by Mel Sherratt
It was then that I started to plot my escape for the second time. I could take Chloe and stay with my parents until I found my feet again. I wanted to have this child, even though it was another part of me that would be a part of him. I just couldn’t abort it. I knew it was wrong to bring a child up in my world, but I couldn’t kill it either. It wasn’t the child’s fault that I had such a lousy life.
I was only four weeks pregnant when I found out and so I planned to take a couple of weeks to plan everything in readiness. I couldn’t just walk back into my parents’ home. They would need notice. I knew they’d welcome us but that in itself presented a whole load of problems. They lived in a two-bedroom house, so there would barely be room for us.
In the end, I didn’t tell Ryan that I was pregnant. My body let me down. Morning sickness came on me like a ton of bricks. That particular morning, I raced out of bed and into the en suite, getting to the toilet just in time to throw up. As I pulled my head back and wiped at my mouth, I could sense him behind me. Feeling vulnerable sitting on the floor, I put my hands on each side of the seat and went to heave myself up. But he pressed a hand on my shoulder.
‘This isn’t the first time you’ve been sick in the morning, is it?’ He spoke quietly, his voice calm yet dark.
I shook my head. ‘I think I must have caught food poisoning or something. Maybe that chicken was dodgy the night before last.’
He leaned over me. ‘This has nothing to do with food, has it?’
I pushed myself up to standing again.
‘You’re pregnant, aren’t you?’ he said.
‘No, I— I don’t think so.’ I turned to him slightly, keeping my stomach well hidden. ‘I just feel unwell, that’s all.’
He held out his hand. ‘Best you get back to bed then.’
I nodded slightly and took his hand. ‘Let me wipe my mouth first,’ I said, stalling for time. The look in the bathroom mirror of an ashen woman with sunken eyes and sick down the side of her face startled me.
He stood in the doorway as I wiped myself down. Then he took my hand again and led me to the bed. Before I could get in, he pushed me in the back and knocked me to the floor.
‘You’re sure you’re not pregnant?’ he said, his face next to mine again. ‘Because I don’t actually believe you.’
‘No, no! I swear, I’m not.’
‘Well, if you are, you soon won’t be.’ He drew back his foot and aimed it below my ribs. The pain was intense as the toe of his boot drove into me.
I coughed and retched, holding up my hand as I cried out. ‘Please, don’t!’
He aimed his foot at me again as I curled up into a ball. ‘Having another baby is out of the question. You can’t even look after me and Chloe. If you have another child, who will look after us?’
His fists came at me then, and I curled up tighter to stop the onslaught. He knew there was nothing I could do to stop him destroying the life I had tried so hard to preserve. And I had lied to him and told him that it didn’t exist. What kind of a mother was I to do that?
While Chloe slept in her room, I fought off his blows. The last one, his foot connecting with my chin, sent me sprawling back into the corner of the room. It was then he stood over me, saw the fear in my eyes.
‘You are not having another baby, do you hear me?’
I just about had the strength to nod. His eyes bore into mine, searching out my lies, my deceit, my pain. Then he drove his fist into my stomach several times in quick succession.
‘That’s just to make sure,’ he said.
I could hardly move with the pain and didn’t dare get up anyway. But it didn’t matter. He’d done what he’d set out to do. About an hour later, I felt blood trickling down between my legs. The baby was gone.
Chapter Forty-Two
Before she went home for the night, Eden drove over to Bernard Place to visit Ramona Wilson. Amy had been sent out to see the other victims. Eden wanted to see their reaction to the photo image she had of Aiden Daniels posing as his brother. It was a long shot, and even if they couldn’t identify him, she hoped they would all recover enough to get on with their lives again.
Eden couldn’t begin to understand what these women had been through, but she always prayed that they could be stronger because of it. Though she knew some would go into their shell, never trust a man again; never leave the house for fear of attack.
Did each day that passed make it easier to bear? she wondered. Or did that depend on how strong a person they were before it happened? Each woman she had seen had acted differently.
‘How are you feeling?’ Eden asked Ramona as she sat down across from Eden in her parents’ small kitchen.
‘Like I don’t want to go out ever again.’ Ramona spoke in a low voice. ‘I know I said I wouldn’t let him break me but what if he’s waiting for me? Waiting to do it again?’
Eden said nothing. There were no words of comfort she could offer. She smiled faintly at her.
‘You didn’t see his face but I wondered. . . Women say they never forget their attacker’s eyes. I know you said that too. I have a photo that I’d like you to look at, if you’re up to it?’
Ramona shook her head vehemently. Then as a tear fell down her cheek, she nodded. ‘I have to do this,’ she said.
Eden got out the paper with the photocopied headshot of Daniels. They’d Tippexed out his name and details.
‘Is this him?’ she asked, holding out the paper to her.
Ramona took it from her, her hand shaking as she stared at it. Then she looked at Eden with a shake of her head.
‘I can’t be sure,’ she said through her tears.
Eden touched her arm gently. ‘It was a really long shot.’
‘Have you caught him?’
Eden shook her head. ‘But we’re exploring every possibility. The evidence we’re processing from you and the crime scene might link us to him too. I know it’s awful to say this but it’s early days. We’re waiting on lots of forensics.’
Ramona looked at her with so much pain in her eyes that Eden’s began to well up too.
‘Please stop him from ruining anyone else’s life,’ Ramona said quietly.
Eden nodded. ‘And please use the counselling and support available at the rape suite. There will always be someone there to listen to you.’
When Eden left the house, she was more determined than ever to nail Daniels for the pain he had caused. It irked her that he was still attacking women, and yet they weren’t far enough along in their investigation to charge a suspect. But she knew her team would come up with the vital piece of information that would soon lead to an arrest.
Chapter Forty-Three
At home that evening, Carla watched two episodes of a rerun of Happy Valley. It was one of her favourite programmes, and it still gave her a thrill that she could watch what she wanted, when she wanted. Already she had painted her nails and read a magazine from front to back.
Ryan would never have let her sit on the settee for two hours. He would say she had time on her hands and make her clean a room in the house, even though everywhere would have been spotless.
She’d relished the nights during their first few years of marriage when he’d stayed away overnight with his work. It became her time to relax and just enjoy the quiet and calm. But when Ryan had lost his job, his obsession to see what she was doing every minute of the day had increased. Still, that was all over and done with now. She would never have to do that again.
It was 9.30 p.m. She wondered whether to squeeze in another episode before bedtime or if, as usual, she would fall asleep halfway through it. Maybe a mug of hot chocolate was in order either way.
She took a plate she’d used through to the kitchen and flicked on the kettle. The roller blind was up, and it was dark. Damn, she should have closed it as soon as she’d come in from work. After what had happened the other night, she didn’t want anything to frighten her. Reaching for the cord, she pulled it down quickly, trying not to panic at the tho
ught of someone outside.
She wondered if she’d ever be rid of the sense that she was being watched, being followed – never alone. Sometimes she made herself look through windows, out into the unknown, just for the sake of it. She couldn’t stay scared forever.
Deciding to go to bed and read, she went back into the living room and picked up Thomas, who had been with her all evening.
‘Come on, you,’ she told him as he tried to resist her embrace. ‘Time for bed for me, and time for you to go out and do what you do.’
Quickly she opened the kitchen door and popped him outside. Then she slid the bolt across and switched off the light. At the bottom of the stairs, as she turned to go up, something caught her eye and she looked over the bannister and back into the kitchen.
There was a shadow of a person standing outside the door. A face pressed up to the glass at the top half.
Carla covered her mouth with her hand, not wanting to scream. It had to be the same person that she’d seen the other night, which meant that it couldn’t have been an opportunist thief.
It was a man, she was sure. She could see the outline of his face but not his features because of the pattern in the glass obscuring them. But it wasn’t Ryan.
She stood motionless on the stairs, unable to move as the man stared at her. He clearly wanted her to know that he had seen her, that he was watching her, that he could hurt her at any time.
After a few seconds, he turned and walked away.
Carla dashed around the house, checking all the doors and windows were secure and then she called the police. Twice was definitely not a coincidence.
Chapter Forty-Four
Eden found a message on her voicemail from Carla asking to see her when she was free. She sounded distressed so she tried to call her back, but she wasn’t picking up her mobile so she sent a text message to say she would call that morning on her way to the station. But first she needed petrol.
‘Casey, I’m off now, if you want a lift to school?’ she shouted up the stairs.
‘I’m fine, Mum. I’m meeting Jake at the shops.’
Eden smiled to herself. Jake was a name that seemed to be cropping up on a regular basis. She hadn’t met him yet, and Casey would only say they were friends, but it was obvious to Eden that there might be more to the relationship. She tried to switch off the anxious-mum vibe about a man on the prowl, but it was hard enough not to worry about Casey having a boyfriend.
‘Okay, well, I’ll see you tonight then,’ she said. ‘And don’t walk home alone after school while we have this man on the loose.’
‘I won’t.’
‘Just—’ Eden didn’t want to frighten her but she needed to reiterate her point. ‘Just be careful.’
At the garage, she filled up the tank, absent-mindedly running through the things she needed to do that day. First on her list was to drop everything once Aiden Daniels had been brought in. They’d called at his address twice yesterday, but he hadn’t been home. They’d go again this morning. He was out there – they would find him soon. In the meantime, they would keep on collecting evidence.
Eden was looking forward to and dreading interviewing him in equal measure. Once more people heard about the press conference, even though the rape happened around midnight, she was hoping a witness or two might come forward. Perhaps someone had seen the taxi driver getting out of his cab and walking towards Bernard Place. Maybe someone had seen the driver sitting in his cab before he attacked Ramona. Just to see his cab stopped there wasn’t enough.
As she stared into the distance, a familiar figure came into view. Danny. He’d sent her a few messages since their last phone call but she hadn’t replied. She groaned, pulled out the nozzle and went to pay for her fuel.
She stood in the queue, wondering why he was watching her. When he was still there when she came back out on to the forecourt, she moved her car from the petrol pumps and parked up at the side.
‘Are you following me?’ she demanded as he jogged across to her.
‘In a sense, I suppose I must be.’ He grinned sheepishly, burying his hands in his pockets. ‘I wanted to see you and you’re ignoring my texts.’
‘Sounds familiar,’ she muttered.
‘Look, I’m sorry. I know I’ve been a bastard, but I need to know.’
‘Need to know what?’ A look of confusion crossed her face. As far as she was concerned, she’d said all she wanted to when they had last spoken on the phone.
‘If you’ve given any thought to helping me out.’
‘Money!’ Eden rolled her eyes. ‘You have the audacity to ask again?’
‘I’m desperate!’
‘Tough!’
Eden turned on her heel, but he reached for her arm.
‘You don’t know what he’s like when he loses his temper.’
She pulled her arm away sharply. ‘I remember exactly what Jed Jackson is like. I saw what he did to Kyle Merchant, even if we weren’t able to prove it was him.’
‘Exactly! Don’t you care that he might do that to me?’
‘Why should I? You got yourself into this mess.’
‘He’ll come after you once he’s done with me.’
‘Don’t threaten me!’
‘I’m not.’
Eden dropped her eyes as a group of schoolchildren walked past them. As soon as they were gone, she prodded him in the chest.
‘It stops right now, do you hear? I said you weren’t getting any money from me, and I meant it.’
‘But. . . Eden!’
She got into her car and drove off. As she pulled into the traffic, she saw Danny sitting on the wall, looking forlorn. On impulse, she gave him the finger. Then once she was past him, her tears fell. By rights, he should be in prison for stealing that information, and yet all he was interested in was covering his own back. Sure, he might be scared but he was putting both her and Casey at risk because of his stupidity.
But much worse, how could he think so little of her after all she had done for him?
By the time she got to the refuge, Eden’s watery eyes had settled, along with her temper, and she put on a smiley face before going inside.
‘Do us a cappuccino, would you?’ She rubbed her hands together in anticipation once she was with Carla. ‘It’s bloody freezing out there. At least I don’t look out of place with my Docs on. I love this time of year for that.’
‘You hardly ever take your Docs off anyway,’ Carla teased. She pointed to a chair. ‘Come, sit.’
‘I’m not sitting in that chair.’ Eden shook her head. ‘It’s the confessional seat. I’ve seen you in action. I don’t want to be interrogated and tell you all my darkest secrets. You wouldn’t want to know me afterwards.’
‘Really?’ Carla probed. ‘What’s dark about you?’
‘You’d be surprised.’ Eden stared at her, thinking back to her earlier confrontation with Danny. Then she broke into laughter to lighten the mood again. ‘No, you wouldn’t.’
‘Good!’
‘So what did you want to see me for?’ Eden came straight to the point once she’d wrapped her fingers round the cup of coffee. ‘You’ve been chatting and joking with me. I know the signs. What’s going on?’
Carla puffed out her cheeks and blew out her breath. She told Eden what had happened over the past few nights.
Eden’s mouth dropped when she mentioned the figures at the window. ‘Did you report them?’
‘I did last night but not the first time.’
‘Why ever not?’
‘I know it sounds stupid but I just thought it wasn’t worth bothering with. I get scared by so many things that I wonder sometimes if I’ve imagined them.’
‘But you didn’t!’
‘No.’
‘And how are you feeling now?’
‘Spooked,’ Carla admitted.
‘Do you think it was Ryan?’
‘No.’ When Eden frowned, she continued. ‘His face was contorted because of the glass, but I could tell it
wasn’t him.’
‘How long has he been out of prison now?’
‘A month.’
‘That’s good, that he hasn’t come after you then.’
‘I guess.’
‘You’re not convinced he’ll stay away?’
Carla shook her head, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. ‘I— I haven’t been honest with you. When you asked if I’d seen Ryan since he’d come out and I said no? Well, I have seen him.’
Carla told Eden of her visit to the cemetery on Chloe’s eighteenth birthday.
‘I had to be there,’ she explained, a defiant look on her face. ‘I hadn’t dared to go since Ryan’s release because I didn’t want him to find me. But Chloe would have been eighteen. I couldn’t stay away on that birthday.’
Eden sat back in her chair. ‘And he was there?’
Carla nodded. ‘I wondered if it was him who put the brick through the window here last week.’
Eden thought about that for a moment. ‘It’s possible, I suppose. Although I can’t rule out Vic White trying to scare Tanya. It happened as soon as she arrived.’
Carla’s tears overflowed. ‘If it was Ryan, I didn’t mean to bring harm to anyone. I just had to see Chloe. But I hate the fact that I now feel like I’m being watched.’
‘All the women in here think that.’ Eden tried to make light of the situation, to appease Carla without her thinking she was patronising her. ‘Even I’ve been feeling as if someone is watching me lately. I think it comes with the territory.’
‘Perhaps so.’ Carla shuddered. ‘It’s not a nice feeling though. I know it probably won’t be possible to stay, but I do like it here in Stockleigh. I was hoping to be here longer. He’ll come after me eventually. Him not being around unnerves me too. He could be trying to lure me into a false sense of security. I’m always on the lookout for him. Everywhere I go.’
‘Do you want me to help facilitate a move?’
Carla gnawed at her bottom lip.
