Page 28 of Wanting Daisy Dead

Lauren

Teresa is glaring at Dan. Is this who she believes is the murderer ? Everyone’s looking awkwardly at everyone else, except of course Maddie, who’s asking, ‘What did she say?’ Classic Maddie.

Meanwhile the blood’s drained from Dan’s face; no little jokes or witty repartee from him right now. I do feel a bit sorry for him, despite being annoyed at overhearing his wife telling him I had a motive to kill Daisy, and him not defending me.

‘Teresa, I’m not sure what you’re implying,’ Dan eventually manages to say.

‘Nothing. I just wanted to see your face when I said that.’

‘Oh ... It was a test?’ he asks hopefully.

‘You can take what you like from it. I have my views, and a right to air them.’

‘Yes, of course, and we all respect your views,’ he says in the patronising tone he always used with Maddie and Alex. ‘But you can’t implicate any of us without evidence or some kind of proof.’

‘Who says I don’t have evidence ... on any of you?’

‘This isn’t a party game, Teresa. Whatever you say will be broadcast to a hell of a lot of people tomorrow evening!’ Georgie’s voice is raised, her face pink with fury.

‘Good, then I can get my message across.’ Teresa clearly feels attacked, and sounds like she’s on the verge of tears.

This is typical of Dan and Georgie: they would often form a tag team and gang up on someone.

I think we all faced that ordeal at some point, and at the beginning of second year, just before she died, they seemed to target Daisy most of all. I wonder why?

‘Yes, but being Daisy’s mother doesn’t give you immunity .

’ Georgie’s so fiercely protective of Dan, it makes me wonder if the lady doth protest too much.

‘I mean, you can’t say anything about anybody in public, especially for broadcast. There are laws to protect people from this kind of thing – we could just as easily say you did it! ’ she snaps, and Teresa starts to cry.

‘ Georgie ,’ Dan groans.

Maddie’s up off her seat, followed by Alex, both now comforting Teresa. Maddie has her arm around her and Alex is handing her napkins while Dan and Georgie sit there with faces of stone.

‘I wouldn’t harm a hair on Daisy’s head. I’m her mother!’ Teresa sobs. ‘How could you even think something so horrible? She was my little girl.’

‘Georgie didn’t mean—’ Dan starts.

‘I’m sorry, Dan, but you can’t defend your wife’s behaviour this time.’ I have to say something. ‘As the grieving mother of a murder victim, Teresa should be treated with respect and kindness, not attacked by your wife!’ I snap.

He doesn’t respond. He knows he can’t justify her behaviour to others. I can see what his life with Georgie is now – he told me himself, it’s just one drama crashing into the next.

‘Lauren, this has nothing to do with you!’ Georgie’s rage is gathering like a storm. ‘She’s virtually just accused my husband of sex crimes and murder – she can’t say shit like that!’

‘Suddenly you’re pushing back on what Teresa’s saying?’ I yell back. ‘I don’t remember you stepping in to defend me when she said I’d stolen Daisy’s coursework. Where was your outrage and your devotion to laws that protect people? No – you were licking your lips then.’

She’s sitting there, arms folded tightly across her, mouth clamped down sullenly. If she were a cartoon, steam would be puffing from her head. She’s furious that someone’s called her out, and I’m so here for it.

When I overheard her earlier saying I had a motive to kill Daisy, it felt like she’d sliced into my flesh. I will never forgive her for pointing the finger at me, and in that sneaky way too – not to my face, but to Dan, and loud enough to be recorded, even though they were standing in the toilets.

I watch the candles flicker on the table, and decide to start a few little fires of my own.

‘The thing is,’ I start slowly, running my fingertip around the edge of my glass, ‘I think Georgie may be being a bit hypocritical regarding unfounded accusations.’ I give it a beat; timing has always been my strong point.

‘Because only minutes before Teresa implied Dan may know a thing or two about sex crimes and murder, Georgie was – behind my back – accusing me of having a motive to kill Daisy!’

I wait for the reaction. Maddie does the usual confused gasp, Alex stays cool, and Georgie’s body language shows her discomfort. So far, so students of Apartment 101 St Luke’s Campus 2005.

I lean forward. ‘Just wondering if it’s time to roast you, Georgie.

’ I wink, and pick up my fork. It brushes against my glass, almost knocking it over, but Dan catches it.

Sharp, devastating words sit on the tip of my tongue.

But I must resist. I will watch and listen and work out how best to handle this, and when to strike the blow that will destroy her.

‘Lauren, I agree, it must have sounded awful, what Georgie was saying ... but ... no one was accusing you of killing Daisy.’ Dan’s obviously so scared that I’m going to blow his cover.

‘Calm down, Dan ... I’m not going to drop you in it!’ I reply.

Georgie’s eyes dart from me to him and back again, questioning.

‘You thought you knew everything about your husband, didn’t you?’ I pause, lifting my wine glass and raising it to her. ‘Well, think again.’ I take a long sip, smiling as I place the glass back on the table. Georgie’s glaring at me like she’s mesmerised – numb. She hasn’t a clue.

Suddenly, our phones ping. ‘Another audio file,’ I announce, and I tap my phone screen and lay it on the table so everyone can hear.

I’m glad the conversation was interrupted; I don’t actually have the energy for a row with Georgie.

And, given her theory on my motive to kill Daisy, I need to be careful: I don’t want that secret split wide open here.