"Ian, " I said. "What are you doing here?"

He stood there towering over my mother, with a look that spoke of concern. Or inquisitiveness.

"Elizabeth, I need to talk to you, " he said in as urgent a tone as he possibly could.

"Can't it wait?" I asked. "My mother is sick. She has just been poisoned and_ wait a second. How did you know my mum was poisoned?"

"She overheard one of your mother's conversations yesterday. She's been ransacking your room and following you. She's the one who stole your diary."

"How do you know all this?" I asked.

"I know all this because she told me. You know how obsessed about me she is."

Despite the fact that I had a relentless stalker and a mother lying in agony on a hospital bed, I had to laugh.

"Rachel likes you, " I giggled. "That's unheard of. So what did my dear stalker say? Did she whisper about how breaking into people's houses and poisoning their families sounds like an ideal date?"

"Elizabeth you have it all wrong, " he said shaking his head. "Rachel is not your stalker."

"Huh, who else can it be if not for Rachel?"

"Elizabeth, it's..." Jeremy began, but could never finish. A tap on my shoulder broke us apart, dragging me down to reality. My mother was poisoned. My dad was plagued with fears for his wife. And Caroline! Poor Caroline was trying to stay brave even when fear taunted us.

"Elizabeth, " Caroline said as her hand held my shoulder. "I think it's time to check on mum. They only have a limited time for visitors."

"Caroline's right, " I said to Ian. "I should just...." That's when I saw his face.

Ian's face; normally so calm, was coloured with a dozen shades of rage.

"You, " he said, his eyes fixed on Caroline. "Get out."

"What?" I said, looking at Ian like he had gone mad. At that moment, I think he actually had. His eyes lit up in deadly fury.

"You heard me, " he said to Caroline. "Get out. Get away from her."

I turned to Caroline as her eyes shone. A few minutes later a few sparkly tears slid out of them.

"Ian, how could you speak to Caroline like that?"

"Your sister is a real bitch, " he sneered right to her face. "She..."

"She loves you, " I screamed at him. "She loves you with as much passion as I love Joan. She has gazed at you and praised you and given you more attention than you deserve."

"Elizabeth, she_", he said but I didn't let him finish.

" How dare you treat someone who has loved you so coldly?"

"She deserves it, " he said.

"And why is that?" I asked. "Because she didn't support our relationship? Because I love her a thousand times more than I could ever love you?"

"But she's, " he said.

"She's my sister, " I yelled. "You are not my stalker but you are a thousand times worse. I wish I never knew you."

With those words, I turned and walked away. I thought I heard him cry, but my heart was too ripped to care.

" Hey, " I said nudging Caroline. " Are you okay?"

"Never better, " she replied as we turned away towards mum.

Mum's face was pale, yet her eyes flashed as she saw me.

"Elizabeth, " she said holding a thin hand out to me.

"Hey, mum, " I said, facing a battle between relief and anger. Why hadn't she acknowledged Caroline?

"How are you? Caroline and I have come to see you."

"Oh, hello Caroline, " mum said scarcely glancing at her.

"Mum, how are you?" Caroline asked. "I've been so worried."

"I'm fine, Caroline, " she said still not looking at her eldest daughter. Anger flooded through me.

"I was wondering if I could have a word alone with you, Elizabeth."

"Mum, it's okay, " I said. "I trust Caroline with my life."

"Oh, honey, " she said as her fingers ran through my hair. I may be fourteen but there was something comforting about being cared for by your mother. It was a feeling of love and care. One that only she and Joan and Caroline can share.

"You are so young."

"Mum, I'm fourteen, " I said as I rolled my eyes. "I'm not that young."

"You are to me, " she said. "Be careful who you trust, Elizabeth."

"I know I've been stupid, " I say to her. "I have trusted Rachel far too much. I have been so naive and now she is hurting everyone I care about."

I couldn't talk anymore. Sobs began clawing at my throat like a caged animal. Before I could release those long-imprisoned tears, however, a figure dressed in a white suit approached us. It was a hospital nurse.

"I'm so sorry, " she said as she gave us a kind smile. "But visiting hours are over for the day."

"Please just let us have a few more minutes, " mum said to her.

"I'm so sorry Ma'am, " she said. "But rules are rules. Your daughters can visit again tomorrow."

"Let's go Elizabeth, " Caroline said, putting her hand in mine. "See you, mum."

"I'll see you tomorrow, " I said to mum as I struggled to fix one last glance on her.

"See you, girls, " she said. "And Elizabeth, if you want to know the truth about your troubles, I'd suggest looking through the mechanical eyes of a neighbour."

"What?" I said. But before I could ask anything more, the nurse ushered us out of the small hospital room.

"What do you think mum meant?" Caroline asked me. "We live on the edge of the street and we have no neighbour except Mrs De Voos."

"You don't think Mrs De Voos saw anything, would you?" I said.

"I doubt it, " Caroline said shaking her head. "The poor lady is short-sighted."

I thought of the strange Mrs De Voos who Caroline was always polite to and I always detested. She used to feed us cookies with tiny, grey cat hairs when we were little. She even mumbled to herself. Sometimes, I was even so bold as to dig up her vegetable garden and make rude faces at her security cameras.

As I mused on those childhood memories, a wave of realisation hit me like a fist. Mum's words to me had never seemed so clear.

I was to look at our neighbour's security footage.