One Mistake: A totally unputdownable gripping psychological thriller

by Rona Halsall

  Hailey tutted, looked at her phone. ‘No reply. I’ll message Soph.’ She gave Sara a hard look before she started tapping away at her screen. ‘You’ve been watching way too many TV dramas. You know your daughters. Nobody’s going to make those girls do anything they don’t want to do.’ She pressed send and gave Sara her full attention. ‘The only reason Matt would take Ezra is as a bargaining chip. That’s what it’s all about. He’s desperate and thinks if he’s got Ezra, he can control you.’

  They busied themselves with clearing up the mess on the floor while they waited for a response from Sophia. When they’d still heard nothing, Hailey made mugs of tea, while Sara stood gazing into the back garden, paralysed by fear.

  ‘Come and sit down. Panicking isn’t going to get us anywhere, is it? Let’s have a proper think about this.’

  Sara slid onto a chair, her hands cupped round the hot mug, her body shaking. Just when she’d thought she was in charge of her life again, Matt had been one step ahead.

  Hailey’s phone pinged and she frowned as she read the message out loud: ‘Chelsea is being a bitch. Fiona is being weird. Can we come home?’

  Sara stood up. ‘That’s it. We’re going to get them.’

  Hailey followed her. They were almost at her car when she stopped. ‘I just had a thought. Fiona set off not long before Matt did a runner, didn’t she?’

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘They might not even be at Center Parcs yet.’ Her fingers flew over the screen of her phone. ‘Let’s find out where they are. We don’t know if Fiona was going straight there. She might have stopped on the way somewhere. We don’t want to go bombing up there if we can pick them up closer to home.’ She pressed send.

  They waited, Hailey checking her screen every few seconds for a reply, but nothing came. After a couple of minutes, they looked at each other, and Sara knew from the expression in Hailey’s eyes that she was worried.

  ‘They might just be in a blank zone.’

  ‘What if Fiona’s taken Sophia’s phone off her?’ Amelia had stopped using her mobile in recent weeks, something Sara now realised was probably due to the shower incident. ‘Or the battery has gone flat?’

  ‘Maybe wait a few more minutes.’

  ‘We can wait at the police station. Honestly, Hailey. It’s the right thing to do.’ Sara’s stomach clenched at the thought, but the prospect that her children might be in danger was far more important than anything else.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  They had only been travelling a couple of minutes and were at a T-junction heading into the middle of town when a familiar car went past, the driver a woman with short blonde hair, wearing large sunglasses.

  Sara did a double-take. ‘Bloody hell, Hailey.’ She pointed at the black 4x4 heading down the road. ‘It’s her. It’s Fiona. What the hell’s she doing in Ilkley?’ And where are the girls? Her heart skipped as Hailey sped away from the junction after Fiona’s car, which started winding up towards the moors. She was confused now. ‘Where on earth is she going?’ Fiona lived on the other side of town, so she wasn’t going home.

  ‘We’ll just have to follow and find out.’

  They were directly behind her, Hailey keeping a bit of distance so she wouldn’t be too obvious. But a few moments later, Fiona sped up, zooming well ahead of them.

  ‘Crap. I think she’s seen us.’ Hailey sat forward, hunched over the steering wheel as if she was pushing the car up the hill. ‘Come on, car, please go faster.’ But Fiona was pulling away, heading up to the top of the moors.

  Sara pointed. ‘Look, she’s going into the car park.’ They watched her swing the 4x4 into a parking spot, jump out and run off up the track towards the quarry. Moments later, Hailey screeched to a halt and they clambered out and started running after her.

  Fiona had a head start, and she darted nimble-footed across the moors. Sara was no match for her speed, stumbling over stones and losing her footing in gaps between the heather, air ripping into her lungs as she pushed herself forward as fast as she dared go. Hailey was way ahead of her, fitter and used to running, while Sara thought her lungs might explode. She had to watch where she was treading, unable to keep her eyes on her target as Fiona sped towards the jumble of gritstone boulders.

  After a few minutes, Hailey stopped, gazing around, and Sara caught up with her, pulling to a halt, puffing and panting so hard she couldn’t speak.

  ‘What the hell is she playing at?’ Hailey frowned, scanning the moors, but there was no sign of Fiona anywhere.

  ‘Oh no, don’t say we’ve lost her.’ Sara turned in a full circle. ‘There,’ she said, her heart flip-flopping as she pointing to a figure on a narrow path that eventually led back down to the car park. ‘She’s doubled back.’ They set off at a jog, Hailey pulling ahead again while Sara concentrated on where she was putting her feet, her legs shaky and weak after the unaccustomed exercise.

  A sharp scream made her stop and scan the moors ahead of her. Fiona had disappeared. Sara stood looking around at the boulder-strewn landscape, the ground cloaked in heather and bilberry bushes. There were endless hiding places; all Fiona had to do was duck down when they weren’t looking and she’d be hidden from sight. Hailey had stopped too, and glanced back, throwing up her hands. ‘Where the hell did she go?’

  With her heart pounding in her chest, Sara methodically scoured the hillside for movement. ‘Over there!’ she called, as she spotted a hand flapping in the air. Relief surged through her. Looks like she’s tripped and fallen over. She started running before she had time to even think about it, and dashed down the path after her sister, determined to reach Fiona before she could get up and make her escape.

  She arrived just after Hailey, both of them panting hard, dragging in air as they bent over the crumpled figure. Fiona was lying on a bed of bilberry bushes at the side of the narrow path, wedged between a couple of boulders.

  ‘Help me,’ she said, her leg folded beneath her at an unnatural angle, her hand cradling her elbow, face screwed up in agony.

  Sara stared at her, hands on hips as she tried to speak between rasping breaths. ‘What the hell are you doing? Where are the girls? You’re supposed to be in the Lake District.’

  ‘They’re still at my house,’ Fiona gasped. ‘I had to come back to attend to… some urgent business.’

  Urgent business? Had she met up with Matt? Because if she had, it meant he and Ezra were still close by. They’re safe. Her children were safe, and Fiona wasn’t going anywhere. Sara’s heart gave a lurch of relief and she turned her attention to the figure on the ground.

  ‘My leg,’ Fiona wailed, her face contorted with pain. ‘And my arm. Call an ambulance, Sara. Can’t you see I need urgent medical attention here?’

  Hailey watched, impassive, clearly in no hurry to ring for help, and Sara knew why. This was their chance to get some proper answers and she decided to try a bluff, see how Fiona would respond. The truth was, she had very little evidence of anything. But she could try and trick Fiona into incriminating herself. It was the only strategy she could think of.

  ‘I can’t help you there, I’m afraid. I don’t have my phone with me. But I’m sure Hailey will call the emergency services once we’ve had a little chat.’ She gave Fiona a tight smile and sat on the ground next to her, where she could watch her face, work out what was truth and what was lies.

  ‘No answers, no help. That’s the deal,’ Hailey said as she settled herself on a boulder by the side of the path, her phone grasped in her hand. She glanced at Sara. ‘We’d better check the car, don’t you think? She was obviously running away from us, so maybe she’s got something in there she doesn’t want us to see.’ She held out her hand. ‘Car keys, Fiona.’

  Fiona glared at her, a look that said she wanted Hailey to shrivel up and die.

  ‘I don’t think she’s going to cooperate,’ Hailey said. ‘Remember, no emergency services, no pain relief until we have some answers.’

  ‘Jacket pocket,’ Fiona gaspe
d. ‘Right-hand side.’

  Hailey bent and rummaged in Fiona’s pocket – not being as gentle as she could have been – while Fiona whimpered with every movement. Hailey held up the keys like she’d won a trophy and grinned at Sara. ‘Okay, back in a tick.’

  Sara watched as her sister sauntered down the path to the car park, obviously in no hurry. Then she turned her attention back to Fiona, giving her a bright smile. Fiona closed her eyes, her face deathly pale.

  ‘Look, Fiona, it’s your choice how fast you get medical attention. You can pretend you weren’t running away from us. You can even pretend that your urgent business is not connected to the fact we surprised Matt and got him to tell us what he’s been working on. But it seems like one hell of a coincidence, and I’m not buying it.’

  She was silent for a moment, letting her words sink in. There really was no hurry now she knew where the girls were, and she’d put bets on Matt and Ezra being there as well. ‘The sooner you tell me the truth, the sooner you get to hospital.’ She shrugged with feigned nonchalance. ‘Your call.’

  Fiona’s teeth were clamped on her lower lip as she fought against the pain. Sara glanced down the hillside, watched Hailey reach the 4x4 and start searching inside.

  ‘I know all about Matt’s business,’ she said, as her mind finally put the pieces together. She couldn’t see Matt and Fiona as lovers. Hailey had been right when she said Matt wouldn’t do that, not with his upbringing and the beliefs his father had instilled in him. It was far more likely this was a business arrangement. ‘I’m guessing you might be his client.’

  Fiona’s eyes flicked open, and Sara saw the panic, an admission of guilt.

  ‘This is your venture, isn’t it?’ Rage roared in her ears as she understood the truth. ‘Why, Fiona? Why would you do that to me and Milly? Why humiliate us like that? And your disgusting website.’ She smacked the boulder she was sitting on to stop herself from slapping the woman at her feet. ‘How could you?’

  Fiona whimpered again, clearly in a lot of pain. It looked like her leg and elbow might both be broken. ‘Okay, let me tell you,’ she said, her words forced out from between clenched teeth. ‘None of your stupid guessing. You’re making a big fuss about nothing. If you hadn’t seen the video, you would never have known anything about it. So what harm would it have done? If Matt hadn’t decided to look at the videos to make sure they were loading properly, you’d have been none the wiser.’ Defiance shone in her eyes. ‘I gave you a job, Sara. Gave you a way of earning money when your family was in a mess. Created a business idea for Matt. That was me being a friend and supporting your family. Looking after you.’

  Sara’s mouth dropped open and she was speechless for a moment, unable to comprehend that Fiona could possibly imagine her actions had been benevolent. Deluded doesn’t come close. It’s all about money. That was the real truth. She stared out over the moors as her thoughts gathered to a logical conclusion. She’d seen the figures on the spreadsheet, seen the bookings and how much men were prepared to pay to play out their Sleeping Princess fantasy.

  ‘And you owed me a favour,’ Fiona continued, pressing her point. ‘Several favours. Let’s be honest, I’ve done a lot for you, and what have you done for me? Nothing. That’s the answer. You owed me. I chose the repayment method.’

  Sara shook her head in disbelief. Was that it? Had her debt really been to Fiona?

  ‘It’s a pity Matt couldn’t see he was on to a good thing with me. The stupid man’s besotted with you; he just brushed me away.’

  She tried to seduce him, and he resisted? Sara didn’t feel any less betrayed by the people she’d trusted. Her body was rigid with fury.

  Fiona moaned as she moved in an effort to make herself more comfortable. ‘I think we’re quits now.’ She attempted a smile, which turned into a grimace. ‘So let’s not say anything about it. And I won’t tell anyone you stole from the community centre.’

  Sara’s breath hitched in her throat and her heart gave a weird little skip. ‘You know?’

  ‘Of course I know.’ Fiona grunted, adjusting the position of her arm so the weight of it was supported on her chest. ‘Julia did a thorough audit of the accounts when she started, something our previous treasurer never bothered to do. She spotted it straight away. I told her I’d investigate, spoke to James, and we came to… an understanding. It has been documented as an admin error, but of course I can do further investigations and discover that James wasn’t being truthful with me, can’t I?’ She raised an eyebrow. ‘Then we’ll have to get the police involved and, well, we don’t want to go there, do we? So if you say nothing about the website, I’ll say nothing about the theft.’

  Sara shuffled her feet, nudging Fiona’s leg. She squealed in pain.

  ‘Oh God, I’m so sorry,’ Sara said, as if she meant it, while anger flared in her chest. Does she really think I’m going to let this go? She sat in silence, seething as she considered Fiona’s ultimatum.

  ‘Do we have a deal?’ Fiona asked, a tear trickling down her face. ‘Look, I need an ambulance. Please, Sara, Let’s just agree on this.’

  Sara glared at her, too angry to speak. When she did, there was a steely edge to her voice.

  ‘Think of all those women who were exploited. It’s not just me, is it? I know you tried to tell Matt that it was all consensual, and you might have convinced him, but I know it isn’t. You’re facilitating paid abuse.’ Sara’s feet itched to kick her again, harder this time, but she resisted. It was more important to understand why she’d been the target of Fiona’s scheme.

  Fiona closed her eyes. ‘Okay, some of it was wrong. I’ll admit that. I saw a business opportunity, didn’t think it through in terms of consequences.’ She grimaced, another tear rolling down her cheek. ‘It’s all over, anyway. Matt’s put an end to it. He said he’s destroyed everything.’

  Sara stared at her, willing her to open her eyes so she could see if this was the truth. The hardware was ruined, but what about the backup in the Cloud; what about the copies that were already out there, being shared by God knows who?

  The sound of footsteps made her look up, and she got to her feet, caught Hailey’s arm and led her away so Fiona couldn’t hear.

  ‘I had a good look in her car,’ Hailey whispered. ‘There’s something that could be a backup drive in the boot, all wrapped up in plastic. I didn’t touch it, didn’t want to leave fingerprints.’

  ‘A remote backup? God, I never thought of that. Do you think she was coming up here to hide it till all the fuss died down?’

  Hailey nodded. ‘That makes sense.’

  ‘Did you call the police?’

  Hailey looked at her. ‘You sure you want me to?’

  Sara swallowed her fears of what might lie ahead for her. ‘Do it,’ she said. It was the only way she’d be able to live with her conscience. How could she act to save herself when all those other women were being robbed of their dignity, molested without even being aware of what was happening? ‘Who knows what Matt can do in terms of starting it all up again? And I don’t trust Fiona as far as I can throw her, not with that much money at stake. It’s got to be stopped. Properly finished.’

  ‘I’m proud of you,’ Hailey said, her eyes gleaming. She walked a little way down the hill to make the call, while Sara chewed at her lip, thinking about what would happen next. She wasn’t ready to deal with the police. The kids. I need to make sure they’re okay.

  She waited for Hailey to finish.

  ‘Can I borrow your phone? I need to ring Matt. I’ve no idea what state he’s in, or where he is, and he’s got Ezra.’ Her voice sped along, propelled by the overwhelming desire to be with her children. ‘And then I need to check on the girls, tell them—’

  ‘Hey, calm down.’ Hailey held out her phone. ‘You take this. I’ve got my work phone in the car, so you can contact me on that.’ She gave Sara’s arm a reassuring squeeze. ‘Go and get the girls, ring Matt, do whatever you’ve got to do to make sure those kids are safe. I’ll stay
with Fiona, make sure the police know what’s been going on.’

  Sara took the phone, gave Hailey a grateful hug and hurried down the hill. It was only a twenty-minute walk back to her house, where she’d left the car, and as she walked, a plan formed in her mind. She’d go and get the girls and then phone Matt. If he wouldn’t talk to her, she’d get Sophia to speak to him. Between them they could sort this out and get Ezra back home. As a last resort, she told herself, the police would be able to find him.

  But as she hurried down the road towards the house, she realised none of that would be necessary. Matt’s car was parked outside.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  She started to run, adrenaline pumping through her veins, unsure what Matt was going to be like with her, but desperate to hold her son. He’ll be furious I changed the locks and he can’t get in. She slowed as she neared the car, expecting Matt to jump out and start shouting at her, but the vehicle was empty. With her heart racing, she checked the back garden, but there was no sign of Matt or Ezra.

  Bloody hell! Where are you?

  She pulled Hailey’s phone from her pocket and dialled his number. It rang and rang, but no answer. She tried again. And again. Eventually, she left a voicemail.

  ‘Matt, look, this has all got out of hand. We need to talk. Hailey called the police. Fiona’s been arrested and I promised her I wouldn’t tell the police anything in return for her silence about the money from the community centre. We’ve got to get our story straight. For the sake of the kids.’

  It was a dangerous game she was playing – the lies mounting up – but she hoped he couldn’t tell that her message was the opposite of the truth. She had a clear goal in sight: to put right the wrongs that had been done and get life back to normal without anyone she cared about getting hurt. Hailey would look after the children if Sara ended up in prison. Yes, it would bring humiliation to the family, but that was a price she was willing to pay. It would pass. Things would be forgotten. She could move to Skipton; not far away but another world in terms of the reach of local gossip. Her mind whirred through the consequences, none of them great, but it was a matter of damage limitation.