Her Missing Daughter: A Gripping Psychological Thriller

by D. S. Butler

  In the hotel car park, I chose a spot as close to the entrance as I could. It was dark and I was on edge. As I got out of the car, I had the unsettling sensation that someone was watching me. Glancing over my shoulder, I called out, “Who’s there?”

  There was no answer but I spun around when I heard the crunch of gravel. Was someone lurking in the shadows?

  I didn’t wait to find out. I sprinted to the hotel, not slowing until I was safely inside. My heart was thudding in my chest as I turned to look at the car park through the glass doors. There was no one there. The bright lights in the lobby eased my panic and made me feel stupid for overreacting.

  I stopped at the reception desk to let them know I would be checking out tomorrow and asked for my bill to be ready. Rather than heading straight up to my room, I stopped in the hotel bar for a nightcap.

  It was relatively quiet. Two young men in suits, nursing pints perched on stools at the bar. Another man sat alone in the corner. He was wearing light-coloured chinos and a checked shirt, and beside him a brown jacket hung over the back of a chair.

  She’d described him as middle-aged. I’d guess the man in the corner was in his mid-thirties, but perhaps to Sienna that was middle-aged?

  I watched him warily. Lots of people wore brown jackets and chinos, I told myself. How likely was it the man who’d been following Sienna would now be sitting in my hotel bar? But I couldn’t help stealing glances at him now and again as I drank my gin and tonic.

  It wasn’t long before he was joined by a woman with curly blonde hair, who sat down beside him and began to chatter away.

  I shook my head. I was letting my imagination run riot. Was I really going to do a double take every time I saw a man in a brown jacket and light trousers?

  I checked my phone for messages and was disappointed that Lizzie hadn’t got back to me. The police were very busy with the investigation into Nicole’s murder. Perhaps Lizzie didn’t think we needed a follow up call. I supposed no news from Lizzie meant they hadn’t found the man who’d been following Sienna.

  I stood up, left a tip and walked out of the bar. I couldn’t resist one last look at the man with the brown jacket. But he wasn’t paying any attention to me. He was fully engrossed by the woman at his side.

  See, Abbie, you’re just paranoid.

  The following morning I got up early. I wanted to be checked out and at Yew Tree House before Steve left for work so Sienna wasn’t left alone at any time. When I arrived, Sienna was still in bed, so Steve gave me a brief tour of the house, even though I knew where most things were.

  He told me to make myself at home and glanced at his watch for the third time in a minute.

  He was clearly stressed and in a rush to get away.

  “I’ll be fine,” I assured him. “You should get to work. I know you’ve got a lot to do.”

  “Thanks, Abbie. I really appreciate this.”

  I waved him off and just as his car left the driveway, I spotted Angie’s blue mini pulling in. I gave her a quick wave, left the door ajar and went to prepare a pot of coffee. The gleaming chrome machine looked complicated.

  I grabbed the tin of ground coffee I’d seen Angie use yesterday. It smelled delicious. I was rummaging around for filters for the machine when I heard Sienna scream.

  The spoon I’d been holding clattered to the worktop counter and I dashed out of the kitchen to see Sienna standing in her pyjamas with her back against the front door.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “The door was open! Someone must be in the house.”

  “Oh, Sienna that was me. I’m sorry. When Steve left, Angie was just arriving, so I left the door open for her.”

  Her lower lip wobbled. “There is no one in the house?”

  I shook my head. “No, I’d have heard if someone had come in, and Angie must be still outside. No one could have got past without her seeing them.”

  Sienna turned back to the door, and with shaking hands, she reached up to release the latch. She pulled the door open, and we both looked out onto the gravel driveway and saw Angie marching towards the house.

  “I thought…” Sienna broke off.

  “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left the door open. I’m sorry.”

  She gave an almost imperceptible nod and then drifted back towards the stairs.

  “Do you want some breakfast? Coffee?”

  She shook her head as she began to climb the steps. “No, thank you.”

  I could have kicked myself. What a stupid thing to do. If there was somebody prowling about I really had to be more careful. Angie would have spotted anybody walking into the house, but that wasn’t the point.

  Angie called out cheerfully as she came through the door. She actually smiled when I explained I’d be staying at Yew Tree House for the next week or so. I was starting to realise her formidable exterior was a front.

  I shut the door firmly this time and I walked back into the kitchen to finish making the coffee.

  I poured a mug for Angie and handed it to her.

  “Well, how kind. It’s nice to be waited on for a change.” She gave me another smile.

  “Steve needed to go into London today. He won’t be back until tomorrow. We thought it was a good idea for someone to stay with Sienna.”

  Angie nodded but didn’t reply, so I continued, “I’ve taken another two weeks of leave from my job and thought it would be a good opportunity to spend some time with Sienna.”

  “That’s kind of you,” Angie said as she took bottles of cleaning products from under the sink and stacked them on the worktop.

  “It’s nice of Steve to let me stay here. To be honest, I was racking up quite a bill at the hotel.”

  Angie pulled a face. “I’ll bet. It’s not cheap.”

  I took my coffee into the sitting room and mulled things over as I sat on the huge sofa. The next two weeks weren’t going to be easy. I didn’t know what I’d do if they still hadn’t solved Nicole’s murder by the time my two weeks were up.

  Could I really just abandon Sienna and go back to India? No. It was out of the question.

  I sipped my coffee and looked out at the front garden. I didn’t have to wonder what Nicole would want me to do. I knew. She would want me to stay until Sienna was on an even keel again. So that’s what I would do.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  I took a stroll around the garden while Sienna was upstairs and Angie was cleaning. Charlie kept me company. He seemed to be perking up a little. I found his ball on the lawn and threw it for him. He chased the ball eagerly and returned it.

  “Good boy,” I said, gently taking the ball from his mouth.

  I threw it again towards the laurel bushes that encircled the back garden. As Charlie raced after the ball, I stared back at the house. The branches of the yew tree were just visible over the roof. Sienna’s bedroom overlooked the garden but her curtains were still closed.

  I spent half an hour playing with Charlie, which helped me relax and organise my thoughts. I’d made the decision I would stay in the UK for as long as Sienna needed me. But I couldn’t stay at Yew Tree House indefinitely. I needed a plan.

  Top of my list, was working out how long my savings would last. As a nurse, there was always the possibility I could get some agency work to tide me over.

  I headed back into the house to ask Angie if I could have some paper to make a to-do list. The lists were something I’d learned from Nicole. In our first year at university, I’d poked fun at her constant list making, but she’d had the last laugh after our first set of exams, and in the end, she’d persuaded me to make lists for every subject, carefully highlighting the important points with fluorescent markers. Even now, I found making a list helped me focus.

  Angie was cleaning Steve’s office. I poked my head around the door and saw her dusting the windowsill. It was a large room with a bay window overlooking the front driveway. A huge desk dominated the room with a black, studded-leather chair behind it. The wall in fr
ont of me was lined with bookshelves, but it surprised me to see they were mostly empty. A couple of shelves were dotted with piles of paperwork and three black lever arch files. I guessed most of Steve’s paperwork would be in the filing cabinet on the other side of the room.

  “Sorry to bother you, Angie. I need some paper. Is there any in Steve’s office I can use?”

  Angie looked about the room before spotting a pile of paper on one of the bookshelves.

  “Will this do?” she asked pointing to it.

  “That would be great. I only need one sheet.”

  She plucked the first sheet from the pile and walked towards me, holding it out.

  I took the thick, cream paper from her. It felt heavy and expensive. I was expecting to use a sheet of basic grade printer paper still, I doubted Steve would miss one sheet.

  “Thanks.”

  “Is everything all right, Abbie?”

  I looked up, surprised. “Yes, fine. Why do you ask?”

  “I thought you’d picked up on it.” Angie regarded me steadily.

  “Picked up on what?”

  She took half a step closer to me. “There’s evil here. A malevolence surrounding this house. You’ve sensed it, too, haven’t you?”

  I shivered and wanted to deny it. But I couldn’t. There was something unsettling me. “It’s just sadness…only to be expected in a bereaved household,” I said lightly.

  A flicker of impatience flickered across Angie’s face, before she frowned. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

  I hadn’t expected Angie to be so fanciful. She seemed so down to earth normally.

  I smiled and turned away just before she said, “You be careful, Abbie. Don’t let your guard down.”

  My mouth was dry as I swallowed. “I’ll be careful.”

  I took the paper back into the sitting room with me, grabbed a pen from my bag, settled on the sofa, and put a copy of Country Life magazine on my lap to lean on, before using my pen to divide the paper in half. One column would be my income and the other would be my expenses.

  I jotted down some figures, trying to ignore the sense of foreboding and jitters my conversation with Angie had given me. As expected, the expenses far outweighed my income column, even after taking my savings into account. Maths had never been my strong suit, but from my calculations, it seemed like I’d need to look for work by the end of the month.

  Using my phone, I searched the Web for a couple of well-known agencies and then jotted down their telephone numbers. I didn’t need to contact them today, but I would be needing them soon.

  I was just scrawling down the last number when Sienna walked into the room. She looked fragile and vulnerable. There were smudges of purple beneath her eyes, obvious against her pale skin. I stood up, folded the paper in half and stuffed it into my bag.

  “It’s almost lunchtime. Do you fancy a trip to the pub? We could take Charlie for a walk.”

  I thought the fresh air and sunshine would be good for her. I didn’t like the idea of her being holed up, scared to leave Yew Tree House. The weather wasn’t as bad as yesterday. It was cloudy, but didn’t look like rain.

  She gave me a soft smile. “Okay. I’ll get my phone.”

  Sienna went back upstairs and I went to look for Angie. I found her scrubbing out the sink in the utility room.

  “We’re going to get some lunch,” I said. “Do you have time for lunch break?”

  Angie looked up and used the back of her hand to push back a lock of hair that had escaped from her bun. “That’s sweet of you, but I’d better stay here and keep on top of things.”

  “Well, if you’re sure. I thought we’d take Charlie for a walk and get out of the house for a bit. We’ll probably go to the Greyhound.”

  I felt it was a good idea to let someone know where we were going if there was someone stalking Sienna.

  I had Charlie on his lead, my bag looped over my shoulder and was waiting by the front door by the time Sienna came back downstairs.

  “Ready?”

  “Yep,” she said, and I opened the front door.

  We walked along Fleet Hill, keeping close to the grass verge. I kept Charlie on a tight leash on my right-hand side, away from the traffic, but he was a very well-behaved dog and the passing vehicles didn’t bother him. There wasn’t a proper pavement until we reached the village, so Sienna and I walked in single file beneath the tall oak trees.

  When we approached the petrol station, I glanced back at Sienna to make sure she was okay. Her hands were in the pockets of her jeans, and her shoulders were hunched.

  “How are you doing?” I asked, expecting her to beg to be allowed to go home.

  “All right, I suppose,” she said, twisting a lock of hair around her fingers.

  Her head jerked up and she took a step closer to me as a Range Rover pulled into the petrol station and stopped beside the pumps. She didn’t relax until she saw a red-haired lady get out of the driver’s side and walk towards the shop.

  “Do you still fancy going to the pub for lunch?”

  I thought some time away from the house would be good for her, but she looked incredibly tense and I didn’t want to add to her stress levels. More pressure was the last thing she needed.

  “Sure.” Sienna reached down to pet Charlie, who lapped up the attention.

  We walked on, passing the school and as we got close to Jason Owens’s cottage, I turned to Sienna. Like most women, I wasn’t fond of dwelling on my unsuccessful dating life. The fact he still hadn’t called me to arrange that drink still niggled at me. But I thought talking about something frivolous would take Sienna’s mind off things.

  “We were supposed to be going for a drink,” I said, glancing at the thatched cottage and wondering if he was home.

  “You and Mr Owens?” Sienna looked shocked.

  I grinned. “I’m not that ancient, you know. He’s probably about my age.”

  “Oh, I didn’t mean that. It’s just…” She turned to look at me, pushing her coppery hair back from her face so I could see she was frowning. “I didn’t think he’d be your type.”

  “I’m not sure I have a type.”

  “Don’t you have someone back in India?”

  I shook my head. “No. It’s just me and an intern, a young American guy called Rich Michaels.”

  “Don’t you get lonely?”

  I thought about that for a moment. I was alone at lot but rarely felt lonely. “I’m used to it. I haven’t been in a proper relationship since Rob.”

  Sienna’s eyes widened and she tucked her hair behind her ears. “But that was years ago.”

  “Yes, it was. I suppose meeting someone new after Rob jilted me wasn’t at the top of my priorities.”

  Sienna nodded knowledgeably and gave a huff. “Men!”

  That made me smile. “What do you think I should do if Mr Owens does finally call me?”

  Sienna looked down at the ground as we walked. “I don’t know.”

  “Do you like him?”

  “He’s all right for a teacher, I guess.”

  “What about you and Zach?” I asked, wondering if I was pushing too far.

  She didn’t answer straight away. The sun broke through the clouds and felt warm on my back.

  Sienna let her hair fall forward, covering her face. “We’re just friends.”

  So she didn’t trust me yet. At least, not enough to tell me about her relationship with Zach. I wasn’t sure why she was hiding it when their relationship appeared to be common knowledge.

  Lunch was nice, but we didn’t stay at the Greyhound long. We’d had to leave Charlie outside and although the weather wasn’t as hot as it had been, Charlie was sensitive to the heat and I didn’t want to leave him for long. Although the pub didn’t allow dogs inside, they did have a water bowl in the pub garden.

  Sienna seemed to relax when we were in the pub’s restaurant area. She was quiet and withdrawn but that was normal for a child who’d just lost a parent. The death of her mothe
r was more than enough to cope with, and I couldn’t stand the idea that the random weirdo following her on the street would make her more upset and reclusive.

  Lying awake last night, I’d come to the conclusion that yesterday’s incident couldn’t be connected to Nicole’s death. It was just a horrible coincidence. There was nothing to link the two events. Even so, I didn’t want to let Sienna out of my sight for the next few days, just in case.

  She did start and look up every time new customers came into the bar. I had to admit I’d scanned the pub myself to make sure there were no suspicious characters lurking in the restaurant.

  I ordered a Caesar salad and Sienna had the chicken burger. She only managed to eat half of it but I was pleased to see her eating something.

  When we’d finished eating, I paid the bill and then we went to collect Charlie from the pub garden. His tail wagged enthusiastically when he saw us.

  The three of us walked back to Yew Tree House. Sienna wasn’t talkative, and I didn’t push the conversation on the journey back, but I was surprised and pleased when Sienna slipped her arm through mine as we walked past Jason’s thatched cottage.

  When we got home, Angie was vacuuming, but she switched it off and smiled at us broadly.

  “Perfect timing. I was just about to make a cup of tea,” she announced.

  “Great,” I said, leaning down to take the leash off Charlie’s collar.

  “None for me, thanks,” Sienna said, heading towards the stairs. “I’m going to use the computer for a bit.”

  It wasn’t until Angie and I had finished our tea that I remembered the phone call from the health club.

  I put down my cup. “Do you know what time Narcissus Health Club closes today?”

  Angie picked up my cup along with her own and took them to the sink. “Thinking of pampering yourself?”

  “No, they left a message on the answering machine. Apparently, Nicole left some belongings in one of the lockers. I told Sienna I’d pick them up.”

  “That’s kind of you. They don’t close until nine p.m. most evenings.” Angie sighed. “I found one of Nicole’s lists earlier. She’d written down Steve’s business trip dates for the next month. It’s the little things that catch you off guard.”