The Lipstick Killers

night suddenly hitting her like a ton of bricks. ‘It’s you. So it wasn’t a dream.’
    ‘I’m so sorry sweetie,’ said Margaret. ‘But it’s morning and Peter’s up asking questions. And no, it wasn’t a dream. I wish it was, for your sake.’
    Sharon shoved Frankie’s coat off and got up. ‘I must look a fright,’ she said.
    ‘You were always the best looking one of all of us,’ replied Margaret. ‘You look fine.’
    Sharon glanced in the mirror over the fireplace. ‘Right,’ she said. ‘Look how red and puffy my eyes are. I look like a bloody witch. I’ll scare the kids.’
    ‘I doubt it. What will you tell them?’
    ‘The truth, Frankie said I should tell the truth.’
    ‘I didn’t know what to say, I told Peter Monty was away.’
    ‘Thanks sis. I understand. You had to tell him something .’
    ‘And I told him that there was no school today.’
    ‘No, that’s the right thing to do. I won’t send them to school today. Listen, where is he?’
    ‘In the kitchen with Frankie. She’s making his breakfast .’
    ‘And Susan?’
    ‘Still asleep.’
    ‘Okay,’ said Sharon, looking suddenly more resilient. ‘Let me go wash my face and I’ll talk to them.’
    ‘I’ll be with you. Don’t worry,’ said Margaret.
    ‘You’ve done it haven’t you? In your job I mean.’
    ‘Breaking bad news is the worst part. But it’s got to be done sis, and we’ll all be here with you.’
    Sharon went upstairs to her bathroom where she quickly splashed cold water on her face in a vain attempt to get the redness out of her eyes. She looked in the mirror as her younger sister had done hours before. ‘The best looking one,’ she said aloud. ‘Oh Monty, why?’
    She smoothed down the sweater she was wearing over the blue jeans that she had dragged on when the police had arrived last night. They’d tracked the address from the number plate of Monty’s car. ‘Well, here goes,’ she said under her breath, steeling herself to deliver the news to her children. ‘How am I going to cope with this?’ And with that, she started to cry.

7
     
     
     
    ‘Stop it,’ she said quietly, trying to get herself in check. ‘I’ve got to be strong.’ She dried her eyes on a piece of toilet roll and left the bathroom. She went to Susan’s room and looked at her youngest child, still asleep, with the covers almost off the bed where she’d kicked them off in the night. She could hardly bring herself to wake Susan, but she knew she had to. ‘Sweetheart,’ she said, and brushing the hair off her face.
    Susan’s eyes opened and she smiled. ‘Mummy,’ she said. ‘I had a bad dream.’
    ‘I know, sweetie. So did I.’
    ‘Is it better now?’ said Susan, hopefully.
    Sharon shook her head. ‘Come on love, get up and clean your teeth. Mummy has something to tell you.’
    ‘What? Are we getting a puppy?’
    ‘Oh God,’ said Sharon, the lump in her throat threatening to choke her. ‘Now come on, Peter’s downstairs, and Aunty Frankie and Aunty Mags. they’ve come to see you.’
    ‘Aunty Mags!’ said the child delightedly. ‘I haven’t seen her for ages.’
    ‘Well she’s here now. Put on your dressing gown and we’ll go and see her.’
    Susan almost leapt out of bed, tugged on her dressing gown and ran to the second bathroom where she scrubbed her teeth, showed them gleaming to her mother and ran downstairs. ‘Aunty Mags,’ she shouted on the way. ‘Where are you?’
    Sharon followed slowly, knowing that what she had to say would destroy the child’s delight. She shook her head as she went. Please God, she said to herself. Help me.
    When she got to the kitchen, Peter was eating corn flakes at the table and Susan was sitting on Margaret’s lap, a beaming smile on her face.
    Here goes, thought Sharon.
    ‘Peter; Susan,’ she said, ‘I’ve got some very bad news.’
    The two children looked at her, each with a confused expression on their faces.
    ‘There was an accident last night. Daddy was hurt.’
    ‘No,’ said Peter, but Susan just looked even more confused.
    ‘Yes,’ said Sharon. ‘Now come here darlings, both of you.’
    She crouched down to her children and gathered them in her arms. ‘Daddy’s not coming back my darlings. He’s gone to live with the angels now.’
    Peter started to cry, and Susan joined in, although she really wasn’t quite sure why. At her young age death was something that she didn’t understand. It had been the same with Roxie when Queenie died. It