Page 58 of The Dead Ex

Another left and then a right past a sign that said S–T–A–T–I–O–N. At her last two schools, loads ofthem hadn’t known their lefts from their rights, but Mum had taught her when she was really little.

‘What do you think, then?’

Scarlet gazed at the house in front of her. It was white with a strange brown roof that looked all bristly like a hairbrush. Yellow flowers were growing up the walls, and there was a dog running around the car, making horrible growling noises.

‘Let’s get out then, shallwe?’

‘I can’t,’ whispered Scarlet’s thoughts. ‘It might bite me.’

‘No need to shrink back like that. He’s really friendly.’

A man was walking across towards them, wearing green boots with something round his neck.

‘Hello,’ he said, opening the car door. ‘You must be Scarlet. Get down, Aztec.’

Scarlet’s scream rang in her ears.

‘Don’t be afraid,’ said the man again. ‘He’s just saying helloin his own way. Look, he’s licking your hand.’

‘Scarlet!’ The social worker’s voice was cross. ‘Don’t hit the poor thing like that.’

But it was going to bite her!

‘Robert!’ A woman was running out of the big door by the roses. ‘I told you not to let him out. The child looks terrified.’ Then she put her hands to her mouth and whistled.

To her amazement Scarlet watched the dog turn around andslink back into the house. The woman walked over and knelt down beside her. She wore her hair in a ponytail that swung from side to side and she smelled of roses. Once, Scarlet had taken a bunch from the cemetery for Mum’s birthday. She didn’t let on where they’d come from. Sometimes she still felt guilty about it.

‘I was scared of dogs when I was little too. But you’ll get used to him soon.Just as you’ll get used to us.’ She waved her hand around. ‘All this must be rather different for you.’

Scarlet nodded, but the ‘yes’ stayed stuck in her mouth.

‘Tell you what, why don’t we go inside and I’ll show you your bedroom. I’m Dee, by the way, although I expect they’ve told you that already.’

Silently, she followed. To her relief, the man didn’tcome too. The ground made her feet slidefrom one side to another.

‘Cobblestones,’ said Dee. ‘They’re really old. Just like the house.’

Old was bad. Mum used to say that. It’s why their boiler kept breaking down, although the bloody council should have fixed it.

‘We’ve been here for years. The farm used to belong to my husband’s parents. It’s too big for us, so when we couldn’t … when we decided the time was right, we decided to openup our home to children who needed somewhere to live.’

Scarlet put her hand on the staircase. It felt smooth. There were funny pictures carved into the wood. A lion’s face. An apple.

‘We don’t have any other children staying with us at the moment, so you can have the big bedroom. It’s rather pretty, with a fantastic view over the river. Look!’

This room was all hers? But it was bigger thanthe flat where she and Mum had lived.

‘You don’t need to come to the window if you don’t want to. Maybe you’d like a bit of a lie down on the bed.’

It was a proper one! Not just a mattress. Big enough for herandDawn, if she’d been here. But she didn’t deserve something nice like that, Scarlet told herself. Not after what she’d let Mr Walters do. Why hadn’t she tried to stop him? She was abad, bad girl.

‘Or perhaps you’re hungry?’

The lady called Dee was looking at her with such a kind face that Scarlet knew it had to be a trick. ‘You poor dear,’ she whispered. ‘You’ve been through so much. Nowonder you don’t want to talk. And there I am, prattling away like there’s no tomorrow.’

There was a cushion on the bed. A bright red one with a flower on it. Slowly, Scarlet lifted itdown and put it on the floor. Then she laid her head on it.

‘Are you sure you’re comfortable there?’