Nobody would suspect me if her body was found in the woods in the night, finger marks on her neck, the life drained out of her.
Then she’d be gone, forever, and I could take what is mine. Her wimp of a husband wouldn’t be able to cope. I know his sort, crumbling with grief, unable to look after his child.
Or maybe I’ve underestimated him, too? Maybe he would cope? Then what? No matter how much digging I do, I can’t find anything negative from his past.
Emma, however, that’s a different story. I had a very interesting call earlier and I was very much hoping I’d have something concrete so I could put the nail in her coffin tonight, but alas, not yet.
Yes, maybe it really would be better – neater – if she was just gone?
I check behind me. Nobody’s noticed. I glide upstairs, hand sliding along the polished wooden rail. I see her disappear into our bedroom, a shadow.
She shuts the door behind her.
Sneaky little thing.
I walk up the hallway and place my hand on the doorknob.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Saturday 31st October
8.05 p.m.
The door crept open.
Emma held her breath as someone walked in.
It was Lawrence.
‘Oh Lawrence, you scared me!’ she declared.
In the semi-darkness, his eyes blinked at her. He didn’t move, just watched her.
‘I got lost,’ she said with a nervous laugh. Had he heard her rifling in the drawers? ‘This isn’t the bathroom, is it?’
He flipped a switch, flooding the room with light.
‘Just our boring old bedroom,’ he said with a charming smile.
She quickly looked back towards the drawer again, thinking of the notepad within.
‘Are you okay?’ Lawrence asked, walking up to her and putting his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. ‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’
She stumbled slightly and he held her elbow.
‘I feel strange,’ she admitted, realising she was feeling slightly woozy. ‘Maybe I haven’t quite shrugged off my cold.’
‘I have to admit, you don’t look great. Let’s get you downstairs.’
He helped her down the stairs and led her to one of the stools in a quiet corner of the kitchen.
‘Do you want me to find Dele?’ Lawrence asked.
She noticed her sister Harriet watching her with a concerned expression on her face.
‘No, I’m fine,’ Emma said. ‘You go have fun.’
Lawrence hesitated for a moment, then smiled and wandered off, heading over to the dance floor where Isla was busting some moves with her friends.
Harriet walked over to Emma. ‘You okay?’
‘I don’t know, I feel odd. I think I’m getting a cold, the whole village seems to have had it.’ Emma smiled. ‘But hey, guess what? I found something.’ She took out her phone and showed her sister the photo of Tatjana’s list.
Harriet shook her head in amazement. ‘That woman!’
‘I know, right!’
‘You have to confront her with it.’
‘I will.’ Emma searched the crowds for Tatjana, but she was nowhere to be seen. In the distance she noticed Faye standing with Shawn. Faye caught her eye and turned away as Shawn’s face flushed. Then Lucy came up to Faye, putting her hand on her shoulder, her face sympathetic as she narrowed her eyes at Emma.
Emma suddenly felt self-conscious.
‘Hey, are you sure you’re all right?’ Harriet asked softly.
‘Yeah, fine.’ She went to get another Pumpkin Mocktail.
‘Whoa, wait!’ Harriet said. She leaned over Emma’s drink and sniffed it. ‘You do realise there’s vodka in that, don’t you?’
Emma looked at her in surprise. ‘What?’
Harriet pointed to a small sign on the table, which Emma hadn’t noticed before:
PUMPKIN PUNCH, A TRULY WICKED MIX OF VODKA, RUM AND CIDER – PLUS, OF COURSE, PUMPKIN! BEWARE ITS BEWITCHING POWERS!
Tatjana had lied about it being a mocktail!
She shoved the drink away from her. ‘Jesus Christ, Tatjana gave this to me. She knows I don’t drink!’
‘Do you think she did it on purpose?’ Harriet asked.
‘She must have. But I’m driving. It’s so dangerous!’
‘Maybe that’s the whole point? Look at the weather! She could have hatched the plan when it started to rain and she realised you’d be driving,’ Harriet said, gesturing to the rain outside. ‘It would make sense you’d drive. I mean, that would be truly irresponsible, wouldn’t it? A mother driving her daughter home while drunk?’
Emma stood up, searching the room for Tatjana. This was the final straw!
Harriet pointed towards the stairs and Emma followed her gaze to see Tatjana heading up the long glass staircase. Emma followed her, taking two steps at a time until she got to the landing. Tatjana went into her bedroom and shut the door. Emma paused for a moment then entered the room too, finding Tatjana sitting on the bed.
Emma walked towards her, adrenalin rushing through her.
Tatjana didn’t look up as Emma approached. It was as if she was expecting her.
‘You gave me that drink on purpose, didn’t you?’ Emma shouted at her. ‘Despite it being alcoholic, you gave it to me! I’m driving Isla home tonight – or was that the whole point?’
Tatjana winced, looking away.
‘Admit it, Tatjana!’ Emma said, striding towards the bed. ‘You might as well, I know everything anyway. I know you’re behind all the rumours. The fake school email. No surprise the host is based in the Bahamas, is it? And then there’s this,’ she said, going to the drawer and yanking it open, getting out the notepad and showing her the last page.
Tatjana’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth to say something to Emma. But instead she jumped up and shoved past her, running from the room.
‘Listen to me!’ Emma shouted as she chased her to the glass balcony. ‘You can’t deny it! I know everything, Jade.’
Tatjana froze just before she got to the stairs, her hand on the rail.
‘I know it’s you,’ Emma said. ‘I know you’re Jade Dixon.’
Tatjana shook her head. ‘No.’
‘Liar!’ Emma shouted again. Her voice echoed around the vast area, the people in the room below looking up at them. ‘You’re lying,’ Emma said. ‘Tell everyone you’re lying,’ she added, gesturing to the crowd below. Dele walked over, shaking his head at her. But Emma was fed up with this, she was fed up with all of those people down there treating her like she was some kind of pariah.
Myra and Lucy appeared from the crowd and rushed upstairs towards Tatjana, Myra putting an arm around her.
‘Why are you upsetting her, Emma?’ Myra hissed.
‘Because she’s been spreading rumours about me!’ Emma replied. ‘The stuff about me saying working mums are lazy. Let me guess, where did you hear that from?’
Myra didn’t say anything, just frowned.
Below them, the guests had stopped pretending they weren’t listening. They drew closer, watching the drama on the stairs.
‘And what about me fancying Shawn?’ Emma asked Myra, the alcohol she’d accidentally consumed giving her courage. ‘Did you hear that from Tatjana too, then pass it on to Lucy?’ She looked at Lucy. ‘I mean, we all know who to talk to if we want a rumour or two spread. Tatjana got that right.’
‘Emma,’ Dele said in a low voice.
‘That’s just rude,’ Lucy said, folding her arms as Tatjana remained silent, taking in deep breaths. Below them, Faye walked forward, watching with interest.
‘Anyway, why would Tatjana want to spread rumours about you?’ Myra asked.
Emma turned to Tatjana. ‘Yes, why is that, Tatjana?’ She wanted her to say it. ‘Why did you fake an email so I missed paying for the school trip to Warwick Castle? Why did you pretend the Pumpkin Punch was non-alcoholic, so I’d drive my daughter home drunk?’
Some of the p
arents below raised surprised eyebrows, whispering to each other.
‘That’s complete rubbish, isn’t it, Tatjana?’ Myra said.
But Tatjana didn’t say anything. Instead, she just burst into tears. Emma almost felt sorry for her, but then she remembered what this woman had been trying to do to her all this time.
Lawrence shoved his way through the crowds then and rushed up the stairs towards his wife.
‘What’s going on, darling?’ he asked.
Tatjana looked up at him and shook her head. ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered.
He turned to Emma. ‘Emma? What’s going on?’
‘Your wife is trying to sabotage me.’
He frowned. ‘Maybe we should find somewhere quiet to talk?’ He gestured towards a side room and the three of them walked inside, Lawrence shutting the door behind them before Dele could enter. Tatjana leaned against the wall, her face expressionless, as Lawrence raked his fingers through his hair, standing in the middle of the room, which was some kind of small office.
‘So?’ Lawrence asked.
‘Your wife has a vendetta against me,’ Emma said.
‘Tatjana?’ Lawrence asked.
She looked up at him. ‘It’s not true.’ But her voice came out feeble, unsure.
‘What makes you think this, Emma?’ Lawrence urged, an expression of concern on his handsome face.
Emma told him everything – about the faked email, the nasty rumours and the notebook she’d found in Tatjana’s bedside table, plus the alcoholic drink she’d given her. But she stopped short of saying that Tatjana was Jade. She didn’t have enough evidence yet.
Lawrence’s eyes widened. ‘Jesus, Tatjana, is this true? Why?’
Tatjana sank down on to a chair, looking shell-shocked.
Emma frowned. Tatjana really looked broken.
What a charade!
Lawrence went to his wife, kneeling down in front of her and taking her hands. ‘Darling, I know you’re going through some stuff – but this?’
Some stuff. What did that mean?
Tatjana’s shoulders slumped and she started sobbing again. Emma was surprised – touched, even – to see a tear slide down Lawrence’s cheek.
This apparently perfect couple clearly had some issues to work through.
‘I’m sorry,’ Emma said, backing away. ‘I’ll give you both some privacy. We can talk when this all settles down.’
Then she left the room.
When she got out, an anxious Dele was hovering by the door. ‘Jesus, Emma, what the hell is going on?’
‘I found this in Tatjana’s bedroom drawer,’ she said, showing Dele the photo of Tatjana’s list on her phone.
‘E could be anyone,’ he said as he looked at it. ‘And anyway, what are you doing snooping through her drawers?’
‘I had to! Don’t you understand? Tatjana has a vendetta against me. That pumpkin punch she gave me, for example? It’s full of alcohol. How do you feel about me driving our daughter home drunk?’
The expression on his face faltered.
‘She didn’t even deny it, either,’ Emma said. ‘She is behind all this, Dele.’
‘Why?’
As he asked that, Lawrence walked out of the side room, gently closing the door behind him, his face drawn. He noticed them both and walked over.
‘I’m so sorry, she just admitted to it all,’ he said with a sigh.
‘All?’ Emma asked. Did he mean her being Jade, too?
‘The fake email, the nasty gossip, even destroying some letter about dress-down day,’ he said. ‘And yes, she lied about the punch being non-alcoholic.’
Dele dragged his hand over his face, looking shocked. ‘Jesus. Why would she do this to Emma?’
Lawrence hesitated for a moment and glanced at the chatting guests below. ‘Tat has always struggled with mental health issues,’ he said quietly. ‘I thought things would change when we moved here, but it seems that isn’t the case.’
‘But why target me?’ Emma asked.
Lawrence turned to Emma. ‘She becomes fixated on people. If they don’t reciprocate, she can get a bit . . .’ His voice trailed off.
‘A bit what?’
‘Dark.’
Emma felt goosebumps.
‘The fact you didn’t see her again after you had lunch,’ Lawrence said, ‘I think she might have taken it personally. She brought it up a few times. She really admires you, Emma. You’re everything she wants to be.’
Emma looked at him in surprise. ‘Are you kidding me?’
‘Seriously! You shouldn’t downplay yourself,’ Lawrence said as Dele nodded. ‘You’re a successful businesswoman, you juggle it all so well.’
‘I’m obviously very good at faking it then,’ Emma said. She felt Dele’s hand take hers.
‘And so is Tatjana,’ Lawrence replied, sadly.
Is she faking an identity as well?
‘I think it goes back to her mum rejecting her,’ Lawrence said. ‘She walked out when Tat was just ten. Tat didn’t see her for years, then shortly before they were due to meet, her mother passed away.’
Emma frowned. That wasn’t the case with Jade’s mother. Evie had always been there, even though she and Jade had a tempestuous relationship.
‘She told you this?’ Emma asked Lawrence.
Lawrence sighed. ‘Her dad did.’
Emma frowned again. ‘You know her dad?’
‘Yes, of course. He’s the one who helped me set up my business. Amazing guy. Set up his own business too, despite a difficult upbringing in Hastings. Quite an inspirational man.’
Suddenly, Emma’s conviction that Tatjana was Jade started to falter. Sure, Tatjana could be lying to Lawrence about her background, but then he knew her dad. Why would he lie?
It was beginning to make more sense that Tatjana was struggling with mental health issues and had somehow become fixated on Emma.
‘Has she done this kind of thing before?’ Dele asked. ‘Faked stuff, spread rumours?’
‘Sadly, yes,’ Lawrence replied. ‘An old university friend of hers got a job at the fashion company where Tat was interning. Tat got a bit jealous. Her friend was doing really well, so Tat tried to sabotage her. Sent a fake email to the boss. Spread rumours that she was sleeping with him.’
‘Shit,’ Emma whispered. ‘I really thought . . .’
‘Thought what?’ Lawrence asked.
Dele gently squeezed her hand.
‘Nothing,’ she said, realising how truly ridiculous the idea was now, that Tatjana was Jade. She took in a deep breath, relief flooding through her.
It was good news: Isla’s birth mother wasn’t trying to steal her back!
But poor Tatjana! Despite all she’d done to Emma, she felt sorry for her.
‘She needs help, Lawrence,’ Dele said.
Lawrence’s face looked pained. ‘I know.’
‘Is she seeing a therapist?’ Emma asked.
‘She was seeing a great one in Scotland, but when we moved here we didn’t think she’d need one any more.’ He took in a deep breath. ‘I wish I’d insisted now.’
‘I know someone,’ Emma said, suddenly desperate to help. ‘He’s in London, but it’s only an hour by train. He’s very good. I – erm – I’ve used him, in the past.’
Lawrence looked at her with interest. ‘Really?’
She nodded, getting her phone out and finding the therapist’s number. ‘I’ll email his number to you.’
Lawrence’s phone pinged and he looked at it. He was silent for a few moments, deep in thought. Then he looked up and gave her a charming smile. ‘This is really good of you, Emma.’
‘It’s fine, really.’
‘I don’t want this to affect our business relationship,’ he added, an earnest expression on his face. ‘I won’t blame you if you decide not to work with me after all this.’
‘Lawrence! Of course we will continue to work with you,’ Emma said. ‘This isn’t your fault. If Tatjana can get the help she needs
, then that’s great.’
He nodded, giving her a kind look. ‘I’ll make sure of it.’
Chapter Twenty-Four
Welcome to the Mums of Forest Grove Facebook Group
Saturday 31st October
11 p.m.
Kitty Fletcher
Can I just take the chance to say what a wonderful time I had at the Belafontes’ tonight? I’m just sorry I had to leave so early because of this silly cold I have. Tatjana is simply an amazing host, Lawrence is so charming and their children are impeccably behaved. They’re a true asset to the village! And that house too, just beautiful.
Pauline Sharpe
Erm, Kitty, were we at the same party?
Kitty Fletcher
We were, Pauline! We had a chat, remember?
Belinda Bell
I think Pauline’s referring to the time after you left, Kitty. Some rather interesting revelations were made about Tatjana.
Ellie Mileham
You know she’s a member of this group, Belinda?
Belinda Bell
Not any more! I just checked, she’s left.
Kitty Fletcher
She has indeed. What on earth happened?
Belinda Bell
Turns out she’s been stalking Emma Okoro.
Kitty Fletcher
What nonsense!
Lucy Cronin
I’m afraid Belinda’s right, Kitty. I was right there when it all came out and Tatjana didn’t deny it. She faked an email to make Emma miss a school trip payment deadline and spread some rather nasty rumours. Even worse, as I learnt later, she gave Emma an alcoholic drink, pretending it wasn’t alcoholic – and Emma was driving!
Kitty Fletcher
Gosh, I didn’t know about that bit. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tatjana’s the one behind my doctored MySpace page.
Vanessa Shillingford
Can we close this thread please? It’s not fair on Tatjana. She’s clearly going through something at the moment and as much as I don’t approve of her actions, especially as they impacted on my lovely neighbour Emma, my guess is she has some mental health issues to deal with.
Belinda Bell
Pfft. Not that old excuse. You know, I always knew they were trouble when they moved in. Plus their eldest son is a little lout, he hit my grandson only last week!
Circle of Doubt Page 15