by D. S. Butler
“It’s just a drink,” I said. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Maybe so. Just be careful.”
I turned my attention back to the sandwiches as an uneasy feeling coiled in my stomach.
Charlie’s tail wagged and thudded against the floor of the utility room. The chatter of people in the sitting room drifted through to the kitchen, but it was just background noise.
The kitchen was a sanctuary of peace. It was hot, but at least it was calm. And right now, calm was exactly what I needed.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The following Monday, I woke at eleven a.m. with a splitting headache. I hated to admit it, but I’d been holding a one person pity party since the funeral. I’d tried to call Sienna twice but she hadn’t picked up or returned my calls. I couldn’t help feeling hurt, and worse, feeling like I’d let Nicole down.
Janet was still ignoring me. That wasn’t surprising. She’d always been exceptionally good at holding grudges, but I was surprised at Marilyn. Nicole’s mother had always been kind to me in the past.
Jason Owens hadn’t called me either, and even though I wasn’t that keen on going for a drink with him after Angie’s ominous warning, I found myself wondering why I’d been snubbed.
Last night, feeling thoroughly fed up, I’d sat alone at the hotel bar and drunk one too many gin and tonics.
My stomach churned as I got out of bed. I padded across the hotel room to the bathroom and winced as I caught sight of my reflection. I looked a state.
I’d called the Health Foundation again yesterday and arranged to have at least another fortnight off. It meant I was edging into unpaid leave territory and I’d need to find a cheaper hotel. This one was far too expensive for my meagre finances.
After a shower and a strong coffee, I felt a little more human. Paracetamol had taken the edge off the headache, but it wouldn’t go away completely, which was no more than I deserved. I thought some fresh air might help and was getting ready to go for a walk when my mobile rang.
It was Sienna.
I smiled as I answered, pleased she was finally getting in touch. “Hi, sweetheart. I’m so glad you rang.”
“Abbie...”
Even though Sienna had only said one word, I could tell by her tone there was something wrong.
“What is it?”
“There’s somebody following me.” Her voice wavered as she spoke.
“Now? Where are you?”
“I don’t know if he’s still there. I’m downstairs in your hotel.”
“In the lobby?”
“Yes.”
“Stay right where you are. I’m coming down.”
I kept her on the phone as I ran out of my hotel room, forgetting to take the swipe key card with me. My shoes clattered against the steps as I raced down the stairs. My heart was pounding. Who was following Sienna? Was it the person who’d killed her mother? Was Sienna’s life in danger?
I burst out of the stairwell and saw Sienna immediately. She was standing in the centre of the lobby. Her arms were wrapped around her body and she looked terrified.
Her eyes widened as I walked towards her.
“Sienna…” I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly, noticing she was trembling. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. Let’s go and sit down and you can tell me what happened.”
We went to sit in the small lounge area where they served afternoon tea. It was too early for that, but I asked one of the staff if they’d bring us a pot of tea. Then we sat down side-by-side on a small sofa.
Sienna still hadn’t eased her grip on my arm.
“It’s okay,” I said again. “Tell me what happened.”
“I went to see some friends in Yateley. They wanted to get KFC for lunch, but I didn’t fancy it, so I left them there and decided to walk home.”
I squeezed her hand encouragingly. KFC was quite a distance from Sienna’s house. I guessed it had to be over two miles.
Sienna closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. “I just got the sense someone was watching me. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw a man… He was tall and he was staring at me. I went into the next cul-de-sac. I thought I’d know for sure he was following me if he trailed me around the cul-de-sac back onto the main road.”
“And he followed you around the cul-de-sac?”
Sienna nodded. “Yes, he kept following me all along the main Reading Road. I was getting so scared because there were fewer houses around at that point and I didn’t know what to do.”
“Did you call the police?”
A fat teardrop rolled down Sienna’s cheek. She shook her head. “No.”
“Do you remember what he looked like? We can tell Lizzie, your family liaison officer, about this. I’m sure she’d want to know.”
“Maybe. I’m not sure how well I can describe him. He was quite tall and looked middle-aged. I don’t know how old exactly.”
“What was he wearing?”
“Light-coloured trousers and a brown coat. He was tall and thin and that’s all I can remember. I didn’t get a good look at his face. He was never that close. I just walked as fast as I could. I was planning to walk home but then I remembered you were staying at this hotel…” She broke off and shook her head. “I was scared.”
I put my arm around her shoulder. “I know. You’ll be okay now. We’ll let Lizzie know straight away just in case he’s still hanging around.”
Sienna’s lower lip wobbled as she stared at me. “You believe me?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
Sienna opened and closed her mouth without saying anything. Then she shrugged. “I told Aunt Janet and Grandma when it happened last time. They said I was stressed and imagining things.”
My stomach flipped over. “You mean this has happened before? Someone’s followed you?”
Sienna’s face crumpled. “The other time it happened… I didn’t really see anyone. I just had this feeling. You know sometimes how you have that prickling sensation at the back of your neck and you just know that someone is watching you.”
She gripped onto my arm, her fingernails digging into my skin. I nodded.
“That’s what it was like, but because I couldn’t give a description, they thought I was going mad.”
“Nobody thinks that. Did you tell Steve about this?”
Sienna shook her head. “No, he’s taken Mum’s death really hard, and I don’t want make things worse for him.”
“You don’t have to handle this on your own, Sienna. We’re going to talk to Steve and the family liaison officer. We have to tell them.”
Sienna’s face crumpled but she didn’t cry.
“Is Steve home now?”
Sienna shook her head again. “He had to go in to work to sort a few things out today. But he did say he wouldn’t be too late.”
“Right, I’m going to phone the police station and let them know what’s happened. Then I’m going to drive you back home, okay?”
Sienna blinked at me. “You’re not gonna leave me there alone, are you?”
I shook my head. “No, I’ll stay with you until Steve’s home. I promise.”
I poured us both a cup of tea and then watched Sienna pick up the cup with shaky hands as I called the police station. Fortunately, Lizzie was at her desk and they transferred my call to her straight away.
After I’d filled Lizzie in, she promised to come to the hotel and she said she’d send a couple of units to scout the area to see if they could find anyone matching Sienna’s description of the man who’d been stalking her.
By the time we finished our tea, Lizzie arrived in the lobby. She was kind and sympathetic to Sienna who repeated everything she’d told me to Lizzie.
After Lizzie left, I paid the bill for our tea and drove Sienna back home.
It was the first time I’d been back to Yew Tree house since the funeral and it seemed too big, too quiet and empty.
The first thing Sienna did as I shut the front door behind us was to g
o round and make sure all the windows and doors were locked. I couldn’t blame her.
Charlie came out to greet us and I kneeled down to stroke him.
“Hi boy, are you feeling a bit better today?”
He wagged his tail enthusiastically so I took that as a yes.
A red light was blinking on the answer machine on the telephone table in the hall. When Sienna saw it, she put it on speaker phone and pressed the playback button.
It was a message from a local health club, informing Nicole she’d left some items in one of the lockers for over a week, which was against the rules. Lockers could only be used for one week at a time, apparently.
Sienna rolled her eyes and pressed delete.
“I could pick up your mum’s stuff from the health club tomorrow, if you like?”
“Thanks,” Sienna said. “It’s probably only her gym stuff.”
I’d clear it with Steve first, of course, but I wanted to make life as easy as possible for them.
We sat in the sitting room and watched a romantic comedy on Netflix. It was just what we needed to take our minds off everything.
I was trying to put on a brave front for Sienna but deep down I was really concerned. Why had someone been following her? I couldn’t help worrying this was something to do with Nicole’s murder.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Steve arrived home later than I’d expected. The weather had turned and rain hammered down all afternoon and into early evening.
Sienna had drawn the curtains in the sitting room. I wasn’t sure if that was to block out the miserable afternoon or to block prying eyes.
After we’d finished the film, we’d moved on to binge watch the first series of Scandal. We were on the third episode when Steve got home.
Beside me on the sofa, Sienna tensed at the sound of Steve’s key in the lock.
I put a hand on her arm and smiled reassuringly, but her body didn’t relax until Steve called out, “Hello.”
We heard his footsteps in the hall before he appeared in the doorway.
He blinked in surprise at seeing me and then smiled. “Hi, Abbie. Are you staying for dinner?”
He put his laptop bag on one of the empty chairs and ran a hand through his hair. He looked worn out and I wondered why he’d felt the need to go back to work so soon. He was the boss, surely he could take some extra time off. But maybe it was helping him to keep busy.
“We should get a pizza,” Sienna suggested, sounding more like her old self.
Steve yanked off his tie. “Sounds good to me. It’s Angie’s day off, and I don’t feel like cooking. What do you say to pizza, Abbie?”
“Sounds great.” I shuffled forward on the sofa. “Steve, something happened to Sienna today, and I think you should know.”
The smile slipped from Steve’s face and he frowned. “What happened?”
Sienna’s mobile phone began to ring. She fished it out from under the sofa cushions. “It’s Zach.”
She kept her head bent low so her hair hid most of her face as she stood up. As she passed Steve and walked out of the room, she slid a finger over the front of her mobile to answer the call.
Steve crossed the room and sat down on the sofa beside me. “What happened?”
He looked concerned, fatherly even, and I was pleased and relieved to see he was worried. When I’d first come back I’d been shocked by his lack of panic over Sienna’s disappearance.
But perhaps that was because things had overwhelmed him. He did seem to care about his stepdaughter, and Sienna had chosen to move back to Yew Tree House to live with him so that had to count for something.
“Sienna thinks she was followed today,” I said and paused to wait for Steve’s reaction.
His expression was guarded and he looked away. “I see.”
I leaned forward, trying to see his face. “Has she mentioned being followed before?”
He exhaled a long breath and leaned back against the sofa cushions. “She keeps checking the doors and windows are locked and never wants to be alone, but she didn’t tell me anyone was following her. What exactly happened? Did you see anything?”
I shook my head. “No, she phoned me and came to the hotel. She’d been out with friends, and they’d separated. Sienna decided to walk home that’s when she saw a man following her.”
“What did he look like?”
“She said he was tall and gave me a description of his clothes, but she didn’t get a good look at his face. He was wearing light trousers and a brown jacket. I called Lizzie, the family liaison officer.”
Steve scratched his chin and looked pensive. “Do you think she was really followed or is she just jumpy because of everything that’s happened? She’s been through a lot.”
“I believe her, Steve. Instead of walking on the main road, she took a detour through a cul-de-sac. He followed taking the same route. There was no reason for that unless he was following her.”
Steve looked taken aback and struggled to digest what I was saying. “Do you think she could be in danger? In that case, we shouldn’t let her out of our sight.” He exhaled heavily and held his head in his hands. “I was planning to stay in London tomorrow night, but I can’t do that now.”
“Do you really need to work so hard at the moment?” I asked. It was really none of my business but he looked so worn out.
He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “I wish I didn’t, believe me. But everything has gone wrong. It’s the worst possible timing.”
“Is there no one else who could handle things for you? What about Toby? He’s your partner.”
Steve shook his head. “Toby is the last person I want helping right now. Most of the screw up is down to him anyway.”
“Oh, I see.”
Only I didn’t see, not really. The screw up had to be bad to make Steve want to work with everything else going on. Toby hadn’t seemed stressed to me.
“I could stay here with Sienna during the day,” I suggested. “I contacted the Health Foundation and let them know I’d be staying here for another couple of weeks. I don’t have anything else to do, so I’d be happy to help.”
“I’d appreciate it. It would make me feel better to know that Sienna is not alone.” He paused for a breath and then turned to face me. “Abbie, do you think the man following Sienna had anything to do with what happened to Nicole?”
He’d asked the same question I’d been asking myself all afternoon.
“I really don’t know. I can’t see how it is related, but to be on the safe side, I think you’re right about not leaving Sienna on her own for the next few days. At least until the police look into it. Has there been any news on the investigation?”
Steve stared at the television, which was displaying a freeze-frame of a woman screaming after we’d paused the show.
“No, they’ve given me a few meagre updates, but they don’t have any concrete suspects as far as I know. Of course, they could still be focusing on me, wasting time.” His words were bitter and I could understand how he felt.
“You know, you could always stay here if that makes things easier. It must be costing you a fortune to stay at the DeVere…unless the Health Foundation Charity are suddenly paying a fortune.”
I smiled at that idea. “No, they’re not. I had some money saved because there’s not much to spend my money on where I’ve been staying in India. It’s not like living in a city like Mumbai. Actually, I was going to start looking for a cheaper hotel.”
“That settles it then. Move in here for a couple of weeks until you go back. You’d be doing me a massive favour. I’d know that Sienna was safe and she’d enjoy having some extra time with you.”
“If you’re sure… It would save me quite a bit of money, that’s for sure.”
“Absolutely. And it would mean I could stay in London tomorrow night if that’s okay with you?” He raised an eyebrow. “It would just be you and Sienna here.”
I nodded. “I’ll check out
tomorrow morning. Thanks, Steve.”
“I should be the one thanking you. I know you must think I’m an awful stepfather. The truth is, we disagree about things but I really do think of Sienna as my daughter. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to her too.”
“I know it can’t have been easy when you first got together with Nicole. But I think by coming back to Yew Tree House to live with you, Sienna has shown she thinks of you as her father.”
Steve’s eyes were a little glassy. He blinked a few times before slapping his hands together and standing up. “Right, I’d better order that pizza. Don’t tell me you’re a Hawaiian girl, too?”
I grinned. “Afraid so. It’s my favourite.”
He rolled his eyes. “Just like Nicole and Sienna.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
We polished off a large Hawaiian and a spicy pepperoni between the three of us. Despite the stress of the day, I relaxed and began to believe things would get better. The police would bring Nicole’s killer to justice, and Sienna and Steve would help each other through their grief.
I was worried about her reaction, but Sienna seemed pleased when Steve told her I’d be staying with them for a while. The evening produced some sad moments as we reminisced and remembered Nicole, but it was nice to share memories. Most of all, I was relieved to see how well Sienna and Steve got along. When I’d first come back from India, I’d been shocked by Steve’s reaction to the fact Sienna was missing and was worried she’d be left with an uncaring stepfather, but it seemed that couldn’t be further from the truth. He might not be the perfect stepfather but Steve cared about her, and Sienna relaxed in his company.
After Sienna went to bed, I left Yew Tree House and drove back to the hotel along the dark country roads. When I was at the house with Steve and Sienna it was easier to focus on the present and the future, but alone in the car, driving beneath the thick tree canopy, I began to feel uneasy again. The police were apparently no closer to finding out who had killed Nicole. I hated the thought of the killer walking around scot-free, but my worries went deeper than that. If someone was following Sienna, it was not much of a stretch to think she could be in danger, too.
