Ten minutes later, I lay immersed up to my neck in sweet-smelling bath water, infused with essential oil. I sighed with pleasure and closed my eyes, as the hot water soothed away my tension, aches and pains. I never really enjoyed long-haul flights, in spite of the wonderful and exotic places you ended up in.
I stretched my leg towards the taps and with my big toe, nudged the hot water on, then reached for my glass. The Chilean Merlot was peppery, full of flavour, and I took another sip as the vapour from the running hot water filled the cool bathroom.
I thought back over my holiday. It had been a good week; I loved the island and slow pace of life, and the hotel staff bent over backwards to make my stay enjoyable. Even after Amanda showed up and told me her extraordinary story, I managed to keep my earlier worries under control.
My sister was older than I and already knew about the pitfalls and pleasures of marriage. I, being single, possessed no such experience. All I could do was share my worries with her, but in my heart, I knew Evie would ignore any advice. We had never been that close, and I sensed she still saw me as a threat to her and Martyn’s happiness. She would do what she wanted.
Amanda only stayed a few days more before she returned to England. She gave me her mobile number in case I discovered anything which might help her case. I thanked her for her concern, but after sleeping on it, I still wasn’t a hundred per cent sure she wasn’t slightly round the twist. Okay, so she did work alongside the police, and I’m sure she hadn’t lied about her cousin, but how much of it was true and not embellishment on her part? I did promise to be careful, though.
I drained my glass and yawning deeply, decided it was time for bed. Almost dreamily, I watched the water drain away as I stood and towelled myself dry. The room felt cool after the hot water; steam rose from my body, and I wrapped the towel round me before moving towards the basin to clean my teeth.
I brushed and spat, raised my face to glance in the mirror above and froze. I felt the blood drain from my face as I stared at the condensation in the glass.
Written along the bottom in my pale lip gloss was a line of chilling words.
‘I’m watching you and loving it.’
Chapter 17
Much later, while lying in bed I wondered how the hell Martyn had got into my flat. I turned onto my side in the classic foetal position, alternately feeling scared and angry. The first thing I had to do the next day was get a locksmith in and have all the locks changed. I could have kicked myself for not doing so earlier, but I assumed my flat was impregnable. How stupid was that? My mind whirled with plans, despite feeling muzzy and light-headed from lack of sleep.
After I had recovered from my initial fright in the bathroom, I rang the police and keeping my voice under control, explained that someone had been trespassing in my home. I then armed myself with a poker and waited for them in the hallway. A couple of constables arrived within minutes and took a look round. When they searched the living room and checked the French windows behind the drawn curtains, they discovered that one was unlocked. I was speechless. I knew I locked everything before I left for my holiday.
“This is where your intruder came in,” the older constable said. “The door’s unlocked.”
“But…but I checked…double-checked every door and window before I left. I can’t have left it unlocked.” I protested, knowing full well they were wrong. My OCD wouldn’t have allowed me to go away without checking at least six or more times.
“Maybe you missed this one? It’s easily done.”
“Look. Could this have anything to do with the person who spray-painted the front of my house a couple of weeks ago?” I had already explained this to them hurriedly while they were looking round the flat.
They exchanged glances.
“Could be or you’ve got an admirer.”
Their cockiness annoyed me. I listened as they discussed my problems and then agreed it was highly unlikely the intruder would have left any fingerprints.
“Intruders today can be pretty sophisticated. They might have worn soft cotton gloves or two pairs of latex to minimise glove prints. And as nothing had been stolen or damaged, apart from an invasion of privacy or trespassing, no crime has been admitted.”
I almost gave up there and then. I gave them my details—again—which they promised to add to my earlier complaint.
After closing the door on their departing backs, I felt a weariness overcome me. I rushed into the bathroom and threw up into the toilet bowl. The words written in the mirror above the basin still mocked me.
The next morning, jaded and sickened, I picked up my mobile and toyed with the idea of telling Jon or Faye about the incident and my odd encounter with Amanda in Antigua. Should I tell them?
Outside, it was windy and dark; a gale blew down the street, rattling the tiles on the roofs. I was cold, over-tired and depressed. I threw back the bedclothes and walked through to the bathroom. After brushing my teeth, my mouth still tasted nasty. I pulled on some running gear, and then, lethargically, wandered downstairs.
Going back to Jon and Faye, I knew it was a non-starter. I would have been choked by all the things I couldn’t say. What if neither believed me? And…I was having doubts whether I believed it myself. It was all like a horrible dream. I was confused, angry, desperate and frustrated.
I slipped out of my flat and jogged along the pavement until I reached the park. Apart from the day before, when I was travelling home, I made sure I exercised every day. Reaching the grassy area of the park, I picked up speed. My limbs felt sluggish, stiff from eight hours sitting on a plane; an hour around the park would sort me out.
As I ran, I thought hard about my choices. I had already ruled out involving Faye and Jon; Faye seemed a bit vague the last time we spoke about Martyn, and I didn’t want to keep banging on about him. The same could have been said of Jon. Although he seemed sympathetic and understanding, I knew most people only had a certain amount of patience. Besides, I had already convinced myself it would put him off me altogether, and knowing how I felt about Jon, that was the last thing I wanted. Why was life so bloody complicated? That left one other person, and she was affected the most. Evie.
One of the best things about working for yourself was you dictated which days and hours you worked. I knew from experience long-haul flights treated me cruelly, and with that in mind, I kept my appointment book closed for a couple of days after returning from the Caribbean. I rang Neville, my landlord, and he told me that, apart from a bit of final decorating and tidying up my rooms, they were almost finished. I could start work later in the week.
With that in mind, I rang Evie, and as chance would have it, she too had the day off. I said I would pop round to Mum’s, where she and Martyn were staying, and tell her all about my trip.
As I arrived, I met Mum as she was leaving the house in a rush and on her way to the hairdresser. We chatted for a couple of minutes, and then she left, saying Jon and I should go round for supper one evening and tell her more about Antigua.
I pushed the front door open, slipped my outdoor shoes off and hung my coat on the clothes’ hooks in the hall. I assumed Evie would be in the kitchen and made my way down the long hallway to the back of the house. There was a strong smell of toast and bacon in the air, which made my stomach grumble.
The sound of my footsteps was muffled by the thick carpet, and as I neared the kitchen, I heard voices. I heard Evie’s and Martyn’s more heavily accented London tones. I paused mid-step.
“I’ve told you. It’s only until Friday. That’s payday, and my cheque will be in the bank then. I’ll pay you back.”
“But Martyn, that’s what you said last month, and because of the house, I’m almost overdrawn,” Evie said, her voice rising to a whine.
“Evie, don’t be so bloody tight. You know I’ll make it up to you. I’ve spoken to my bank manager, and my funds will clear any week now. Fifty quid is chicken feed.”
“I know, but all the same, I’d rather try and keep everythi
ng under control until we’re married and actually in the new house.”
There was a silence, and I knew he was giving her one of his long, meaningful stares.
“Evie,” he eventually said in a low even voice. “I can’t believe you said that. I feel as if you don’t trust me, and after all I’ve done. What does it matter if we’re married or not? We’re going to be in a couple of weeks. I’m not going to change my mind. Have you? Evie, there’s no one else is there? Is that what’s this is all about?”
I heard the sound of a chair being dragged back over floor tiles. “You know that’s not true. Oh, Martyn, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it to come out like that. Of course there’s only you, and yes, it doesn’t matter if we’re married or not. The house is in both our names anyway.”
As I stepped into the doorway, I saw Martyn standing by the kitchen table his back to me, hands on hips while Evie was rummaging around in her handbag for her purse. She fished out a wad of notes and pushed them towards him.
“Good, because if I thought you didn’t love me anymore, Evie, I’d—”
“Hush. Take it. I was being silly. It’s all I’ve got in my purse.”
“I don’t know, Evie…just now, I wondered—”
She pressed the money more firmly into his fist and for the first time, noticed me.
“Moya! You’re early,” she said. I spotted how her cheeks flushed before she shot a look back at Martyn.
He swung round, gave me a cool appraisal before arranging his mouth into a smile and stepped towards me, his arms outstretched.
“Why, it’s Moya. I didn’t know you were coming round today. Evie never said.” He shot her a peeved look while I edged away from his embrace.
“We only arranged it today. You were in the shower when Moya rang. You said you were on a late today,” Evie said, and I wondered why she was going to the trouble of explaining it to him.
He grinned. “Yeah, well, so I am, but if I’d known Moya was coming, I might have changed my hours. I’m sorry I’m going to miss hearing all about Antigua and your luxury hotel. What was it called again? Oh, I remember now. The Inn at English Harbour.”
My face paled and my skin grew tight. How on earth had the creep found out? I never told anyone the name of the hotel. He must have remembered me saying I was going to a five-star hotel near Nelson’s Dockyard. I suppose it wouldn’t have been difficult to check out hotels online. Even so, why go to that bother? He freaked me out. Why the hell couldn’t he leave me alone? I stayed absolutely still, not trusting myself to answer. Evie looked from Martyn to me, a frown between her eyebrows.
“How…how did you know that, Martyn?” she asked in a small voice, before slumping down in her chair.
“Moya told me. She rang from the airport just before her plane left. Anyway, as it happens, I must dash, got to see someone before work. Catch you later, Moya, and we’ll have that chat over a drink. Bye, Evie, my sweet. I must say, comparing you to a lusciously sun-tanned and fit-looking Moya, you are looking a little peaky this morning. Not coming down with anything are you? I hope not, I’ve got plans for later on.” He gave her a lewd grin, which he made sure I couldn’t miss, bent down, gave her a peck on the cheek and without waiting for an answer left the room.
Speechless, I listened to the door slam. I noticed he had taken Evie’s money with him. I turned towards her, ready to deny I had told him anything and for the first time, got a good look at my sister. She looked very different from the last time I had seen her. My sister’s hair was lacking its usual lustre, and her skin appeared pallid, almost putty-coloured. Her movements seemed slow and laborious, and when she lifted her listless eyes to me, I wondered if Martyn was right. She did seem off-colour. What the hell had been happening while I was away?
Chapter 18
“How about some coffee?” I asked brightly. “No, you sit still, I’ll make it.”
I knew where Mum kept the coffee capsules; she hadn’t changed a thing since Dad died. Selecting a ‘dolcemente’ capsule for Evie and a stronger ‘intensamente’ one for me (I believed I needed it), I switched the coffee machine on and waited for it to heat up.
“So, how are you?” I asked eventually as I stole another glance her way, thinking she looked dreadful.
Evie ignored my question. “What’s going on, Moya? How come you rang Martyn—my fiancé—from the airport and let him know which hotel you were staying in?” Her eyes blazed at me while her pale and pinched lips matched her pallid face.
I shook my head. “I didn’t. I swear to God, I never rang him. Why would I?”
“Why, indeed.”
“Honestly, Evie. He was making it up. Like he does so many things.”
“Don’t start that again. I think Martyn’s right. You’re jealous. You’ve never got over him.”
“Rubbish, and you know it. It’s you he’s marrying. Soon, you’ll be Mrs Cousins, with a ring on your finger, a brand new house and off on honeymoon. Did you get those flights you were after to Hawaii or are they still on waitlist?” I said, hurriedly wanting to change the subject.
“Economy was all sold out, and Martyn said to be certain of getting there, we’d better go club class.”
“Club! Wow! Nice. So you’re booked. All paid up I guess.”
“Yeah, I had to use my credit card, as Martyn’s lost his and the replacement hasn’t come through,” she replied lethargically.
I took a sip of my coffee. Why wasn’t I surprised?
“Do I really look like Martyn said I did? Peaky?”
I cocked my head to one side as if weighing up her question. “No. You’ve lost more weight, and you’re a bit pale, but then everyone looks white at this time of year. You’ll knock him dead once you’ve got a tan.”
“Suppose so.” She suddenly wandered over to the refrigerator and examined the contents.
“What are you looking for?”
“My tonic. I’ve got a multi-vitamin one, which Martyn says will do wonders for me. I haven’t taken today’s yet.” She fished out a plastic container, removed the cap and filled a glass with the fluid. “Martyn suggested I mix it with fruit juice to get even more vitamins inside me.”
I nodded. “Vitamins are good, especially if the right trace elements are included. Have you tried the pseudo-cereal, quinoa? It contains all the essential amino acids like lysine and good quantities of calcium, phosphorus and iron. Everyone needs a top-up from time to time, especially as we get older. That reminds me…how’s Darcy been while I’ve been away? Has she been her usual sassy self or has she behaved herself for once?”
“So so. Ignores most of what Mum and I say, but Martyn has her eating out of his hand. They’ve been swimming twice in the week, and Martyn picks her up at night to save her catching a bus home when she’s been out with friends. He’s ever so good with her—seems to understand where she’s coming from, and nothing’s too much trouble for him.”
As I listened, Evie’s words didn’t bode well for some reason. Darcy was very pretty and sixteen going on twenty-six. I felt my insides churn. If he as much as laid a hand on my little sister, I swore I would kill him.
I didn’t know what to say. If I came straight out with what was going through my mind, Evie would have had a blue fit. If I kept quiet, heaven only knew what would—or could—happen between Darcy and Martyn. I didn’t trust that scaly lizard. This wasn’t the first time I was convinced he preyed on women.
“Is that a good idea, Evie? She might get the wrong idea.”
Evie’s eyes narrowed, and she licked her dry lips before tossing her head. “What do you mean? Honestly, Moya, you have a filthy mind sometimes. How dare you accuse Martyn of something like that?” I didn’t think I had ever heard so much venom in her voice.
I all but flinched. “All I’m saying is, she’s young and impressionable. I’m not accusing anyone, but Martyn’s good-looking if you like your men tall and dark. You’ve seen her around boys of her own age…she’s an incorrigible flirt. Think what effect an olde
r man might have on her. Please don’t think I’m stirring things up, but she—”
“Enough!” she shouted, holding up one hand and lurching from her chair. “Martyn warned me you’d say something. I think you ought to shut up and leave.”
Shocked at her newfound vehemence, I sat back. Gone was the washed-out, wan woman of a few minutes ago. “Evie, I think there’s something you ought to know. When I was away, I met a woman—”
She leant forward, one hand on the table, the other pointing an accusatory finger in my face. “I said, shut it. Hold your tongue and go. I don’t want to hear any more of your lies. You’ve got an over-imaginative and nasty mind. I’d appreciate it if you left right now. I don’t want to hear any more. Understand?” she hissed.
“No, you listen first. I’ve told you over and over again. Martyn means nothing to me and never has. I finished with him, not the other way round. And another thing…he’s dangerous. He graphitised my walls with the filthiest of stuff, and I believe he’s been in my flat while I’ve been away, stole some of my underwear and moved my things around.” I wasn’t going to mention the scrawled words written on the bathroom mirror, as I didn’t want to completely freak her out.
“More bloody lies. How easily they come to you. Why would he go into your flat? And how could he unless you gave him a key. For Christ’s sake, fuck off, why don’t you!”
I didn’t know how he got into my flat. Maybe he had my keys copied—it seemed the logical conclusion, but I couldn’t imagine Evie believing that.
“Entering someone’s home is relatively easy, apparently. Don’t you watch Crime Scene? But more to the point, do you know he was engaged before? Engaged to someone who died in mysterious circumstances?”
“If you’re talking about Sally, then Martyn’s already told me. He said he was so distraught when she was forced off the road by some boozed-up road-rage driver, he almost had a nervous breakdown.” She sighed, her eyelids flickering and ran a hand wearily through her hair. “Moya, why do you keep doing this? Trying to create a rift between Martyn and me? He is such a lovely man. Kind and loving. Look how is with Mum and Darcy. He can’t do enough for them.” She flopped back down in her chair and stared at the floor between her knees.
Behind A Twisted Smile (Dark Minds Book 2) Page 10