The Girl on Gander Green Lane: A chilling psychological thriller with a twist.

by M J Hardy

  I sit sobbing on the bathroom floor, alone, confused and slightly afraid. Richard doesn’t come back for several hours and it must be early morning before I fall into a fitful sleep.

  When I wake, it’s with Richard sitting beside me looking so angry it takes my breath away.

  “You selfish bitch.”

  I make to sit up but he pushes me down forcibly and holds my wrists in his hands and I feel the burn. He snarls, “How could you show me up like that in public? You ruined everything, Sarah, and you only have yourself to blame.”

  I say fearfully, “What do you mean, I can’t believe you wanted me to do… that?”

  “What Sarah? Do what? Drag your mind from the gutter and just think for a moment. What did you think was going to happen last night?”

  I look at him in confusion. “But I thought…”

  He laughs darkly, “Oh I know what you thought and it just shows you what a sick, twisted, mind, you’ve got. It was embarrassing. Seeing my wife running from the room like a frightened rabbit. Trying to explain why my own damn wife was afraid of her own shadow. Trying to rescue something from the mess you caused when you left the party. Well, it showed me just what a weak minded individual I married. Do you have anything to say to me, Sarah?”

  I stare at him in shock and confusion. “But… I thought.”

  He laughs darkly. “I know what you thought. You thought I wanted to share you. You’re sick, Sarah. You know that, don’t you?”

  I feel the shame wash over me as I realise what an assumption I made. I say shakily, “I’m so sorry Richard.”

  He releases me as if the very touch of me disgusts him. “You’ll have to do a lot more than that to make it up to me. You will have to beg for my forgiveness because I am so disappointed in the woman I married; I’m fast considering my options.”

  I feel the tears running like rivers down my face as I plead, “I’m so sorry, darling. I didn’t mean to run out on you, I just thought.”

  He turns away in disgust. “I know what you thought. I’m going to the office and you can think about dragging your mind out of the gutter and turn your attention to how you will make it up to me.”

  I watch helplessly as he storms out and in a matter of seconds, I hear the angry roar of his car engine as he leaves for the day.

  For the rest of the day, I’m in shock. How did I get things so badly wrong? He’s right. I embarrassed him in front of our friends and god only knows what they must think.

  Feeling utterly bereft, I make up a posy of flowers from the garden and take them next door.

  Gloria opens the door and looks at me with a sad expression and I say nervously, “I’m sorry about last night, Gloria. I don’t know what came over me. Maybe it was the alcohol or lack of sleep but I should never have run out.”

  She smiles thinly and nods. “It’s ok, Sarah. Richard told us you were feeling stressed. Do you want to talk about it?”

  She stands aside and nods for me to follow and I head inside meekly. As she puts the kettle on, she says softly, “You know, there was nothing sinister in what happened last night. Edward had surprised me by turning the spare room into a home cinema. We spent the rest of the evening curled up in there watching movies. You missed a great night.”

  Her words make me more ashamed than ever and I say apologetically, “I’m so sorry, Gloria. I made an assumption that was out of order. I’m sorry to ruin your birthday.”

  She looks at me a little strangely and says softly, “Trust me, honey. I had the night of my life.”

  As she turns away, I brush away her words along with the memory of the night before.

  However, my life was never the same from that day onwards. Richard changed overnight, and I spent the rest of our married life walking on eggshells and trying to regain what we once had. It began.

  Chapter 22

  Growth is painful. Change is painful. But, nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you do not belong. N. R. Narayana Murthy

  Now I sit waiting for the police to revisit the house where it all started. They don’t take long. I see the police car stop outside number 14 and two officers get out. One walks to the front door and one to the rear and my heart settles – a little.

  I think I hold my breath as the door opens and I see the officer say something. I can’t hear a thing as the officer heads inside and I feel my heart thumping as I wait. I think he must be inside for ten minutes before the two officers leave – empty-handed.

  I shake my head. Surely, they searched the place. Somebody was in there – I heard it with my own ears and I definitely saw Richard’s jacket on the chair. I’m positive I did.

  I watch the officers make their way to my door and my heart starts beating furiously as they ring the doorbell.

  The look in their eyes tells me what I already know. They found nothing. One of the officers clears his throat and says awkwardly, “Sarah Standon?”

  I nod and he carries on.

  “We understand you believe your husband is next door.”

  I nod and say with a whisper, “Yes.”

  They share a look and one of them says kindly, “We have searched the premises and found only the owners, Gloria and Edward Sullivan.”

  I stare at them in surprise. “But it can’t be Edward. His car isn’t there, and I saw my husband’s jacket on the chair.”

  One of them says, “So you were in the house?”

  I nod weakly, “Yes.”

  Once again, they share a look and one of them says kindly, “Maybe you were mistaken. I understand you’ve been under a considerable amount of strain lately. Your mind can play tricks on you when that happens. I would rest and try to relax if I were you.”

  There’s nothing else to say. They don’t believe me and that feeling is hard to accept. I watch as another car arrives and my heart sinks as I see officer Jones heading my way. The two other officers turn and greet him before heading off and he says sharply, “May I come inside, Sarah?”

  I nod miserably. “Yes, of course.”

  Unlike Tony, officer Jones is scary. He never smiles and looks at me as if I’m the last person he wants to be around. He sighs heavily. “We found a man’s body in the woods behind Gander Green lane.”

  I hold my breath as I wait for the news.

  He exhales sharply. “We are waiting for them to identify him but we have reason to believe it’s your husband. He’s the same height, build and age but his face is badly battered and unrecognisable. Before we get the confirmation, is there anything you would like to say? If you withhold anything, it will work against you in the long run. This is your chance to say what happened and set the record straight before we discover it for ourselves.”

  I sink down onto the settee and put my head in my hands. “Do you think it’s him?”

  I feel the seat next to me sag as he sits down and says in a strangely gentle voice, “I think it is. I think that you had a fight that night. It happens, it’s not unusual. I’m guessing it got out of hand and maybe, just maybe, he was injured by accident. I believe you must have panicked and fled the scene. He was probably still alive and followed you out and you took off in the car. I’m guessing he was also in that car and you struck out again. Eye-witness reports show the car was swaying from side to side, which would explain the fight inside. I’m guessing when you crashed, you were preoccupied with the scene and he crawled away. Maybe he was disorientated and had a wound his body couldn’t sustain. Am I right, Sarah? Is that what happened because if it was, you can rest assured you will be dealt with sympathetically? The courts will bear in mind it was an accident but you have to tell us what happened.”

  I look at him in fear. “But what if it isn’t him? What if he’s still out there because I know he is? I’m not sure who that man is you’ve found because my husband is stalking me now. He called me and is torturing me at night. Strange things have been happening here and it can only be because he’s still alive. I know he was next door because I saw his jacket. I know I hear
d his voice on the phone and I can’t explain why everything’s been put in my name. Please officer Jones, please believe me when I say Richard isn’t dead and he’s coming for me.”

  I stare at him willing him to believe me and he sighs with exasperation. “Very well. If that’s how you want to play it, I’ll leave you in peace. However, I will return. As soon as the body’s identified, I’ll be back with a warrant for your arrest. Something happened that night and you know what. Maybe you should search deep within your soul and put your husband’s family out of their misery. They are in Hell over this and only you have the answers they need.”

  He says no more and heads back the way he came leaving me a quivering wreck. I know that body isn’t Richard. How can it be?

  Gloria doesn’t return and I don’t blame her. I called the police to her door and she must think I’m mad. I feel on edge and can’t sit still. This whole situation is bad and I can see no way out. Nobody believes me and I’ve alienated the one remaining friend I had. I start to feel angry. This isn’t right. I did nothing but put up with years of abuse from a dangerous man. I won’t let him win - I can’t.

  With determination, I head upstairs and start pulling his clothes from the closet. I throw them in a heap on the floor and once I start, I can’t stop. One by one, his immaculate suits and shirts are reduced to piles of crushed fabric. I fling his shoes down the stairs and relish the sound of them bouncing off the walls and spilling onto the floor below. Then I take his shampoo and pour it down the plughole, closely followed by his aftershave. I bag up all his personal possessions with no care or regard into rubbish bags.

  I am going to extinguish him from my life once and for all until there is nothing left of him. I don’t want him in my life anymore; I haven’t for some time. Richard needs to die to me because all the time I let him control me with fear he will win. I’m taking it back and it starts right here with all his possessions.

  I work through every room in the house. I smash photographs and take great delight in destroying what took years to put together. I laugh like a madwoman as I destroy all evidence of him in my home. Because when all is said and done, it is my home. Not his, for whatever reason he made it this way and now I will take advantage of his own stupidity. Systematically, I destroy every trace of my husband and it feels liberating.

  Once I reach the office, I upturn drawers and rake through cupboards. His treasured possessions find their way to the trash and I feel my soul cleansing as I work. This is what I should have done in the first place. I need him out of my life once and for all and it starts here.

  I work long into the night, removing every last trace of the man I now despise. Once I am sure his worldly possessions are out in the trash, I start to scrub. I work until my fingers ache as I remove every last trace of him from this house. The bedding is washed, and the towels disposed of. I only keep the guest ones because he never touched those. All the time I play the loudest rock music that he hates with a passion. The sounds of Iron Maiden and Nickelback calm my soul as I relish how much he would hate it.

  The sun is coming over the horizon when the last trace of him is dealt with. Far from being tired, I am invigorated. A new day in a new life. Whatever happens next, I am free of him forever.

  At 6 am on the first day of the rest of my life, I fall into a deep, contented, sleep.

  At 6 pm, I wake up in hell.

  Chapter 23

  Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free. Jim Morrison

  I wake with aching muscles as a result of a solid, deep, sleep. As I stretch out in contentment, I feel a lightness to my spirit that hasn’t been present for some time. Sighing, I turn in the bed and stretch my limbs, enjoying the feeling that only a deep sleep gives you. Looking over to the bedside table, I see the digital display of the alarm clock announcing its 6 pm. I have slept for twelve hours. I can’t remember the last time I indulged in such luxury and I smile softly to myself as I feel my heart settle.

  “Hello, Sarah.”

  The fear returns with a vengeance and grabs hold of my fragile heart, threatening to shatter it into a million pieces. The voice that speaks leaves me with a cold feeling that wraps me in disbelief. Richard.

  I bolt from the bed as if it’s on fire and stare in disbelief at the shadowy figure sitting in the chair by the open window. The cool breeze makes the curtains billow as I blink in the hope I’m having a nightmare.

  He laughs hollowly and says in a deep voice. “It’s time to make you pay for what you did, Sarah.”

  Nervously, I look to the door, my only exit and watch as he moves to block it. My legs start shaking as I run my tongue around my drying lips and whisper, “How did you get in?”

  He laughs bitterly. “Is that all you’ve got to say? How did I get in? I thought you may have a smarter question than that. Mind you, you’ve always been as dumb as shit. Maybe that’s why you lasted as long as you did.”

  Swallowing hard, I try to think of a way to keep him talking until I can work out a plan of escape. I shiver as the cool breeze hits my skin and say, “Where have you been?”

  He smiles, but it has no warmth. “I’ve been watching you, Sarah. I’ve been waiting for my plan to pan out and now it’s time to end this charade.”

  I say louder. “You never answered my question. Where have you been?”

  His eyes flash and his voice cuts across the room like a knife. “I have never left, you stupid bitch. You thought you were so clever getting your policeman friend to search this house. You thought you were safe in the home I provided for us both and you thought I was otherwise occupied next door. How I laughed at your confusion. How I enjoyed watching you turn slightly mad as I pulled your strings. Because that’s what you are and always have been to me – a puppet.”

  He starts to advance, slowly, carefully and with promise and I swallow hard. Edging back towards the wall, I say weakly, “Don’t do this. This must end. We must end. We killed a woman and if anything, make that your revenge. I will tell them I was driving if you leave - now.”

  His laugh is cruel, much like the man himself, as he growls, “I haven’t finished with you yet. We have a lot to talk about you and I. Tonight is our chance to get it all out in the open. Put our marriage to bed as they say and move on with our lives.”

  I feel my heart beating frantically as he steps before me and reaches out, grabbing my wrist hard and pulling me close. He sneers, “You were always weak. It was easy for me to wear you down and make you do everything I wanted. You were so desperate to hang onto me. I knew you couldn’t believe your luck when I chose you. I saw the envious looks of your so-called friends who would betray you in an instant for one night in my bed. They were never your friends because it was always me. Always me they wanted, craved in fact and you were just the means to get my attention.”

  He pulls me closer and I smell the familiar scent of toothpaste on his breath. His lips crash onto mine and his tongue plunders my mouth. Biting, searching, punishing, his kiss is as brutal as the man himself. Pulling back, he grips my hair in his fist and says darkly, “You need to think about what you’ve done, Sarah.”

  I start to cry as the full horror of my situation reveals itself. I start to shake. “No, please Richard. I promise you I’ll never tell, just please leave me alone.”

  His laughter banishes any hope I have left as he pulls me from the room. I stumble as he marches along the hall with one destination in mind. The punishment room.

  Kicking out, I catch him briefly off guard and as his grip loosens, I make a run for it. I feel my heart beating as I take the stairs three at a time and feel him gaining on me as I head for the panic button. I never make it. He grabs my hair and pulls me back causing the tears to fall from my eyes as he hisses, “Naughty, naughty, you have earned a harsher punishment.”

  He drags me by my hair into the large living space and slams my head against the wall. I swear I see stars as I fall to th
e ground and he steps back. “Is this what you want, to fight? Because if it is, I am only too willing.”

  Shaking my head, I look up and then around me in disbelief. Everything I cleared away has been returned. It looks as if we’ve been burgled as I see the broken frames amid upturned plants. Tables on their side and broken lamps. The room is exactly as I saw it the first time I returned with the officers after the accident and I start shaking uncontrollably.

  Richard looks around and laughs. “Does this look familiar, darling. I must say standards have slipped since I let you out on your own. Maybe you should start by cleaning this mess up and restoring my house to what I expect.”

  With purpose, he reaches down and grabs me by the hair again and grinds my face into the dirt on the floor. A broken piece of glass from the frame pierces my skin and I cry out in agony. “No.”

  He laughs again and kicks me hard in the ribs. As I gasp for breath, he sneers, “Not much of a fighter, are you? I always knew you were weak and you have just proved that.”

  He pulls me up and pushes me against an upturned table. The elevated wooden leg catches me in the side and I cry out in pain. I feel him reach for my arm and pull it behind my back and it feels as if it’s about to snap as he snarls, “I am going to enjoy punishing you all night long, Sarah.”

  Blindly, I try to wriggle free which only excites him more. He kicks my legs apart and I crash to the floor again. As my head spins, I know he intends to kill me tonight. There will be no escaping him this time. His eyes hold murderous intent and I must fight for my life if I’m to survive. If I can just raise the alarm, I will be saved.

  In a rasping voice, I say, “You win Richard, I’m sorry. Do whatever you want because I don’t have any strength left to fight.”

  His laughter tells me he’s won. He is too strong for me and it’s only as he turns to grab my leg and pull me across the floor towards the stairs that I see my chance. My breasts graze against the carpet as he drags me across the broken glass and debris littering the floor. As I pass the upturned table in the hallway, I grab hold of the paperweight that has fallen nearby. He doesn’t see it as he strides to the stairs intent on pulling me up them. I have no dignity left. Naked and bleeding and bruised so much it hurts. He pulls me like a rag doll across the once pristine home and it’s only when he pulls me up to push me forward, I seize my chance. Putting the full force of any power I have left behind it; I swing the paperweight and bring it down hard on the back of his head and hear the crunch of bone as he howls in agony. Stumbling back, he falls against the wall and I reach blindly for the panic alarm.