Soul Fire

always does the right thing. I guess I just have to hope that one day I get a chance to repay his kindness.
    Now we’re inside, the bank of screens makes me think of the latest favour he’s been doing for me.
    ‘I meant to check Burning Truths today, but I haven’t had time. Do you think I could . . .’
    Then I see the look on his face. What a self-centred cow I am. But I can’t take it back.
    ‘I’d hoped I’d have something to tell you by now, but . . .’ he sighs. ‘I could have another go, now, if you like.’
    ‘No. Not tonight. Not after you’ve gone to so much trouble.’
    ‘Don’t pretend you’re here for the pleasure of my company, Ali.’
    ‘Oh, God. Sorry. That came out wrong. I . . . I don’t know what I’d do without you, Lewis, honestly. Today could have been so difficult but you made it OK.’ I’m
blushing now, but even though it’s embarrassing, I want him to know how important he is to me. ‘It was so sweet of you to do all this.’
    ‘Sweet. Hmm.’ He grabs two cans of Coke from the fridge and throws me one. I only just catch it, and he smiles.
    He sits down. ‘Let’s take a look. It’s been quiet on the site for a bit, but I’m sure the significance of today won’t have escaped them. There was a sarcastic
comment after the inquiry team was disbanded, but nothing interesting since.’
    He navigates half a dozen different security screens.
    ‘What are you doing?’
    ‘I visit via a VPN so the host never knows who I am.’
    ‘VPN? Is that like a Visible Panty Line?’
    Lewis laughs, and I feel almost as though all is forgiven. ‘Virtual Private Network. Makes me look like I’m in Slovenia one minute, Singapore the next. Same technology the
designer uses.’
    The header loads, as nasty as ever.
    Underneath there’s a single word, in huge font:
    ANGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    ‘Aye, aye. That wasn’t there when I checked earlier,’ Lewis says.
    We both lean in to the screen.
    AS IF IT’S NOT BAD ENOUGH THAT TIM ASHLEY WAS EFFECTIVELY CONVICTED BY INNUENDO WHEN THE POLICE STOPPED THEIR INQUIRY INTO MEGGIE FORSTER’S MURDER, NOW MRS
     FORSTER HAS DECIDED TO PUT THE BOOT IN!
    ‘What’s Mum done?’ I read as fast as I can.
    THIS STUPID INTERVIEW COMES OUT IN THE DAILY MAIL TOMORROW BUT IS ALREADY UP ON THEIR WEBSITE. IN IT, MRS FORSTER POINTS THE FINGER AT TIM BY SAYING SHE’S SETTING
     UP A TRUST IN HER DAUGHTER’S NAME ‘TO HELP YOUNG WOMEN FACING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THEIR RELATIONSHIPS’.
    APPARENTLY, SHE’S SO CONVINCED THAT HER CONFIDENT, REALITY TV STAR DAUGHTER WAS ACTUALLY A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THAT SHE’S GOING TO CAMPAIGN
     ‘FOR YOUNGER GIRLS, WHO OFTEN ASSUME THEY’RE ALONE, OR THAT ABUSE IS ONLY FACED BY OLDER, MARRIED WOMEN.’
    WELL, FOR MRS FORSTER’S INFORMATION, PLENTY OF PEOPLE HAD REASONS TO HATE MEGGIE FORSTER, AND – FOR REASONS BEST KNOWN TO HIMSELF – TIM ASHLEY
     WASN’T ONE OF THEM. EVERYONE COULD SEE THAT. SO WHY ISN’T MRS FORSTER CAMPAIGNING AGAINST REALITY TV SHOWS LIKE THE ONE THAT PORTRAYED HER DAUGHTER AS AN EGOMANIAC? OR AGAINST THE
     NEWSPAPERS THAT HOUNDED HER FAMILY – AS WELL AS TIM – AFTER THE MURDER?
    NO. THAT’D BE TOO EASY FOR BEATRICE FORSTER. AND FOR THE PAPERS. BUT SOMEONE OUT THERE KNOWS EVERYONE IS GETTING IT WRONG. AND ONE OF THESE DAYS, THEY’LL GET
     A KNOCK ON THE DOOR . . .
    ‘Bloody hell, someone wasn’t joking about being angry,’ Lewis says.
    But who? I try to imagine Ade saying those things out loud; he seems too calm for those bitter words. And then I think of Sahara saying them. That seems more likely. Sometimes when she
talks, she goes too far.
    ‘Can I look at the news story?’ I ask, and Lewis brings it up.
    It’s headlined Exclusive: My Meggie Did Not Die in Vain , and features one of the photos of Meggie on TV, plus a creepy picture where it looks like Tim is grabbing her by the arm (in
fact, he was stopping her from tripping on her long dress). And there’s a third photo, of Mum, walking by the Thames looking wistful.
    I bet Dad doesn’t know about this.
    Mum only mentions the idea of a trust in passing, as something she’s considering. It must have been what she and Dad were rowing about after the dinner party last week. Why did she even
mention it? She must know how angry it’ll make him . . .
    The rest of the article is harmless, full of memories of my sister. I half expect Mum to go through the whole piece without mentioning me, but right at the end, the