Distraction

Chapter Thirty-Two

Patrick sprinted from the pub, praying it wasn't true. Not Gracey. Please, don't let it be Gracey. Libby had to be wrong. Grace wouldn't murder Maggie. She wouldn't. What the fuck would he do if she had? What if she admitted it? He loved Gracey. She'd been his best mate for the last two years. No. Grace wouldn't kill Maggie. She wouldn't. Grace wouldn't hurt a fly. Literally. She yelled at him for swatting a wasp back in August.

It couldn't be Grace.

Libby ran alongside him, but held back as he reached Grace's house. He knocked. They waited. The ghost of Grace answered the door, her skin pale and her eyes red. She didn't speak, but headed back inside, leaving the door open for them to come in.

Oh Christ, Grace. What have you done?

She sat curled up in an armchair and wrapped herself in a grey cardigan.

'Gracey, what's going on?' he asked quietly, praying for a rational explanation that didn't involve murder. 'Did you give Maggie's pendant to Libby?'

She burst into tears, nodding and he sat heavily onto the sofa. Libby perched on the windowsill, frowning at him.

'Gracey, how did you get the pendant?' Please tell me Maggie gave it to you.

'I didn't hurt her, I swear.' Grace wiped in vain at her tears. 'I went... at the festival, she wasn't feeling well. I got back about two and went to check on her. I don't know why. I just felt I had to. And she was there. Dead. I didn't know... I should've called... but I didn't. She had the pendant in her hand. And I took it.'

Her body shook as she sobbed. Should he hug her and comfort her or call the fucking police?

'Why?' he asked.

'I wanted it for a spell. It's an ancient Egyptian amulet, really powerful.' Grace picked at a loose thread in her cardigan.

'The inscription looks like hieroglyphics,' Libby said. 'What does it mean?'

'See the Truth. Seize the Power.' Grace sniffed.

'What did you want to boost?' Libby asked. 'A summoning spell?'

Grace nodded. 'I'd asked Maggie if I could borrow it, but she said no, because if Jack really wanted me, he wouldn't be shagging around in the first place. She could be such a bitch. I just wanted to do one spell. Why couldn't she just share?'

'But you'd stolen the emerald, so its power backfired on you. It sent Jack away.'

Patrick shook his head. 'Enough of the Wicca crap. Grace, you left her lying at the bottom of the stairs.' She started crying again. Oh for fuck's sake. 'Did you push her?'

'No!'

'But you left her.' He held his head in his hands. 'She was just lying on the floor.'

The sobbing continued.

'Why did you leave her? You could've taken the pendant and still called for help.'

'I... I was scared.' Grace wiped at her eyes. 'People would know I took it.'

How could this be happening?

'What do we do now?' Libby asked, her voice so quiet he barely heard her.

Grace's eyes implored him, begging him to pretend none of it happened. Libby's moralistic frown said the opposite. Oh Christ, this wasn't the time for Libby's honesty. He loved her moral values and her innate desire to do the right thing, but not when it came to Grace. How often had Grace bailed him out, covered for him? Was this his chance to repay her?

'Look,' he said, hoping Libby would understand, 'she didn't hurt Maggie. She just took the pendant. You can give it back to Zoe. No harm done.'

'But you can't just ignore-'