The Face At the Window

by Ruby Speechley

  ‘They’re like sisters, that’s all.’ Mum cocks her head to the side as though she’s not quite caught his meaning yet.

  ‘Do you think they’re keeping secrets from you both?’ He gently rubs his chin, the smug grin growing.

  ‘If they are, then we wouldn’t know, would we?’ She gives him a fake smile. ‘I suppose all girls that age keep certain things from their mums and only confide in their closest friends.’ A nervous laugh escapes Mum’s lips. ‘We all have secrets, don’t we?’

  ‘I suppose we do,’ he smiles widely but he doesn’t stop there, ‘your daughter certainly does.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Mum straightens in her seat.

  ‘Are you aware of an affair your daughter has been having with a married man?’

  ‘No, she isn’t. You should get your facts right.’ Mum points at him.

  ‘Is her boyfriend’s name Cole?’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re trying to imply here.’ She rolls her shoulders back, feathers ruffled.

  ‘For a young woman to discover that she was in a false relationship might destroy her self-confidence, don’t you think?’

  ‘What is he going on about?’ Mum pulls a face at Tina, who shakes her head.

  ‘Finding out her love is based on lies and deceit might cloud her judgement, push her to do things she wouldn’t normally dream of doing.’

  The female presenter is frowning at him too.

  ‘What would you say to Scarlett if she were watching this?’

  Mum swivels on her chair to face the camera.

  ‘Come home, darling. Whatever anyone has made you do, you know I’ll forgive you.’ She turns back to the presenters. ‘Now then, I want to know what else he thinks my daughter is hiding from me.’ Mum jabs her finger at him.

  The female presenter gives her colleague a warning stare. She glances to the side as if looking for help.

  ‘Okay, if you’re ready to know the truth. Our sources tell us that until very recently, your daughter was in a relationship with Nicholas Adams, who was her English teacher at school several years ago and as you know, he is the father of baby Thomas. What do you say to that?’ He crosses his arms.

  Mum’s lips pull in tight.

  ‘His wife is Gemma Adams, and your daughter has been working at her restaurant under an assumed name. Their baby boy, Thomas, suddenly goes missing. Coincidence? I think not. And let’s not forget that he’s got form. The woman he is married to was also a former pupil of his.’

  ‘What the…?’ Tina’s face scrunches up.

  ‘Nick Adams’ wife was pregnant at the same time he was in a relationship with your daughter. So now do you think it’s possible she has abducted the infant? Do you think Scarlett could be out for revenge because he hasn’t left his wife as he promised to?’ He rocks back in his chair, a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

  The presenter leans forward and adds, ‘Has your daughter been in a secret relationship with Mr Adams since she was at school?’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous! You can’t make wild accusations about my daughter like that.’

  ‘Well, again, and you’re welcome to deny it, but according to our sources, Nicholas is being questioned by police as we speak.’ He fixes his eyes on her, a smug grin on his thin lips.

  The programme cuts to an advert before Mum’s expletives can be heard.

  ‘What just happened there?’ I jump forward in my seat. The jolt shakes the car and sets Thomas off. He lets out a screaming cry.

  ‘Scarlett, you scared him!’ Amy jogs him up and down in her lap. His cries are mournful.

  ‘I’m so sorry, little boy.’ I tickle his foot but it makes him cry more and kick his legs.

  The programme comes back on. Mum is still sitting there red-faced. Thomas calms down and dozes off again.

  ‘We’ve had lots of comments from viewers coming in. One here from Norma saying, lock Nicholas Adams up and throw away the key. I was a headmistress for forty years and if he’d been a teacher at my school I’d have… okay, I can’t read that bit out. Here’s another one, this is from Lewis, he says he knows you, Kelly.’ He looks up at Mum to check her reaction. Her smile has dropped, face ashen. ‘He’s asking how his beautiful little princess is? Oh, is this Scarlett’s dad?’

  Mum’s eyes have glazed over. She’s staring into space. Is that really from my dad? Lewis.

  Chapter Seventy-Four

  13 August 2018

  Scarlett

  ‘I take it from his comment he’s not in contact with her?’ The presenter looks stupidly at his co-presenter who is watching Mum closely. Tina strokes Mum’s hand which looks rigid.

  My phone flashes up to tell me the battery is on ten per cent. I dig out the car charger and start the engine desperately trying to hear if Mum says anything about my dad.

  ‘Shut the windows, I need to hear.’ We press the buttons at the same time. Mum can’t seem to speak. She is shaking, as though she’s sitting in a bath of ice.

  ‘Come on, let’s get you home.’ Tina puts her arm around Mum’s shoulders and helps her stand up, but she dips awkwardly as though her legs can’t hold her.

  The presenter turns to his colleague, ‘Was it something I said?’ And the camera cuts to the weather girl standing by a packed Brighton beach and surrounded by children in brightly coloured costumes, holding ice creams.

  ‘Do you think Mum’s okay? Was that man really my dad? Is Lewis his name?’

  ‘I don’t know. Are they allowed to phone from prison?’

  ‘I have to call her. Where’s my mobile?’

  ‘You can’t, they’ll pick up your signal.’

  I’m taken aback, Amy hardly ever questions my decisions. She stares blankly at my stunned face.

  ‘I could text her, though, couldn’t I?’

  ‘You’ll still be using a signal and they’ll be able to track us down.’

  ‘I have to risk it. You saw the state of her.’

  ‘You should have told her about you and Cole.’

  ‘Don’t tell me off. If I’d told her that he used to be my teacher she would have made me end it.’

  ‘And how would that have been a bad thing? We may as well give ourselves up now. We’ve been stuck in here over three hours.’

  ‘They’re not going to let us just walk away from this, are they?’

  ‘Cole’s the one who’s going to be in the most trouble.’

  ‘We can explain that we didn’t abduct him; Gemma wanted me to look after him.’

  ‘But we didn’t take him back.’

  ‘We’ll return him now, call the police to say where he is.’

  ‘We’re not leaving him anywhere on his own.’

  ‘Okay, but we’re staying put until I’ve texted Mum first, make sure she’s all right and let her know the baby is fine.’ I search the glove compartment for my phone and switch it on. In a few moments I’m bombarded with notifications, mainly from Gemma hours ago, worrying where I am, if Thomas is okay, and from Mum asking me what I’m doing going off with someone’s baby, and telling me to call her immediately. There are a couple of messages from Cole, mainly calling me a bitch. They still hurt.

  I text Mum saying I’m sorry for what I’ve done and asking how she is. I say I need to know the truth about my dad. I ask her if it was really him contacting the TV programme?

  Amy reads out a news headline from the pay-as-you-go phone:

  ‘Footage of Nicholas Adams attacking his wife, Gemma Adams, at their home in Bedford, has come to light on social media. Police are appealing for him to come forward for questioning as well as in connection to allegations made of a relationship with his former pupil, Scarlett Bates.’

  I sit up straight. ‘How do we give Thomas back to Gemma?’

  Amy strokes Thomas’s sweaty hair. ‘We could tell the police where we are.’

  As if answering us, he wakes up crying. It’s a different, gut-clenching cry I’ve not heard before.

  ‘Are you sure he’s all right? Th
at noise can’t be normal.’ His face is pink and his body red and blotchy.

  ‘He needs his mum. It’s sweltering in here.’ Amy jogs him up and down, offers him his bottle but he won’t settle.

  ‘The exhaust fumes could be making him sick.’

  ‘What if he’s ill? We won’t know what to do.’

  ‘Right, let’s work out how to get him home safely. It’s time everyone heard my side of things anyway. You’ll back me up about Cole, won’t you?’

  ‘You know I will, why else am I here?’ She rolls her eyes.

  My phone rings. It’s Mum’s number. I pick up immediately.

  ‘Scarlett! Where are you? Are you okay?’

  I swallow but can’t shift the lump in my throat. ‘Can you help us?’

  ‘Of course, where are you?’

  ‘I’m at the top of River Street car park.’

  ‘Okay, I’m on my way.’

  A car pulls up in the space right next to us. A woman with wizened skin is driving. She looks across at us then gets out and slams her car door shut. We look the other way so she doesn’t see our faces, but Thomas won’t stop crying. She taps on the window and peers in. We eyeball her but don’t speak.

  ‘What are you doing to that baby?’ She jabs her finger at the glass. ‘Are you that girl they’re looking for? You’re wicked taking a baby away from its mother.’ She takes her mobile out and starts prodding at it.

  ‘Belt up, we’re outta here,’ I shout at Amy. She straps Thomas in and pulls her seatbelt across as I let off the handbrake and back the car out.

  I head straight for the exit, leaving the woman standing there shouting and waving at us. A car whizzes up the ramp towards us and blocks our path. My heart leaps into my mouth. It’s Cole.

  Chapter Seventy-Five

  13 August 2018

  Scarlett

  ‘How did he know we’re here?’ I yell and change gear, reversing again, trying to spin round but the woman is standing behind us in the way.

  Cole jumps out of his car and runs after us calling my name. He thumps on the bonnet, shouting at me to stop. Spit lands on my window, his angry face screwed up and swearing. The woman runs up to him ranting and pointing at us. It buys us a few seconds when he’s not watching what we’re doing.

  We lift out the pram’s detachable car seat with Thomas strapped in it. He’s drifting off to sleep but the jolting wakes him, and he starts crying. Amy puts a dummy in his mouth and his eyes close again as he sucks it. I spot the door to the stairs and wonder if Amy can make it across to them. I whisper ‘Sorry’ to Thomas and wish him a good life, one where he won’t know anything of the past few hours.

  ‘Where is he?’ Cole’s shout is laced with menace as he comes after me in the other direction, towards the low railing surrounding the roof. ‘I swear to God if you’ve hurt him…’

  Amy has made it to the double doors, keeping Thomas safely tucked behind her.

  ‘You think I’m capable of hurting a baby?’ I shout at Cole as he runs after me.

  ‘Who knows with you?’ he growls, getting closer.

  ‘Shows how much you really think of me, doesn’t it?’ I yell. ‘You never loved me, did you?’

  ‘Get over yourself, Scarlett.’

  ‘How did you find us?’

  Cole pauses to catch his breath and laughs. ‘You switched your phone back on, didn’t you? I knew you would.’

  ‘What? How could you tell?’

  ‘I installed a tracking device on your mobile. How else do you think I knew when you were following me and going into my house?’

  ‘Your wife gave me the key to feed your cat.’

  ‘She’s too trusting.’

  ‘We saw what you did to her, you piece of shit.’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Yeah, Cole – or should I call you Nick? We know all about you. We’ve been watching you through your baby monitor.’

  ‘Well, you’re no better than me, are you? Taking an innocent baby.’

  ‘Your wife gave him to me to look after. I wanted to make you suffer.’ He’s closing in, pushing me backwards to the corner of the rooftop.

  ‘You little bitch,’ he hisses.

  I jump up on the narrow ledge and lean against the railings shouting, ‘Fuck you,’ at the top of my voice. ‘One day your poor baby will grow up and find out what a shit his father is.’ My heart aches for baby Thomas. A warm breeze blows my hair around. I look down and my head swims at the sheer drop.

  ‘How dare you.’ He strides towards me and takes a swipe, forcing my back to press against the railings. My stomach is in my mouth at the sight of the small crowd gathering below.

  Sirens ring out and a policewoman with a loud hailer calls my name. A crowd of people are standing with her looking up, shielding their eyes against the evening sun. I imagine my dad sitting in prison watching me on the news. His bad blood running through my veins. I took a baby to get revenge on a despicable man. I would never have done something like this before. Does it make me as bad as him? Why couldn’t I have a normal daddy, one to love and guide me? I grip the railings suddenly winded at my loss, the huge gap from not having him there.

  ‘Please come down,’ Amy shouts, standing in the shadows by the doors to the stairs, still guarding Thomas.

  ‘There he is. Don’t you move.’ Cole points to Amy. He glares at me, vengeful, hate in his eyes. The once handsome face is grotesque, his bad core seeping through to the outside. I’ve seen the monster that he really is, attacking women. How could I have thought I was in love with him? Why didn’t I see that he was using me? That one day he would turn on me too.

  ‘I hope you go down for what you did to your wife,’ I yell.

  ‘You slut.’ He thrusts his fist into me knocking me off balance. I let go of the railing. A gut-curdling scream fills the air.

  Chapter Seventy-Six

  13 August 2018

  Scarlett

  I should be falling to the ground, but Amy has lunged forward and grabbed my T-shirt so hard she scratches my skin with her long nails. She pulls me to her, her other arm anchored around the top of the railing. I hold onto her and sob uncontrollably at the relief that I’m still alive.

  Cole is running towards Mum who is by the stairs with Thomas, screaming at me hysterically.

  ‘Scarlett, come down from there, please.’ She’s almost incoherent.

  Three policemen storm through the doors. Cole does an about turn and tries to get in his car, but two of the policemen catch up and restrain him, arresting him on the spot. The other policeman takes charge of Thomas.

  Amy draws me away from the railings and helps me climb over to safety. I am shaking so much she hugs me again and I whisper to her, ‘Thank you,’ and tug her hand, and she squeezes back.

  ‘He tried to push my daughter over the edge!’ Mum tells the policemen as she runs towards me. I fling my arms around her, crying all over again.

  Mum pulls Amy into our hug. Tina arrives and runs over to us. She kisses Amy’s face and hugs her.

  ‘I don’t understand why you did this?’ Mum says.

  ‘I wanted Cole to confess to Gemma about me, but then I found out he’d been lying to both of us and I wanted to hurt him.’

  ‘Well, he’s in big trouble for what he’s done to Gemma and you.’

  ‘But now I’ve made things worse for her.’

  Mum hugs me again. ‘I only wish you could have told me about him.’

  ‘I knew you’d be angry.’

  ‘You have to tell the police everything that’s happened between you to help your case and hers.’

  For once I don’t know what to feel except relief. I hope Gemma’s okay. I’m glad for her and for myself. We are both rid of him.

  Chapter Seventy-Seven

  13 August 2018

  Gemma

  I wake up in hospital and the first thing I see when I open my eyes is Mum’s smiling face.

  ‘There you are. How are you feeling?’ Mum strokes my hair away from
my forehead. Her skin is cool and smells of tea tree and lavender.

  ‘Hello, love, good to have you back.’ Dad kisses my cheek.

  ‘Thomas, where’s Thomas?’ I try to sit up, but Mum pats my arm and I lie back down.

  ‘It’s okay, he safe. He’s right here with me.’ Mum lifts him out of his pram and settles him on the bed under my arm. ‘Here’s your mummy, poppet.’

  ‘Hello, little one. I’ve been so worried about you.’ I kiss his head and my tears come hot and fast.

  ‘Isn’t he a handsome chap.’ Dad’s cheeks are pink, eyes watery.

  ‘How are we doing here, Gemma?’ a nurse asks, coming over. ‘Oh, is this Thomas? Isn’t he a heartbreaker.’

  Just like his dad, I half expect one of them to say.

  ‘Can I get you any painkillers?’

  ‘Please. My chest hurts when I breathe and the pain in my side is going right through me.’

  ‘That’s because you’ve got five broken ribs, my darling. You’re lucky one didn’t puncture a lung.’

  ‘Any other damage?’ I daren’t ask but I’m hurting all over.

  ‘Black eye, cuts and bruises. You might want to avoid looking in the mirror for a few days.’ She pats my hand.

  ‘Greg’s here,’ Dad says, pulling up another chair. I cringe at the thought of him seeing me like this, but I can hardly tell him to go away.

  ‘Hello, Greg,’ Mum says, moving up so he can get nearer.

  ‘How are you feeling, Gemma?’ Greg towers over me, concern creasing his face. Dad offers him a chair.

  ‘Okay, I guess.’ Fresh tears squeeze out of the corners of my eyes. Is it possible to embarrass myself any more? ‘Can you tell me what happened?’

  Greg fills me in on the state he found me in. How Scarlett and her friend Amy saw what Nick did to me via the baby cam and shouted at Nick to stop.

  ‘They called the police on Scarlett’s phone, which had been switched off from the time she took Thomas. Nick found Scarlett before the police, in the Riverside multi-storey thanks to a tracking device he’d installed on her mobile. They kept the baby away from him, but he went after Scarlett and tried to push her off the car park roof. The police arrived and arrested him and found Thomas safe and well.’