Then Sasha had begun to compile Jack’s bad points. It wasn’t a big list, just a problem.
‘What am I dating here?’ she’d asked herself at one point. ‘And why is he dating me?’
When Jack first sprung into her life, it had been a surprise to Sasha and also a relief. Unlike Faria and Maisy, she’d never been able to say that she had a boyfriend. OK, so Faria had come home smitten from a summer holiday the year before, and then tortured herself for two months over Skype with flaky Fernando from Barcelona. Maisy had gone out with some lad who was genuine about her. The trouble with poor Daniel ‘Daisy’ Duke was his age. He was only a year younger than Maisy, but that was the equivalent of about a decade in school terms. Three weeks on, despite valiantly ignoring all the cougar comments, and the rhymes about ‘Maisy ’n’ Daisy’, poor Daniel’s fate was sealed when he showed up for a trip to the cinema in shorts, socks and Crocs. Still, at least both girls could claim some experience with relationships. So, when the hottest boy from the sixth form turned his attention to Sasha, and showed no sign of stuttering and blushing when he spoke, she really did feel as if her time had come.
In the beginning, Jack had been all over her. It had been flattering and a thrill, but as the weeks passed she wondered if he was as passionate about her as a person. Take the supper he had cooked. She couldn’t fault the effort he had made. She’d even had a good time afterwards, just making out on the sofa with a movie on pay per view. What troubled her was the fact that he hadn’t shown nearly the same interest in her mind. Everything they covered seemed to return to the same subject, which was Jack. He had talked in great detail about ethical eating, but didn’t once invite Sasha to contribute her own opinions. Of course, she had no intention of sharing how her family justified their chosen path through this topic. The point was he never asked.
Reflecting on this now, Sasha found herself coming to the realisation that Jack’s personality didn’t quite live up to his good looks. In some ways, she reminded him of a fast food burger. He looked delicious, but the content just failed to match the promise. Still, thought Sasha to herself, she was prepared to give Jack a chance. It wasn’t as if she had much experience in these matters, after all. In a way, she decided, it was a shame she couldn’t be more shallow. That’s what Faria and Maisy would advise her. For despite the lack of substance, there was no denying that the boy was a babe.
The weirdest thing about that evening had been the way her dad reacted. Having got home late, looking like she’d dragged herself backwards through the hedge to get there, Sasha found him with his arms wide open. He hadn’t pressed her for an explanation, and there was no mention of being grounded. If anything, he had seemed overjoyed at the simple fact that she was safely back at home, and equally keen to meet Jack.
‘I’m missing something,’ she decided, and sat up to place her head in her hands. ‘Something bad.’
Sasha sat quite still for a moment, reflecting on things at home and in her love life, and that was when the doorbell sounded.
Angelica Savage was in the garden at that moment. Katya was sitting on a rug on the lawn. She played happily with daisies while her mother worked her way around the roses, deadheading every bloom that showed the first sign of decay. As a result, the garden looked like a patch of paradise. A world away from the reality surrounding them.
‘Who is that?’ she asked, on hearing the doorbell, and made sure to place the secateurs out of reach from her youngest daughter.
It was only as she made her way back into the house that she heard Ivan and then Sasha descending the stairs, bickering as they went.
‘It won’t be for you,’ said Sasha, who was keen to get there first. ‘Nobody has called to see you since the community midwife after you were born.’
‘Then let’s hope it’s for you,’ Ivan replied, several steps ahead of her. ‘It might even be Jack!’
Through the front door’s frosted glass pane, Angelica recognised the visitors immediately. Unfortunately, it was too late to stop Ivan and caution him to be careful before he opened up. She stopped, midway along the hall, and quickly checked her composure.
‘Hello, kids,’ said one of the two police officers. ‘I’m sure you know why we’re here.’
Angelica watched Sasha turn and look at her. She responded by not blinking, silently imploring her daughter to just stay calm while she handled this. Aware that the officers were awaiting an answer, she then pressed her lips together and nodded.
‘The agency called me with the sad news,’ said Angelica. ‘That poor soul. Had any of us known there was a woman in despair downstairs during the shoot, we would’ve done everything to talk her out of the fate she chose for herself.’
She saw Sasha glance at her brother now, seeking some explanation still, while Ivan just stared at his shoes.
‘May we come in?’ asked the other officer, a policewoman who was notably taller than her male colleague.
‘Yes, of course.’ Angelica gestured for her children to stand aside, her heart rate starting to stir. ‘Would you like some tea? Coffee? Juice… water?
The male officer responded by pulling out a notebook from his pocket.
‘When was the last time you saw Lulabelle Hart?’ he asked, and clicked the top of his ballpoint pen. ‘It’s important that we piece together her final hours before the suicide.’
Angelica noted how Sasha closed her eyes in resignation at this. Her daughter needed no further explanation. That much was clear to her. Fortunately, both officers were waiting for Angelica to answer and didn’t catch the look on Sasha’s face. Even to an outsider, it betrayed the fact that she knew full well that her family would be involved.
‘I’m afraid we didn’t see Ms Hart at all,’ Angelica told the officers. ‘During a shoot we take ourselves upstairs and that’s where we stay, don’t we, kids?’
Both Sasha and Ivan nodded dutifully when the officer turned briefly in their direction.
‘This is just routine,’ said the female officer, as if mindful that their presence in this matter might upset the two minors. ‘For the report.’
‘Did you hear anything untoward downstairs?’ asked her colleague, addressing Sasha and Ivan this time.
‘Nothing.’ Ivan didn’t even blink.
‘It was just another shoot,’ echoed Sasha after a moment and then caught her mother’s eye. ‘We never laid eyes on her.’
The male officer closed his notebook, having written down what looked like their home address, and nothing more.
‘Well, we’re grateful for your time,’ he said, before drawing Angelica’s attention. ‘You understand we have to go through the motions,’ he said to her quietly. ‘Even with a clear-cut suicide.’
‘Of course,’ said Angelica, well aware that Sasha had just heard every word. ‘If there’s anything more we can do, you only have to ask.’
Sasha held the door open for the officers, smiling sweetly. It was only once they’d left the house that she turned and ushered her mother and brother into the kitchen.
‘Was it Beachy Head?’ she asked, straining not to shout in case the police were still outside. ‘That’s where Dad goes if the kill isn’t fit for the table.’
‘Honey,’ said Angelica, but Sasha hadn’t finished.
‘I can’t believe you’d pick off someone working on a shoot downstairs. That takes fast food to a whole new level! When have we ever taken such a risk?’