The perfect home, p.11
The Perfect Home, page 11
They gripped on to Sandy’s arms as they gently guided her towards the house. She went willingly, clinging on to Lily and Avril as though her life depended on it. As Avril found the keys in Sandy’s bag and opened the door, she tried to make sense of it.
They hadn’t talked about Sandy’s ex-partner since the barbecue. All they really knew about him was that he wasn’t a good man but if Sandy truly believed that he was capable of such mindless vandalism, then there had to be more to the story.
They sat her down on the sofa and Lily fussed around in the kitchen, making coffees. Sandy was silent as she stared at the patio doors, her fists clenching and unclenching.
Avril waited for Lily to return, before saying gently, ‘Sandy, what’s going on?’
‘It started with an anonymous phone call,’ she began shakily. ‘And then it happened again the other day. Clare says it’s nuisance callers, but I’m not convinced. Then when you told me about the noises you kept hearing, I began to wonder if it was someone playing a cruel game. And now this has happened. It’s too much of a coincidence.’
‘You think your ex could be behind it all? But why would he do that?’
‘Because he wants to scare me. He wants me to know that he’s still in control.’
Avril leaned forward. ‘What happened between you, Sandy?’
Sandy didn’t answer at first, perhaps weighing up how much she wanted to say. But then she began to speak. ‘Grant and I were in an abusive relationship.’
Avril wasn’t surprised but Sandy’s words still upset her. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘It went on for years and then, when Micky was three, I finally left him.’
‘Good for you,’ Lily said. ‘The bastard.’
‘I thought I’d escaped and I was finally rebuilding my life but then when Micky was five, Grant found us and abducted him. I’ve never gotten over it and I live in constant fear that it’ll happen again, even though Micky’s sixteen and no longer a little boy.’
Avril was appalled. The mere thought of losing a child gripped her with terror so she couldn’t begin to imagine how Sandy must have felt. ‘How long was Micky missing?’
‘Only twenty-four hours, thank God, although it was the worst twenty-four hours of my life. After that I knew that I needed to make it stop so I told the police what Grant had done to me and I testified in court. He was sent to prison and I never heard from him again.’
‘Until now.’
‘Yes.’ Sandy nodded. ‘Until now.’
‘You know,’ Lily began tentatively, ‘it might not be him.’
‘It might be him, though.’
‘But why now, after all this time?’
‘He’s out of prison, he’s bored, he’s angry. I don’t know. He once told me that wherever I went, and whatever I did, he would find me. And Grant doesn’t like to be wrong.’
Avril tried to process it all. Sandy’s theory didn’t quite add up to her. Why would a grown man, presumably in his thirties or forties, do something so juvenile? It seemed more like something young people messing about would do. Either way, the incident had upset her and the idea of Westford Park being infiltrated by such nasty people made her indignant with rage. What had happened to their safe sanctuary? Who had violated it and to what end?
And what did it mean for their children, who currently pretty much had the run of the place, unsupervised? Was it safe for them? Avril had loved the fact that Bethany and Tom could have a bit more freedom here but now she was wondering if she’d been too relaxed.
Whoever had done this, Westford Park didn’t seem very safe to her any more.
To reassure herself as much as the others, she said, ‘Stuart’s convinced that the noise is coming from foxes. And the phone calls could well have been nuisance callers.’
‘What about the tennis courts?’
‘Vandals,’ she said with more conviction than she felt. ‘Senseless vandals.’
Lily nodded vehemently. ‘I think Avril’s right, Sandy. But listen, why don’t you talk to the police just for some peace of mind? We could go and see if they’ve turned up yet.’
‘And what do I tell them?’
‘What you told us, darling.’
‘They’ll think I’m mad.’
‘Of course they won’t,’ Avril interjected. Although even as she heard herself say it, she wondered if perhaps Sandy was overreacting.
‘Shall we call Clare for you?’ Lily suggested.
‘No, she’s at work, I don’t want to disturb her.’
‘I’m sure she won’t mind.’
‘I know she won’t, but I still don’t want to.’ Sandy forced a smile. ‘I’m fine, really.’
Lily frowned. ‘You’re not fine. There’s really no harm in speaking to the police.’
Sandy toyed with her curly hair, wrapping it around a finger and pulling at it. ‘Let’s see what they find out first. I’m sure there’ll be CCTV and maybe you’re right and it’ll show some bored teenagers getting up to no good.’
‘The noises could have been them too,’ Avril said. ‘It if wasn’t foxes.’
‘But why?’ Lily asked. ‘Why would anyone want to mess with us all?’
‘Maybe they’re bored. Or they’re not from here and they’re jealous?’
‘But then how did they get in without being detected?’
‘I don’t know.’ Avril threw her hands up in the air. ‘It’s just theories. We need to tell the kids to be careful though. I don’t like the idea of them being out and about at night if there are troublemakers hanging around.’
She looked at Sandy who was still playing with her hair, pulling it so hard that Avril was sure it must hurt. ‘Sandy, I’ll stay with you until Clare gets home.’
‘There’s really no need.’
‘I insist.’
Avril looked at Lily who nodded and pulled out her phone. ‘I’m going to call security and see if they’ve found anything yet.’
As Lily stood up to make the call, Avril turned to Sandy. ‘What can I do to help?’
Sandy smiled. ‘You are helping. By being a friend. By not judging me.’
‘Why on earth would we judge you?’
‘I know I sound deranged. And I wouldn’t blame you for doubting me. But he’s found me before. He’s watched me without me knowing. He could easily be watching again now.’
‘Then why show himself in this way? If he was watching.’
‘I don’t know, Avril.’
‘I still think we should call Clare.’
‘I’ll talk to her when she gets home. You know, I haven’t spoken about Grant to anyone other than Clare before. I’ve always tried to pretend it didn’t happen. But things like this, they bring it all back again and remind me that I can’t forget.’
Tears pricked at Avril’s eyes. ‘I think you’re incredibly brave.’
Sandy smiled. ‘I don’t feel very brave at the moment.’
‘Well, you are.’
Lily returned. ‘This is what we know so far. There were no unaccounted-for visitors last night and the patrol team didn’t see anything untoward. They’re checking the CCTV around the development. But the theory is that it was done by someone who lives on-site.’
‘There you go, then.’ Avril smiled brightly at Sandy, although a new theory was beginning to form in her mind, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. They’d been quick to dismiss their own children, but Bethany had a history of causing trouble, didn’t she?
No. Don’t think like that. Don’t get all up in your head again. Anyway, Bethany had been safely tucked up in bed every time Avril had heard those strange noises and she hadn’t gone out last night. So, there was no way it could have been her.
Relieved, Avril added, ‘I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Sandy.’
‘Maybe you’re right.’ Sandy smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
‘Can I ask,’ Lily began hesitatingly. ‘Does Micky know much about his father?’
‘No. I told him that his dad had left when he was little, which had hurt me a lot. I said I didn’t know where he was but he was probably overseas. Clare thinks I should tell him now that he’s older. To be honest, it’s pretty much the only thing we argue about.’
‘Why don’t you want to tell him?’
‘I just can’t do it. Every time I think about having that conversation, I imagine the look on his face when he realises his father is a monster. It’s almost worse that he’s older because he’s not naive any more and he’ll understand exactly what I’m saying. There’s nothing I can say, no careful wording I can use to sugar-coat what Grant did to me, and to Micky.’
‘But don’t you worry that Micky might try and find him?’
Sandy shook her head. ‘Not really. He hasn’t asked about him in a long time. I’m more worried that he’ll try and find us. That’s why we moved here. I liked the idea of a secure community. I wanted Micky to have more freedom because I was always so nervous about him going out on his own. It wasn’t fair to keep him on such a tight leash. When we came to Westford Park it was like being in a bubble. But now it feels like the bubble has burst.’
Lily was thoughtful. ‘I know you’re not keen on talking to the police, but I know this private investigator. Eric used him to vet potentially dodgy clients. Don’t tell anyone I told you that. We could get him to find out where Grant is if you like? It might give you some peace of mind if you know that he has nothing to do with all this.’
‘Oh, I don’t know.’ Sandy looked unsure. ‘Wouldn’t that make things worse?’
‘Not if he’s dead or living in a rainforest in the Amazon. Then you’ll know you’re safe.’
‘But what if he’s not?’
‘Then we’ll have him watched, make sure that he’s not behind all this.’
‘That sounds expensive. I don’t think we can afford it.’
‘I’ll put it on Eric’s account. He won’t even notice.’
‘I’m not sure. Can I think about it? Speak to Clare?’
‘Of course, just let me know.’
Avril listened to the exchange in disbelief. The idea of hiring a private investigator sounded so far-fetched it seemed impossible that they were genuinely discussing it.
Trying to lighten the mood, sensing that they all needed it, she said, ‘Lily, I can’t believe you know a private investigator. Is there anyone you don’t know?’
‘I don’t think so, darling, no.’
Once again Avril was struck by what a charmed life Lily led. Here she was, taking control of this awful situation while Avril floundered, trying to work out what she could do to help Sandy and coming up with nothing other than sitting with her. But Lily was all action, finding practical solutions. She even had a private investigator in her contacts. She was also blissfully married, beautiful, wealthy and she had a stunning daughter who oozed sass and confidence. Avril couldn’t help but feel a small pang of both awe and jealousy.
But what was she doing, becoming a green-eyed monster about Lily when poor Sandy was in such a state? She couldn’t imagine what it must feel like to be constantly looking over your shoulder, to fear for yourself and your child. She’d experienced only a small taste of it when her family had become public enemy number one and it had almost destroyed her.
‘I don’t want to talk about this any more,’ Sandy said abruptly, removing her hand from her now knotted hair. ‘Let’s discuss the New Year’s party. I hope you’re both going?’
‘Of course,’ Lily enthused. ‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’
It was the event of the season and everyone was going. But as they talked about their outfits, as well as the guest list, Avril couldn’t stop thinking about what Sandy had told them about her ex and the fear she must have felt when she realised Micky had been abducted.
When she was walking back home with Lily, she brought it up again. ‘What do you think of this vandalism? Do you reckon it’s Sandy’s ex?’
‘I don’t know. It could be but I’m not convinced, especially about the noises. I don’t think he’d get away with sneaking in so many times.’
‘Even if it’s not him, I can’t believe what he did to her and Micky.’
‘I know. I’d like to kill him with my bare hands.’
‘I was thinking about what you said, about the private investigator. Maybe we should do it? I know Sandy wasn’t sure but it might just give her that peace of mind she needs.’
‘But we can’t do it, not without Sandy. We don’t even know what his surname is.’
‘True.’ Avril mulled this over. ‘But if he went to prison, we might find something about it online. And if we have his name, then we can get the ball rolling.’
‘I’m not sure. Won’t Sandy be upset with us?’
‘We’re doing this for Sandy.’
‘I suppose so. It wouldn’t harm to do a little googling.’
‘I’m not working today so I’ll have a look when I get home.’
‘Fine, let me know what you find out.’
‘Do you think we should be worried?’
‘About Sandy’s ex?’
‘About whoever is doing this.’
‘I still think they’re isolated incidents. I don’t think we have anything to fear.’
But as Avril let herself into the house, she couldn’t shake off a feeling of dread. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of Sandy, of Bethany, and of whoever was responsible for what had happened at the courts. She kept thinking about the noises and about the anonymous phone calls to Sandy. She had no idea what was going on but whatever it was, she didn’t like it one bit. Were they linked, as Sandy thought they were? Or were they isolated incidents, as Lily believed? And which one was worse?
She thought of the kids, hanging around at the boathouse after dark. Tom was too young to go out on his own at night but soon he’d want to do the same thing. And she’d thought that Westford Park was the perfect place for them to do that, away from the crime that often plagued towns and cities. But now the crime had come here, to this beautiful development, and the realisation sunk in that, just as Sandy had said, Westford Park wasn’t a bubble. It often felt like one but now the darker side of life had infiltrated it.
To distract herself from her increasingly morose thoughts, she made herself a cup of tea and settled down at her laptop to do some research into Sandy’s ex. She felt guilty about what she was about to do but she told herself it was to help her friend. She wanted to be more like Lily, to offer practical support to Sandy, to try and find a solution for her. Where was it Sandy had said that she used to live years ago? She was pretty sure it was Devon. She started googling Devon, along with the name ‘Grant’ and terms like ‘assault’ and ‘abducted’ but nothing relevant came up in the timeline that she had worked out from Sandy’s story.
But Sandy had moved around a lot. Hadn’t she mentioned a brief stint in Cambridge? Avril started searching in that area until, eventually, she found an archived article in the local newspaper, dated ten years previously. She scanned the copy, her eyes widening.
A man who tried to abduct his son in Cambridge has been jailed for six years.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, spied on his ex-partner before entering her home and taking their five-year-old child when she was sleeping.
Officers intercepted him at Dover, trying to board a ferry to Calais, and he was arrested. He was found guilty of kidnapping a child, engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour, causing actual bodily harm and assault by beating.
Police said the man had been planning the kidnap for weeks. They found false documents in his car as well as a disguise.
During the trial, the court heard that he repeatedly assaulted his ex-partner over the five-year period that they were together, including burning her with cigarettes and beating her. She was left with permanent scars as a result of his attacks.
The man, who had a successful career and earned more than £40,000 a year, kept his partner and child locked up in a flat, deleted her social media accounts and took her mobile phone. He prohibited her from talking to other people, including members of her own family.
After the trial, Angela Michael, of Cambridgeshire Police, said: ‘This man subjected his partner to years of abuse, which culminated in him attempting to kidnap their child and flee the country. The account she shared in her victim statement shows the devastating impact domestic violence has on the lives of victims and their families.’
She added: ‘I would like to thank this woman for her immense bravery in supporting our investigation and giving evidence in court, which led to this successful conviction.’
Avril slammed the lid of the laptop down, appalled. It had to be Sandy but the names had been withheld, presumably to protect Micky’s identity. She felt wretched for snooping. What that poor woman had been through was unthinkable. And they’d sat there talking about sparkly dresses and New Year’s parties. It seemed so shallow and insignificant.
She didn’t want to share this information with Lily, or anyone. She opened her laptop again and deleted her browsing history, not wanting there to even be a footprint of that terrible story on her computer, or in her life. Then she closed the lid again and stood up.
She was restless, agitated and angry. This man was a monster. She was now starting to think that maybe Sandy was right about the incidents at Westford Park being down to Grant. Clearly, he was capable of anything. And what did that mean for Bethany, if she was hanging out with Micky? What if Grant approached them?
She couldn’t ban Bethany from going out with her friends at night, but she was going to be more vigilant from now on. They needed to keep an eye on the teenagers and make sure that they always knew where they were. Even if this wasn’t down to Grant, then there were some other troublemakers hanging around on-site. Perhaps the boathouse wasn’t the best place for them. She felt awful for thinking, even for a second, that the vandalism might have been down to Bethany. No, this was the work of someone nasty and vicious. Someone like Grant.
Something else was on her mind too. Sandy had been so brave for confiding in them about her past. It must have been difficult for her to tell them, but she’d faced her fears and done it. Maybe it was time for Avril to be brave too. Full disclosure. She would tell them the truth about Bethany, she decided. Let them judge the story and make their own decisions about it. That’s when she would know if they were true friends.
