Shadow Watcher, A Romantic Suspense Novel

by Carolyn Mahony

  Her eyes flew open. ‘How do you know about Stuart?’

  ‘I know everything about you, Gracie. I make it my business. It’s just a question of time before I decide what to do with that knowledge.’

  Her legs felt as if they were giving her no support at all, but she wouldn’t let him see he was scaring her. Catching him by surprise, she pushed abruptly past him to the front door. She felt the cool air from the street blasting in as she opened it – reconnecting her to the outside world.

  ‘Get out.’

  He stared her out for a long moment. ‘If that’s how you want to play it.’

  He sauntered unhurriedly past her. ‘Give my love to Ellie. Tell her Daddy will be seeing her very soon.’

  CHAPTER TEN

  Grace dumped her shopping bags on the kitchen worktop. Her arms ached from carrying all the shopping but she set to work as quickly as she could unpacking it all. Stuart was coming round for dinner later to discuss their summer holiday – a much-needed break for both of them as far as she was concerned. Anything to interrupt the relentless cycle of tension brought on by Rory’s increasingly intrusive behaviour.

  It was also a big step, made all the bigger by the fact that Stuart had insisted on taking Ellie with them, to ‘cement them as a family’. She wasn’t sure she was ready for that yet, but when she’d tentatively suggested leaving Ellie with Lynette, he’d been adamant.

  ‘I want her to start seeing me as a permanent part of her life. We need to talk about where we’re going in our relationship, Grace. I know it’s only been eight months, but I know how I feel. I’d like for us to move in together at some point, but for that to happen you need to let me in more.’

  She was sure he didn’t mean it, but the way he said it sounded controlling, and she found herself instinctively withdrawing from him. The very idea of moving in with him panicked her. Whether that was a commitment thing, or worry about him finding out the truth about Rory, she wasn’t sure. She suspected it was a bit of both. Something held her back from telling him the full story about her issues with Rory and she wasn’t sure what it was – which was his whole point she supposed about her not letting him in.

  The phone rang just as she was putting the last item in the fridge.

  ‘Grace? It’s Rory. I want to see Ellie tonight. I’ll be over about seven.’

  Her heart plummeted; she didn’t know how much more of this she could take.

  ‘You can’t come tonight, I’ve got company for dinner – and I’ve told you before that Ellie goes to bed at quarter to seven. You can’t just ring at the last minute and expect to see her.’

  ‘Seven o’clock,’ Rory repeated, and hung up.

  Grace’s temper flared. He was getting more unreasonable by the day. And if he turned up, then Stuart would meet him for the first time. It looked like she no longer had any choice about involving him.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me before how difficult he’s being?’ Stuart asked that evening, putting a protective arm around her shoulder as they sat together on the settee.

  She shrugged. It was too much to explain the shame she felt at having such a dysfunctional life when his was so normal. And was it a flaw in their relationship or in her that she couldn’t open up to him – tell him about Rory – the rape? Lynette and Leo told each other everything.

  Stuart was watching her, noting the different expressions that were flitting across her face. ‘You know … a man likes to feel needed in a relationship – trusted. I’ve always known there’s stuff you haven’t told me. It worries me that you feel you can’t.’ He smiled. ‘I’m a doctor, you know – there’s not much you could say that would shock me.’

  Grace sighed. She was so lucky to have him; she knew that. ‘I guess I’ve been on my own for so long I’m not very good at sharing stuff–’

  ‘There’s always a first time. I love you, Grace and I need you to tell me what went on so that we can deal with it together and put it behind us.’

  She wanted to, but she couldn’t, and the realisation was a shattering one. It had to be another measure of how screwed up she was, that she couldn’t put her trust in a man anyone could see was the salt of the earth.

  ‘It might be better if you’re in the other room when he comes,’ she said. ‘He’ll probably be easier to deal with if I’m alone.’

  She could feel his probing stare on her. ‘I’m staying put,’ he said finally. ‘It’s about time he realised you’re not alone in this – that you’ve got someone looking out for you.’

  When seven o’clock came and Rory stood on her doorstep there was again that glassy-eyed look about him that had disturbed her the day Ellie had been ill.

  He glared at Stuart. ‘What the fuck’s he doing here?’

  ‘Stuart’s a friend of mine,’ Grace said tersely, ‘as well you know. And please don’t come in here using that language. I told you it wasn’t convenient tonight.’

  ‘Do you think I give a toss what you find convenient? How do I know this arsehole’s suitable company for my daughter?’

  ‘Now look here–’ Stuart began.

  ‘No – you look here.’ In the blink of an eye Rory had rounded on him. ‘I don’t want you near my daughter – do you understand? Now get out.’

  ‘Rory! How dare you come in here–’

  She broke off, her eyes fixing in horror on the sharp, glinting knife that had suddenly materialised from nowhere in his hand. Both she and Stuart took an alarmed step back.

  He’s on something, she realised, as he waved it at her threateningly. Her whole system went into overdrive. Dear God, don’t let Ellie come in.

  Stuart held up a hand.

  ‘Hey, steady on, mate … there’s no need for that. Okay, I’ll go, if that’s what you want. I don’t want to make things worse. Just put the knife away. I’m sure you and Grace can sort this out.’

  His reassuring look met Grace’s shocked one as he edged slowly towards the front door.

  He was going? Leaving her?

  Common sense kicked in … he must be going to call the police, which was probably the best and most sensible thing to do. But even so …

  She held her breath, terrified that Rory would lunge at any minute as she saw the indecision in his eyes, but the moment passed and she heard the soft click as the door closed, and they were alone.

  ‘Where’s Ellie?’ Rory demanded.

  Fear for her daughter pushed her own fears aside. ‘She’s in bed. Put that knife away, Rory; you’ll terrify her if she hears you and comes in.’

  He edged slowly towards her, his eyes never leaving her face. ‘I could mar those pretty little features of yours in one swipe.’ He sliced through the air to show her. ‘And no more pretty little Grace.’

  He was getting nearer and despite her resolve to stand firm, Grace found herself backing slowly away from him, her eyes on Ellie’s door behind him.

  ‘Are you having sex with that jerk?’

  ‘That’s none of your business!’

  ‘You didn’t want sex with me, did you? Not back then. But I think you want it now – you just won’t admit it.’

  Her back hit the solid wall behind her – she could go no further. And still he advanced, his eyes raking her body.

  Oh God! Where was Stuart?

  She toyed with the idea of making a run for it but where could she go?

  And every instinct shrieked caution. It wouldn’t take much to tip him over the edge.

  ‘What do you want, Rory?’ she asked, keeping her voice calm.

  ‘What do I want?’ He licked his lips. ‘I don’t really know. You think you were so clever getting the better of me, don’t you? I want to punish you for that – make you realise that no-one messes with me. But then I remember how I felt that night.’ His eyes dropped to her mouth. ‘And I want to possess you again.’

  Oh God!

  He leaned closer, the knife shaking in his hand as it came to rest against the skin of her throat.

  ‘Unbutton your shirt,�
� he whispered.

  There was a recklessness about him that told her he was way past being reasoned with, and when she made no immediate move to do as he said, he pushed his face close up to hers so that she could smell the unkempt sweatiness of him.

  ‘You heard me … do it.’

  Slowly, her hands moved up to her buttons.

  ‘Rory, please. Ellie could come in at any mo–’

  ‘Are you choosing to disobey me, Grace? Again?’

  The knife pressed tighter into her neck, bringing back the utter sense of helplessness she’d felt all those years ago. With trembling fingers, she started doing as he instructed.

  And then, like music to her ears, she heard it – the distant but unmistakable sound of police sirens.

  Rory heard them too … his glazed eyes turning uncomprehendingly in the direction of the window, his brow knitting as he tried to clear his brain.

  ‘It’s the police,’ Grace said desperately. ‘Stuart will have called them. If you go out through the kitchen door there’s a gate at the back of the garden that will take you out onto Grange Street. You might just get away before they get here.’

  All she could think was that she didn’t want it developing into a siege situation if he became trapped in the flat.

  For one horrific moment she felt the pressure of the knife increase against her throat. But then it eased again and he smiled. ‘Don’t want to leave any marks that might get me into trouble, do I?’ he whispered, smoothing the skin with his thumb. ‘Don’t think you’ve won – I’ll be back. And if you report me for this, I’ll take Ellie. Think on that.’

  And then he was swinging away from her, heading towards the kitchen. Grace waited until she was sure he’d gone before rushing after him to lock the back door. Only then did she collapse into a chair and bury her head in her hands. How the hell had her life come to this?

  ‘What do you mean you’re not going to press charges?’ Stuart was staring at her dumbfounded. ‘For God’s sake, the man’s a psycho. If you don’t deal with him now he’ll hound us for the next twenty years or more. Is that what you want?’

  ‘Of course not.’ Grace glowered at him. Couldn’t he see that her frustration was as deep as his? Did he have any idea of the sleepless nights she’d spent tossing and turning – asking question after question of herself, before coming to this decision?

  And what it boiled down to was that she didn’t trust the system to do right by her if she took Rory on. He hadn’t actually physically attacked her and he’d denied even having the knife when the police had questioned him, saying he’d had a bit to drink and was upset because Grace never let him see his daughter alone. It would be his word against theirs in court. And if he got let off with a caution – which in her opinion was a near given – what might he do next?

  ‘I have to protect Ellie,’ she said flatly. ‘He said that if I fight him, he’ll take her. And I believe him. You don’t know what he’s like, Stuart.’

  ‘And whose fault is that?’

  She said nothing, her heart aching at what seemed to be happening to their relationship. He was right, it was her fault. She should have been honest with him from the start.

  ‘You realise the CPS could decide to prosecute anyway?’

  She nodded.

  ‘And you do realise he was high on drugs?’

  ‘Yes, but he’s denied that …’

  ‘Grace, you can’t handle him on your own. He needs to be stopped.’

  ‘I know he does.’

  ‘Then do something.’

  She wished she could do what he wanted; she really did. But another part of her was angry that he couldn’t see what was holding her back – even though that anger was unfair, she knew. How could she expect him to understand a mother’s love for her child … a love so deep and overwhelming that the only thing to surpass it was the suffocating fear of losing that child? Only another parent could understand that.

  And she knew Rory. If she took him on in court he’d have no qualms about carrying out his threat and dragging Ellie into their personal vendetta – and the thought of what he might do made her sick with fear.

  There was one thing she could do though. She’d been holding back the ultimate threat to Rory of going to his parents and divulging Ellie’s existence to them. She didn’t understand why he was so against them knowing, but he was – and it was the only weapon she had to fight back with.

  But …

  ‘Ah, Grace, you disappoint me,’ Rory sighed in mocking tones when she issued her ultimatum. ‘It seems to me that you haven’t quite learnt your lesson yet. I tell you not to involve the police and you do, and now you’re trying to threaten me.’

  ‘It wasn’t me who involved the police – I had no say in the matter. It’s the law for them to follow up on something like that automatically.’ Her fist clutched tightly around the phone. ‘But I mean what I say, Rory. Leave us alone, or I’ll contact your parents.’

  ‘You should know by now that I don’t like threats and if I’m going to be banged up for one thing I might just as well make it two. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.’

  ‘Rory–’

  ‘See you around.’

  She heard no more from him over the next couple of weeks – though she wasn’t able to relax as he struck back with little things she was sure were his calling card – a slashed tyre, silent phone calls, banging on her bedroom window in the middle of the night.

  On her better days she dared to hope that her threat had worked. He’d always been frightened of his father and she could understand why, having been on the receiving end of his wrath herself. But on her darker days, her anxiety won through. It didn’t fit his profile to give in so easily.

  Most upsetting was the affect it was having on her and Stuart’s relationship. His commitments at the hospital saw to it that she’d only seen him a handful of times since their conversation about not pressing charges, and matters hadn’t been helped by the fact that he’d seen Rory hanging around outside the flat.

  ‘He’s not going to go away, Grace. He’s never going to give up. And you know what? It feels like there are three of us in this relationship and I don’t like it – especially when the third person’s a bloody nutter and seems to have more control over you than I do.’

  She stared up at him. ‘What are you saying?’

  ‘I’m not saying anything – just that it’s hurtful that you seem to respond more to threats and intimidation than you do to love and support. Is that what I have to do to get you to turn to me?’

  ‘Of course not. That’s a horrible thing to say. You know me better than that.’

  He looked at her and sighed exasperatedly, his anger evaporating. ‘Do I? I sometimes feel I don’t know you at all.’

  ‘Oh, Stuart, of course you do. I’m sorry – I’m a mess at the moment. I just don’t know what to do for the best.’

  ‘Well, you know my thoughts on it. You should make an official complaint to the police – but I can’t force you to do that and something tells me I’m wasting my breath.’

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  He watched as Grace opened the car door and let the kids pile out; then climbed out of his own car and followed her at a discreet distance. She took a basket – so clearly not buying much – and walked into the supermarket, the children trailing noisily in her wake.

  He could feel the adrenalin pumping. He had surprise on his side. He could do this.

  It was only five minutes before he was presented with his opportunity.

  ‘I’m just going up there to the bread section,’ he heard Grace say, pointing further along the aisle. ‘See where I’ll be? You can have a look at the sweets here and choose one thing each as a special treat. I’ll be back in a minute to see what you want.’

  She turned her back on them and he made his move. Ellie was nearest to him, the other two already eagerly looking at the array of confectionary on the shelves in front of them, and he caught her eye, beckoning her to join him.
r />   She looked surprised but moved towards him.

  ‘I’ve got a surprise for you in the car,’ he said, giving her his most winning of smiles. ‘Do you want to come and get it?’

  She hesitated. ‘I have to tell Mummy if I go anywhere.’

  ‘Ah, but I have a little surprise for Mummy too. And we’ll be back before she even notices you’ve gone. You can give it to her if you like? She’ll love that.’

  ‘What about my sweets?’

  ‘We’ll choose those in a minute when we come back, shall we?’

  ‘Okay.’

  She placed her hand trustingly in his and made no demur when after a few steps he hoisted her onto his shoulders and carried her swiftly out of the store …

  Lynette opened her front door. One look at her sister’s face and her own children’s subdued expressions was enough to tell her something dreadful had happened.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘Rory’s taken Ellie–’

  Grace’s face crumpled, sobs choking her as she allowed herself to be led into the house.

  ‘Emily … put the switch down on the kettle, darling, will you? And get you and Michael some biscuits out of the tin and go and watch the television for a little while.’

  ‘Where’s Ellie gone?’ Emily asked, her face worried. ‘Why did she go with that man, and why is Aunty Grace crying?’

  ‘Ssh, not now, sweetie. It wasn’t a stranger, it was her daddy. Just do as I ask – I’ll come and see you in a minute.’

  Grace wasn’t a brandy drinker but when Lynette thrust the glass into her hand, she downed it in one, grateful for the burning heat that kicked in reassuring her she could still feel.

  ‘Tell me what happened,’ Lynette asked gently.

  ‘We stopped off at Mason’s on the way home to get a couple of bits. The kids were choosing their sweets and I was looking for some bread a bit further up the aisle. It was the same aisle, Lynette – he did it right under my nose and I didn’t see him. The first I knew was when Emily came up and told me Ellie had gone off with a stranger. I couldn’t believe it. She’d never do something like that. I ran outside straight away but you know how busy it is at this time of day … and there were so many people … I couldn’t see her. I rushed back into the store to tell someone she was missing … but then I got a text from Rory saying she was with him and he’d call me later.’