The Waiting Rooms by Eve Smith

Author:Eve Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

I don’t hear from Piet for another three weeks. Not that I need to.

That one look tells me it’s over.

192

CHAPTER 27

LOOK. THINK. TELL.

Have you, or a relative, been offered illegal medication? Have you noticed any odd behaviour where you live or work? Do you think your medi-profile might have been hacked?

Drug resistance is only a few mutations away. If you see ANYTHING

suspicious, report it immediately. Be vigilant. Trust your instincts. Our lives depend on it.

COUNTER INFECTION POLICING.

KATE

‘Hi, Mrs Connelly. It’s Harry.’ His breath gushes down the phone.

‘I’ve got news.’ I stiffen. ‘It’s been a toughie. In fact, one of my toughest. But, as my boss always says, “persistence pays off”.’

My pulse goes into overdrive: all gallops and hops, like a child learning to skip. 193

‘We’ve found her.’

I reach for some words, but they’ve abandoned me. I grind my nail into the counter and stare at the canvas print of the four of us.

Our last holiday with Pen, although we didn’t know it. Bright smiles and blue sky, hair blowing wild around our heads.

‘Mrs Connelly, are you there?’

‘Yes, sorry, I…’ I lick my lips. ‘Are you certain?’

‘One hundred percent. We’ve tracked down the deed poll.’

Fear scuttles round my belly. I should be jubilant.

‘I can tell you, your average person doesn’t cover their tracks like that. But then, she wasn’t your average person, was she?’

My eyes are still glued to the print. But instead of my family, it’s her face I see. Her smile.

‘Congratulations, Harry. I know how much work you’ve put in.’ It sounds lame, even to me. And another thought hits: what the hell am I going to tell Sasha?

Harry sweeps on, undeterred. ‘So, are you ready?’ I close my eyes. I’m about as far from ready as it’s possible to be. ‘Your birth mother changed her name to Lily Taylor. Turns out Lily was her grandmother’s middle name.’

Lily.

Lily Taylor.

If I say it enough times, it might begin to seem real.

‘I used to have a great aunt Lily,’ Harry continues. ‘Sweet old lady. Until she got Alzheimer’s.’

Mary Sommers. Lily Taylor. They’re just names.

‘I’ve got all the documents; I’ll send them over now. Have a look through, and then we can chat about next steps.’

Next steps? Jesus.

‘I’ve traced her to a residential home. Some really high-end joint.’ 194

‘What?’ It’s as if Harry’s just pushed me out of my front door and slammed it.

‘Don’t worry, those places don’t take just anyone. She’ll be getting top-notch care. Not like the fleapits most of us are destined for.’

‘But I…’ The words lodge in my throat. ‘I didn’t realise you had an address already…’

‘Oh, yeah. Piece of cake now we’ve got the name. Actually, it’s not that far from you—’

‘Harry, I’ll call you straight back.’

I press both hands against the wood and breathe. I remember having the same feeling when I discovered I was pregnant. I’d wanted a baby so much, for so long. But, after my initial elation, all the dangers that I’d so convincingly played down reared their ugly heads.

I can kill it right here, if I want to.

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