The Honeymoon: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller

by Rona Halsall

  But I love Dan. And he loves me. Of that she was sure. If she stayed here, he would come back, and would have to accept that this was where their married life would begin.

  With that thought in her mind, she let herself out of the house and walked down the road to the high street and into the chemist. She quickly chose a pregnancy test kit and presented it to the cashier, feeling strangely embarrassed about the whole process. She tapped her card on the reader, but it refused to scan. She pushed it into the reader instead, but it still wouldn’t work. Her faced burned as she tried the PIN again, with no luck.

  The cashier gave her a sympathetic look. ‘I’m really sorry, but unless you have another card, I’m afraid I can’t complete your purchase.’

  Chloe sighed. ‘No, I only have this one. I’ve no idea why it isn’t working, but I’ll nip to the cash machine.’

  With her eyes on the ground, she dashed out of the shop and hurried down the street to the cashpoint. She fed her card into the machine, but instead of letting her take cash, the machine swallowed it. She stared, irritated, then started pressing buttons, but nothing worked; her card was gone.

  She leant against the wall, her head resting on her arm, trying not to cry. It must be some technical problem, she decided, knowing that there was plenty of money in the account. She’d collected debts at a rapid rate when she’d been a student and it had taken her years to get her finances under control. Now she didn’t have a credit card and only spent money that she had.

  She stormed back to her gran’s house, muttering under her breath. The bank had no branches on the high street anymore and she’d have to phone them to find out what was going on. In the meantime, she had no money. She’d been planning on buying a replacement phone, just a cheap pay-as-you-go one to tide her over until Dan returned hers. But if she hadn’t any money, she couldn’t do that. Why is life so bloody difficult? she thought as she let herself into her gran’s house, banging the door behind her.

  Her gran was sitting at the kitchen table doing a Sudoku puzzle.

  ‘I think you’re getting yourself all steamed up about nothing,’ she said after Chloe told her what had happened. She went to the kitchen drawer, got out a purse and held up some notes, waving them in the air. ‘Here you go, have this to tide you over. Go and get that test kit, then at least you’ll know for sure and that’ll be one less thing to worry about.’

  More like one more thing to worry about, Chloe thought, but she took the money and hurried back to the shop, stopping to buy a basic phone and a SIM card, ready to ring Dan and try and make peace with him.

  * * *

  Of course, the test was positive. But I knew that, didn’t I? she thought as she sat on the edge of the bath in her gran’s house, looking at the lines on the plastic stick. Lines that told her the future was going to be very different.

  I’m not ready. That was her next thought, given all the uncertainties that had been thrown up in their relationship over the last week. But then, who was ever ready for a baby? Surely this would reset their relationship. Bring them back on a more even keel.

  He’ll come back to the UK for his baby. She was sure of that, but it wasn’t the sort of subject she could send a text message about. This needed to be a proper conversation, but she was so tired all of a sudden, so very weary, that she couldn’t contemplate talking to him just yet. What she needed was a lie down. Then she’d ring him.

  She stumbled into one of the spare bedrooms, the one that had always been hers whenever she came to stay, and curled up on the bed, falling asleep almost as soon as her eyes were shut.

  * * *

  The sound of a door shutting woke her much later. It was pitch-black and her phone told her it was three thirty in the morning – the sound must have been one of her gran’s nocturnal visits to the bathroom. She squinted at her phone, eyes sticky with sleep and struggling to focus, hardly able to believe that she’d slept for almost twelve hours. Her conversation with Dan would have to wait until morning, and with that decision made, she made a quick trip to the bathroom herself before getting back into bed and falling asleep.

  Twenty-Five

  She woke early, had a quick shower and hurried downstairs to retrieve her rucksack. She had a lot to sort out today, and talking to Dan was top of her list. Her mind was clearer after her long sleep and she was adamant she was staying in Brighton.

  She popped her head round the kitchen door, the smell of fried eggs turning her stomach, and she had to dash into the downstairs loo. It was a little while before she was confident that her stomach had finished emptying itself, and when she went back into the kitchen, her gran gave her a knowing look.

  ‘The test was positive then?’

  Chloe gave a wry smile. ‘You guessed.’ She leant against the worktop, not sure if she was going to have to dash to the loo again.

  ‘Ginger biscuits always worked for me. Now, let’s see I’m pretty sure I’ve got a packet somewhere.’ Her gran got up from her chair, opened a cupboard, took out an oblong tin and held out a packet of Gingernuts. ‘There you are – glass of water and a couple of biscuits and you’ll be fine.’

  Chloe swallowed the bile that crept up her throat at the thought of food but did as she was told, and after she’d nibbled her way through a biscuit, her queasiness did seem to subside. She picked up another. ‘I’m sorry I just crashed out yesterday, can’t believe I slept so long.’

  Her gran was gazing at her, an unnerving stare, making Chloe remember that she’d been sacked from all caring duties. Practically banned from the house.

  She doesn’t want me here. A spear of hurt jabbed at her heart and she felt suddenly awkward, unwanted, the urge to leave making her restless.

  ‘I hope you didn’t mind me staying too much?’ Chloe start to gabble. ‘I’ll get out of your hair, get back to my flat and see if I can get this mess sorted.’

  Her gran looked away and poured herself another cup of tea from the pot, carefully stirring in milk then a couple of spoons of sugar. ‘Your young man rang yesterday. When you were asleep.’

  Chloe stopped chewing. ‘What? Why didn’t you wake me?’

  ‘Well, I came up, but you obviously needed the rest after all that dashing about. Anyway, I thought it’d be better if you rang him back when you were good and ready, not half asleep.’

  She thought about it for a moment, adrenaline coursing round her veins. Oh God. What’s he going to say? Am I ready? Not quite, she decided, finishing her biscuit. And anyway, she wouldn’t be ringing him where her gran could hear. No, this was between her and Dan. She pulled her phone from her pocket. ‘Okay well, I’ll just take his number, then I’ll ring him back later.’

  ‘Phone’s on the hall table. It’ll be on there, won’t it? I’ve no idea how these mobile things work.’ She sipped her tea. ‘You can get it on your way out.’

  I’ve been dismissed. Chloe bristled, her hurt turning to anger. ‘Yes, right. I’m going.’ She’d go back to her apartment, then she’d have a bit of peace and quiet to sort everything out.

  ‘No need to come rushing back. Janelle’s coming over this morning. We’re going to play chess and she said she’d make pizza for lunch.’

  ‘Chess?’ Chloe wasn’t sure she’d heard properly.

  ‘Oh, yes, she’s a big fan of the game and she’s been teaching me. Turns out I’m not a complete duffer. Anyway, it’s fun learning something new.’

  ‘I didn’t know you liked pizza either.’ In all the time Chloe had been looking after her gran, she’d been a fussy eater and often shunned the meals Chloe had prepared.

  ‘Neither did I until she brought some that she’d made at home. So much nicer than shop-bought stuff. It’s become quite a favourite, I have to say.’

  Chloe wondered how Janelle had managed to get her gran to become so experimental. They’d obviously really hit it off. It was something she should feel pleased about, something that lessened the burden of responsibility. But somehow she felt shunned.

  What the
hell did I rush home for?

  ‘Right, okay. Well, I’ll see you later.’

  She transferred Dan’s number from her gran’s phone and left the house, resisting the urge to slam the door behind her.

  Outside, she hurried down the road, deciding that she should ring the bank before she spoke to Dan because without access to her account she wasn’t going anywhere. Her heart lurched when she thought about her husband and the worry she must have put him through by dashing off.

  Why did I think I had to leave him like that? What was making me feel so nervous?

  As she walked, she tried to convince herself that she’d done the right thing, that she’d had good reason to behave as she did. She rehearsed the points she wanted to make during their conversation, so he would understand her decision to go. First he’d been so controlling, changing their destination without telling her; that was unforgivable. Wanting to organise everything. He wouldn’t hire a car and he stuck to her like glue. Then there was his paranoia about security, not letting her have a window open, hiding the keys. She’d felt suffocated. The fact that he already had a baby and the parents lived nearby, yet he chose that very place for them to go on their honeymoon; that was plain weird. And finally, wanting her to up and leave everything, saying she couldn’t go back and keeping her as a virtual prisoner.

  None of that can be justified, can it?

  Once she’d laid it all out in her mind, she decided her behaviour had been quite rational. It was definitely Dan who was being odd.

  He was right about Gran, though. Maybe he’s right about other things. Perhaps the windows and door keys were just sensible precautions. And controlling their trips out was because he knew the area and wanted to make sure they had a nice time. And there was an innocent explanation about the baby, it being a favour for gay friends.

  But what about the keeping me safe bit? Why won’t he explain that to me?

  By the time she got to her apartment, her head felt like it was full of knots, all her thoughts tied together into an unfathomable mess.

  A cup of tea. That’s what she needed. And a sit down. She couldn’t believe how weary she felt, her limbs like lead, as she walked down the steps to her basement apartment. She inserted her key into the lock. Or at least she tried. But it wouldn’t fit. She looked at it to make sure she had the right key and tried again, frowning. Weird. Still it wouldn’t fit. Christ! Another problem to sort out.

  She sank onto the bottom step, staring at the door for a moment as if that alone would make it open, before resting her elbows on her knees, hands tugging at her hair. How she wished there was someone to help her, but in Brighton, she was on her own. Just stop feeling sorry for yourself and get this sorted out. With a sigh, she sat up straight and got her phone out of her bag.

  It only took a few minutes to google the property company and get their number, and she leant against the wall while the phone rang, grateful that at least the weather was being kind and it hadn’t started raining. Thankfully, they answered quickly.

  ‘Hello! I’m sorry to bother you, but I’ve got a bit of a problem. For some reason, the key to my apartment won’t work.’

  ‘Oh dear,’ the operator said, her voice warm and sympathetic. ‘Let me pull up the details.’

  Chloe answered all the questions required to make sure of her identity, then the line went quiet for a moment before the operator came back on.

  ‘Um, I’ll just pop you on hold for a moment while I check something. Bear with me, please.’

  Chloe sighed, cold now after sitting on the stone steps, and she walked back up, jigging about to warm herself up. A movement in her peripheral vision made her turn. A man wearing a baseball hat, thick neck, broad shoulders walked on by and disappeared behind a neighbouring hedge. She frowned and glanced around, hoping for people to come along the pavement, but it was quiet. A tinny tune played in her ear while she waited, staring at the hedge, not sure if she could make out the shadow of a person behind it, or whether her eyes were playing tricks. The hairs rose on the back of her neck. Is someone watching me?

  ‘Hello. Sorry to keep you waiting.’ The voice distracted her, and she hoisted her rucksack up on her shoulder to stop it slipping off as she walked back down the steps.

  ‘No problem. I just wondered if you could send someone out to open the apartment for me. I know I’ll have to pay. But I really need to get in and I don’t understand why—’

  ‘Let me stop you there. I think there’s been a misunderstanding because I’ve just spoken to my manager to make sure I’ve got this right, and it appears we received written notice from you, saying you were leaving the accommodation with immediate effect. The locks have been changed, I’m afraid. We do it as a matter of course when a tenant moves out.’

  Chloe shook her head, completely confused. ‘No, no you’ve got that wrong. I haven’t given notice. My stuff is in there!’

  ‘I’m sorry, but we have a letter here and the signature matches the one on your tenancy agreement.’

  Chloe put a hand to her forehead, hardly able to grasp what she was hearing. ‘But I didn’t send you a letter.’

  ‘Excuse me for a moment while I get my manager for you. Perhaps he can help you to resolve the situation.’

  Before Chloe could say anything else, the tinny music was back in her ear. What the hell is going on? She knew she hadn’t written a letter. So, who did? Her body chilled as she realised it could only be one person. Dan. So, does that mean he had the move to Menorca planned before we left? Because if he did, then everything was far more premeditated than she’d imagined, his behaviour even more unacceptable.

  ‘Hello. Can I help you?’

  A man’s voice, smooth and calm, came on the line. She could picture him, with slicked-back hair and a sharp suit, a smarmy smile on his face.

  She swallowed and tried to get her thoughts in order. ‘Yes. There seems to have been some confusion. I understand you’ve had a letter from me giving notice, but the thing is, I didn’t send one. It must be a forgery.’

  There was a moment’s silence before the man spoke. ‘What? But why would someone do that?’

  Chloe opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. That was a very good question and one she couldn’t answer. Maybe it wasn’t Dan. Maybe someone else wanted to cause trouble for her? No, that’s a daft idea. But then this whole situation was crazy.

  She sighed. ‘I don’t know, but that’s what has happened. I’ve just come back from my honeymoon and found that I can’t get into my apartment because you have apparently changed the locks. And all my belongings are in there and—’

  ‘No, I’m afraid that’s incorrect. Your belongings are not in there. The place was empty when we took it back.’

  Chloe’s legs weakened, and she leant against the wall. ‘What? No, it can’t have been. Everything was there when I went away a week ago.’

  ‘According to my file on that property, it had been emptied and cleaned, and your deposit will be repaid in full.’

  Chloe’s eyes widened, her voice rising as panic whizzed through her mind. ‘But where’s all my stuff? It was all in there. It was!’

  ‘Um I’m really sorry but I honestly can’t help you. All I know is that we took the property back, inspected it and changed the locks, ready for reletting.’

  ‘But but’ Chloe could feel the tears stinging her eyes. ‘There must be someone who can help me. This It’s all wrong.’

  A sigh crackled down the phone. ‘If you say this letter is a forgery and someone has taken all your belongings, then that’s a matter for the police, I’m afraid. There’s nothing more I can do.’

  ‘The police?’

  ‘Yes. I don’t think I can really be of much help.’

  Chloe sighed, a sound of defeat that rippled through her body. ‘Okay, well thank you,’ she muttered before she rang off, her hand clasped to her forehead, a headache pounding behind her eyes. The day was going from bad to worse. Instead of solving problems, they seemed to be st
acking up around her like a wall, boxing her in.

  She heard a rustle, a cracking of twigs, and she turned, suddenly frightened, sure that someone was watching her. The noise seemed to come from the hedge and she wondered if the figure she’d seen earlier was still there. Her eyes narrowed, her frustration igniting into anger. She shot up the steps from her apartment and dashed down the path to the gate, running down the pavement so she could see the other side of the hedge. There was enough going on without creeps spying her, and she’d be happy to give them a piece of her mind. But nobody was there. She glanced up and down the road, saw people coming and going in both directions, no clue if one of them had been watching her.

  A wave of dizziness caught her by surprise and she had to sit on the wall for a moment until it passed. Her life was spinning out of control and she couldn’t seem to stop it. In fact, the harder she tried to sort things out, the worse they became. Oh, Dan. What’s happening? She felt like weeping and closed her eyes for a moment to try and regain control. I will not show myself up. I will not.

  After a few moments, she managed to calm herself down and understood that she had very few options open to her. She had to go back to her gran’s whether she wanted to or not. The bank card situation needed sorting out first, otherwise she had no access to money. Then, if she was calm enough, she’d ring Dan. She definitely wasn’t up to it yet, not if he’d written the letter to surrender her lease on the apartment. If he had what then? Her mind fizzed with answers that she didn’t want to hear.