by Beevis, Keri
‘What do you mean, if he’s done it before?’ Lila repeated.
Elliot nudged his glasses up his nose and sniffed. ‘I told you that when you were in the hospital, I found someone in your room.’
Jack narrowed his eyes. Lila had mentioned nothing about that.
‘I remember,’ Lila told him, her tone a little brisk. ‘What is it, Elliot?’
Elliot glanced hesitantly at Jack, seemed to take his measure then obviously decided he could trust him. ‘He was wearing a hood.’
Elliot licked his lips nervously and Jack felt the tension in Lila as she froze beside him.
‘You were attacked at the hospital?’ he demanded, annoyed that he was only just finding this out.
Lila didn’t answer, instead stared at Elliot.
‘I’m sorry, Lila, I know I said I overreacted, but what if I was wrong. What if the person who did this is the same man who tried to hurt you before?’
9
Richard Gruger pulled into the long driveway that led up to the family home, head pounding, eyes tired, keen to have a hot shower and a glass of his favourite whisky.
It was not far off nine thirty and the pretty sunset he had enjoyed, the sky aflame with burning shades of orange, as he had driven along the bypass, had almost faded into darkness.
Richard appreciated pretty things; from sunsets to the neatly tended rhododendron bushes in full flower that flanked the winding driveway, to the company he had kept over the past few days. He pulled his Jag to a halt beside his wife’s Toyota, grabbed his suitcase from the boot, and hauled it to the front door where Judith stood dutifully waiting, clearly having heard his arrival.
‘Welcome home. Did you have a good conference?’
She offered her cheek and he brushed his lips against it briefly, irritation already swirling in the pit of his stomach. Yes, he appreciated pretty things, but Judith wasn’t one of them.
He guessed he must have found her attractive enough when she was younger, but she hadn’t aged well, didn’t take enough care with her appearance, preferring instead to focus her efforts on looking after her family. Richard didn’t love her, hadn’t done in a long while. Wondered if he ever really had. A lesser man would have walked away, but his parents had instilled values in him, taught him that divorce was for the weak. Plus of course it helped that Judith came from money, stood to inherit a fortune when her parents died. Richard had a good job and a decent income, but it wasn’t in the same league. Judith’s inheritance was going to set him up for life.
‘It was fine,’ he said, pushing past her into the hallway. Of course there had been no teaching conference, but she didn’t know that, was gullible enough to believe everything he told her, her loyalty and unwavering belief in him making it easy for him to play her as a fool. He pushed the door closed, shrugging her off as she fussed around him, trying to help him with his jacket.
‘I kept dinner in the oven for you. I know you said you would eat on the way home, but… I thought you might still be hungry. It’s shepherd’s pie, your favourite.’ She wrung her hands together. ‘I could make you up a plate.’
Richard loosened his tie, turned his back on her and skulked into the lounge. ‘I just want a whisky,’ he grumbled, amazed at how a couple of minutes in her company could crank up his irritation levels.
‘Here, honey, let me pour it for you. You must be exhausted.’
When Judith tried to wrestle the whisky bottle from him, his temper snapped.
‘God, woman, will you stop fussing, for crying out loud?’
She flinched at his tone. ‘I’m sorry, Rich. I was only trying to help.’
‘You can help me by giving me a little breathing space.’
‘Is there a problem here?’
Richard glanced at his son who had slunk into the room. He was still only eighteen, but Aaron already matched him in build and height. He had his mother’s colouring; dark hair and eyes, though mercifully hadn’t inherited her dozy personality.
‘There’s no problem, Aaron. How is your studying going?’
‘Fine. How was your teaching conference?’
Richard could see the disapproval in his eyes, hear it in his tone. Aaron knew he hadn’t been at a teaching conference.
He wouldn’t say anything to Judith though, Aaron understood that if his mother ever found out the truth about his father it would break her.
‘Good.’ Richard poured his drink, took a sip of whisky. ‘In fact, I’m beat. Why don’t you keep your mother company. I’m going upstairs for a shower and an early night.’
‘You had a visitor while you were away.’ Aaron’s voice was teasing almost.
‘Aaron!’ Judith scolded in a hushed whisper. ‘You promised.’
Richard’s back stiffened, hand tightening on his glass. ‘Who? Another reporter?’
He didn’t welcome company, liked the privacy his home gave him, and hadn’t appreciated the intrusion into his personal life after he had pulled that wretched girl from the broad. He was more than aware that when people started looking too closely, they sometimes found things they weren’t supposed to.
‘No, this visitor was better than a reporter.’
‘Aaron, please…’ Judith sounded panicky, her expression contrite when Richard spun round. ‘I wasn’t going to say anything. I knew you wouldn’t be happy.’
‘Who was here, Judith?’ Richard dropped his voice to a silky whisper, one he knew his wife and son recognised as a warning they were treading on dangerous ground.
While Judith quaked, seeming afraid to say, Aaron smiled slyly, not backing down. ‘Lila Amberson stopped by. She wanted to thank the man who saved her life.’
Richard bristled. He had known she might come looking for him, had hoped she wouldn’t. ‘So you were going to keep this from me?’ he demanded of Judith, the easiest target for his anger. ‘You were going to lie to my face?’
‘I didn’t want to worry you. I made her go. I told her she wasn’t welcome.’
‘You lied to me!’
‘I didn’t lie. Please, Rich, you have to understand. I did what I thought was best.’
When Judith reached for his hand, he pulled away, hurling his whisky glass against the wall in rage.
‘Dad!’
‘I am the head of this household. I make the decisions of what is best for this family.’
‘Rich, I’m sorry, please don’t be mad.’
‘How am I supposed to be? I have a wife who is a liar, who is conspiring behind my back to keep things from me.’
When the pathetic woman sobbed, he twisted the knife deeper. ‘This is the kind of homecoming I get? I come back tired from my trip and all I wanted to do was relax and have a drink, but oh no, you had to go and ruin that for me.’
‘Richard, please.’
‘You’re an arsehole.’
Richard scowled at Aaron. ‘You watch your mouth or you’ll be sorry.’
His son glowered back, but was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.
‘I’m going upstairs for my shower. I suggest you have this mess cleaned up by the time I get back down.’ He stormed from the room, away from Judith’s pathetic wails and Aaron’s attempts to console her.
The shower did little to ease Richard’s tension, the night of Lila Amberson’s accident replaying in his mind. He had been the first car on the scene, had already been in the water when a second vehicle had stopped on the bridge, and there had been no escaping the questions, first from the police then later from the press.
So far his lies of where he had been that night had held up, but it only took one person to dig too deep, and the truth would be exposed.
How he wished his and Lila’s paths hadn’t crossed.
And now she wanted to thank him for saving her life.
If she came here looking for him again, he would have to find a way to deal with her.
10
‘Okay. Please keep me updated.’ Lila ended the call with PC Wallace before muttering, ‘And thanks
for nothing.’
Frustrated, she hurled the phone across the room as Elliot walked in. He ducked as it whizzed past his ear.
‘Jesus, Lila, do you mind?’ He sniffed indignantly, bending to retrieve the phone and handing it to her. ‘I didn’t have to lend you this, you know. You should be more respectful of other people’s property.’
‘Sorry… I’m sorry.’ Lila slipped the phone in her pocket. ‘I was just talking to the police.’
‘What did they say? Have they managed to find him?’
‘No, and I don’t think they’re looking very hard.’
‘Why?’ Elliot dropped into the chair facing her, looking annoyed. ‘This man pushed you in front of a bus. And he might have tried to hurt you before. Why would they not take that seriously?’
‘Because they don’t think he meant to push me. They think it was an accident.’
‘What? That’s crazy. People saw him do it.’
‘But that’s just it, they didn’t. They’ve spoken with everyone and they all say the same thing; that they saw me fall in front of the bus. No-one actually saw me get pushed. Not even the bus driver.’
‘But he ran away. Jack chased him.’
‘PC Wallace thinks he was probably in a hurry and nudged me to get past, that I lost my footing, then when he realised what had happened, he panicked and ran.’
‘That’s bullshit.’
‘I know that, but I don’t think they believe me. Don’t get me wrong; they’re still trying to find him, but I don’t think it’s a priority. And they definitely don’t think it’s related to what you say happened in the hospital.’
Elliot’s expression hardened. ‘I know what I saw. You believe me, don’t you?’
‘Of course.’
At least Lila believed that Elliot thought he had seen someone in her hospital room trying to hurt her. After her conversation with Wallace, she was beginning to even doubt herself, and she couldn’t know for sure what had happened while she had been in a coma.
‘It’s not too late to cancel my trip. I can stay here if you want me to.’
‘Oh, Elliot, you don’t have to do that.’
Her brother had his annual geekfest break planned with his friends: this year in Scotland where the six of them had hired a cottage in the Highlands for five days of comics, role playing and board games, and they were due to depart that weekend. Lila knew how much he was looking forward to it and would never make him miss it, despite it meaning she would be alone for most of the week.
‘My leg’s getting better by the day. I really don’t need you to keep babysitting me.’
‘But what if this bloke’s really trying to hurt you?’
‘Then I’ll keep the doors and windows locked and stay safe indoors.’ Lila forced a bright smile. Although the reaction from the police had pissed her off, she was relishing having her flat to herself for a few days. ‘I’m going to lie down for a bit, I have a banging headache. You wanna order takeout again for dinner?’
Elliot, who had less enthusiasm for the kitchen than Lila, immediately perked up at the idea of not having to cook. ‘Pizza?’
‘Fine with me,’ Lila agreed, reaching for her crutches.
‘Oh, I almost forgot. I have some good news. I’ve got your sim card.’ Elliot reached into his pocket. ‘Dave managed to get it working for you.’
‘Really?’
‘You can load it into my old phone and get all of your contacts and pictures back.’
‘That’s not just good news, that’s great news, thank you,’ Lila told him, genuinely pleased. ‘Tell Dave I owe him a drink.’
She made her way through to her bedroom, sat down on the bed and picked up her phone. There were two texts, one from Natalie checking she was okay, the other from Beth asking if anything had happened with Jack. Lila smiled as she replied to both, thanking Natalie for her concern, and telling Beth in no uncertain terms that nothing had happened with Jack, that nothing was going to happen with Jack, and she was off the mark with this one.
But would you want something to happen with Jack?
Clyde, who had been snoozing on the chair she used as a clotheshorse, stretched lazily and yawned before sauntering over for a head bop. Lila scratched him under the chin, annoyed she was actually considering the question.
Jack Foley had been horrible to her the first time they’d met and it was difficult to get past how he had initially treated her. Or at least it would be if he hadn’t gone above and beyond to try to make things right. Not many people would give a stranger a lift while attending a family member’s funeral. And he had sought her out to apologise for his behaviour, even sticking around to help her after the second accident.
There was no denying he was gorgeous, those light blue eyes that seemed to look right through her and that scruffy golden brown hair giving him a dishevelled charm. He was out of her league though, moved in completely different circles. Beth was barking up the wrong tree.
Still she looked Jack up again on Facebook, annoyed that his profile gave nothing away. Instead she turned to Google, typed his name in the search engine. He was a novelist so there was bound to be some articles about him.
She found his website, read a little about his books, intrigued to know more about them. Clicking on to Amazon, she downloaded the first one onto her Kindle.
Back to Google and she read through a few more articles, both surprised and annoyed at the stab of jealousy when she came across a picture of him with his arm around a stunningly pretty blonde. Tiffany Pendleton-Shay.
Girlfriend? The article didn’t say.
Irritated by her reaction, Lila inserted the sim card Elliot had given her into his old phone, waited for it to load. Although he hadn’t said it, she got the impression PC Wallace thought she was a little paranoid after all she had been through, and the truth was she was unsettled knowing she only had fragments of memory from the night of the accident.
Perhaps he was right and she was trying to create something sinister out of what had been nothing more than an unexpected tragedy. And as for what Elliot thought he had seen, well, her brother had always had an overactive imagination. Too much time spent with zombies and Marvel superheroes probably had him reading too much into an innocent situation.
It wasn’t in Lila’s nature to be dramatic or jump to conclusions. She was a pragmatist. If she could just fill in the blanks from the night of the accident, it would help put her mind at ease.
She scrolled through her contacts; pleased to see they were all back. While she had managed to get hold of a handful of numbers, there were many she had been missing. Clicking into photos, she was relieved they had all saved and made a mental note to back them up before she lost them again. She really did owe Dave a drink.
She clicked through the first half a dozen, not remembering taking them, before spotting the date and realising they were all stamped the night of the accident.
Curious, she studied them closely.
They had been taken in the dark, all similar shots of the moon casting a glow over water. Filby Broad, she realised; the place where they had crashed.
Suddenly she was back there, standing on the bridge, snapping away, trying to get the perfect shot. Although there was no footpath, the usually busy road was quiet due to the lateness of the night. It was peaceful, atmospheric and ever so slightly spooky.
Lila glanced back towards the trees on the other side of the road and the little footpath that led to the car park in the woods.
Mark had left her in the car muttering to himself about needing to pee. It should have taken him two minutes, not ten, and Lila guessed he was sulking, trying to punish her for rejecting his advances when he had pulled off the road, clearly expecting they were going to have a post-date sex session before he took her home. The argument that had followed would ensure it was an uncomfortable ride back to Norwich.
Waiting alone in the car had been both boring and creepy, and eventually Lila had decided she’d had enough. Mark hadn’t rep
lied when she had called him and she had been reluctant to venture too far into the woods. Instead she followed the little path that led to the road, unable to resist photographing the scene she found before her.
While she didn’t particularly relish the idea of going back to the empty car, she also didn’t want to risk Mark returning and leaving without her, and she made her way back, figuring she would give him another few minutes before calling Beth and asking her friend to come and pick her up.
Beth wouldn’t be happy about turning out at that time of night, but it was her fault Lila was in the situation in the first place. She should have stuck to her guns and her happy single status and not let herself be bullied into going on a blind date. It was the last time she planned on taking Beth’s advice.
Huffing to herself, she made her way along the path, cursing as brambles scraped against her bare legs. She was beginning to need the loo herself, the two bottles of lager and glass of wine she’d had in the pub making its way through her. The idea of squatting down in the dark woods didn’t appeal though and she swore again when she arrived back at the car to find Mark still hadn’t returned.
Where the bloody hell was he?
She peered into the darkness, trying to pluck up courage to go find him, but part of her worried this was some sick game he was playing with her.
She should call Beth.
As she reached into her bag for her phone, a noise came from the woods. Heavy footsteps snapping against twigs, the sound of panting. Startled, Lila swung around as Mark appeared in the clearing. He was out of breath but didn’t stop as he pushed past her to the driver’s door.
‘Where the bloody hell have you–?’
‘Get in the car!’
‘What the hell–’
‘Get in the car, now!’
He was already behind the wheel, fumbling with his keys in the ignition, looking ready to drive off if she didn’t comply. Mad as she was, he was also scaring her and Lila didn’t want to be left behind, so she quickly climbed in the passenger seat, reaching for her seat belt as he hurtled out of the car park, heading back into Filby.
