The Perfect Stepmother
Page 22
‘Does your mum take sleeping tablets?’ she asked.
Simon nodded grimly. ‘She hasn’t been able to sleep since Alicia…’ He gripped the steering wheel tight. ‘She wouldn’t hurt a little kid. She wouldn’t!’
‘She’s not thinking straight.’
The car screeching to a halt, jarring her out of her thoughts. She glanced through the window and saw that they were at the back of a block of flats.
Simon jumped out of the car and set off across the tarmac. She raced after him, catching up with him at the lift just before the doors closed. Her heart pounding, she looked to see what floor they were going to – sixth – and counted the floors as they passed. She knew that there wasn’t much time. Emma was in real danger. Simon stood silent behind her, his fists clenched by his side. The air was thick with tension.
The lift stopped and Simon took off across the landing, Maria close behind him. They passed rows of almost identical doors then Simon stopped, took a key out of his pocket and opened the door to his mother’s flat. Glancing at Maria, he whispered, ‘Stay in the hall and keep quiet until I call you.’
She nodded.
‘Mum. It’s me!’ he shouted, running along the hall to a door at the far end. He opened it and went inside. Maria heard mumbled voices but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Her heart thudding like a drum in her chest, she crept quietly to the door and listened.
‘You’ve got to let her go, Mum. This little girl isn’t Alicia. Alicia is dead.’
‘You’re lying. You’ve all been lying to me for years, trying to make me believe that Stefanie had murdered my little girl. I knew that she hadn’t. I knew that she had just taken Alicia, that she wanted her for herself, but none of you would believe me. Well, I’ve got Alicia back now and no one is taking her from me again. So, you keep away from me!’
So Sarah did think that Emma was Alicia. Maria poked her head around the open lounge door and immediately put her hand over her mouth to stifle a scream at the horrific scene that confronted her. A woman, who she barely recognised as a much older, thinner Sarah, was standing on the balcony, her back to the railings, clutching Emma in her arms. The little girl was listless, as if she was dead or drugged. Simon, his back to the door, was facing Sarah, pleading with her.
Oh God, she’s going to jump over the railings with Emma.
Maria shoved her fist into her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She had to think of a way to stop her but she knew that Simon was right: if Sarah saw Maria, it could push her over the edge.
‘Mum, please! Don’t do this!’ Simon pleaded, his voice breaking.
Maria fought down the panic that was already overwhelming her. She had to help Emma. She had to. What could she do?
Emma’s still body was dangling across Sarah’s outstretched arms. The deranged woman’s eyes were wide, her face haunted. ‘It’s the only way for us to be together, Simon. I can’t bear to be apart from Alicia any more.’ She turned around so that Emma was now level with the top of the railings. Maria swallowed, knowing Sarah could throw her little stepdaughter over in an instant and that Emma would never survive the high fall. She had to chance it and pray that she found the right words.
She stepped forward. ‘Mrs Wright. It’s me, Stefanie. I’m so pleased that you and Alicia are together again.’
Sarah swivelled her head towards her, fury etched on her face, her eyes full of hate. ‘You. You’re the one who took my Alicia. Well, you’re not having her back.’
‘I don’t want her back. She’s yours. I’ve come to say that I’m sorry for taking her. I was going to bring her back to you. I’ve been looking for you.’ She heard Simon’s intake of breath and hoped he wouldn’t interrupt her, argue with her. She licked her lips and chose her words carefully. ‘I didn’t mean to keep her so long. I was looking after her while you were ill. You know how much I love her,’ she said softly. ‘Alicia’s back with you now and no one will take her away again.’
She could feel Simon’s eyes on her. She wanted to tell him to sneak out of the room and phone the police but she didn’t dare. She couldn’t risk freaking Sarah out. She took a step closer. ‘Is Alicia asleep?’ she asked.
‘Yes. I gave her something. She was getting frightened. She kept saying I wasn’t her mum. You told her that. You!’ The last word came out as a snarl. Sarah leant back against the railings, Emma’s floppy body dangling in her arms. Emma’s too heavy for her. She’s either going to drop her in a minute or throw her over, and then jump, Maria thought.
‘I know. I’m sorry. When she wakes up, I’ll tell her the truth and then I’ll go away. That’s what I came to tell you, Sarah. I’m going away and never coming back. Alicia is yours now. Forever. No one will take her away from you again.’
Sarah glared at Simon. ‘I told you it was Alicia. You said it wasn’t. You lied to me. You’ve been lying to me for years. Get out!’ she yelled. ‘Get out and never come back.’
Simon shot a glance at Maria and she nodded. Please phone the police, she silently begged.
‘Okay, I’m going. You and Alicia come back inside and talk to Stefanie. I’ll go and leave you to it, I promise.’
‘No! Stay there.’
Simon half-turned towards her. ‘You told me to go.’
‘I don’t trust you. Stay here where I can see you.’
Sarah looked so scared and unstable. Maria had done that to her, by killing her precious daughter. Yes, it had been a tragic accident but the poor woman didn’t believe that. She had ruined her life. All their lives. And now Sarah was going to kill Emma unless Maria found a way of stopping her. She thought back to some of the violent incidents in the prison, of the despair of some of the women, and how Sue had talked them round. Calm, unflappable Sue. Could she do that?
‘Can I come out there and talk to you?’ she asked. She held out her hands. ‘Look, I have nothing on me. I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to talk to you. To tell you how sorry I am.’
She walked very slowly over to the door leading to the balcony, her eyes never leaving Sarah’s face. Any sign of panic and she knew she had to stop.
As Maria reached the door, Sarah started to shake. ‘Get back! Get back or I’ll jump!’
Maria sat down on the floor. ‘I won’t come any closer. I’m just going to sit here. Why don’t you sit down too? Your arms must be aching.’
She sat down cross-legged on the floor and waited.
Sarah narrowed her eyes, watching her, as if wondering what Maria was going to do. Whether to trust her.
‘I was bringing Alicia back to you, I promise. I was going to tell her all about you today, then I was going to bring her back.’
‘You shouldn’t have taken her. You always loved her too much. I could see that. I could see that you wished she was yours.’
Maria nodded. ‘I do love her. That’s why I was looking after her for you, until you were better.’ Her eyes rested anxiously on Emma, wondering how much medication Sarah had given her. She looked so still and lifeless. Could it already be too late?
‘You look so tired and Alicia must be heavy. Why don’t you sit down and put her on your lap? That would be easier, wouldn’t it?’
Sarah looked at her suspiciously but didn’t move.
Talk to her. Build a rapport with her. She searched her mind for a good memory. ‘Do you remember that painting of you that Alicia drew for your birthday? The one with the long, fair hair? You framed it and hung it on the wall.’
Sarah nodded, her shoulders slumping a little with the weight of the girl in her arms.
‘And when we went to the zoo?’ Maria – or Stefanie as she was known then – had accompanied them because Anthony had been working. ‘One of the monkeys had pinched someone’s cap and was wearing it? Alicia giggled so much and then you had to go and buy her a cap because she wanted to wear one too?’
A smile broke across Sarah’s face. ‘And then we all had an ice cream and a pigeon pinched the top of mine,’ she added.
‘We had fun, didn’t we? You can take Alicia to the zoo again. She’d love that. You can have lots of fun times together.’
‘You promise you won’t take her from me again?’
‘I promise.’
Sarah sat down, laying Emma across her lap. Maria wanted to run over to the little girl, to check that she was still breathing, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off Sarah. ‘It’s her birthday soon. You can have a big birthday party for her. You can make a cake. Alicia loves baking.’
Sarah nodded. ‘Yes. I will.’ She glanced down at Emma. ‘She’s been asleep a long time,’ she said.
Fear flooded through Maria. Oh God, is she asleep or dead?
‘She must be tired. Maybe you should put her to bed,’ she suggested.
‘She can sleep here,’ Sarah said stubbornly. ‘I want to keep her with me.’
‘Put her on the floor then. I’ll get you a cushion and a blanket. Then she can be cosy and we can talk.’
She wondered what Simon was doing. She couldn’t hear him. Had he managed to creep out and call the police? Would he call the police on his own mother? She couldn’t risk turning around to see if he was behind her. ‘Maybe Simon could get a blanket and cushion for Alicia. Could you, Simon?’ she asked.
‘Okay,’ Simon replied. So he was still there.
‘No, you stay here!’ Sarah shouted, panic in her eyes, clutching Emma tight.
‘Okay.’ Simon sounded frightened. They were both frightened. How the hell was she going to end this?
Keep calm, talk to her. That’s what Sue would have done.
‘What have you and Alicia been doing?’ she asked softly. ‘Have you been baking?’
Sarah nodded. ‘We made some cakes but Alicia didn’t like it. She said she wanted to go home. She said I’m not her mummy, she said that her mummy is dead.’ Her voice rose to a shrill. ‘You did that. You told her I was dead. I’m not going to talk to you any more.’
Sarah was scrambling to her feet, trying to scoop Emma up into her arms, and Maria knew that it was now or never. She darted forward and grabbed the little girl from Sarah’s lap.
‘Give her back to me!’ Sarah lunged herself at Maria, who immediately sank to the floor, bending her body over Emma’s still body to protect her. Sarah screamed in anger and rained furious blows down on Maria’s back and head. She felt dizzy with pain but somehow she found the strength to hold on to her little stepdaughter, who thankfully was breathing,
After what seemed an eternity, Maria realised that the screaming and blows had stopped. It was silent.
‘It’s all right, Maria, you’re safe now. Is Emma okay? Please tell me she’s okay.’
Lily? She looked up, still reeling from the multitude of blows, and saw Lily kneeling down beside her. Emma was lying motionless on Maria’s lap. ‘I think so. Sarah sedated her but she’s breathing okay,’ Maria stammered. ‘How did you get here?’
But before Lily could reply, Maria’s head went woozy then everything went black.
* * *
When she came around she was lying on the floor, a cushion beneath her head and a policeman standing over her.
‘Emma?’ she muttered.
‘Take it easy, you’ve had a bit of a beating,’ the policeman said as Maria sat up, wincing in pain. Her gaze swept the room, taking in Sarah and Simon, both handcuffed, then the police officers, finally resting on Emma lying on the sofa. Lily was standing beside her, watching anxiously as a policewoman checked over the little girl.
‘Is she okay?’ Lily asked, her voice trembling.
‘She’s breathing, but I don’t like how spaced out she is. We must get her to the hospital right away.’ The police officer got to her feet, spotted Maria sitting up and asked, ‘How are you? Your back must be badly bruised. I think you’d better come to the hospital too. We’ll need to question you later.’
Thank goodness Emma is alive, Maria thought in relief. She couldn’t bear it if she’d died. She wondered if Gareth knew his young daughter was safe; he must have been so distressed. She had caused so much pain and had put Emma in danger. She should never have come into their lives. Now she had to walk away before anyone else got hurt.
58
Lily
‘How is Emma? Is she hurt?’ Gareth asked as he rushed into the waiting room. He looked totally drained. Lily got up from the plastic chair she’d been sitting on, waiting for the doctor to finish examining Emma. She had phoned her dad as soon as she’d known Emma was alive, and let him know that his little daughter was in hospital as a precaution because she’d been dosed with sleeping tablets.
‘Still out for the count. The doctors are checking her over now but things look positive,’ Lily told him.
‘What happened?’ Seb asked.
‘Mrs Wright kidnapped Emma. She’s mentally ill and believed Emma was her own daughter, Alicia, and that Maria had stolen her and had been keeping her all this time,’ Lily explained, her voice breaking as she related the terrible danger that Emma had been in. ‘She planned to kill herself and Emma too, so that no one could take her daughter away from her again. When Simon, her son, and Maria arrived, Mrs Wright was standing by the balcony ready to jump with Emma in her arms.’
‘Oh God!’ Gareth looked as if he was about to collapse.
Lily reached out and put her arm around him. They had so very nearly lost Emma and she was seriously worried that her father would never recover from the ordeal.
‘Maria managed to calm Mrs Wright down and somehow get Emma off her.’ She closed her eyes. ‘It could have all ended so differently.’
‘What was Maria doing with Simon?’ Seb asked. ‘And how did you know that Mrs Wright had Emma?’
‘Simon is the one who attacked and kidnapped Maria. He calls himself Al now – he’s the boyfriend of the receptionist at the salon and thought he recognised Maria from the newspaper article so deliberately targeted Amanda to find out more about her.’ Lily repeated what Simon had told the police at the flat. ‘He sent Maria the letters because he was worried that she’d harm Emma, like she did his sister. When he heard Emma had disappeared, he thought Maria had killed her – that’s why he kidnapped her. He had Maria tied up and gagged in a shed when his mother phoned to say that she had Alicia and was going away with her forever. Maria realised that she had Emma and persuaded Simon to let her go to the flat with him. She saved Emma’s life.’
‘Is that why you left, to find Simon?’ Seb asked.
‘No, I remembered that the woman who gave Emma the rag doll had told me that she worked at a garden centre, so I went to find her. It turned out that she’s Mrs Wright’s sister, Joan. When Joan heard that Emma was missing, and saw her photo, she realised how much she looked like Alicia and was worried that her sister had taken her. So we went to Mrs Wright’s flat to check and walked in just as she was attacking Maria, who was protecting Emma. Simon had already called the police.’ She swallowed. ‘Maria must be covered in bruises. Mrs Wright was punching her like a woman possessed.’
‘Well done you, you were really brave.’ Seb gave Lily a big hug.
Gareth was silent as if he was thinking things over. Then he said, ‘That was courageous of Maria, but if it wasn’t for her Emma wouldn’t have been in danger in the first place. And she killed a little girl, I can’t forget that.’ He looked defeated. He sank down wearily into the nearest chair. Lily sat down beside him and held his hand to offer him some comfort, not knowing what to say to him. She was shaking at the thought of what could have happened to her little sister.
After what seemed like forever, the doctor came out of the ward where Emma was sleeping and joined them. ‘Emma is fine. She will sleep for another few hours and we’ll keep her in hospital overnight for observation but there’s no lasting damage,’ he assured them.
‘Can we see her?’ Gareth asked.
‘Of course, but only two at a time, please,’ the doctor said.
‘You two go.’ Seb sat back down. ‘I’ll grab a coffee.’
Gareth walked over to the bed, sat down on the chair beside it and took his daughter’s hand in his. ‘Emma, darling, can you hear me?’
Lily stood behind him, resting her arm on his shoulder. ‘Do you want me to leave you with her for a bit?’ she asked softly.
He nodded. ‘If you don’t mind. I’d like to sit with her for a while. She might wake up sooner than the doctor thinks.’
Lily nodded. ‘I’ll go and talk to Seb. I’ll get you a coffee and bring it in.’
* * *
‘How is she?’ Seb asked as Lily joined him in the waiting room.
‘She looks peaceful. It’s Dad I’m worried about. God knows what effect all this is going to have on him. He almost lost Emma. And Maria – he really loved her. This could destroy him.’
She took the coffee Seb offered her and sat down beside him. ‘Mrs Wright, she drugged Emma and was going to jump off the balcony of her sixth-floor flat with her so they could be together forever.’ She swallowed. ‘If Maria and Simon had been a few minutes later…’
‘She’s mentally ill; grief can do that to you,’ Seb said, squeezing her hand. ‘I can’t believe that Maria murdered their daughter.’