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Smith bursts into tears and hurls herself into the woman’s arms.
Smith:
Mum, Mum, you have to help me – she was going to tell everyone – tell them what we did – I was trying to persuade her to stop but she wouldn’t listen –
The woman slowly folds her arms around Smith, her eyes still on the body. There is blood seeping across the floor.
Woman:
It’s OK.
[a deep breath]
I’ll protect you.
Just like I always have.
–recordingcuts out –
***
Tichborne Farm, 15 June 2024, 17.47
‘You have to believe me – it was an accident – I was trying toprotect you–to protectus–’
She’s sitting huddled on the sofa now, her head in her hands. But maybe that’s just because she can’t face looking Kate in the eye. Kate knows what a good liar her daughter is, she’s seen her do it too many times. And she’s not naive, despite what Sabrina seems to think. The minute she opened the door she knew what must have happened – she knows this woman Robin Tierney was canny enough to track her down, so she could just as easily have found Sabrina too. Found her and offered her money – the sort of money Sabrina would assume could buy her that ‘new life’ she never stops talking about. It was always a fantasy – Kate knew that, even if Sabrina didn’t – but at least now she can kill off the whole stupid dangerous idea once and for all. If there’s one good thing that can come out of this godawful mess it’s that. If they can find a way through this – if Kate can find a way through this – then Sabrina will never leave. She’ll have too much to lose, too much at risk. But it’s not just that. She’ll realize, finally, the strength of Kate’s devotion, the lengths she’ll go to protect her, the power and purity of their love. And she’ll see, at last, that her best and only life is by Kate’s side.
Looking at her now, rigid, trembling, Kate can still see the sad, desperate little girl she first met all those years ago, a child yearning for the love only Kate could give her, looking up at her with the tears running down her face, begging her to never let her go. And Kate had made her that promise. And in return Daisy had made a promise of her own. That they would love each other above all other, no matter what. And they have, they do. Despite everything, they still do. Finn? – Finn’s just a distraction, no more than the scratching of an itch. There is, and has only ever been, Sabrina.
And yes, they’ve had their moments – what relationship doesn’t? – but a bond like theirs doesn’t dissipate or decay, itjust gets out of focus sometimes. Like you’re looking through the wrong lens. Butwhatyou’re looking at doesn’t change – that’s still every bit as real, every bit as solid. It’s just your fault for not seeing it right. And Sabrina will realize that now. She’ll see it properly, just like she used to.
Kate’s not stupid; she knew it would get harder as Sabrina got older – that even someone as bright and perceptive as her would still be prey to all the pressures teenagers face. That she’d find a way round Kate’s online ban and see all those terrible fake shiny Instagram feeds and be deceived into thinking things could be different somewhere else, with someone else. But sheisbright, and sheisperceptive. She’ll realize now how mistaken she was. That with the wrong lens, everything is distorted. After tonight, she’ll see that, and this will betheirnew start. Their new life.
But first, she has to clean up the old one.
She reaches out to Sabrina and touches her gently on the arm. ‘You’re going to have to help me, my darling. I know it’s hard –’
Sabrina raises her head, her face stricken and red and bleached. ‘It’s OK. I’m OK. What do you want me to do?’
Kate takes a deep breath. ‘Well, we have to get rid of the body, and then we have to clean this house of any trace that we were ever here.’