The Only Child by Nunn Kayte

Author:Nunn, Kayte
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781398709782
Publisher: Orion
Published: 2022-09-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Puget Sound, 2013

‘Leave a message and I might get back to you.’

There was a beep and Frankie hung up. She’d called Izzy’s number three times now. Each half hour. Sent four texts of increasing terseness. The last one had been simply a series of question marks. It was now two a.m.

She was on the point of dialling the Orcades Sheriff Department when she heard the rumble of an engine as it jolted over the rutted road to the house. Relief and anger washed over her in equal amounts as she saw the headlights sweep through the trees.

She didn’t, however, recognise the car.

Standing by the front door with the porch light on, she watched as Izzy emerged, hair wild, her T-shirt askew.

Her daughter was home. Safe.

And in a whole heap of trouble.

Frankie waited until the driver had disappeared, and Izzy was close. Frankie opened her mouth to speak but Izzy held up a hand and got in first. ‘I know I’m way past curfew. Zac’s car broke down and we had to wait for someone to come and get us.’

‘And you couldn’t call and let me know? I’ve been going out of my mind. I had no idea where you were.’

‘You haven’t known where I am for years.’

‘Stop right there Isabella Gray.’ Frankie felt the knot in her stomach clench even harder.

‘What? I explained. It wasn’t my fault.’

‘We’ll talk about it in the morning. But I don’t want you hanging out with that boy anymore, not if this is what happens.’

Izzy pushed past her, and Frankie caught the flash of an eye roll, inhaled the unmistakeable smell of pot on her daughter’s clothes.

‘Not even an apology.’ Frankie seethed to her mother as she fired up the coffee machine the next morning. ‘I don’t think anyone ever taught her the words, “I’m sorry”.’ She had been up for hours, taking out her frustration on the weeds that choked the rear of the house, slashing and carting the vegetation to a huge pile behind the barn. Even though she was wearing elbow-length gardening gloves, she’d been unable to avoid being stung by the knee-high nettles, which aggravated her already sour mood.

‘They’re narcissists, teenagers. It’s all about them,’ said her mother patiently. ‘You were exactly the same at that age; no thought for anyone else, or that I might be worried when you came home late. And you did, on more than one occasion, in case you’d forgotten.’

Frankie let out a long sigh. Her anger dropped from boiling point to a gentle simmer. She reckoned a cup of good coffee and some time out would take it off the heat completely. Perhaps she had overreacted.

‘About that note,’ she said. ‘Molly suggested you call in to the sheriff’s office and she can file a report.’

‘We’ll see,’ said Diana vaguely.

It was a still, warm morning and as she looked out of the window, Frankie could see the water, dark and glassy. She carried her coffee out to the jetty, settled herself in a chair, and

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.