Fifty-six. Sephy

The doorbell rang. A short, sharp ring followed by another.

'I'll get it,' I called upstairs.

There was no danger of anything else happening. Meggie was in her room and she didn't answer the door any more. Too many photographers flashing too many cameras in her face had put paid to that. I took a deep breath, then opened the door.

It was Minerva.

'What're you doing here?' I frowned.

'Hello to you too!' Minerva raised her eyebrows. 'Can I come in?'

I stepped to one side. Minerva swanned past and waited for me to shut the front door.

'Sephy, who is it?' Meggie called from upstairs.

'Minerva, my sister.'

'Oh.' Meggie appeared at the top of the stairs, looking old and, oh, so tired. 'Hello, Minerva.'

'Hello, Meggie.' Minerva smiled up at her. 'How're you?'

'OK.' Meggie nodded. 'Can I get you a cup of tea or coffee or maybe some orange juice?'

'Meggie, I'm quite capable of getting my sister a drink. You should go and get some rest.'

'I'll have a coffee, please – if it's no trouble,' Minerva said directly to Meggie.

'Sephy, would you like a drink too?'

'No thanks, Meggie.'

I frowned at Minerva, an unpleasant thought creeping into my head. Whilst Meggie trudged into the kitchen to make the drinks, I ushered Minerva into the living room, shutting the door behind me.

'Minerva, I swear if you've come here for an interview with Meggie, I'm going to kick your arse so hard you'll be wearing your bum cheeks as ear muffs,' I told her furiously.

'Charming!' Minerva sniffed. 'You've obviously been living around noughts for too long.'

'Sod you, Minerva. What d'you want?'

The door handle began to turn. I moved forward to open the door. Meggie came in carrying a tray with three mugs on it, plus a bowl of sugar and a small jug filled with milk.

'Sephy, I thought you might like a cup of jasmine green tea.' Meggie smiled at me.

'That's very kind of you,' I said, taking the tray from her hands. I held the tray out to Minerva, glaring at her all the while. For anyone else, Meggie would've asked them up front if they took milk and sugar and would've put it in their cup for them accordingly.

Not for a Hadley.

'The coffee is in the yellow mug,' said Meggie.

Minerva poured some milk into her coffee before she took her cup and sat down in the armchair. 'Won't you join us, Meggie?'

Meggie took the blue mug off the tray and sat down on the sofa. I took the last cup off the tray before sitting down next to Meggie. Minerva looked from Meggie to me and back again.

'I was in the area so I thought I'd pop in and see how my niece was doing,' smiled Minerva.

'She's upstairs, asleep,' I told her.

'Shame,' said Minerva.

Yeah, right. No appeals to just take a quick peek at her. No requests for more information about her height, weight, general appearance. Nothing. We sat in silence for several awkward moments. I wasn't going to speak first.

'Meggie, I was so sorry to hear about . . . what's happening with Jude,' said Minerva with beautifully faked sincerity.

'Thank you,' said Meggie, taking a sip of her coffee, even though it was still too hot to drink.

'Is he . . . is Jude managing to stay positive?'

'I think so. I hope so,' said Meggie. 'He has right on his side.'

'Minerva—' I warned, but she completely ignored me.

'It must be hard though. Have your neighbours been supportive?' my sister asked.

'Are you kidding?' Meggie scoffed.

The neighbours didn't even say hello to either of us any more, including Mrs Straczynski. As I learned when Callum was arrested, so-called friends consider bad luck and notoriety to be contagious.

'So what're you hoping for, Meggie?' asked Minerva.

'That justice is done.'

Enough was already too much. Time to spike Minerva's guns. She was nothing if not doggedly persistent – but then so was I.

'I hope it gets sorted out the way you want soon,' smiled Minerva.

'I hope so too,' said Meggie. 'And at least I've got Sephy fighting in my corner. I don't know what I'd do without your sister.'

'Oh yes?' Minerva said sharply. 'And how're you helping, Sephy?'

'In any way I can,' I told my sister evenly.

Minerva cast me a speculative look. 'So you're convinced Jude is innocent?'

'He told me he didn't do it,' Meggie said. 'And my boy wouldn't lie to me.'

But Meggie had made a mistake. Minerva's question was directed at me, not her.

'Have you been to see Jude then?' Minerva asked Meggie eagerly.

'Yes, we went last week when he was still in a police cell,' Meggie replied.

'Both of you?' said Minerva sharply.

'Sephy was there to lend me moral support.' Meggie smiled at me. 'But Sephy went to see Jude in prison on her own a couple of days ago. She's been so wonderful . . .'

'Sephy—'

'So, Minerva, how's your job at the Daily Shouter?' I interrupted. 'It must be tough working as a junior reporter, trying to fight your way up to the top of the journalistic dung heap.'

Meggie's mouth closed like a steel trap – at last. Minerva's lips tightened slightly as she considered me.

'You don't have a very high opinion of my profession, do you?' said Minerva.

'Can't say I do. You forget, I've seen you lot in action. I've been on the business end of too many stories full of distorted half-truths and vitriol to dance for joy around journalists,' I said. 'But I wish you luck with it, if that's what you really want to do.'

'Minerva, I didn't know you were a journalist at the Daily Shouter,' Meggie said quietly.

'Yes, she got the job a few months ago,' I told Meggie.

'You didn't tell me that,' said Meggie, giving me a curiously speculative look.

And it took me a few moments to decipher her expression. She was wondering why I hadn't told her. She was actually wondering.

Take another step back, Sephy.

Step back from them all.

'I'm sure you have to go now,' I said to my sister.

'Oh I—' Minerva began. And then she saw my face. 'Yes. Yes, I do have another appointment.'

'I'll tell Rose you were asking for her,' I said standing up.

Meggie went to rise also.

'No, Meggie. Don't get up,' I told her. 'I'll see Minerva to the door.'

Meggie sat back down again. I led the way to the front door, not even bothering to turn and check that Minerva was following me. I just knew she would be. She'd finally got the hint.

'Thanks for nothing, Sephy,' Minerva hissed at me as I opened the door.

'I told you that you couldn't interview Meggie. You had no business coming here if that was your only reason,' I said unrepentantly.

'You could've let me ask a few more questions,' said Minerva. 'And you didn't have to tell Meggie I was a journalist.'

'You don't need statements from us,' I told my sister. 'Do what all you lot do and make it up.'

'I thought blood was supposed to be thicker than water,' Minerva said with bitterness.

'So did I,' I replied. 'But you showed me I was wrong when you tried to blackmail me into getting Meggie to give you an interview.'

'I said I was sorry for that. You always did bear grudges.'

And as I looked at Minerva, I realized I was just wasting my breath. She just couldn't see that she'd done anything wrong. I could talk until my voice box exploded and she still wouldn't see it. So what was the point?

'Bye, Minerva,' I said. 'Don't let the door hit you on your way out.'

Minerva strode past me without another word. I slammed the door behind her. And that – as they say – was that. I turned round, and there was Meggie standing in the living-room doorway. I wondered how long she'd been standing there.

Not that it mattered.

Upstairs, Rose started to cry.

'I'll see to her if you'd like,' Meggie offered.

'No, thank you,' I said, already moving past her and up the stairs. I turned when I was halfway up them. Meggie was still watching me.

'Meggie, do you trust me?' I couldn't help asking.

She waited just a tad too long to reply. 'Yes, I do.'

But she didn't. I nodded and turned to carry on up the stairs.

Maybe Meggie was like me, always waiting to be let down. Always hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. Maybe she was just like me – too bruised and battered to believe in anyone or anything.