The Foster Mother A Psychological Thriller by N F Webber

Author:N F Webber [Webber, N F]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Media Publishers Ltd
Published: 2023-06-10T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

NORA

“Hey. I had a missed call.” Quinn’s voice brings me back to reality. What is he going to make of Lucy’s bizarre behaviour? I flick to the speakerphone and nod at Aunt Amelia.

“I’m here at Aunt Amelia’s house…”

“Is Lucy and the baby with you too?” There’s a slight edge to his tone.

“Ahh no. I have Valentina with me, but I left Lucy to get some sleep.” I glance at Aunt Amelia as my stomach churns and I struggle to keep my voice even. “She had a rough night, and I brought the baby over to Aunt Amelia’s for morning coffee.”

“You sound a bit…” Quinn clears his throat uneasily. “Is everything okay? I’ve only been gone two days, and it’s so busy I’ve not had a chance to call.”

“Sure,” I swallow. I have to tell Quinn what’s happened and that I’ve called Child Protection Services from our aunt’s home. I need to be careful how I relay this information.

“There’s a bit of a problem… and I don’t want you to get angry or upset.” I glance at my aunt seated on the sofa opposite and she waves her hand and nods, encouraging me to come clean about this morning’s incident.

Quinn clears his throat. “Look Nora, I know she’s been acting a bit off. I think it’s just stress over having a new baby. You know what I mean. The doctor says it’s fairly common. She’ll come right with you helping her get more sleep.”

Feeling defeat before I’ve launched into the reality of Lucy’s odd behaviour, I hesitate, not sure which angle to take while explaining this morning’s drama. “I think it’s a lot more complicated than just the stress of being a new mother.”

“You do?” His voice seems weaker, weighed down with genuine concern, and the words hang in the air as I falter. Fear and guilt at calling the authorities make my throat tighten. How can I explain this to my brother?

“I think Lucy needs professional help,” I blurt. “This morning I caught her trying to drown Valentina in the baby bath. She had stuffed the corner of the facecloth in her mouth to silence her screams.”

“What?” His voice echoes in my head as I scramble to continue explaining.

“The bath water was ice cold, Quinn. It was awful. Shocking. Valentina was naked, shivering with cold, spluttering, and choking. Soaking wet from head to foot. It was five this morning and barely daylight. She tried to kill Valentina.”

There’s a painful beat of silence before Quinn finally responds with a rasp.

“I see.” He says nothing else.

“I’m sorry, Quinn. I was in such a state. Lucy is emotionally stunted and mentally disturbed in some way. I think she needs professional help.”

“Yeah. Are you sure? Maybe it just looked worse than it actually was.” He inhales heavily over the long distance call.

“No. I don’t think so. This is very serious, Quinn.”

“Yup.”

“I didn’t know what to do, so I talked to someone at the Child Protection Services here in Queensland. They’re coming around to Aunt Amelia’s house to discuss the situation with us.

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