Page 40 of Glasshouses

Anna shook her head. “I had no idea what happened to her apart from that she survived. She wasn’t a warm person and she wanted nothing to do with school. Lily’s attendance was poor – lots of unauthorised absence, but Amanda wasn’t bothered when we called her. George’s wasn’t great either, which again, we raised with education welfare.” She shrugged. “I don’t know if there are more cases than there used to be, or whether we just understand better about what’s right.”

“Maybe a bit of both. I understand the frustration though.” I still had to remind myself that you couldn’t win them all, you couldn’t save everyone. “What was Amanda like?”

“Cold. Distant. But she would defend Lily. Lily was accused of stealing when she was in year eight and Amanda actually came into school and defended her. It wasn’t Lily, so we found out. Amanda refused to send her back in until we’d apologised to them both. That always felt a bit strange, because she never bothered to come for parents evenings or anything like that.” Anna shifted on the sofa, clearly uncomfortable. “I was hoping we’d get new sofas when we move to the new building; can you believe we’re having to take these with us?”

“I can actually.” I’d heard my foster dad talking about school budgets more than once. “Why don’t you see what’s being given away on social media. I bet someone would want to help you out.”

“Maybe. There’s probably a rule around why we couldn’t accept them. I’m really sorry, Detective, but I promised a pupil I’d check in on them this morning. I can give you my number if you have any other questions.” She stood up and I followed, glad to get up off the worst sofa I’d ever sat on.

“You’ve been really helpful. I don’t suppose you know what happened to Scarlett and Adele?” There were a few more things I needed to check out.

“Yes; Scarlett’s two eldest are pupils here now and she’s doing okay. She’s in a council house in Upton, working as a vet nurse of all things and doing well for herself after being a young mum. Adele moved somewhere down south with a boyfriend. If you want Scarlett’s number, Nicola will be able to get it for you,” Anna said, heading to the door.

“What about The Holding? What did you know of them?”

Anna laughed and even Nicola looked amused.

“They were this odd group of people, mainly retired, who acted like they lived on a commune. If I remember rightly, they had some land in Millthorpe and an old farmhouse there; that was where Lily said she was made to work. Social care said they knew of it and actually it was a really good support network for older people, almost like a free meals on wheels.” Anna opened the door, signalling it was definitely time for me to go.

“Thank you for your help today. It’s been really useful.” I stepped over the threshold back onto the corridor. “Do you know if The Holding is still going?”

It was Nicola who answered. “They are, I think, but they keep themselves to themselves. After the fire we didn’t hear anything about them, but I know their farm’s still running. I take my dog for a walk out that way sometimes and buy some of the eggs they sell in an honesty box. Although it might not be called The Holding anymore.”

I thanked Anna again and made my way back through to reception with Nicola, getting the details for Scarlett from her after she’d gone through a brief panic about data protection and sharing details with the police.

“Why are you asking about Lily after all this time?” Nicola said as I was signing out.

“Her mother was killed in a fire earlier this week,” I said, knowing that details were being released to the press this afternoon. “I’m trying to get a better picture of what she was like.”

“Was it Lily who did it?” Nicola asked. “Did she go and finish the job?”

I thought about the nervous woman sat on her chair, wringing her hands together as if washing them like Lady Macbeth. “There’s no evidence to suggest so. Do you think that Lily’s out of hospital?”

Nicola looked towards the sliding doors of reception, but there was nobody there. “I wouldn’t know, Detective. I’ve barely thought about her since it all calmed down. I hope it wasn’t her though; I never thought she was a bad girl.”

Chapter Thirteen

I’d agreed to pick Lily up from where she was working, a large house in Wilmslow with an expansive front garden. It was a chance to see her away from her home; given everything I’d found out about her business, she’s seen as something of a talent, which meant she had another facet to her personality that we hadn’t seen.

I was slightly early, the traffic kind for once, and Lily was talking to a man in a suit in the garden, pointing out plants and talking animatedly. This was clearly her element, and whatever demons had been sitting next to her when I’d seen her before weren’t present now.

I caught the odd word said between them, but I was more caught in the body language. Lily was animated and confident, her hands gesticulating, her face beaming. She was flirting.

It took another couple of minutes before she noticed me and her posture changed, stiffening. Suddenly self-conscious and unsure. I stayed in the car, just giving a friendly wave and waiting until she said goodbye to her client.

“Sorry, I was a bit early.” I indicated and pulled away from the kerb, heading towards the A34 and what I thought would be the quickest way in.

“No, no, it’s okay. I haven’t got my van today so I couldn’t easily get into Manchester, so I appreciate the lift.” She wiped her hands down on the jeans she was wearing.

“Where’s your van?”

“I’ve sold it but don’t pick my new one up till tomorrow morning. The man buying mine could only collect it this morning. I was going to put him off after yesterday with the brick but your FLO persuaded me to go ahead.” She forced a smile. “She slept on the sofa last night so I didn’t feel unsafe.”

“Kerry’s a good ‘un. You felt okay going in work this morning?”

“Yes. I need to keep my routine and my client has a photoshoot on Saturday, so the garden has to be pristine. I have a reputation for never letting clients down.” It felt as if she was reciting something from her website.

“How would you have gotten home from there without your van?”