Next Girl Missing: A completely addictive and gripping crime thriller with a shocking twist (A Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller Book 1) by L.A. Larkin

Author:L.A. Larkin [Larkin, L.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781803146218
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2023-06-15T16:00:00+00:00

THIRTY-FOUR

NOVEMBER 9, 2010

The gathering after Zelda’s funeral was held at the Fairburns’ house. Sally insisted on preparing the food because if she was busy, she could briefly escape her desolation. This was the only part of the funeral that Scott had allowed her to manage—everything else, from the invite list to the choice of coffin and the words engraved on the headstone had been his decision.

“It’s too much for you to think about, darling,” he’d said. “Leave it to me.”

Sally hadn’t wanted to be excluded from the arrangements, but she’d had no energy for a fight. She was an empty woman, like a dead, hollow tree. Her roots were barely holding her upright.

Paul, nine, followed Sally around like a lost puppy. He kept asking when Zelda was coming home, refusing to accept that she wasn’t. The night before the funeral he’d flown into a rage and would have trashed his room if Scott hadn’t stopped him.

Scott did his best to ignore Sally, neither accepting nor giving her love. He’d taken on the role as the public face of the family’s grief with a vigor that Sally found disgusting, positively basking in the attention. With friends, family, and work colleagues, he blamed the bullies for Zelda’s depression. At home, he blamed Sally for Zelda’s suicide, flinging insults like useless mother and selfish. Why didn’t you see it coming? he’d demanded. You’re supposed to protect victims, so where were you when our daughter needed you? He never took any responsibility for what had happened.

The day before the funeral, Sally had struggled with even the simplest of tasks, such as pushing a trolley at the grocery store or acknowledging the kind people who came up to offer their condolences. With every kind word, she crumpled into tears. At the funeral, she’d cried quietly into a tissue and tried to take Scott’s hand, but he pulled it away. The gathering afterward was excruciating. Sally wanted everyone to leave so she could grieve in peace. But people needed feeding, and so Sally carried trays of sandwiches to their guests in a dream state, inwardly screaming.

“Have you seen Paul?” she asked Scott, who was drinking a beer with Walt.

“No, he’s around somewhere.”

Sally guessed where he would be. She climbed the stairs and knocked on Paul’s door.

“Go away!” he said.

She went in. He lay on his bed, clasping a scruffy blue teddy bear to his chest. Sally closed the door on the voices downstairs and lay on the bed next to him; Paul rolled into her, and she held him tight as they both cried.

Paul’s weeping eventually stopped and he fell asleep, but Sally stayed holding him. Gradually the voices downstairs diminished.

Bettina knocked and poked her head into the room.

“The guests have gone,” she whispered so as not to wake Paul. “Kitchen’s cleaned and sandwiches are Saran-Wrapped.”

“Thank you,” Sally whispered.

“We’re going now. If you need anything, just call.”

The stairs creaked, and from the thump of the shoes, Sally knew it was Scott. He peered over Bettina’s shoulder.

“Is Paul okay?” he asked too loudly.

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