34 Days: A gripping psychological thriller with a killer twist

by Anita Waller

  ‘Good. Is she a good daughter-in-law, apart from the fact she wrecks our days out?’

  ‘Yes, she is. She’s had to put up with a lot I can’t go into, because I gave my word, but she’s a brilliant wife and mum.’

  ‘And you will be.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘A brilliant wife. My brilliant wife.’

  ‘’Christmas 2017.’

  ‘September 2015.’

  She laughed.

  ‘I wish.’

  ‘But, why can’t we? Why do we have to wait? I’m older than you, and I could die any minute.’

  ‘Are you ill?’

  ‘No, but...’

  ‘You’re not going to die any minute, unless I throw you over the balcony. Then you might.’

  ‘You’re a heartless woman, Anna Carbrook, soon to be Anna Groves.’ Michael shook his head and pretended to wipe away tears. ‘I don’t ask for much; just a wife to love and care for me, a happy home, a readymade family I can get to know, steak and chips for dinner...’

  Anna collapsed with laughter and stood up. ‘Steak and chips I can manage.’

  She moved to the kitchen area, and with a disgruntled look at her, he turned on the television.

  ‘I’ll watch Eggheads then, if you’re not going to co-operate.’

  She smiled and ignored him completely.

  But, Anna did wonder just how long she could hold out for.

  Chapter 41

  Jenny still felt uneasy. Anna being secretive about something should never have crept into any equation. She switched on the computer and pulled the accounts towards her. She’d have a day paying bills and allow herself time to think.

  She needed Anna to be focussed; she had murdered three people, and Anna held the proof. She really didn’t want Anna having one glass too many one night and talking about anything she shouldn’t be talking about.

  The stress was beginning to show, not only in Jenny’s face, but also in her attitude. She knew she was snappy with Mark and the children; Mark had taken her out of the kitchen, and had harsh words with her when Adam had caught a verbal tongue lashing from her.

  But, still, Jenny knew it had been worth it. She remembered the last time they had seen Anna and Ray, around eighteen months ago. Adam had asked for a drink of water, and Ray had passed him one with the words, “Here you are, son.” Oh yes, without a doubt, it had all been worth it. As Adam grew older, he looked more and more like Ray, and less and less like either her or Mark. She wondered what Mark’s true father looked like, if Mark and Tim actually resembled him. She would never know. He was dead.

  Jenny stared thoughtfully out of the window, the accounts paying morning put into abeyance as she wondered what to do next. She strongly suspected Anna had met someone else, but it must be a fairly new relationship, and originating in Sheffield.

  Or was it? Because she definitely wasn’t returning to her own place after leaving Lincoln on Wednesday nights. Even so, she could be going back to his place in Sheffield, and not her own.

  Frustration was beginning to mount in her brain, and Jenny once more pulled the accounts towards her.

  She had to know. She needed to find any weaknesses; her freedom depended on it. This would probably mean another trip to Sheffield; possibly more than one trip, because she would just have to hide and watch.

  One day, she would see the mystery man, and then decisions would have to be made.

  *****

  Jenny hit pay dirt the first trip over to Sheffield. She had hired a car for the day knowing that Anna would recognise hers; she couldn’t guarantee a large 4 x 4 would be conveniently parked to hide her.

  Jenny pulled into the car park and parked as close to the entrance to the block as she dared, sliding the black car into a spot by a van advertising a carpet cleaning business. She took out her book, not really taking in the words, because her eyes were constantly straying to the large entrance door.

  A man walked out, and she held her breath. He walked across to a silver Lexus and sat in the driver’s seat. The car didn’t move. Slowly, Jenny exhaled. She had, just for a second, thought she knew him.

  He continued to sit without starting the engine, not doing anything, just waiting. And then Anna came out, cast a glance around the car park, and walked towards the Lexus. She climbed into the passenger seat and turned her face towards the man.

  Jenny raised her phone and took a photograph of the registration number of the car.

  The lights on the car came on as the man started the engine; he reversed and then drove out of the car park.

  Jenny placed her book on the passenger seat, started her own engine, and drove out of the car park in a vain attempt at following the Lexus. It had already disappeared.

  She set off back to Lincoln, stopping in a layby for a welcome coffee and some thinking time. She had been right. Anna had met someone, and now it all boiled down to trust.

  Did she trust Anna to keep her secret? The letters clearly exonerated Anna of all blame, so if anything did come out, only she would be punished. She would lose everything. Once again, Ray would have wrecked her life.

  She needed to know who this mystery man was, where he lived; only then would she be able to decide what to do about him.

  Jenny finished her coffee and got back in the car. Thirty minutes later, it had been returned to the car hire company, and she was once more back in her own car heading for Lindum Lodge. Both the children were at after school clubs, so she had time to formulate some sort of plan before heading out to collect them.

  Jenny sat and stared at the computer screen. After going to the DVLA website, she had put in the registration number, but it told her nothing of any use at all. She hadn’t really expected help from that quarter, but now, she could rule it out. She heard the front door open and quickly closed down the website.

  Mark smiled at her from the office doorway. ‘You’re back then?’

  ‘Er... yes.’

  ‘I called home earlier for a spot of lunch, but it was like the Mary Celeste. Abandoned and deserted.’

  ‘Oh, sorry. Needed some fresh air, so I went for a walk.’

  ‘Not in Hartsholme Park, I hope.’ His tone was sharp, concerned. ‘They’ve not caught the bloke who killed that woman yet, and it’s not safe for you to be going places like that on your own.’

  Jenny forced a smile. ‘No, I ended up ‘round by the Cathedral. Don’t worry. Went in a few shops, had a cup of coffee and came home. You should have rung; I would have come home and made us some lunch.’

  ‘Didn’t matter. I only had half an hour. I’m going up to have a shower, unless you want me to go and get the kids...’

  ‘No, I’ll get them.’ She smiled at him, and he disappeared upstairs.

  Her smile went as quickly as Mark did. Mention of Hartsholme Park had been difficult. Out of all three of the murders, Joan Jackson’s had been the one that had affected her the most.

  And now, following today’s revelations, Jenny was considering a fourth one.

  Chapter 42

  Anna and Michael drove to Chatsworth House. The garden centre profited greatly by their visit, and then they went to the coffee shop, and they also profited by their visit.

  They walked, talked, and enjoyed each other. Michael spoke several times of “when they were married,” but Anna just smiled.

  Michael was beginning to understand her, and slowly realising commitment to another man was not on the cards at the moment. She never spoke of Ray, other than when she had any police information to impart, and he did wonder what Ray had done to her to cause this reticence. He could only guess.

  He could wait for her to open her heart to him completely; for now, it was enough to know she loved him.

  The autumn days had brought cooler temperatures, and after sitting on a bench for a few minutes drinking in the views over the rolling grasslands of Chatsworth, they decided to head back to the car.

  Michael turned on the engine and switched on the heater to warm them.
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  ‘I like this car,’ she said. ‘It’s very comfortable. And warm.’

  ‘You want one?’

  Anna looked at him and laughed. ‘No, thank you, I’ve got my Audi. I’ll stick with that.’

  ‘Are you sure? I’ll be more than happy to get you one.’

  ‘I’m sure. You need to drive my Audi and then you might consider getting one of those.’

  ‘Is this our first disagreement?’

  ‘Could be.’

  ‘Then we’d better get married quickly, before all this bickering and arguing drives a wedge between us.’

  ‘I’ll not let it,’ she said solemnly, holding back the laughter.

  ‘Good. Now, about this wedding...’

  *****

  The hotel was a mere two minutes away from the Registry Office inside Sheffield’s Town Hall. They had opted to spend the nights before and after the ceremony there, as neither of them wanted to be spotted by Lissy and Jon dressed up in their finery.

  And they did look fine. Tall and elegant, Michael wore a dark suit, with a tie matching the flowers Anna carried in her small bridal posy of cream and lilac.

  She had chosen a cream dress and jacket, and wore a cream and lilac fascinator in her blonde hair. They said their vows, thanked the two strangers who had agreed to be their witnesses, and became Mr. and Mrs. Groves almost without any fuss, on a warm and sunny mid-September day.

  They had decided to continue exactly as they had been doing for the next two years, keeping their marriage from all their children. Anna had insisted on the conditions, or no marriage.

  Michael desperately wanted to talk to Erin about it, but knew when Anna said nobody was to know, she meant exactly that.

  Finally, he had his own way, and they were married. They stayed in the same hotel for their wedding night, and had their first meal together as a married couple in their room. The hotel had, following the groom’s instructions, served the meal by candlelight and used beautiful silverware. It was a magical atmosphere, and halfway through the meal, Michael handed Anna a small, gift wrapped package.

  She opened it with fingers that didn’t seem connected to her brain; inside was an exquisite diamond bracelet, inscribed with the words, My Forever Love.

  She wanted to cry. She had waited almost all of her life for this, and ironically, it was Jenny who had been the instrument to make it happen.

  She stood and walked around the small table, kissing Michael; he knew a bridge had been crossed. The kiss was deep and full of longing. He pulled her towards him and held her tightly.

  ‘I love you,’ he whispered.

  ‘And I love you too.’

  Their lovemaking that night was intense; finally, they were in the right place.

  *****

  Jenny became immersed in her search for the mystery man. She was also starting to think Anna maybe wasn’t quite so innocent – had she been having an affair when she walked out on Ray? Had she seen Jenny as a gift to get rid of Ray for her?

  She slammed her hand down hard on the desk and muttered under her breath.

  ‘Just who the fuck are you? And why do I think I’ve seen you before?’

  The vehicle registration was of no use at all unless she happened to simply spot it on the road one day; and she couldn’t really keep nipping over to Sheffield to stake out the apartment building.

  Jenny walked through the house until she reached the garage. It was in the process of being converted into a small flat for Anna’s use, and she needed to see how close it was to completion. It was very close.

  There was just a carpet to choose, and then they could look at furnishing it for her. In theory, she could invite Anna over to stay for a few days in about a week’s time, and then hope something cropped up to give her a clue as to the mystery man’s identity.

  *****

  Anna was more than a little puzzled by Jenny’s invitation, and Michael was ever so slightly disgruntled. Their married life had only just started, and she was leaving him!

  She laughed at his expression, saying this was the agreement; carry on as normal.

  ‘But, how long are you going for?’

  ‘She’s asked me to go Monday to Friday next week. I’ll be able to slip out to see you. We won’t be completely separated.’

  Michael still looked unhappy, and she gave him a kiss.

  ‘It’s the price we have to pay, at the moment. And you need to go to Lincoln at some point anyway. Didn’t you say you needed some work doing to the electrics? Take advantage and have them done next week. I can recommend a building firm...’

  ‘I’m sure you can,’ he said with a grin. ‘Right, I’m going down to the newsagents, see what newspapers they’ve still got left at two o’clock on a Saturday afternoon. Won’t be much, I expect.’

  ‘We could have them delivered...’

  ‘We could, but I quite enjoy the walk. I’m also going to go a bit further and pick up a lock to put on that small wardrobe, then I can move some more clothes in. Hiding my boxers under your panties doesn’t really work.’

  ‘Good idea. I’ll go and have an hour with Lissy while you’re out. It seems ages since we had a chat.’

  He opened the door to go to the lift at the same time as Jon came out of their apartment.

  They looked at each other for a moment, and Michael held out his hand.

  ‘Are you Jon?’

  ‘Yes, I am.’

  ‘Michael, Anna’s friend from her days in Lincoln.’

  The two men shook hands and walked towards the lift.

  ‘Is Anna ok?’

  ‘She’s fine. I’m in Sheffield for business, so I’m just popping out for a short meeting, then coming back to take Anna for a meal. I believe she said she was going in to see your wife this afternoon for an hour. She speaks highly of both of you.’

  ‘Yes, we’ve become close friends. She’s had quite a rough time since she left Lincoln to come here, but she’s getting there now, I think.’

  They reached the vestibule and went their separate ways, Michael breathing a sigh of relief he had managed to come up with a plausible explanation that would, one day, lead them to be open about their relationship.

  He immediately rang Anna to explain what had happened and relayed the story he had given Jon. She went to Lissy’s, fully prepared for confirming what Michael had said, and eventually went back to her own apartment satisfied that all was still well. If she was honest with herself, Anna was finding the whole situation amusing and exciting, but she knew she would come under unwelcome spotlights if DI Gainsborough were to find out.

  The spotlights from her own family would be a different matter.

  *****

  Monday morning saw Anna open her door first – she really didn’t want Jon bumping into Michael again, especially as it was only nine o’clock. That particular two and two would definitely make four.

  Michael stepped past her and straight into the lift she had called for him. He waited in his car until Anna climbed into the Audi, and he followed her once more to Lincoln, turning off at his own exit.

  He felt grumpy; it was all very well agreeing to Anna’s conditions, but it didn’t mean he had to enjoy them. They had decided Anna would put her mobile phone on silent so he could text at any time and not be heard. She would respond as soon as she was able.

  The children had been absolutely delighted to hear Anna was to stay for five days. During the long telephone call, she had promised to take them to school every day, and she had been able to hear the excitement in Grace’s voice. She was looking forward to seeing them.

  Jenny led her into the converted garage. It was beautiful.

  It had a small bedroom, a lounge, a small kitchenette, and a wet room. It was furnished with everything she could possibly need, and Anna just stood for a moment, taking it all in.

  ‘This is wonderful,’ she said finally. ‘Absolutely wonderful. When you said a garage conversion, I had no idea it could possibly be like this.’

  Jenny
smiled. ‘We don’t like you being so far away. Now you can come and stay whenever you want, this is yours. No one else will stay in it; we have the guest room upstairs for any other visitors. If you want to bring anything else in, please do. We just want you to be comfortable.’

  Anna kissed Jenny.

  ‘It’s perfect as it is. Stop fussing. I love what you’ve done for me.’

  ‘Then don’t feel awkward about leaving us, if you want time out. The kids can be a bit overwhelming.’

  Jenny led Anna over to a cupboard in the corner of the room and showed her where towels and extra bedding were; she was clearly proud of what she had accomplished.

  ‘I have everything I could possibly need,’ Anna laughed. ‘It will certainly be a pleasure to visit this house from now on!’

  ‘Then I’ll leave you to settle in. Come through to the kitchen when you’re ready, and we’ll have a drink.’

  She closed the door carefully behind her and waited. A couple of moments later, she knocked and reopened the door. As she had expected, Anna was sitting on the sofa, her mobile phone in her hand, and obviously typing a text.

  ‘Sorry, Anna, do you want tea or coffee?’

  Anna put down the phone. ‘Coffee, please.’

  Jenny closed the door feeling troubled. She had no idea who Anna was texting, and it could be perfectly innocent, it just felt not quite innocent. She needed to see that phone. She needed to feel safe.

  The letters detailing the murders had been very necessary; her concern was Anna would spill the beans about having the letters to someone who became close to her. Or had been close to her all along.

  Jenny was starting to believe she had made the biggest mistake of her life placing her trust in Anna. At the time, she had felt she needed Anna to alibi her; now, she wished she had had the courage to just kill the damn man.

  Anna went through her phone and cleared it of all texts from Michael – she didn’t want anyone seeing anything accidentally. She stood and put her clothes away in the small wardrobe, and then went through to the kitchen.