Who We Were by B.M. Carroll

Author:B.M. Carroll [Carroll, B.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Profile
Published: 2020-05-06T16:00:00+00:00

27

GRACE

Grace is sick to her stomach. She recognises this feeling from long ago. It’s how she felt when she found out an ex-boyfriend had been openly cheating on her. All the evidence was there, right in front of her nose, but she was the last to know.

Melissa had pulled her aside in the end. ‘Look, I know we aren’t friends any more, but I think you deserve to know the truth. He’s been cheating on you, Grace. You need to dump him. Pronto.’

Grace can’t remember if she thanked Melissa. All she can remember is being utterly mortified, and feeling let down by Annabel because she should have been the one pulling her aside.

Now those same feelings: a nauseating suspicion in the pit of her belly, the vague threat of complete mortification.

Tom knew about Daniel all along. Is it possible he sent that email to Annabel to force her to take action? And because he’d sent Annabel an email, did he feel compelled to send Grace one too, in order not to arouse suspicion? But what about the others? Why target Zach, Melissa, Luke and Katy? People he hasn’t even met? And why bother to tie it in with the yearbook? If he had something to say to Annabel, surely he could have said it face to face?

Grace thinks about her own email. The detail about the miscarriage. Her fears about Lauren. The photo that was temporarily missing from the fridge. The same photo that Tom ‘found’ and returned to its rightful place. Her head is spinning. She has barely slept these last few nights. The idea has taken hold and now she can’t stop thinking about it. She can hardly look her husband in the eye, flinches every time he comes close to touching her. One minute she’s almost certain that he’s responsible, the next minute she’s just as certain he’s not. The problem is that deep down she knows it’s not beyond the realm of possibility. Tom’s always had a vigilante side, an ingrained righteousness and, at times, intolerance. He might be lenient with parking tickets and other small misdemeanours, but he has a completely different attitude to what he regards as reckless behaviour. Drug users, in particular, have always infuriated him.

An old conversation plays back in her head.

‘Throwing away all the privileges they’ve been given. No respect for themselves, their families or society. Sucking up police and medical resources. It’s a crime.’

‘They can’t help it, Tom.’

‘It’s self-inflicted. A mockery of all the poor kids who don’t have a home or good health. It drives me insane.’

There’s no doubt he would have been furious to find Daniel in the park smoking weed. But was he infuriated enough to send that email? Did Annabel’s hush-hush approach prompt him to go to such extremes?

‘Mum, I need help.’ It’s Tahlia. She’s sitting at the kitchen table, chewing the top of her pen. Her teacher has been piling on homework, in an attempt to prepare the class for high school next year. Poppy is sitting opposite, industriously colouring in one of her own creations.

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