Page 46 of The Good Girl

Chapter Forty-Five

Molly’s own dirty secret was trapped in her head, banging on her skull, thumping and kicking, desperate to get out and get help but she had to keep it locked in. Which was why she stayed silent and let Nancy do the talking.

‘Have you any more questions?’

Molly shook her head.

‘Okay, so now we just have to face the will reading later but there’s nothing to worry about there.

Julia appointed me executor until you and Dee are twenty-one, so for now, I can protect your interests.

There’s absolutely nothing mentioned about Shane in there, so rest assured the secret is safe but, it remains to be seen if he’ll spill his guts. If he does, we’ll handle it.

‘You should know your mum left you and Dee the house. She wanted you to live there but under the circumstances of her death I’m sure she’d understand if you’d prefer to sell it.

He gets a cash settlement that reflects the brief marriage, but you and Dee get everything else.

The company and all your mum’s assets.’ Nancy glanced at Molly who was focused on the privets in front of the car, unresponsive.

‘If he contests the will, the solicitor has a side letter which sets out why she made her decision. It’s a legal document to firm up her will.

I will also retaliate with your mum’s pre-prepared divorce documents, a signed affidavit detailing his infidelity and her grounds for divorce.

The directors and staff will back us up regarding his behaviour at work and we now have Harley in our arsenal, so I’d be surprised if he counter-claims. He should think himself lucky he’s getting anything. ’

Molly remained mute.

‘So, let’s just tough it out this afternoon.

I will be right by your side. I’m going to ask him to leave immediately afterwards and if you back me up, I doubt Dee will object.

Then the next thing on the agenda is sending my parents back to France without them getting wind of anything, and the same with Dee, who I think needs some professional help.

I can sort most of my affairs out from here but I will have to go to Toronto at some point and if it comes to it, you and Dee can come with me, if she’s well enough. ’

Nancy made it sound so simple. Like ticking off a to-do list. But there was so much more to it than that.

Layers and layers of things so deep and dirty that they made Molly’s own skin crawl.

Many would find it hard to believe that a daughter would do that to her mother and yet there she was, guilty as sin, and sinned she had.

And then there was this thing inside her, that had arrived the minute Nancy had said the words, Shane is your father, and it was growing with speed and intensity and she wasn’t sure if it was anger or fear.

Anger made her want to kill Shane stone dead, by any means possible, with her bare hands squeezing and squeezing till he went blue and his tongue hung from his mouth.

Then fear. Such terrible lip-numbing fear that he would tell Nancy and Dee and Magda what they’d done.

Nancy’s phone ringing saved Molly from self-torment and it quickly became clear that her grandma was having another meltdown over her granddad.

She listened as Nancy promised to be there as soon as she could, and that this time maybe an ambulance would be best seeing as he was hallucinating and seeing dancing bears on Aunty Betty’s back garden.

When she ended the call, Nancy’s expression was full of apology.

‘I’m going to have to go over there, otherwise Mum will end up in an ambulance, too, but I won’t go to the hospital if they decide he needs it.

I’m sure Dad’s lacking sodium and that’s causing his delirium so they should be able to sort it easily.

A neighbour in Toronto had the same thing.

I’ll get Dad sorted then come right back.

I’ll drop you home, first.’ Nancy started the engine.

‘Actually, Nancy, I think I’ll walk back. It’s only ten minutes and I’d like some air and time to think, so you get going. I’ll make my own way.’ It was a spur of the moment decision brought on by the word ‘home’.

‘Are you sure? I’d rather take you. You’ve had a massive sho–’

‘Which is why I want some alone time, get my head straight for later. I’ll be fine, I promise.’

Before Nancy could protest further, Molly had opened the door and was standing by the car.

‘Tell the Gs I’ll call and see them this week.

You take care and I’ll meet you later,’ and with that she slammed the door and strode away while behind her, the sound of her mum’s car reversing out of the car park was another stab to her heart.

The route home took her around the edge of the village and through narrow quiet streets, passing houses built hundreds of years ago, cottages mostly, and further up the hill larger homes, as though the more money you had meant you got a loftier position looking down on everyone else.

Hers was definitely near the top of the pile, one of the most eye-catching homes on the row, a prize that Shane coveted, just like her mum’s wealth and she wondered if he saw her the same.

Something to acquire. Someone to bribe like he had Harley and her poor mum.

Molly thought it through putting the last seven years together piece by piece, like a jigsaw of the mind, fragments of her once perfect life that in the past few hours had been smashed to pieces by one man’s perversions.

That’s what he was in her eyes, a dirty pervert.

It was all so obvious now. Images flicked past one after the other.

Of her and Dee in the pool, their friends splashing about in their skimpy-teen-bikinis, sunbathing on the terrace, lounging about in their sleepover-nighties and who always turned up – Shane.

Like an over-eager waiter, bringing cool drinks and snacks.

Christ, she was surprised he hadn’t offered to rub suncream on them, and in another instant, she was thankful he’d not been around when they were babies.

At least she didn’t have to live with warped images of bath time and nappy changes.

The ones she had in her head were bad enough.

Of his circling the birthmark on her stomach, knowing exactly what it signified while he told her it was cute.

Sickos like him needed punishing but how could she make sure Shane got what he deserved without exposing herself?

It was as though he’d always planned it this way, knowing she could never tell.

Not when she’d gone willingly to their ‘special hideaways’ for sex.

Nobody forced her. She thought it was love, the type a regular man and woman have for one another not his type of… whatever it was.

Molly was halfway home and locked in deep thought when she heard a scooter approaching and to her surprise, it was Magda’s. Flagging her down, Molly waited until it slowed to a stop beside her.

‘Hey, I thought you were waiting till we got back. Is everything okay?’ Molly could tell by the expression on Magda’s face that it was not.

‘Why you not answer your phone, Molly? Or Nancy. I have been ringing and ringing.’

Molly pulled out her phone and saw that she had in fact missed four calls. ‘Sorry, Magda, Nancy will be driving and I put mine on silent while me and Nancy were… anyway, what’s wrong?’

‘Him, that man. That is what is wrong. He came home early and told me I could go. I said no, it was okay, and that I had plenty to do and I was looking after Dee. Then he got angry and said I could have rest of the day off. I said no, I stay, and he is not boss of me. Then he start to shout really loud and said I was sacked and to get out. Not to come back and he will find new cleaner. I didn’t know what to do but he scare me so I grab my things and leave.

I rang you both straight away. I was coming to look for you in the village and then I am going to tell my Erik to punch his face in.

’ Magda had tears in her eyes, her anger and hurt soon began spilling onto her cheeks.

‘Magda, I am so sorry… and take no notice of him. He has no right to tell you to leave and after today, he won’t even be living there so you aren’t sacked, okay!

’ Molly rubbed Magda’s arm and waited for her to calm down as she said, ‘But still have the day off. You’re upset and I don’t want you coming back while he’s there.

Nancy will be home soon and I’ll explain what happened.

I promise you it’ll be fine, so you get off.

Oh, and let’s leave Erik out of this. Don’t want him getting in trouble even though I’d love to see him knock Shane’s teeth out. ’ That was a true fact.

Magda nodded. ‘Okay… but will you be all right on your own with him? He was in a really bad mood.’

‘Don’t you worry about me, Magda. I’m not scared of Shane and neither is Nancy, so leave it with us.’

After a quick hug, Magda started her scooter and zoomed off, her purple-pink plaits bobbing as she disappeared from sight.

Turning, Molly took a deep breath and with a frown, set off at pace up the hill toward home.

How dare he speak to Magda like that? He had no right making her leave or sacking her, either.

He knew Dee was fragile and hated arguments, especially now, and she didn’t like to be left alone and even though she didn’t exactly interact with Magda like she used to, saw her as a safety net.

Alone.

Dee was alone with Shane in a huge house.

Like she used to be.

Was that why he’d told Magda to leave? So he could… Oh God NO!

Molly began to run, faster than she’d ever ran in her life, her heart pounding, her legs burning, her mind screaming for her to go faster while it forbade thoughts of what might be happening to Dee.

It only took minutes but it felt like hours, one of those awful dreams in slow motion or where you can’t tap the right numbers on your phone, and by the time the gates and the front door came into sight, she had nothing left in the tank so walked the rest of the way, catching her breath as she fumbled for the keys in her jacket pocket, then let herself in.

It was in that moment, as she stood there in the hallway re-living other moments from the past, warning bells sounded.

So instead of calling out, alerting Shane to her presence, Molly listened.

There were no sounds coming from downstairs so he must be in his room.

Please God let him be alone in his room.

Molly took the stairs quickly, glad that glass didn’t creak and at the top was about to turn left to check on Shane when she noticed the door to the roof terrace was open, and as she neared, heard voices.

Shane and Dee. Creeping slowly upwards Molly strained to hear and as she reached the last step, she heard Dee say, ‘I haven’t told anyone like you said but I feel so bad… all the time…’

Almost springing onto the terrace, Molly’s eyes landed on a sight that turned her stomach, her worst fears coming true.