“Do you girls want a cup of tea?” Siobhan asked, dipping her head in from the kitchen.
“I’d love one,” I answered gratefully.
“Me, too. And some chocolate digestives please,” Aoife added.
Siobhan returned a few minutes later with cups of tea and a packet of biscuits as requested, setting them down on the coffee table. I picked mine up and took a sip. Aoife’s mam made the best cups of tea.
“Aoife tells me Veronica’s brother has come home,” Siobhan said, and my stomach did a little flip at the mention of Noah. A flash of him sitting so close to me on my bed entered my head, but I pushed it away. “I saw them come into the pub the other night,” she went on. “I didn’t recognise Noah at all. He must’ve been only fifteen when he left home.”
Fifteen? That was very young to leave home. I wondered why he’d left. Then again, that house was the sort of place that pushed people away, as though inhospitable spirits lingered in its walls, giving you the urge to flee as soon as possible.
“How long ago was that?” I asked with interest.
Siobhan appeared to be casting her mind back. “Oh, I’d say about ten years at least.”
That would make him twenty-five. “Do you know why he left?”
“Afraid not. Though I do remember him being a strange sort. A bit of loner, you know. I went to school with Veronica, and she was the exact opposite. Everybody wanted to be her friend. It’s sad, really, how things ended up.”
I couldn’t picture Veronica having lots of friends, since she barely left the house these days, but I could picture her as the queen bee at school. A bitchy, popular girl like Sally O’Hare, with a gaggle of acolytes to do her bidding.
“What do you mean how things ended up?”
“Well,” Siobhan said, a look on her face like she was considering whether it was right to tell me. “The Dylans were always among the high society of the town. But the rumour is Mr. Dylan lost all their money during the recession. He was one of those investor types. They managed to keep that old house, but that was about it. He died soon after. I imagine the stress of it all did him in. His heart gave out in the end. Poor thing.”
I blinked in surprise. I knew the Dylans came from money originally and that it had dried up in recent years, but I hadn’t known about this. My dad hadn’t been a hugely wealthy man, but he’d worked hard over the years and amassed some savings. Now those savings belonged to Vee. Well, whatever was left of them after my inheritance was subtracted.
“That’s terrible. I never met Mr. Dylan, but everyone says he was a nice man.”
“Oh, he brightened any room he walked into,” Siobhan replied. “Had a great sense of humour, too. Everyone in town was fond of him. It’s a shame he’s gone.”
“Yes, it is,” I said, wondering if he hadn’t passed away, would life have turned out differently for Vee? Would she still be as cruel and closed off as she is, or would she be a better, kinder person?
Eventually, I summoned the courage to go home. Vee’s car was missing from the driveaway and so too was Noah’s motorbike. The house appeared to be empty which was an extremely rare thing. Irene must’ve taken Sylvia for a walk. It felt good to have the place to myself, and for the first time in a long time I took a deep, calming breath.
I made myself a sandwich and sat at the table, reading Vee’s discarded morning newspaper while I ate to distract myself from thoughts of Noah. After talking to Siobhan, he’d become more of a mystery. Why had he left home at such a young age? And why had he decided to return now?
I was still ruminating when an idea struck. The house was empty. I could go snoop in his room, and nobody would know. Maybe it would help me find some answers. I knew it was risky since he could arrive back at any moment. However, if he did, I’d hear the front door opening and would be able to run down the narrow staircase at the back of the house that led to the laundry room. Or, if I didn’t have enough time to make it to the staircase, I could hide inside the dumbwaiter until the coast was clear.
I finished the last bite of my sandwich, dusted the crumbs from my lap, and nervously headed upstairs. I knew it was wrong to snoop, but I simply couldn’t resist the chance to find some answers.
I placed my hand on the cold brass doorknob and turned, the floorboards under my foot creaking as I entered the room. I winced at the sound, even though there was nobody home to hear it. There wasn’t much in the room aside from a pair of boots in the corner and one of those large hiking backpacks. I took a peek in the old wardrobe, but it was empty. Noah hadn’t unpacked his clothes. Did that mean he didn’t plan to stay for long?