The Flood

And yet nothing Franklyn did was enough to make her stay.

One of Daniela’s clearest memories was of a fight she hadn’t been meant to witness. Aged twelve, Daniela had watched, through a crack in the door, as her father berated their mother in that whip-tongue voice until she’d pulled off the eternity rings he’d given her and flung them at him. Daniela had barely had time to get clear of the door as her mother strode out. Two days later, their mother had packed her bags, leaving Daniela with a clearer memory of her hands than her face.

She thought of the sort-of funeral they’d held, out on the fishing platform above the swollen river. None of them had spoken of it again. But a few weeks later, Daniela went back to the garage to look through their mother’s remaining possessions. At that time, she’d noticed other items conspicuously missing. Everything of value, like the jewellery, had gone. As had the crucifix from the hallway, the one with the sad Jesus, which was no longer hidden under the pile of magazines.

Franklyn didn’t answer Auryn’s question straight away. She turned the beer can with her thin fingers. ‘It’s not something that’s come out of nowhere,’ she said at last. ‘Wanting to change … wanting something different. It probably feels like I’m springing this on you, but it’s always been in my head. I want something different. I want to do something. This week was …’ She stopped. ‘Anyway, I came home to clear my head. And to get some support.’ She flashed a grin. ‘That’s what we’re here for, right? To look out for each other. I bet Auryn hasn’t been getting hassled over her academic choices.’

Auryn’s ears went pink. She hated to admit how well she’d done at school. Everyone in the family knew she was the bright one – the one with the high-flying career ahead. From a young age she’d known what she wanted to do with her life. Daniela envied that, a lot.

Stephanie was envious as well, Daniela knew, because although Stephanie had her own career – one she insisted she loved – she’d fallen into it more or less by accident, recruited straight from high school. Someone had to keep the peace in the household, and Stephanie was the only one capable. Policing had been the logical, inevitable choice. A concrete way to enforce the rules of the house.

But Auryn was still the smartest, with the best qualifications and the pick of universities.

Daniela had never considered Franklyn might be jealous too.

‘I don’t blame you for wanting to get away,’ Franklyn added to Auryn. ‘Get out, see the world. It’ll be good for you. And Leo.’

Auryn nodded. ‘I think he’s more anxious than me to get away.’

‘No surprise. If Henry McKearney was my dad, I wouldn’t stick around either.’ Franklyn made little dents in the beer can with her fingertips. ‘If he’s smart, he’ll hang on to you.’

Auryn frowned. ‘What d’you mean by that?’

‘He’s not got much to look forward to here, has he? If he can escape Stonecrop and tough it out at university, he’s smart enough to go far. But studying medicine is a long hard slog. He’ll need support.’

‘You mean financially.’ A hard edge crept into Auryn’s voice. ‘You think he’s only staying with me because our family’s got money.’

‘I never said that.’

‘You’re thinking it pretty loudly.’

Franklyn drained her beer. ‘No, I’m not. You and Leo need to support each other. That’s all I mean. It’s a big, scary, horrid world out there. Even if it is better than this fucking place.’

Stephanie raised her eyebrows. ‘That’s some fine language. Are you sure you’re cut out to be a vicar?’

Franklyn laughed and threw the empty can at her, and the tension in the room dissipated for a while.

9 (#ulink_5a7a7383-3f11-592f-8da6-3ae7c2da2c07)

Daniela went to the kitchen for another beer. Although she tried to keep pace with the others, she was still a lightweight, and if she didn’t moderate her intake, she’d be asleep in an hour. She was already pleasantly warm around the ears.

The kitchen was a large square that jutted from the rear of the house. Whoever designed the house had included a picture window, even though the kitchen faced nothing more interesting than trees and mud, and didn’t get the sun at any time of year. A rustic wooden table with matching chairs took up the centre of the room.

Daniela dropped the empty can into the recycling bin and opened the fridge. Apart from the large quantity of beer on the bottom shelf, the fridge was all but empty. Daniela’s stomach rumbled. She’d neglected to eat since lunch. She should’ve picked something up from the shop, but her mind had been elsewhere.

She still wondered what Franklyn and Henry had been arguing about.

A soft step alerted her to Auryn coming into the kitchen. ‘I’m putting the kettle on,’ Auryn said, stifling a yawn. ‘I need coffee or I’ll fall asleep. Is there anything to eat?’

‘There might be crisps.’

Together they rifled the cupboards and came up with a few packets of crisps and some chocolate biscuits. It was hardly a fitting meal for the four of them. Auryn tipped the crisps into bowls to take through to the front room.

‘Just leave them in the packets,’ Daniela said. ‘Why make the extra washing-up?’

‘You people are savages. Eat food off plates like normal people.’

‘Crisps barely count as food.’ Daniela stole a salt-and-vinegar crisp. ‘Is Leo okay? Has he called?’

‘Not yet. I phoned earlier but he said he couldn’t talk and he’d call me back.’ Auryn arranged biscuits on a plate. Daniela didn’t mock her this time. ‘I wish he’d speak to me. About his family, I mean. On other stuff I have to fight to shut him up, but as soon as anyone mentions his parents …’

‘Is he still getting grief about going to uni?’

‘I think so. His dad’s always said he wants Leo to take over the shop from him eventually. But Leo won’t talk about it.’ Auryn lowered her voice. ‘Don’t tell him I said anything, obviously, but he’s pretty stressed. It’s not just being away from home, or what his dad thinks about it. He’s worried how we’re gonna afford everything.’

‘What’s he worried for? Our dad will cover it.’

‘I know, but … he doesn’t like relying on someone. He knows what people think of him. What Franklyn was saying … he knows, Dani. It bugs the hell out of him. Leo wants to cover his own bills. At least that way he’ll know no one’s talking behind his back.’

The bitterness in Auryn’s tone was so unexpected Daniela dropped the subject.

Auryn asked, ‘So, what the heck was going on with Henry?’

Daniela glanced towards the kitchen door. The murmur of voices was audible from the front room. ‘Search me,’ she said. ‘Franklyn and him were arguing when I got there.’

‘What was Franklyn saying?’

‘I didn’t hear.’ Daniela shrugged. ‘It could’ve been anything. Those two have always had a personality clash.’

A pause, then Auryn said, ‘What did you take from the shop?’

‘What?’

‘You put something in your sleeve as you were going out.’

Daniela winced. She’d thought Auryn had missed that. ‘Yeah,’ she admitted.

‘What was it?’

Talking to Auryn felt safer than talking to the others. Growing up, she and Auryn had shared everything. There’d been no secrets between them. So, after only a brief hesitation, Daniela said, ‘Let me show you.’

She fetched her jacket from where it was hanging in the hallway and brought it into the kitchen. The weight of the knife was a heaviness she’d felt all afternoon as she carried it around. She shook the knife out of the pocket into her hand.

Auryn’s eyes went wide. ‘Dani, what—?’

‘It was on Henry’s desk. I thought … I dunno, I thought maybe he was reaching for it during the argument.’ Looking back, Daniela was no longer certain of that.

Auryn blinked several times as if trying to process this. ‘You think he would’ve hurt Franklyn?’