Tom Douglas Box Set
Page 81
‘Yep — that’s why I was so freaked out. And he’d left one on the doorstep the night you arrived. It was so creepy.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me — I wouldn’t have judged you,’ Leo said, giving Ellie a sad smile.
Ellie was spared the necessity of answering as her glance strayed above Leo’s head to the path that led to the front of the house. Another visitor.
‘Hi. I thought I’d find you all out in the garden. Is it okay if I come in?’
‘Hi, Tom,’ Max called. ‘Perfect timing. My excuse to stop this job and go and get another couple of glasses.’
‘I don’t want to interrupt — I just came to see how everybody was, and I wondered if I could persuade the walking wounded to have dinner with me,’ he said, making his way towards the bench and resting his hand lightly on Leo’s shoulder.
‘Only if you’re prepared to cut my food up for me,’ was Leo’s less than ecstatic response. But Tom had clearly got her measure.
‘Of course. It will be like taking Lucy out when she was little, although I doubt if the standard of behaviour will be as high.’ He grinned at Leo.
‘Do I need to get changed? It’s such a faff with this arm.’
‘No — I can cope with you looking scruffy. Come on — we’ll walk back to mine and we can travel in style, seeing as how I no longer have a beat-up wreck to take you out in.’
‘Thank God for that,’ said Leo. ‘I’ll get my bag, then.’
*
Tom looked at Leo as she returned to the garden ten minutes later, and smiled his appreciation. Contrary to her previous remarks, it was clear that she had gone to some effort to look good, but he knew better than to comment. She gave him a typically Leo defiant glance.
He stood up and walked towards her, casually dropping his arm around her shoulders. He felt her tense for a moment, and then she surprised him by relaxing.
‘I’ve been telling Tom about Fiona and Charles and their rediscovered lurve,’ Ellie said. ‘It’s great that something good has come out of all this.’
Leo was less kindly disposed towards Fiona’s newfound harmony.
‘If you say so, although I’m not sure that they deserve it given that she was prepared to have a relationship with Penny’s husband. I thought she was up to something because she got a phone call when we met for lunch, and she went all coy for a moment.’ Leo paused. ‘By the way, Ellie, I’ve been meaning to ask — what is Fiona’s big secret? She told me she’d had her heart broken, and Mrs Talbot says she was pregnant. What’s the big mystery?’
‘Oh, bloody Doreen Talbot ought to learn the art of discretion,’ Ellie said. ‘I’ve kept this secret for so many years, but I’m sure it’s not a problem telling you now, especially as Charles has finally been told the whole story. It happened when we were about seventeen. Fiona was always quite secretive, you know. Still is, it would appear. I knew she was seeing somebody, but I didn’t know who and she wouldn’t tell me. They used to meet in the woods, by the back road. All I knew was that he was older than her — and I suspected one of the teachers from school, but I may have been wrong. She was such a pretty girl. Do you remember?’
‘Not really,’ Leo answered. ‘She was your friend and I saw her at school, but I never actually thought about how she looked.’
‘A lot of men found her very attractive — and I say “men” for a reason. She had the sort of looks that appealed to grown men rather than teenage boys, and she had some of the teachers twisted round her little finger.’
‘So she got pregnant and was sent away?’
Tom had a terrible feeling that he knew what was going to happen. The truth was racing towards them like a freight train, and he couldn’t for the life of him think how to stop it.
‘Oh no. She was never pregnant. That was just village speculation — and wrong. No, it was much worse than that.’ Elle paused. ‘It’s best if you don’t mention it to her, but actually she was raped.’
Tom felt every muscle in Leo’s body tighten, and he gripped her shoulder, pulling her gently towards him and willing her to keep calm.
‘Who, Ellie? Who raped her?’ Tom could hear the strain in Leo’s voice.
‘She wouldn’t say. Her parents didn’t believe her and told her she’d brought it on herself with the clothes she wore and the way she flaunted her body — none of which was true. Or at least, no more true than the rest of us. She told me because I found her sobbing her young heart out in our garden, of all places.’
‘Did she say what had happened?’ Max said. It was clear that this was news to him too, and Tom kept a firm grip on Leo’s taut shoulders.
‘She was incoherent. I tried to get her into the house, but she wouldn’t come. Probably afraid of The Old Witch, and who could blame her? So I took her home. All I could get out of her was that she’d thought he loved her. She’d gone to meet him in the woods as usual, and he just wouldn’t stop. She wasn’t ready, so she’d fought him and even screamed, but he’d laughed at her and told her to stop teasing him. In the end, he forced her and she was completely devastated. Anyway, I made her tell her parents, thinking they would support her and call the police, but they packed her off to her aunt’s in London. That was it. She flatly refused to say who it was — not even to me — but I never went near those woods again. I didn’t hear from her after that until she turned up in the village a few years ago. And she never told Charles anything about it until this week.’
Leo was silent. She turned tragic eyes towards Tom, and he knew she was willing him to get her out of there. His arm tightened even more.
‘A sad story,’ he said. ‘But fortunately it seems things have turned out okay for them now.’
He leant towards Leo and brushed his lips against her hair, speaking softly.
‘Come on. I think we’ll have a night in. I’ve got a bottle of vodka in the freezer, and a huge biriani ready for the oven. Let’s go, shall we?’
Knowing that Leo’s stiffness would be interpreted as a typical reaction to such an overt display of affection, Tom raised his eyes to the sky and gave a slight shake of the head as if to signify how hopeless she was. Max and Ellie grinned at him as he raised his hand in farewell and guided Leo gently towards the garden gate.
As they made their way to the cobbled drive, Tom could hear Max and Ellie’s laughter and was glad Leo had said nothing. They would have to learn the truth sooner or later, but for now they deserved to enjoy their holiday and make peace with all that had happened. It was bad enough that Leo had to bear it, but at least he’d been there for her.
Still with his arm around her, Tom felt the pressure of Leo’s head lighten and he knew she was pulling away. Her moment of weakness gone, she would retreat behind her wall of indifference again. And he had no idea how to help her.
She stopped about half way down the drive and turned back to face the house, oblivious to the happy sounds from the garden, the hum of bees in the lavender, or the cool evening breeze that gently stirred her hair, lifting it from her shoulders. Tom remained silent as he watched her expressionless face. She seemed lost in a sea of memories. Then she took a deep breath, and the tension left her body. She looked at Tom with lips curved upwards in valiant attempt at a smile, but her eyes were as bleak as frozen rock pools.
‘Come on. Let’s go and eat,’ she said.
Leo didn’t wait for Tom’s response. She turned abruptly away from him and walked down the drive towards the gate without a backward glance.
Sleep Tight
Rachel Abbott
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
PART ONE
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
PART TWO
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
PART THREE
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
PROLOGUE
The girl was smiling as she left the noisy, packed pub, and shouts of laughter were ringing in her ears as she wrestled the heavy door open, letting in an icy blast of cold air. She turned and shouted, ‘Night!’ to anybody who might be looking her way and a few arms were raised in a farewell salute, but most were otherwise occupied with pint glasses, or were gesticulating wildly to emphasise some part of the latest funny story being shared with anybody who was prepared to listen.
The door slammed shut behind her, cutting out the warm yellow light and the happy sounds of young people enjoying themselves. The dark night settled around her and the sudden silence hit her like a physical blow. For a moment she stood still.
Shivering in the early winter chill, she wrapped her scarf tighter round her neck and folded her arms, hugging herself to keep warm. She really was going to have to find a coat that she liked enough to wear on a night out. She smiled at her own vanity, and reminded herself that it was only a fifteen-minute walk back to their flat, so if she walked quickly she would soon warm up.
The silence was momentarily shattered as the door to the pub swung open again, the light from inside spilling its amber glow across the wet pavements. Above a burst of loud music coming from the warm bar she thought she heard somebody shout her name, but the door swung closed with a bang, and all was silent again.
The few folk who were out on the streets of this part of Manchester were hurrying along, disappearing down side roads that led to their homes. The miserable weather and the early cold bite appeared to have kept people indoors tonight, and who could blame them?
A few yards ahead of her a couple stopped to kiss, the girl wrapping her arms round the boy’s neck, standing on tiptoe to press the whole length of her body against his, and the night felt warmer for it. She smiled again as she looked at them, thinking how wonderful it felt to be in love. She and her boyfriend had only recently moved in together, and she had never been so happy.
She reached the junction with the main road, and waited at the crossing. There wasn’t much traffic, but being one of the main roads into and out of Manchester, it was never completely quiet.
She hurried across when the road was clear and made her way to the quieter streets on the other side, away from the halls of residence and the modern housing. She had been thrilled when they had found a flat in an old Victorian house – the whole of the ground floor was theirs and, although it was still a bit scruffy, they were working on it. Best of all, it was on a lovely peaceful tree-lined road, which gave each house a sense of privacy.
She turned into the first road. The small park on her right was usually full of children playing, but at this time of the night it was deserted, the only movement coming from a single swing that was swaying gently, silently.
Her flat shoes made little sound on the pavement, and she had a strange feeling of being cut off from the rest of the world. She glanced towards the windows of the houses as she passed, but most were protected from view by high hedges and those she could see were black, with just the lifeless reflection of the street lights making the rooms beyond seem eerily deserted.
The feeling that she wasn’t alone sneaked up on her. There wasn’t a single moment – the scuffing of a shoe, the glimpse of a dark shadow – that persuaded her. It was something else entirely. It was the feeling that somebody’s eyes were boring into her back. She just knew.
Her body grew rigid, and every nerve ending tingled. Should she run? Or would that be a signal to him to chase and catch her? Should she turn into somebody’s drive? But he could be on her before she reached the door.
Was it better if he knew that she was aware of him? If she turned round to look, would that precipitate a reaction? She didn’t know.
But he was there. She just didn’t know how close he was.
Without thinking, she turned her head quickly. The street was empty. Wasn’t he behind her? He was somewhere, she was certain. She glanced across at the park and thought about the swaying swing. He could be walking alongside her now, hidden behind the shrubs that lined the dark, unlit pathway.
A flash of recollection from earlier in the night pierced her mind. Amongst all the laughter and fun in the pub, there had been just a moment when she had felt uncomfortable. She had quickly spun around on her bar stool, almost expecting to find the invasive presence of an unknown man standing inches from her back. But nobody was there; nobody was even looking. She had brushed the feeling aside, allowing the pleasure of the evening to envelope the frisson of discomfort and squeeze the life out of it. But it was the same. It was exactly the way she felt now.
Just ahead was an entrance to the park. If he was in there and he was coming to get her, this is where he would do it. She had seconds to make a plan. She was going to act as if there was nothing to worry about, and then the moment she drew level with the gate, she would run. And if she had to, she would scream.
Two steps, and she would be there. She unfolded her arms and dropped them to her sides. She could see the corner of her road just ahead, but it was even darker down there, the thick trunks of the trees she loved so much casting deep shadows on the narrow pavement, their stark black branches blending into the night sky.
One, two – and run.
She didn’t risk a glance at the park’s open gateway, and couldn’t hear if anybody was following her over the thump of her feet and the gasping of breath.
She was ten metres from the corner when it happened. She was almost there, almost home, almost safe.
A dark figure emerged from behind the last of the black trees, and stood still, legs spread wide, waiting to catch her.
PART ONE
OLIVIA
1
The shrill peal of the doorbell shatters the sombre silence of the house, and I stop pacing. I feel an irrational burst of hope. Could this be Robert? Has he forgotten his keys? But I know it isn’t. I know exactly who it is.
It’s the police, and they are here because I called them.
I should have known what might happen. I should have understood better what Robert had been telling me in everything but words. It’s now three hours since he left with my babies, and every bone and muscle in my body is aching with their loss.
Where are my children?
Has there been in an accident? Please, no.
The thought hits me like a physical blow and vivid images appear on the blackness of my closed eyelids. I open my eyes, but I can still picture them in the back of Robert’s car in a ditch down a dark lane, driven off the road by some maniac driver, lying there waiting to be discovered. I see blood on their foreheads and in my mind I lis
ten for their cries, just to know they are alive. But I hear nothing except the sound of birdsong coming through the open car window. I can’t see Robert in this vision.
Terrifying and awful as those images are, I don’t really believe they’ve had an accident. In my heart I know it might be something else. Something far more sinister.
When I answer the door, a wide-shouldered young PC is standing there looking sturdy and competent in his stab vest and short-sleeved shirt. I know what he is going to ask me; I know the drill. It’s just like last time.
I wonder if he knows who I am. Does he know that the Olivia Brookes who called tonight is the same person as the Liv Hunt who called seven years ago because her boyfriend was missing? Will it make a difference?
Even after all these years I still have nightmares about that terrible night, and I wake each time drenched in icy cold sweat. My boyfriend had called to say he was leaving the university lab and he would see me soon. It wasn’t a long walk home, but two hours later he still hadn’t arrived. I was distraught. I remember clinging to my baby girl, whispering to her, ‘Daddy will be home soon, sweetheart.’ Not that Jasmine would have understood. She was just two months old at the time. It was a lie, anyway. Dan never came home, and I never saw him again.
I thought there could be nothing worse than the fear I felt that night, the hours of waiting, wondering what could possibly have happened to my darling Dan.
But I was wrong, because this time it’s far worse. This time the terror is like a hard ball, bouncing painfully around my chest, my head, my gut.
The policeman wants details, of course. He wants to understand why I’m so concerned. The children are with their father, so surely there should be nothing to worry about? Have I tried his mobile? I don’t think I need to answer that.
Robert left at six o’clock. He said he would like to take the children out for a pizza. I would have gone with them, but he was adamant that he wanted to spend more time alone with them. God, I hate to admit this, but I was pleased. Given how I feel about him, I thought this would be good practice for when we are no longer together. So I let them go.