Checkmate (13 page)

There was no trace of recognition on her face when I told her my name. So not only had Sephy failed to mention me, but my mum hadn't bothered to talk about me either. No matter. I can use that. Three weeks of skulking in shadows and watching my mum's house had finally paid off. And not a moment too soon as I was beginning to despair of ever getting a chance to talk to Sephy's bastard alone. Seems like I used the right ploy. Pretending not to know about Callum's death made her relax slightly. And that nonsense about my brother dying in a car crash . . . They've hidden the truth from this girl. I can use that as well. But don't rush it, Jude. You've got plenty of time. Now that she's old enough, I can start grooming her. Nice and easy does it. This little girl is going to play a big part in my future plans. A very big part.

And no one is going to stand in my way.

I'll make sure of that.

The man held out his hand, but if he thought I was going to take it, he had two screws and a hinge loose in his head. I wasn't that stupid. I watched as his hand dropped to his side.

'How come you know my mum and dad?'

'Callum is . . . was my brother.'

'You're my uncle?' Something like a firework burst inside of me. But I deliberately stopped any more from going off.
Be careful, Rose.
Was this man really my uncle? Jude . . . I remembered now. When I was eight or nine, I asked Nana Meggie if I had any aunts or uncles apart from Aunt Minerva. Nana told me I used to have an aunt called Lynette but that she died very young, before I was even born. That made me start to cry, because Nana had lost both my dad and her daughter and it was so sad. That's when Nana told me about my Uncle Jude. He was Dad's older brother. But Nana said I couldn't see him because he was so far away.

But now he was back – if this really was him . . . I had to be careful.

'Yes,' the man replied with a brief smile. 'I'm your . . . uncle.'

'What's your sister's name?' I asked.

'Lynette,' the man replied at once. 'She died a long time ago.'

'What's Nana Meggie's middle name?'

The man frowned at me, then his expression cleared. 'Oh, I see. Well, my mum doesn't have a middle name. Her name is Margaret McGregor although she hates the name Margaret and never uses it.'

A smile covered my entire face. It
was
my uncle!

Yahoo! Dad, look! It's your brother. My uncle. Does he look like you? Uncle Jude has lovely, dark eyes and a friendly smile. I'm afraid to blink in case he vanishes before I can drink him in. I want to memorize everything around him and about him. Dad, look! It's your brother!

'Hello, Uncle Jude,' I grinned.

'I don't know what to say.' Uncle Jude shook his head. 'I . . . I'm so happy to meet you – but to hear that my brother is dead

'I'm sorry,' I said, my smile vanishing. How horrible was that? To hear that his brother had died and he hadn't even known it. 'Nana Meggie's not home, but come and see my mum. I'm sure she'd love to meet you again.'

'I . . . I don't think so.' Uncle Jude shook his head. 'Not now I know about my brother.'

'Why not?'

'As I said, Sephy and I had a quarrel a long time ago. I'm sure I'm the last person she wants to see.'

'Oh but—

'No, Callie. Maybe some other time. I've just found out what happened to my brother . . . I need some time alone.'

Uncle Jude turned to walk away.

'Am I going to see you again?' I asked eagerly.

'Would you like to?'

'Yes, please.' I would
love
that.

'On one condition,' said Jude seriously.

'What?'

'I'd rather you didn't say anything to anyone about my visit yet.'

'Why?'

Uncle Jude looked so sad. 'I need to think of a way to heal this rift between your mum and me. We both said some things . . . Anyway, if I were to turn up now or if she heard that I'd contacted you without her permission, then your mum and I will never make up and be friends.'

'Then I won't tell her. Not until you say I can,' I said.

'D'you promise?'

'I promise.'

'Are you a girl who keeps her promises?' asked Uncle Jude.

'Always.'

Uncle Jude tilted his head to one side to watch me. I didn't look away, I looked him straight in the eyes. I wanted him to know that I meant it. I'd never break my promise to him. Never, ever.

'I might not be in touch for a while, maybe even a few months, but you mustn't tell my mum or your mum or anyone else that you saw me. OK?'

'I won't. Not a word.'

'Good girl. I have a good feeling about you, Callie Rose. I think you can be trusted to keep our very grownup secret.'

If I nodded any faster, my head would fall off. At last I'd found someone who realized that I was ten years old, not ten months. And I would show Uncle Jude I was the best secret-keeper in the whole wide world.

'Bye, Callie Rose. See you soon.'

'Bye, Uncle Jude.'

Uncle Jude strode away from me. His back straight, but his head bent.

Did you walk like that, Dad? Did you talk like Uncle Jude. I bet you're the one who brought my uncle back into my life. Thank you so much, Dad. You do look out for me.

Rose has been in a very quiet mood over the last couple of weeks. At first I thought she was sulking over not going to the same school as her friend Nikki. But I'm not so sure any more. I think it's something deeper than that. I've asked her what's wrong countless times but all she says is, 'Nothing!' I am so sick of that word.

Nothing.

Don't tell me it's nothing when I can see that it's something.

Oh well. I'll just have to trust that when Callie Rose is good and ready, she'll tell me what's on her mind.

'Rose, stop bouncing on the bed before you end up bouncing out of the window.'

Whilst my feet were off the bed and up in the air, I drew my knees up even higher towards my chest, the way they'd taught us in my trampoline lessons. I bent my knees as I hit the bed and whoosh, I was back in the air again, even higher than before. Yahoo!! 'Rose, am I speaking Martian?' 'But Mum,' I grinned. 'This is fun!' 'Rose, don't make me have to tell you again.' I looked at Mum as I sailed up, spinning my arms like a watermill. She looked irritated but not annoyed. I reckoned I had a few more bounces before she started shouting.

Up and down! Up and down! Mum's bed is the best bed in the whole house for trampolining. I did a straddle jump, then a pike, then a seated drop which was quite good, even if I do say so myself.

'Callie Rose, get down,' Mum insisted.

I had time for one more bounce. This one was going to be the highest one ever. So high, I'd touch the ceiling. I bounced forward, ready to hit the ground running the moment Mum started to yell. But then it all went wrong! My foot slipped on one corner of the bed and I slid onto the floor faster than a thought. My back hit the corner of the bed and scraped all the way down it as I landed smack on my bum.

I opened my mouth – and howled.

Mum was at my side in an instant. 'Are you OK?' She squatted down. 'Rose, are you all right?'

My back was on fire. I tried to open my mouth to speak but all I could do was scream. I opened my arms to be picked up. Mum began to open her arms as well, but then she took hold of one of my hands and held it in both of hers.

'Rose, calm down, love. Where does it hurt? Show me.'

The door was flung open and Nana Meggie came running in. 'What the hell was that? It sounded like the whole ceiling was coming down.'

Nana took one look at me sitting on the floor and bawling before sweeping me up and closing her arms around me like the Venus flytrap we saw at the botanical gardens. My face was buried in the folds of her powder-blue dress which smelled of flowery perfume and chicken. Nana had her hands pressed against my back, right where it was hurting the most. And she was hugging me so tight I had to turn my face to the side just so I could breathe.

'Nana, I fell off the bed and hurt my back,' I cried. Nana hugged me tighter, which made me cry harder. 'You're hurting me.'

Moving her hands off my back, Nana Meggie bent over to kiss the top of my head and each of my wet cheeks.

'It's OK, love. Nana's here. Let's have a look see, shall we?' She lifted up the back of my T-shirt while my face was still buried in her dress.

'Goodness! You've already got some swelling under one of your shoulder blades,' said Nana. 'You're going to have a beaut of a bruise there tomorrow.'

'She needs an ice pack on that to reduce the swelling,' said Mum from behind me.

I pulled away from Nana Meggie and turned to Mum, my arms outstretched. 'Mum, it really hurts.'

Mum took hold of my hands. 'Come on, love. Let's get that bruise sorted out.' And with that, she led the way past Nana Meggie.

'Will you carry me, Mummy?'

Mum looked down at me. 'You're too heavy, Rose. Besides, I might make your back hurt worse. You'd better walk.'

So we walked to the bathroom further along the landing. Mum dampened a face flannel, wrung out the water and, lifting up my T-shirt, put the flannel very carefully on my back. She didn't hurry, she didn't rush, she was very careful. I watched her, the tears drying on my face.

The cool flannel made my back feel a little better, but it still hurt. I was still sniffing, trying to stop myself from crying. Mum didn't like it when I cried.

I held my arms out again. Mum smiled and kissed the top of my head.

'Don't you think you're a bit old to have a cuddle every time you scrape your knee or stub your toe?' said Mum.

I looked at her, my arms dropping to my sides. 'Yes, Mum.'

'Good girl,' said Mum. 'You've scraped your back quite badly and a bit of it is bleeding but it doesn't need a plaster.'

'Yes, Mum.'

'What's the matter?'

'Nothing, Mum.'

I looked down at the ground then. I didn't want Mum to see my face. My back was throbbing now. Mum turned me round so that my back was towards her and stroked over my bruise very gently, so gently that it hardly hurt. Then to my surprise, she kissed my back just where it was hurting.

'There you are, love. Does that feel better?'

I spun around and put my arms around Mum's neck.

'Oh yes, Mummy. Much better.'

'I'm glad.' Mum stroked my arms before pulling them from around her neck. 'You're strangling me, Rose.'

'Sorry.' I let her go.

By now my back was only aching instead of throbbing. But something inside my chest was hurting worse.

Mum kissed my forehead. 'Come and have some ice cream for being so brave,' she said. 'Not many people know this but ice cream is very good for bruised backs.'

So Mum got me some chocolate ice cream and it was yummy.

And after a while the pain in my back faded away until I could hardly feel it any more.

But the pain in my chest took a lot longer.