by Agatha Frost
Lingering at the foot of the staircase, Julia held her breath and waited for the light to return. She counted to ten in her head before letting the breath out. She glanced back up the stairs, but light or not, she had come too far to turn back.
Stood at the bottom of the stairs, she contemplated her options. The first was to find the fuse box and reset the electricity, the second was to wake Hilary, and the third, once again, was to continue on to the downstairs bathroom and take a test.
She dismissed the first two options in an instant and set off through the dark to the bathroom. Finding a fuse box in the maze of the manor would be a fool’s errand, and waking Hilary so early would not end well for anyone involved.
A bright strip of moonlight broke through the dark clouds via one of the large windows in the sitting room, illuminating the door to the bathroom with a milky glow. If she believed in signs of fate, surely this would be one of them.
Leaving the door slightly open gave her enough hazy moonlight to see. She knew the clouds could swallow the moon at any second, so she quickly retrieved one of the boxes from the cupboard.
The fleeting light forced her to stop stalling. She ripped open the box and pulled out the plastic test, disregarding the instructions – not that she could see them; after the number of tests she had taken lately, she knew what to do. The only thing she could make out on the box was a red sticker boasting ‘Early conception detection guaranteed!’ Julia wasn’t surprised Katie had gone straight for the top-shelf expensive ones.
One minute later, Julia sat on the closed toilet lid, her pyjama bottoms pulled back up. Clutching the plastic end of the test in her fist, she scrunched her eyes and looked up, not wanting to see any indication of any result until she had given it enough time to develop. From experience, she knew how agonising it was to watch a negative result appear from nowhere.
After counting to thirty in her head, a sound like lightning striking in the bathroom jolted Julia’s eyes open, just as it had in bed. She jumped, and the test flew from her hand and into the darkness.
The light of the moon had gone, leaving the bathroom as black as space. Julia blinked hard, trying to find the test on the floor. Her gaze was drawn to the door. By the faint light in the entrance hall, she saw the door was wide open – not that she could see through it. She hoped her imagination had invented the shadowy figure filling the frame, but it took a step forward, and she realised the bang hadn’t been the result of lightning at all.
“Up!” a man’s voice cried, shattering the silence, his lips appearing from the shadows of his balaclava. “Get up!”
Certain she was in the middle of a nightmare, Julia remained firmly on the toilet seat as she stared at the mysterious newcomer. The creamy moonlight created a pearly glow around his solid frame, giving him the appearance of a ghostly shadow in his head to toe black outfit. The only definite shape Julia could make out in the dark was that of the sawn-off double-barrelled shotgun clenched in his gloved hands.
“I said, get up!”
She wasn’t dreaming. Julia jumped up with her palms open, her eyes trained on the two black barrel voids of the shotgun. She wondered if this was another of life’s cruel twists. It was almost comical that Vincent Wellington might now outlive her.
“In there!” the gun-wielding man demanded, stepping to the side and jerking the gun into the sitting room. “Don’t try any funny business!”
Breathing as calmly as she could through the terror, Julia walked slowly from the bathroom, across the entrance, and through the open double doors into the sitting room. Though she had walked right past the open sitting room doors minutes ago, she had been so focused on her pregnancy test plan to notice it was entirely bare of its ornate antique furniture.
“On the floor!” he cried, pushing Julia through the empty space where the sofas had been and towards the bare fireplace. “Face down, hands behind your back, and don’t look up.”
Barker’s voice came into her mind, telling her it was safer to go along with what was asked of her, advice he had given when she was mugged on a recent visit to Fern Moore, the local council housing estate. With her hands above her head, Julia got down onto the floor next to the box of plastic dinosaurs she had cleaned up before taking Vinnie up to bed.
The mere thought of Barker made her bottom lip wobble. She pushed her face into the rug. They had only been married for four months. They hadn’t even had the chance to go on honeymoon yet. Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away when Barker’s voice in her head was replaced by her gran’s. Clear as day, she imagined Dot telling her to save her tears for later and get through to the other side like a resilient South woman should.
Eyes now clear, if strained by the dark, Julia noticed a second balaclava-clad figure pulling one of the few remaining paintings off the wall.
“I told you to put your hands on your head!” the man cried, jabbing the gun between her shoulder blades. “Do it!”
Julia pulled her hands from under herself and looped them behind her head. She didn’t breathe again until he pulled the end of the gun away from the silk dressing gown.
“Right, stay there,” the man ordered in a calmer voice. “Move, and I shoot. Stay right there, and we’ll be gone before you know it. Do you understand?”
Julia nodded.
“I said, do you understand?”
“Yes,” she said, surprised she could even form words. “I understand.”
The man with the gun left her side. She squinted, watching him run across the empty room to help his accomplice pick up a large painting. She knew she couldn’t trust his word, but it was all the hope she had.
When they left the room with the painting, her mind turned to the pregnancy test. Tears flooded her eyes again, but she blinked them away and bit her lip. She could see the bottom of the door to the downstairs bathroom, but she wasn’t sure she would even live to walk the couple of metres necessary to find out what the test said.
As though life wanted to mock her, a baby’s cry rang out. She thought it was her imagination until the two burglars stopped in their tracks and hurried back into the sitting room.
“Where’s that coming room?” the man cried, pointing the gun at Julia. “I said no stunts!”
“The baby monitor in the kitchen,” Julia replied, her eyes clenching shut so she wouldn’t have to look at the gun. “I left it there before I went to bed.”
The man with the gun left the room. Seconds later, the sound of plastic smashing against marble filled the air. The crying stopped, but she could faintly make out the real source of the tears echoing from Vinnie’s bedroom. She prayed they were only interested in theft, not kidnapping.
While the thieves worked, Julia spent an endless amount of time remembering her mother’s handwritten recipes. Trying to recall each ingredient and its quantity kept her distracted enough to hold the tears at bay while they finished emptying the rest of the floor. As long as they stayed downstairs, she wouldn’t move.
Julia opened her eyes when they rushed into the sitting room. Their feet darted around the room, and she realised they were doing one final sweep to make sure they had taken everything.
“We’re done,” the man said to his accomplice.
Julia hoped they were going to turn and leave, but when she saw the man walking towards her with the gun, her heart stopped. He stopped right in front of her, his damp work boots right in front of her eyes. He forced the gun against the looped fingers on her head, making her wonder if this was the end.
“Stay where you are until you hear us drive away,” he said, putting considerable weight on the barrels. “Wait half an hour before you call the police. If we hear sirens, we will come back for you.”
Julia nodded frantically, which seemed to be enough for the men. They hurried out of the sitting room, slamming the front door behind them. Seconds later, she heard an engine roar to life. Blinding headlights shone through one of the large windows. She held her breath and waited until the lights backed aw
ay before daring to lift her hands off her head.
After shakily getting to her feet in the bare room, Julia turned to the windows. The clouds were still thick and dark, but the morning sun had started its ascent, heralding the new day ahead. Her precious vintage car was still there, but the van had gone.
Julia didn’t hang around to dwell. She sprinted into the entrance hall, took the stairs two at a time, and burst straight into Vinnie’s bedroom. His tears had already eased, but she scooped him up and clutched him as tight as she dared.
For minutes, Julia held Vinnie with her eyes shut, but they shot open again when she heard the front door open. Holding her breath, she clung tighter to Vinnie and listened out. She let the breath out when she heard a female voice.
After setting Vinnie down, she crept out of his bedroom to the top of the landing, daring to peek over the edge. She let out the biggest sigh of relief she had ever sighed when she saw the blue uniform of who she assumed to be Vincent’s nurse.
“What happened here?” she called up the stairs when she saw Julia. “Where is everything?”
3
No amount of milky, sugary tea lessened Julia’s nerves, but that didn’t stop Detective Inspector John Christie from setting a third cup in front of her.
She hugged the hot mug in her hands as she looked through the open kitchen door. Using the light of the early morning sun, officers were dusting for prints on the front door handle; Julia was sure both burglars had been wearing gloves.
Christie noticed Julia watching and closed the door.
“Drink the tea. It will help.”
Julia took a sip, finding the sweetness of the sugar tart against her tongue. She wasn’t sure it would make a difference, but she gulped down another mouthful to please Christie. She couldn’t blame John for giving her the advice; she would have said the same herself if the shoe were on the other foot.
“Where’s Barker?” he asked as he took the seat across from Julia, with the smashed baby monitor, an empty packet of cheese and onion crisps, and spilt nail varnish between them on the island.
“London.”
“Have you called him?”
Julia shook her head. Though it had been her first instinct, she had resisted. The book meetings were important, and it would take hours for him to get back home on the train. No place felt safer than being in Barker’s arms, but she didn’t want to worry him. For now, the familiar face of DI Christie was enough.
“Are you sure you didn’t see anything?” Christie asked. “Anything at all, aside from their boots and balaclavas? What about the man you heard speak? Could you tell how old he was from his voice? Was there anything distinct about his accent?”
“Nothing that stood out.”
“I need something to work with.”
“He sounded local,” Julia offered with an unsure shrug, “and he was definitely a man. He wasn’t young, but he didn’t sound all that old either.”
“So, between twenty-five and maybe fifty?”
“Maybe.”
Christie nodded. She could see his frustration at the lack of detail, but he didn’t push her. At one time, he might have, but lately, their paths had crossed so frequently their relationship had evolved from frosty rivals to almost friends.
Julia groaned. “I think I left the front door unlocked before I went to bed. This is all my fault.”
“Don’t say that, Julia,” Christie said, his voice stern. “From what you’ve said, they sound like professionals. A big house like this is a natural target. The whole county has seen an increase in burglaries over the last few years. We’re facing even more budget cuts. There aren’t enough of us to go around anymore. A lot is slipping through the cracks, and it’s making the criminals braver.”
Julia nodded before sipping more tea. She understood what DI Christie was trying to say; he couldn’t guarantee the culprits would ever be found. She didn’t hold it against him. She was grateful he had dragged himself out of bed so early. She had requested him specifically, and it seemed being the wife of a former detective inspector still had some pull.
“Thank you,” Julia said after another sip of tea. “You must think I’m the unluckiest woman in Peridale to keep turning up in the middle of all your investigations.”
“I had noticed a pattern.” Christie winked. “Do me a favour and don’t mention that you aren’t sure if you locked the door. Those men would have got in here regardless, but that admission wouldn’t look good for insurance claims.”
Julia nodded. She wasn’t comfortable lying, but this had happened on her watch, and she wasn’t going to risk things getting even worse for Katie and her father. She glanced at the clock on the wall, sure they would turn up any minute; she had called them when the police arrived.
“I should check in on things.” Christie slid off the stool and walked to the door, but he paused and turned back. “One more question. Why were you out of bed so early?”
Before Julia could answer, she heard Hilary’s unmistakable bark. Julia jumped up and hurried to the kitchen door before Christie could stop her.
“Julia?” Hilary cried around the officer trying to stop her getting any further down the stairs. “What’s happened?”
Christie nodded at the officer, and he moved away. With an icy glare, Hilary snatched her nightie away from him and continued her slow cane-supported crawl down the stairs. Her eyes were only lined with the residual pencil she hadn’t washed away yesterday, and her long, wiry hair was free of its tight bun. In her natural state, she looked less scary and more like any other older woman.
“There was a break-in,” Julia said as calmly as she could when Hilary reached the bottom of the stairs. “They’ve taken everything. I’m sorry, Hilary. I couldn’t stop it. They had a gun.”
Julia half expected Hilary to lash out with her acerbic tongue, but instead, she did the last thing Julia would have expected – she hugged her.
“Are you okay?” she asked as she firmly patted Julia on the back.
“I think so.”
Hilary pulled away and composed herself as if the moment of emotion had been a misstep. Julia didn’t mind, she was grateful. Despite Hilary being so outwardly unforgiving, Julia had experienced enough interactions with the housekeeper to know she had a heart, albeit somewhat deeply buried, beneath the prickly exterior.
“Why’s the electricity not on?” Hilary asked, her eyes widening as she looked around. “Where’s Vinnie? Has anyone checked on Vincent?”
“Vinnie is with one of my best officers in the study,” Christie answered. “Last I checked, they were eating crisps and watching Paw Patrol. He’s fine.”
“We had to get Vincent to the nearest hospital,” Julia admitted. “His machines had backup batteries, but his nurse said they would only have thirty minutes of power each, so it was better to be safe than sorry.”
“Half of Peridale is out,” Christie added. “Lightning took down one of the pylons. They’re fixing it as we speak, but it could take a while.”
Hilary nodded as she soaked in the information. Her eyes darted to the front door. Julia turned. She was equal parts relieved and uncomfortable to see her father and Katie walk in, still in last night’s clothes.
“Julia!” Katie cried before running over and grabbing her. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry this happened while you were here!”
“I’m fine,” Julia said, believing it more with each repetition. “Shaken up, but fine.”
“Did they hurt you?” her father asked as he wrapped his arms around the both of them.
In the middle of the hug, Julia shook her head, unable to tell her father about being held hostage at gunpoint while the thieves carried out their robbery.
“Everything will be okay,” Katie said as she pulled away from the hug. “This is what insurance is for, right, babe?”
Katie turned to Brian, and the colour drained immediately from his face. He didn’t say a word. He simply sat on the bottom step and dropped his head into his hands. He
stayed like that for a moment before dragging his palms across his face.
“Babe?” Katie repeated.
“Please don’t be angry.”
“Angry about what?”
“There is no insurance,” he said in a small voice. “I had to cancel it.”
Katie stepped back, shaking her matted and messy curls. “This is no time for jokes.”
“I’m not joking.”
A stuffy silence dragged out, and Julia could see the fury growing in Katie’s eyes.
“Why would you do that?” Katie let out a dry laugh as she shook her head, her eyes tightening. “Who said you could do that?”
“Do you have any idea how much it costs to insure a place like this?” Brian asked as he stood up with the bannister’s help. “It’s thousands a month! Tens of thousands a year, and there hasn’t been a claim put in for eighteen years. We were throwing money away!”
“Throwing money away?” Katie shrieked. “This is why we have insurance. Look around you, Brian! They’ve taken everything!”
“I’m sorry, I—”
“Where’s my baby?” Katie cut him off, spinning around as though she had only just remembered her child. “Where’s Vinnie?”
“He’s in the study,” Christie said. “He’s fine. He’s watching—”
Katie stormed across the entrance hall before he could finish. She pushed past an officer and ripped open the door, slamming it behind her.
“You’re a stupid man, Brian South,” Hilary said quietly as she turned away. “That wasn’t your decision to make.”
Hilary made her way back up the stairs, the uncomfortable silence growing thicker with every step she took. When her bedroom door closed, Christie backed away, leaving Julia and her father alone. They sat together on the bottom step, and without thinking about it, Julia melted into his side. He wrapped his arm around her.
“Why, Dad?” she whispered.
“I wish it were easy to explain,” he replied, letting out a heavy sigh. “There’s no money left. It’s all gone.”