The neighbour, p.15
The Neighbour, page 15
I moved from the bathroom to his bedroom, searching through drawers and collecting underwear, a change of clothes, his toothbrush, deodorant and comb. An old Samsung mobile was plugged in beside his bed, fully charged, so I put that in the bag too. I scanned the room for anything he’d find useful, packing a book about Jack the Ripper from his bedside table and a crossword puzzle. Before going downstairs I passed the second bedroom, poking my head in just to check there wasn’t anything else I could pack for Derek. Inside was a neatly made double bed which must be where his guests stayed. I carried on down the hallway glancing inside the third bedroom, or box room, which had a pine desk in it, with an old-fashioned green reading lamp on top.
I stopped in the doorway, momentarily distracted as I admired the layout, considering whether to position my desk in the same spot, by the window, overlooking the back garden. It wasn’t until I turned to leave that I saw it. Secured with Blu-Tack on the adjacent wall was a close-up photo of Danielle and a cutting from the local paper in which her disappearance had been briefly mentioned. I shrank away from it as all the heat seemed to leave my body and my veins turned to ice. Why did Derek have a photo and newspaper cutting of Danielle on his wall? Inching towards his desk, I pushed at the paperwork, but nothing seemed to be related to her. It was mainly household bills.
‘Did you find everything?’ Lisa called from the hallway.
By the time I got to the top of the stairs, Derek was already strapped into a wheelchair and being manoeuvred out the door. Over the clanking of the wheelchair, I could hear Niamh and Remy’s voices outside, the ambulance having drawn their attention.
‘Coming,’ I shouted down, popping back to shut the office door behind me.
I forced a smile when I joined the others outside, Niamh was chatting to Derek in the back of the ambulance and Remy’s face was one of concern as he watched on.
‘Take care, Derek,’ I called into the ambulance before Lisa took the bag from my outstretched hand and closed the doors. I didn’t trust myself to say goodbye properly, unable to meet his eyes, unsure what my expression would covey.
‘Hey, are you okay?’ Remy asked, appearing at my side and rubbing my arm.
‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ I said, my stomach still churning. ‘I’ve got to head back, Lauren’s been on her own for ages,’ I said, smiling feebly, leaving as Niamh came to join us. I gave her a wave and jogged back across the green, agitated by my discovery.
My head was spinning, so much so I snapped at Lauren when I got back inside. She complained I’d been gone ages and I told her not to be such a baby. My eyes filled with tears as I locked myself in the bathroom upstairs, hands resting on the sink, staring into the mirror. I’d have to apologise, I didn’t mean to be so sharp, but I was reeling from discovering the photo and cutting of Danielle in Derek’s office. What could they have been doing there? Was he responsible for her disappearance?
Derek had to be sixty at least, he was retired after all. Danielle was twenty-seven, so what would a man in his sixties want with a woman of that age? The idea made me shudder. Should I tell someone? Mark perhaps? Although I didn’t want to send him on a wild goose chase. It could be innocent, although I couldn’t think why he’d have her photo there. Becky must have been right, he was closer to her than he’d admitted to me. Why would he lie?
I wanted to go through the box of Danielle’s things, but I couldn’t find them anywhere. Perhaps I’d thrown them out by mistake or maybe Lauren had? It was odd, they’d been on the floor by the sofa the last I’d seen them. Thankfully the photo was still in my handbag, but everything else, the necklace, watch and novel, had disappeared. Was I going mad? Had Beech Close sent me crazy in under a week?
I tried not to think about Danielle or Derek as I wandered around the supermarket with Lauren later that morning. I pretty much let her put what she wanted in the trolley, such was the guilt at seeing her bottom lip wobble when I’d snapped at her. It wasn’t something I did often and when I’d come downstairs to apologise she’d been a little frosty. I’d suggested the supermarket knowing she’d take advantage of my remorse.
When we got to the seasonal aisle, it looked as though it had been ransacked, with only a few chocolate eggs remaining. I’d left it too late.
Lauren, unfazed by the lack of choice, ran straight to the white chocolate options.
‘Can I have this one please?’ Lauren lifted a large white chocolate KitKat egg from a shelf above, handing it to me.
I added it to the trolley, as well as the last remaining pack of hollow eggs and treats for the egg hunt I’d promised on Sunday.
‘This looks cool, can I get it, Mum?’ Lauren asked, waving a weave-your-own basket creative kit at the end of the aisle.
‘Sure,’ I relented, hoping we’d have a quiet afternoon at home. It was still raining outside, and I hadn’t recovered from the drama of the morning. The last thing I wanted to do was head back out to find a source of entertainment for Lauren. Not when I still had flat-pack to build and curtains to hang.
Although when we pulled onto the driveway, Josh’s car had gone and Remy was waiting on the doorstep, a bunch of yellow roses in hand.
35
‘Happy Friday the thirteenth,’ Remy said, holding out the bunch of flowers towards me despite me juggling bags from the supermarket.
‘Oh, thank you,’ I said, a tight smile on my lips. ‘Lauren, can you take them please?’ I couldn’t hide my frustration at him turning up, the postcoital glow a distant memory now.
‘Sorry, here let me,’ he said, holding the flowers in one hand and taking a full bag of shopping from me so I could unlock the door. ‘You said you weren’t up to much,’ he added, ruffled as he sensed my demeanour.
‘Sorry, no, I’m not,’ I replied, a wave of guilt washing over me as I beckoned him to follow us inside. ‘Lauren, this is Remy. I don’t think you’ve properly met,’ I said, looking from my daughter to Remy.
He held out his hand for her to shake and her cheeks glowed at the adult introduction.
I put the shopping away and made us some tea while Lauren played tug of war with Teddy in the lounge.
‘I don’t want to encroach on your day, but you said you were around,’ Remy said.
I turned to face him as the tea brewed. ‘I was only going to build some furniture, try to get the office sorted, that’s all. I can do it another day.’ I smiled, folding my arms over my chest. Another reason why I’d been single for so long, I was used to being on my own, master and commander of my time.
‘Hey, I’m not too bad with my hands, you know.’ Remy winked at me, the lines around his eyes crinkling.
‘It would appear so,’ I laughed, and the tension between us evaporated.
We spent the day putting the office together, building the desk and bookcase. Lauren helped too when she wasn’t weaving her Easter basket. By late afternoon, the rest of the flat-pack had been built and I had a functioning office. The curtains I’d brought with us in the move had been swapped for new ones and the place finally felt finished, like it had the Lucas stamp on it. Remy had rolled up his sleeves, ordering me around, reading instructions and taking control of the build. It was easy to see him on a construction site, wearing a hard hat, barking directions. Not only that, but for someone who admitted to not wanting children, he charmed Lauren with ease.
She was smitten with him from the outset, and he went out of his way to involve her where he could, so she didn’t feel left out of our activities.
‘I’m ready for beer, how about you?’ I said, leaning back on my haunches to admire the office, which only needed some artwork on the walls to inject a bit of personality and it would be perfect. Maybe I’d ask Amber to paint me a small canvas once she’d done Lauren’s.
‘I hope Derek is all right?’
I’d managed not to think about Derek all day until Remy mentioned him as we put our feet up and enjoyed a cold bottle of Corona which had been chilling in the fridge all day.
‘I’m sure he’s fine, his ankle was probably sprained rather than broken, but the poor guy had been on the floor all night, waiting for someone to pass by. I tell you, there’s nothing good about getting old,’ I said and Remy raised his beer.
‘I’ll drink to that.’
‘You know what though, the whole Danielle thing…’ I paused as Remy glanced to the heavens at the mention of her name.
‘What?’ I retorted, body stiffening, but Remy didn’t even have the courtesy to look sheepish.
‘I think you need to let the Danielle thing go.’ He sighed as though I was an annoying child going on and on about a trip to the swings.
I chewed the inside of my cheek, staring at him. ‘Oh? And why is that?’ I asked, it was an effort to keep my voice level. I wasn’t spoiling for a fight, but Remy dismissing me boiled my blood.
‘Because I don’t believe there’s any conspiracy, I’m sure she’s fine wherever she is, if she wasn’t, the police would be searching for her, wouldn’t they?’
‘Did you take her out for dinner? Like you did me?’ I asked, searching Remy’s face.
‘What has that got to do with anything?’ He didn’t deny it.
‘You said you didn’t know her.’ I wanted to say more, but something in Remy’s expression stopped me, but I wasn’t willing to change the subject entirely. ‘Derek had a photo of her on his wall, and a newspaper clipping,’ I blurted.
Remy’s eyebrows shot skyward. ‘A photo?’
‘Yes, a photo.’ He pondered on it for a while, before speaking.
‘That is odd.’
‘It is, and every time I think that you’re right, she’s fine, in Egypt or somewhere living some hedonistic existence, I discover something else that doesn’t add up.’
‘Oh, so Derek, a retired school headmaster, offed her then, did he?’ he scoffed.
I recoiled like I’d been slapped. ‘Forget it,’ I shot back, shoving my chair back and getting up to use the bathroom.
In the bathroom, I splashed water over my face and neck, dabbing myself with a towel as I took in my reflection. I didn’t know what was going on between Remy and me, but I knew I didn’t want it to end yet and especially not over a difference of opinion. Perhaps Remy was right, playing Miss Marple was sending me in circles. There must be a good reason Derek had her photo pinned to the wall of his office. The last thing I wanted was to fall out with Remy over something so trivial, even if he had taken her out for dinner. It didn’t have to mean anything. Perhaps he didn’t mention it because it was so inconsequential. I didn’t want to rock the boat, not when we’d had such a nice day.
‘How did your mum get on at the doctors?’ I asked, coming down the stairs.
Remy was tapping at his phone, but a black cloud crossed his face at the mention of his mother. ‘Okay, they’ve upped her medication, which should level her out but might make her a bit spacey, they said, initially anyway.’
‘Where is she today?’
‘She’s over at Niamh and Finn’s. I think Niamh is doing a roast.’
‘That’s nice of her,’ I said, trying to get my head around why Niamh would offer to have Valerie for the day. I could hear her voice crystal-clear ‘that woman is the bane of my life.’
Remy chuckled at my puzzled expression. ‘It certainly is,’ he agreed but didn’t elaborate further. It was almost as if I didn’t get the joke, but before I could ask what he meant, Lauren joined us in the kitchen, pleading takeaway pizza for dinner.
Remy and I exchanged glances and I shrugged.
‘Fancy a pizza?’ I asked.
He smiled, nodding. Our disagreement minutes before seemingly forgotten.
‘I like to keep the workmen fed, you know,’ I teased as Lauren disappeared to find a menu.
‘I’m sure it’ll give me some energy for later,’ Remy flexed his hands dramatically and I giggled, a stirring inside at the idea of what was to come.
36
Our pleasant evening was not to be as Remy got a phone call just as I was putting Lauren to bed.
‘I’m going to have to go,’ Remy sighed. ‘Mum’s had a nap and woken disorientated. Apparently Niamh is trying to kidnap her.’ He rubbed at his forehead.
‘Let me help,’ I said.
I tucked Lauren in bed, whispering I’d be back shortly and was just taking Teddy outside. She mumbled a sleepy response and rolled over onto her side, clutching Jules for comfort. I stroked her hair – sometimes it amazed me how I’d managed to grow such a perfect human inside me
Remy was waiting on the driveway, eager to get over to Niamh’s but too polite to leave without me. I told him to go on, while I got Teddy’s lead. By the time we’d got to the centre of the green and Teddy had urinated at the base of the beech tree, Remy was already leading Valerie out of Niamh’s house by the elbow. She appeared to be ranting and Remy was trying to calm her down. Niamh materialised in the doorway, illuminated by the security light, a shawl around her shoulders. She was gesticulating and shaking her head, clearly displeased, although she was too far away for me to hear what she was saying. Where was Finn?
When she looked over, I waved and she smiled, waving back before turning to Remy. It seemed as though they were arguing, the conversation obviously heated. A cold unease crept down my back when they both looked over at me in unison. Teddy had taken the opportunity to empty his bowels, so I bent down to scoop it up, glad I’d remembered to bring a bag. When I stood, the front door of number six was wide open, but Remy and Niamh were nowhere to be seen. Valerie had disappeared too. The scene looked eerie from afar, the door wide open and not a soul around.
I shuddered in the damp air, the chill taking hold, wishing I’d thrown on a sweatshirt. Drizzle coated everything in a blanket of tiny droplets, my bare arms had a sheen to them. It was the kind of weather that caught you out, where you ended up unexpectedly soggy. Rather than standing still, I circled the green, debating whether to wait or go back inside. It seemed Remy had things under control, and I didn’t want to leave Lauren alone too long.
My attention was drawn to Derek’s house, which was lit up like a Christmas tree. He must have been discharged and a slow smile reached my lips that he wasn’t as badly injured as he could have been. I hated to think of him lying on the floor all night, unable to call for help and I was glad he was back home. The light streaming through the window turned my pupils to pinpricks. Derek hadn’t closed his curtains, allowing a view straight into his lounge. The memories of the morning came flooding back and I still didn’t know what to think about the photo of Danielle in his office, despite what Remy had said. On the outside, Derek seemed like a lovely old man, but didn’t they all? First impressions weren’t always the right ones. My thirty-three years had taught me that.
Teddy pulled on the lead as he sniffed at a spot towards the edge of the green. Movement caught my eye from Derek’s window. Through the net curtains, I saw him sat in the armchair staring out into the darkness. Could he see me? The street lights were on, but surely the light was too bright inside to make it clear out here. He was still now, like a statue, sat rigid, looking out, directly at me.
I pulled Teddy’s leash, a sudden urgency to get back to the house. The atmosphere in Beech Close was off, as if something was bubbling under the surface.
‘Come on, Teddy,’ I said before cold fingers dug into my shoulder. I whirled around, dropping the lead, and letting out a yelp. Valerie squinted at me, jabbing her bony finger at my chest.
‘You’re dead,’ she whispered.
Fear lodged in my throat, and I was unable to speak, managing only to stumble back a couple of steps. Teddy bounded off towards the house, making his getaway as I searched past Valerie for Remy. Relief hit like a brick when he came out of Niamh’s and jogged towards us.
‘You’re dead,’ Valerie repeated, this time her finger prodding into my breast. She recoiled with a gasp, clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth repeatedly and shaking her head.
‘Come on, Mother, home now, it’s been a long day,’ Remy said, a touch of forced frivolity in his tone. He rolled his eyes at me, but I could only look on in horror, Valerie’s words ringing in my ears. You’re dead. Was it another threat? ‘Are you okay, Shelly?’ Remy frowned at me, taking in my ghostly pallor. ‘What did she say to you?’
‘Nothing, no, I’m fine. I’ve got to go,’ I replied, backing away as fast as I could, to where Teddy was waiting, scratching at the door to get away from the scary woman.
Inside, I locked the door, pressing my head against the wall. What was wrong with everyone here? Was it me or were the people of Beech Close unsettling?
Teddy was already in his bed, curled up, head bowed, glad to be back inside. I went upstairs, checked on Lauren, who was already snoring, and then went to my bedroom at the front of the house. I peered out between a crack in the new curtains, but Remy must have taken Valerie home as they were both gone. Niamh had to be safely tucked inside, even her security light had gone out. Derek’s house too was now in darkness, but still I was unsettled.
What did Valerie mean? Her habit of creeping up on me was terrifying, the stealth-like way she moved, but I didn’t believe she meant me harm. When she touched me, the revulsion on her face was bizarre. Dementia had got its claws into Remy’s mother and it would only be a downward spiral from here on out. There were going to be some bumpy roads ahead for him.
I ran a bath, trying to be quiet so as not to disturb Lauren, wincing at sound of the pipes as it filled. I opened the window wide to let out the steam, the sky outside now pitch black. When I slid beneath the water, the heat washed away my tension and I closed my eyes, listening to Valerie’s wind chime tinkle. The sound was similar to my mother’s bell, and I understood why it frightened Lauren so much. Nanny frightened her, she frightened us all.
Tomorrow, the cottage would no longer be mine. The sale would be complete. Memories would stay, of course, no matter how hard Lauren and I tried to lock them away, but at least the property would be gone. Finally she’d gifted me some peace, knowing Lauren and I would no longer have to struggle was a weight off my mind. I’d be able to give Lauren all the things I didn’t have as a child, but, most importantly, all the love I possibly could.
