happened?” His voice was loud and urgent.
“Umm, I’m fine really, there’s nothing wrong. Just give me a second,” I mumbled, trying to make my brain work.
“I got here as early as I could,” he went on, “and I overheard your parents talking about being at the police station again, and that you were behaving a bit oddly. What was it? What’s happened now?”
“I’m fine, honestly, and I do have some news, but I think it would be better if we could talk properly rather than having to whisper all the time. Let me get dressed and we can walk somewhere.”
“Sure, if you would rather do that. As long as you’re OK – I’ve been worrying all night, and then when I heard your parents, well, I guess I panicked a bit. Sorry.”
I had managed to open the mirror and hold it up so that I could see his face, the rueful smile smoothing out the frown lines. The hope that had been swirling around in my head the night before grew and intensified, and I couldn’t help beaming at him. He sat back, shocked.
“Are you sure you’re OK?”
“Yes, I’m really all right, and I’m delighted to see you! Now go and loiter somewhere else while I get changed.” I couldn’t wait to get him outside to talk to him properly.
It was still pretty early so my parents were sitting in bed with their morning coffee. They looked surprised to see me up and dressed quite so soon after such a late night, but seemed to accept the explanation that I couldn’t sleep. I offered to walk to the shops to get the papers as that gave me a great excuse to be getting out. I put my earpiece in as I went downthe stairs and practically ran out of the house. Callum was with me instantly.
“Well?” he asked as I hurried along the road. “What is it? Why were you at the police station again? Did they find who took your money?”
“Hang on a minute. I really, really want to be sitting down having a proper conversation with you. Let’s get to the swings first.”
Just round the corner from the house was a small playground with swings and roundabouts. It wasn’t used very much and Grace and I often came here as a quiet place to sit and gossip away from interfering brothers and parents. A woman was just strapping a toddler into a pushchair as I arrived, but otherwise it was deserted. As I waited for her to get out of earshot I sat on the top of the roundabout and set up the mirror in front of me so I could see as much of Callum as possible. The wait was obviously getting to him.
“Come on! Tell me! This is doing my head in!”
“Well, I went to the police station last night with Dad because they had a video of the person who stole my money. And now I’ve seen her, I know she’s the same person who has been doing all the other things too.”
Callum sat up straighter. “Her? So who was it? Do I know her?”
“Oh, you know her, all right, but I’m not sure you’re going to believe me.”
“So come on, who was it?”
I took a deep breath. “Catherine.”
He looked at me blankly for a moment. “Catherine?”
“Your sister, Catherine. Human, real, in the flesh. Living and breathing and stealing all my money. Smiling as she did it, too.”
I watched the shock cross his face, then he shook his head. “You must’ve been mistaken. Catherine’s dead. I saw her explode in a shower of sparks and die.”
“I’m not mistaken. It was her, and they have her on the video. She looked directly at the camera and smiled, as if she knew that we would see it. She’s alive! Don’t you see what this means?” I wanted to shake him, to stop him worrying and think about how exciting this all was.
“Catherine’s alive?” His voice was barely above a whisper.
“Alive,” I agreed, “and obviously out to cause trouble.” I could see him frowning again, a shadow crossing his deep-blue eyes as he stared into the distance. A couple of times he looked like he was about to speak, but then stopped himself. I waited for him to come to terms with
“Umm, I’m fine really, there’s nothing wrong. Just give me a second,” I mumbled, trying to make my brain work.
“I got here as early as I could,” he went on, “and I overheard your parents talking about being at the police station again, and that you were behaving a bit oddly. What was it? What’s happened now?”
“I’m fine, honestly, and I do have some news, but I think it would be better if we could talk properly rather than having to whisper all the time. Let me get dressed and we can walk somewhere.”
“Sure, if you would rather do that. As long as you’re OK – I’ve been worrying all night, and then when I heard your parents, well, I guess I panicked a bit. Sorry.”
I had managed to open the mirror and hold it up so that I could see his face, the rueful smile smoothing out the frown lines. The hope that had been swirling around in my head the night before grew and intensified, and I couldn’t help beaming at him. He sat back, shocked.
“Are you sure you’re OK?”
“Yes, I’m really all right, and I’m delighted to see you! Now go and loiter somewhere else while I get changed.” I couldn’t wait to get him outside to talk to him properly.
It was still pretty early so my parents were sitting in bed with their morning coffee. They looked surprised to see me up and dressed quite so soon after such a late night, but seemed to accept the explanation that I couldn’t sleep. I offered to walk to the shops to get the papers as that gave me a great excuse to be getting out. I put my earpiece in as I went downthe stairs and practically ran out of the house. Callum was with me instantly.
“Well?” he asked as I hurried along the road. “What is it? Why were you at the police station again? Did they find who took your money?”
“Hang on a minute. I really, really want to be sitting down having a proper conversation with you. Let’s get to the swings first.”
Just round the corner from the house was a small playground with swings and roundabouts. It wasn’t used very much and Grace and I often came here as a quiet place to sit and gossip away from interfering brothers and parents. A woman was just strapping a toddler into a pushchair as I arrived, but otherwise it was deserted. As I waited for her to get out of earshot I sat on the top of the roundabout and set up the mirror in front of me so I could see as much of Callum as possible. The wait was obviously getting to him.
“Come on! Tell me! This is doing my head in!”
“Well, I went to the police station last night with Dad because they had a video of the person who stole my money. And now I’ve seen her, I know she’s the same person who has been doing all the other things too.”
Callum sat up straighter. “Her? So who was it? Do I know her?”
“Oh, you know her, all right, but I’m not sure you’re going to believe me.”
“So come on, who was it?”
I took a deep breath. “Catherine.”
He looked at me blankly for a moment. “Catherine?”
“Your sister, Catherine. Human, real, in the flesh. Living and breathing and stealing all my money. Smiling as she did it, too.”
I watched the shock cross his face, then he shook his head. “You must’ve been mistaken. Catherine’s dead. I saw her explode in a shower of sparks and die.”
“I’m not mistaken. It was her, and they have her on the video. She looked directly at the camera and smiled, as if she knew that we would see it. She’s alive! Don’t you see what this means?” I wanted to shake him, to stop him worrying and think about how exciting this all was.
“Catherine’s alive?” His voice was barely above a whisper.
“Alive,” I agreed, “and obviously out to cause trouble.” I could see him frowning again, a shadow crossing his deep-blue eyes as he stared into the distance. A couple of times he looked like he was about to speak, but then stopped himself. I waited for him to come to terms with
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