by B. A. Paris
21 Sep 23.34
Too good a chance to miss
It’s now or never
21 Sep 23.34
Will it work?
21 Sep 23.35
I can attest to row we had
You can say she was depressed when you saw her yesterday afternoon
Say she told you about pills in drawer but you never thought she’d use them
21 Sep 23.36
15 pills won’t kill her, will they?
21 Sep 23.36
No, just make her ill
I’ll go home at lunch time, pretend I want to make up Hopefully will find her unconscious and will call ambulance
*
22 Sep 08.08
Have done it
Leaving for work but will go back in couple of hours
22 Sep 08.09
What if she doesn’t drink juice?
22 Sep 08.09
She will make another suicide attempt
22 Sep 11.54
Just got call from hospital
On way there now
22 Sep 11.54
Does that mean it worked?
22 Sep 11.55
Looks like it. She phoned ambulance herself
Will let you know
I suddenly realise that the shower hasn’t been turned on, that Matthew isn’t in the bathroom. My heart races with fear. Where is he? In the dark silence, I strain my ears and hear the low murmur of his voice coming from the front bedroom. He and Rachel must be terrified that the phone will somehow find its way into the hands of the police and that their game will be up. Are they in enough of a panic to kill me? Or at the very least force-feed me enough pills to make it look as if I’ve made another suicide attempt, except that this time it succeeds? As I lie in bed, waiting for him to come back, my hand still clutching the can, I feel more frightened than I ever have. Especially now that I know about the knife.
08 Aug 23.44
Went like a dream at doctors today
08 Aug 23.44
Medication?
08 Aug 23.44
Yes but says she won’t take it
Need to get her to change her mind
08 Aug 23.45
I think I may have just the thing
08 Aug 23.45
What?
08 Aug 23.45
A great big kitchen knife
Just like the one used in the murder
08 Aug 23.46
??? Where did you get it?
08 Aug 23.46
London
Thought I could plant it somewhere for her to find
Give her a scare
08 Aug 23.46
Not a good idea, she’ll phone the police
And what about fingerprints
Don’t think it will work
08 Aug 23.47
It will if we plan properly
08 Aug 23.47
Will think about it
*
09 Aug 00.15
Have thought about it
09 Aug 00.17
You there?
09 Aug 00.20
I am now! You have a plan?
09 Aug 00.20
Yes but too difficult to explain by text
Will phone you
09 Aug 00.20
Thought we agreed phoning too risky?
09 Aug 00.21
Desperate times desperate measures and all that
09 Aug 20.32
Have left back door open
Stick to what we agreed and make sure you get the hell out of it quick
Hope we’re not making a mistake
09 Aug 20.33
Trust me, it will be fine ☺
09 Aug 23.49
Hi
09 Aug 23.49
Thank God! Heard her screaming, have been dying to know what happened!
09 Aug 23.50
Can’t actually believe it worked, she was hysterical
09 Aug 23.50
Glad police didn’t come
09 Aug 23.51
Managed to persuade her she was seeing things
09 Aug 23.51
Told you
Had to leave knife in shed, hope that’s ok
09 Aug 23.52
No problem – you never know, we might need it again one day
What if, at this very moment, Rachel is persuading Matthew to go down to the shed, take the knife and use it to kill me? If he were to slit my throat, people would think that Jane’s murderer had struck again. Matthew would attest to the silent calls I’d been getting and wring his hands that he hadn’t believed me when I’d told him the murderer was after me. Rachel would give him an alibi for tonight, saying she had asked him to go round because after seeing me earlier in the pub, she’d been worried about me. The knife used to kill me would never be found, just as the knife used to kill Jane has never been found. And I would become known as Cass Anderson, the second victim of the woods murderer.
The door to the spare bedroom clicks open. I hold my breath, waiting to hear which way he’ll go, down the stairs and out to the garden or along the landing towards me. If he goes downstairs, will I have enough time to run to the sitting room, take Rachel’s mobile from under the orchid and leave the house before he comes back? Should I leave on foot or take the car? If I take the car, the noise of the engine starting will bring him running. If I leave on foot, how far would I get before he notices I’m no longer in bed? When I hear his footsteps padding down the landing towards the bedroom, I’m weak with relief that I don’t have to make any decisions. Unless he already has the knife, unless he took it from the shed before coming in.
He comes into the bedroom and it takes all of my willpower not to leap from the bed and spray hairspray into his eyes, to attack before I’m attacked. My finger, poised on the nozzle, is shaking so much I doubt I’d be able to aim properly and it’s only the thought of not being able to disable him before he overpowers me that keeps me where I am. I hear the rustle of his clothes as he undresses and force myself to breath evenly, like someone in a deep sleep. If he gets into bed and finds me trembling like a leaf, he’ll be suspicious. And, tonight, my life depends on staying calm.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH
When morning comes, I can hardly believe that I’m still alive. It seems to take Matthew an agonisingly long time to leave for work and, once he has, I dress hurriedly and go down to the kitchen, waiting for his call to come in, acutely aware that today of all days I need to play it just right. Today, more than ever, I need to be who he wants me to be.
I thought I might not feel scared, now that I know who he is, my silent caller. But knowing what he is capable of makes me more frightened, which serves me well when the phone starts ringing around nine. Because I actually spoke to him yesterday, when I asked him who he was, I know I’m going to have to say something again today or he’ll wonder why my new-found confidence has disappeared overnight. So again, I ask him who he is and then, just before hanging up, I ask him to leave me alone with what I hope is the right amount of fear in my voice.
I have a lot to do today if I’m to unravel their web of lies and deceit so I drive straight to Hannah’s house, hoping she won’t have gone out. Fortunately, her car’s in the drive.
She seems surprised to see me so it’s only when, looking slightly embarrassed, she asks me if I’m feeling better that I suspect Matthew has told her I tried to commit suicide. I don’t have time to ask her what exactly she’s heard so I tell her that I’m almost back to my old self, hoping that will cover it. She invites me in for a coffee and, when I refuse, telling her that I’m in a hurry, I know she’s wondering why I’ve called round.
‘Hannah, do you remember the barbecue you came to at ours, at the end of July?’ I ask.
‘Yes, of course,’ she says. ‘We had those delicious marinated steaks Matthew bought from the farm shop.’
Her eyes light up at the memory.
‘This might sound a bit of a silly question but was it when we bumped into e
ach other in Nicole’s that I invited you?’
‘Yes, you said you wanted to have us around for a barbecue.’
‘But did I actually tell you when? I mean, did I say to come on the Sunday?’
She thinks for a moment, wrapping her slender arms around her waist. ‘Wasn’t it the next day that you invited us? Yes, that’s right, I remember Matthew saying that you’d asked him to phone as you were busy in the garden.’
‘I remember now,’ I say, making myself sound relieved. ‘The thing is, I’ve been having problems with my short-term memory and there are several things I’m not sure about, whether I actually forgot, or if they didn’t happen the way I think they did in the first place. That probably doesn’t make much sense, does it?’
‘In a roundabout sort of way,’ she says, smiling.
‘For example, I’ve been beating myself up over your invitation to dinner a couple of weeks ago, because I didn’t remember you inviting us—’
‘That would be because it was Matthew I spoke to,’ she interrupts. ‘I’d left a couple of messages, one on the house phone and one on your mobile and, when you didn’t phone back, I phoned Matthew.’
‘And then he forgot to tell me you’d asked me to bring dessert.’
‘I didn’t ask,’ she protests. ‘He offered.’
To give more substance to the questions I’ve just asked, I tell her that I may have early-onset dementia and ask her not to tell anyone for the moment as I’m still trying to get used to the idea myself. And then I leave.
24 Jul 15.53
She wants to meet in Bb, sounded upset
Any idea why
24 Jul 15.55
Man from alarm company made her nervous maybe it’s that
Can you go?
24 Jul 15.55
Yes, told her I’d meet her at 6
24 Jul 15.55
Let me know if anything we can use
24 Jul 23.37
Hi, how did your meeting with her go?
24 Jul 23.37
Fine, nothing to report, said the alarm man spooked her
24 Jul 23.37
Did she tell you she bumped into Hannah?
24 Jul 23.38
Yes
24 Jul 23.38
Said she told them to come for a bbq
Didn’t say when so thinking of using it
24 Jul 23.38
How?
24 Jul 23.38
Not sure
Btw told her I’m going to rig
24 Jul 23.39
How did she take it?
24 Jul 23.39
Not happy, said I’d already told her so she thinks she forgot
Wrote it on the calendar in case she checks, I’m a good forger
24 Jul 23.39
Good to know!
*
25 Jul 23.54
Hi, how was your day?
25 Jul 23.54
Fine, missing you though. It’s so hard ☹
25 Jul 23.54
It’s only for a couple of months
Have come up with great idea for bbq with H&A
Need you to phone house at 10 tomorrow, pretend to be Andy
25 Jul 23.54
?
25 Jul 23.55
Just play along
*
26 Jul 10.35
Thanks, Andy!
26 Jul 10.35
Haha did it work?
26 Jul 10.35
Out buying sausages for bbq at this very moment
26 Jul 10.36
She really believes she invited them?
26 Jul 10.36
Yep!
26 Jul 10.37
Can’t believe it’s so easy
26 Jul 10.37
☺
When I leave Hannah’s, I drive to the alarm company in the industrial estate and go into the reception. A lady looks up from behind an untidy desk.
‘Can I help you?’ she asks, with a smile.
‘We had an alarm fitted by your company a couple of months ago. Would it be possible to have a photocopy of our contract? I’m afraid I’ve mislaid ours.’
‘Yes, of course.’ She looks at me enquiringly.
‘Anderson,’ I tell her.
She types it into her computer. ‘Here we go.’
The paper whirs out of the photocopier and she reaches over and hands it to me.
‘Thank you.’ I look at it for a moment, noting the installation date for Saturday, 8 August. And Matthew’s signature at the bottom.
20 Jul 23.33
Guess what? She told me over dinner she wants alarm Has already arranged for someone to call around Friday
20 Jul 23.33
Sorry! That was me going on about your isolated house Told her you needed alarm, didn’t think she’d actually go ahead
20 Jul 23.34
If we get one, it will make things more difficult
20 Jul 23.34
Not if you give me the code ☺
*
27 Jul 08.39
Good morning!
27 Jul 08.40
Thought you might phone. Are you on way to rig?
27 Jul 08.41
No at industrial estate, waiting for alarm company to open
27 Jul 08.41
Why?
27 Jul 08.41
Going to order the alarm and make her think she did
27 Jul 08.42
How you going to do that?
27 Jul 8.42
By forging her signature on dummy contract
27 Jul 8.43
Can you?
27 Jul 8.44
Piece of cake. Told you, I’m a good forger
Alarm company about to open, will get back to you
27 Jul 10.46
On train to Aberdeen, have arranged to have alarm installed Saturday morning
I need to be there but need her out, any ideas?
27 Jul 10.47
Will have a think
Safe journey
*
29 Jul 09.36
The silent calls are really spooking her!
Doesn’t want to stay by herself so I suggested she goes to hotel
29 Jul 09.36
Nice for some
29 Jul 09.37
You and me one day, I promise
Works out well because she’ll be out of the way Saturday when alarm installed
But need you to do something for me
29 Jul 09.38
OK
29 Jul 09.38
Phone house later and leave message
Pretend to be from alarm company confirming installation Friday
29 Jul 09.39
Don’t you mean Saturday?
29 Jul 09.39
No, Friday. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.
Make same call again tomorrow
29 Jul 09.40
OK
*
31 Jul 16.05
Hi, are you back from rig yet?
31 Jul 16.34
I am now. At house, about to leave for hotel
Told her I found alarm man standing on doorstep Taking dummy contract to prove she ordered it
31 Jul 16.35
Hope she buys it
31 Jul 16.35
She will
31 Jul 19.13
She did
31 Jul 19.14
Must think she’s going mad!
31 Jul 19.14
Isn’t that the plan?
I leave the alarm company and drive to Castle Wells. The shop assistant in the Baby Boutique is busy with a customer so I wait, trying to curb my impatience.
‘Don’t tell me,’ she says when she sees me standing there. ‘You’ve had second thoughts about keeping the pram.’
‘Not at all,’ I reassure her. ‘But there is something I’d like to know. When I came in yesterday, you mentioned my friend would have shot you if you’d sent the wrong pram.’
‘That’s right,’ she nods.
‘So how did it happ
en?’ I ask. ‘I’m just curious, because it was completely unexpected. It just turned up out of the blue.’
‘I did suggest having it delivered a bit nearer the time, because – well, anything can happen. But she wanted it delivered straight away.’
‘How did it come about? Did she say she wanted to buy me a present and ask for suggestions?’
‘More or less. She came in a couple of minutes after you left and said she was a friend of yours. She asked if there was anything in particular you’d been looking at so I told her you’d already bought a sleep-suit and the young couple who were here said jokingly that you’d also liked the pram, and she said it was perfect and ordered it there and then.’ She looks at me anxiously. ‘I wondered if I’d spoken out of turn because she seemed shocked when I said we were expecting our babies at around the same time but she reassured me that you’d already told her you were pregnant, she was just surprised that you’d told me.’
‘The thing is, I was so excited about possibly being pregnant that I told two of my friends and I have no idea which one sent the pram because there wasn’t a note with it. Would you be able to tell me what her name was? I’d like to be able to thank her.’
‘Of course. If you hang on a sec, I’ll check on the computer. If you can just remind me of your name?’
‘Cassandra Anderson.’
‘Ah, yes, here it is. Oh, there’s no name. She didn’t fill that part in.’
‘Then do you remember what she looked like?’
She thinks for a moment. ‘Let me see – tallish with dark curly hair. I’m sorry, I suppose that’s not much help.’
‘No, on the contrary, I know exactly who it is. Great, now I’ll be able to thank her.’ I pause a moment. ‘By the way, do you remember speaking to my husband?’
‘Your husband? No, I don’t think so.’
‘He called here the day the pram was delivered – it must have been the Thursday – because he thought the pram had been sent by mistake.’
‘I’m afraid I don’t remember that at all. Are you sure he spoke to me? Mind you, I’m the only one here during the week.’
‘I must have misunderstood.’ I smile. ‘Thank you, you’ve been a great help.’
04 Aug 11.43
She’s just asked to meet in CW, sounded upset
04 Aug 11.50
I silent called again
You going?
04 Aug 11.51
Yes but really busy at work so hope it’s quick
Will let you know what happens
04 Aug 14.28
Best news ever – she thinks your calls are coming from murderer
04 Aug 14.29
What???
Maybe she is mad
04 Aug 14.29
Makes our job easier if she gets there all by herself Also managed to back up bbq story Told her she told me she invited H&A on Sunday