Page 54 of The Girlfriend’s Secret

When Mum reached the top of the stairs, I rushed towards her with my arms outstretched and despite her locking eyes with me, I didn’t stop what I was doing.

When Mum fell back down the stairs, I already knew it was too late. I already knew the deed was done and there was no saving her then. The only thing I didn’t know was whether my mother would die in this fall or if I would have to finish her off after it.

As she tumbled down the stairs and let out several cries of pain, I wished I could block the noises out. But it was all over within seconds and, when it was, all was quiet in the house, barring my heavy breathing.

I waited a couple of minutes to make sure she wasn’t moving before I went down to check on her. Her body was twisted and her eyes were closed. There was no pulse. There was no life.

There was nothing standing in my way of inheriting all of her wealth.

I knew I had done it.

What I hadn’t known was that my eldest son had arranged to visit his grandmother that lunchtime too.

It was as I was standing over my mother’s body, feeling a mixture of relief and dread, as well as excitement about my financial future, that Scott knocked on the door. I saw his shape through the frosted glass and knew it was him. I also knew he would have seen my car parked outside and I realised I couldn’t just hide in here in the hope that he would go away. I was going to have to let him in and that meant I was going to have to lie to him.

So that’s what I did.

Luckily for me, a son will always trust their mother.

THIRTY-SEVEN

SCOTT

THE DAY SHE DIED

‘Oh hey. What are you doing here?’ I ask Mum when I see her open Grandma’s door.

‘Er,’ she replies before her sentence fails and she just stands and stares at me, totally mute, looking like she’s seen a ghost. I mean, sure, I look scruffy because I’ve just come straight from work and I have got more car grease on my face than usual that I struggled to wipe off beforehand. But apart from that, I’m still her son, so she should easily recognise me.

So why is she looking at me in such a weird way?

‘Mum, what’s wrong?’ I ask her nervously, having never seen her acting this way around me before. But she still doesn’t answer, and it’s only when I look past her and see what is lying on the floor behind her that I realise what the problem is.

‘Grandma?’ I cry before pushing past Mum. ‘Grandma? Are you okay?’

I can already see that the answer to my question is not a good one based on how my grandmother is lying on the floor. Her body is twisted and her eyes are closed and she is not responding to my calls.

‘What happened?’ I cry as I lean down to get a closer look, hoping Mum can fill in the blanks where Grandma clearly can’t. But based on the proximity to the staircase, I already have a suspicion that it involves a fall. Then Mum goes and confirms it.

‘I just got here before you and found her like this,’ she says. When I look back, I see my mother has tears in her eyes. ‘She must have fallen down the stairs. I don’t know how long she has been here.’

I touch my grandmother’s face and she still feels warm, so this accident can’t have occurred too long ago. That gives me hope, although that quickly fades when I try to feel for a pulse but can’t find one.

‘Have you called for an ambulance?’ I ask Mum, assuming one is already on the way. But the silence that follows is not promising.

‘Mum?’ I cry, standing back up and rushing to her. ‘Have you called for an ambulance?’

‘No, I just got here and I’m confused and…’

My mother’s voice trails off, and I realise she is in shock. That’s understandable, but it’s also not going to help the situation. The only thing that can help it now is having a trained medical professional here who might be able to save my grandma’s life.

‘I’ll call one!’ I say as I take out my phone.

‘Wait!’ Mum cries, surprising me.

‘Why?’

Mum stares blankly at me again and she really isn’t being of any use to me or her stricken mother in this state, so I ignore her and continue making the call.