The Unmaking of Ellie Rook Episode 54

Dad rubs his beard. “What I don’t understand about you two” – his stony gaze flicks between my brother and me – “is this. “If you only just found out your mother was alive, wouldn’t you try and bring her back here?”

Neither of us speak. I glance at River, but he is leaning against the counter, staring at his feet.

‘Out of loyalty to me, even?’ our father continues. “Look what she’s put me through!”

His voice is gathering strength, volume. “I thought she was dead. You two should have brought her back to me. Her place is HERE!”

He stands up so suddenly that his chair rocks backwards. One of the dogs whines. This time, River does catch my eye.

Every sinew in my body is tight, as if I’m preparing to run. My father’s voice rattles my ears.

“Have I taught you NOTHING about family loyalty? We Rooks stay together, no matter what. It was your duty to bring her home.”

Distracted

I’m so scared my insides have turned to water, and my gaze is fixed on the floor. One of the dogs pauses by my elbow and sniffs. I stiffen.

A wet nose travels down my thigh, snuffles at the back of my knee. I hear a growl starting low in its throat. It must be scenting my mother.

I hold my breath.

River opens the biscuit tin and makes a big play of breaking a digestive in two. Both dogs are immediately distracted and sit to attention, drooling.

I start to breathe.

“So.” Dad sits down at the table again. He steeples his fingers and glares over the top of them.

“Your mother can’t have gone far, unless you helped her escape.”

“No,” River says, too quickly. He glances at me.

“She can’t have gone far,” Dave echoes. “She’s got no car.

Dogs got the scent up there all right, but—”

“Maybe she got the bus.”

All eyes swing to me. I’m aware I’m gabbling, but anything to keep them away from her.

“I... I called the hospital. Shelby’s there, so – so maybe she got the bus to Aberdeen. She’d want to see how Shelby’s doing.”

Dad looks at me with a strange light in his eyes.

“Oh yes. She’d want to see how Shelby’s doing. That’s the answer. You didn’t think of that, did you, Dave?”

They grin at each other, but Dad’s expression makes my blood run cold. I have one more card to play.

As I place the mugs carefully on the table, I slip a glossy leaflet down beside the milk jug, where, until recently, PC Sampson’s pastel bereavement literature had sat.

I can’t get my head around the journey we’re on. It’s making me dizzy.

Dad is quizzing Dave about bus timetables. Now he spots the leaflet and picks it up.

I watch his face harden as he reads it. “A women’s refuge?” He glances up at me. “What on earth?

“You’ve been filling her head with more of this nonsense, haven’t you?”

My mouth makes a downward turn. “Nothing to do with me. I expect she contacted them a while ago.”

He holds up the leaflet and gives it a stinging slap with the back of his fingers. “Because she had such a rotten life with me, didn’t she, Dave?”

Dave chuckles.

“Rotten, boss. Didn’t know she was born, more like. All this...” He gazes around the kitchen in wonder.

“Well, I think we’ll pay Aberdeen a little visit tomorrow.

“The hospital first, see if she’s sitting by his bedside, and if not” – he waves the leaflet – “we know where she’ll be.”

I catch River’s eye. According to the woman I’ve just spoken to on the phone, an unidentified male had been admitted and a detective is waiting to interview him.

Now, despite everything I’ve ever been taught, I’m hoping against hope that the police can protect Shelby.

Escape

My mother is dozing fitfully in the centre of my double bed when I finally escape upstairs.

Sighing, I sit down at the dressing table and scowl into the mirror.

My healthy tan has faded into dull exhaustion. My mind continues to perform cartwheels, but I cannot see an easy way out of this mess.

Mum’s Plan B comes back to haunt me, and I dare to imagine a scenario where we are left in peace to live as we wish.

The reality is that she’s hurt my father’s pride, sidestepped his authority.

If it becomes known that she faked her death to get away from him, it will be the ultimate humiliation.

Rooks are not allowed to break rank – even my gap year was pushing it – and he won’t rest until he’s brought her back into the fold.

Would he kill her, like she seems to think? I’ve read those leaflets. On average, two women a week are killed by a partner or ex-partner in this country.

Statistic

Dave and Dad grin at each other, but Dad’s expression makes my blood run cold. I have one more card to play.

I look across at my mother’s face. The deep frown line is still visible between her closed eyes and her lashes are flickering. Am I going to let her become a statistic?

A light knocking makes me leap up. The door opens, but it’s only River.

I press a finger to my lips, and he glances at the bed and nods.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’d phoned the hospital?” he whispers.

“I couldn’t. I didn’t get a chance. And anyway, I don’t have much information. They wouldn’t tell me anything over the phone.”

“Just as well I’m on the case, then.” I realise he’s smiling. “Shelby called me just now.”

“What? Where is he? How is he?” “He’s discharged himself from hospital. Just walked out!”

“Oh, thank God.”

More tomorrow.

Copyright Sandra Ireland 2019, extracted from The Unmaking of Ellie Rook, published by Polygon, an imprint of Birlinn Ltd, at £8.99.