CHAPTER 6
The day after the fire.
‘I’m going to the morgue, Hattie. They want me to identify him.’
‘Do you want me to come with you?’
She had just hung up the phone. The local paper had called, wanting details of the fire. What happened. What a tragedy. Hattie’s voice had been cold and far away as she’d answered them. Please respect my sister’s privacy in this very difficult time.
‘I don’t think so. I think I should go alone.’
We never spoke of it. I was superstitious. Whenever Hattie began to discuss what had happened – Shouldn’t we talk about this, Penny? – I shut her down. I was afraid our house would rat us out somehow. I was afraid that even in those hallowed halls, our secret would escape, rush up the chimney like a wind, blow around the town and into everyone’s ears. I tried
