The Lake House (23 page)

Alice smiled but it was Sophie who stepped forward. ‘Annie, he’s looking for you.’

Annie felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. She already knew this but to hear it from Sophie made it very, very real.

‘I knew he was, but thank you for coming to tell me. Do you know where he is?’

Sophie shook her head. This time it was Alice who spoke. ‘Not yet but we are looking for him and if we find him Sophie will let you know. She finds it much easier than me to come and go. Annie, I’m scared for you. He will not stop until he’s done what he set out to do, until you’re dead. And the girl is going to help him although he doesn’t want her to touch you. He wants you all to himself.’

‘He does? What should I do?’

‘Find him before he finds you. He is in one of those caravans but they all look the same. All I know is this one is brown and it is next to a huge, green hedgerow, with a hole in the middle of it. Sophie and I will keep trying to find him but he’s very hard to fix on to. It’s as if he knows and is blocking us both.’

‘Thank you, at least that’s more of a start than we had.’

Sophie ran over and wrapped her arms around Annie’s waist, hugging her tight. Annie felt as if an icy cold band was squeezing her stomach but she leant down and tried her best to hug Sophie back. Alice smiled at Annie then took hold of Sophie’s hand. Sophie grinned up at Annie, about to say something, but Alice frowned, shaking her head ever so slightly. They both disappeared into thin air. Annie had goosebumps; they had just confirmed her worst fears. Up to now she had been hoping they were all wrong about Henry Smith, that he was at the other end of the country hiding, but now it was a race to find him because he already had a good head start on her and he knew where she was.

Jake walked in and she jumped.

‘Will you stop doing that? You’re turning me into a nervous wreck. Who were you talking to? I heard voices.’

Annie decided not to say anything; she didn’t want to listen to him making fun of her all day. Her head was pounding and her was stomach churning.

‘Cathy just phoned me.’

Annie turned so he wouldn’t see the faint redness creeping up her neck. She hated to lie to him but sometimes it was easier and it was only a white lie. He didn’t need to know that she’d been talking to dead people again.

‘Did you ask her about Kav? I’m telling you now, you should have seen them both coming into the briefing late this morning. She was positively glowing; I haven’t seen her look so happy for a long time.’

‘Really, why did I not know this? You should have told me first thing. That’s sweet. I think they would make a great couple and it’s about time Kav had someone to take care of him. He’s a big softie underneath that gruff, scary exterior.’

‘I know. I did actually think that myself. Sorry, I guess scary motherfucker took over my priorities. Have you printed that list out?’

Annie shook her head and walked across to the wall where there was a map with red dots all over it. She unpinned it and took it across to the photocopier where she made two copies then handed one to Jake.

‘There you are.’

‘You are having a laugh. Are all these red dots camp sites and caravan parks?’

‘Yes.’

‘But there are almost more red dots than there is map.’

‘I know. I told you that before.’

‘I know you did but I thought you were exaggerating. Where on earth do we start?’

‘Well, we can rule out camp sites. We’re looking for a brown caravan that is next to a long green hedge with a hole in it.’

Jake stared at her, narrowing his eyes. ‘And you know this because?’

‘Because I do, that’s all. Look, if we start where I said, at least half of those are camp sites that won’t need checking. We just need to focus on the caravan sites. Trust me. I know what I’m doing.’

He shrugged. ‘Come on then, actions speak louder than words. Let’s get cracking. I’ll park outside the coffee shop and you run in and get us two coffees from your favourite manager.’

Jake dangled the keys in front of her face. Annie shook her head. She hated his driving and he knew it, but she wouldn’t be able to concentrate. Her head was spinning. The consequences of them not finding Henry first were too scary to contemplate.

‘Hang on, have you printed off pictures of the gruesome twosome?’

Annie nodded. She would never forget Henry but she didn’t know Megan except for the photo that had been circulated on an email when they’d first escaped. And there was no way she would still have that pink in her hair. It made her stand out too much. What was a young girl like her doing mixed up with Henry?

They went to the side door, which Jake opened and stepped through first, not letting her out until he’d looked around. He walked forward and she followed him, keeping close. They both climbed into the unmarked car and he locked them in. She didn’t say anything as he drove off but he kept glancing into the rear-view mirror and she knew he was making sure they weren’t being followed. It gave her the creeps. At least Henry didn’t know where she lived now.
Are you sure about that, Annie? If he knows that you work up here, what’s to say he didn’t follow you home one night when you were tired and weren’t even thinking about him?

Jake stopped the car and she looked around. The street was busy outside the café. People were everywhere. She didn’t think that he would go for a quick kill in a public place. That wasn’t Henry Smith’s style. He much preferred an intimate setting, in a deserted place where he could spend some quality time with his victims. Jake was obviously thinking the same thing or he wouldn’t have expected her to go into the coffee shop. She got out of the car, keeping her head down. Jake wound the window down. ‘I’ll have the biggest piece of cake they have and don’t forget the sugar.’ She nodded then opened the door and sighed. The queue was huge. Luckily for her, Gustav’s sixth sense kicked in and he came rushing over to her.

‘You know I’m worried about you, Officer Annie. You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.’ He peered over her shoulder and waved at Jake, who waved back.

‘Come to the front. You don’t have to wait in this line. You know that.’

‘I don’t like to be cheeky.’

‘Nonsense, it’s my privilege to serve the brave officers of the constabulary.’

He walked her to the front of the queue.

‘Meg, two large lattes and two slices of lemon sponge to go, please.’

The girl smiled at them and turned away. Annie looked at her but she didn’t look anything like the girl in the picture. This one was far thinner with dark brown hair. She wouldn’t be working in one of the busiest shops in Bowness either. Annie scolded herself for being stupid. The girl handed her a bag with the cakes in it, her hand brushing Annie’s.

‘Sorry.’

Annie laughed. ‘No, sorry, it’s me. I promise I wasn’t trying to hold your hand.’

The girl smiled back, put the lids on the coffees and passed them over as well. Gustav began to chatter to Annie once more and she nodded her head, thanking both him and the girl who was now busy serving the next customer.

‘My offer still stands. You would make a fine barista, Officer Annie.’

‘I’ll think about it. Thank you so much.’ She winked at him and turned to leave, grabbing a couple of sachets of sugar and a wooden stirrer before walking back out into the cold. Jake leant over, opening the passenger door for her.

‘Bloody hell, those coffees better be good. How long does it take?’

‘You’re so ungrateful at times, Jake.’

‘I’m starving. Did you get any decent cake?’

‘Yes, but not for you – he only gave me one slice.’

Jake looked at her in disbelief and she thought he might actually start to cry. His bottom lip had stuck out like a small child’s.

‘I’m only kidding. You can have them both if you’re that upset. Jesus, it’s like working with a four-year-old.’

***

Jake drove away from the café but not before Megan had managed to get a good look at him. She nodded her head in approval. Lucky Annie. She wouldn’t mind working with him. He was gorgeous. That made her dislike the woman even more. Not only did she have a good job, rich husband and a nice car, she also got to work with a hottie like that copper. She couldn’t wait to tell Henry she’d actually touched her. He would totally freak but she didn’t care. She knew it would drive him mad. She had no doubt that when he was fucking her he was thinking about Annie Graham – only he’d never admit that and she knew full well that he wasn’t a rapist. He might be a sick, cold-blooded, murdering bastard but he wouldn’t do that.

She looked at her watch. She only had a couple of hours to go before the end of her shift, and judging by the queue it would be home time before she knew it. There had been a flurry of activity in the village. She had never seen so many yellow jackets walking up and down the main street. Normally it was only a passing police van a couple of times a day. Two officers had been in earlier handing out flyers and speaking to the staff, asking if they had seen anything suspicious. Of course none of them had because she knew Henry was meticulous. In fact he was so slow at everything he did, sometimes she wanted to tell him to get on with it, but she was grateful to him because if it had been up to her they would probably have been caught by now. Another PCSO came through the door and Megan smiled at her. ‘Sorry, we’ve already been spoken to.’

The woman rolled her eyes. ‘Cheers, I think we’re going around in circles now to tell you the truth. Thanks.’ She left and once again Megan wondered how come none of them had realised who she was. Of course it was so blatantly obvious, they would never expect it. They would be expecting her to be hiding away somewhere with Henry. Well, it was a shame they were so stupid that they couldn’t see what was right in front of their faces, because it was all going to come back and bite them on the arse big time. She went back behind the counter and began smiling and serving the customers once more, excited to go home and see Henry.

Henry was lying on his bed thinking about Annie. She looked different from the last time he had seen her and he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. She looked a little slimmer and a little older but then again didn’t they all. He thought that she looked… He was fumbling for the right word to describe her. It was very important. And then it came to him. Annie Graham looked haunted. Yes, that was exactly how she looked. He wondered if it was because of him.
Of course it’s your fault, you idiot,
he scolded himself.

Another time and place, things might have worked out differently. If he hadn’t started killing maybe he could have met her in a different way – even asked her out for a drink. A voice in his head began to laugh.
If you hadn’t started killing you wouldn’t have even known she existed. Everything happens for a reason, Henry, remember that. And your reason is to hold her in your arms, stroke her hair and whisper words of comfort to her as she takes her last breath.
A shudder ran down his back so hard he made the bed shake. He forced himself to get up and do something, anything, to take his mind off her before he couldn’t think about anything else, and the desire to kill her became too strong for him to control.

He wondered how Megan was getting on. She had texted him in her break to tell him the village was crawling with police and to keep away. She would let him know if it was safe to come and pick her up. He went into the living room and turned the small digital radio on then switched it straight off. It wasn’t even the end of November and they were playing Christmas songs.

Movement by the hedge caught his eye as something ran past the hole. He turned to look and see what it was but it had gone. Henry got the feeling that someone had been watching him. He pressed his face against the glass and looked around. There was no one walking around in the garden of the big house from what he could see. He looked up and saw the old woman who lived there looking out of her bedroom window, but she wasn’t looking down at him; she was looking towards the lake. He stepped back, not wanting her to know he was watching her.

Whatever it was had moved so fast it had looked like a black blur. It might have been a deer. He had been driving home the other night and one had jumped across the stone wall on one side of the road, taken two jumps and was across the road and over the hedge on the other side. He had scared himself. It had been huge and if he’d hit it he didn’t know who would have come off worse. He wouldn’t have liked to put a bet on it, that was for sure. They were so fast and big.

He sat down on the sofa where he could still see the woman looking out of the window but she wouldn’t be able to see him, and he wondered who she was watching for out on that lake. Maybe her husband had gone out on it and never come back, because day after day she seemed to spend her time staring at it. He wasn’t sure if he should make an effort to try and befriend her. She was always on her own except for when the younger woman went in to clean, or whatever it was she did. If she had no family it might be nice for her to have some company. It would be nice for him as long as she didn’t act like his mother.

He doubted she read the newspapers or watched much television so she wouldn’t have a clue who he was, and she probably had a big cellar. He liked cellars. They were much better for doing what he had to do in than some draughty old barn or ramshackle boathouse. In fact that was a brilliant idea. It would be much better to take Annie there on his own. Megan wouldn’t know about it, which solved the problem of him having to share Annie. He began to pull his shoes on. He had no idea what he was going to say to her but what the hell. She might not even open the door to him. Pulling his baseball cap on he stepped out of the caravan and slipped around the back, through the hole in the hedge, and strode across the lawn to the front door. He pressed the bell and waited a minute before knocking on the door. It took a while but then he heard the sound of the hall door being opened and her frail figure came into sight through the glass.

‘Who is it?’

‘Hello, sorry to bother you but I was wondering if you had a telephone I could use to ring my wife. I need to tell her I’ll be late to pick her up because I’m charging the car battery.’