Page 151 of Three Widows

After a hasty meeting between Frankie Bardon and a junior solicitor, Lottie knew she was beaten for the day. She watched them leave together not a half-hour after Kathleen Foley had walked out with Madelene Bowen.

Outside, the media scrum had increased in size as the days passed. Superintendent Farrell was holding them at bay with press releases and briefings, but the headlines were critical of the lack of progress. The fact was, her team had made progress over the last few days, but more people were dying. Despite that, she felt in her gut that they were closer to a conclusion, even without substantial evidence. Her gut, yes, that again. Still, she could do with forensics giving her something on a plate. A DNA hit or a fingerprint. Anything to bolster a suspicion. So far it was an unravelling thread. That thread had a beginning and an end. She just had to find her way through the tangled middle.

But before she could do another thing, she had to go home, to eat and to sleep.

92

She scoffed down a chicken breast with two roast potatoes, compliments of Chloe, before checking on her mother.

Rose was lying on the bed they’d set up in the sitting room for her, staring at the ceiling, her eyes fixed, unseeing. Lottie stood by her side. Her mother’s stare never wavered. Frightened now, she reached down and tapped Rose’s shoulder. The woman shuddered, startled, moving her head from side to side as if to refocus.

‘Why did you wake me up like that?’

‘I didn’t think you were asleep. Did you eat?’

Rose struggled to sit upright, and Lottie placed her hands under her arms and shimmied her up on the makeshift bed. Why couldn’t she have been reasonable and taken Lottie’s bedroom? She was quickly learning there was nothing reasonable about dementia. The tall woman with her short, sharp silver hair was no more. It broke Lottie’s heart to see her like this, and despite the lies and revelations of a few years ago, she wanted to help her mother. But how?

‘I had my dinner,’ Rose said. ‘I think. What day or time is it? I feel like I’m living a groundhog day. If I went back to my own house, I would get better.’

These lucid periods were what gave Lottie hope.

‘I’ve applied for a carer for you. When that’s approved, you can go home.’

‘I don’t need anyone. I’m perfectly capable of living on my own, of minding myself.’

But Lottie could see that her mother knew somewhere deep down in her clouded brain that the words were a lie. And that made it all the sadder.

Without thinking, she blurted out, ‘What if Chloe lived with you? Then we could see how you manage at your own house.’ Her daughter would go apeshit for not discussing it with her first, but Lottie didn’t expect Rose to accept the offer anyway.

‘Would she? Do you think it’s possible? I really miss my house, Lottie. Everything is familiar there. It might help my brain recover.’

‘I’ll talk to Chloe. I’m sure she’d be delighted.’ She crossed her fingers behind her back. She didn’t have much confidence in a positive outcome from that conversation, but if push came to shove, she’d go live with Rose herself for a while. And bring a pair of Sean’s noise-cancelling headphones with her! There would be fewer rows that way.

‘I feel better already.’ Rose lay back and pulled the sheet to her chin. ‘Think I’ll take a nap now. Even though we never saw eye to eye, you are a good little girl. Send your father in to me when he gets home.’

Lottie left her mother to rest.

And braced herself for an awkward conversation with her middle child.

‘You can’t be serious!’ Chloe flapped around the kitchen in her bare feet. ‘And where are my shoes? If Katie took them again, I swear to God I won’t be responsible for—’

‘It was just a suggestion. A way to help out your granny.’ Lottie tapped the table with a spoon, counting in her head to keep her nerves from snapping.

Chloe paused, having found one shoe beside the basement door. ‘Resorting to emotional blackmail now, are you? I have to get to work and I only have one shoe.’

‘I saw the other one in the sitting room.’

‘How on earth did… Oh, forget it. I’m going to be late, not that you care. After I cooked a roast dinner and all.’

Lottie hunched her shoulders, waiting for the door to slam, but Chloe let it swing shut slowly as she exited.

She needed to lie down. If she stayed up any longer, she wouldn’t be able to function in the morning.

A strong smell of perfume preceded Katie into the kitchen. ‘Louis is asleep. If he wakes, just give him juice and he’ll fall back asleep immediately.’

‘Where are you off to?’

‘I told you when I asked if you could watch Louis for me. I’ve another date.’ Katie feathered Lottie’s head with a kiss and picked up her bag from a chair. ‘See you in the morning.’