The Open House

by Sam Carrington

  ‘Yes, I’d found that much out.’

  ‘Right, well, unfortunately for Carl, Wayne told him his dick would be cut off and stuffed in his mouth and he’d get none of the promised money unless he did something for them. Threatened with that and knowing everything he’d worked for would be gone in one fell swoop, he said he’d do whatever needed to be done. To placate them, stop his lies coming out, Carl had to get your house on his list and then manipulate you into selling to them, using the open-house event initially so Wayne could get inside to check things out. Then Carl made up a “second viewing” so Wayne could set up the equipment.’

  A gasp involuntarily escapes me. The underhand creep! ‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this,’ I say.

  ‘Carl was their puppet, then.’ Davina continues telling her story as though it’s the audio version of one of her books. ‘As well as having a key at one point, Wayne used the loft space – went between your property and next door’s when necessary. Did you realise the estate’s old-style terraced houses had linking lofts? Anyway, he made me get close to you too, so between us we could figure out what you were thinking. And I could warn him if you were getting suspicious. When you stubbornly refused to sell to the developers, they forced Wayne to up the ante. Do more to frighten you. I’m so sorry. The more I tried to fight against him, the worse things became. I really wanted to be your friend – that’s all I’ve ever wanted.’

  ‘It was Wayne who broke my doorbell?’

  ‘No, that was Carl. He obviously didn’t want you cottoning on to what he was doing – taking the same women in and helping Wayne and the developers get inside …’

  ‘Jesus, Davina. My kids were put at risk. How could you let this happen?’

  ‘He wouldn’t have hurt anyone.’

  ‘He already did,’ I shout. Disgust courses through me. ‘But if that belief helps you sleep at night …’

  Silence descends in the car and my mind wanders to Nick. To the abductor. And to Richard. I check my watch.

  What’s going on? Richard has been too long.

  Chapter Ninety

  Barb

  He has come back to make trouble. I knew it.

  Why now?

  Patrick can’t know everything – but he must think he’s got enough muck to throw that some will inevitably stick. Bern’s stupid brother is about to split my world in two. More than that, he’s about to break Nick. Selfish idiot. Doesn’t he realise? I strain against the tape binding my arms. I have to stop him.

  My arms tire so quickly. I cry out.

  The car door flies open – cold air rushes in, taking what little breath I had away in an instant. I gasp and gulp like a fish out of water.

  Rough hands grab me, lift me. I’m dropped again, my bottom falling back into the footwell. Pain shoots through my coccyx. I hear other footsteps.

  ‘What the fuck?’ Nick shouts. Tears blur my vision; I blink rapidly to clear it.

  ‘She’s the one who has to tell you,’ Patrick says. ‘Help me get her out, will you?’

  After some painful shoving, pulling and dragging, I’m released from my prison. My whole body shakes.

  ‘Have you got a blanket? She’s freezing. You could’ve killed her.’

  A few moments later, I’m enveloped in a blanket and Nick repeatedly asks if I’m okay while rubbing my arms with his hands. Feeling is coming back to them.

  ‘I need to sit down,’ I say. I look around. We seem to be in the middle of a field. There’s nowhere to sit apart from the muddy ground. I notice the building; the lights from it are flooding the area we’re standing in.

  ‘We’re behind the Old Church House Inn, Mum,’ Nick says as he catches my confusion. ‘This wanker lured me here. I didn’t think for one moment he’d abducted my mother, though.’

  ‘Language, Nick,’ I say. Nick shoots me an incredulous look.

  ‘Sit in the front seat,’ Nick says, gently guiding me back to the car. He leaves the door open, and him and Patrick stand beside it.

  ‘I’m sorry it came to this,’ Patrick says. His wispy grey hair catches in the breeze.

  Nick pitches forward, grabbing Patrick’s arms. ‘I’m arresting you for kidnapping and false imprisonment,’ he says. ‘You do not have to say anything. But, it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court …’

  ‘Wait! Stop.’ Patrick twists sharply, shouting in Nick’s face. ‘I think you’re going to want to hear me out before you make any rash decisions.’

  ‘I think he knows what he’s doing,’ I say. ‘He’s got enough on you to put you away.’ Hopefully, this means Nick will just arrest him and won’t give him chance to spill whatever lies he feels he must share.

  ‘And I’ve enough to have your son put away,’ he says. His beady black eyes penetrate mine; even in the relative dark they make me shudder. As though they’re looking straight into my soul.

  Nick steps away from him, his arms hanging lose by his sides.

  Damn. He’s going to give this man a chance to speak. A chance to open old wounds and pour salt in them.

  ‘Meaning what?’ Nick says. He looks from him to me. My heart breaks seeing his expression. I don’t want this. I never wanted this.

  All these years of covering everything up – for the sake of my children – and here, in a cold, murky field, my lies are going to be uncovered.

  Nothing will be the same after tonight.

  Before another word is spoken, though, a dancing light comes into view.

  Someone else is coming.

  Chapter Ninety-One

  Amber

  Time stretches. I feel as though I’ve been sitting in the car waiting for Richard for an hour. It’s been a matter of minutes. Davina hasn’t spoken again; maybe she’s afraid she’ll dig herself into an even bigger hole – or, maybe she has nothing left to say on the matter. On her involvement. I glance in the rear-view mirror. See her blank face – the angry bruise on her cheek.

  You don’t know someone’s life until you’ve walked in their shoes a while.

  ‘Are you okay?’ I ask.

  ‘No. I want to go back in time, do things differently,’ she says, without meeting my eyes in the mirror. I turn in my seat to face her again.

  ‘I’m sure you do.’ It’s all I can say for now. I’m angry, upset. Hurt. But deep down I know Davina didn’t want any of this.

  ‘What do you think they’re doing?’ she says.

  ‘I don’t know, but it’s been seven minutes now. I don’t like being kept out of the loop. It’s making me anxious.’

  ‘So you think Nick’s in trouble because a man who came looking for him earlier asked for you to set up a meeting?’

  ‘Yes – I know on the face of it that might not seem worrying to you, but there’s more to it. Far more.’

  ‘Like?’

  I can’t believe Davina is still trying to weasel her way into this. Hasn’t she done enough damage? We’re stuck in this car together, though – and for some reason currently unfathomable to me, I want to talk to her – share my fear with her. I tell her what I know – or suspect, anyway – about this man who was so keen to talk to Nick.

  ‘I’m with Nick’s train of thought on this one,’ she says once I’ve finished my story.

  ‘Really? Why am I the only one who thinks he could be a danger?’

  ‘Oh, no – don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he’s not a danger – I just don’t think he’s the one who abducted the girl, or Nick’s brother. What was his brother’s name again?’

  ‘Tim,’ I say.

  ‘Hmm …’ Davina’s brow creases. ‘T.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘The letter … on the postcard,’ she mumbles to herself.

  ‘I don’t know what you’re rattling on about, Davina.’ I check the time again. ‘Shit. It’s been eleven minutes now.’

  ‘Richard said to leave, drive to the police station if he wasn’t back.’ Davina leans forward in the back seat,
the top half of her body close to mine. ‘You don’t think we should do that, do you?’

  ‘No. No I don’t.’ I scramble over to the driver’s seat. ‘Come on, Davina. Climb into the passenger seat. I’m not sitting here like a lemon waiting for the men to come back. I want to see for myself what’s happening.’

  Chapter Ninety-Two

  Amber

  ‘Hang on, hang on.’ Davina grabs hold of my arm and pulls it back, stopping me from starting the car engine. ‘I’m not sure we should make such an entrance, do you?’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Exasperation is audible in my tone.

  ‘Let’s not announce our arrival by screeching tyres and blazing headlights. We should be sneakier than that.’

  ‘But we might need a quick getaway – extract the men and escape.’

  ‘Seriously, Amber – we need to keep our heads here. We should quietly creep around the back of the pub to find out what’s going on. We have the upper hand, then – and if we need to get help, we can go back to the car. If we drive it around there, there’s no telling how muddy it is and while that track looks wide enough for a car, we don’t know for how far. We don’t know exactly where the men are. We could get stuck …’

  ‘Okay, okay. I get your point. You need to give me my phone back then. I don’t have a torch – Richard’s got the only one.’

  ‘I don’t have your phone. Richard took it from me.’

  ‘What? Why?’

  ‘Well, I don’t know – he thought I was some weirdo, obviously.’ Davina widens her eyes dramatically at me.

  Even in this moment of worry, I find myself smiling.

  ‘If the cap fits,’ I say, giving her arm a playful thump.

  ‘Come on, then. Let’s do this.’

  We get to the end wall of the pub, then I poke my head around the corner first. I need to figure out who is where.

  ‘Well?’ Davina whispers.

  I can see a car, stationary in the field behind the pub, its passenger door open. The interior light is weak, but I think someone’s sitting in the car. To the side I can make out Nick with the old man who came looking for him. And Richard looks to be approaching them.

  ‘Richard’s going up to them,’ I say in hushed tones. ‘He took his time – he must’ve been assessing the situation, too, before waltzing in there.’

  ‘Let me see.’ Davina shuffles along the wall and we swap places so she can take a look.

  ‘Ah. It doesn’t appear to be a dangerous scene, does it?’

  ‘You sound disappointed.’

  ‘Confused, more like,’ Davina says, moving away from the building’s edge again.

  ‘Because?’

  ‘Because it isn’t what I expected. They look like they’re just calmly talking. Don’t you think it’s all a bit odd?’

  ‘Yes, it is. The whole night has been odd – the past few months, too.’

  ‘And it’s culminated in us watching three men and a lady in a field.’ She gives a near-hysterical laugh. The night has been bizarre, but maybe the situation isn’t as grave as I imagined.

  ‘What lady?’ I ask, as Davina’s words sink in.

  ‘Are you joking? Didn’t you see her? She’s in the car. And why do I get the feeling she’s the centre of everything? The answer to what’s going on is tied up with her, I feel sure of it.’

  I push past Davina to look again.

  ‘This is unbelievable. Barb is with them? How? She was at yours not long ago.’

  ‘She appears to have come along for the ride.’

  As I squint to see if I can figure out what’s happening – Barb seems to shoot up and out of the car and goes towards Richard.

  Then she stumbles backwards. I can see her white face even from this distance.

  Something is wrong; very wrong. I sense it.

  Without further thought, I walk out from the cover of the building and stride towards them. I hear a hiss from Davina, then footsteps. She’s not letting me go in alone.

  ‘What the hell is going on?’ I shout as I walk up to the gathered group.

  Everyone turns to look at me – each face is waxy, shocked. But I realise that’s nothing to do with me turning up. Something else is going on here. I look at Barb. She looks dishevelled; her hair is matted with drying blood.

  ‘Barb? What did he do?’ I look to the old man. Then to Nick. Why isn’t he doing something?

  ‘He tied her up, bundled her in the car and brought her here. Made sure I came too.’ Nick’s voice has lost its power. He doesn’t appear to be the man he once was. I’m suddenly afraid.

  I turn my attention to Richard; look to him for answers, but his gaze is fixed on Barb.

  He gives a thin smile. ‘Hey, Mum,’ he says. ‘Sorry for the surprise entrance.’

  It’s my turn to stumble now: the ground shifts beneath my weakened legs.

  Barb takes a deep breath. ‘Oh, Tim … my Tim,’ she says.

  ‘Oh, my, God.’ I hear Davina’s voice behind me. ‘I get it now.’ She steps towards Barb. ‘You knew Tim was alive and well all along, didn’t you, Barbara?’

  I’m not taking this in. I don’t understand what’s passing between them.

  Except I do understand. I just can’t believe it.

  This isn’t real. This cannot be happening. But as I look at Richard and Barb, I know it must be. My mind reels.

  Richard is Tim.

  Chapter Ninety-Three

  Barb

  ‘What are you doing here, Tim?’ I say. My voice is hoarse – it, along with my body, now weak.

  ‘Could we back the fuck up here, please?’ Nick runs his hands roughly through his hair and begins pacing up and down beside the car, the mud becoming slushier beneath his feet. He doesn’t look at his brother.

  ‘This isn’t how I wanted you to find out,’ I say. Whatever comes out of my mouth from here on in will sound feeble, pathetic. Unreasonable. How will Nick ever forgive me for the lie. Because if it wasn’t for the fact Tim is here, now, I probably wouldn’t have ever revealed the truth to Nick.

  ‘Nick, mate – I’m so sorry.’ Tim reaches out with both arms towards his brother.

  ‘Don’t “mate” me!’ Nick dives back as though he’s been repelled by an opposing magnet, a pained expression set on his face. I know this must be a shock for Nick, but I would’ve thought seeing his long-lost brother might supersede his feelings of anger.

  I see Amber put both her own hands to her head, confusion and disbelief contorting her face. She’s as shocked as I am Tim is standing here with us in the middle of a field. Difference being, she and Nick believed him to be dead. I knew otherwise, have done from day one. Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised that Nick isn’t welcoming Tim with open arms. I hope it’ll change once the dust has settled. If it does. Panic seizes me again as I remember Patrick is here to even the score. There’s so much more to come. For now, silence falls – the unlikely gathering all temporarily stunned; mute. Minutes seem to pass.

  ‘This is madness,’ Nick finally speaks, breaking the spell. ‘Is this what you wanted to get me here for?’ Nick launches himself towards Patrick and squares up to him.

  ‘Yes, partly. I had to tell you what I suspected; had to find out the truth. I haven’t got long left …’

  Anger explodes from me. ‘So, you thought you’d ruin everyone else’s life before you died? Well, isn’t that selfless of you, Patrick. And so typical,’ I say. Rage burns in my veins. My whole body feels as though it’s on fire.

  Amber motions to Patrick. ‘Who is this?’ she asks, blankly staring ahead, her voice flat. ‘I thought he was the one who took Tim, and … and the other girl from Nick’s cold case?’ She sways – the shock clearly unsteadying her. There are tears in her eyes. ‘Nick?’

  Poor Amber. One thing I had no clue about was that Tim was masquerading as her new beau, Richard. And quite clearly this fact has been dropped like a bombshell on her, too. I need to get to the bottom of his reasons; why he kept it from me, but here and now isn�
��t the time or place. I’m so cold; I just want to be in the warm. I don’t want Davina here, either. She already knows too much – the rest should be contained within the family.

  ‘I’m Bern’s brother,’ Patrick states. ‘And I’ve waited a real long time for this.’

  ‘That’s all well and good, Patrick,’ I say, ‘but I think we can all agree this has already got out of hand. You abducted me!’

  ‘Far worse than that has occurred, though, hasn’t it?’ His mouth twists into a grimace. ‘Let’s go back to the house.’ Patrick’s voice is strong; determined.

  ‘No!’ The word is shouted not just by me, but Davina and Tim, too.

  Patrick’s brows knit together. ‘Really? And why not? What’ve you got to hide?’

  ‘The house is rigged with recording devices.’ Davina gives a brief explanation of Wayne’s recent antics. ‘We can’t risk talking there.’

  ‘We?’ I say. ‘You won’t be joining us at all, Davina. You’ve done enough damage.’

  ‘Okay, enough,’ Nick says, putting both hands to his face again, rubbing at his cheeks, mumbling. I don’t catch what, exactly, but I hear some expletives among the other unfathomable words. Then he sighs and looks at each person in turn. He gives a short burst of manic laughter. ‘My God. What a mess,’ he says. ‘After all the time I’ve spent searching. Hoping. Bloody praying I’d find out what happened to you.’ He shoots a bitter glance at Tim.

  ‘I know. I know this is such a lot to take in, Nick. But let’s not do this here,’ Tim says. ‘I think we can all agree we can’t stand out in the cold. Mum needs to get inside.’

  ‘Huh. Yeah, sure. After all, you seem to be calling all the shots. Well, you and him,’ Nick says, pointing to Patrick. Then I see a dawning on his Nick’s face – anger again replacing the astonishment as he lunges towards Tim. ‘Jesus Christ! And you’ve been fucking my wife!’