Page 85 of The Guilty Girl

She realised then that her dog had stopped somewhere behind her.

‘Ah come on, Jasper, I’m recording Coronation Street while I’m out and I want to watch it before bed.’ The dog was nuzzling the reeds at the canal bank. ‘You’d better not be disturbing rats, or I’m leaving you there.’

Jasper barked.

‘What is it, boy?’

Colette bent down beside her dog, unfurling the leash from her fingers, ready to snap it onto his collar. He barked again, a howl disturbing the stillness of the evening. That was when she saw what had made him nuzzle the reeds and bark like a banshee.

A thin white arm extended upwards, a rope around the wrist.

Holding a hand to her mouth so as not to throw up, Colette grabbed Jasper’s collar and hauled him back to the path. He was wet and slippery and it took three tries to snap on the leash.

She looked around for help, but the fishermen had disappeared off home. She was all alone. The first drops of a fresh shower hit her skin. Taking her phone from the hip pocket of her tracksuit, she glanced once more at the lonely arm reaching for the sky. It looked like it was pleading for someone to rescue it.

Then she punched in 999 and waited as the rain fell in a torrent.

She didn’t even feel it.

40

Katie and Chloe told Lottie to fix up the bed in the sitting room and they would make something for their late dinner.

‘There’s a first time for everything,’ she quipped. Tiredness seeped through her bones.

‘Don’t push it, Mam,’ Katie said, stirring a pot of soup with little Louis hanging off her jeans.

‘Sean is lighting the fire for you. That room is freezing cold,’ Chloe said, taking the ladle from Katie.

‘Fine. Shout if you need anything.’

‘A takeaway would be nice.’ Chloe winked. ‘Go on. I’ve no work tonight or tomorrow. I’ll get up early to help with Granny.’

‘Me too,’ Katie said. ‘I’m off until Monday.’

‘Me too,’ Louis said, taking the crust of buttered bread Katie had given him to bribe his hands off her jeans.

In the big old draughty sitting room, Sean was down on his haunches, fanning a reluctant flame with a sheet of newspaper. Her bed was made up on the couch. A bit haphazard. At least he’d tried.

‘Sean? Come here for a minute. We need to talk.’ Lottie sat on the couch, determined to keep her eyes open and her anger closed tight.

He continued to fan the fire. It was now blazing.

‘No need to set the house on fire.’

‘Is it insured?’

‘Funny.’

‘Feels odd to have a fire lit this time of year,’ he said. At last he folded up the newspaper and stuffed it in the coal bucket.

‘You should have seen the blaze in your Granny’s stove and the heat of the house.’

‘I turned up the thermostat. She said she was freezing.’

‘Really? She’ll be fine after a few days’ rest.’

‘Rest, here? I wish her luck with Louis around.’ Sean sat beside her. ‘I haven’t had one lie-in yet.’