Читать книгу Saving Sophie: A compulsively twisty psychological thriller that will keep you gripped to the very last page - Sam Carrington, Sam Carrington - Страница 23

Karen searched their faces. They were smiling.

‘What? What’s happened?’ Her throat was tight, her voice squeezed through.

‘It’s okay, it’s all okay now.’ Sophie and Dan hugged each other, then Sophie pulled away from him, looking up to Karen. ‘It’s not her, Mum. The body they found, it’s not Amy.’

‘How do you know?’

‘She’s just texted. Show her, Dan.’ Dan held up his mobile in a shaky hand. Karen snatched it and read the group text: Sorry about all the fuss. Bumped into Jonathan and ended up at an all-night party. Been sleeping all day. AM SAFE!

‘How can you be sure it’s her? Ring her. Ring her now, Sophie, please.’

‘Of course it’s her,’ Sophie scrunched her face into a don’t be so stupid look Karen didn’t appreciate.

‘What if the murderer has her phone and it’s him texting?’

Sophie looked at her witheringly. ‘It’s not a film, Mum.’

Karen wasn’t reassured. A body had been found. Murdered. A film was exactly what this felt like.

‘Just do as I ask, please.’ She held out the mobile to Dan.

Dan took it, and pressed the screen. ‘Sure, Mrs Finch, I’ll give her a call.’

A few moments of heart-in-the-mouth tension passed before Dan spoke. To Amy.

Karen put her hand to her forehead. Her relief came in the form of an instant headache.

‘Good, I’m so pleased this is over. I’m going for a lie-down.’

Sophie and Dan, already in conversation about the events, didn’t even notice Karen leave the room. She went downstairs first, to inform Mike of Amy’s contact. He seemed as relieved as she did. Perhaps now things could get back to normal. Her kind of normal at least. She climbed the stairs, heavy legs making the fourteen steps seem more, then collapsed back on the bed. The anxiety of the weekend had taken its toll; she felt exhausted, mentally and physically.

Apart from the time of her own attack, this had been the longest weekend she could remember. The edges of the room blurred, so she closed her eyes. She wasn’t particularly religious, but now, lying on her back with her eyes shut, she put her hands together in silent prayer and thanked God for Amy being safe. She also prayed for the parents of the girl who had been murdered.

Although one family was now released from the grip of anguish, another was about to be condemned to it. They shouldn’t forget that.