“Awful business, I tell you. Doreen said she’ll knock when she hears anything – she’s a right old gossip that one, but she never fails to get the lowdown, I’ll give her that.”
A few hours later, Claudia jumped up from the sofa and rushed to answer the door. My heart almost stopped when I heard Doreen’s cockney twang, although I couldn’t make out the words. But when Claudia reappeared a few minutes later, her face told me everything.
I shook my head, feeling my eyes fill. “No, please, no,” I said, tucking my legs underneath me, trying to block out what I knew was coming next.
She sighed and came to crouch beside me. “I’m sorry, duck. Seems Yazz and her husband were both inside. They were trapped in the corridor – several boxes had fallen behind the door.”
I rubbed at my face and thumped at my forehead. “No! This can’t be happening to me.”
“To you?” Claudia’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Yeah, to me. I know it sounds crazy, but it seems anyone who is kind to me ends up dead.”
“Nonsense, Maggie. It was a terrible accident, that’s all. Doreen said they believe it originated from the stove. So, you see, it's nothing to do with you.”
“I don’t care. I’ve made up my mind. I’m moving to London.”
“Don’t be silly. Who do you know in London? And how do you intend to support yourself?”
“Matt’s friends have a spare room. I’ll be able to go to school there.”
Claudia looked horrified as she realised this wasn’t something I’d just decided. It was already planned. “You’ll still need money. And who are these people? How do you know you can trust them?” She rattled off the questions like a machine gun.
“Matt’s found a tenant for next door. I’ll be able to use the income from that to pay my way. As for the people I can stay with, Matt used to go to university with their son Jim, and he can vouch for them personally.”
“Sounds like you’ve already made up your mind,” Claudia huffed. She stomped into the kitchen and slammed around.
I’d been putting off telling her since Matt confirmed his friends had a spare room for exactly this reason – I knew she’d take it personally. But I had nothing to stay in the village for. Especially now I knew what Rachel had been saying about me. The thought of going back to school with all my supposed friends gossiping behind my back had me reaching for my inhaler.
After a few minutes, Claudia returned with two steaming mugs of tea. She placed one beside me. I noticed her lips were still pursed.
“I’m sorry if I’ve upset you, Claudia. You know I’ve loved staying here with you, but after everything, I think it’s best I put a bit of space between me and the village for a while. I’m not saying I’ll be gone forever.”
Her face softened, and she bobbed her head. “I know, duck.”
So, that was it. Two weeks later, on the twenty-fifth of August, I was on the bus heading to London and my new life.
Claudia sobbed when we hugged our goodbyes, and I had a brief wobble, wondering if I was doing the right thing. But the gruff bus driver barked at us, and I was on the bus with the doors shut before I had a chance to change my mind.
The trip would have been nice if it wasn’t for a crazy woman who decided she would jabber away at me, without a pause, for hours. But that wasn’t the worst of it, I was certain she was going to the toilet, right there on the seat. She stank.
When we pulled into the bus station, the butterflies returned to my stomach. What if I didn’t get on with the couple who had willingly agreed to take me in? What if they had a set of bizarre house rules? But I was certain to discover all that very soon. I saw them through the window before they saw me. They were seated on a bench, and the woman, who had a friendly face and neatly styled grey curls, helped the elderly man up. They both shuffled towards the bus. They seemed all right, but time would tell. I fixed a smile to my face and stepped from the bus.
Agnes and Fred Bowdon seemed just as nervous as I was. They hugged me warmly, and when my case had been pulled from the bus, they led me to their shiny orange Kia. Fred pointed out all the landmarks, including the school, as we whizzed by, but I didn’t manage to take any of it in.
A few minutes out of the town centre, Fred pulled into the drive of a cute detached bungalow with whitewashed pebbledash walls. I could tell the gardens were immaculately kept, even though it was night-time. A cluster of gnomes filled a flowerbed beside the royal-blue front door.
Fred insisted on carrying my suitcase, but I was worried he might cark it, as instead of using the built-in wheels, he lifted the entire thing from the boot, up the path, and into the house.
“Oh, thanks so much,” I said, avoiding the use of his name. I wasn’t sure what to call them. Although they’d introduced themselves by their first names earlier, I felt cheeky with them being elderly and all.
Inside, the walls were embossed paper painted brilliant white, and all the furniture was highly polished wood. In the lounge, I was surprised when a girl jumped up off the sofa. She appeared a little older than me, with lots of black hair, olive skin, and huge brown eyes, circled with black makeup.
“You must be Maggie.” She took my hand and pumped it enthusiastically.
“Erm… Yes. Hi.”
“Maggie, this is Caroline. She lives here, too, and you’ll be going to college together,” Agnes said. “I’m sure you’re going to be the best of friends.”
Caroline rolled her eyes cheekily at me, and we both laughed. Maybe Agnes was right.
“Okay, who wants a cuppa? You must be parched, Maggie.”
“That would be lovely, thanks, Mrs…”
“I’ll have none of that formal how’s-your-father. My name’s Agnes, and I want you to be comfortable and happy here. This is your home now, after all.”
“Thanks, Agnes.”
Fred appeared, red faced, and plonked himself down on one of the two armchairs. Judging by the contents of the side table – reading glasses, remote controls, a puzzle book, and a cup filled with pens – it was his usual chair. I made a mental note never to sit in it.
“Are you all right, Fred?” Caroline asked.
“Worn out. What the heck did you have in that case? The kitchen sink?” He grinned over at me.
“Practically. I didn’t know what I’d need, so I brought as much as I could fit in. It did have wheels, though.”
“Hah!” He barked out a laugh. “Now you tell me.”
We all set off chuckling, and Agnes returned, wondering what the joke was.
After drinking the tea, Agnes showed me to my room. A bigger than average single bed sat between two white bedside cabinets and a chest of four drawers was against the wall across the room. The curtains and bedding matched – white with tiny pink roses in stripes.
“Oh, it’s beautiful.” I hugged Agnes. “Thank you so much.”
“Caroline’s room is directly opposite, and the bathroom you both share is just along the hallway. Our room is off the kitchen area, so you should find it quite private back here.”
“I don’t know what to say.” I looked down at my hands. “I love it.”
Agnes rubbed my shoulder. “The pleasure’s all ours. Matt couldn’t praise you highly enough.”
“Really?”
“Don’t seem so surprised. Matt’s a great judge of character.”
Caroline popped her head around the door. “Are you settling in?”
Agnes headed for the door. “I’ll leave you to it. Can I get you anything? A spot of supper?”
I shook my head. “I’m fine, thanks. Claudia made me some sandwiches for the journey.”
“You know where we are if you need anything.” Agnes left.
“Are you okay?” Caroline said.
I nodded, blinking away tears. “It’s just so lovely here. I didn’t know what to expect.”
“I know, I was the same when I first arrived last year. Without Agnes and Fred, I’d be on the streets. My parents died in a car accident.�
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“That’s terrible!”
She shrugged. “Not really. They were both off their faces on smack.”
“Oh. Still, it’s hard to lose your parents, regardless of why.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. But this is like a dream come true for me. I wasn’t exactly cared for growing up.”
“That’s sad. I wasn’t too bad. My mum looked after me until she died of cancer.” I didn’t want to mention Kenny. Some things you kept to yourself.
We chatted while I unpacked my case. Caroline told me all about the college, which didn’t start for another week, and all about her new boyfriend, Pierre. She made me promise not to mention anything about him to Agnes and Fred. After a while, I zipped up my empty case and slid it underneath the bed.
“Right, I’ll leave you to it.” Caroline hugged me and headed off across the hall. “Goodnight, Mags.”
My stomach turned. Nobody called me Mags anymore, not since Kenny. I would need to put a stop to that ASAP.
13
I settled in to my new life in London with no issues. Caroline had introduced me to her friends, so I was already one of the gang by the time the school term started a week later.
Caroline became the sister I never had, and I found myself telling her all about Kenny in the end. I knew she wouldn’t betray me – we trusted each other.
I could honestly say I was happy. Nobody, apart from Caroline, knew anything about my past, and I was treated normally for the first time in ages. Agnes and Fred, although strict, were amazing guardians. We all got on well and laughter became a daily part of my life.
One Sunday, just after dinner, I called Claudia like I did every week, to catch up on the village gossip.
“Ah, Maggie. It’s so lovely to hear your voice. How’s it all going?”
“Great. I love the college. It’s so different to school, more laid back.”
“So, no regrets?” She sounded unhappy.
“I miss you, though. Tell me what’s been happening.”
“Oh, you know. This and that.”
Surprised by her attitude, I tried a little more schmoozing. “How’s Sandy? Is he looking after you?”
“His ears just pricked up. He must’ve heard his name.”
I smiled. “Aw. So, come on. Gossip?”
“Not a lot goes on around here, as you know. But I did see Doreen yesterday. She said the shop fire was definitely caused by a pan of oil left on the cooker.”
“No! She went to bed and left a pan turned on?”
“Seems so. Yazz made a batch of samosas every evening, by all accounts. She must have just overlooked it; it’s easily done. The tragedy is they’d created a prison for themselves. The smoke alarms went off, but because they had boxes stacked up in the little kitchen, they were trapped behind the door leading up to the living area. Bars had been fitted to every window – they had no chance of escape.”
“Poor, poor, Yazz. She must’ve been terrified.”
“I know. Doesn’t bear thinking about, does it?”
I didn’t answer, lost in my own world as I thought about my mum’s beautiful friend.
“I’ve upset you now. I didn’t think. Are you all right?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Just a little homesick, that’s all.”
“I know how you feel, duck. The place doesn’t seem the same without you.”
“I promise to come back in the next holidays, and I’ll call you every week, as usual.”
“Don’t worry about us. We’ll be here waiting when you manage to come home.”
I hung up, feeling wretched. But I had actually missed her. And the fact she’d called her place my home made me feel like I actually belonged somewhere, which meant the world to me after everything.
14
The terraced house was in darkness as I tried the front door. It didn’t budge. I headed around the back and, after struggling with the bolt on the gate, wasn’t surprised to find that door was also locked. I’d come prepared to break a window, but hoped it wouldn’t come to that – the less mess and noise, the better.
Examining the window above the sink, I realised it had a dodgy lock, and a bit of jimmying had it open in less than a minute. It was a struggle to get up and inside, but I managed it without too much trouble.
Standing in the kitchen, I paused to take in the atmosphere. I knew the layout of the place, and also knew the room my target slept in, but I approached with caution, just in case.
The low grumbly sound took me by surprise as I reached the top of the stairs. I’d forgotten about that scruffy little dog. I froze at the side of the landing, as though trying to blend in with the tacky sixties wallpaper. Then, I heard shuffling steps coming from the bedroom.
“I told you to go wee-wees before we came to bed, you little rat-bag,” the woman said into the darkness. “I’m going to let you sleep in the backyard, if you keep waking me up like this.” She kept grumbling until she was out on the landing and standing immediately in front of me.
“Hi, Claudia,” I said.
Startled, Claudia shrieked and took a faltering step backwards. I shoved both hands onto her flabby chest and grinned as she crashed backwards down the stairs. The dog launched himself at me, but I booted the little fucker down the same way his owner went.
As I slowly descended, I couldn’t see the dog, but I could make out from the streetlight that Claudia was in a bad way, if not already dead.
Feeling smug, I stepped over her and let myself out the front door.
15
Caroline and I were seated at the dining table, each of us doing homework, when the phone rang. Agnes breezed in from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel.
“Hello-oo,” she said, in her singsong phone voice. “Ah, Matt. How lovely to hear from you. Yes, dear. She’s right here – two ticks.”
I hadn’t heard from Matt in the weeks I’d been here, and my stomach flipped. I took the offered handset from Agnes and got to my feet, heading to my bedroom. “Hi, Matt.”
“Hey, squirt. How’s it going?”
“Fine, thanks.”
“Good, good. Listen, love. I’m calling with bad news, I’m afraid.”
My breathing hitched, and I felt the blood rush to my face. “What’s happened?”
“It’s Claudia. She’s had an accident.”
All the air whooshed from my lungs. I grabbed the edge of the chest of drawers to steady myself. “Is she…? Is she dead?”
“No. But she’s in a coma. She fell down the stairs. The police think she tripped on her dog.”
“I’ll get the next train. Could you pick me up at the station, Matt? I wouldn’t ask, but…”
“Of course. Let me know what time you’ll arrive in Manchester.”
I hung up and rummaged in my school bag for my inhaler, taking two deep puffs on it. I couldn’t believe it. Poor Claudia.
I found Agnes stirring a pan on the stove. She glanced up as I entered the kitchen. “What’s wrong?” she asked as soon as she saw my expression.
“I’ve got to go back to Manchester tonight. Claudia’s had a fall and is in a coma.”
“How awful. Here, sit yourself down, and I’ll get you a glass of water. You look pale.”
“Thanks.” I did feel light-headed, but there was no time to waste. Claudia needed me.
“Caroline?” Agnes called.
Caroline walked into the kitchen. “Yes?”
“Go and give Fred a shout, would you. He’s in his shed.”
“Why? What’s happened?”
“Claudia’s in hospital. Can you look at train times for me, love? The bus will take too long.”
Caroline rushed off, and I sipped the water before getting to my feet. “I’d best pack a bag.”
“I’ll make you something to eat. You’ll be hungry later.”
We each raced around packing and grabbing stuff I might need, and got to the station within an hour. The trains to Manchester ran every twenty minutes. I hugged the three of the
m goodbye and promised to keep them updated.
When I was on the train, I called Matt to tell him I was due to arrive at nine-ten p.m. I felt sick every time I thought of poor Claudia, and so for a distraction, I opened up the magazine Caroline had given me. My stomach growled with the familiar hunger pangs I’d come to recognise as nerves, so I began munching on the family-sized packet of cheese ‘n’ onion crisps Agnes had shoved in my bag. And then, I settled down for the two-hour journey.
Matt was waiting on the concourse when I arrived. His handsome face lit up, and he pulled me in for a quick hug. He smelled of soap and sunshine, and I didn’t want him to let me go.
“So sorry to have been the bearer of bad news, squirt. I’m hoping your presence will connect with Claudia on some level.” He picked up my hand luggage, linked his free arm through mine, and led me from the station.
As we approached his car, I was surprised to find the engine running. Then, I noticed there was a pretty blonde woman in the passenger seat.
Matt opened the back door and waited until I was inside, then crouched down to make his introduction. “Maggie, this is my girlfriend, Penelope.”
My heart was suddenly crushed into a zillion pieces. I glared at the stuck-up bint who smiled sweetly at me, flashing her perfect teeth. I had no right to be jealous – there had never been anything between Matt and me, but I suddenly realised I really liked him.
“Where to, squirt? It’s too late to take you to the hospital.”
“Can you drop me off at Claudia’s house, please? I have my key.”
Matt swung the car around and headed towards the village. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow, if you like? I have a couple of meetings in the morning, but nothing after.”
“I’ll get a bus,” I mumbled, staring through the window. I knew I was behaving like a brat, but I couldn’t help feeling he’d deceived me in some way – acting all nice, organising for me to stay with his friend’s family, picking me up from the station – and all the time he had a girlfriend.
Maggie: a gripping psychological thriller Page 7