It Started with a Secret by Jill Mansell

Author:Jill Mansell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2020-02-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

“Who’s there? What’s going on?” Equally startled, Christina dropped the sandwich bag into the sink as she spun around.

Lainey clutched her chest. “I didn’t know Radley was behind me and he caught me by surprise. I came to see if you were OK. I was worried about you.” She flushed at the semi-lie, then looked from the headless electric toothbrush to the transparent plastic bag in the sink. “What are you doing?”

Because there were some questions you just had to ask.

Christina was shaking her head, casting around for inspiration. Finally, she swallowed and said accusingly, “You aren’t a mother. You don’t know how it feels. Wait till you have children, then you’ll understand.”

Lainey stared at her. “I don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean.”

“I miss Seth! How often do I get to see my son? Not very often at all. And I miss him so much…so I just thought it would be nice to have his toothbrush as a keepsake, to remind me of him when we’re apart.”

It was the worst lie in the history of lies, which kind of went to show the nonsense you could come up with when you had an entire bottle of wine inside you. Even Christina had the grace to look ashamed. Lainey glanced at the unzipped quilted leather shoulder bag sitting on the window ledge and saw something poking out of it. She pointed. “What’s that?”

“Nothing.”

But she was already crossing the bathroom, beating Christina to it and plucking out a second sandwich bag. Inside this one, a small bird’s nest of hair was clearly visible.

“You went into India’s room. That’s her hair, taken from her hairbrush.”

“I…I thought it was Seth’s.”

“It’s purple,” said Lainey.

“Well, keep it, then. I didn’t realize. You can have it back.”

Lainey looked at the two electric toothbrushes lined up next to the sink, the bright-pink one on the left and the headless black one on the right.

“Seth has an en suite bathroom,” she said. “He doesn’t use this one. That black toothbrush belongs to Violet.”

Christina’s narrow shoulders slumped. “Oh for fuck’s sake. Why can’t anything ever go to plan?”

“Let’s go downstairs.” Lainey gestured to the bathroom door. “Come on, I’ll make you a coffee.”

“Don’t bother. I may as well just leave.” Christina picked up her shoulder bag and took out her phone. “I’ll call a taxi.”

Downstairs, the front door opened and slammed shut, and they heard a volley of barks as the dogs greeted the latest arrival with delight.

“That’s Seth,” said Lainey.

“OK, this is important.” Christina clutched her arm. “Can you please not tell him about this?”

Lainey fitted the head back onto Violet’s toothbrush, then dropped the bundle of purple hair into the toilet and pulled the flush. She followed Christina down the staircase and they found Seth in the kitchen, taking a fresh box of coffee pods out of the cupboard.

“Mum, you’re early.” He greeted Christina with a kiss. “What time did you get here?”

“I’ll make the coffee.” Lainey began laying out cups and saucers, aware that Seth was giving her a quizzical look.

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