Angel Kiss - Laura Jane Cassidy [53]
‘Confusion is a lonely place;
I’m looking but can’t see her face.
She pulled me in and kept me close;
Her beauty is a troubled ghost.
All I saw was her and me;
We kept each other company,
Looking for the right way out.
She whispers but I wish she’d shout.’
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I looked at the message. It was from Colin, and simply said JANE UPDATE. I texted back TELL ME! and waited a few moments for his reply. MY HOUSE. NOW.
I left the caravan so fast I didn’t even remember to take my iPod, and I always took that everywhere. I desperately wanted to find out what Colin knew. When I got to the guesthouse he was alone in the kitchen making coffee.
‘Hey,’ he said. ‘You’re not going to believe this.’ He pointed to a note on the table in front of me.
The paper was pale pink. Probably from a cute little letter set, one that made you want to get a pen pal just so you could have an excuse to buy it. Little pink hearts formed a border round the page, although their colour had faded with time. The handwriting was small and neat.
I picked up the note and read it aloud.
Dear Audrey,
Please forgive me. I am so sorry.
Please talk to me.
Love always,
Jane x
My eyes fixed on the final word.
‘Where did you get this?’ I asked, my heart thumping.
‘In the attic. Mam asked me to go up and look for more photographs, and I found this in among a pile of Lydia’s stuff.
‘Who’s Audrey?’
‘No idea. My mam said she doesn’t know anyone called Audrey. My dad didn’t have a clue either.’
‘Did you ask Lydia?’
‘Not yet, but we could ask her now,’ said Colin as we spotted Lydia heading for the dining room. She jumped when she saw us sitting in the semi-darkness. She was carrying a red silk dress, its plunging neckline sparkling with diamanté studs.
‘Lydia, have you ever seen this before?’ Colin asked, holding up the notepaper. She came over to the table and peered at it. Her face seemed to get paler. She scanned down through the words. There was some recognition there – I was sure of it.
‘No, never seen it before,’ she shrugged. Her hands gripped the dress more tightly.
‘I found it in your box in the attic,’ said Colin. I kept staring at Lydia. She definitely seemed a little bit flustered.
‘Do you know who Audrey is?’ I asked.
‘Nope.’
‘What about Jane? Did you know anybody called Jane?’
‘No offence, guys,’ she said with a smile, ‘but I really don’t have time to chat about a letter you two found in the attic. I have to finish this dress I’m making Mary for her birthday.’ Lydia walked out the door.
‘She knows something,’ I whispered.
‘Definitely,’ said Colin, folding up the note and dropping it into my pocket.
Chapter 16
Mum and I had gone for dinner to Clancy’s pub. She was tired and we both needed a break from our cramped living quarters. It was nearly ten o’clock, and Mum was enjoying an after-dinner drink. It was relatively quiet; there were two couples I didn’t know finishing off a late meal, and Mary and Lydia were sitting at the table behind me. They were the most unlikely best friends in the world. Mary was so prim and organized; Lydia so cool and carefree. Lydia had said hi to us when she came in, but wasn’t her usual friendly self. I was sure she knew something about that note. I was close enough to overhear what they were saying, but couldn’t really concentrate when Mum was chatting to me. When two of Mum’s new teacher friends came in and joined us I had a chance to eavesdrop on Lydia and Mary’s conversation.
‘Do you have any cocktails, Joe?’ asked Mary, her elbows resting on the table.
‘Where do you think you are?’ Joe joked with them.
Mary sighed. ‘Fine! We’ll have