The Stranger in Our Bed: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller that will keep you hooked

by Samantha Lee Howe

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Back in London I kept myself busy packing up all of Melody’s toys. The cot and a few essentials would remain for times when we came back with Tom.

  ‘I don’t have that much stuff,’ she said. ‘My friend’s flat was furnished.’

  I took a list of things she needed and Tom and I ordered them. The decorators had started in Tina’s room by then and they were also fitting both the nursery and Tina’s bedroom with built-in units. This would thoroughly modernize it for Melody and Tina’s comfort. Plus, Tina had her own small kitchen, sitting room and en suite bathroom. Also, we’d arranged that she could use Isadora’s London flat for the two days a week that she was off. I wanted to make sure she didn’t miss out on anything. That way, she wouldn’t want to leave us anytime soon.

  As this was going to be a semi-permanent move and I wouldn’t see that much of my friends in the future, I decided to make the effort to meet up with a few people before we left. I had been quite friendly with the wife of Tom’s FEO. Her name was Valentina and she was Russian. Tom sometimes joked that Valentina had been a ‘mail-order bride’ because her husband, Rufus, was a little intense and geeky and couldn’t get a girl. I always thought this was a little cruel. Valentina was a lovely girl, the closest to a real friend I had among the other wives, and she was good for Rufus, who was ultimately very shy.

  I hadn’t seen Valentina much at all in the last year or so as I had stopped doing lunch when I met Ewan. And, when I took up my role as Tom’s wife again, I had avoided being alone with any of the other wives and had only met them in groups, at parties and charity lunches, and of course the big fundraiser.

  I took Melody with me to meet Valentina for lunch in a Covent Garden restaurant. This was the first time any of the wives had seen her, even though they had all sent expensive gifts. I hadn’t felt up to receiving people straight after the birth, then I’d been busy with the fundraiser and after that we’d been dealing with Isadora’s death. Melody was almost two months old and I hadn’t introduced her to anyone.

  ‘Charlotte! It’s been too long,’ Valentina said. She kissed me on the cheek and then bent over the pram to look at Melody.

  ‘I know, Val. It’s been a busy year for me.’

  ‘Oh, she’s so beautiful!’ Valentina said. ‘Is she a good baby?’

  ‘Yes. Except when she’s screaming the place down at two in the morning!’

  ‘You look well,’ Valentina said. ‘I was so sorry to hear about Isadora. Sorry I couldn’t make the funeral. I was visiting my family in Moscow.’

  ‘It’s all right, Rufus explained.’

  We ordered lunch.

  ‘I don’t know if Tom told Rufus, but we are taking up residence in the Manor.’

  ‘Really? I’m surprised to hear about the move. Rufus told me Tom hated the place.’

  I frowned wondering why Rufus would even think that.

  ‘No, he doesn’t. He loves it there.’

  Valentina smiled. ‘I probably misunderstood. I sometimes get English meanings confused.’

  I told her about the renovations.

  ‘I wanted to see you and apologize for not being around a lot in the last year or so,’ I continued. ‘I won’t be in London that much from now on. And I thought you’d like to see Melody.’

  ‘Of course! And I’m delighted to see the baby. Look, I’m saying this as a friend …’

  ‘What is it Val?’

  ‘There have been rumours. About you two. Look … I don’t want to pry, but I hope everything is okay?’

  I blushed, wondering what Valentina had heard.

  ‘What … rumours?’ I said.

  ‘That you were … One of the other wives says she saw you. In a coffee shop with some man.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘It was a while ago. Over eighteen months ago.’ Valentina stopped talking and looked me in the eyes. ‘I’m sorry. I can’t help being direct. Rufus says I have no filter.’

  ‘I don’t know what to say … She must have been mistaken.’

  ‘When you stopped seeing everyone, it looked suspicious. You know?’

  ‘Yes, I can see how these things can blow up.’

  ‘Then you were pregnant.’

  ‘What are you saying?’

  Valentina studied Melody for a moment. The little girl was playing with her hands and kicking her legs in the pram beside the table.

  ‘Rufus said Tom commented that Melody didn’t look much like him. But I think she does.’

  I was struck dumb by Valentina’s words and couldn’t find it in myself to admit or deny anything. Melody was Tom’s, he’d made me prove it, but I couldn’t tell Valentina that without revealing that Tom had doubts about me in the first place. I just frowned and smiled and shook my head in an I don’t know what you’re saying but none of it is true sort of way.

  ‘This move sounds like a good idea. A fresh start,’ she said. ‘I have an idea, why don’t we go into the office and surprise the men after lunch?’

  ‘They’ll be busy …’

  ‘Probably, but you get to show Melody off to everyone,’ Valentina said. ‘And they’ll all see it.’

  ‘See what?’

  ‘She’s only tiny but already you can see she has Carlisle eyes.’

  I looked down at Melody and could see what Valentina meant. Although it hadn’t been obvious initially, Melody did bear a strong resemblance to Tom. Her eyes, blue at birth, had turned dark and she was looking less like me as the days went on.

  ‘So, what do you think?’ Valentina said. ‘We go to the office and stop all those wagging tongues?’

  I flushed again but nodded.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  I guess I should have known that someone had seen me. I didn’t ask Valentina where or when this had occurred and perhaps it was even one of the innocent chats I had with Ewan in the beginning, when I had no reason to hide because I wasn’t guilty of anything. Later, though I know we’d been careful, it was still possible that someone saw us together. Maybe I was recognized at The Savoy on our last meeting? Either way it didn’t matter and if Valentina suspected the rumours were true, it didn’t show. What came over instead was her wish to help me and to be a friend when I needed it.

  I fought the desire to confide in her. But I just couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone what Ewan had done to me. Plus, I was sure that Valentina would tell Rufus.

  After lunch we caught a taxi over to the Carlisle Corp offices and we went up to Tom’s office.

  ‘Mr Carlisle is in a meeting at the moment,’ the receptionist on the top floor said, ‘but I’ll get a message to him right away.’

  Tom came out of the meeting ten minutes later.

  ‘Darling,’ he said kissing me. ‘Oh, Valentina! How nice to see you!’

  Tom kissed Valentina on the cheek.

  ‘I’m so in love with your daughter,’ she said. ‘I insisted we bring her in to show everyone!’

  ‘What a wonderful idea,’ Tom said. ‘Lisa, please get Mrs Carlisle and Mrs Gardener a drink. I’ll take Melody to visit the other offices.’

  ‘I’ll come with you,’ Valentina said.

  Lisa took me into Tom’s office and I sat with a coffee. I could have gone with them but this was Valentina’s plan all along. I knew she would be pointing out the Carlisle eyes to anyone interested in listening, and if rumours had been bouncing around, no wonder Tom had been stressed about Melody’s paternity. And I couldn’t deny it was all my fault. Everything came back to the bad decision I’d made in getting involved with Ewan in the first place.

  As I sat alone in the room, I worried about how everything had fallen apart in the last eighteen months. I wished I had never met Ewan Daniels. The man had made a good attempt at ruining our lives. If it wasn’t for the fact that Tom wanted to put it behind us, we wouldn’t be together and Melody would never have been born. I couldn’t imagine life without Melody now.

  The phone on Tom’s desk rang. I looked at it and then
over at the door. No one came in to answer the call so I stood and went outside. Tara and Lisa weren’t at their desks.

  I went back into Tom’s office. The phone had stopped ringing. I shrugged and was about to sit down again when the phone started to ring once more. It rang twice before I answered it.

  ‘Erm … Mr Carlisle’s office.’

  ‘Is Mr Carlisle there please?’

  ‘I’m sorry he isn’t. Can I take a message?’

  ‘Yes. Can you ask him to call the finance office – Bill Pattern.’

  Bill Pattern hung up and then I realized I didn’t have a pen or paper to leave Tom the note. The top of Tom’s desk was neat and clear. As pristine as he liked things to be. There was a pen, but no notepad. I walked around the table and opened the top drawer.

  I froze.

  There was a bulky brown folder lying on top of Tom’s notepad. On the front, in black marker, was written: DANIELS/CHARLOTTE.

  I went to open the folder and noticed that a photograph had slipped out. My fingers were trembling when I picked it up. It was a shot of Ewan Daniels walking towards me in Harrods.

  I took a sharp breath. I opened the cover and saw a stack of other photographs, some of Ewan alone, some of him with me. Then I heard voices outside. Tom and Valentina were approaching. I stuffed the picture back into the file. Then closed the drawer and returned to my chair.

  I had to process what I’d seen: Tom had lied to me about how much he knew about Ewan. This was not the first time I’d caught him out and it made me begin to question everything he’d said in the last few months.

  I had to get a proper look at that file without him knowing. I took several breaths before the door opened and then I presented an outwardly calm expression as Tom and Valentina entered with Melody.

  ‘Here’s Mummy,’ said Tom to Melody. ‘She didn’t like being swamped by so many people and got a bit cranky.’

  I took Melody from him and cuddled her. Holding her made it easier for me to appear normal and to keep my emotions in check.

  ‘She’s tired,’ I said. ‘Oh, and someone called Bill Pattern called you. The phone kept ringing so I thought I had better answer it.’

  ‘I’ll call him back. Darling if you wait around, we can ride home together.’

  I left him to make his call and went outside to say goodbye to Valentina.

  ‘It’s been observed by all,’ she whispered as she hugged me. ‘Happy life in your new home. Tom makes a great dad, doesn’t he?’

  I glanced back at Tom’s open door. ‘He sure does. You and Rufus will come and visit, won’t you?’

  ‘Of course! I’d love to see your renovations when they’re all done.’

  Valentina left and then Tom’s new secretary Tara turned up. She admired Melody and I let her hold her. On the desk in front of Tara I saw the planner open and noted that Tom had a long meeting out of the office the next day – a lunch meeting.

  I glanced back at Tom’s office. Tom had told me he hired a detective to research Ewan after our affair. But if this was so, then how did he have a file with pictures of Ewan and me together? How was it even possible that someone had taken a photograph of our very first meeting? I had thought that Tom didn’t know about my affair until I told him I was leaving. But had he known all along and just faked being angry and shocked? I couldn’t imagine that Tom would be such a good actor, or that he’d ignore me having an affair if he’d known. Why would any husband do that? It didn’t make sense.

  Perhaps I was mistaken about the picture I’d seen? Maybe it was taken at a much later date than the first meeting as I’d thought. But I needed time to study it to be certain. I had to get back into Tom’s office and get hold of that file.

  Tom put down the phone and came out into Tara’s office.

  ‘I’m done for the day,’ he said.

  I went back into his office and changed Melody on one of the sofas. Tom stayed in the room and I had no opportunity to look again in the drawer. I tried to maintain a calm exterior but inside I was shaking.

  As we left the office, I wished I had at least held on to the first photograph.

  I was quiet in the car on the way back home. Tom chattered on about how everyone had fawned over Melody.

  ‘I’m so proud of her,’ he said. ‘It’s wonderful being a father.’

  I smiled at him. He held my hand and kissed my fingers.

  ‘You make me so happy, Char. Do you know Valentina said that Melody has my eyes? I hadn’t noticed till then that they had changed from blue to brown.’

  I forced a laugh, ‘She’s a Carlisle for sure.’

  Valentina’s plan had paid off. He was in such a good mood that he went into the kitchen and opened a bottle of champagne.

  ‘I’ve been meaning to do this. We need to celebrate our new home, our baby and our future.’

  I didn’t feel like celebrating but went along with it and remained calm. Every scenario I could imagine was going through my head. What other information did the file contain? Did it reveal who Ewan Daniels really was? Why, if Tom had forgiven me, did he still have a file with photos and information about me and Ewan? It didn’t make sense that he would torture himself like that.

  We went to bed early. Tom cuddled up to me.

  ‘I think we should have more children,’ he murmured.

  ‘Eventually,’ I half-laughed. ‘I’m just recovering from this one!’

  ‘I know but they say it’s best to have them together.’

  ‘Who says?’

  ‘Everyone.’

  Melody was on my mind as I drifted off to sleep. I experienced a confusing anxiety whenever I thought about her. If nothing else my daughter had to always be safe, and she was, so why was I so afraid for her all of a sudden?

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  ‘Hello … Tina?’

  ‘Charlotte? Is everything all right?’

  ‘Yes. Look, I know you’re busy sorting your move, but do you have a few hours today? I’d like to surprise Tom and meet him for lunch.’

  ‘What a lovely idea!’ Tina said. ‘Of course I can. I’m almost done anyway and could do with a change of scene.’

  I was dressed up when Tina arrived. I had made a real effort because if it all went wrong, Tom at least would believe that I had come to surprise him.

  ‘Thanks for doing this. We could do with some “us time” at the moment.’

  ‘I know,’ Tina said. ‘And it’s important that you do.’

  I kissed Melody and then left the apartment.

  Outside on the street I took a deep shuddering breath. I’d been holding myself in check since the day before, and it was difficult to sustain. I glanced up and down the street, worried that Tom still had someone spying on me. I began to experience that paranoia again. Instead of scolding myself about it I accepted that I did have every right to feel like this.

  There was no one loitering outside though, so I headed off to the tube station and made my way across London to Tom’s office.

  When I arrived, I went into a coffee shop opposite the office to avoid being seen by the doorman and I bought myself a latte. Then I watched the entrance. At 11.45 a.m., Stefan pulled the limo up in front of the building and Tom came out, briefcase in hand and got in. The limo drove off. After that I finished my coffee and strolled across to Carlisle Corp.

  ‘Hello Mrs C,’ said the doorman. ‘Mr C left a few minutes ago.’

  ‘Really? Oh, never mind, I’ll find out how long he’s going to be from Tara and perhaps wait for his return.’

  Upstairs Tara explained Tom was at a lunch meeting.

  ‘He’ll probably be gone all afternoon,’ she said.

  ‘What a shame!’ I said. ‘I wanted to surprise him.’

  I turned and was about to leave, then I pretended to get an idea.

  ‘Do you have a pen? Paper?’

  Tara looked at me.

  ‘I’ll leave him a nice note on his desk. At least he’ll know I was thinking about him. I should have asked
what his plans were but thought he’d guess and it would ruin my surprise.’

  ‘Sure.’

  Tara gave me the pen and paper and then I walked into Tom’s office and closed the door behind me. Once inside I took a breath and then hurried over to Tom’s desk. I sat on his chair. Breathed again, and opened the top drawer.

  The folder was gone.

  I closed the drawer and then I searched the next one and the next. The folder was nowhere to be found.

  ‘Damn it!’

  My eyes fell on the filing cabinet by the door. The file I had seen would be the sort you hang inside one of those cabinets. He had to be keeping it there. I was just about to leave the desk and go and check the filing cabinet, when Tara knocked and came into the office.

  ‘Can I get you anything?’ she asked.

  I stared at the blank paper.

  ‘A coffee would be nice. I’m just thinking what to say. Trying to be romantic,’ I said smiling.

  Tara smiled back. ‘Is Mr Carlisle the romantic sort?’

  ‘Oh yes. Very.’

  ‘That’s nice,’ Tara said.

  Tara appeared to be on the verge of asking more about Tom.

  ‘He’s pretty soppy with me, actually,’ I said, watching her reaction.

  I don’t know what I expected to see there. Jealousy perhaps? Tom is a very attractive man and I could see a young PA possibly having designs on him. But Tara gave no indication that she had any feelings for Tom other than a vague curiosity.

  ‘That’s so nice to hear,’ she said. ‘Obviously, we only see one side of Mr Carlisle here.’

  ‘What’s he like at work?’ I asked.

  ‘Very … professional,’ Tara said.

  ‘Maybe it would be better if I left him a note on his computer screen. So that when he opens it …’