Free The Attic Room: A psychological thriller by Linda Huber

was to them. And yet –
    I am really pleased, thought Nina, standing there grinning
at the piles of sheets on the floor. Naomi was coming; that would brighten
things up and give them both something fresh to think about. Should they stay
here or go to the hotel? Which would Naomi prefer?
    Stay here, she realised after just two seconds’ thought.
Naomi would want to explore the house and help get everything packed up. Okay.
They couldn’t both sleep in the downstairs bedroom, so…
    She was arranging a pair of single beds in one of the
upstairs rooms when Sam arrived with tuna sandwiches and two large chunks of
Black Forest Gateau. Over their meal Nina told him about the morning’s events
and he listened, sandwich in hand.
    ‘Wow, you’ve been busy. And as the police have pinched my
job finding out about John’s family I’ve taken the rest of the day off. I can
take you to meet Naomi if you want. I’m afraid we might be looking at a trip to
Heathrow.’
     
     
    He was right. Nina left Sam in a coffee bar to give herself
some time alone with Naomi, and hurried through the arrivals area in Terminal
2. Thank heavens it was midweek. At least the airport was less busy than at the
weekend. Which meant it was mobbed without being completely chaotic, she
thought, skirting a group of irate people who appeared to have lost their
relative. Bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, Nina checked the board
– the plane was down. Not long now till she could hug her girl and oh, how
brilliant was that?
    ‘Mum!’ Naomi flew towards her and flung herself into Nina’s
arms. ‘Oh Mum, Mrs Anderson wouldn’t let me finish the ride though I told her
my arm was okay and the doctor said it was only a sprain too.’
    Nina hugged back gently, fighting back the desire to laugh
at Naomi’s aggrieved expression. She took hold of the bandaged wrist and
examined it.
    ‘Oh sweetheart. Doesn’t it hurt?’
    ‘Not much. They gave me pills at the hospital. It’s not
fair. I was getting on so well.’
    She put one arm round Nina’s waist as they walked towards
the exit, cuddling up, and Nina squeezed back gently. This was a time for one
hundred per cent sympathy.
    ‘It’s such bad luck, but I promise when your wrist’s better
we’ll get you on another trek. You’ve got all summer on Arran this year so we’re
bound to manage something.’
    Naomi nodded, her expression still glum. Nina kissed the
honey-coloured hair and hugged Naomi closer, feeling the tension in the child’s
body. This wasn’t all to do with a sprained wrist and the loss of a couple of
days trekking. Naomi had the death of her grandmother to contend with as well,
not to mention having contact with her father reduced to Skype conversations.
And a mother who’d deserted her…
    The little girl sniffed disconsolately. ‘Are we going back
to Bedford now?’
    ‘Yes. The lawyer’s driving us back. Sam Harrison. He’s
helping us this afternoon because the police have taken over some of his work
to find out how we’re related to John Moore.’
    ‘The police ? Why?’
    The news at least had the effect of distracting Naomi from
her misery. Nina hugged the girl again. She had already concluded that there
was no point trying to hide what was going on from Naomi, so the explanation
would give her daughter still more food for thought, even though Nina was going
to keep schtum about the paedophilia part for the moment.
    ‘Because a letter arrived for John Moore yesterday, trying
to blackmail him – that means threaten him to make him do something, and that’s
illegal. So I called the police. Look, here’s the coffee shop where we’re
meeting Sam.’
    Naomi was quiet on the drive back to Bedford. They were a
mile or two south of Luton when her mobile rang, and she had an animated
conversation with her father in Cape Town. Nina listened, holding Naomi’s hand.
They were both in the back seat, which made poor Sam look like a chauffeur.
    Eventually Naomi clicked off her