Page 71 of The Dead Ex

Each of the adults glanced at each other in a funny way. ‘I’m afraid it might be some time,’ said Robert.

A bolt of fear shot through her. ‘Why?’

Dee took over. ‘She’s been sent to a different prison, love. It’s a long way off.’

‘WHY?’

Both Dee and Robert looked at the social worker. ‘It has a special secure section,’ she said slowly, as thoughchoosing her words very carefully. ‘Like I said before, your mother has done something very wrong.’

‘I don’t believe you. She’s a good person. You’re all lying to me. I know you are.’

‘Why would we do that?’

CRASH! The biscuit plate went flying. Scarlet looked at the fragments of blue-and-white china on the terracotta tiles. Had she really just done that?

‘How dare you!’

‘Robert!’ This wasDee. ‘Stop shouting. Look. She’s shaking.’

‘We’ve got to do something! This is becoming intolerable. Locking herself in her room; throwing things around. What’s next?’

Dee tried to put her arms around her. ‘She’s been through so much.’

But Scarlet pushed her away.

‘Ouch!’

‘Don’t you dare push my wife.’

‘I think that’s more than enough.’ This was the social worker. ‘Can everyone calm downright now, or I will have to take Scarlet to another placement.’

Dee had looked scared then. ‘I’m sorry, love. Robert didn’t mean to get cross.’

The social worker left soon after that, but her words planted an idea in Scarlet’s head. Mum was still jealous of Dee – she kept asking how ‘that foster woman’ was during visits. And although Scarlet always reassured Mum that no one could ever takeher place, the truth was that shehadlearned to care for them. After all, Dee had been so kind and Robert had shown her how to take photographs. Butnow the news that Mum was going to stay inside for five more years changed everything.

Scarlet’s mind went back to that terrible scene in the prison when Mum had scratched Dee. Then again, Dee shouldn’t have had her hand on her shoulder like that.It had made Mum jealous. And she shouldn’t have kept on about how happy Scarlet was. Maybe – she’d never thought of this before – Dee had actually done it on purpose to upset Mum and make her do this thing that was ‘really wrong’ so Scarlet could stay with her for ever. That was it! And she and Mum had both walked into the trap. There was no way she could stay here now.

‘It’s all right, love,’said Dee, gathering up the broken china. ‘We understand. Don’t we, Robert? Be careful not to cut yourself. Let me help you.’

But the nicer Dee was, the angrier Scarlet became. Every minute she spent here made her feel even more disloyal towards Mum. ‘I’d rather live with someone else,’ she told the social worker during the next visit.

The woman looked worried. ‘Why? Don’t they treat you well?’

‘Yes but …’

‘Then you’ll have to stay. We usually only organize moves if the foster families or the children do something wrong.’

Scarlet felt a leap of hope. Dee and Robert wouldn’t ‘do something wrong’.

Butshecould.

The fire started at night. When Scarlet looked out of the window, there was a ball of flames flickering up into thesky. It was just like Bonfire Night, except it wasn’t theright time of the year.

‘FIRE,’ she yelled out, running onto the landing. ‘HELP!’

Robert stumbled out of their bedroom, his eyes wild with terror. ‘Where?’

‘Your studio,’ cried Scarlet.