Читать книгу Bad Sister: ‘Tense, convincing… kept me guessing’ Caz Frear, bestselling author of Sweet Little Lies - Sam Carrington, Sam Carrington - Страница 16

It took a whole month to rid herself of the smell. The stench of smoke: the taste of it, the memory of dripping, burning flesh clinging to the tiny hairs on the inside of her nostrils. Things had moved on quickly from that night; even before the reality of the situation had time to hit home. Her life had changed completely, snatched from her in an hour of fire and fear. She’d gone from her cosy three-bedroomed terraced family home – to a run-down, hellhole of a flat rented from the council by her good-for-nothing uncle. Or that’s how she remembered her mum talking about him. Good-for-nothing-Jimmy. Layabout. Scrounge. Druggie. Criminal. No one ever asked anything of him unless they were desperate. As she was now. Maybe her mum had got the better deal – even a shitty nursing home was preferable to this.

Because she was sixteen, there wasn’t much the social could do about it. And she was not being put under some do-gooder’s care. She could look after herself. And besides, her boyfriend had promised she could move in with him any day now. Things would get better then.

At least she wasn’t inside a secure unit.

But he’d got what was coming to him, hadn’t he? He had to be punished. He’d be safe inside there; looked after properly, by professionals. They’d sort him. Perhaps even help him.

And if he was inside … it meant she was safe too.

His face, pale, innocent, looking up at her from inside the police car, appeared every time she closed her eyes for more than a second. His voice – pleading, apologetic – sounded in her ears whenever there was a quiet moment. It snaked its way inside her brain and spread like a disease.

Damn him.

If you play with fire, you’ll get burnt.