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Chapter 55
January 1992
Clara closed the front door in a hurry, but it was too late to save her doormat. Her sister had already brought the rain and the storm inside with her and Clara realised what an apt comparison it was to her own life. Bonnie had stepped into her life, bringing with her a sense of turmoil that Clara hadn't felt before. And yet she had also brought a promise of something Clara craved above all – revenge. It seemed like a fair price to pay.
"It's nasty outside," Bonnie complained loudly as she shrugged off her coat and placed it on the hanger next to the door. It was drenched and soon began to drip all over the floor. "I swear, I thought the ferry was going to capsize."
Not knowing what to reply, Clara merely gestured for Bonnie to come inside. If she was completely honest, she was still getting used to the idea of having a sister after spending over thirty years of her life as an only child and the thought that Bonnie had suddenly turned up uninvited still didn't quite feel real to her. Then again, their arrangement wasn't exactly about establishing a sisterly bond and Clara doubted that it was what Bonnie had in mind even after O'Neill was caught. Right now, their relationship was mutually beneficial. Bonnie needed Clara's help and Clara needed the information Bonnie had gathered to put her boyfriend's murderer behind bars. Would they stay in contact after they no longer needed each other? Clara honestly couldn't say and she didn't want to think about it right now.
While Bonnie settled down on the sofa, Clara went into the kitchen to prepare her a cup of tea and her thoughts circled around her own situation and how her life had changed since she had last seen her sister. Seemingly on a whim, Clara had packed her bags and moved to a remote house on a Scottish island and even though it was far away from her old life and everything that connected her to Danny, the loss had followed her here – as had the urge to bring his killer to justice. Maybe after he was finally caught, she could move on with the knowledge that the monster would pay for taking her fiancé away from her.
As she walked back into the living room a couple of minutes later, Clara was greeted by the strange sight of her twin smiling at her as she put the tea down. "Thank you," her sister said earnestly. "I really appreciate your help. Oh, and for this, of course."
Bonnie reached into her bag and a few moments later, she handed Clara her passport. They had stayed in touch after their first meeting, but they hadn't actually spoken except for two very short phone calls. In the first, Clara had informed her sister that she was about to move to Scotland and left Bonnie her address and phone number in case she needed to contact her. The second call had come two weeks ago and it was then that Clara had known she would soon have what she wanted most in the world. Bonnie had told her that she had everything she needed and she had asked for a place to stay because Ciaran O'Neill was on her tail. The passport had been Clara's idea. So as not to lead O'Neill straight to Scotland, Bonnie was to travel under Clara's name and for now, it seemed as though her plan had worked. Her sister had arrived and she seemed at ease, not at all like a woman who was being followed.
"They weren't suspicious, were they?" Clara wanted to know.
Bonnie shrugged. "Why would they be? We look identical."
That was another thing Clara would probably have to get used to. She still felt as if she was sitting in front of a broken mirror that didn't quite reflect her perfectly. Maybe they should take some time to get to know each other after everything was over. Maybe she would like having a sister once she got to know Bonnie better. But for now, Clara found it hard to focus on anything but getting the job done.
"So, um," she hesitated when Bonnie suddenly reached for her mug and started sipping her tea. Clara waited patiently for her sister to finish because she wanted her full attention and she wanted Bonnie to look at her when she asked the most pressing question. "When are you going to go public with it?"
To her surprise, her sister scoffed. "That's a really good question," she replied. "I wish I had an answer for you."
Clara frowned at her in response and suddenly, she felt a little stupid. Wasn't that why Bonnie had come here? Because the last phase of their plan had begun? So they could finally reveal the evidence that linked O'Neill to Danny's death? "But you said-"
"I said I had finished my research. I've written my piece, but my editor will have to approve it before it goes public."
"But you can give it to the police," Clara argued instantly.
"I can't!" Bonnie almost yelled back at her. "As soon as the police have it, it might as well be public knowledge! I can kiss my career goodbye!"
"But-"
"I've worked hard on this, Clara," her sister said, the expression on her face as cold as the tone of her voice. "I put myself in an extremely dangerous situation to do this and I'm not going to give up right before the finish line!"
Clara let her shoulders sink. She had hoped for this nightmare to be over sooner rather than later and even though she knew that it would only be a few more weeks, she suddenly felt more impatient than ever. It was frustrating to almost be able to reach out and touch something only to have it taken away again.
"You promised me," Bonnie reminded her. "You promised me you'd help me and in return, I'll make sure the guy who killed your boyfriend will spend the rest of his life behind bars. That's a fair deal, isn't it?"
Clara exhaled sharply, unable to deny that Bonnie was right. She had made a promise and she would keep it, no matter how hard it was. Every day for the past year, Clara had looked at the box Bonnie had given her, the box that contained everything she needed to take her revenge. To her, it was a way of getting back at the person who had hurt her, but to Bonnie, it was her lifeline. Clara hadn't really realised it when her sister had left the box at her flat over a year ago, but eventually, she had come to understand that it was more than just a backup plan. If anything happened to Bonnie, the contents of that box might just save her life and it was that thought that had kept Clara from just handing it over to the police.
"It's a fair deal," Clara agreed eventually. She could do it. She could wait for just a little longer. "When do you think you'll be able to give it to your editor?"
"He should get back in a week," Bonnie reassured her. Then, a slightly wicked smile spread across her face. Right now, she was probably thinking about what it meant for her career. "After that, it'll be a matter of days. And I mean it, by the way. Thanks for letting me stay here until all of this is over."
Not knowing what else to, Clara simply nodded. It was the price she had to pay. It was a fair deal.