by K. L. Slater
She just walked away and she didn’t look back.
Chapter Seventy-Three
David
‘I don’t know how long I was in the clinic, but it seemed a long time,’ Holly says softly. ‘Nobody believed me about what happened, about Evan. I told the nurses, the doctors, and they just thought I was deluded.’
‘What about Brendan?’ I ask her. ‘Did they find out what you did?’
‘No. Incredibly, I got away with it. They thought he’d been distracted by his phone and stumbled into the road. The caller on the end of the line heard the truck and the long beep… It was classed as a tragic accident. But you see then she had my son. Still has. I have to find him, David.’
‘We haven’t got long. The ambulance will be here, and then…’ I look at poor Mrs Barrett’s prone, lifeless body and feel a catch in my throat. But I have to press on. ‘You told me you were scared of someone from your past trying to find you… that someone was watching you.’
‘I got… confused,’ she whimpers. ‘Some of it I did so you’d protect me, so you’d get closer to me. I sent the letter to myself; I imagined someone at the end of the garden… I mean, I convinced myself it was true.’
‘But now you think there was nobody there?’
Holly shrugs and squeezes her eyes closed. ‘It’s like a house of cards has collapsed around me. All this time I’ve believed Geraldine would look for me, that she’d suspect I was the one who killed Brendan. I’ve felt Evan’s presence in my head… as if he’s missing me too.’ Her voice drops and becomes faint. ‘But none of it was real.’
‘But why hurt Mrs Barrett? After everything she did for you… and you pretended to be my friend. This is how you repay us?’
‘I liked you, David. I really did.’ She says it in such a regretful tone, I almost believe her. ‘You know what it’s like to be an outsider. Perhaps we could have been true friends under different circumstances.’
I stand up. ‘I have to call the police now, you know that, don’t you, Holly?’
She smiles at me.
‘You still don’t understand the final part of my plan, do you, David?’
I look at her.
‘I didn’t hurt Cora. You did. You pushed her so hard she cracked her head on that fireplace.’
I shake my head and scowl at her. She sounds just like Mr Brown – blaming everything on me, trying to wriggle out of what he’d done.
‘No, Holly.’ I swallow hard and stare at her stretched mouth. ‘The truth is, you got mad and pushed her. I followed you just to try and help, that’s all.’
‘You pushed her, David. Your fingerprints are all over the headboard. There’s a copy of the lottery letter addressed to Cora in your crummy kiosk at work. I put it there, you see. There’s a recorded conversation between your mother and Cora, both worrying about your erratic behaviour and the possibility that you haven’t been taking your medication.’
She holds her phone up above her head.
‘When I went outside for air, I rang the police, not the ambulance. And they’ll be here any moment.’
I stare at her, lost for words. Eventually I say, ‘Why? Why betray me, your one true friend?’
‘I wanted to find Evan, and for that I needed money, lots of it. I’d been watching Cora for a while; I knew she’d be in the post office queue that day. I’d got to know her routines, but only with a view to finding a place to stay. I thought she was probably well off but never actually knew she’d had a lottery win until I found the letter, and then it all dropped into place. And you… you were a gift. An oddball next door who everyone knew was strange.’
I pause, unsure whether to tell her. Nothing around here seems certain any more. Holly doesn’t seem like Holly any more. Perhaps she’s just like all the others.
‘What is it?’ She narrows her eyes at me.
‘Markus told me what happened. When you were in the hospital.’
She stares.
‘Geraldine couldn’t cope without Brendan. She became terribly depressed, and…’
‘Go on.’
‘Holly, she went into the garage with Evan and killed them both. Carbon monoxide poisoning.’
Her face crumples in on itself. I cover my ears as she roars in pain like a wild animal.
I want to put my arm around her shoulders but I can’t quite manage it.
She jumps away from me and starts stuffing money in the bag again.
‘It’s a lie. Not true. Not true.’
‘Holly. Markus told me they’re all dead… Brendan, Geraldine and Evan. You’re the one who’s inadvertently been living a lie all this time.’
There’s no reaction; it’s as if I haven’t spoken. Her eyes aren’t flashing any more, they’re empty. Dead.
‘I’ll get away with this just like I got away with killing Brendan.’ She’s so self-assured, I could almost believe her.
‘You don’t get away with everything, Holly. I saw you break that vase at work; I was watching from the top of the stairs when you snapped the flowers off.’
Shock flits over her face, but just as quickly it is gone.
‘I’m sorry it had to be you, David,’ she continues. ‘You were a gift to me, the final piece of the jigsaw. I don’t believe what you’re saying about Geraldine and Evan. Markus lied to me all those years ago and he’s lying again now.’
She looks to the window, craning her head in anticipation of the police arriving.
‘But that’s not the final piece of the jigsaw, Holly,’ I say carefully. ‘I’m afraid the puzzle isn’t that simple.’
‘I’ve got about twenty-five grand here and as soon as they arrest you, I’m out of here. I’m going to find Evan.’ Hope flickers in her eyes. ‘You should have carried on taking your medication, David. You made it too easy for me. Now your own mother will have to give evidence about how worried she was about your strange behaviour.’
‘That’s just it, though, Holly,’ I say softly. ‘Mrs Barrett… she didn’t want to make things too easy for you.’
She stares at me.
‘A couple of weeks ago she told me she had a bad feeling about you. She was big on feelings, Mrs Barrett.’
‘Don’t lie! She really liked me. She told me I could stay here as long as I wanted.’
‘She did like you, but nevertheless, she had a bad feeling. She told me she didn’t trust you. That’s why she asked me to do a few extra bits for her in the house.’
She looks unsure. I’m feeling a little more powerful now.
‘You’re making no sense.’
‘It’s quite straightforward, Holly. Mrs Barrett had a bad feeling and that’s why she asked me to install the covert cameras. In her bedroom and in the lounge.’
‘What?’ Holly’s eyes scan the room. ‘There are no cameras in here.’
‘Look at the shelf, at Mrs Barrett’s lovely figurines. The lady in the middle… she’s not Capodimonte; she’s just a cheap ornament off the market. Go and look closely at her.’
I hear car doors slamming outside, but Holly seems not to notice. She is entranced by the figurine.
‘Oh my God… there’s a hole…’
‘And inside the hole is a covert camera. They’re everywhere, Holly, and they feed straight back to my computer. The footage is captured in the Cloud. For the last two weeks, everything has been recorded.’
‘You…’ She flies at me just as the room fills with officers.
Chapter Seventy-Four
David
Mrs Barrett left everything to me. The money, the house… every stick of furniture in it.
They found the will buried underneath paperwork.
It all seems a long time ago now. Here I am, almost two years later, the master of this house.
It’s handy having Mother still next door. She likes to make my meals, but sometimes I cook for her around here. She likes time away from Brian these days.
I refuse to see him now. I’m done with tiptoeing around and spending time with people I don’t like.
>
I’ve apologised to him, though, for losing my temper that day. Apart from a headache and a couple of stitches, he was OK in the end.
I still work at Kellington’s, and they took Emily back when she asked if they’d give her another chance.
We never mention Holly, and I never did tell them I’d seen her break the vase.
Good friends don’t desert people, and that’s why I’m still in touch with Holly.
Sometimes, really bad things happen to good people and they’re not always strong enough to bounce back to the person they were.
I, for one, am not about to write my friend off, as others have done.
The way Holly created that twilight world in her head taught me something. She lived in a place halfway between the truth and illusion, and I realised I’d been guilty of exactly the same thing myself.
I’d built Nick Brown up into some sort of superman who was hell-bent on avenging my interference. Yet in reality, he didn’t give a toss about me, his wife or Della. He cared only for himself.
I’ve been round there to apologise, and we shook hands. I don’t think we’ll ever be best buddies, but I’m not scared to walk down the street any more.
I’m spending my time getting the house shipshape. I take swatches and pictures in to Holly and we choose stuff together. She says she lives for my visits.
It’s a nice feeling, knowing that someone is reliant on you, couldn’t manage without you.
The clinic staff tell me she’s doing well, and although there’s no release date yet, we both live in hope that one will come. It’s a pleasant establishment as these sorts of places go; I pay the fees from Mrs Barrett’s lottery winnings. The money Holly dreamed of finally getting her hands on.
When she recovers, she’s going to come here and live with me. Just as friends, of course. We’ve both got our hang-ups, thanks to our colourful pasts.
I take a stack of new lilac-coloured towels upstairs. I bought them yesterday, when Holly told me she’d like a lilac and cream bathroom.
Before I get to the bathroom, I open the door on the left and look inside. Holly’s old bedroom.
Her face smiles out at me from the thousands of pictures that cover the walls and even the ceiling. My secret photographs paid off in the end.
I spot the ones taken from the bottom of the garden with my zoom lens… Holly in her bra and pants, lit up at her bedroom window like an angel.
I thought my cover was blown that night she spotted me out there in the bushes. I was only there to watch out for her, keep her safe, but I’ve never told her it was me.
I don’t want to worry her or disrupt her plans to live here.
I’m taking it easy, not rushing anything. I have all the time in the world.
But once she gets here, I’ll make sure she never wants to leave.
* * *
If THE VISITOR had you nervously looking over your shoulder and wanting to read more, you will love K.L. Slater’s unputdownable bestseller THE MISTAKE.
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The Mistake
Available now
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You think you know the truth about the people you love.
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But one discovery can change everything…
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Eight-year-old Billy goes missing one day, out flying his kite with his sister Rose. Two days later, he is found dead.
* * *
Sixteen years on, Rose still blames herself for Billy’s death. How could she have failed to protect her little brother?
* * *
Rose has never fully recovered from the trauma, and one of the few people she trusts is her neighbour Ronnie, who she has known all her life. But one day Ronnie falls ill, and Rose goes next door to help him… and what she finds in his attic room turns her world upside down.
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Rose thought she knew the truth about what happened to Billy. She thought she knew her neighbour. Now the only thing she knows is that she is in danger…
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The Mistake is a completely gripping thriller that will keep you up all night, from the top ten bestselling author of Blink, Liar and Safe with Me. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.
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Also by K.L. Slater
The Visitor
The Mistake
Liar
Blink
Safe With Me
A Letter from Kim
Dear Reader
I do hope you have enjoyed reading The Visitor, my fifth psychological thriller. If you did enjoy it, and want to keep up to date with all my latest releases, just sign up at the following link. Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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The seed of the idea for this book initially came from a newspaper article about a woman who successfully hid a troublesome past from all the people closest to her. It set me thinking about the different masks we wear: at work, at home, socially… We all naturally have many different facets to our personality. But what if we made a concerted effort to hide a sinister side? To appear one thing whilst secretly scheming to be another? It could have disastrous consequences for ourselves and the people around us.
I also began to explore, through the character of David, what it might feel like to be labelled as ‘odd’ by society when inside one feels perfectly normal. To be told to just ‘be yourself’ when actually that’s the last thing people want to see.
Who are we, really? And how are we shaped by our past? These are the questions that prompted me to write The Visitor.
The book is set in Nottingham, the place I was born and have lived all my life. Local readers should be aware that I sometimes take the liberty of changing street names or geographical details to suit the story.
Reviews are so massively important to authors. If you’ve enjoyed The Visitor and could spare just a few minutes to write a short review to say so, I would really appreciate that. You can also connect with me via Facebook, Twitter or my website.
I’ve loved getting to know Holly, David and Cora whilst writing this book, but the voices of my next cast are already demanding keyboard time! Until Book 6, then…
Best wishes,
Kim x
www.KLSlaterAuthor.com
Liar
A gripping psychological thriller with a shocking twist
How far would you go to protect your family?
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Single dad Ben is doing his best to raise his children alone, with the help of his devoted mother Judi. Life isn’t easy, but Judi’s family means everything to her and together, they manage.
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Then Ben meets Amber. Everyone thinks this is a perfect match for Ben but Judi isn’t sure … there’s just something about Amber that doesn’t add up.
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Ben can’t see why his mother dislikes his new girlfriend. And Amber doesn’t want Judi anywhere near her new family. Amber just wants Ben and the children.
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The further Judi delves into Amber’s personal life, the closer she gets to shocking secrets that could change everything. And Judi must make a decision that could lead to the most disastrous consequences.
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Liar is a compelling psychological thriller with a breathtaking twist that will keep you awake until the early hours. Perfect for fans of Behind Closed Doors, The Girl Before and The Sister.
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What readers are saying about K.L. Slater:
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‘Brilliant… very clever.’ B. A. Paris, author of Behind Closed Doors
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‘I want to take it and screa
m from the rooftops. I want to make everyone I know read a copy. I want to knock on doors and leave this book in mailboxes. If you can’t tell, I LOVED Blink by K.L. Slater. Enthralling, fast-paced and dark … I read this one into the night, I left the book open on my bed so I could try and absorb more as I slept. If you want a hair-raising thriller, then look no further. Blink is a must-read. 5 stars.’ Clues and Reviews
Blink
A psychological thriller with a killer twist you'll never forget
What if the person you love most in the world was in terrible danger… because of you?
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Three years ago, Toni’s five-year-old daughter Evie disappeared after leaving school. The police have never been able to find her. There were no witnesses, no CCTV, no trace.
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But Toni believes her daughter is alive. And as she begins to silently piece together her memories, the full story of the past begins to reveal itself, and a devastating truth.
