Pamela lowered her eyes and whimpered. ‘I’m sorry, Mum. I didn’t mean to, but Frank said…’
‘Don’t blame it on me,’ Frank interjected. ‘You went along with the plan.’
Miriam watched her daughter fade under her husband’s gaze. In that moment she saw clearly what was happening between them, and her heart broke anew.
‘Pamela,’ she said quietly. ‘Come home with me. We can make things right. Fix everything.’
For a moment hope flashed in Pamela’s eyes. Then Frank’s hand tightened on her shoulder.
‘We’re not going anywhere,’ he said firmly. ‘Our lives are here now. We have everything we need.’
Pamela’s shoulders slumped. ‘I’m sorry, Mum,’ she whispered. ‘I can’t.’
Miriam stood staring at the strangers her daughter and son-in-law had turned into. Without another word, she turned and left the room.
She couldn’t enjoy her holiday after that and immediately changed her plans. But the journey home passed like a blur.
Miriam moved on autopilot, going over and over in her head the confrontation that had occurred. What should she do? Was the staged death illegal? Could Frank be hiding something else?
By the time she reached her empty house, however, she had made a decision. She would not report them. Not yet.
She would leave the door open, hoping that one day Pamela would walk in.
Three years had passed.
Miriam tried to move on with her life, but the weight of the secret and the pain of betrayal never left her. One rainy afternoon there was a knock at her door.
Miriam opened the door and saw Pamela standing on the porch, soaking wet from the rain, with her arms wrapped around herself and looking completely lost.
‘Mum,’ came Pamela’s cracked voice. ‘Can I come in?’
Miriam hesitated, then stepped aside.
Pamela stepped into the house, leaving a trail of water on the wooden floor. In the harsh light of the hallway, Miriam saw how much her daughter had changed.
The designer clothes and perfectly styled hair were gone, replaced by worn jeans and sloppy hair. Dark circles lingered under her eyes.
‘What’s wrong?’ asked Miriam, careful to keep her tone neutral.
Pamela slumped on the sofa, her shoulders hunched. ‘Everything’s gone,’ she whispered. ‘The money, the house, everything. Frank…he got into some bad investments. Started gambling. I tried to stop him, but…’
She lifted her head and met Miriam’s gaze for the first time. ‘He’s gone. Took what was left and disappeared. I don’t know where he is.’
Miriam sat across from her daughter, mulling over the information she had received.
Miriam wanted to comfort Pamela, to put her arms around her and tell her that everything would be all right. But the wounds were still too fresh, the betrayal too deep.
‘Why are you here, Pamela?’ – she asked quietly.
Pamela’s lips trembled. ‘I didn’t know where else to go. I know I don’t deserve your help after everything we’ve done. What a selfish person I’ve been. But I… I miss you, Mum. I’m so sorry. For all of this.’
A silence hung between them because Miriam didn’t know what to do. This was exactly what she had wanted since that day in the Bahamas.
So she studied her daughter’s face, looking for signs of the girl she used to know. After a few minutes, Miriam sighed.
‘I can’t just forgive and forget, Pamela. What you and Frank did…it was more than just lying. I think you broke the law. Faking a death may not be completely illegal, but I’m willing to bet you didn’t pay any taxes on that money. Besides, you hurt a lot of people, not just me.’
Pamela nodded, and new tears ran down her cheeks. ‘I know,’ she whispered. ‘And you’re right. Part of the reason Frank wanted to leave was so he wouldn’t have to pay taxes. The rest of it…the stuff he didn’t want to give back to his family…well, that was just icing.’
‘If you want to make things right with me and everyone else,’ Miriam continued, her voice firm, ’you’re going to have to face the consequences. That means going to the police. Tell them everything. About the staged deaths and everything else you two did with that money. About everything.’
Pamela’s eyes widened with fear. ‘But… I could go to jail.’
‘Yes,’ Miriam agreed. ‘You could. I don’t want you to do it, but it’s the only way forward. The only way to truly make amends.’
For a long minute, Pamela froze in place, sniffing slightly. Then she nodded slowly. ‘All right,’ she said quietly. ‘I’ll do it. Whatever it costs me.’
Miriam felt a glimmer of pride break through the anger and resentment. Maybe her daughter wasn’t completely lost after all. Being away from Frank had definitely done her some good.
‘All right,’ she said, standing up. ‘Let’s get you into some dry clothes. And then we’ll head to the station.’
When they walked out to the car a short time later, Pamela hesitated. ‘Mum?’ – She asked. ‘Will you… will you stay with me? While I talk to them?’
Miriam paused, then reached out and squeezed her daughter’s hand, allowing herself to feel and show again all the love she felt for her. ‘Yes,’ she said warmly and desperately. ‘I’ll be sure to come.’
‘Thank you,’ Pamela nodded and took a deep breath. Suddenly the expression on her face changed. Her mouth pressed into a firm line and her eyes filled with determination. ‘Let’s go.’
There’s my girl!