had gone one step further and planned it all to make them pay. ‘Lucy—’
‘Don’t speak. Before you ask, I’d been planning this for years. I wanted to hurt them but I didn’t know where Alex was. He had to be the first. I knew when I wanted to open a café that it had to be back in Cleevesford, where it all started. When I saw it was up for rent, it felt like it was meant to be.’ She paused. ‘I also built more into that stupid urban legend, about the ghost in the woods. The kids came in for cake all the time and they thought it was brilliant and, stupidly, they believed me. I thought it would get back to Cherie and freak her out, but it didn’t. She came in to read at the café but I could tell her mind wasn’t on the book. I didn’t even know it was Cherie at that point. Then when Alex came in, it was as if the light had been turned on. I saw that woman with the book was Cherie. She didn’t disguise herself brilliantly, but I’d failed to notice her until then. Her hair colour had changed and so had the style. It was short back then. The glasses placed a barrier against her eyes but when I caught sight of her on that Monday, I knew straight away.’ Lucy’s hair blew back as a gust caught it. ‘I enjoyed playing mind games with them, digging up Alex’s nan’s grave, sending messages, following them around and creeping them out.’ Lucy stood on the thin ledge and lifted the arms of her coat like a dark angel.
Gina felt her heart judder. ‘Lucy, please lean back.’
‘I’m sorry I drugged you. I’ve been taking ketamine for years to dim the pain. It was only a tiny dose.’
‘It doesn’t matter, Lucy. Please just grab the rail.’
She shook her head. ‘Do you know how good this feels? I’m free. I’m going to fly with the birds. For the first time in my life I’m just me and that’s enough.’
‘You are free now. You’re free because the truth has come out and your abuser has been arrested. Let justice be your freedom. Let me help you.’ Rightly or wrongly, if Gina could get Lucy off that ledge, she was going to be there for her after sentencing.
‘Those coffins, the three of them were mine, Dad’s and my older brother Ricky’s. He’s in the army, we barely see him. They were the last three Dad made before retiring from the business. He said he kept the best for us. I had a go at engraving them but my attempts weren’t good.’ She paused and made a windmilling motion with her hands. ‘This feels so good.’ Rain began to fall heavier, drenching her hair and saturating her coat. ‘I don’t care about coffins. I believe nothing happens when you’re dead. It’s just the end. He wasted his time. Had he spent more time helping the living, I’d have respected him more. He didn’t help you, Gina.’
‘Sometimes people don’t know what to do, Lucy. He might not have felt he could help.’ She wished someone had reported Terry back then, but she wasn’t going to tell Lucy that, not now. ‘I forgive your father, maybe you can too. If you step over, we can go into my car where it’s warm and dry.’ Gina took another slight step.
Lucy stopped abruptly. ‘Stay right there.’
Gina held her hands up. ‘Okay. I’m not moving.’ The rain fell heavier and began cascading down Gina’s face.
‘I wasn’t going to bring Cherie here but she kept shouting from the coffin and I hated her even more. I wanted her to suffer more horror than the others. I mean what’s worse than facing the thought of death once? Facing it twice.’
‘Why did you let her go?’
‘The world loves a hate figure. Her life won’t be worth living once the newspapers publish everything. I think she’s getting what she deserves. In prison, they hate people like her. A day won’t go by when she won’t have to watch her back. When she comes out, her precious children won’t want to know their mum. I’m pretty sure she’ll need a new identity.’ Lucy turned to face the sky, mouth open as she cried out. ‘I can’t face it.’
‘You can, Lucy.’ Gina reached over. ‘Please take my hand. You were a scared young girl and what they did to you was awful. The world will