Page 81

I’m still staring at my brother, wondering what to make of his shock and bafflement.

He could be lying. He could still be T.

Could he have killed Jenna and be setting up Theo or Georgia?

KilledJenna? But Jenna isn’t dead. My baby girl is still alive. She has to be. Just not here.

I turn to look at the message on the wall:

WHO KILLED JENNA BEAUFORT-brADLEY?

No no no no no. It isn’t true.

But it won’t stop banging on my skull, shouting loud. There’s so much blood. The possibilities of who hurt Jenna crush on top of me. Georgia, Tristan, Theo, Ash, Ava, all the kids at her school – no, it has to be Georgia. Here we are in her old house, the last place Tristan would want us to be.

Georgia set this up to punish us. She got close to Jenna.She wanted revenge for her mother. But why Jenna and not the twins? Because she thought it would hurt Tristan as much as it hurt me? Because Tristan is T?

I feel like I’m crushed into a tiny space at the top of my skull, gasping for air.

My daughter is dead because of me.

‘Oh my God,’ Lydia whispers. She’s in the bedroom.

I stand and walk to the bathroom door. Lydia turns towards me, eyes wide. In her hands, I instantly recognise the fuchsia pink tape with the smiley face sticker.

How is it here? Did Georgia get it from Rose?

‘Is this what I think it is?’ Lydia says, walking towards the TV. It’s a pink, Disney Princess TV, just like mine. I just barely register that it shouldn’t be here but it doesn’t seem important now.

Behind me, I don’t think Tristan has seen or heard Lydia. She pushes the tape into the player when, really, the smart thing to do would be to hide it before he sees it.

I hurry over, whispering, ‘Lydia, no, don’t?—’

But she’s already pressing play.