The Babysitter by Emma Curtis

Author:Emma Curtis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Corvus

Chapter 39

ANNA

‘Oh, Anna dear!’ Lisa says. ‘How nice to see you. Joe’s expecting you. He’s just finishing up on a call.’

I remember Lisa Haskell. She was a mixed bag: funny and sweet with the kids one moment, sharp-tongued the next. You crossed her at your peril.

‘Ah, there we are. He’s free. Just let me tell him you’re here.’

She beams at me approvingly as she calls through. But then I was never a difficult pupil, or not in the sense she would recognise. My difficulties were internalised. Only Joe had any idea what I was going through.

‘Joe will come and find you. Can I make you a cup of tea?’

I play with the idea of saying yes, just to annoy her, but I don’t want the interruption so I shake my head. ‘That’s very kind, but no thank you.’

Joe pushes open the door, a harried look on his face, but he smiles and meets my eyes properly. I follow him along the corridor, trying to think like a mother, not a teenage pupil with a massive crush on her teacher. He’s the head now, a whole different ballgame.

He wouldn’t have made it this far if I hadn’t kept my mouth shut. I glance at him as he ushers me into his office. My palms are sweaty. I take a seat on the sofa, cross one leg over the other and brush my fingers through my hair. Joe swivels his black leather chair round and folds his long body onto it.

‘So,’ he says. ‘You want to be a teacher.’

‘You know that isn’t why I’m here.’

He takes a breath, starts to say something, stops and picks up his pen, for no reason other than to occupy his hands. I go hot under his gaze, my fingers trembling. I tell myself I’m not that needy teenager now; I’m an attractive, sophisticated woman. I am Anna Pemberton and I hold all the cards.

‘I don’t understand what you want,’ he says. ‘You have a good life. You have a baby, a husband, a lovely house; choices. So what are you doing here?’

‘Perhaps I feel guilty.’

His eyebrows buckle. ‘About what?’

‘About your ex-wife. About Claudia. What if you had told the truth?’

‘It wouldn’t have made any difference. It wouldn’t have brought Tilly home.’

‘How do you know that?’

‘Anna.’ He lowers his voice. ‘Claudia killed our daughter. She would have done that with or without you reporting our relationship.’

‘Our relationship?’ I laugh. ‘Is that what it was?’

‘I’m talking about what you believed back then. Not what I knew was true.’

‘You would have been arrested, Joe. Your life would have been over. I saved you.’

He sits back and folds his arms. ‘Is that why you’re here? To exact your price?’

‘No. I—’

‘Listen to me. What happened all those years ago was a mistake on both our parts. I was having a difficult time of it with Claudia. I honestly didn’t know up from down.’

‘Or right from wrong.’

‘Yes.’ He drops his head into his hands, his hair flopping forward. ‘If I could go back now and change things, I would.

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