The Happy Family by Jackie Kabler (electric book reader txt) 📕

in the late 80s or early 90s ever come back? Anyone ever hear anything from her?” When she told me your mother had never been heard from again, well, that was a gift. And when I told her I was fascinated by old missing-persons cases, that I fancied myself as a bit of an amateur detective and asked her if she had any more information, she was happy to tell me everything she could remember: Alice’s birthday, bits and pieces about you and your dad, loads of stuff. Enough to make it work. When I asked for photos, and she emailed me one of your mother in a summer dress with her tattoo clearly visible, well, that was another gift. And it struck me then that actually we looked a bit alike as young women, me and her. And that was when I thought it might actually work. That I might be able to pretend to be her.’

She coughs, and I ask her if she needs some water. I hold the cup while she takes a sip, all the time marvelling at how we’re sitting here discussing this so calmly, as if it’s something that’s happened to someone else.

‘I still had to find you though,’ she says.

‘And that was where Mike came in,’ I reply. ‘Why now though? Why wait so long?’

There are a few seconds of silence. Her eyes close briefly, then she says, ‘I’m dying. I’ve got cancer, but you probably know that too now. It’s not curable. I should have started treatment a while ago. I went to the hospital last week – that’s actually why I went back to Cornwall, but, well, I’d thought about this for so long, you know? About finding you and making you pay. You got to live your life, Beth. My child died, and you got to live. And yes, I know you were only a child too, and a messed-up child. But that’s no excuse, you know? I tried to find forgiveness. I couldn’t. And then I got cancer, and I knew time was running out. So, what did I have to lose? It was worth a try. And my God, did it work out. Better than I could ever have hoped for.’

She practically spits the words at me, a spark back in her eyes and venom in her voice. A little shiver runs through me.

She really does hate me, doesn’t she?

‘I guessed quite soon after I arrived that you hadn’t told anyone about Lucy,’ she says. ‘The fact that nobody ever mentioned it, and that you didn’t tell me, your mother, during any of our lovely long chats. Your dad obviously moved you away for a fresh start, but I couldn’t let that go on anymore, Beth. I wanted everyone to know what you’d done. I could have got somebody else to do it, you know? I could have done it a different way. But I wanted to be there myself. I wanted to watch as I slowly destroyed you, Beth. As you slowly destroyed yourself, like you destroyed me.’

I say nothing. There’s nothing to say. She waits for a few moments, then inhales, exhales, and starts talking again.

‘How good was my Liv though, playing your long-lost sister? With her blonde hair, I knew she’d get away with it. It’s close enough in colour to yours, and you didn’t even question it, did you? And of course, we both love acting. We both did a bit of amateur dramatics over the years; we were both good too, but that was nothing compared to this. Best performance of our lives.’

She smiles a satisfied smile and I remember the conversation Liv had with Eloise about her school play, how she told her being good at drama must run in the family.

‘Bravo,’ I say.

‘I was going to confess all at the party – did you work that out?’ she asks. ‘I was going to tell everyone who I was, and what you did. Scuppered before the final act. That’s annoying. Never mind. Can’t have it all, I suppose.’

So that was your big special announcement, I think, and wonder again what happened in my house last night. Who attacked her? Who stopped her? But I haven’t got time to dwell on that now because she’s still talking.

‘If you’ve been trying to get hold of Liv, she won’t be picking up,’ she says. ‘I told her not to speak to you until I rang her and told her the deed was done. She’ll be disappointed. She’s the light of my life, Liv. I split up with Lucy’s dad a year or so after we lost her. Our marriage just fell apart; our whole lives did. I moved away, travelled a bit, and ended up in Cornwall. When Liv came along … I don’t know. It was like I’d been given a second chance. It was true what I told you about her dad. He was an artist and he did scarper when he found out I was pregnant. It’s just been the two of us since then, and when she was old enough, I told her all about Lucy, and about you. She’s been on board with this from the very beginning. Yes, she’ll be a bit disappointed the end of it didn’t quite pan out, but still … the rest worked rather well, didn’t it?’

I shrug.

‘It did.’

‘Seeing your dad was a bit scary. That could have been the end of it,’ she says, with a little laugh. ‘Lucky he’s almost blind. Took the risk when you told me that. Could hardly believe it when he fell for it too. Thank heavens for my stash of temporary tattoos. Got them designed specially – online place that copies real tats. Sent them the old photo. Worked like a dream. It all did.’

She coughs again, then recovers herself and looks at me steadily.

‘Want to hear more?’ she says.

I nod.

‘Go on. Tell me everything. I’m intrigued.’

There’s a hint of sarcasm in my voice now, but she doesn’t