Page 171 of The Missing Sister

‘Sleeping. I haven’t woken her – I know she’ll be mad at me tomorrow morning, but she’s had a helluva day today.’

‘Really? Is she all right?’

‘I’m sure she will be,’ Jack replied as they went up in the lift, then headed for Mary-Kate’s room. ‘Coming back here to Ireland has been a bit like pricking a boil: you gotta get the poison out before it starts to heal.’

‘Lovely analogy, Jacko,’ Mary-Kate commented as her brother opened the door to her room for her. ‘What kind of “poison”?’

‘It’s all to do with her past. I’ll let her tell you. Anyway, it’s good to see you, sis. I’m glad you came.’

‘I didn’t think I had a choice, Jack.’ Mary-Kate climbed onto the bed and leant back against the pillows. ‘What’s been going on?’

‘I wish I could tell you, but at the moment, I can’t. Basically, there’s something – or someone – Mum is frightened of. And when this family of sisters kept turning up at her hotels trying to speak to her, she got really spooked.’

‘They only wanted to meet her and identify that ring, Jack. Why would that scare her?’

‘I haven’t a clue,’ Jack sighed. ‘All I’ve managed to get from her so far is thatsheused to be called the “missing sister” when she was younger. Listen, I’ve had a long day too, even if I haven’t travelled round the world like you, and I’m beat. I think we should both get some shut-eye; if tomorrow’s anything like today, you’ll need your wits about you.’

‘Bad stuff?’ Mary-Kate asked.

‘Just... stuff. Put it this way, after years of never mentioning it, Mum’s on an odyssey into her past, and it’s complicated.’

‘So it’s nothing to do with me then? Or the fact I might be this missing sister? I was thinking on the plane that maybe she’s scared she’s going to lose me to some other family.’

‘Maybe, yeah, but as all the rest of the sisters are adopted and their dad is dead, I’m not sure how you’d be related to them anyway.’

‘What about the adoptive mum? Who’s she?’

‘I don’t think there ever was one. Tiggy told me that some nanny brought them all up. It’s all a bit weird, to be honest, but she and her sister Ally, who I met in Provence, are lovely and seem pretty normal.’

‘CeCe and her friend Chrissie were great as well,’ Mary-Kate agreed. ‘Anyway, I’ve got something to tell you and Mum tomorrow. Right, I’m taking a shower and then I’ll try to get some sleep. Night, Jacko.’

‘Night, sis.’

I woke up and lay there in the dark, thinking I was at home. I reached out for Jock’s comforting bulk, but found emptiness next to me.

And remembered.

‘I miss you, my love, every day more, and I’m so sorry if I never appreciated you properly when you were with me,’ I whispered into the darkness.

I felt tears prick my eyes as the nightmare of my current existence began to flood back into my brain. I reached to turn the light on to stop the bad thoughts. And was shocked that the clock was saying it was ten to nine.

‘At night?’ I muttered as I staggered out of bed to open the curtains. I was amazed to find the sun shining high in the sky. Partly because it was rare to see such a clear sky in Dublin, but also because it meant it was morning, and I’d managed to sleep for almost fourteen hours straight.

‘Mary-Kate!’ I exclaimed out loud as I remembered. Reaching over, I dialled Jack’s room.

‘Hi, Mum. Sleep well?’

‘I did, yes, but did Mary-Kate arrive? Is she okay?’

‘Yeah, she’s fine. I left her in her room at around one a.m.’

‘Why didn’t you wake me?’

‘Because you needed to sleep. You had quite a day yesterday. Fancy some breakfast?’

‘I need to come to first, Jack. I feel like I’ve been drugged. It’s tea and a bath for me, but you go ahead if you want.’

‘I can wait. Just give me a call when you’re ready to come down.’