The Babysitter: A gripping psychological thriller with edge-of-your-seat suspense

by Sheryl Browne

  ‘You did run a background check, right?’

  Hopelessly, Mark shook his head. ‘Mel said she would. I… didn’t push it.’

  Lisa drew in a sharp breath, but didn’t comment. ‘I’ll get everyone I can on it,’ she said. ‘Don’t worry, Mark. We’ll find Evie.’

  Cursing his idiocy, his sheer bloody incompetence at not running the check himself, Mark nodded. ‘Where’s Mel?’ he asked, attempting some sort of focus as he glanced towards the house, their dream home, which had become a house of horrors. Mel would be broken, utterly destroyed.

  ‘Lounge. Distraught, obviously,’ Lisa said, and then hesitated. ‘She thought you’d taken her, Mark. I thought you should know.’

  The news didn’t surprise him. It hurt, but it didn’t surprise him.

  ‘I’ve telephoned the health centre and asked her GP to come out.’ Aware of Mel’s resistance to visit the surgery, Lisa’s tone was guarded. ‘I thought, under the circumstances…’

  Mark nodded. He didn’t like the idea, but sedation was probably the only way Mel would get through the first few hours. After that… nothing would help her, nothing but her child safe in her arms would pull her back from the abyss. Mark knew that with certainty.

  ‘We’ve called in forensics,’ Lisa called, behind him. ‘And obviously Edwards has all available bodies on it.’

  Mark nodded again, grateful for that much. He needed to be at the station, on top of this, but not before he’d seen Mel, tried to reassure her, though he doubted he could.

  ‘Poppy?’ He turned back to Lisa, a new fear twisting his stomach.

  ‘We’ve despatched a squad car to the school. I’ll let you know as soon as— Hold on.’ Stopping, Lisa checked her radio. ‘She’s safe.’

  And Mark allowed himself to breathe.

  Sixty-Seven

  LISA

  Her heart breaking for them, Lisa paused between calls, watching as Mark walked across to where Melissa stood by the window, her arms wrapped tightly about herself, as if trying to keep the emotion inside. She didn’t seem to be aware of Mark’s presence, jumping as he reached out to touch her.

  ‘I’ll find her, Mel,’ he said quietly. Cautiously, he moved closer, gently coaxing her around to face him. ‘I will find her, I promise,’ he repeated, his voice thick with emotion.

  Poor bastard, he looked worse than Lisa had ever seen him. Even after losing little Jacob, when he’d been struggling on all fronts, drinking too much, sleeping little, he hadn’t looked so utterly drained.

  Clearly as exhausted as he was, Melissa allowed him to pull her closer. Lisa hoped to God they could find some comfort in each other. They didn’t deserve this on top of everything else. Relieved as she saw Mel drop her head to Mark’s shoulder, Lisa was about to discreetly leave when Melissa spoke.

  ‘Why?’ she asked sharply, pulling away from him. ‘Why, Mark?’

  Lisa’s heart sank as Melissa glared up at Mark, her expression a toxic mix of raw pain and pure anger.

  ‘Why did you trash everything?’ Melissa demanded. ‘Throw your family away? Try to drive me half out of my mind? You bastard!’

  Shaken, Mark struggled to answer. ‘Mel, don’t,’ he tried, attempting to close the space between them.

  ‘I can’t do this. I can’t. I want her back! I want my baby!’ Backing away from him, Melissa screamed it.

  ‘Mel, please…’ Desperation in his voice, Mark stepped back towards her. ‘Please, don’t—’

  ‘No!’ Melissa lashed out, landing a blow to Mark’s arm. ‘I want her back! Do you hear me?’ She hit him again, the flat of her hand curling into a fist, thumping into his chest. ‘Where is she?’

  Mark didn’t defend himself or attempt to stop her; he just waited until her blows became useless, ineffectual flails, and then, gently, he caught hold of her wrists. Still, he didn’t speak. Silently, he pulled her close and lowered his forehead to hers. ‘I’ll find her,’ he said hoarsely.

  Guessing now was a good time to leave them alone, Lisa turned for the hall, pondering the whereabouts of Jade as she went. She couldn’t believe Mark hadn’t pushed Mel regarding the background check. If only he’d answered her texts. But then, he had been preoccupied, she supposed. And the ‘perfect’ babysitter had soon installed herself in their lives and made herself indispensable. It might be nothing to do with her, of course. She might be the angel sent from heaven that Mel had seemed to think she was. In which case, Lisa would be extremely interested to find out why she’d been fired. She’d ask Mark as soon as she could. At the station would probably be best. He would undoubtedly want to be hands-on with this, the alternative being to go slowly insane.

  Sixty-Eight

  JADE

  ‘Jade?’ Cummings sounded surprised when he answered the phone. ‘What’s happening, babe? Where are you?’ He sounded caring – as if he gave a damn in reality. The man was a chauvinistic Neanderthal of the worst kind, to whom women existed only to satiate his perverted appetites. He hadn’t needed much persuading to play games in the bedroom, throwing himself into his role with gusto. Oh, how Jade would have enjoyed bringing this sadistic little prick down. Her plans regarding the delightful Cummings, however, had changed.

  ‘Babe? Talk to me,’ he urged her, an impatient edge to his voice now. ‘You need to let me know where you are. You know we have people out looking for you?’

  ‘Looking for me… Why?’ Jade made sure to sound puzzled.

  ‘Cain’s kid.’ Cummings hesitated, as if he might be having an actual thought about anyone but himself. ‘She’s gone missing. You need to come in and—’

  ‘Poppy?’ Jade cut over him, alarmed. ‘Missing?’

  ‘Not Poppy. The baby,’ Cummings went on. ‘We need to know what time you last saw her. Whether you saw anyone prowling—’

  ‘Evie? Oh God, no.’ Jade squeezed her eyes closed, getting into the role as she emitted a heartfelt sob. ‘When? How?’

  ‘This morning,’ Cummings supplied. ‘We need to know what time you last saw her. Whether she was—’

  ‘I haven’t. I didn’t,’ Jade cut in quickly. ‘Not this morning. I… left. Suddenly,’ she said cautiously, as if not quite sure how much to disclose. ‘Last night. I had to get out. I didn’t want to leave the children, but I was scared and I didn’t know what else to do, and—’

  ‘Whoa – scared? Why?’

  Jade gulped back a huge breath and sniffled for effect. ‘They had a row,’ she continued, after a second. ‘A dreadful argument.’

  ‘About?’

  ‘I’m not sure. What started it, I mean, but I think…’ Again, Jade paused, not wanting to appear keen to divulge.

  ‘It’s okay, Jade. Take your time,’ Cummings said, attempting to be sympathetic. ‘You know you can confide in me.’

  Jade rolled her eyes at that. Yes, right. Hurry up and dish the dirt, you silly bitch, was more likely what he was thinking, desperate as he was to get something on Mark.

  ‘Melissa,’ Jade went on falteringly, ‘I think she had an affair. Mark… He’d been drinking, heavily. He was shouting. Really angry. I was upstairs, with the children. I couldn’t help but overhear.’

  ‘Overhear what, sweetheart?’

  ‘He was calling her names, awful names. He…’ Jade paused for another timely sniffle. ‘He thinks the children might not even be his.’

  ‘Bloody hell!’ Cummings gasped, astonished. ‘Well, well, that explains a lot. Poor bastard,’ he commiserated – and then chuckled. Clearly, he was highly amused.

  Excuse me, distraught victim of crime on the line here, Jade thought, disgusted.

  ‘He turned on me,’ said Jade, cutting his merriment short. ‘When I came downstairs. Melissa had gone out. I’m not sure where, and he… He turned into an absolute monster. I tried to run, to fight him off but he’s so much heavier than me. I… I didn’t have any choice, Pete. Honestly, I didn’t. He…’

  Jade trailed off, waited, and sure enough…

  ‘Are you telling me
he raped you?’ Cummings asked, his tone a mixture of utter disbelief, outrage… and excitement. Definitely excitement. He would be orgasmic, Jade had no doubt, revelling at the prospect of using the information to destroy Mark Cain.

  Result, she thought. Then, ‘Yes,’ she cried, emitting a wretched sob.

  ‘You need to come in,’ Cummings said brusquely. ‘I’ll come and fetch you.’

  ‘No, I’m… with a girlfriend. I’ll come to the station.’

  ‘As soon as possible,’ Cummings instructed. ‘We can’t let the bastard get away with this. Don’t wash away any evidence, babe,’ he said, tempering his tone to something near concern. ‘And keep this between you and me for now, will you? I don’t want him getting wind we’re onto him before we can bring him in. Okay?’

  ‘Uh-huh,’ Jade said timidly.

  Perfect, she thought, ending the call and turning her attention to the police exiting Mark’s property.

  The timing would be crucial. She had to get Melissa alone. Which she soon would, it seemed. Jade smiled as one of the officers turned at the squad car to ask Melissa whether she was sure she would be all right on her own, informing her that the family liaison officer would be with her soon.

  Jade waited as the squad car drove off and then, checking the road was clear, took a step towards the house, cursing as her phone vibrated. It was Dylan calling, again.

  ‘What?’ Jade hissed, moving back under cover of the trees.

  ‘What do I do if she wakes up?’ Dylan asked. ‘Her little cheeks are still all flushed. I’m worried she might start crying again and I—’

  ‘For God’s sake, Dylan, she won’t wake up. I’ve given her some Calpol,’ Jade snapped. She was anxious to get back into the house while there was a lull in police activity. With Dylan fussing and clucking about like a mother hen, thinking Angel looked a bit peaky, she’d miss her opportunity. He’d even suggested he take her out in her stroller for some fresh air. Moron. Jade had paid cash for the room, but the last thing she wanted drippy Dylan doing was perambulating about the Travelodge car park, which would be bound to draw attention. ‘I’ll be back soon, my love,’ she assured him, softening her tone.

  Once she’d filled Melissa in about her deceitful bastard of a husband, that was. Which she would need to do soon, before Mark gave anyone his version of events. Clearly, knowing he’d be dropping himself in it if he confessed why he’d thrown her out like so much rubbish, he’d decided to keep that information to himself.

  She had to get to Melissa now. There was no other time. Having carelessly endangered her child while she pissed about with her stupid clay statues, Melissa would be teetering dangerously near to the edge. Her grip on reality would be fragile, and she would be susceptible, ready to believe her husband capable of anything. And once she’d seen the indisputable evidence of his perverted sexual preferences, then the weak, self-obsessed woman would fall, and so would Mark Cain.

  Letting herself quietly in through the back door, Jade found the kitchen was empty. Poor Melissa must be having a little lie down, she deduced. And no wonder, if she’d popped a few of these little beauties. Seeing the sedatives, Zopiclone, at the back of one of the work surfaces, Jade hummed contentedly and turned for the hall.

  Mark’s laptop was there. Oh, deary me. He really was careless. Though it was only his personal PC, one really would think that, as a policeman, he might have it better protected. Quickly plugging in her phone, she uploaded the desired photo to his desktop. Most of the pictures she’d taken were innocent enough, but the one of him in Poppy’s bedroom, the dreadful day her poor little goldfish had died, that could easily be wildly misinterpreted. Mark half naked, removing Poppy’s nightie? That would certainly look suspect, particularly in combination with a few of the more risqué sites she quickly saved to his bookmarks – definitely extreme, most definitely illegal, and enough to have Melissa and his colleagues reeling with shock.

  Job done, Jade replaced the laptop in its usual position and turned for the stairs, humming silently as she went. Hush, little baby…

  Hearing a sound from the nursery, she guessed that’s where she’d find Melissa, no doubt regretting having neglected her baby. Jade was heading that way when Poppy’s door squeaked open and the girl peered out to stare at her like a startled sparrow.

  Smiling languidly, Jade pressed her finger to her lips, which was enough to have the brat backing back in and closing the door in a flash. Presumably the dog was in there with her. And it had better stay in there too, or the next noise it emitted in Jade’s presence would be a gurgle.

  In the nursery, Melissa was standing with her arms wrapped about her in the protective stance she’d adopted since her perfect little world had started falling apart. Rolling her eyes at the woman’s complete inability to do anything other than feel sorry for herself, Jade tapped lightly on the door. ‘Mel?’ she said, her voice loaded with fake concern.

  Sixty-Nine

  MELISSA

  It took a second for Melissa to register the voice behind her. When it did permeate the thick fog in her head, she wondered whether she was imagining it. She’d imagined she could hear Evie crying in here every time she lay back on her bed.

  ‘Mel? Are you okay?’

  Jade? But hadn’t Mark said she’d left? Mel could only assume because her situation here had become intolerable.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Mel,’ Jade said, tears streaming down her face. ‘If I’d been here… If I hadn’t run off like that… Oh God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what else to do. I should have stayed. I—’

  Jade gulped back a wretched sob, and despite her own pain, which if God was merciful would surely kill her, Mel felt for her. Jade wasn’t to blame. If anyone was, she was – though, in truth, she blamed Mark.

  ‘It’s not your fault, Jade. They’ll find her.’ Even as she said it, the hopelessness, the tidal wave of grief she’d felt since Evie had gone, washed through her afresh, leaving her weak and empty in its wake.

  Her sobs stilling to a shudder, Jade nodded. ‘I had to come back. I have to tell you something, Mel,’ she said, her innocent blue eyes – child’s eyes, almost – clouded with confusion and worry. ‘I wasn’t sure whether to say, but I think you need to know.’

  ‘Know what?’ Noting the nervousness now in Jade’s eyes, Mel felt an immediate sense of uneasiness.

  ‘I… need to show you,’ Jade said hesitantly.

  ‘Show me?’

  ‘Mark’s laptop,’ Jade said uncomfortably. ‘I needed to do some online banking so I borrowed it and… I should have asked him, but…’

  His laptop? Icy trepidation running the length of her spine, Mel was already halfway out of the door, heading for the hall, where she knew Mark always left it.

  * * *

  Staring in disbelief at the screen, Melissa felt repulsion flood every pore in her body. It couldn’t be true. It couldn’t! Yet it was there, right in front of her eyes: every sordid detail, every vile pornographic image.

  Dear God, not children.

  Nausea gripping her stomach, Melissa dragged her horrified gaze away from the graphic images, which would be forever imprinted on her mind, and ran to the downstairs toilet, where she retched the dry contents of her stomach until her insides were raw.

  Poppy? Why was that photo on his desktop? Only that photo? He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t! Melissa snatched at the toilet roll, pressed a wad to her mouth, trying to stop the violent trembling that shook her entire body.

  ‘Melissa?’ Standing behind her, Jade barely whispered it. ‘Here,’ she said, two small pills in her outstretched hand. ‘Take these. Dr Meadows left them, remember? They’ll help with the anxiety.’

  ‘Anxiety?’ Melissa laughed – a laugh bordering on hysteria. It was going to take more than two pills, she thought, desperately trying to quell the nausea as she reached for them, swallowed them quickly down and headed back to the kitchen.

  ‘I’ve warmed you some milk,’ Jade said. ‘It’ll help line your stomach,’
she added, offering her the mug cautiously, as if Melissa might throw it at the nearest wall. She wanted to. She wanted to tear the whole house apart, brick by brick, and everything in it. Erase the nightmare. Dear God, she wished she could erase it.

  Melissa took the mug, swilling the contents back for Jade’s sake as she sat down and braced herself to browse the rest of Mark’s internet history.

  Flicking through his bookmarks, her stomach clenched as she realised there were many such sites. Then she turned her attention to his emails. It didn’t take long to find a folder marked ‘x-receipts’, making it the last folder listed in his favourites. Mel’s insides turned over afresh as she realised what kind of online purchases he’d made. He couldn’t have. Surely to God… She knew him. Or she thought she had.

  ‘There’s something else, Melissa,’ Jade said tentatively as, trying to still the palpitations in her chest, the dizziness in her head, Mel closed the laptop.

  What? What else could there be? Melissa looked questioningly up to where Jade was standing opposite her, fiddling nervously with her hair.

  ‘The reason I left.’ Looking tearful again, Jade went reluctantly on.

  She looked more than upset, Mel thought, studying her face. She looked fearful. Ashamed? ‘Jade?’ Her heart thudding painfully now, Melissa urged her on. ‘Tell me.’

  ‘He’d been drinking a lot,’ Jade said quickly. ‘Because of the problems between you, I think.’

  Was she defending him? Against what? What had he done?

  ‘I didn’t know what to do.’ Jade looked beseechingly at her. ‘He came to my room. I wasn’t sure why. I thought it was to do with the children. I tried to get him to leave. I begged him to, but…’ Jade stopped, her face flushing as she glanced quickly down. ‘He’s much stronger than I am.’

  ‘No.’ Melissa reeled. She felt the room shift around her.