Bella’s house and she thinks I’m at home in bed. I’m going home now.’
‘But what were you doing with the bird table? This isn’t the first time you’ve been here, is it?’
‘No. I come here quite often. Sometimes during the day, but mostly at night if I can sneak out without Mum knowing.’
‘I saw you in the back garden that time. You were looking in at me.’
She nods. ‘Sorry about that. I usually go around the back to get to Moon Cottage, so that nobody sees me. I hop over the fence and go through your garden. I got a shock when I saw your light and realised someone was renting the place. It’s often just lying empty in the winter.’
‘But why do you go to Moon Cottage?’ asks Ronan.
‘Yes, and what were you doing to the bird table?’ I add.
She looks guilty. ‘I wasn’t doing anything to the bird table. Honestly, I wasn’t.’ She sighs. ‘Well, I was. I was trying to fix it. We used to feed the birds and watch them from her window, but it’s started leaning over a bit and I know she won’t like it.’
‘Who?’ asks Ronan. ‘Who won’t like it?’
‘My Grandma Reenie.’ She breaks off, her face sad. ‘She taught me the names of all the different birds and I watch them in the garden at home sometimes. But it’s much more fun when I watch them with my grandma.’
I stare at her. ‘Reenie Lennox is your grandmother?’
She nods, her chin trembling. ‘But please don’t tell Mum I come here. She would kill me if she knew. They had a horrible argument and now she hates Grandma.’
‘What does Reenie…your grandma think?’ asks Ronan gently, with a glance over at Moon Cottage.
‘I don’t know. She won’t let me in. I love her so much, but she won’t talk to me now.’ Her voice wobbles. ‘I think she’s just really sad about Mum and all the horrible things they said to each other.’ A tear drips down her cheek, but she sniffs and brushes it away.
I glance at Ronan worriedly, then back at Becca, my heart aching for this young girl, who seems caught in the middle of some terrible family rift.
‘I’ll have a look at the bird table, shall I? See if it’s fixable.’ Ronan pats Becca’s arm and walks away, leaving me to comfort Becca. It’s a good call. She’s more likely to talk if it’s just me.
‘So what did they argue about? Your mum and your grandma?’ I ask gently.
‘Grandma Reenie hated Mum’s boyfriend, Harvey. And I didn’t like him either. He used to hit Mum and shout horrible things in her face when he was drunk. He thought I didn’t know. He thought I was asleep in bed. But I saw him. When he came back, he said he’d changed, but he hadn’t. He was even worse.’
‘They split up and then your mum took him back?’
She nods. ‘I pleaded with her not to, and so did Grandma Reenie, but she wouldn’t listen. But then one day, my grandma stood up to Harvey. Mum had bruises again, on her face this time, so Grandma knew what was happening, and she came to the house when Harvey was there and told him she thought he was a cowardly bully and that he should leave and never come back.’
Becca’s trembling now, shivering with emotion and the cold. I take off my coat and slip it around her shoulders and she looks at me gratefully.
‘What did Harvey say, Becca?’
‘He didn’t say anything. He just laughed in Grandma’s face and said she was an interfering old witch, and that he was staying right where he was. Mum came back and heard it all, but when Grandma Reenie begged her to come and stay with her, so she could look after us both, Mum said she wouldn’t. She went and stood by Harvey and took his hand, and she told my grandma to leave.’
A cold hand clutches at my insides, imagining the horrors Becca has witnessed.
‘My grandma’s strong, but she wasn’t very strong that day. Harvey yelled at me to go to my room, and when my grandma left, I watched her from the window and she was crying.’
I close my eyes briefly, feeling sick. I feel like crying myself. Why are people so horrible to each other?
‘Oh, Becca, I’m so sorry. I’m sure your Grandma Reenie loves you to bits, but she’s obviously really sad right now. Is…is your mum still with Harvey?’
She shakes her head,