Melanie smiled at her sister and said how nice she looked.
'You've made a super job of that dress,' she added finally.
'Yes, I have to agree. Didn't know I was so clever with material and a sewing machine. Mind you, patterns these days are so simple that you'd be a duffer not to be able to produce something wearable.' Katie pirouetted before the mirror. She and Melanie were on one of their somewhat rare visits home for the weekend, enjoying the comforts of a country house and the company of their parents. For the most part they lived in a small flat in London convenient to their work, and it was only about three or four times a year that they came home, since the train fare up to the northwest was rather expensive. 'I do feel rather smug,' commented Katie as she began to comb her hair, pale gold hair that looked like silk. 'I might one day become a famous designer.'
Melanie laughed and brushed a hand through her honey-bronze hair, long and gleaming with health.
'Except that you didn't design that dress,' she was ready to remind her sister.
Katie said nothing and Melanie stood watching her adding the finishing touches-perfume and blusher. At the age of twenty-four, Katie was three years older than her adoptive sister and both worked in the offices of John Meyer Ltd., paper manufacturers.
Melanie's lovely grey-green eyes became more and more appreciative as Katie used the blusher. She was beautiful and no mistake, thought Melanie.
'Have a good time at the dance,' she said as she went from her sister's bedroom to her own, much smaller one. It was at the back of the house, while Katie's was at the front, facing the lovely meander of the river.
Standing by the window, Melanie was thoughtful. Cedric Granger was becoming rather serious and she could not quite decide whether or not she wanted the affair to progress beyond the stage it had already reached-that of good friends who enjoyed one another's company. Katie on the other hand was engaged to the eldest son of a millionaire, a handsome young man who adored her and whose parents had been delighted with the engagement. They were to be married in the autumn.
'Are you there, Melanie?' Her mother's voice breaking into her thoughts. She turned to the door and called down,
'Yes, do you want me?'
'Your father and I would like a pot of tea, dear. This is a good play we're watching, so neither of us wants to leave it to make the tea.'
Melanie went down to the kitchen and laid the tray while the kettle was coming to the boil. She looked round, comparing the bright sink with the one in the flat, the polished teak cupboards with the dingy, painted ones to which she and Katie were used. When Katie left the flat would be hers, mused Melanie, and although it was only rented she felt she would try to afford the expense of making it a little brighter.
When she entered the living room her parents were sitting close together on the couch, holding hands.
'Ah, there you are! This is such a good play,' went on Mrs. Grayshott without moving her eyes from the screen. 'Why don't you watch it in the other room, dear?'
'I might go out.'
'Katie's been invited to a dance, she told me. How was it you weren't invited too?'
'Katie was out shopping this morning and bumped into someone she knew. They invited her to the dance. I expect they forgot to include me. In any case, I didn't bring a dress with me. Katie never comes up without a long dress, as you know.'
'Always the optimist.' Mrs. Grayshott's eyes were still firmly fixed on the screen.
'Lay our supper tray before you go out, won't you?' interposed Mr. Grayshott. 'Biscuits and cheese and perhaps a scone. Er-where are you going?'
'There's a good film on at the Odeon.' She looked at him as he turned his head. He was greyer than she had noticed before and his pale blue eyes seemed tired. A tinge of blue about the lips was something she had not noticed the last time she and Katie were home. For some reason she was unable to explain Melanie had gained the impression that he had something on his mind. The idea came immediately she arrived home on Friday night and had persisted all today, Saturday. Somehow she was thinking about the fact that theirs was a highly respected family in the select neighbourhood of Transfield, their parents having some influential friends while the girls themselves were both admired for their attractiveness and charm of character.
But of course each was different. Mr. and Mrs. Grayshott had adopted Melanie when she was three months old, as a playmate for Katie who, the doctor said, would have to be Mrs. Grayshott's only child. Melanie had never asked about her parents but a snippet of conversation once overheard made her think she was the daughter of two young University students. She had no grumble; she'd been given a good home and education, and now she had an excellent post as secretary to Mr. Jenkins, under-manager of Meyer Ltd., while Katie was secretary to Mr. Meyer himself. Both girls were highly thought of in the firm and their respective bosses had complete trust in their honesty. It was nothing unusual when, the wages having arrived by van, the bag was handed by Mr. Meyer to one or other of the sisters to be put in the safe.
'I wouldn't bother about the film,' she heard her mother say as she straightened up after pouring the tea. 'This play is very interesting.'
'It's been started for over twenty minutes.'
Melanie went from the room feeling restless, unsettled. Was she just a tiny bit envious of her sister? It would not be surprising seeing that Hal was so nice, so charming to Melanie. He was just the kind of man she would like to have one day-handsome and tall, of a good family and with far more gallantry than was fashionable today.
Melanie recalled the day Hal had come into the office, his having an appointment with Mr. Jenkins. He had smiled and Melanie's heart seemed to turn a somersault. She had been chatting happily with him as he waited for Mr. Jenkins to come from his lunch. Then Katie had entered the office-Katie with her pale gold hair and ethereal appearance. She had seemed stunned for a moment, mesmerised by the man sitting there, chatting to her sister. It wasn't unusual for Katie to take over and very soon Melanie was excusing herself and leaving the two alone together.
The engagement was announced two months later….
***
The two sisters stared at one another, their faces white.
'I can't believe that Father's been embezzling-' Katie with tears in her eyes was shaking her head. Melanie, equally bewildered, found herself so tight inside that she was unable to cry. Her stomach was in knots, her nerves stretched ready to snap. For their solid little world seemed about to topple.
'I can't, either, but he's admitted it.'
'When Mother gets to know she'll have a breakdown. She adores him.'
'It's a wonder he confided in you.'
Katie bit her lip.
'He was driven to it. If he doesn't find the money by next Friday he's to be prosecuted by his firm.'
'Is there nothing we can do?' Melanie's mouth trembled but she was still unable to cry.
'I've been searching my mind and can't think of any way to get a sum like that.'
Melanie shook her head slowly from side to side, murmuring to herself,
'Eight thousand pounds….'
'Neither you nor I have anything like that saved up between us.' A pause and then, slowly and thoughtfully, 'I wonder if we could borrow it? Banks are eager at present to make loans.'
'Not without some form of security. It wouldn't make sense.' Melanie moved over to a chair and sat down. 'I have about a thousand in the bank. As you know, I've been saving hard for the cruise I'm taking in September.'
'I have about the same,' musingly from Katie. 'Mine was for my trousseau.' Her mouth quivered and the tears escaped.
'Was?' echoed her sister, puzzled.
'I can't see Hal wanting the daughter of a-a jail-bird-'
'Don't!' cried Melanie in a distressed voice. 'He isn't-I mean, it won't come to that.'
Katie's big blue eyes widened.
'It must,' she asserted. 'He's admitted being threatened. And you know what his boss is like. I never could take to that man; he seems so hard.'
Reluctantly Melanie nodded in agreement.
'I'd steal it if I could!' she declared vehemently. But of course she didn't mean it.
'So would I. However, that's an unprofitable idea,' Katie added finally.
The gloom was overpowering in a room that always had been friendly and warm, the main living-room of the smart detached house which boasted its acre of well-kept gardens. Yes, the Grayshotts were indeed among the elite of the community.
'Where is Father now?' Melanie inquired at last. She supposed it was natural that he should have confided in Katie first, seeing that she was his own daughter-not adopted like Melanie.
'Out there, in the greenhouse.'
'I feel… awkward.'
Katie shot her a glance.
'You're not thinking of going out to him, are you?'
'I feel he needs comfort.'
'He's certainly as low in spirit as can be.' A pause ensued before Katie added in disgust, 'Gambling! I'd never have believed he could do it. And as I said, all for a new car!'
'The one we have is super.'
'Of course it is, but nowadays this keeping up with the Joneses seems to have become an obsession with some people, and obviously Father is one. He's always envied the Faradays their cars and when the Mercedes arrived three months ago-' She spread her hands. 'That was it, apparently.'
'So trivial a reason for gambling.'
'And stealing to do it,' added Katie through compressed lips.
'Don't mention that word, please,' begged Melanie, and was told to be realistic and accept that their father was a thief.
'When is he going to tell Mother?' Melanie was wanting to know a moment later.
'I expect he'll hang on as long as he can. People do tend to put off disagreeable things when it would be best all round if they didn't.'
'But as you say, Mother will have a breakdown. She hasn't actually been in the pink of condition lately, you know that.'
'And Father…' Katie paused in thought, a deep frown marring her lovely face. 'You know, Melanie, I have a feeling his heart might be weak, and a trial and jail sentence could kill him.'
'No! Don't keep on seeing only the worst side!' protested Melanie and was again admonished.
'Face facts, for goodness' sake! This is a real situation even though it's one which normally happens to others and not to you! Father's about to be arrested, to face a trial, to be sentenced. You and I-and Mother-are going to feel the impact. Thank your lucky stars you aren't engaged to a man from a prestigious family as I am. I've everything to lose, whereas you have very little.'
Melanie said nothing. She wasn't thinking of herself and any disgrace that might reflect upon her; she was thinking of the man who had given her a home, and of his wife who had been a mother to her.
And she was thinking of Katie who was madly in love with a wonderful man….
'Katie,' she sighed at length, 'is there no way out of this at all?'
'Not that I can see.' Flat the tone and the tears oozed from the big blue eyes. Melanie swallowed but the tightness in her throat remained. As did the knots in the pit of her stomach.
'I don't think I'd go out to Father,' advised Katie. 'At present he's not told anyone but me. You'll do more harm than good if you go to him.' Being Sunday, the girls were getting ready to leave.
Melanie nodded in agreement, yet she wanted to go and comfort her father because, blameworthy as he was, he had lived an impeccable life up till now, had been a good and loving husband and father.
'You can't condemn a person for one single slip,' she heard herself say, and Katie merely looked at her with hard eyes and turned away.
***
'Miss Grayshott, put this in the safe. I can't think why the wages have arrived three days early. Perhaps there's going to be a strike somewhere along the line.' Mr. Meyer shook his head, but there was a smile in his eyes as he looked at Melanie. 'Here are the keys. Bring them back immediately once you've locked the money up.' He glanced at the clock. 'Sorry if you're to be delayed-'
'It's nothing, Mr. Meyer,' broke in Melanie, picking up the bag with one hand and accepting the safe key with the other. There was a combination lock as well, but both Melanie and Katie knew what it was. 'I'm not going anywhere this evening.'
He went out and Katie came in, passing him in the doorway. Her eyes flew to the case, strong leather and with a sturdy brass lock.
'The wages, already?'
'They've come early this week. Mr. Meyer suggested there might be a strike in the offing and that's the reason why they've been delivered early.' She was about to go into the next room when the phone rang and she put down the bag.
It was Cedric and he wanted her to attend a dinner party with him that very evening.
'It's short notice,' she frowned even while thinking she would rather enjoy an evening out. It would take her mind off the tragedy that was about to befall her family.
'I know and I'm sorry. But I wasn't going to go-felt I ought to be studying. However, Jim rang and said another couple had let them down and he begged me to reconsider-said I must get you to come along as well.'
'Okay,' agreed Melanie and glanced at her watch. 'What time did you say?'
'I'll pick you up at seven.'
A small sigh escaped her as she replaced the receiver on its hook. She explained and her sister was swift to say,
'Go off, then, Melanie. I'll see to the money.'
'Oh, will you?' eagerly. 'Thanks a lot, Katie. I'll run for our usual bus, then!'
***
The following morning Melanie expected her sister to ask about the dinner party and was surprised when she made no reference to it at all. She had been in bed when Melanie was brought back to the flat at well after midnight by Cedric, who saw her safely inside and the door securely closed.
'Are you all right?' On a more close scrutiny, Melanie was frowning at the pallor of Katie's face, the tightness of her lips. She was toying with her food, too, as if she had her whole concentration on something else. She glanced up at Melanie's inquiry, but for a long moment she seemed unable to speak, and suddenly there was a thickness in the atmosphere, something indefinable but which, to her amazement, was bringing the fine hairs springing up on Melanie's forearms.
At last her sister spoke, the words having a sort of strangled sound, not at all the musical tone which was part of Katie's attraction.
'I phoned Father immediately I arrived home from the office yesterday.'
'You did,' frowned Melanie. 'I didn't hear you.'
'You were getting dressed to go out.'
Melanie looked inquiringly at her.
'Has Father told Mother yet?' She was staring at her sister, that feeling of unease increasing with each moment that passed.
A small pause and then, slowly and very quietly as Katie left her toast and leant right back in her chair,
'There wasn't any need-' She stopped, then continued with difficulty, 'I-I had the money to give him-last night-'
'You-!' Melanie put her coffee cup down with a little bang on the saucer. 'I don't understand. Where did you get it?'
Katie swallowed hard as if her throat were blocked.
'He came down right away in the car and I gave it to him-'
'Katie!' broke in her sister pressingly. 'I asked where you managed to get the money?'
Katie avoided her eyes as she said, still in the same slow and difficult manner,
'I took it from the wage bag. Father thinks I-'
'Took it from-!' Melanie shook her head vehemently. 'No, you wouldn't! I don't believe you! Katie, this is no time for jokes!'
Suddenly Katie's expression was belligerent.
'It isn't a joke. I had to save him-and Mother and myself! I cut a hole in the leather-and-and t-took eight th-thousand pounds.'
Silence, the deep hush of disbelief paradoxically mingling with acceptance. Katie would never invent a story like that. No, it was true….
Every nerve in Melanie's body began to riot; she felt choked and seemed to be going hot and cold in a matter of seconds.
'You-you stole the firm's money,' she breathed, her face a ghastly yellow though she was unaware of it. Damp tendrils of hair were glued to her forehead and her heart was pounding wildly against her ribcage. 'You actually stole?'
'I admit now that it was on impulse and that if I'd stopped to think I might not have done it.' All the strength seemed to seep out of Katie's body and it sagged in the chair. 'The bag… and all that money. The office empty of people. You said you'd steal to save Father if you could and it was because your words kept ringing in my ears that I did it. I don't think I was quite sane at that moment. I had to save us all, but especially I was thinking of Hal and his parents and the result if Father was tried for theft. I love Hal so! I couldn't bear the thought of losing him, Melanie…!' Katie was sobbing into her hands and for a while there was nothing in the room but the terrible sound of it. Melanie felt drained, ill. 'I thought also of Mother, who would have had a stroke-or something, and Father m-might die in jail-' The words came in spasmodic bursts between sobs which racked Katie's slender body. As for Melanie-she was glued to her chair after trying vainly to get up and go to her sister. 'The knife you'd used to cut open that cardboard box,' continued Katie after a while, 'was there, on the desk-tempting me! I knew I could save us all and I did! So don't look at me like that, Melanie! Don't condemn me, please. It was partly your doing, with saying you'd steal-'
'Katie,' managed her sister at last, 'you must return the money. I don't know how we're to get the keys if we've no excuse to offer,' she added with a swift frown, 'but we must! And if you've cut the bag open-'
'You seem to forget that I've already given Father the money at eleven o'clock last night. He'll be paying it back this morning.'
'You'll have to phone him at once,' said Melanie with an urgent glance at the clock. 'Tell him the truth; he'll not want to keep it if you do. I guess he'll bring it down later this morning and if we're lucky we can return it.' She paused in frowning thought for a long moment and then added decisively, 'We'll have to tell Mr. Meyer exactly what happened-'
'That Father stole?'
Melanie nodded her head at once.
'Yes, everything, and that on impulse you took the eight thousand pounds.'
Katie was drying her eyes and when presently she looked at her sister her manner was again belligerent.
'I'm not upsetting Father at this stage,' was her determined rejoinder. 'He was so relieved, and thanked me profusely. He feels he'll be sure to get the sack but intends to see his doctor and get him to say he has to retire early owing to his health. Mother need never know anything about the embezzling.'
Melanie could only stare for fully thirty seconds.
'You've saved Father,' she said, 'but only temporarily. What about you-?' She broke off and looked swiftly at her. 'What explanation did you give for having an amount like that in your possession?'
'I was going to tell you when you interrupted me. I said I'd had a win on the Premium Bonds.'
Melanie's eyes opened very wide.
'Didn't he think it was a very strange coincidence?' she asked, and Katie gave a small shrug of her shoulders.
'He might have done, but he was far too relieved to begin asking questions. He sensibly took the money and went off-'
'The whole thing's ridiculous!' snapped Melanie. 'You don't suppose you are going to get away with the theft from the wage bag, do you?' To Melanie's surprise her sister bypassed that and with a glance at the clock said briskly,
'We'd better be moving if we don't want to be late for work.'
So calm, now that the bout of emotion was dissolved!
'I don't feel like going in.' For the life of her Melanie could not imagine how she could go into the office and act normally with a thing like this on her mind.
'We'll have to go in.'
'On Friday the bag will be taken out of the safe.'
'That's two days away. I'll think of something before then.' Katie shot her sister the most odd glance and again Melanie felt prickles of rising hair on her forearms.
'You can't think of anything and you know it!' Melanie shook her head. 'No, you can't. You'll have to own up-or be prosecuted, and if that happens-Oh, Katie,' she cried in deep distress, 'what made you do anything so foolish! It's going to be worse than before because two of you are now involved, since you'll have to confess that the money was for Father. Mother will never get over it-never!'
Katie seemed not to be affected by this outburst; she was staring at Melanie with that strange expression and then she said softly,
'I have an idea but… well, you are involved and you might not agree.'
'I'm involved? In what way could I possibly be? I didn't take the money.' For some reason Melanie felt a terrible sickness in the pit of her stomach. 'You'd best tell me now and get it over and done with.' She glanced at the clock and decided all at once that she was definitely not going into work today.
'I have been wondering if-if y-you would take the blame.'
Silence, the all-enveloping hush of sheer disbelief.
'Do you know what you're saying, Katie?' How she managed to speak at all was a marvel to Melanie, but greater still was her ability to sound normal. Her mouth was dry, her throat felt blocked. 'You actually want me to take the blame, to leave myself open to prosecution?'
Katie rose to her feet. She was distressed and her eyes were swollen, but there was something about her that was hard… and almost viciously persuasive as she said,
'If I go to jail it'll hurt our parents far more than if you do.'
Amazement widened Melanie's eyes to their fullest extent.
'Katie, you don't know what you're saying. You can't think straight-'
'I can, Melanie. It's you who haven't considered the situation. Mr. Meyer brought the money to you to put into the safe-'
'But you did the job and returned the keys to him!'
'Taking the keys back has nothing to do with what I'm trying to get straight in your mind.' Katie was showing signs of impatience now, having seemingly recovered fully from the emotional upset of such a short time ago.
'There is no explanation you can offer that will make me take the blame,' Melanie could not help inserting as her sister paused for a moment.
'Try to see the whole situation objectively,' said Katie with a sigh of annoyance. 'You haven't even thought about my suggestion! If I own up, as you want me to, the money will have to be returned-from Father's boss, just as you said a moment ago. And we could then both be jailed, Father and me; it would just about finish Mother, loving us both as she does, so deeply.'
'You're saying that she doesn't love me so much and, therefore, it wouldn't hurt if I was the one to be in disgrace.' Bitterness and glacier cold Melanie's tone as these words left her lips.
Katie let that pass as she said,
'My parents have done much for you, Melanie, and now you have a chance to repay them. If you take the blame and disappear-'
'Disappear?' quivered Melanie, aware that she was chilled from head to foot. 'Where would you have me disappear to?'
'You have a thousand pounds. I'd let you have what I've saved to add to it. Go away to the other end of the country and lie low. It isn't as if we visit our parents very often, so they'll not miss you-Just listen!' added Katie with a heavy frown as her sister would have interrupted. 'You can write, as usual, once every three weeks or so as you always do, and send the letters on here for me to post. I'll post the answers to you.'
Melanie gasped at this cool planning, realising for the first time that there was another side to the character of the girl whom she had hitherto believed she knew so well.
'The police,' she began, when Katie broke in to say,
'I shall tell them we're orphans, which will mean they'll not start looking for parents. I shall be able to convince them, so don't worry. It's fortunate that our employers never take an interest in us other than our usefulness in the office. No one knows anything about our private lives because we've never talked much-and I suppose that's because Father and Mother live such a long way off.'
Again so calm! Melanie recalled that a few of their colleagues must know they had parents, but for the moment that was of no importance whatsoever.
'This disappearing trick,' she said, becoming curiously interested in what was still within her sister's scheming mind. 'Am I to fade into oblivion indefinitely?'
'I guess that wouldn't be possible,' was Katie's rather casual reply. 'But it would at least give us time to think something up.'
'How very simple!' retorted Melanie with heavy sarcasm. 'The police aren't so dumb as to take your word that we're orphans.'
A sigh of impatience was the only sound for a few seconds before Katie said,
'I know I can convince them. If you run off-supposedly with the money-they'll concentrate on finding you and be so busy with the task that they'll not bother about parents, or wonder if you have another home besides the flat.'
'It wouldn't work even if I agreed….' She tailed off as an impatient sigh escaped her sister.
'We'd better be off to work,' she suggested. 'We'll talk again this evening.'
How Melanie managed to get through the day she would never know. Katie went off to work but Melanie told her to make an excuse. She, Melanie, wasn't well. Katie seemed rather more than satisfied by this and it only struck Melanie later that she was playing into her sister's hands by staying away from work, which was the scene of the crime!
Hal called that evening after the girls had eaten. Katie had just gone off to the late-opening super market for some toiletries and it was left to Melanie to talk to Hal until his fiancée came back. As always, he was charm itself to his future sister-in-law and tonight he said with a sudden frown,
'Are you all right, Melanie, dear? You look-well-upset about something.'
'I'm a bit tired, that's all. Are you and Katie going out this evening?'
He shook his head.
'No, I just called in as I was passing.' His eyes smiled. 'Can't resist seeing my lovely girl,' he added, and Melanie thought about the situation and the probability of the engagement being broken.
Melanie left him and Katie alone but he didn't stay long, and Melanie had the strong suspicion that Katie had made some excuse to get him to leave.
'Have you thought about it?' Katie said almost before he had closed the door.
'You will have to own up.'
Katie was by the window, staring out.
'Mr. Meyer was still at the office when I left. He went to the safe.'
'He-d-did?' Melanie felt a choking sensation in her throat.
'He's bound to know by now that he's been robbed.'
'By you.'
'He won't believe that either of us would do a thing like that. However, he'll obviously have been in touch with the police….' Her voice trickled away to a cracked little silence. When she turned from the window her face was ashen. 'There's a policeman in the square now…. He's coming here.'
'Are-are you sure?' Melanie began to tremble. 'You'll have to-to own up,' she faltered, her whole nervous system out of balance. 'You will, Katie, so-so you might as well try to figure out what you're going to say-'
'He's gone!' Katie had turned to the window again. 'I can just see the back of him disappearing round the corner of the far flats. He wasn't coming here after all.' She sank down into a chair, trembling visibly.
'This is awful-unbearable. I'm going to-to tell someone.'
'Who?' Katie looked directly at her and Melanie could find no answer.
'I can't think straight,' she complained. 'Katie-what on earth made you do it!'
'I told you, impulse and the desire to save everyone.'
'Everyone but me.' Melanie's voice was bitter.
'It's a case of three against one.'
'And you believe I shall allow myself to be the scapegoat?'
'I believe that when you have given it more thought you'll admit that the only solution is for you to take the blame and disappear.'
'I won't do it!' But even as she spoke Melanie realised she was experiencing a feeling of fatality, a sort of resignation with one part of her mind which was being fought by the rebellion of the other half. Katie persistently stressed the disasters liable to take place if both she and her father were to be arrested. Their mother would be alone in her distress. She had never been as close to Melanie as to her own daughter. This Melanie knew and had accepted.
'Father will be sure to have a heart attack,' went on Katie in her persevering way. 'He'll not survive in prison. Mother adores him-you very well know that people have always marvelled at the way they have stayed madly in love with one another. It would break them both and, added to all that, what about the disgrace? If you took the blame there wouldn't be any disgrace-'
'I've already told you, the police would look into my life, would go up and visit our parents and it would get into the papers. You can't keep a thing like that quiet even if I did decide to take the blame.'
Nothing was solved that evening but the following morning both girls were sent for and questioned by Mr. Meyer. Reasonably he pointed out that no one had had the key since it was returned to him. He spoke kindly, was bewildered and upset, and in the end he of course warned them that he was getting in touch with the police at once.
The ordeal of being questioned by the police was something Melanie would never forget as long as she lived. Katie, though, seemed to have acquired a cloak of protection and was staggeringly cool.
Melanie could not bring herself to say she had left Katie to put the bag into the safe, so she told a lie and said they were both there, and it was all right when the safe had been locked. Which one of them had actually locked the safe? Melanie said she couldn't remember but Katie stated quite firmly that it was Melanie who had locked it.
The police went away with no arrest being made.
'They intend to arrest us both,' stated Katie, and Melanie felt sure this would be the case. And in court… Who was to accuse who? Could she, Melanie, denounce her sister? The girl whose parents had done so much for her? And what of Hal and the heartache he would suffer? Until now Melanie had determinedly refused to dwell on what his heartache would be.
***
'The police are here, in a car.' It was less than an hour after the girls had arrived at the flat that Melanie, unable to tear herself from the window, made the announcement. She had not eaten and Katie had merely picked. 'This time they really are coming to this flat.'
'Then for God's sake run!' Katie was desperate, while Melanie herself was beginning to experience a feeling of panic… and doom. 'Go, and think afterwards! At least if you've made a run for it they won't arrest me! Please, Melanie! You can go down the back stairs.'
Without waiting for Melanie to make up her mind, Katie went to the bedroom and grabbed a coat and Melanie's handbag.
'Take these for now,' she urged desperately, 'and get in touch with me by phone later tonight! No, tomorrow, as the phone might be tapped tonight! Next week might be best-! Oh, for pity's sake-go!' The coat was flung at Melanie, the bag pressed into her hand. Melanie's mind had become a complete blank; she was as a robot… being led, or a puppet… with someone pulling the strings. Dazed and yet with a subconscious awareness of urgency and desperation, she managed to move, and left the flat by the back stairway, the coat dragging behind her, the handbag clutched tightly between frenzied fingers.
It was only when, clear of the porch at the bottom of the stairs, she came to put on the coat, that she realised it was not hers at all, but Katie's.
And it was bright red….
