Christmas Trees

by Poppy Blake

  “What?” Carole and Grace cried in unison.

  Grace leapt from her seat next to Rosie to peer at the camera screen, then she relaxed. “Oh, no, that’s not Alfie. That’s Coco, Corinne’s dog.”

  Every eye in the room swung over to where Corinne was leaning against the kitchen worktop. She seemed to wither before their eyes. Rosie’s heart gave a surprise thump against her ribcage before bouncing down into her stomach and ricocheting into her throat as the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle slotted into place. The image wasn’t crystal clear yet but it was beginning to come into focus.

  “Why was Theo so interested in a photograph of Corinne’s dog?” asked Carole, returning to her position next to Corinne to offer her some moral support.

  “Because,” said DS Kirkham, “correct me if I’m wrong, Miss Shaw, Coco belonged to Mr Morris, too. You were his girlfriend before Penny, weren’t you?”

  An uncomfortable silence expanded into every corner of the room as everyone tried to process this unexpected piece of information.

  “You’re his ex?” spluttered Penny, staring at the shell-shocked Corinne.

  The police constable at the French windows adjusted his position, Freddie and Josh did likewise so that all exits were covered should Corinne decided to bolt. But they needn’t have worried. Corinne wasn’t going anywhere. She just stood, slumped against Carole like a puppet clipped of its strings, defeated and dejected.

  “Yes. I am.”

  “But how? Why? Did Theo—”

  “Perhaps you’d like to explain your reasons for what you did?” offered DS Kirkham.

  Corinne glanced around the room until her eyes came to rest on Grace whose face was a melange of shock, confusion and disbelief.

  “I’m so sorry, Grace. I really am. The last thing I wanted to do was spoil your wedding. I’m really grateful for your friendship, for helping me to believe that I could start over again after escaping from the torture that Theo subjected me to. I really thought I’d managed to leave my past behind and that I could look forward to a happier future. You and Carole and Roger have been so kind to me – you don’t deserve any of this. I’ll never forget how you accepted me and made me feel part of the community. I’m so, so very sorry…”

  “But I don’t understand,” began Grace, bewildered by what Corinne was saying. She dragged her eyes from Corinne to look questioningly across at Matt and Rosie. “Why?”

  Corinne had depleted her reserves of courage and burst into tears, hiding her face in Carole’s chest who stroked her hair and muttered soothing sounds. Corinne’s whole body juddered and shook as the magnitude of what she’d done and its consequences reverberated around her audience. Everyone was struggling to understand what was going on, and the noise level continued to climb until DS Kirkham cleared his throat and said “Perhaps I can explain?”

  The heated conversation abated and silence fell, save for Corinne’s weeping.

  “You heard Miss Grant tell us that she thought Mr Morris had an unhealthy fixation with his ex-girlfriend; that he regularly disappeared to meet up with her for coffee. Well, I suspect that it wasn’t an innocent coffee and he wasn’t meeting Miss Shaw but he was using the time to search for her – to follow up on any lead that might give him a clue as to her whereabouts. I’ve said I think his behaviour bordered on compulsive, but it was worse than that. He was an extremely focussed and obsessive individual who was furious that his girlfriend had managed to escape from him.

  “Our records show that a year ago, Miss Shaw made a complaint to the police about Mr Morris’s treatment of her. She gave a statement detailing the regime of emotional abuse he subjected her to until she felt her freedom to be herself had been severely eroded. But, as happens so often in these matters, Mr Morris talked her round and there was no prosecution. He probably promised to mend his ways so she agreed to give him another chance. However, I suspect things didn’t go as she expected and eventually she found the courage to leave.”

  DS Kirkham paused. Everyone’s attention was focused on him. Even Corinne had stopped sobbing, her eyes wide with fear as she waited for him to continue.

  “It seems Miss Shaw found her way here to Norfolk and thought she was safe at last. She relaxed and started to enjoy her new life. But, in a cruel twist of fate, Miss Grant showed Mr Morris a photograph of a caramel-haired Lhasa Apso whom he recognised immediately. He had to make sure it was definitely Coco so—”

  “I saw him through the deli window,” said Corinne, her voice wobbling as she took up the story. “At first, I couldn’t believe it was Theo, but it was and I was absolutely terrified that he’d found out where I was. I knew he was going to do something terrible to punish me for running away. I realised what I had to do if I didn’t want to go back to my old life.”

  Corinne inhaled a long, ragged breath before continuing.

  “I honestly can’t remember exactly what happened. The details are all a bit of a blur, like I was sleepwalking or something. But yes, it was me who set up the tripwire. It wasn’t that difficult. I knew about the cycle ride, and I walked Coco in the woods every day so I knew about the shortcut. I suspected Theo would have surveyed the route for any chance of beating the competition. So, I just took Coco for her usual early morning walk and twisted the wire between the two trees. I wasn’t really expecting it to work, to be honest, but I wasn’t thinking straight. I knew there was no guarantee he’d take that shortcut through the woods. When I got home, I just crawled under my duvet and waited – either for Theo to come and get me or for him to meet his fate. I didn’t have the energy to run away again.”

  Corinne’s voice tailed off, tears rolling silently down her cheeks again as she stared beseechingly at Carole.

  “I’m so sorry, Carole. I don’t know what came over me but I’d put up with Theo’s controlling behaviour for too long. He’d chipped away at my self-esteem so much that I couldn’t even think for myself any more. I had no confidence in my ability to stand up to him. He ruled every aspect of my life; from what I ate and wore, to who I met and what I did and I realised I was powerless to do anything about it. I knew he followed me everywhere I went, photographed me and recorded details of my every move in his journals. I’d just dug myself into a hole of self-denial and given up.

  “Then, one day he came home with Coco and I fell in love with her. She was my saviour. She returned every ounce of my affection and I adored her. Of course, Theo had banked on that happening and Coco became another weapon to threaten me with. If I didn’t agree to go with him to inspect another one of his old bangers, he threatened to poison Coco. Or if I refused to put on a show of domestic bliss when we met his parents, then he would make sure Coco would suffer the consequences. I couldn’t let him do that so I just went along with everything he wanted.”

  “What a monster!” spluttered Mia, her eyes wide with horror.

  “I was amazed when he agreed to let me take Coco to the local park for her walks until I realised why. He used to follow me with his camera to record every move I made. But I loved being outside with Coco so I shoved the image of him lurking in the bushes, watching me, stalking me, into the back of my mind and got on with enjoying the bond Coco and I had built, and the exercise did us both good. I met other dog walkers and we exchanged a few smiles which kept me going. Next it was the odd hello and snippets about our dogs’ quirks and characters. I began to feel better, to glimpse a little of my old self beneath the fog of despair and I started to plan my escape.”

  Corinne paused and Carole poured her a glass of water which she accepted gratefully.

  “Then, Theo told me he’d arranged to view a vintage Rolls Royce that he was very excited about. He told me what a great deal it was and that he couldn’t miss the opportunity to snatch it before anyone else did. I think it must have been your grandad’s car, Zara. I knew this was my chance to put my plan into action. I faked a sickness bug, even spent an unpleasant hour locked in the bathroom retching so he would have to leave without me or risk losing h
is ‘great deal’.

  “I’d also done my research. It was an hour’s drive to where the owner lived and the same back again. I sent up a prayer to the gods of traffic management that there would be a hold-up somewhere on the route. I slung a few bits and pieces into a suitcase – just my passport, driver’s licence, that sort of stuff – grabbed some of Coco’s things and left. I had nowhere to go but I decided that even living on the streets was better than living with Theo.”

  Rosie had never known the café to be so quiet as Corinne’s audience was entranced by her story.

  “I took a train to Norwich and met up with a woman from Women’s Aid who adored Coco and gave me the details of a hostel that welcomed people with dogs. That was a turning point – once again I have Coco to thank for saving me from sleeping in a shop doorway. The lady who ran the hostel fell in love with her as well, and it was Olga who saw the Help Wanted sign in Adriano’s Deli when she was in Willerby for a weekend break. It was the perfect solution and, unless I was exceptionally unlucky, Theo would never find me there. I thought life couldn’t get any better. I could pay all my bills and keep Coco in dog chews, and when I met Carole and Alfie I knew I had found a place I could call home.”

  Corinne glanced up at Carole and gave her a weak smile as tears continued to slip soundlessly down her cheeks.

  “As it turned out, my guardian angel had gone AWOL again. When I saw Theo peering in the window of the café, I thought I was hallucinating. Obviously, I know now that Penny’s photo of Coco had led him to the village, but at the time and I thought he’d tracked me down. I was terrified and I knew exactly what he would do; target Coco. Everything I did from that moment until I woke up on Wednesday lunchtime is like a distant dream – something that happened to someone else, an episode of wishful-thinking. The reality of what I’d done only really hit me later when I heard he was in hospital. I… I’m sorry oh, I’m so sorry”

  Corinne crumbled. She began to rock forwards and backwards, her face buried in her hands, a strange keening noise emanating from deep within her body, like an injured animal caught in a trap. The sound sent shivers down Rosie’s spine as she tried to decipher her feelings about what Corinne was confessing.

  “But what about Rosie?” demanded Mia, staring at Corinne, her mouth slightly ajar with incredulity. “What did she ever do to you? You tried to kill her!”

  Corinne shook her head. “No, no, no, I’m so sorry… I don’t know… I just…”

  “You just what?” Mia had no intention of letting Corinne off without an explanation.

  “I’m sorry, Rosie, but when I overheard you talking to Dylan and the girls in the deli I realised that it was only a matter of time before you or Matt discovered the truth. I knew you’d keep digging until you found out about me and Theo. I just went into autopilot, I suppose. I stole Grace’s phone from her bag and when Rosie and Dylan left, I sprinted over to Ultimate Adventures, broke into the storeroom and stole one of the quad bikes. I sent Rosie a text from Grace’s phone asking her to meet me. I only really wanted to frighten you, Rosie.”

  This time, Corinne completely broke down, her distress agonising for everyone to hear. Carole gathered her into her arms, but no one else moved as they continued to process Corinne’s extraordinary story and slotted her revelations into their personal puzzle of the events that had taken place over the last four days. DS Kirkham nodded to his constable who removed a pair of handcuffs, and, supported by Carole, Corinne was escorted mutely from the café without complaint.

  “I’m going with Corinne!” announced Penny, slipping down from the bar stool and striding off in their wake. “The police need to know that everything Corinne has told us about Theo is true. I’m going to make a statement about my own experiences and even if it only helps in a small way, it’ll be worth it. What Theo did to her was outrageous!”

  As the remainder of the group watched from the French windows, Corinne was assisted into the back of the police Land Rover with Carole on one side and Penny on the other. Silence spread through the Windmill Café. There was no gasp of relief that Theo’s attacker had been arrested, no triumph that it was all over and things could get back to normal, just a blanket of sadness for the distress that had been caused.

  “Rosie?” whispered Mia. “Are you okay?”

  She met her friend’s eyes and nodded, unable to formulate the words to describe the cauldron of emotions that churned through her body. She had expected to feel anger, fury even, when the identity of her assailant was revealed, but Corinne’s prolonged emotional abuse at the hands of Theo tugged at her heartstrings and she was filled with sympathy for what she had been through and how it had ushered her towards the edge of her sanity.

  She hoped that Corinne would be treated with understanding by the judicial system, and that the role Theo had played in his own suffering would be taken into account, not to mention his use of illegal surveillance techniques. For her own part, she would work on forgiving Corinne because it was clear to everyone with an ounce of empathy that she hadn’t been in full possession of her senses.

  Chapter 21

  “Wow! Isn’t it pretty?” cried Mia as she cantered through the snow, bending down to collect an armful of the fluffy white stuff to toss in Freddie’s direction as they all made their way towards the marquee whose door had been flung open to welcome the competitors and the guests inside after the judging had been completed.

  Mia was right, the scene was Christmas card perfect. From the sails of the windmill, to the eaves of the wooden lodges and the shepherd’s hut, to the gable of the marquee, everything had been dusted with a generous sprinkle of snow that glistened under the weak midday sunshine.

  “Hey!” squealed Grace as a huge snowball landed on the top of her head. She spun round to see Josh sprinting away, his heels kicking up confetti-like flakes as he tried to make a swift getaway.

  But Grace was having none of it. She chased after him and, as everyone watched on in amusement, she managed to catch him and deposit a handful of snow down the back of his neck. In turn, Josh grappled with his wife-to-be, pulled her down into the snow where they made a duo of snow angles whilst giggling uncontrollably. The ensuing laughter from their appreciative audience was exactly the tonic everyone needed to release the pent-up tension of the morning and lighten the mood.

  “Want to join in?” asked Matt, raising his eyebrows in Rosie’s direction.

  “No way!” She shot back before she even thought about it.

  However, Matt wasn’t going to take no for an answer. He grabbed Rosie around the waist, twirled her into his arms and together they dropped to the ground next to Grace and Josh. Holding her hand tightly, Matt guided them into creating their own snow-angle couple. Rosie’s reticence melted and she joined in, copying Grace as she jumped up and launched into a virgin patch of snow to carve out another celestial imprint.

  “Yay!” shouted Mia dragging Freddie into the melee until everyone was rolling around in the snow, laughing, giggling, shrieking their objections, singing snatches from Disney tunes until the whole field looked like a battle zone.

  “God, I needed that!” sighed Matt, his lips inches from Rosie’s ear, his warm breath sending shivers of desire through her veins as he dragged her upright and ushered her towards the warmth of the marquee.

  “Me too. I suddenly feel as though a huge block of concrete has been lifted from my chest and I can breathe freely again. Thanks Matt. Thanks for everything. For continuing to dig for information until you found out the truth about Theo, for uncovering his treatment of Corinne, for rescuing me from the storeroom at Ultimate Adventures, but most of all for…”

  Rosie found she had a lump the size of a boulder lodged in her throat as a deluge of emotions ambushed her once again. However, she didn’t want to wait a minute longer before telling Matt how she felt about him. When everyone had disappeared into the tent, expelling gasps of delight at the festive spectacle, she turned to face him, delving into his eyes, and loving what she saw ref
lected in their depths. She adored the way her whole body zinged with pleasure whenever he was by her side and she realised how lucky she was to have found someone who instilled such emotions in her.

  “I’m sorry we didn’t get to have dinner together last night because there was something I wanted to tell you.”

  “Me too, but you first.”

  “I’m staying here in Willerby, Matt. The windmill is my home; I love the village, the café, the visitors who stay at the lodges, but most of all I love the fact that I’m part of a close-knit community who look out for each other, offer their love and support where it’s needed without question or expectation. But you know what the best part of coming to Willerby has been?

  “What?”

  “Meeting you. You’ve helped me realise that home is not about bricks and mortar, a comfortable place to lay your head and amass material possessions. It’s about the relationships you form with the people around you, about giving back, spending those coins of happiness and reaping the rewards. When I arrived at the café I was sad, miserable, heart-broken and you made me stop and put things into perspective, challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and try things I would never have dreamed possible. If I’d told Georgina I’d taken part in an assault course she would be straight on the phone to a therapist! I mean, it involved mud, and lots of it! I know I have some way to go before I eradicate my obsession with hygiene, but I’m optimistic. And I have you, Matt, to thank for all this.”

  Rosie thought Matt was about to say something, but he decided to show her instead. After holding her eyes for a moment that seemed to last an eternity, he bent forward and his lips met hers, warm, soft, delicious and she kissed him back until she was breathless.

  Her whole body suffused with a feeling of home-coming, of being exactly where she was meant to be, wrapped in Matt’s arms, sheltered from the world. She would have happily stayed under the eaves of the huge white marquee for the rest of the day if Reverend Coulson hadn’t sent out a search party to find them.