by M A Comley
A nurse entered the room with a welcome cup of tea. “I thought you could do with this.”
“You’re too kind, thank you. Before she relapsed, did anyone come in here?”
“No. Only you, although I did have a mini emergency with Mrs Cook to deal with. Why? You think she had another visitor?”
“I’m not sure, she doesn’t have anyone else. Can you prevent people coming in here in the future, except me, of course?”
“I’ll have a word with the ward sister. I’m sure that can be arranged.”
“Thank you. It would put my mind at rest. Is it all right if I use my phone in here, I mean, it won’t affect the machinery, will it?”
“Just to be on the safe side, maybe make your call from the hallway instead.”
“Can you watch Trisha for me, just for a few minutes?”
“Go on then.” The nurse smiled and went about making Trisha comfortable while Lucy left the room.
She fished a card out of her bag, rang the number and asked to be patched through to DI Terry Warren, who she’d contacted regarding Shirley’s murder. She explained the situation about Trisha being in a car accident. He told her to hold the line while he enquired if they’d heard anything about the accident.
“Miss Brent, damn, are you telling me that no one has contacted you since the accident?”
“No, I’m so sorry, perhaps I’m to blame for not chasing it up. What can you tell me?”
He sighed. “We have proof that your friend’s car had been tampered with. Her brake line was deliberately cut.”
“What? No way. Shit, why didn’t someone tell me? Fuck…” She then went on to inform the inspector that Trisha’s life had been in danger moments earlier, although she omitted to tell him about the note she’d found.
“Okay, I think we need to have a serious chat, Miss Brent, the sooner, the better.”
“I’ll be here a little while. I’m worried that someone is trying to kill Trisha. Can’t you put one of your officers outside her room?”
“I’ll get that actioned right away. Are you free for a chat this evening?”
“Yes. Do you want to come to my house, or shall I call in at the station on the way home?”
“Whichever is easiest for you.”
“I’ll see you at the station in half an hour, would that be okay?” She relented, thinking it was better to see him sooner rather than delaying the inevitable any longer.
“I look forward to seeing you.”
She ended the call and immediately rang Matthew to bring him up to date on things.
“What? Her brakes were cut? What are the police doing about that?”
“Apparently nothing. The inspector wants a chat with me tonight. He’s as furious about this as we are. Why would anyone deliberately try to kill Trisha? Not only that, there’s Shirley to consider in the equation, too.”
“I’m at a loss what to say or suggest, love. I’m sorry I can’t be there with you. Do you want me to get Jake to stay with you?”
“No!” she said, too sharply even for her own ears. “Sorry, no. I’ll be fine. I don’t want to get anyone else involved in this, Matthew. Please be careful.”
“Hey, it should be me saying that to you.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m going to sit with Trisha for a while and then go to the station.”
“Don’t forget to eat tonight and let me know what the inspector has to say about all this.”
“You have my word.”
They said their farewells, and she returned to the ward to sit with Trisha. The nurse promised she would check in on her friend every fifteen minutes during her shift, time permitting, of course. Before Lucy left, a police officer stepped into the room and introduced himself. She told him not to let anyone in as she was the only family member Trisha had.
On the way home, she dropped into the station and spoke to the inspector. Again, he was apologetic about her not being informed of the results and tried to pin her down as to why she thought her friends were being targeted.
She had to dig deep into her reserves not to reveal the truth. How could she tell him? And yet, didn’t she have a responsibility to do just that? Confused, she ran a hand over her face and denied everything. Someone out there knew the truth and was using it against her, but how could she tell the inspector that? The person was an unknown—yes, she had her suspicions who might be behind the actions, but she couldn’t be definite, and she’d be buggered if she was going to start dragging Matthew’s family members through the mud. Can you imagine what would happen if I did that? There would be no wedding for a start.
Not that a wedding should stand in the way of the truth being exposed. Crap, I can’t do this. I need Trisha by my side to get me through this, she’d know what to do and when to do it.
The inspector saw her out of the station, appearing to be unhappy about her wasted trip. She was remorseful about that and went home. She made a cheese sandwich and nibbled on it while she sat on the sofa staring at the black TV screen for what seemed like hours. It wasn’t until Matthew rang around nine that she shook herself out of her reverie.
“How are things? Trisha?”
She closed her eyes, wondering how much she should tell him. “She seems a little better. They’ve moved her to a private ward out of the ICU.”
“Wow, that’s excellent news. Why don’t you sound happy about that, love?”
“I am. I suppose I’m tired. It’s been a long week so far, you know, having to work all day and going to the hospital every night.”
“I hear you. No time to chill out before you go to bed and have to rinse and repeat. I’ll be back tomorrow. Shall we go out for a meal, give you a break from going to the hospital?”
“I’ll have to pop in for a quick visit, I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t show up.”
“Okay, only a quick one, though. If you don’t get your rest, you’re not going to be much use to Trisha, are you?”
“Yes, boss. I know you’re right. She needs me, though.”
“Is she still unconscious?”
Lucy rolled her eyes, knowing what was coming next. “Yes.”
“Then she won’t miss you for one night, will she?”
“Okay, you’ve worn me down. Are you going to pick me up?”
“Yes, at seven-thirty, how’s that?”
“Sounds perfect.”
She worked out that she would have enough time to make a flying visit to the hospital before coming home to get ready for when he turned up at seven-thirty. They chatted for another ten minutes about what had happened at work that week, both of them steering clear of the topic of the wedding, which they agreed to speak about in person and never over the phone.
She ended the call, ran a bath and slipped into bed. Lucy drifted off to sleep not long after, but a noise woke her around midnight. Thinking she’d imagined it in her sleep, she tried to doze off again. Another noise sounded outside below her bedroom window. She hurried across the room and peered through a slit in the curtain. There was nothing there from what she could tell. All was quiet until she heard something downstairs. Her heart skipped several beats, and her stomach constricted.
Someone is in the bloody house. Her gaze darted around the room. Damn, I’ve left my phone downstairs. Shit! Shit! Shit!
Trisha didn’t even have a house phone in her bedroom either. Lucy swallowed down the lump that had emerged in her throat and crept across the room, acting braver than she felt. She eased open the door and crept out onto the landing where she strained her ears to listen. Things were definitely being shifted downstairs, drawers being opened and closed. A door, probably the lounge, directly below her, opened. She retreated into the bedroom and locked the door, then she went over to the window and cursed Trisha for having small double-glazed units. There was no way she would be able to squeeze out through the small window at the top of the sealed unit. She peered over her shoulder.
The handle turned.
Tears of frustration burned
her eyes, and she placed a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming.
Shit! What if the person breaks down the door? There’s no way I’m going to be able to get away from them.
She scanned her surroundings in search of some kind of weapon, but nothing sprang to mind. There was a bed, a wardrobe and a chest of drawers, not even a bloody chair that she could’ve ripped the leg off to use. She was doomed if the person managed to break down the door.
Maybe it’s a burglar chancing his luck. Did I leave the back door open? I don’t think I did. Shit! I need to check and double-check every door and window from now on. That thought process isn’t going to help this situation, though, is it?
She expelled a breath when the person gave up and moved on to Trisha’s room next door. Again, the sound of drawers being opened filled the house.
This has to be a burglar. If only I’d thought of bringing my phone up to bed with me. I’m stuck here, no way out until they leave.
Lucy remained glued to the spot, frozen in time, listening to what was going on next door. A floorboard on the landing squeaked. The person tried her door handle once more. Lucy sucked in a breath and didn’t let it out until the stairs creaked, signifying that the person was going back downstairs. The question was, how long did she leave it before she opened the door and left the room?
In the end, when everything quietened down, she unlocked the door and gingerly made her way downstairs. Her hands out in front of her in the darkness, she went into the kitchen and found the back door ajar. She raced across the room and locked it. Then she switched on the light and hissed. “Crap, that was a close one.”
“What was?” a voice sounded behind her.
She screamed and spun around to see Neil standing there. “Jesus, you scared the frigging shit out of me. What are you doing here?”
His eyes were glazed as if he’d been drinking. “I miss her. I wanted to come over and be amongst Trisha’s things.”
“Halfway through the damn night? Are you for real?”
He ran a hand through his already mussed-up blond hair. “I’m sorry. I forgot you were here.”
“How could you forget that? Anyway, what were you searching for? I heard you rifling through the drawers down here and in Trisha’s bedroom.”
“Umm…I was searching for a decent photo of her. I told you, I miss her.”
“If that’s the case, why haven’t you visited her at the hospital, Neil?”
“I can’t bring myself to go there. I lost my grandfather a few years ago and find it difficult to visit those places.”
“Really? Even though Trisha is in dire need of your support? How can you be so selfish at a time like this?”
“Don’t start on me, Lucy. I need to go to bed.”
“Not here. Go home, Neil.”
“I need to be near her. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay, I can’t make you. Do you want a drink?”
“Yeah, a whisky would be nice.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of a coffee. By the look of you, I think you’ve had enough alcohol for one evening.”
“Don’t nag. I get enough of that from Trisha.”
“I wasn’t aware that I was. Bloody hell, Neil, what’s wrong with you? You haven’t even asked me how she is.”
“I haven’t had the chance to ask.”
She filled the kettle and switched it on, then turned to face him with her arms folded.
He lunged forward and tried to kiss her.
She managed to step to the side before he made contact. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“I’ve seen the way you look at me. As if that rich fiancé of yours isn’t enough for you. Come on, with them both out of the way, what’s stopping us from getting it on?”
“You’re fucking sick! Get out of this house, now.” Her anger erupted, and she pushed him towards the back door.
“I know your sort, you like to object, but given the opportunity, you’d bed any man going.”
She thumped his back. “Get out, you sick frigging bastard. I don’t know where you’ve got that idea from.”
“Trisha keeps nothing from me. I know.”
Her mouth dropped open. Trisha would never betray my trust, would she? “That’s bollocks, and you know it.”
“Is it? Dark secrets…secrets that could emerge when the timing is right. Are you truly willing to take the risk?”
“You’re bluffing. You know nothing. You know how I know that?”
He frowned, as if her words had confused his addled mind.
“Because there’s nothing to tell.”
“Isn’t there? The truth will out in the end, I’ll make sure that happens.”
She flew at him, her arms acting like the sails of a windmill in a turbulent storm. She caught him several times in the face. He cried out and tried to defend himself with his raised arms, but the blows continued to rain down on him. For once, she was the abuser and not the victim. She didn’t enjoy the role reversal, but it appeared to do the trick. Neil ran out of the kitchen door and down the garden path. She closed the door, locked it, leaned back against it and panted, trying to recapture the breath she’d expelled. Then the tears came, fast and furious. Her skin crawled with imaginary insects. She had no idea Neil felt that way about her. Was his outlandish behaviour purely down to the drink? She didn’t have a clue.
She checked all the doors again, made herself a drink and took her phone back upstairs with her, ensuring she locked herself into her bedroom on the way back to bed.
She shuddered and pulled the quilt over her head. The thought of Neil laying his hands on her the way Matthew did turned her stomach upside down. No matter how hard she tried, sleep evaded her the rest of the night.
Lucy showed up for work looking and feeling like a cast member from The Walking Dead. “Bloody hellfire, what the heck is wrong with you?” Kathy said the second she laid eyes on her.
“I’ll tell you over a coffee. Fancy a cream cake or have you already eaten breakfast?”
“No, I’m fine. You stay here, I’ll go fetch you one.”
Kathy left her to set up the agency for the day and returned with the biggest coffee choux bun Lucy had ever seen. “There you go, that should fill a hole or two.”
Lucy laughed. “I should say. What a night I’ve had.” She went over what had happened at the hospital and at home with Neil, leaving out the part about the note she’d found.
Kathy sat there open-mouthed throughout. “Fuck, what a cheek! Did you know he had feelings for you?”
“No. To be honest, I think it was probably the drink making him braver than he is. It was totally unsettling nevertheless.”
“I’m not surprised. The audacity of the man. You won’t tell Trisha, will you?”
“If she ever comes out of her coma, you mean? I don’t know. I feel like I have a duty to say something, but…”
“You can’t. Well, let’s just say, I could never do that to a friend.”
“Seriously? Look at it from the other perspective. As her best friend, shouldn’t I tell her what her boyfriend gets up to when she’s not around, let alone bloody lying there unconscious in hospital?”
“Hey, okay, I never thought of it that way.”
The first customer entered the front door, and from then on, their day turned out to be non-stop. They even worked through their lunch, only managing to find the odd ten minutes to shove a sandwich down their necks, even though the coffee was on tap during the day as usual.
Lucy closed up the business and drove to the hospital for a fleeting visit with Trisha. She found no change in her friend and left after fifteen minutes. She returned home and jumped in the shower and was all dressed and ready to go when Matthew showed up at seven-thirty. It had been a mad panic, but she’d made it.
They had a wonderful stress-free meal. He was buzzing about his week away and the deals he’d managed to secure that he predicted would bring in a lot of business to his firm. Lucy w
as delighted for him.
Once he’d shared his good news, he reached for her hand. “Tell me what sort of week you’ve had?”
“Hectic beyond bloody words, but you know what? I got through it, which is more than can be said for Trisha.”
“I’m sorry, love. I know how hard this is for you. Didn’t you say the nursing staff and doctor are happy with her progress?”
“Yes, it’s not the same as having her sitting up in bed and holding a conversation with me, though.”
He nodded. “I don’t suppose you’ve had a chance to chat with Mother about the wedding in my absence, have you?”
“Sorry, I’ve been far too busy. I hope she isn’t offended by my lack of input. It’s just that what with everything going on at work and with Trisha, I really can’t divide my attention more than that at present.”
“She’s fine. I’ll have a word. Maybe we could go up to the house tomorrow, in the evening and discuss things then?”
Lucy smiled and sighed a little. “If we must.”
“You’re a star. I’ll give her a ring and let her know.”
Matthew dropped her home that evening but decided he needed to go back to his own place rather than stay with her for the night. At first, she was a little put out by that, until fatigue kicked in and she found herself grateful that he’d made the right choice.
After ensuring the doors were locked properly, Lucy went to bed, taking her mobile with her this time. Sleep overwhelmed her swiftly, and she dropped off soon after her head hit the pillow. However, just like the evening before, a strange noise woke her. This time she rang nine-nine-nine and made them aware of the situation. The woman on control instructed her to remain in the bedroom and told her that a patrol car had been dispatched to take a look. The blue light lit up her bedroom. She raced down the stairs and spoke to the uniformed officers who checked the back and front thoroughly but found nothing. She waved them off and returned to her bed.
In the morning, as she descended the stairs to put the kettle on, she found something lying on the doormat. It was a note. In capital letters it read:
SECRETS ALWAYS COME OUT IN THE END
