by Jade Winters
‘Let the action begin,’ she said aloud.
A hybrid of guilt and excitement built within as she entered her bedroom. Grabbing her binoculars from the side of her bed, she slid the balcony door open and stepped outside. A cool breeze gently caressed her face as she covered her eyes with the lenses. Hope had been right; the focus wasn’t great, but who was she to complain?
She trained the binoculars in the direction of the couple she had seen last night but was met with darkness. Yes, Emma, some people do have a life and actually go out in the evening.
Unperturbed, she moved along the building until she came to the first window with any sign of life. She focused the lens on a dimly lit apartment a couple of floors below and frowned. Why is the owner wearing a balaclava in his own home?
Unless … Emma turned quickly, knocking over the wine glass balanced on the rail. ‘Oh my God. Oh my God. No, you bastard! Stop! Stop!’
She ran from the room and grabbed her phone from her jacket in the hallway, then backtracked to the living room. Yanking open the door to the balcony, she stepped outside. Her fingers trembled as she dialled 999. Raising the binoculars while she waited for the call to connect, she traced the person’s movements as they walked from the living room to the bedroom.
‘I’m witnessing a burglary taking place right this second,’ she said breathlessly to the emergency operator. ‘Please hurry. They’re in the bedroom. I don’t know if anyone is home.’
‘What’s the address?’
‘It’s, um, oh crap.’ She told the operator her own address. ‘The apartment is in the block opposite me. I’m on the twenty-second floor and it’s two floors below mine.’ Even to her own ears she sounded panicked. She struggled to get her thoughts in order. ‘The apartment is on the left-hand side of the building, on the very end. I remember now, it’s called Braithwaite House. That’s it. Please hurry.’
‘An officer has been dispatched. Please stay on the line.’
‘I will.’ All she could hear was her ragged breathing. She felt sick to her stomach. What if someone is home and the police don’t get there in time?
Time dragged on in slow motion. Police sirens blasted through the night air, drawing closer by the second. Emma kept her gaze on the intruder until the figure disappeared from view.
‘Oh no. I think they’ve escaped,’ she said into the phone. ‘I can’t see the person anymore.’
After another lifetime of waiting, the lights in the apartment came on. Two police officers moved around tentatively.
‘The police are in the property,’ Emma said, relieved that the problem was no longer hers to deal with.
‘Okay. Please remain in your apartment. The officers will come by for a statement.’
Emma removed the phone from her ear and looked down at it, dumbfounded. A statement? From me? Oh shit. They’ll think I spy on my neighbours all the time.
She went back inside, frantic with indecision. Should I get rid of the binoculars? Okay, calm down and think about this. Oh crap.
Half an hour later, Emma jumped when a loud knock sounded at her door. While waiting, she’d decided to tell the truth. Okay, maybe not the part about hoping to see a bit of action, just that I was stargazing.
She opened the front door and two burly police constables filled her doorway. They introduced themselves as PC Martin and PC Collins.
‘Ms Clary?’ PC Collins, the taller of the two, said.
‘Yes. Come in.’ She gestured for them to follow her into the living room.
‘He was gone, wasn’t he?’ she said, forestalling the officer.
‘How’d you know it was a he?’ PC Martin asked, taking out a notebook and pen from the top pocket of his jacket.
‘Um, I don’t know for sure, but I’ve never heard of women going around in balaclavas and robbing places. They’d be no match for a man if they got caught.’
‘You’d be surprised at who opportunistic burglars are. Can you tell me exactly what you saw?’ PC Martin asked.
‘Of course. Well, let’s see. I arrived home around forty minutes ago and took my binoculars to see—’ She stopped mid-sentence.
‘To see?’ PC Martin prompted.
‘Um, to see the stars. I was a great fan of Patrick Moore when he was alive, so my mum and stepdad bought me a pair of binoculars to stargaze.’ Emma knew she was rambling, but she couldn’t help herself. ‘So—’
‘Did you see any stars?’ PC Collins said with a look of amusement on his chiselled features.
‘Well, no. It’s quite cloudy tonight.’
The officers exchanged knowing glances that told Emma they thought she was a terrible liar. The quicker I tell them what happened, the quicker they’ll leave so I can put this break-in behind me. ‘What was I saying?’
‘You were … um … stargazing,’ PC Martin supplied.
‘Yes, that’s right. Anyway, I just so happened to, you know, be looking in the direction of the apartment in question when I spotted the intruder.’ She glanced around the room, looking anywhere but at the officers. ‘And the rest you know. I called the police and waited on the line with the operator until you arrived.’
‘Did you notice anything specific about the intruder?’
Emma looked heavenwards and tapped her finger on her chin. ‘Hmm, what can I tell you? Slim build. Stealthy looking. Moved around like a cat hiding from its unsuspecting prey. That’s it, really. The light was quite dim.’
‘Do you mind if I take a look for myself?’ PC Collins asked, his hand outstretched towards her.
‘Of course not,’ she said and passed the binoculars to him. She watched as he disappeared beyond the balcony door.
‘No one was at home, I hope,’ she said.
PC Martin glanced up from his small notepad. ‘No.’
‘Thank God for that. How did they get in?’
‘The lock was smashed.’
‘I’m surprised no one heard anything.’
‘When we arrived, cleaners were hoovering the stairwell. The noise from the hoover could have easily masked the sound of the break-in.’
‘I see,’ Emma said, running the tip of her finger along her jaw. ‘Do you know who lives there?’
‘One of my colleagues is tracing them now.’
PC Collins stepped back into the room with a grin on his face and shut the door behind him. ‘Quite a bit of action going on out there. Lots to see if the clouds are buggering your chances of viewing the stars.’
Heat rushed to her face. The officers asked her a few more questions before leaving. Emma swore PC Collins had been smirking as he left.
That’s it. First thing in the morning, those bloody things are going straight in the bin.
Chapter Nine
The telephone conversation with the police was shorter than Lauren had expected—not that they didn’t ask all the right questions. They did and she answered them as best she could. They’d been in touch with the owner of the apartment, and Mrs Nook had arranged for the lock to be changed immediately. Due to the two large glasses of red wine in her system at the time, Lauren’s reaction to the news of the break-in had been somewhat delayed. But now it was close to midnight and the effects of the alcohol were wearing off, as was her nonchalant attitude.
Lauren’s fingers tightened around the wooden rolling pin as she walked from room to room, closing the blinds, checking in wardrobes and behind doors, and making sure no one was hiding in the shadows. She told herself the burglary was a coincidence and had nothing to do with her. It was London after all. Crime rates were at an all-time high, if you believed the mainstream media, so it must have been her bad luck. No matter what the case, a sense of uneasiness filled her. The one place in the world where she should have felt safe was alien to her. Someone had violated her space and touched her personal belongings. The thought made her skin crawl.
As far as she could tell, the burglar hadn’t taken anything, but that didn’t ease the wave of nausea gripping her.
Maybe I should call
Fiona. For all her faults, Fiona was good at making Lauren feel protected. She took the phone from the bedside cabinet and ran her fingers over the keys. It’ll give her false hope if I call. She pressed the mobile against her chest and closed her eyes. I’m on my own. It’s time I stopped using people as crutches.
Normally if something spooked Lauren, like an overly familiar neighbour or if something didn’t feel right, she would pack up her stuff and leave without looking back. That was one of the many benefits of working in the arts. As long as she had her camera, she could work from anywhere.
But she wouldn’t run this time, especially since she didn’t know if there was anything to flee from.
Lauren wanted to call Frankie but stopped herself. He’d been concerned about the break-in when the police contacted her while they were out. If he knew what a state she’d got herself in he’d want to come over, but company was the last thing she needed. She considered calling her mum again, but her mother had been near hysterical and on the brink of sending her dad around to look after Lauren after learning about the break-in. She couldn’t ask that of her dad again, not after he’d given up so much of his time to babysit her in the past.
Lauren froze when she heard a noise in the passage. Common sense told her the intruder wasn’t in the apartment—she’d made sure of that—but it didn’t stop her overactive imagination from running rampant. The sound came again, only this time Lauren recognised the source: someone was knocking on her front door.
Tiptoeing to the door for fear of the visitor hearing her, she pressed her eye up to the peephole.
Shit! What the hell is Fi doing here?
‘I know you’re there, Lauren.’
She leant her head against the door. ‘How did you get in the building?’
‘I followed someone in. Are you going to open the door?’
‘No, go away.’
‘Not until I know you’re all right.’
Lauren let out an exasperated breath. ‘I’m fine.’
‘At least open up so I can see for myself.’
Conceding that arguing with her was futile, Lauren reluctantly unbolted the lock and opened the door a crack.
‘See, I’m fine,’ she said.
Fiona’s concerned eyes stared back at her. She inched forward. ‘You look tired.’
‘It’s been a long day.’
‘I ’eard about the break-in,’ Fiona said.
‘Jesus Christ. Is my mum still discussing my business with you?’
‘Come on, don’t be like that. Your mum wasn’t gossiping. She said you sounded shaken. She’s worried about you.’
‘I told her I was fine. You know how she likes to exaggerate.’
‘Look, I’ve come a long way, I jumped on the Eurostar as soon as I ’eard and came straight ’ere. Can you at least let me in? S’il te plait?’
Will this ever end with this woman? Why won’t she leave me alone? ‘No, Fiona. I didn’t ask you to come here. I’m getting ready for bed.’
‘If you like, I can sleep on the sofa tonight.’
‘Why would I want that?’
Fiona looked at her challengingly. ‘I know you, remember? You think it’s starting again.’
‘That’s where you’re wrong. If I thought that, I wouldn’t have stuck around.’
‘I’m really worried about you. I thought you’d ’ave called me when this ’appened.’
‘What for?’
Fiona reached out to touch Lauren’s face but Lauren tilted her head back. ‘I’m not your enemy.’
‘No, you’re my ex who has a problem respecting my boundaries.’
Fiona’s brows furrowed as if she were giving her statement some thought. Then she shook her head regretfully. ‘Suit yourself. I’m ’ere for you if you need me.’
‘Thanks, but like I said, I’m fine.’ She closed the door and made her way back to the living room.
Looking around, Lauren wondered if she’d been too hasty in dismissing her. What if the burglar comes back?
Maybe she should have taken Fiona up on her offer to spend the night. Lauren flopped down on the sofa, fully clothed, and to her surprise, fell asleep in seconds.
Chapter Ten
Surrounded by three of her work colleagues, Emma took a moment to catch her breath before continuing her tale about the drama that had taken place the previous night. In the kitchenette area, where they were sitting around a small coffee table, two of her three colleagues looked at her with anticipation. Normally it was Gina who did all the talking during their end-of-day meetings, while Emma sat and listened with nothing to say—which was not surprising, seeing as she never went anywhere—but today the spotlight was on her.
‘He was—’
‘Hold on, hold on, hold on. How do you know it was a he if his head was covered?’ Jack—a huge bear of a man with an explosion of black, curly hair—asked. His large eyes looked expectantly at her from behind bifocal glasses as he impatiently tapped a pen against the edge of the table.
Doubt crossed Emma’s features. ‘I don’t. I just assumed.’
‘Assumed? Am I getting a sense of gender discrimination here?’ Jack said with humour.
‘Point taken, Mr Rodgers,’ Emma said, giving him a wink. ‘I’ll say “they”, for clarity. And anyway, their gender is for the police to figure out.’
Wendy, who was reading a magazine while she ate a slab of cake, looked up at Emma contemptuously. ‘Perhaps the police should be more interested in why you were spying on your neighbours with a pair of binoculars.’
Trust her to make this about me! Emma’s jaw ached from clenching her teeth. ‘I was not spying. For your information—’
‘So what were you doing? Bird watching in the dark?’ Wendy interrupted in a curt, mocking tone.
‘I was … looking for UFOs,’ she said, unwilling to face the reality of Wendy’s accusation: that she was a peeping Emma. Was she? After all, she had been looking into the homes of strangers.
‘Yeah, I believe you …’
Emma balled her hands into fists on her lap. Wendy was trying her patience. What Emma couldn’t understand was why Wendy always homed in on her. Instead of behaving like an adult and telling her what the problem was, Wendy insisted on using passive-aggressive remarks.
‘To be honest, I couldn’t give a rat’s arse either way—’
‘Break it up, you two,’ Gina reprimanded and wiped frosting from her mouth with a napkin. ‘You’re not in a school playground.’
‘She started it,’ Emma said pointedly. ‘She’s always poking her nose in where it’s not wanted.’
‘And you’ve always got your head in the clouds,’ Wendy countered, removing her bronze-framed glasses to clean the lenses with a tissue. For a woman of fifty, she certainly enjoyed wearing clothes aimed at the more ‘mature woman’. Wendy reminded Emma of a chemistry teacher rather than of a single woman with a healthy social life. According to most of her colleagues at the office, Wendy thought the ‘mature look’ made her appear sophisticated.
‘Enough,’ Gina said with finality. ‘Back to your story, Emma. What was the last word from the police?’
‘They said they were going to track down the resident.’
Jack gave an exaggerated shudder. ‘That is so creepy.’
‘What, someone spying on you with a pair of binoculars?’ Wendy said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
‘No. The thought of some strange geezer going through a woman’s knicker drawer and doing God knows what else.’
‘Let’s hope the police catch the creep, whoever it is,’ Gina said.
‘Here, here,’ Jack replied.
‘Thinking about it, maybe it was a good thing you were watching. You’re like neighbourhood watch, but in the air. Imagine all the things you could see from your vantage point,’ Gina said.
‘Private things,’ Wendy mumbled with thinly veiled scorn.
‘Give it a break, Wendy,’ Emma said. ‘Your constant digging is getting boring.’
Ever since Wendy joined the company, the atmosphere had been the same. Her incessant needling of Emma was her favourite pastime. Lately, Emma had started to answer back, but it hadn’t made the slightest difference. As far as Wendy was concerned, Emma was fair game.
‘Oh, sorry. I’m the unreasonable one, am I? Since when is it okay to invade people’s privacy? I swear the world’s gone mad,’ Wendy said with a shake of her head.
‘Let’s put this to bed once and for all, shall we? Yes, I was eyeing up people through my binoculars. And no, I shouldn’t have been, you’re right. I was out of order. Now either call the police or—’ Emma stopped herself before she became unprofessional and swore at her. ‘Just back off.’
‘Touchy, aren’t we?’ Wendy said triumphantly.
‘Only when it comes to you,’ Emma muttered.
‘Anyway, you have no idea who’s living there?’ Jack asked.
‘No.’ Emma picked up her coffee and took a sip.
A deep frown creased his forehead. ‘You mean you didn’t have a look this morning to make sure they’re okay?’
‘Uh no. Should I have?’ The question was genuine. What if she witnessed something else she had to report to the police? Surely they’d be pissed off if the ‘vigilante in the sky’ kept snooping on her neighbours.
Jack’s eyes grew distant. ‘I think so. What if the intruder comes back? The resident could be in danger.’
‘You think?’ Emma said.
‘Yeah, don’t you?’ Jack said as if he couldn’t believe he needed to tell her such an obvious thing.
‘I could always go round there after work to make sure they’re all right, I suppose.’
‘I would,’ Jack said. ‘It could be a little old biddy living there all by herself.’
Emma gasped. ‘Oh no, don’t say that.’
‘I second that. Poor cow could be frightened to death knowing someone’s been in her home,’ Gina added.
‘Lucky for her she wasn’t in,’ Jack said.
‘Come on, guys, give it a break,’ Emma said. ‘We don’t even know if this fictitious lady lives there. It could be a six-foot biker built like a brick shithouse for all we know.’
