The Foster Mother

The Foster Mother A Psychological Thriller N F Webber Media Publishers Ltd Copyright© Nicky Webber 2023 The Foster Mother – A Psychological Thriller First published in New Zealand in 2023 by Media Publishers Limited. The right of Nicky Webber to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the copyright laws of New Zealand. This work is copyright and no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded, or transmitted, in any form or by any means including digital, without prior permission of the author and publisher. ISBN: PRINT 978-1-99-116821-4 ISBN: E-book 978-1-99-116822-1 A catalogue record of this book is available from the National Library of New Zealand. Dedication To all foster parents and children everywhere, and most of all, to the precious foster baby I cherished during the first year of her life. Contents 1. PROLOGUE 1. NORA - 2002 2. CHAPTER 1 2. NORA - 2022 3. CHAPTER 2 3. NORA 4. CHAPTER 3 4. LUCY 5. CHAPTER 4 5. LUCY – Five weeks later 6. CHAPTER 5 6. NORA 7. CHAPTER 6 7. NORA 8. CHAPTER 7 8. LUCY 9. CHAPTER 8 9. NORA 10. CHAPTER 9 10. NORA 11. CHAPTER 10 11. NORA 12. CHAPTER 11 12. LIAM 13. CHAPTER 12 13. NORA 14. CHAPTER 13 14. LUCY 15. CHAPTER 14 15. QUINN 16. CHAPTER 15 16. NORA 17. CHAPTER 16 17. NORA 18. CHAPTER 17 18. NORA 19. CHAPTER 18 19. QUINN 20. CHAPTER 19 20. NORA 21. CHAPTER 20 21. LUCY 22. CHAPTER 21 22. NORA 23. CHAPTER 22 23. NORA 24. CHAPTER 23 24. NORA 25. CHAPTER 24 25. NORA 26. CHAPTER 25 27. CHAPTER 26 27. NORA 28. CHAPTER 27 28. NORA 29. CHAPTER 28 29. NORA 30. CHAPTER 29 30. LUCY 31. CHAPTER 30 31. NORA 32. CHAPTER 31 32. NORA 33. CHAPTER 32 33. NORA - 2023 34. CHAPTER 33 34. NORA 35. CHAPTER 34 35. NORA 36. CHAPTER 35 36. NORA 37. CHAPTER 36 37. LUCY 38. CHAPTER 37 38. NORA 39. CHAPTER 38 39. LUCY 40. CHAPTER 39 40. NORA 41. CHAPTER 40 41. NORA 42. CHAPTER 41 42. LUCY 43. CHAPTER 42 43. LUCY 44. CHAPTER 43 44. NORA 45. CHAPTER 44 45. NORA - Three Months Later 46. CHAPTER 45 46. NORA – Three Weeks Later 47. CHAPTER 46 47. LIAM 48. EPILOGUE 48. NORA Authors Note Author's Note Other Books By the Author Other Books By the Author Acknowledgements Acknowledgements Glossary Glossary Chapter 1 NORA - 2002 Around noon, I hear a baby screaming next door. It’s a pitiful, heart wrenching cry that makes me shudder, raising goose bumps on my skin. Is this normal? I’m only twelve and my mother has left me home alone. She promised to be back within an hour, but I’ve lost track of time. Everything falls silent, and a sense of unease washes over me. What if something’s wrong? I move closer to the back door, straining to hear any sounds. Suddenly, the crying starts again, more bitter and desperate than before. I can’t ignore it. I pull on my worn trainers, ready to race outside. Then an icy silence greets me, and a shiver crawls up my back. Abruptly, the wailing starts again and the baby’s cries intensify, making my hands shake. I imagine the baby’s open mouth, taut pink tongue and its trembling lips. My mother told me to stay in the house with the door locked while she’s gone, but I can’t ignore the desperate cries. Maybe the baby needs help, or the mother could use an extra pair of hands? I could hold the baby for her, unless she hurt the child. Maybe something awful has happened? Redoubling my pace, I stride through the neighbour’s metal gate. Glancing up at the wooden veranda and front door. I hear the baby cry, but the muffled sound makes me uncertain. I run along the neighbour’s small paved walkway, positioned between two rows of marigolds growing on either side of a narrow path. I creep up the four front steps to the porch as a razor-edged scream bellows out of the open net curtained window. Sucking down a deep breath, I thump my fist on the front door. The screaming makes my stomach sick, then it stops again, and an old man’s voice hollers, “Who is it?” These neighbours only moved into our quiet suburban street a week ago, so I’m not sure what to say. My name would be meaningless. “I live next door,” I shout back through the closed door. After a couple of seconds, there’s no response, so I carry on talking. “Do you need a hand, Mister, with the baby?” An overweight, stubble-faced man opens the front door. His careless grip of the baby sends shivers down my spine. Its tiny legs straddle his gut. His index finger and thumb press a plastic pacifier into the baby’s tiny mouth, forcing it to gag and whimper. “You want to help?” he sneers, shoving the half-naked baby at me. Fumbling a little, I hold the baby the same way my mother let me hold my younger brother. Its tiny bare feet are cold. I frown and glance down at the baby’s screwed up red face. It bawls again, sobbing so hard the pacifier falls from its mouth onto the porch floor. I notice a large red lump forming on its forehead. Something isn’t right. My throat tightens with fear. Is this man hurting the baby? “Where’s the baby’s mother?” I ask above the baby’s shrieks. “At the shops,” he grunts. “What’s the baby’s name?” I give him a weak smile. I don’t want to make the man angry. I rock my body like I’ve seen my mother do with my younger brother, hoping to calm the tiny child. “Anahera. Ana, I suppose,” he mumbles, eyeing me suspiciously. I rock the baby gently, hoping to soothe it. The man reaches out to take the baby