Destroy Me by Karen Cole (red queen ebook .txt) 📕

Sure. See you tomorrow. 

Eighteen

Dylan’s hand is slippery in mine as we walk up the path to Georgia’s house.

‘Mummy, your hand is wet,’ he complains.

‘Is it? I’m sorry.’ I let go and wipe my palms on my jeans.

I’m sweating because I’m nervous, I realise. That news report from last night is playing on my mind. Why hasn’t Georgia cancelled Dylan’s playdate? I wouldn’t have blamed her if she had. Any normal person would have second thoughts about making friends with a suspect in a murder case.

Outside the plain white front door, I take a deep breath and ring the bell. Then I wait with bated breath for Georgia to appear. I’m half expecting her to slam the door in my face when she sees me. Please not in front of Dylan, I beg silently.

She doesn’t shut the door in my face. Instead, she greets me with her usual warm, friendly smile and I’m ridiculously grateful.

‘Cat! Dylan! Come in, come in,’ she bubbles. ‘Sorry about my appearance. I was up late last night and didn’t have time to put on any make-up.’ She’s wearing a grey sleeveless t-shirt and jogging pants and her face is, as she says, bare of make-up but even so, she looks beautiful. Her eyelashes are thick and black, and her black hair is falling in sleek sheets over smooth, tanned shoulders.

‘Wow. You look fantastic,’ I say. ‘You should see me without make-up. It’s like a car crash.’

She laughs lightly. ‘I’m sure it isn’t.’

‘Well, I don’t look like you, that’s for sure.’

I wonder if I’m laying it on too thick. But I’m really so grateful to her for treating me like a normal human being.

She leads us through her open, airy home, talking nineteen to the dozen, firing questions that don’t require answers, leaving no space for social awkwardness.

‘How are you, Cat? It’s a gorgeous day, isn’t it? I was thinking we could sit outside, and the kids could play in the garden. Harry’s out there already on his new trampoline. Would you like to see it, Dylan?’

Dylan nods shyly and we follow her out through the French doors into a smallish garden, totally dominated by the large trampoline. Harry is bouncing around on it in a bored, desultory way. When he sees Dylan his face lights up and he jumps off, running up to him holding out a pine cone he has found.

Georgia pulls up an expensive-looking garden chair for me. Then disappears inside and emerges a few moments later with a clinking tray. We sit under the shade of a parasol, watching the boys tumble and shriek on the trampoline, sipping cold lemonade and nibbling ginger biscuits. Georgia’s baby is asleep in a rocker next to us.

Georgia talks so easily and comfortably that I gradually relax.

‘Sorry about the mess, by the way,’ she’s saying. ‘We moved here just a few months ago. I haven’t got around to sorting all the boxes yet. I’ve been so busy what with trying to get Harry into a school and with the baby. I think we were lucky to get places at Green Park Primary, don’t you? It’s meant to be one of the best. It has a very good Ofsted rating and the teachers are brilliant, don’t you think? Especially Lizzie Hamlyn. Harry loves her. Did you know she’s got a master’s degree? She could have got any job she wanted, but she wanted to get into teaching because she wanted to make a difference. I mean that just shows how caring she is, don’t you think?’

‘Where did you live before you came here?’ I ask, when I can get a word in edgeways.

‘We lived in Oxford. I loved it there, but my husband had a new job opportunity, so we decided to move. I miss Oxford and all my friends. It’s nice round here but, you know, it’s difficult starting again somewhere new. Though I must say everyone has been very friendly . . .’ She breaks off and a faint pink colours her cheeks. ‘I’m so sorry about Marsha the other day at the school gate. She was so rude to you. I didn’t know what to do with myself I was so embarrassed. I don’t believe a word she says, by the way,’ she adds hastily.

‘What does she say?’ I ask tightly, the churning in my stomach starting up again.

Georgia frowns. ‘It’s so ridiculous. She’s got this crazy idea in her head,’ she laughs lightly, but doesn’t quite meet my eyes. ‘She thinks you look like a suspect in that murder near the park. You must have heard about it? It’s been all over social media.’

I nod. ‘Yes, I heard something about it,’ I say vaguely. ‘A woman was stabbed, right?’

She shivers. ‘That’s right. I don’t watch the news as a rule. It’s always so negative, but this story’s been difficult to avoid.’

So, Georgia didn’t see the news report last night, I think. That explains a lot.

‘Everyone’s been talking about it,’ she continues. ‘The woman who was murdered, she was in her own home too. Apparently, she let him in.’ Georgia shudders. ‘It doesn’t bear thinking about, does it? Anyway, Marsha is convinced they had this photofit on the news that looked like you.’

‘Really?’ I try to laugh. I look around the garden searching for another topic of conversation. ‘Where’s Harry’s dad, by the way? Is he working?’

‘Don’t ask,’ she says, rolling her eyes and smiling. ‘It’s a sore subject at the moment. He’s a dentist and he’s always at work, that man. I feel like he puts his work before me and the kids. How about your ex? What does he do? Have you been divorced long?’

‘Dylan’s father is a teacher – a maths teacher. We’re separated, not divorced yet. We broke up a few months ago.’

Georgia looks sympathetic. ‘Oh, I’m sorry. What happened? Tell me if I’m being too nosy.’

‘No, it’s okay. He cheated on me with another teacher at the school where he works. They went on