The Turn of the Key

There is no point in writing to the house, for it is shut up, and God knows Mrs. Elincourt has enough on her plate to worry about, poor woman. She has left her husband, did the police tell you that? She has taken the children and moved back down south to her own family. And Mr. Elincourt has moved away too—there is some sort of lawsuit against him connected with an intern at his firm, or so they are saying in the village, and the rumor is that the house will have to be sold to pay for the legal fees.

But I am putting my address at the bottom of this letter, and I ask that if you have any concerns, you write to me there, and I will do whatever needs to be done. I have faith that you will do that, for I believe that you loved those children, as I did and do. I don’t believe you will let any harm come to Ellie, will you? I have prayed to God, and tried to listen to His answer, and I am trusting you on this, Rachel. I pray that you won’t let me down.

Yours very sincerely,

Jean McKenzie



15a High Street



Carn Bridge



From:

To:

Subject:

Dave Owen only they said that your name is Rachel is that true

I miss you a lot and I am fairy very sorry about what happened especially because it’s all my fault but I can’t tell anyone especially not mummy or Daddy because they will be so angry and then daddy will go away like he tried to before like Maddie always said he would

it was me Rowan I pushed mad he because she was going to make you go away like the others she made all the others go away by playing tricks with Mummy’s old phone she took their things and she kind into the Attic window up the roof from your room the Attic was her secret den where she always went but she said I was too little to climb up and the she made the happy wake them up in the night and she took a YouTube video and played it on the speakers on the happy to make it sound like there was people in the Attic walking around but it wasn’t it was just the video and she took the dollies head out of the attic and she made me put the doggies head on your lap and I am so sorry because I said it wasn’t true and it was it was me who did that

she woke up and you weren’t there and mad he was going to poison you with you berries but I ran after her and I poured the wine down the sink and then Maddie was fairy angry and she said she said she was going to climb into the attic window again and get you into trouble with Mummy by setting off all the alarms because you had gone and I ran after her an eye asked not to do it and she said no I will do it or she will take Daddy away and I said no don’t Rowan with nice and I don’t want her to go she wouldn’t do that and mad he said I’m going to a new can’t stop me and she kind up and I pushed her I didn’t mean for 2 happen and I am so sorry

please please please don’t tell the police Rowan I don’t want to go to prison and I am so sorry but it isn’t fair for you to get told off for a thing I did so can you just say that it wasn’t you and that you know who did it but you can’t say who because it’s a secret but it wasn’t you

we are going away tomorrow to a new house daddy can’t come right now but I hope you can I love you please come back soon love Ellie elancourt age 5 goodbye