The House on Rectory Lane

by Stuart James

  ‘It’s perfect,’ said Jake. ‘Absolutely perfect.’

  Kate held his forearm and kissed him again on his cheek. She could still smell his aftershave from this morning; she adored his aroma. She zoomed into a picture of the garden which boasted a small pond Sean would love, a pathway leading to an old shed, and a mixture of trees and shrubs surrounding a large oak tree. She closed down the laptop and got up from the table. Sean came running in and shouted, ‘Daddy!’

  ‘Hey, little man, what you been up to then? I hope you’ve been a good boy for Mummy?’

  He nodded as Jake ruffled his hair. Jake picked his son up and kissed him on the head, swung him around and placed him back down.

  ‘Let’s eat out tonight, I don’t feel like cooking, and I’m sure you’re tired as well,’ said Jake.

  ‘Sounds like a plan.’

  Jake went upstairs and picked up a cardigan for Sean, splashed more aftershave on his face, gargled with mouthwash, and went back downstairs – grabbing his keys they left the house.

  ∞∞∞∞ Their favourite restaurant was only four or five minutes walk from the flat, it was still sunny, but the streets were darkened by smog that drifted just above them.

  Jake wondered if someone had a barbecue going. The streets were packed with people in bright summer clothes. Most of the guys were in shorts and T-shirts, a couple of braver men showing off their torsos and women in light dresses. There were pushchairs everywhere. A couple passed them with two small dogs, and the guy nudged against Jake. He apologised, but the couple didn’t even acknowledge him.

  They entered the restaurant and found it full. Jake could barely open the door due to the packed crowd.

  ‘Hi, Jake.’

  ‘Hey, Lou, any chance of a table?’

  ‘Oh, did you book?’ Asked the waiter as he glanced back over his shoulder.

  Don’t do this to me, please. ‘You know me, Lou, last minute and all that.’

  ‘Look, come in and have a drink and I’ll see what I can do.’

  That’s a no, but he’s too sweet to say.

  Lou opened the door wider and let the four of them in.

  The bar was packed even though it was still early evening. Stressed out workers were dropping in for a beer on their way home; families with loud children; a kid sliding a small car along the tablecloth; a muscular guy at the front, arguing with his wife. Jake made his way over and waited. The barman was wiping a glass with a cloth and placed it on the top shelf. He looked at Jake and motioned for him to hang on a sec. Jake was about to give his order when the barman looked at a woman who had just joined them and served her first. Jake sighed but said nothing when he was eventually served. He ordered a pint of lager, two gin and tonics and lemonade for his son. After they had been shown to the table and waited for what felt like a lifetime for their food, they quickly ate, paid the bill and made their way home.

  As they approached the flat, Jake noticed that the door was slightly ajar. He looked at Kate and told her and June to take Sean down the road while he checked the flat out. They grabbed the boy’s hand and tempted him with the promise of some chocolate from the local shop. Jake eased the door open and shouted, ‘Is anyone here?’

  I don’t need this.

  There was no reply and Jake was sure they had locked the door as they left. He slowly made his way inside. The picture was still on the wall in the hallway; the hoover was in the corner, coats still draped over the stand, Sean’s toy bus was still laying on its side. Everything was as he thought it should be.

  In the kitchen, the window was open; this was how it had been left, the three cups on the table, the opened coffee jar, the small telly sat on the breakfast bar.

  It doesn’t look like anything’s been taken.

  He made his way into the living room. DVDs of the latest Disney films: Cars, Toy Story – two and three – Up, and a whole other selection of Sean’s favourites that he watched until he knew every single word and every scene. The sofa hadn’t moved, and the PlayStation was where it had been left, in a heap under the telly with the cord from the controller knotted.

  Jake stood outside looking down the street. The shop they’d gone to was around seven stores down, so he called Kate on her mobile to tell them it was safe.

  She answered on the second ring.

  ‘What happened?’ She asked.

  ‘I’m not sure, but someone has been inside the house, I can feel it. We locked it on the way out, I always double check.’

  As they made their way inside a figure came racing down the stairs, wearing a ski mask but empty-handed as they must have been spooked before getting anything and now the thief was trying to get out.

  Jake grabbed out as Kate held Sean, but the intruder barged him against the wall, and he fell to the floor. June was blocking the entrance, and the masked intruder pulled the door open knocking her flying and made off down the street.

  Kate helped them both to their feet, and Jake grabbed the phone dialling 999.

  Chapter Two Once the police had given the flat the once over, the officer told Jake and Kate to call if they saw anything else. He made his way to the door.

  ‘Lock up; I’m sure they won’t be back, it never happens.’

  Yeah right, Jake thought.

  The officer shut the door on his way out.

  Kate swooped Sean up into her arms and made her way upstairs after Jake kissed him goodnight and headed into the kitchen.

  Jake opened the fridge and grabbed himself a beer. It was so cold he could see the droplets of water dripping down the length of the can. He cracked it open, and a small froth spilt over the top. He slurped it away and sat at the table, handing June a large glass of wine. They both listened as Kate played the nursery rhyme, ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ out of the toy hanging over Sean’s bed. It was his favourite song, and he could sing it from a very early age. She made her way down a few minutes later.

  ‘What an evening,’ she said as she walked in her bare feet over to the wine on the side of the kitchen unit. She twisted the cap off the half-full bottle and grabbed a tall glass from the unit above her head, then filled the glass. The glug of the wine as it emptied from the bottle made Jake wish he’d chosen the same tipple.

  ‘How do we know he won’t come back?’ Kate asked as she placed the glass on the table in front of her.

  ‘He won’t; we startled him. He thought we were out for the night and didn’t expect to see us.’

  ‘Jake, he threw you against the wall, he could come back later and kill us, how do we know he won’t? I’m assuming it’s a he, with that strength.’

  Jake thought about Sean upstairs. He also thought of his beautiful wife. He needed to get out of here. No question. It was time to move, and he thought to himself, even if the house they view is a shit hole, they just need to leave. It’s a fantastic price, and they have no upper chain, so the wheels can get moving immediately.

  Kate went around the house and made sure everything that could be opened, was locked. She and June spent another half an hour or so in the kitchen. On the way up to bed, she placed the chain on the front door, and Chubb locked it from the inside. She checked on Sean and ran her hand gently down the side of his face. ‘Love you, darl,’ she whispered in his ear. She could hear the tiny little breaths he was taking, and watched as his chest rose out, then back in again, twice the speed of hers. ‘Things are gonna get so much better, you wait and see, Sean.’ She left the room leaving his door open.

  ∞∞∞∞

  Saturday morning couldn’t have come around fast enough. Sean was already up and running around in the living room. He had a paper aeroplane swooshing through the air, ‘Zoooooooom, zoooooooooom.’

  Jake woke and crept out of bed, made his way downstairs and greeted his son with a kiss before making his way to the kitchen. He made two coffees and brought them back up to bed. As he walked into the bedroom, he could see Kate was still zonked.

  ‘Hey, babe, I’ve made coffee.’ He placed the cup down
on the bedside table, pulled the covers back and got under the sheets. They had to leave in about an hour or so as they had a long journey. He knew they had plenty of time; google maps said it was around a two-and-a-half-hour drive. Still, he didn’t want to leave too late.

  Kate stirred a few minutes later and delighted in seeing her drink sat next to her. ‘You’re a diamond; you know that?’

  ‘Yes, I’m aware.’

  When they’d finished their drinks, they both got up, showered, and Jake got Sean ready. He dressed him in a smart shirt, jeans, and his favourite baseball cap, Thomas the Tank Engine. When Jake placed it on his head, Sean turned it backwards. Jake laughed, and they headed out the door.

  ‘You know where we’re going today, don’t you, Sean?’

  ‘New house.’

  ‘That’s right; we’re getting out of here, kid, and not before time.’

  ∞∞∞∞ The journey took the time they expected. When they got out of London, they hit traffic on the M25, adding more time to the journey. They turned off and followed the M3 for an hour or so, and as they approached the countryside, they couldn’t contain their excitement. Sean was in the back pointing at all the sheep, cows and everything else he had never seen in their natural habitat. They had taken him to a couple of zoos, but he had never seen the animals running wild like this. He gasped at how many sheep were in one of the fields they drove alongside. They passed lakes, streams, thatched- roof cottages, and country roads. Jake didn’t think his car would fit through some of the narrow dirt tracks. Branches swung backwards as the car whacked against them and sprung back into place as they passed. The whiff of manure filled the car several times, and it smelt like a toilet waste pipe had been emptied on them. Sean was completely oblivious to the rotten pong.

  ‘We’ll get used to it,’ Jake said to Kate. He switched to four-wheel drive as they approached a hill that they couldn’t see the top of. The car struggled up, and Kate blew out air when they had finally made it to the top. She wasn’t too used to being in the middle of nowhere, and she got a horrible feeling as panic rose through her body. She hid it from Jake and just gripped her seat harder until it passed. She knew this is what they needed but feared they were too far from civilisation. As they got nearer to their destination, Jake glanced at the sat nav. They were 1.2 miles from the road where the house was. Kate hadn’t seen anyone for the last twenty minutes. Jake grabbed her leg.

  ‘This is great, isn’t it?’ Kate nodded and placed her hand on top of his. They turned down another country road where there were a few houses scattered around. Kate noticed the first one on the corner. Washing draped over the line and blowing in the breeze out front. A kid’s slide and a small inflatable swimming pool in the garden. Kate hoped they had children and that the place they were going to view wasn’t too far from them. The next house was another hundred yards away. The first house on its own. Possibly the closest house to where they were viewing. She looked into the front garden as they passed. It was immaculate. Nothing out of place. She noticed the flower beds surrounded by a rockery. A water feature of a ballerina holding a bucket, dropping water into the bowl beneath her. A dog, possibly a Jack Russell, sleeping just outside his hut. She was sure this was either someone living on their own or an elderly couple. They couldn’t have a place so immaculate and have children, surely?

  The sat nav announced that their destination was in one-hundred yards, on the right-hand side. Jake and Kate glanced at each other as Sean asked for the eightieth time, ‘Are we there yet?’

  As they approached the house, they realised just how secluded it was. The drive was enormous with lots of greenery and a huge lawn where Sean could play football and run around to his heart’s content. There was a large wooden gate that had sensors on either side, probably operated with some kind of fob for security and as they approached, they saw a BMW parked on the drive. A tall guy, well over six feet, opened the driver’s side and slid out, wearing a sharp blue suit, glistening shoes and a cheesy smile that would put the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland to shame. He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out the gate fob as one side opened much faster than the other. Jake eased the car in, the gate clumped against the back post and then started to shut. They creaked like they hadn’t moved in a long time and Kate got a shiver down her back. ‘That’s the first job on your list,’ she nudged Jake as he pulled the car up beside the BMW and the gates closed back together.

  The first thing they noticed was the sheer size of the house. It was obviously detached as they knew, but to have a place of their own and not be able to see the neighbours was overwhelming to them. There was so much space. It looked older than what they’d expected. Much taller as well. A window to the right clearly revealed the front living room, to the left, the kitchen. The solid front door looked secure. The driveway was covered with small pebble stones. Trees and bushes sprouted around the sides of the drive. A stoned brick pathway led around to the side of the house which opened out to the garden.

  ‘Morning, glad you could make it. I’m going to show you around and then get your signature.’

  He exploded into a laugh as his face flushed. Jake offered his hand and introduced himself and his family.

  ‘Anton Miles, but you can call me Anton,’ he said, again exploding into hysterics like a whoopee cushion filled with helium.

  He crushed Jake’s hand unnecessarily and almost stopped the blood supply. Going in for the first impression vice grip like a professional boxer sparring too hard with a newcomer, just to make a point. He then leaned in and kissed Kate on the cheek, which pissed Jake off instantly.

  Jake hid his annoyance.

  ‘How was your journey? I trust there were no mishaps.’

  ‘Boring,’ squeaked Sean. ‘I need the loo.’

  ‘Well, you’ll find plenty of them inside,’ said Anton.

  ‘It was fine, thank you, nice to arrive somewhere on time for a change,’ said Kate, ‘And hardly any traffic.’

  She looked up, taking in the house. She imagined it wouldn’t look out of place in Beverley Hills. The size was enormous. Kate eyed the large front windows of the living room, single glazed but solid. The thick oak front door, hanging baskets with dead flowers, that would need sorting. She walked around the outside seeing the kitchen to the left overlooking the forest. Upstairs looked higher than she thought from the pictures, and a chimney pot at the front of the roof. The outside of the house had dark bricks, but Kate hoped they could brighten it up a little with a lick of paint. They’d have to run it past the owner first.

  ‘OK, so you’ve both seen the house online, we’ll go in, and you can have a good look around. Any questions, please feel free to ask. The place is in need of a little decoration here and there but nothing major.’

  Anton led the way to the front door and pulled a bunch of keys from his trousers pocket, which made him appear like a caretaker at an old school. Chubb keys, Yale, FB1 and two which Jake instantly recognised from working as a plumber in apartment blocks, standard security keys which fitted every riser cupboard in the country and were often used by firemen to shut off mains water. Anton squinted and held up a key to the light.

  ‘This is the baby, I think.’

  He pushed the key into the lock and shoved the heavy door back, revealing a vast hall like something from Harry Potter. It was dark, a hauntingly dreary, grey colour.

  Don’t go in; it’s haunted you know, stay away, thought Kate as she glanced around. She noticed the thick cobwebs that hung everywhere like Christmas decorations. Anton pushed the door open wider, and the light glared in from outside.

  ‘Wow,’ said Jake, ‘it’s huge.’ He glanced at Kate and couldn’t make out what she was thinking. As they stepped inside, they noticed a peculiar smell, like mildew, as if the place hadn’t been lived in for many years. Anton took charge and led them down the hall.

  ‘This is the main living room.’ He pointed to his right.

  Kate immediately noticed the fireplace which pleasantly
surprised her as she had missed this from the pictures.

  ‘Does it work?’

  ‘Oh yes, it’s been serviced recently and is ready to go.’

  Kate thought, the living room needed decorating. Shabby wallpaper, holes which would need filling, some pictures hung on the wall to brighten the place up, maybe curtains, not blinds, nothing major.

  Anton led them out of the first room and brought them into the next.

  ‘This is a storeroom, and out back, you have a utility. A washer/dryer, an extra dishwasher, just in case you have too many guests and need extra washing space. A sink and above this, the boiler,’ as he pointed up the wall.

  The next room was the downstairs toilet, and as Anton opened the door to show it off, they were pleased to see it was also very spacious. A wet room was situated next to the bathroom which excited Sean. Jake turned on the shower and was pleased with the power of the water.

  ‘Pumped,’ said Anton.

  ‘Nice,’ Jake replied.

  The kitchen was enormous. An extensive breakfast table, double sink, American style fridge with built-in water filter, tiled floor, substantial double-glazed, sliding doors which led out to a conservatory, and a garden the size of a forest. ‘I love it,’ Kate said excitedly.

  ‘Look, why don’t you take your time and look around. Get a feel for the place. I have some calls to make anyway so I’ll be out in the car. Any problems, just pop out.’

  ‘Sounds good,’ replied Jake. The three of them explored the rest of the house. Jake found the attic, and inside the airing cupboard, he found a long metal pole to unlock the hatch. He dropped the ladder and made his way up. Finding the switch, he tried to turn it on, but nothing lit up. ‘Great.’ He removed his phone and turned on the torch, lighting the attic immediately.