Behind Closed Doors (Season One: Book 7) (Jessica Daniel) (11 page)

‘Yes.’

‘And he looks after you?’

‘He’s the best.’

‘Well then, what would you like me to say? What more could a father want than to see his daughter happy?’

Jessica swallowed hard. ‘We’re going to name him Marcus.’

This time, there were tears around her father’s eyes. ‘You shouldn’t name him after a silly old man like me.’

Jessica continued gripping his hand, wanting him to squeeze her hard, to show he was fighting whatever was killing him. There was little resistance, the only sign of life in his greying body his
bright blue eyes.

She couldn’t speak, not knowing what to say, but her father seemed to sense it, breaking the silence instead.

‘Have I ever told you the story about what happened the night you told your mother and me that you and Caroline were moving to Manchester?’

‘No.’

Her father shuffled lower in the bed, closing his eyes. ‘It wasn’t long after the pair of you got back from your gap year. Your mother thought you were going to get home and then
settle down in one of the local villages and do something like become a teacher. Throughout that year, she was saying she couldn’t wait to get you back and that perhaps you’d meet some
nice young man when you returned.’

Jessica spluttered a mixture of tears and amusement.

‘Exactly,’ her father croaked. ‘I think she probably knew but she wanted to believe that was going to happen. The day we took you both to the airport, I knew you might not come
back and that, if you did, you’d go off to find your own place in the world.’

‘I didn’t get far.’

‘Maybe not but Manchester’s a big place compared to our village. All those people, different races and religions, knives, guns – it’s a far cry from where you grew
up.’

‘People are people.’

Her father opened his eyes again, smiling. ‘Your mother and me see those things about you in the paper, even when you don’t tell us it’s going in. She’ll go on the
computer and print all these things off, asking if I think we should call you to see if you’re okay. I say what I always say – she’ll come to us if she needs to. But that’s
exactly why you’re special, Jessica. Because people
are
people and you see that. Some are nicer than others, some have different coloured skin, some believe things which might seem
crazy to the rest of us. But people are people and the fact you can do the job you do, see everything you must have seen, and still come out the other side saying that makes me so proud to know
you’re my daughter.’

With that he closed his eyes again, fingers twitching against Jessica’s as she held him, unable to speak, unable to do anything other than cry.

More time passed until Jessica heard a gentle knocking at the door.

She took another deep breath, sitting up straighter and squeezing her father’s wrinkled fingers. ‘I have to go, Daddy.’

‘I know, sweetie. Can I ask you one last thing?’

‘What?’

‘Did anyone finish mowing the lawn?’

Jessica gasped with surprise and laughter. Her father was sniggering too, before collapsing into a cough. She released his hand, knowing it was time to let her mother return. She couldn’t
bring herself to see his final moments.

‘I love you, Jessica,’ he said, in the way only he could.

‘I love you too, Daddy.’

TUESDAY

Breakfast was much the same as dinner, the house’s residents sitting around the U-shaped table eating in relative silence until the cooks cleared everyone’s plates
away. The man who had cracked his head the night before was there, bandages wrapped around his skull, sitting closest to Katie, who was at Moses’s side. Jessica watched him closely at first,
intrigued at how he was smiling. Ali had been speaking the truth when he’d said the man hadn’t minded. People were people but some of them were very strange.

The meal finished with Moses standing and reading a passage from the Bible, before sending them out to their various jobs. The two other new recruits had apparently already been assigned roles
but Jessica didn’t know what she was doing. As she stood, a little confused, Moses beckoned her with a casual wave of his hand. Heather said she would see her later and then joined some of
the others, packing away the tables ready to turn the hall back into somewhere they could work.

Jessica followed Moses out of the room, running to keep up as he didn’t stop to wait, or turn to see where she was. She slowed as she got nearer and he led her along the corridors until
they reached the room Heather had told her was Moses’s office.

Out of his pocket, he look a large metal ring with at least thirty keys looped onto it. Flicking through them, he found the correct one and unlocked the door, holding it open for Jessica. As she
stepped inside, he moved too, standing so close that his chest was pressing into her back before she could get away.

He brushed past her, hand sliding along her back, before he sat behind a desk, inviting Jessica to sit opposite him.

He hadn’t locked the door but Jessica still felt uncomfortable being alone with Moses in a room out of sight of everyone else. His appearance was kindly but he was bigger than her, almost
certainly stronger and she already knew what his hands were capable of.

Jessica did a quick scan of the room. There were filing cabinets lining one wall, broken up by a large cupboard which was almost as tall as the room.

‘I figured it was about time we had a one-to-one chat,’ Moses said, leaning back into the chair. Jessica didn’t reply at first but she heard a gentle ticking sound from the
desk, her eyes flitting across the back of a small clock before moving on, not wanting him to think she believed it was significant.

‘It’s nice to be here,’ Jessica replied.

‘First, I feel I should apologise for what happened last night. I know it must have been a shock for you to see the blood of a stranger. I hope you understand the point I was trying to
make. He was absolutely fine and is already recovering well.’

Moses’s green eyes were fixed on her, youthful yet holding a wisdom too. Perhaps a hint of danger? Jessica maintained eye contact, not wanting to be the vulnerable girl who looked away
first.

‘I understand.’

‘My wife has filled me in on a few of the details of what has happened to you, with your father dying and so on. I know you’ve had a horrible time over these past few months. Grief
can do terrible things to us. It is truly wonderful that you have chosen to confront that and be here with us. I hope our family will help you to overcome what has happened in your life.’

‘I hope so too.’

‘You will find all sorts of people here: alcoholics, drug abusers, people who have been abused by others. I hope you are able to deal with such things.’

‘I’ve already met some people. I’ve taken strength from them.’

Moses smiled, the crinkles around his mouth folding into a dimple. ‘That’s wonderful, Jessica. It’s terrific you are making progress already.’

She hated the way he said her name. It wasn’t in the loving way her father or Adam might have, it was as if she was a possession of his. How could no one else see through him?

‘Thank you.’

‘So tell me about your former life. Where was it you worked?’

‘I helped to run a post office.’

‘Where?’

‘In one of the larger villages out in the lakes.’

‘How long did you do that for?’

‘My whole adult life. After I left school, I was helping my parents out. Gradually, I was doing more and more. As they got older, it eventually fell into my hands.’

‘So it was a family business?’

‘Yes.’

‘Passed down from father to daughter?’

Jessica wanted to tell him not to talk about her dad. The life she had described was the life she could have had: away from the city, away from the murders, the assaults, the knives, the guns.
Away from Adam and what had followed after her father died. None of that would have happened; she could have been happy.

‘Yes.’

Moses nodded, satisfied. He ran a hand through the long strands of his beard, bringing them together and then separating them. ‘How nice,’ he concluded.

‘It was.’

‘But you’re aware of our rules about contact with the outside world?’

Jessica thought of the mobile phone wedged under her mattress. She had made her bed herself, doing it as tidily as she possibly could, just in case Heather was tempted to try to help out.

‘I am.’

‘I’m sorry about that. A lot of the newer people do find it hard but it is for the benefit of everyone. Every society has to have its rules. Outside, they have theirs, here we have
ours. Outside, people get away with breaking theirs if they have enough money, or know people in the right places. In here everyone is equal. We all live by the same code.’

‘I understand.’

Moses hadn’t taken his eyes from her but Jessica felt a minor victory as he looked away. It was instantly replaced by unease as he stood, walking around the desk until he was behind her.
At first she could just hear his breathing, but then his hands were on her shoulders, massaging them gently.

‘Relax,’ he cooed.

Jessica wanted to flinch away but forced herself to stay where she was. Charley’s warning raced through her mind: ‘
It has to be someone who can become a part of whatever
community it is they have inside the house
.’

She knew she was walking into the unknown but then this was a community where Moses could sit openly with someone probably still a teenager as his mistress and no one batted an eyelid. How far
could she let this go?

Jessica pressed back into the seat, forcing her shoulder muscles to loosen as his fingers rubbed through the thin material of her top.

‘Do you have any sort of boyfriend on the outside world?’

Jessica closed her eyes, knowing Moses couldn’t see her from behind. ‘No.’

‘Husband?’

‘No.’

‘Even after everything that happened with—’

Jessica cut him off before he could say it. ‘No.’

‘A pretty thing like you hasn’t got a man pining for them?’

‘No.’

‘That’s almost a shame . . .’

Jessica hadn’t liked anyone touching her in recent months but this was worse than anything. She had to fight to stay still, keeping her eyes locked closed to block it out.

His voice was soft but Jessica had been in enough bars to know when someone was trying it on. ‘That feels better, doesn’t it?’

No.

‘Yes.’

His fingers moved around until they were on the back of her neck, gently massaging. He was so close, she could feel his breath.

‘You’re older than many of the girls here, Jessica.’

Stop saying my name.

‘I hadn’t realised.’

‘Many of the females who come to us are in their late teens or early twenties. Perhaps it’s something about the female mindset? For the men, it’s alcohol or drugs. For the
women, it’s men.’

‘Okay.’

‘You’re different though. For you, there are deeper problems. I know what you’ve been through.’

You don’t.

‘I feel better around all the people here. Everyone’s really accommodating. Heather’s great.’

Moses’s fingers stopped rubbing and Jessica felt him moving. She opened her eyes as he moved in front of her, sitting on the edge of the table, staring into her eyes. He reached forward,
cupping her chin with his fingers.

‘I want you to know that you can come to me with anything,’ he said. ‘Some of the girls here see Zip as their mother-type figure but you’re older, more mature, than them.
I want you to think of me as the father you lost.’

You’re nothing like him.

‘Where can I find you?’

Moses released her chin, smiling. ‘Oh, I’m always around. I’d say my door is always open but that’s not strictly true. That said, I’m often here in my office, so
you can knock. Sometimes I am out strolling the gardens. Other times, I’m just around the house. Have you met Glenn who works outside? He’ll know where I am.’

It was at least interesting to know that Glenn and Moses did have the relationship she suspected.

His hand slipped down until it was resting on the top of her thigh. Instinctively, Jessica sat up straighter, closing her legs together.

Moses didn’t flinch. ‘I’m not sure how much Zip has told you about things but you should know that when you commit to stay here, then that’s it. We will not stop you
leaving at any point but if you do, you cannot return.’

His fingers slipped towards the inner part of her thigh. Although they weren’t pressing hard into her skin, there was a clear indication that she should open her legs.

Jessica held firm.

‘I understand.’

He held his fingers there for a few seconds more but Jessica continued to resist, not by forcing anything, simply by not moving. With no flicker of emotion, Moses removed his hand, shuffling
back onto the edge of the desk, nodding.

He didn’t speak for a few seconds, leaving Jessica wondering what she should do. She didn’t want to leave – to fail – but there was no way she was going to allow things
to go any further.

His demeanour changed in an instant. ‘Okay then, Jessica, I suppose we should figure out what types of things you’re good at. What sort of things do you do at the post
office?’

‘It’s a lot of sorting and organisation; mainly money.’

‘Hmmm . . .’

Moses ran his eyes across her and Jessica could not resist the shiver that ran along her back. She could still feel his fingers on her, feel his breath.

‘We don’t really deal with money. When we go out to sell our wares at market anything we make is immediately re-spent on materials to produce more, or on meat to bring back for the
cooks.’

‘Okay.’

‘Do you cook?’

Despite the situation, Jessica almost laughed. Of everything she could do, cooking was almost at the bottom of the list.

‘Not very well.’

‘We have people who could teach you.’

‘It’s not really for me.’

Moses nodded. ‘Not many people aspire to be cleaners but you’d be surprised by the pride some people can take in their work.’