by Lisa Stone
‘Mummy, will you play?’ Eva asked.
‘Yes, love, of course.’ But at that moment she heard Amit’s car pull onto the drive. ‘I have to go. I’ll be back later.’
Alisha hurried downstairs as fast as she could, her legs unsteady and praying her face wouldn’t betray her thoughts. She’d give Amit his dinner as he’d asked and then, once he was in his lab, she’d phone Emily. She needed to be strong, stay focused, for Eva’s sake. But supposing Emily wasn’t in or couldn’t talk to her? She pushed the thought from her mind.
As she reached the bottom step, the front door opened and Amit walked in. She gasped when she saw him.
‘What have you been doing?’ she blurted, unable to hide her shock. He looked at her, confused. ‘There’s blood on your jersey and your shoes are covered in mud.’
He followed her line of vision. ‘I came across a road traffic accident on the way home and stopped to help. I’ll shower and change.’ Taking off his shoes, he went upstairs.
Plausible, yes, so plausible, Alisha thought, but then he always was. Able to justify everything. Even now, with what she’d found out, it was impossible to know for sure if he was lying.
Going into the kitchen, she finished preparing his dinner and set it on a tray. She wasn’t hungry, and Eva had eaten earlier.
Amit appeared in the kitchen carrying his stained clothes and thrust them at her. ‘I’ll be in the study,’ he said, taking the tray.
‘I’ll be with Eva,’ Alisha said, as she would normally, and watched him go. Sometimes he went to his study before going to the lab, but he was never in there for long.
Upstairs, she found that Eva was still absorbed in the video game. She could spend hours playing the same game, sometimes days. Alisha went over to the window, slightly parted the curtains and sat on the bedside chair, looking out. As soon as she saw the light go on in Amit’s lab, she’d telephone Emily and ask for her help. Sometimes she sat here in summer gazing out, wishing she could take Eva into the garden. Let her feel the warm sun on her face, see the flowers in bloom and listen to the sound of the birds singing, but Amit had forbidden it for fear someone might see. Eva’s life and hers had become this room, but if she kept her resolve all that would change soon.
As Alisha waited, tense and afraid, she ran through what she was going to say to Emily. She’d start by apologizing – I’m sorry I haven’t been honest with you. Then she’d tell her she’d seen Amit drop Tibs’ cat collar when he’d thrown other animal collars into their bin and that she believed he had killed animals as part of his experiments. And that as ludicrous as it sounded, he was planning on freezing her, storing her in the cylinder Emily had seen delivered, then bringing her back to life, and probably Eva too. Crazy as it was, she had to make Emily believe her. It was their only hope; their lives were in danger, she was sure.
No light came on in Amit’s lab, but he must have finished his dinner by now. What was taking him so long in the study tonight? Alisha glanced at the wall clock. He was usually in the lab by now. Perhaps after a night away he was catching up on emails, or possibly he was opening his letters or looking for some paperwork. She’d made sure she’d left everything as she’d found it in the study. He wouldn’t be doing an online grocery shop. He’d been far too preoccupied when he’d come in to be bothered with that, and why had he really arrived home with blood on his clothes and mud on his shoes? She doubted it was from coming across a car accident, but she daren’t go there. Surely he would go to his lab before long? She would need to start getting Eva ready for bed soon. She nervously picked at her fingers and watched and waited some more.
At eight-thirty, Alisha reluctantly began Eva’s bedtime routine. If Amit came upstairs to find no water running and Eva’s light still on, it would arouse his suspicions. She kept to the same routine every night.
By the time she’d finished and was putting Eva to bed, it was nine o’clock, and there was still no light on in his lab. She hadn’t heard any movement downstairs so assumed Amit was still in the study. What was he doing?
She read Eva a bedtime story, dimmed the lights and returned to the bedside chair. She held Eva’s hand while her daughter fell asleep, as she did most evenings, although tonight, instead of gazing at Eva, she watched through the gap in the curtains. Often she went to bed soon after Eva as she had no reason to stay up, but now as Eva slept she sat by the window and maintained her vigil.
At ten o’clock, Alisha was forced to admit Amit probably wasn’t going to his lab tonight. It was the first night he’d missed in months. She knew something had dramatically changed and she feared it was for the worse.
Chapter Thirty
Downstairs, Amit sat in front of his laptop, concentrating hard. He was feeling more positive now. There was no point in going to his lab tonight – there was nothing for him to do without a subject – but the frustration and disappointment of the day was receding. He had eaten and, by chance, while he’d been online researching, a pop-up advertisement had given him a brilliant idea on how to obtain his next subject. He was now looking at a website offering brides from overseas. Not that he wanted a bride, but as the advertisement said, these women were young and healthy; they were also plentiful, easily available and unlikely to be missed. Even if they were missed, he thought, their families were too poor to buy a plane ticket and come looking for them.
Women by mail order, the website said; they made it so easy. You registered your details, got chatting online to those you fancied, chose one and then paid to bring her here. Like fishing in a goldfish pond, he smiled smugly. It was a wonder the idea hadn’t occurred to him before, rather than going to all that trouble of finding an old woman, only to have her die. These women were robust and wouldn’t die – well, not until he was ready.
There were thousands to choose from; exporting women seemed to be a national pastime in some countries. You could choose the age range and he’d selected the youngest group,18–25, so they wouldn’t be worldly-wise and start asking too many questions. He was already messaging four now. They were so naïve and trusting and desperate to marry a Westerner. He wasn’t messaging as himself of course, but as a twenty-eight-year-old handsome doctor whose photograph he’d stolen from Facebook. He vaguely wondered how many of these gullible desperate women disappeared abroad, never to be heard of again, for he doubted his bride-to-be would be the only one to meet an unnatural end.
The website said these brides typically had happy dispositions, were thoughtful, loyal, full of smiles and fun. Good, he thought, although he doubted his would be very happy when she found out what he had in store for her: that instead of walking up the church aisle, she was going into a tank of liquid nitrogen at minus 190°C. Probably best not go into too much detail beforehand, he thought and smiled to himself.
After an hour, Amit had made his choice, Kyla, but then, annoyingly, he had to spend another hour ‘getting to know each other’, which was completely unnecessary as far as he was concerned, but expected by her. Thankfully, because of the eight-hour time difference, Kyla then had to get ready for work – as a cleaner in a hotel, a job she hated – so he was saved from further irritating messaging. Before signing off he reassured her she wouldn’t have to work for much longer. He said he already loved and missed her, and he’d look into flights so they could arrange her first visit to England. She was so gullible. Her excitement was palpable and she closed with rows of kisses. Her first visit would, of course, be her last.
A job well done, Amit thought, pleased with himself, but before he set about finding a flight, he should deal with the day’s emails. With a sigh, he opened the inbox and deleted the junk mail first, then filed the newsletter from The Royal College of Anaesthetists in his saved box, before opening the next email. It was a standard notice from his energy provider that a direct debit would shortly be taken from his current account for gas and electricity. As usual in winter it was extremely high. Their idiot child had poor circulation in addition to everything else and needed to be kept
warm. She cost him a fortune! But not for much longer.
The second bill was for the house phone, but what the fuck was going on! It had more than trebled since the last quarterly bill and he hardly used it, making most of his calls on his mobile. The landline was there in case Alisha needed to contact him while he was at work as he didn’t allow her a mobile. But as far as he could remember, she’d phoned him once in the last three months and the call certainly hadn’t been long enough to treble his bill. Then he remembered the line had been engaged when he’d tried to phone her from his car while away.
He clicked on the link to view the invoice online, but that didn’t give any more information, he had to download a full itemized bill where all the calls were listed with their date, time, number and duration. He stared at it, incredulous. It was obvious why the bill was so high – dozens of calls to a mobile number, some lasting thirty minutes or more. It must be a mistake. It wasn’t his mobile number that had been phoned and Alisha didn’t know anyone else to call apart from him. Eva certainly couldn’t use a phone and he hadn’t made those calls. He checked the top of the page where the account holder’s name, address and telephone number were shown to see if they were his details, and they were. The rest of the bill – the charges for the call package and internet – was correct. Tomorrow he would complain to the company that a mistake had been made, but first he’d find out who the number belonged to. It would give credence to his claim that as he didn’t know the person, the calls weren’t his.
Picking up his mobile from the desk, he paused and set it down again. Better to make the call from the landline – the number showing on his bill. With the invoice still open on his laptop, Amit picked up the handset and entered the mobile phone number shown. It was getting late, so there was a chance the person might not answer and his call would go through to voicemail. In which case he’d leave a message, explaining who he was, why he was calling and that he would phone again tomorrow.
But it was answered by a woman, her voice intense and familiar. ‘Alisha, what’s the matter? Is everything all right?’
Amit stared straight ahead, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. His fists slowly clenched in anger.
‘Alisha? Are you there?’ she asked again.
Without speaking, he returned the handset to its cradle and continued to stare across the room.
It was their neighbour Emily, and she’d recognized his number. Alisha must have been telephoning her behind his back while he had been at work! His anger flared. What else had she been doing, goaded on by that bitch next door? He hadn’t a clue, but one thing was certain: before the night was over he’d find out.
Chapter Thirty-One
Next door, Emily stared at the screen of her mobile phone, unsure what to do for the best. She was sure Alisha wouldn’t have phoned just for a chat at this time. It was after ten o’clock. She hadn’t before and, indeed, had told her she went to bed soon after Eva. She’d only phone this late if there was an emergency and she needed help with Eva.
Emily was about to press to return the call but stopped. Why had Alisha hung up if she needed help? Perhaps Amit had just returned home? That could explain it. She glanced at Ben sprawled on the sofa watching television. ‘I’m going to check on Robbie,’ she said, and stood.
‘Shall I go?’ he offered.
‘No. It’s fine.’ Feeling guilty for deceiving him, Emily left the room, went upstairs and crept into Robbie’s room at the front of the house. She quietly crossed to the window and parted the curtains just enough to see next door’s drive. Amit’s car was there – he rarely used his garage – so he was home. But as she looked, she saw a thick layer of frost sparking on the windscreen in the light of the street lamp. He hadn’t just arrived home then but had been in for a while. It didn’t make sense. If Alisha needed help with Eva while Amit was there, she would have asked him and she’d never have dared to phone her while he was there anyway. Unless it wasn’t Eva who needed help but Alisha?
Was this a cry for help? Emily wondered. She’d had suspicions about Amit for a long time and was sure Alisha was scared of him. She’d seen the look in her eyes and the way her body tensed whenever his name was mentioned. Not being allowed friends, and having to turn off the CCTV when she visited so Amit wouldn’t find out, was controlling and abusive. Yet, to some extent, Emily had understood when Alisha had explained why she stayed – that, ill herself, with a severly disabled child and no confidence or support network, she knew she’d never cope alone. Emily had said support was available but had then let the matter go as it was clear Alisha was becoming anxious and would never leave. Perhaps she’d found the courage.
Quietly closing the curtains and with her mobile still in her hand, Emily left Robbie’s room and went into her and Ben’s bedroom. She looked out of the window. The light wasn’t on in Amit’s lab, so he must be in the house. Stranger still then that Alisha had dared to phone her. But what to do? If she returned Alisha’s call, Amit might answer or at least overhear. What excuse could she give for having their number and phoning so late? If only Alisha had a mobile phone, she could have texted her to find out what was the matter. She’d offered to help her buy a pay-as-you-go that couldn’t be traced, but Alisha had refused, saying Amit would be furious if he found out, and anyway she hadn’t the money. That a married woman in this day and age couldn’t lay her hands on £30 for a basic mobile phone Emily had found appalling. She had decided to buy Alisha one in the New Year and give it to her as a late Christmas present. She could hide it in Eva’s room; Amit never went in there.
But what was she going to do about tonight’s call? What excuse did she have for phoning Alisha or going round there to check on her? She couldn’t think of one, and what would she tell Ben?
‘Is Robbie OK?’ Ben called up from the foot of the stairs.
‘Yes, I’ll be down shortly.’
She wished she could have confided in him and told him about her visits and Eva. But it was too risky in case he accidently let something slip to Amit when they exchanged pleasantries on their way in or out, and she’d promised Alisha she wouldn’t ever tell.
She waited another five minutes in case Alisha phoned again, and then returned downstairs. She had to assume it wasn’t an emergency or Alisha would have called back.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Alisha sat in the chair in the semi-darkness, staring across the room as Eva slept in her bed a short distance away. The night light was on as usual – Eva was frightened of the dark – and by its small light Alisha could see the mobiles on the ceiling faintly stirring in the heat rising from the radiators. She had yet to shower and change; time had passed and she’d been too absorbed in her fears, hopes and planning to move. As soon as Christmas and the New Year holidays were over, she’d telephone Emily and ask for her help. Emily would know who to contact to find her and Eva a safe place to stay. She’d talked about safe houses for women fleeing their husbands or partners. She was unlikely to be surprised when she asked for her help, Alisha thought, although she doubted that even Emily had any idea of what Amit was really up to.
Alisha instinctively tensed as she heard Amit’s footsteps coming upstairs. Not that he would come into this bedroom – he had no interest in his daughter or her as his wife. That had stopped years ago after the birth of Eva, and then she’d fallen ill herself. She and Eva were just burdens to him now that required feeding, and medical attention that he took care of. He would pass her door shortly on his way to his own room. She listened and waited for his footsteps to pass. Only once he was in his room could she relax. But his footsteps didn’t come.
Alisha eased herself upright and looked at the small strip of light coming from under the door. She could see movement, a shadow. He was standing outside the door, but why? Hardly daring to breathe and her senses on full alert, she watched and waited, willing him to go. There was no lock fitted to the door, so she couldn’t lock him out. She looked at Eva, still fast asleep. The door handle began to turn and she froze. A
mit came in.
‘What do you want?’ she asked, her voice shaking.
There was no reply. She could make out his face in the half-light and saw the look of grim determination – anger fused with hatred. He came towards her.
‘Amit, what is it?’ Eva stirred in her sleep. ‘What’s the matter? What have I done?’ Terror gripped her.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her roughly from the chair, then dragged her out of the room and downstairs, his fingers digging painfully into her flesh.
She cried out and tried to clutch the handrail to prevent herself from falling. ‘Amit. Stop! You’re hurting me.’
‘Not as much as I’m going to,’ he snarled.
Into the living room, he threw her on a chair and closed in, his face just in front of hers. She stared up at him petrified.
‘Why have you been phoning the bitch next door?’ he demanded, his eyes blazing.
‘I haven’t,’ she stammered, sick with fear.
‘Really? So how do you account for all these calls?’ He thrust a printed sheet at her.
She looked at the invoice and bile rose to her throat. It had never occurred to her that all telephone calls were listed somewhere. She thought the bill arrived as one figure and was paid automatically by direct debit.
‘Recognize that mobile number?’ he demanded, jabbing his finger at the paper.
‘No,’ she said, her voice slight.
‘So you’re stupid as well as a liar? Let me remind you. The bitch’s name begins with E and she lives next door.’
