The Legacy

Palmer said, coming up the stairs. ‘The details – they become a blur. When you’re so upset. When you lose –’
    ‘A daughter?’ Jude said angrily. ‘You never lost a daughter, did you?’
    Mrs Palmer put a protective arm round Sheila. ‘Of course we did. We did, didn’t we, Sheila? But we’ve got you back now. Safe and sound.’
    ‘Yes, you have,’ Sheila said, squinting as though she were having trouble focusing. ‘Go away, Jude. I don’t need you any more. I’ve got my parents now. And I’m tired. I’m very tired.’
    ‘What have you done? Drugged her?’ Jude stared at Mrs Palmer angrily. Then he turned to Sheila. ‘They’re not your parents.’
    ‘Yes they are,’ Sheila said, folding her arms defiantly. ‘You just don’t want me to be happy.’
    ‘Happy?’ Jude let go of Mrs Palmer and pulled Sheila to him. ‘Sheila, all I want is for you to be happy.’
    ‘No,’ Sheila protested. ‘You wouldn’t help me find my parents.’
    ‘Because they’re dead.’ Jude closed his eyes, pulled Sheila closer. ‘They’re dead, Sheila,’ he whispered. ‘I looked for them and found them. They died, Sheila. I’m so sorry.’
    ‘No,’ Sheila said, her body starting to judder. ‘No.’
    ‘Yes,’ Jude cried. ‘They lived in Kent. Your grandparents’ house was three streets away – you were staying there one weekend so your parents could go away for the night. A neighbour called the Catchers and your grandparents didn’t have the paperwork showing you were Legal, and . . .’
    He drew back slightly so he could look at Sheila. ‘I’m so sorry,’ he said, gripping her tightly. ‘I wanted to tell you but Pip thought it would upset you. But these people – they’re not your parents. We have to leave here now.’
    Sheila didn’t say anything for a few seconds. Then her eyes narrowed and she turned to Mrs Palmer. ‘You said you were my mother,’ she said. ‘Why?’
    ‘I . . . We . . .’ Mrs Palmer floundered. ‘We got your message and we talked and –’
    ‘We always wanted a child,’ Mr Palmer said stoutly, appearing from behind his wife. ‘She wanted parents to look after. Is it so wrong?’
    Jude’s eyes flickered over to Sheila, who was staring at her supposed mother.
    ‘You wanted a child?’
    ‘Always,’ Mrs Palmer nodded, opening her arms out. ‘Just like you, Sheila. We’ve been waiting for you all our lives. When you called us up we were so happy. Come to your mother, Sheila. Come here.’
    Sheila looked at her tentatively.
    ‘No, Sheila,’ Jude said, but she wasn’t listening. She moved towards Mrs Palmer, whose outstretched arms enveloped her. Jude noticed the woman’s eyes flicker over to her husband’s. Something wasn’t right, but Jude didn’t know what it was.
    ‘Sheila,’ he said. ‘We have to go. We have to go now.’
    ‘No, Jude,’ she said. ‘I’m going to stay here. It’s warm here. They need me here. I’m going to stay . . .’
    ‘You hear that? She’s staying. You’re the one who’s going,’ Mr Palmer said, advancing on Jude. His eyes were watery; Jude could see his reflection in them. And then he saw something else. His eyes widened; Mr Palmer noticed and froze.
    ‘You hold on to her,’ he ordered his wife. ‘I’ll get this one. Two of them will buy us much more.’
    Mrs Palmer nodded and her grip tightened around Sheila, who looked over at Jude uncertainly.
    Jude looked through the window at the men getting out of the unmistakable Authorities van. Then he lunged at Mr Palmer and pushed him down the steps. Grabbing Sheila, he pulled her down the stairs and into the kitchen as the front door flew open and two men entered wearing protective uniforms with masks, gloves and hoods. They froze, breathless, but the men walked straight past the kitchen door and up the stairs, where they seized hold of Mr and Mrs Palmer.
    ‘No!’ the woman screamed as she was dragged down the stairs. It was a scream of abject terror, of fear so deep it made Jude tremble. ‘No, leave us be! We have Surpluses. We called the hotline. Take them, not us. They’re in the kitchen. They’re –’
    The man didn’t appear to listen; he carried on dragging Mrs Palmer out through the front door. Immediately Jude pulled Sheila out of the back door and through the garden to an alleyway, and they sprinted back to the sewer where Peter was waiting, ashen-faced.
    ‘I thought they’d got you,’ he breathed.
    ‘I did too,’ Jude said