Gone Astray Read Online Free Page A

parents.’
    ‘In what way suspicious?’
    ‘I’m not sure,’ Maggie fudged, knowing she mustn’t divulge the discovery of the blood to her sister or anyone else. ‘I’ll find out more when I get
there.’ She glanced down at her T-shirt. ‘I’ll have to nip home and get changed.’
    ‘Well, it’s great he’s asked for you, but I bloody well hope he apologizes for what he’s put you through these past months.’
    Maggie shrugged. ‘I don’t care if he doesn’t. I’m just pleased to be reinstated.’ She glanced at the stage. The teacher with the mop sloshed more water onto the
surface. ‘How long until it starts again?’
    Lou squeezed her shoulder. ‘It’s okay, you go if you have to. It sounds serious.’
    ‘But I can’t miss Scotty singing,’ Maggie fretted.
    She knew she couldn’t keep Umpire waiting but Scotty would be upset if she missed his big moment. He’d been so nervous that morning as she and Lou fitted his costume on him, which
they’d made by Lou cutting up a few different-coloured shirts she picked up in a charity shop into strips and Maggie sewing them together to make a sort of coat.
    ‘It’s okay,’ said Lou gently. ‘I’ll explain to Scotty you had to go. He’ll understand.’
    ‘Are you sure?’
    ‘Yes. Now go. That girl’s poor parents must be going spare.’
    Maggie gave her sister a hug and kissed Mae on her downy head.
    ‘Thanks, sis. I’ll make it up to you and the kids.’
    Lou smiled. ‘I know you will. You always do.’
    Maggie weaved back along the row, reaching the door just as Scotty’s class filed onto the stage. Even from the back she could see her nephew was nervous from the way he was biting his
bottom lip. She felt a pang of regret but as she glanced over her shoulder she saw Lou flicking her hand in her direction and mouthing the word, ‘Go.’
    As Maggie let the door swing shut, Scotty and his classmates began to sing.

3
    ‘You’re making a right mess of that. Here, give it to me and I’ll throw it away.’
    Lesley raised her head and blinked slowly, as though she’d just opened her eyes after a long sleep. A woman stood directly in front of her. Sarah Stockton. Her neighbour. Holding her left
hand out expectantly. Lesley shook her head, confused.
    ‘Come on, hand it over,’ said Sarah, waggling her fingers. There were gold and diamond rings on each one.
    ‘Hand what?’
    ‘The tissue. Give it to me and I’ll get you another.’
    Lesley looked down and was surprised to see the tissue she’d been holding was shredded into small, worm-like pieces and littered like confetti on her lap. She couldn’t remember doing
it. She scooped the pieces into her hand and tipped them into Sarah’s outstretched palm. Lifting her hands revealed the blood from the garden that she’d smeared on her skirt when
she’d wiped her fingers on it in a panic. The sight made her stomach clench sharply and she began to tremble again.
    Sarah flitted across the living room and deposited the tissue into a waste-paper basket by the door. She wore a black velour tracksuit that strained across her ample hips and her short dark hair
was backcombed so it sat on top of her head like a soufflé; as she scuttled back across the room Lesley was reminded of a fly circling a lampshade.
    ‘There you go,’ Sarah trilled as she handed over a fresh tissue. ‘Mop your tears with that.’
    Lesley buried her nose in the tissue and closed her eyes in the hope that not seeing Sarah would shut out the sound of her too. She couldn’t cope with her being there and wanted her to
leave. She wanted them all to go away.
    The house was full of police officers and had been for the last three hours. Some were in uniform, a few in suits and the rest in white papery jumpsuits that crackled as they walked, who swarmed
over the back garden like a colony of albino ants. The officers politely gave Lesley their names as they entered the house – including the one in charge, who had quizzed