by A. E. Radley
Her safe haven wasn’t safe at all. Whoever it was knew where she was staying, again. The person may even still be in the hotel.
She clutched her phone in her hand and held her breath, waiting for Simon to arrive.
21
Emily sat in the soft armchair and wrapped her hands around the mug of tea that Sophie handed her.
“I’m so sorry to be a nuisance,” Emily told Sophie as the younger woman sat on the sofa opposite her.
“You’re not being a nuisance. When Simon told me what happened, I insisted that you stay here. You can’t stay in a hotel where someone is sliding notes under your door.” Sophie shuddered at the thought. “No, you can stay here as long as you need.”
“It will just be tonight, I’ll change my hotel first thing tomorrow,” Emily promised. She already felt guilty about putting the young couple out, as well as having to tell Nicole that the hotel switch had been ineffective.
Simon came in and sat next to Sophie. “The guest bed is made up. Would you like a wake-up call? Continental breakfast?”
Emily smiled at the attempted joke. She appreciated it even if it wasn’t enough to make her laugh just yet. She was still shaking from the note. She felt violated and afraid. Someone knew where she was staying, someone had stood outside her hotel room door.
“Simon said you’d had flowers delivered to you last week. Do you have any idea who it might be?” Sophie asked.
As Simon escorted her to his home, she told him what had been happening. She was no longer able to pretend that the flowers were a mistaken delivery, or a one-off event. She’d been clinging onto the possibility, but tonight had ripped that notion away from her.
Emily shook her head. “No, that’s the frustrating thing,” she said. “I really don’t know. It must be someone at my new job, but I really don’t know who. Well, I mean… I have theories… but nothing to accuse anyone.”
Simon looked at her curiously. “You didn’t mention you had a theory before.”
She blushed and looked down at her cup. She’d told Simon she had no idea who her stalker might be, but at the back of her mind she still wondered about her co-writer, Carl.
“There’s this guy at work,” Emily admitted. “He’s a bit… strange. But it might not be him and I don’t want to say anything to Nicole because those kinds of allegations don’t go away. He might be innocent.”
“He might not be,” Simon argued. “If you have a suspicion, then you should probably tell someone.”
Emily shook her head. “I can’t, I mean, I feel so guilty.”
Sophie let out a sigh. “Men,” she announced.
“Hey,” Simon huffed. “We’re not all bad.”
“More men become stalkers than women,” Sophie said. “And then it’s us poor women who end up feeling guilty about the trouble we’re causing.” She shook her head at Simon before turning to face Emily. “This isn’t your fault; it’s the fault of whoever this stalker guy is. You need to tell someone whom you suspect before something happens, and they find you in a basement somewhere.”
Emily felt her eyebrows raise.
“Whoa, whoa, no one is finding anyone in a basement.” Simon held his hands up. “You’re watching too much of the crime channel.”
“If you weren’t working until nine each night, then I wouldn’t be watching the crime channel,” Sophie challenged.
“We have eight hundred channels, I’m sure you could find something else to watch no matter what time I got home,” Simon replied with a grin. “You just like all the gruesome murders.”
Sophie swatted his arm. “Shh, you.” She looked at Emily. “I’m sure you won’t be locked up in a basement, but you have to be careful. You never know what people will do. What does Olivia say about all of this?”
Simon stiffened, and Emily bit her lip nervously.
“Olivia doesn’t know?” Sophie guessed.
Emily shook her head. “Up until tonight I wasn’t one hundred percent sure I had a stalker. And I don’t want to worry her. She’s miles away, she’s too scared to fly after the crash. It would be awful for her. Since she’s not working now, she has a lot of time to think. This would drive her crazy.”
“But now that you know, you’ll tell her… right?” Sophie prompted.
Simon joined his girlfriend in looking at her meaningfully.
Emily sighed. She knew she had to tell Olivia, but she didn’t want to. It was another layer of guilt. The guilt of causing Olivia stress and concern.
“I will,” Emily allowed. “But in person.”
“That’s a good plan,” Simon agreed. “I know Olivia and she’ll—”
“Freak out,” Emily finished.
“Well, yeah.” He nodded.
“I’d freak out if that was happening to you,” Sophie said, clinging to Simon’s arm. She looked at Emily. “What are you going to do?”
“I’ll talk to Nicole. And change hotels, again.” Emily worried her lip. She didn’t know what else she could do. She still didn’t feel like she could push Carl to the top of the suspect list with no evidence.
“What about this ticket on Thursday?” Simon asked.
“Nicole has it.” Emily sipped the hot drink. “I assume she’s planning to go and see who shows up.” She saw Sophie’s concerned look. “Or maybe she’ll send someone else.”
The truth was, she had no idea what Nicole’s plans for the ticket were. She’d buried her head in the sand, but she couldn’t do that any longer. Neither of these actions was a mistake. Someone was stalking her, someone she knew.
She sipped her tea again. She didn’t want to show the young couple just how shaken she was by the turn of events. She was desperate for answers but knew that she wouldn’t get any tonight.
“I’m exhausted. I think I’m going to head to bed,” Emily said.
She loved Simon and Sophie dearly, but right now she wanted to be alone. She needed to process what had happened and plan what she was going to do next.
“No problem.” Simon got to his feet. “I put your suitcase up in the room.”
“Second on the left,” Sophie added as she stood, too.
Emily put the mug on the table and swept them both into a big hug. “Thank you, I really appreciate this.”
“We’re happy to have you here,” Sophie said.
They said goodnight, and Emily located her room upstairs. She softly closed the door behind her and sat on the edge of the bed.
The last hour had gone by in a blur. True to his word, Simon hadn’t taken two minutes to dash back to the hotel. In that time, Emily had stood still as stone in the hotel room, staring at the note, and willing it to deliver more answers. It hadn’t.
Upon his arrival, Simon had quickly read the note and then told Emily in no uncertain terms that she would stay with him and Sophie that evening. She hadn’t argued, too frightened to do so.
Simon found her half-packed suitcase and quickly gathered her belongings. It only took him a couple more minutes to zip up the case and hold the door open for her. They’d left, Simon with an arm protectively around her shoulder. Not for the first time that evening, she was relieved that she had met up with her old friend that night.
She looked around the spare room. It was nicely decorated in light pastels and felt safe and comforting. She felt the soft bedding beneath her fingers and let her shoulders slump. She reminded herself that she was safe.
Now that she didn’t have to be on constant alert, she took out her phone. She typed out a quick goodnight message to Olivia, claiming she was back at the hotel and was going to bed.
Three dots appeared, indicating that Olivia was composing a message.
While she waited, Emily took the note out of her pocket. The small slip of paper seemed heavy in her hand. She wondered what the person would have done if she had been in the room. Did they intend to speak to her? Was the note a hurried afterthought?
Her phone pinged, and she looked at the message.
Olivia said that s
he and Henry were well; Henry was about to have a bath and watch cartoons before bed. She ended by saying that she loved her and missed her.
Emily felt guilty as she tapped out that she loved and missed them, too. She put her phone on the bedside table and read the note one more time.
She shuddered at the tone of the letter. Possessive, romantic, creepy. Whoever it was, they were clearly quite delusional. She shoved the note into the side pocket of her suitcase, wanting to it to be out of sight.
After a moment, she zipped the side pocket closed to add another layer of separation between her and the intimidating message.
22
“I don’t want to go to bed!” Henry argued.
“I’m very much aware of that fact,” Olivia replied in a quiet tone. “But I must talk with Na— with Miss Costa, and it is practically your bedtime.”
“I want to show Miss Costa my multiplication.” Henry clutched a math worksheet to his little chest.
“You can show it to her tomorrow,” Olivia said. “Now, go and get ready for bed. I’ll be up in a moment.”
Henry turned around and thudded his feet as he walked up the stairs. Olivia folded her arms and watched him go until she was satisfied that he was doing as he was told.
Once he was out of sight and making a din in another part of the house, she walked back to the dining room.
“I’m so sorry, he’s usually much better behaved,” Olivia apologised.
Natalie Costa sat at the dining table, twisting the stem of a half-full wine glass and smiling warmly.
“Oh, it’s fine. Children have their moments, angels one minutes and demons the next.”
“Yes, I guess you know all about the mood swings. More wine?” Olivia went to pick up the bottle from the ice bucket.
“I better not.” Natalie shook her head. “I’m driving.”
Olivia lowered the wine bottle and nodded her understanding.
“Of course.”
She stood by her chair, not sure what to do next. There was a strange atmosphere in the room that she couldn’t put her finger on. It wasn’t the first time that she had been unable to identify an undercurrent in a situation, and this familiar discomfort made her uneasy.
Her usual strategy was to ask Emily, or just wait to see what happened. Most times all became clear.
Natalie patted the seat beside her. “Come and sit down.”
Olivia frowned. Her seat at dinner had been opposite Natalie. She considered that it was probably to make reading the paperwork easier. Although she wasn’t sure where the paperwork was. Natalie had brought a small clutch bag, and the short dress she wore surely didn’t have any pockets.
Maybe she’s just going to talk me through the process, Olivia thought as she took the seat.
“The way you are with Henry is nothing short of remarkable,” Natalie said. “It must be hard with Emily being gone.”
“It is,” Olivia agreed. “But we make it through. It’s just about taking each week as it comes.”
“That’s a wonderful way to look at it.”
Olivia considered that it was the only way to look at it. Each week she struggled through, but then at the weekend Emily returned and they could be a family together. She reminded herself of her “one week at a time” mantra every weekday.
“I don’t think I could be as strong as you,” Natalie said. She picked Olivia’s hand up from where she had rested it on the table and placed her own hand atop it.
Olivia swallowed. She wasn’t particularly comfortable with touching strangers, but she supposed she needed to suck it up if they were to transition from strangers to friends. She gently squeezed Natalie’s hand and held it loosely.
“If I appear strong, it’s for Henry’s sake. He needs normality.”
Natalie looked almost dumbstruck, and a smile started to grace her lips.
Henry appeared in the doorway with a confused look on his face.
“Oh, Henry, you’re ready.” Olivia got to her feet and pulled her hand away from Natalie’s. “Say goodnight to Miss Costa.”
“Goodnight, Miss Costa,” Henry repeated dully.
“Goodnight, Henry. I look forward to seeing your math work tomorrow.”
Henry offered her a small grin before turning towards the stairs.
“I’m just going to read him a story and tuck him in,” Olivia said. “Please, go into the living room and make yourself comfortable.” She started to walk away when she suddenly remembered. “Oh, the heat is malfunctioning, so it may be a little warm in there.”
Natalie licked her lips. “Oh. So… maybe I should take my cardigan off?”
Olivia nodded and quickly walked out of the room. She hated that the heating unit in the living room was still on the fritz. She made a mental note to call the contractor first thing in the morning.
Henry waited for her at the bottom of the stairs with a miserable expression on his face, no doubt unhappy at being sent to bed a whole fifteen minutes earlier than usual.
“Why were you holding her hand?” Henry asked as Olivia approached the stairs.
“Because we’re friends.” Olivia put a hand on his back and gestured towards the stairs.
“No, you’re not.”
“Well, maybe we will be.”
“And why is she wearing a little dress? She never wears that at school.”
“Some people wear different clothes at work than they do at home.”
“And she smells weird.”
“She’s wearing perfume.”
“I don’t like her being here,” Henry whispered as they walked into his bedroom.
“Well, then it’s a marvellous thing that you’re going to bed,” Olivia told him as she closed the door behind them. Henry’s face fell, and Olivia felt her heart clench.
“I’m sorry,” she apologised. “She won’t come back here. We’re just talking about my helping out at your school. I need to know what I need to do, so Miss Costa is explaining that to me. It’s just one night and then she’ll be gone. And Mommy will be home tomorrow.”
Henry nodded and walked over to his bed. “Can McFluffypants sleep with me tonight?”
“No, it’s a school night. Maybe, and I mean maybe, tomorrow.” Olivia made a mental note to ensure that Henry’s door was properly closed. The kitten slept all day and came to life at night, racing around the house and mewling loudly. The first night the little fur ball had woken Henry up at least four times, and he had been exhausted the next day. Now the kitten remained downstairs in the utility room at night.
“What story would you like?” she asked to change the subject.
Henry reached under his pillow and pulled out a stack of five books that he had clearly chosen earlier.
Olivia smiled. “You know the rules, just one.”
Henry rolled his eyes in a way that reminded her so much of Emily. He looked at the books in his lap as if the decision was going to be the most difficult he had ever faced.
Olivia walked back downstairs and into the open-plan living room. Natalie had indeed made herself comfortable. Her heels were removed and placed by the side of the sofa while her cardigan was draped over the back. The main light was off, and the candles on the fireplace had been lit.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Natalie asked. “I just love candles. The glow is so mesmerising, isn’t it?”
“Definitely,” Olivia agreed.
Natalie approached her and handed her a glass of wine. “I topped you up. Just because I’m driving doesn’t mean you don’t get to enjoy yourself.”
“Thank you.” Olivia took the glass.
“Is Henry okay?” Natalie walked over to the sofa and sat down.
“Yes. He wants his new kitten to sleep with him, but doesn’t understand that the kitten won’t sleep through the night like he does.”
“Would this be Captain McFluffypants the Seventh?” Natalie asked.
“The one and only.” Olivia sat on the opposite sofa. “Of course, I had nothing to do with the
name.”
“Of course.” Natalie chuckled.
“He is excited about the idea of me helping out at school,” Olivia said, hoping to steer the conversation a little. For some reason the subject had yet to creep up. She presumed that Natalie didn’t wish to talk too much about work, but the evening was running away.
“That’s wonderful. He does talk about you often, so I know the other kids will be excited as well.”
“So, um, what does it involve?” Olivia pressed. She took a sip of wine.
“The children are very young, so we don’t need to be too structured with a lesson plan. It’s really something I’d leave up to you. I mean, I don’t know what your teaching methods have been for Henry, but clearly they work.”
“L-leave it up to me?” A mental image of children swinging from light fixtures and brawling in the classroom while she stood helpless at the front flashed through her mind.
Natalie crossed the room and sat beside her. “I’ll be there with you, don’t worry. I’ll just leave the teaching to you. Henry’s math skills and understanding of numbers are extraordinary. And each time he solves an equation he proudly tells everyone that you taught him how to. It’s so…”
“Numerical?” Olivia guessed.
“Heart-warming,” Natalie breathed.
Suddenly she was leaning in closer, so Olivia backed up a little.
“H-he’s a good boy,” Olivia admitted.
“He told me that you’re very shy,” Natalie said, edging closer.
“S-shy?” Olivia asked as her back came up against the arm of the sofa.
“Mm-hmm,” Natalie hummed in agreement.
A loud thwack sounded through the living room.
The shock of the sound, along with her retreat from Natalie, caused Olivia to fall to the ground. She got to her knees and looked over the coffee table to see Emily standing in the doorway, having just dropped her suitcase to the ground.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Emily said.
She looked towards Natalie, who was suddenly on her feet.
“Hi, we’ve not met, I’m Emily. Olivia’s wife.”