Karen was walking through the front door, hesitantly, as though she didn’t want to speak at all but would regret it if she didn’t. ‘You and Michael …’
‘It’s over,’ Karen replied, knowing it was true. There was no pretending Michael’s other life didn’t exist after stepping into it, even for just a minute. Emily let out a breath, something almost like relief, and then the mask was back in place.
Karen’s hand was on the door handle of her car when she heard her name being called.
She glanced up. Emily was pointing to where a car had pulled into the cul-de-sac and was coming towards them.
‘Looks like you’re about to get your wish after all,’ she said. ‘That’s Anne’s car.’
Anne slammed on her brakes at the sight of Karen outside her house, put the car into reverse and began to spin her wheels backwards up the street. Karen swung open her door, slammed it behind her and started the engine, shoving the car into first. Emily screamed something after her, but she had no time to stop and explain. She was chasing Anne Lenton’s car, but the person behind the wheel was Jessica Hamilton.
81
What happened the day you met Jessica Hamilton?
Nothing. I thought she was just a regular patient until I saw her with Adam. That’s when I knew she was a danger to my friends.
Not to Bea, surely? How was Jessica sleeping with Adam a threat to Bea?
Jessica hated Eleanor, she told me. She wanted to hurt anyone Eleanor loved. Me, Bea, Noah.
Did she say those words? Did she say their names?
Of course she didn’t. She didn’t need to.
How do you feel about your friends, Karen?
What kind of question is that? We’re like sisters. I love them.
Eleanor and Bea’s bond was particularly close, was it not?
We were all close. All three of us.
And you never felt jealous of the bond shared between the others? It must have been difficult, them being so alike and you keeping the secret of what happened to your sister. Never being able to tell them what life was like at home for you.
We were best friends. I’ve told you, all of us. I wasn’t the odd one out. I wasn’t different. I was one of them. I loved them.
82
Bea
‘What the hell has Anne done?’ Michael was still shaking his head and muttering to himself as they drove towards where his daughter lived. It was clear now that Anne was involved in all of this, possibly even the instigator, and Bea thought he might be having a breakdown with all the information he was trying to process. They’d already had to pull over twice, he was shaking so much and Bea had sat mutely in the car whilst he smoked two cigarettes in a row. She’d attempted to summon up the smallest bit of sympathy for him, but she couldn’t force herself to