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The bird seemed uninterested in the water, despite Laura encouraging it to drink. It made a feeble attempt at flapping its wings, but soon gave up.

‘I’d better be going,’ Laura eventually told the blackbird apologetically. ‘Aren’t you lucky you don’t have to go to school, or wear a uniform? I’ll check in with you later – maybe you’ll have managed to fly away by then. I really hope so.’

Sylvia’s patience had finally given out but, just as she was preparing to drive off, her husband came hurrying out of the front door.

‘Hang on, Syl – since you’re still here, I might as well take a lift with you,’ Alan said, settling into the front passenger seat. ‘If you can drop me off at the garage, you’ll save me the bother of ordering a taxi.’

His wife nodded as she started the engine and began moving off. She wondered if Alan had detected anything different in her demeanour lately. Perversely she hoped so, since a comment from him might create the opportunity for her to raise the topic she’d been dreading, but desperately needed to discuss with him.

Her mind had been in turmoil ever since seeing the photo of Ellie Beckworth’s ring. How long had her affair with Alan been going on? Sylvia shuddered. Did Tony Coleman know about it, or were he and Ellie no longer a couple? Now she was glad she and Ellie had never become friends – it would be too painful to lose a close friend as well as a husband. Sylvia stifled a sob. She could no longer live in torment – she’d have to confront Alan soon.

Alan smiled cheerfully at Pete, who was in the back seat, oblivious to the thoughts that were racing around in his wife’s head. ‘The mechanic said he’d have the heater in the new car sorted out by mid-morning,’ he added. ‘I can’t believe the damned thing has failed already – I only got the car a few weeks ago!’ He rubbed his hands together, as if to warm them. ‘I’ll be glad to have the heater working again – especially since the weather’s starting to turn cooler already.’ He looked quizzically at his wife. ‘I thought you were taking Laura today, too?’

His wife nodded. ‘That was the plan,’ she replied curtly. ‘But she doesn’t seem bothered about getting ready for the new school term – so I might as well take Pete to get his uniform anyway.’

Laura ran through the undergrowth and headed in the direction of the lawns outside the front entrance to the house, aware that she’d been gone for ages, and knowing how annoyed her mother would be.

Her breath was coming in gulps as she finally reached the lawns outside the house, just in time to see her mother’s car disappearing down the driveway. Laura sighed, annoyed with herself. She’d missed the trip to town by seconds. There would be hell to pay later.

C
HAPTER
66

‘G
oodnight, Kerry – see you tomorrow!’

Kerry smiled as she slipped on her coat. ‘Goodnight, Norma. I hope you and Jack aren’t going to stay too late?’

‘Nah – another half an hour and we’re both outta here.’

Kerry nodded, wishing that someone else was leaving the building at the same time as she was. Although she’d learned to ignore the old man who lingered about outside, he still made her feel uncomfortable. She’d spotted him twice in the previous few weeks, although she couldn’t have described him since she’d never actually seen him up close. But she could recognise his walk by now, and the slight stoop of his shoulders, as though he was a tall man trying to look smaller. At this point, it was embarrassing to remember how terrified she’d originally been, imagining all sorts of scenarios in which Jeff was the protagonist.

As Kerry exited the building, it was starting to rain, and she wished she’d taken her umbrella from her office, but she wasn’t going back for it now. She glanced surreptitiously around her, but there was no one anywhere in the immediate vicinity.

Purposefully hurrying along the street, her head down, Kerry walked in the direction of the tube station. She was very conscious that there were few people about at this hour, and there were no crowds into which she could easily merge. The
click-clack of her shoes on the pathway was loud and clear, enabling anyone who might be following her to know exactly where she was heading …

Kerry’s heart almost stopped as she passed a row of darkened shops. The man was there, lurking in a doorway! As she began to turn away, he stepped out of his hiding place. He raised his hand in her direction, and, for a moment, she wondered if he was holding a gun.

‘Wait!’ he called after her.

But Kerry didn’t hang around to find out what he wanted. Filled with fear, she began to run. Once again, she thought of Jeff and his drug-dealer companion at the hotel. They’d clearly worked out what she’d been up to. She’d been too complacent about her own safety, and now she was about to pay the price. Jeff must have figured out what she’d been doing, and he wasn’t going to tolerate her interference any longer …

Stumbling along the rainy street and out of breath, she heard a crack and felt a searing pain, then she was falling, falling, falling …

C
HAPTER
67

A
s Sylvia started the car and headed down the driveway, Alan glanced at his wife. Even after all these years, he still felt guilty for deceiving her. Yet he’d been drawn to Ellie in a way that he’d never been to any other woman. Even now, after all their years of secret trysts and stolen hours of passion, she was still as exciting as ever to him.

And Kerry, his secret daughter – he’d need to ensure that she was provided for financially. He’d promised Ellie that he’d pay for her university education. He’d sort all that out just as soon as he got around to visiting his solicitor. Lately, there was just so much to do at the factory.

Poor Ellie – he felt guilty about her, because he’d made rash promises to her when they’d been younger but, at the time, he’d believed them, too. At one point, he’d genuinely been going to leave Sylvia and marry Ellie, but age and wisdom had made him realise that you couldn’t always have what you wanted in life. If you got fifty per cent of it, you were lucky. And he was luckier than most. Anyway, he suspected that Ellie was content to be his secret wife, and to have him maintain his second family in a good standard of living.

‘Damn,’ Sylvia muttered, and Alan turned to her in surprise.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I’m not sure, but the car isn’t steering properly. It keeps pulling to one side …’

‘Well, why don’t you drive me to the garage first, and let the mechanics there take a look at it?’

Sylvia nodded, saying nothing more as she concentrated on making her way onto the motorway. But before long, she glanced at him again, her eyes now filled with concern. ‘Alan, I can’t steer the damned car!’

Aghast, Alan watched helplessly as the car crossed several lanes, heading towards the central barrier of the motorway, while cars all around them slammed on their brakes and hooted their horns angrily. It felt as though the car was on a suicide mission. They weren’t going to make it. Alan was paralysed with fear as the central barrier loomed before them.

‘Brakes!’ he shouted, even though it meant they’d be hit from behind. But it might prove the lesser of two evils. But, oh God, Pete was in the back seat …

‘I can’t – the brakes aren’t working either!’

Galvanised into action, Alan leaned across his wife, trying desperately to pull at the steering wheel, but it wouldn’t budge. It was firmly locked in position. He glanced back at his son, who was just beginning to realise the seriousness of their situation. His face was white as he watched his two helpless parents in the front. Alan wondered briefly if he could save Pete by ordering him to jump from the moving car onto the motorway. But just as quickly he dismissed it, Pete would be killed that way. They were in a moving death trap and he was powerless to do anything to save them.

As Sylvia screamed, the car mounted the concrete barrier, then headed directly into the oncoming traffic on the other side. An articulated truck was coming towards them. The last thing that Alan saw was the look of surprise and shock on the driver’s face.

After the impact, there was nothing but oblivion.

Since she’d avoided going for her new school uniform, Laura decided to make the most of her free day. She stayed out in the woods all morning, watching rabbits foraging and grasshoppers leaping through the long grass. When she had tired of watching the local wildlife she’d checked on the injured bird again, but it was still sitting exactly where she’d left it.

Realising she was hungry, she made her way back to the house. She let herself in through the kitchen door and made herself a sandwich. It had been a novelty to spend the morning alone without having anyone telling her what to do. The silence of the house was a new experience too, and she was enjoying the solitude.

As she chewed her sandwich, Laura decided she could use her remaining free time to play a trick on Pete. He was always the one who was playing tricks on her – this time, she’d give him the surprise of his life! If she dug a trench between the two big sycamore trees down by the stream, and camouflaged it with twigs and leaves, when he next ran after her, she’d skirt the trap but Pete would fall straight into it! She chuckled at the thought of getting one over on her brother. She’d have plenty of time to dig the trench before the family got back from town.

Briefly, she thought of cycling over to Kerry’s house and asking for her help with the digging, but Laura quickly changed her mind. Her friend had been in a grumpy mood earlier that morning and, anyway, she was enjoying being on her own for a change.

After spending the afternoon laying her trap in the woodland, Laura returned the spade to the shed and headed back towards the house. She had no idea what time it was, but it felt late, and she was beginning to feel hungry again. Inside the house, she looked at the kitchen clock, and was surprised to see that it was almost six.

A niggle of worry furrowed her brow. Where was everyone? Surely it didn’t take all day to buy a school uniform? Debating whether or not to check on the injured bird again, Laura finally opted for the half-mile walk to Treetops, instead. She’d check on the bird later. She wasn’t annoyed with Kerry any more, and was actually looking forward to some company. She was smiling as she started walking along the road.

C
HAPTER
68

A
s Kerry pitched forward and fell to the ground, her heart was beating so fast that she feared it would burst out of her chest. Initially, the stab of pain she felt in her shoulder made her gasp. She’d heard a cracking sound at exactly the same time as she fell, and she wondered briefly if she’d been shot. Tears filled her eyes and she gritted her teeth as her knees scraped along the ground.

Fearing for her life, she scrambled to her feet again and continued running as fast as she could. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realised that her body was still functioning normally. Was the sound she’d heard perhaps more like the smack of something – or someone – hitting the wet cobblestones? Besides, she only knew the sound of gunshots from movies and TV. She began to feel rather foolish. Fear had been putting her mind into overdrive.

Risking a quick glance behind her, Kerry could see that she was no longer being followed, and that there appeared to be something lying on the ground. But she wasn’t going to hang around to find out who or what it was. By now, she could see the main thoroughfare ahead, where people, cars and buses were visible once again. She allowed herself to stop for a moment to catch her breath. She was seriously winded from her exertions.

With a sigh of relief, Kerry reached the crowded and well-lit
street and, without a backward glance, she joined the throngs of people who were heading in various directions – some to the theatres, others to shops or the Underground. Never had she felt so grateful for the company of other human beings …

In the office the following morning, Norma was highly amused as Kerry told her about her nocturnal adventure the night before. She was still laughing when Jack arrived and joined them at the coffee machine.

‘Well, from now on, I’m not leaving here after hours unless there’s someone to accompany me,’ Kerry said resolutely. ‘I thought you said the guy was harmless? He almost frightened the life out of me!’

‘Look, I’ll walk you to the Underground in the evenings, if you’re that worried,’ Jack offered. He, like Norma, found the incident highly amusing.

Now, in the light of day, Kerry was also beginning to see the humour in the situation, and she felt stupid for behaving in such a panic-stricken way the night before. But she’d felt certain that Jeff was behind an attempt to harm her, and she’d panicked like some lily-livered idiot. She really needed to get a grip.

C
HAPTER
69

W
hen Laura arrived at Treetops, Ellie was in the kitchen. She gave Laura her customary warm smile. ‘Hello, love,’ she said. ‘I was just going to take a glass of juice out to Kerry, so you can save me the job.’

Laura nodded, waiting as Ellie filled the first of two glasses with juice from the fridge. When the phone rang, she’d only filled one of the glasses, so she gestured for Laura to wait. As she answered and listened to the caller on the other end of the line, Laura was instantly alerted by the change in Ellie’s tone of voice.