Stalked

by Lorraine Taylor

  No ambulances and no police cars crowded the front of the large house.

  Looks okay so far.

  I all but ran up the path and pounded on the door, desperate to see Becky alive and unharmed. I hated her for what she’d done to me, if it was true, but not enough to want her dead.

  A woman answered the door, her resemblance to Becky’s so strong that I was momentarily stunned. This woman had dyed blonde hair the same shade as Becky’s and a very similar figure, though the woman was older.

  Definitely Becky’s mother.

  “Becky,” I blurted before the woman could ask what I wanted. “Becky” Is she here? Is she okay?”

  A young boy suddenly appeared, clinging to the woman’s leg as he peered at me.

  “Please, answer me! Is she here? Ring her, find out if she’s okay!”

  The woman placed her hand on the child’s head and pushed him further behind her, her eyes wary and a little frightened as she gazed at me.

  I was scaring her.

  “I’m sorry. Does Becky live here? Once I know she’s all right I’ll leav…”

  Becky appeared out of a doorway to the right, her face frozen in shock and guilt. Tears shined in her eyes and even though I knew there was a good chance she’d been playing me for a fool, I was still delighted to see her alive and uninjured.

  “My God, Becky. I’ve been ringing and texting you. Why haven’t you been answerin…”

  A young man appeared by her side, handsome and trim, and lazily threw his arm around her shoulders. I felt the colour drain from my face and Becky lowered her head.

  “This is why you never answer my texts and phone calls, and why you turn up at my place late at night and leave early the next morning.”

  Becky started to cry.

  “Becky?” Her mother asked, the slightly frightened look had gone to be replaced by one of concern. “What’s going on? Who is this?”

  “You used me,” I said through clenched teeth.

  “Becky,” the man beside her said. “What the hell is going on?”

  “I assume you’re Ethan?” I asked him, and he stared at me like he wanted to rip my face off. “He doesn’t look like your ex to me. Things look rather cosy here tonight, Becky.”

  Becky cried harder.

  “I’ve been seeing Becky for a couple of months now,” I said staring at Becky. She kept her head down as she cried. “My mum was murdered yesterday, and she denied being with me yesterday afternoon, just in case you were wondering why the police were here. You told them you hadn’t seen me since school, Becky. Quite a stretch since you told me yesterday that you loved me. I mean so little to you that you’d lie to the police to cover for yourself.”

  Becky’s mother picked the little boy up and stalked towards Becky. “Sort your mess out,” she hissed at her before taking the little boy upstairs.

  “You asked me to be patient with you since your ex was oh-so-jealous and all. Have I to assume you and Ethan are happily back together now?” I looked pointedly at Ethan, who looked both angry and crushed. “That’s if you ever split up in the first place. I’m out of this now, Becky. You don’t ever text me, ring me or turn up at my place again. You stay away from me.”

  I looked at Ethan. “I’m sorry, mate. I knew nothing about you. I wouldn’t have got involved with her if I had.”

  I turned and walked back to my van, my head in the air. Yes, I’d found out for sure that Becky didn’t, and probably never did care about me, but at least I was in a position to walk away. Her boyfriend had a son with her and lived with her. He had it far worse than I did.

  Just as I was thinking this, I heard footfalls behind me. Whirling around, I saw Ethan rushing at me, a murderous expression on his face. I felt sorry for him, sure, but that didn’t mean I was going to stand there and let him tear into me, especially since I wasn’t the one at fault.

  I raised my fists, ready to protect myself.

  Ethan stopped and raised his hands. “I don’t wanna fight,” he said, out of breath. “I just wanna ask you some questions”

  “And I just wanna go home.”

  “Please mate,” Ethan said, stepping closer to me. “You’re not the first bloke she’s cheated on me with.”

  I sighed and leaned against my van. “I feel stupid,” I confessed. “I suppose all the signs were there, but she really had me believing that you’re the jealous ex boyfriend that doesn’t want to let her go and her parents are the controlling types who don’t want any trouble brought to their doorstep. She said we needed to keep the relationship quiet, for those reasons.”

  “When was the last time she came to your place?” Ethan muttered.

  “Friday night. She turned up at my flat and stayed the night. She left early the next morning. I ended it with her then, I was sick of her just coming and going as she pleased, you know. Then she was waiting for me outside of work yesterday. That’s when she said she loved me and that she was just scared, of you.”

  “Were you…I mean…were you…with her yesterday?”

  I lowered my head, thinking of the great sex we’d had in my car. Ethan glanced at me, reading the answer on my face. He made a growling noise.

  “Because I was with her last night.”

  I said nothing and we both glared at Becky who still stood crying in the hallway of her house.

  “We had the house to ourselves on Friday night,” Ethan muttered. “Her parents’ went out and were staying in a hotel. We were looking forward to a night in, just the two of us. We put Josh to bed, then she suddenly started this row over everything and nothing. She stormed off upstairs and packed an overnight bag, told me she was stopping with a friend from work.”

  Ethan’s tone hardened. “She came to you. Planned it.”

  I nodded. “Sounds like she knew what she was doing.”

  We both watched as Becky’s mother reappeared without the child and began talking to Becky. We couldn’t hear exactly what she was saying but judging by her expression and the way she jerked her arms around, she was furious. Suddenly, she pushed Becky out of the door and Becky stumbled, righted herself, then began to walk towards us.

  Ethan and I watched her until she stopped in front of us. When her eyes met mine I looked away, but Ethan glared at her, his face a mask of hate and rage.

  “I’m sorry Ethan,” Becky whispered. “I love you so much.”

  “Our son, Becky,” Ethan hissed.

  “I’m a mess,” she whined, her voice having the same effect on me as nails on a blackboard. I realised that in that moment I really hated her. “I just need you to be patient. Please, please don’t leave me.”

  “This speech is rather similar to the one you gave me yesterday with the ‘please be patient’ and the ‘I love you’. If you’re gonna string two men along at the same time, you should keep your speeches fresh.”

  Becky looked at me, the large tears making black tracks from her eyes make-up all the way to her chin, She was genuinely upset, but I didn’t think for one minute her distress came from the hurt she’d caused, but more from the fact that she’d been caught out.

  “I’m sorry Danny, I do care for you. I didn’t lie about that.”

  “Do you love him?” Ethan asked her.

  She looked at him. “We’re a family. You can’t break it up, think about Josh.”

  “Don’t you dare use my son against me,” Ethan yelled, his control over his anger slipping away. “You’re the one who’s been cheating you fucking slag!”

  Becky gasped in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief. Obviously Ethan had never spoken to her like this before.

  “I’m gone,” I announced. “Good luck mate,” I told Ethan, who continued to stare at Becky.

  “Danny,” Becky said, reaching for me. “Please―”

  I shrugged her away as Ethan yelled “that’s right, go with him!”

  He began walking towards the house, Becky on his heels. I heard him call her a ‘fucking slut’ before I slammed my door shut.

&n
bsp; I drove away, watching Becky and Ethan in my rearview mirror. Becky grabbing Ethan’s arm, him pushing her away then her mother rushing out to intervene.

  I turned the corner and they disappeared.

  Out of my life, for good.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  The next day was the first of the rest of my life. I awoke feeling as though a massive weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

  Samson lay snuggled up beside me, his purr so loud it sounded like a tractor. I rolled onto my back, then chuckled as Samson shifted position so he was snuggled into my chin.

  “Big scary cat my ass,” I told him. He rubbed his head under my chin, lovingly purring and working his claws into my bare skin, but not hard enough to hurt. “Who’d have thought eh, you and me, friends. Think I’ll actually miss you when you leave. We’ll have to arrange sleep overs, George and I can share custody of you.”

  I got up and left Samson to sprawl on his back as he had the morning before. Looking into his dish, I noticed he’d eaten about half of the food. I empted, cleaned then refilled the bowl with fresh food just as Samson wandered into the kitchen.

  “Ah, you’re up then. Want some breakfast?”

  I placed the bowl down in front of him and he ate a couple of chunks before walking away. I followed him to the windowsill where he took his place, staring down at the spot he’d last seen George.

  “You know, when you leave there’ll be a permanent imprint of your ass on that ledge.”

  A phone call from George’s sister Evie an hour later marked the end of Samson’s misery.

  “George is coming home this afternoon Samson. He’s okay.” He ignored me and I frowned at his back. “Why am I talking to you like this?” I muttered. “You’re a cat, you don’t have a clue what I’m bloody saying.”

  A text was waiting for me on my mobile when I got out of the shower.

  It was from Becky.

  I’m so sorry, Danny. You mean so much to me, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I hope we can still be friends.

  Becky xxx

  I deleted it.

  The best and most shocking news came in the afternoon and was delivered in a phone call from my aunt.

  The house my mother owned, and the ￡40.000 in her bank account, was mine.

  The fact that my mother had money was astonishing, that she’d left it to me was unbelievable.

  I had no idea she’d had any money left. “Well, lets be blunt,” aunt Pam retorted, “she lived off alcohol and you bought her some shopping every week. I doubt after buying that house she spent very much. All her bills are up to date, too.”

  “I can’t believe she left everything to me,” I said.

  “Don’t be. Your mother was quoted saying: ‘ I don’t want nothin’ goin’ to that bitch of a so-called sister’. Better that it went to you than me. Come over for your tea later, and we can chat about things.” Her voice dropped. “We’ve missed you, Danny. I know your mother’s murder is a shock, but I can’t help but feel like there’s something else going on. Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I’d like to talk.”

  “I’ll arrange for Ricky to come by. We’re all here for you, Danny. We all love you.”

  “I love you all, too,” I said, my face burning in embarrassment, though I meant every word.

  I hung up and found Samson staring at me. “What?” I asked defensively. “Don’t give me that look, soft-ass. You’re the one who likes cuddling in bed with your cute little purr.”

  He put his back to me and I went into the kitchen, chuckling as I went.

  A hearty knock at the door that afternoon had me grinning from ear to ear.

  I knew that knock.

  I rushed to open the door, and found George standing on the other side. He grinned back at me. “Hey young-un. Whatcha up to?”

  I shook his hand. “Good to see you George.”

  A loud thud and sprinting footsteps had George and I turning. Samson dashed towards us, meowing loudly. He took a running jump at George, who actually stumbled under the cat’s sudden weight. I grabbed Samson and placed him in George’s arms.

  “I missed you, pal,” George told Samson. The cat purred loudly as George cradled him like a baby.

  All was right in Samson’s world again.

  “So,” George said coyly, “how’d you two get on? I noticed the water sprayer is still down the hall.”

  “Water sprayer?” Evie asked, suddenly appearing carrying a large bag. “Hi Danny. Thanks,” she said as I rushed forward to take the bag from her.

  “Hiya Evie.”

  She turned to George who nodded towards me. “A little spat between Danny and Samson.”

  “You sprayed him with water?” Evie laughed. “Why?”

  “He started it,” I said smiling. “He just tormented me all the time.”

  “He’s a brute,” Evie said chuckling. “That’s why I don’t use the spare key to let myself in. I always arrange a visit before hand. Bleeding cat almost broke my back once.”

  “He was protecting the flat,” George protested.

  “He’s a cat, not a Pitbull,” Evie said.

  We all looked at Samson, who suddenly jumped down from George’s arms and scuttled back into my flat. “Probably eating his food,” I said. “He’s hardly eaten since you’ve been away.”

  “That makes two of us then,” George said gruffly and Evie rolled her eyes. “Here we go again.”

  “I swear, that’s not food they feed you in there,” George ranted. “I don’t know what I’d call it, and that’s when they let you eat it. My doctor was sadistic, he enjoyed watching me suffer. I swear,” he continued as I began to laugh, “I went in there with a broken head and came out half starved and dehydrated.”

  “He needed blood tests that had to be done whilst fasting,” Evie told me. “He’s been moaning about it all the way home.”

  “No, it’s just because the doctor was sadistic. And peevish! Too tight to give a door a knock, that bloke. Mauling at me, prodding and poking at me at all hours. And that was desirable to the size of the needles he was using to stab me with.” George brandished his hand in the air as if holding a sword. “They were like bloody sabres them needles; you could fight crime with them, I tell you. Bastard wouldn’t even get me a cup of tea afterwards,” George grumbled.

  I laughed, relieved that George truly was all right.

  Samson suddenly appeared and walked past us all, licking his lips. He glanced disinterestedly at me before sitting in front of George’s door. Evie opened it to let him in. “Bye Samson,” I said as he walked inside.

  He ignored me.

  “And up yours too, Samson,” I retorted, somewhat stung by his dismissal of me.

  George chuckled. “I’m glad you two got on,” he said. “I was a little worried knowing he was here.”

  “Oh, I’d never have hurt him―”

  “No, I was worried for you.”

  We all laughed.

  “He sat on the windowsill, just staring at the spot he watched the paramedics put you into the ambulance, just watching and waiting for you to come back.”

  I was touched to see tears shining in George’s eyes. “I’ve missed him, especially at nighttime.”

  “He also attacked policemen and paramedics that day you were hurt; I had to bring him to my flat for everyone’s safety. He’d only let me near you.”

  “I knew you two would make friends sooner or later,” George said proudly.

  I nodded. “Yeah. The hatchet is now buried.”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, but you’ll have to bend Danny’s ear off tomorrow,” Evie said. She gave me a glance. “He’s under strict orders to rest up, or he’ll end up back in hospital.”

  “Never!” George yelled dramatically. “Death first. Anything but that.”

  “Come along you silly bugger.”

  I laughed and watched Evie struggle to get George into his flat. Just before Evie shut the door, George peered out at m
e. “Have those bungling detectives come near you since I told them off?”

  I shook my head. “It’s okay, George, they were just doing their jobs. I have been eliminated as a suspect though.”

  “And I should think so too.” He suddenly turned serious. “I’ve missed you nearly as much as Samson, young man.” I smiled genuinely and waved goodbye as Evie shut the door.

  Inappropriate relationship with a schoolgirl when he was teaching or not, I cared for George. Besides, it was many years into his past, and from now on I was looking ahead.

  I went inside my own flat and paced around a little, kind of lost. I decided to go to my aunt’s house a little early. There was nothing like family to cheer a person up, especially my family.

  Sitting on my sofa, I thrust my foot into my trainer.

  The smell hit me just as I’d realised the inside of my shoe, and now my sock, was dripping wet.

  And warm.

  “SAMSON!”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Two months later…

  I was gutting out my mother’s house when I heard from the killer for the last time. It’s amazing how much can happen in such a short space of time.

  I had gone to my aunt’s house that day intending to talk about my following addiction. I knew that my family would understand and that maybe some support from others would help with the urge next time. You know, like if an alcoholic feels the urge to go and get drunk, he can call someone who would talk him out of it.

  I decided not to say anything.

  I think I can honestly say that the next time the feeling grips me, I will be able to fight it.

  To explain my odd behaviour that my aunt had noticed before my mother’s murder, I told them what had happened with Becky.

  “She seemed like such a nice young lady,” my aunt commented. She was just being nice; she hadn’t even met Becky. I explained that I’d suspected something untoward with her for some time and that it had led to me busting her with her boyfriend.

  The explanation worked for Ricky and uncle Bob, but aunt Pam stared at me, her mind ticking over. She knew me too well, she could plainly see that something far more serious than a cheating girlfriend had been going on, but she accepted my explanation and let it go.