Читать книгу The Escape: The gripping, twisty thriller from the #1 bestseller - C.L. Taylor, C.L. Taylor, C. L. Taylor - Страница 18

‘Thank you,’ I say. ‘For offering to sleep on the sofa tonight.’

Max shrugs. ‘I couldn’t let you two stay here alone, could I?’

We are sitting side by side on the sofa. The television is off, the curtains are closed and the house is silent, save the occasional crackle from the baby monitor on the windowsill whenever Elise coughs or grunts in her sleep as she turns over. Naija told me she stopped using one for her boys when they turned one but I’m not ready to give up ours yet. I used to think that I’d be a chilled, laid-back parent, but when you’ve lost one child, that innocence is gone for ever. You can never truly relax. Not when you know how fragile life is, how a strong heartbeat can stop, almost overnight.

My fingers twitch against the rough wool of my work skirt. Work. It feels like a hundred years ago since I was sitting at my desk, answering emails from students, keeping one eye on the clock so I wasn’t a second late to collect Elise from nursery. But it was only four hours ago. I still can’t process what’s happened. I tried to talk to Max about it on the way home but he shushed me, telling me to wait until we’d got Elise home and in bed. I want to get a glass of wine so I can dull the sharp edges of my nerves but I’m worried that Max will judge me if I do.

‘You do believe me, don’t you? That the drugs weren’t mine.’

He crosses his arms over his chest and tips his head back, resting it on the top of the sofa.

‘Yes,’ he says to the ceiling. ‘That’s why I came to collect you.’

We both fall silent again. I can tell Max doesn’t want to discuss what happened but I have to. It’s the only way I can make sense of it.

‘I checked all the windows when you were getting Elise ready for bed. They were all locked.’

Max doesn’t respond. Instead he continues to stare at the ceiling.

‘So if all the doors and windows were locked while I was at work how did Paula get in?’

Max shakes his head wearily. ‘I don’t know, Jo.’

‘Aren’t you worried?’ I can hear the tight whine in my voice but his lack of reaction is niggling at me. He’s an investigative journalist. Why isn’t he ringing round all his contacts to find out who Paula is? Why isn’t he trying to protect us from anything else happening?

‘It’s because you don’t believe me, isn’t it? You think they’re my drugs?’

‘No, Jo.’ He turns to look at me. ‘I don’t think they’re your drugs.’

‘But you lost it when I told you about Dad’s muscle relaxants. Why aren’t you freaking out about this?’

‘Because one of us needs to stay rational. We can’t both lose our shit.’

‘I’m losing my shit? Max, someone broke into our house and planted drugs in our toilet. Possibly the same woman who threatened Elise! Of course I’m losing my shit. I’m scared! What’s she going to do next?’

‘Jesus!’ Max lurches forward and rests his face in his hands and inhales deeply through his nose. His shoulders and upper arms shake as he tries to steady his breathing.

‘Look.’ He sits back again but his hands remain on his knees as though he is readying himself to jump to his feet at any second. ‘The police are dealing with it, OK? I gave them a list of all the cases I’ve covered recently and all the people who might hold a grudge against me. They’re going to look into it.’

‘Shouldn’t they give us police protection while they do that?’

‘Not if they don’t think we’re in any immediate danger.’

‘But we are in danger! Paula knows where we live. She was on the corner of Brecknock the other day.’

‘Christ!’ His eyes widen with shock. ‘Was Elise with you?’

‘She was with Naija. I talked to Paula alone but I … I did something stupid.’

Max goes very still. ‘Go on.’

‘I …’ I rub my palms back and forth on my skirt. ‘I pushed her.’

‘What?’

‘I pushed Paula. She was standing too close to me and I panicked. We were on the corner, next to the bus stop, and there was a small crowd of people waiting. They saw me do it. One of them got their mobile out. I think he was going to ring the police.’

‘Jesus Christ, Jo,’ Max wipes a hand down the side of his face. ‘Why didn’t you tell me any of this?’

‘I was going to. But then I forgot to collect Elise at nursery and—’

‘I came round the next day. You could have told me then.’

‘I was going to but …’

But why? Because I didn’t think he’d take me seriously? Because I thought he’d have a go at me? Because I didn’t think he’d care?

‘I don’t know why I didn’t tell you, Max. I should have, I’m sorry.’

He takes a deep breath, rests his head against the top of the sofa again, then exhales slowly.

‘You’re pissed off with me, aren’t you?’ I say.

‘No.’ He closes his eyes. ‘I’m … fuck … this is all so fucked up.’ He opens his eyes and turns his head to look at me. ‘Paula was waiting for me outside work yesterday.’

‘What?’ I stare at him in horror. ‘What did she say?’

‘The same thing she said to you, I imagine. That I had something of hers and she wanted it back.’

‘Did you recognise her? Do you know who she is?’

He shakes his head. ‘No, but she was convinced she knew me.’

‘Are you sure? You’re a hundred per cent sure you didn’t recognise her?’

‘Honestly, if she hadn’t called out my name I wouldn’t have given her a second glance.’

‘If you don’t know her why is she doing this?’

‘Psychiatric problems? Who knows? Possibly she’s become fixated with me because of something I wrote in the paper. I really don’t know, Jo.’

‘But you believe me? That’s she’s dangerous?’

Max twists round and shifts one leg onto the sofa so we’re looking directly at each other. ‘I don’t know. I hope not, but she’s come after us three times now. Four if you count planting the drugs. I gave DS Merriott a description of her when he interviewed me. He said we need to keep a record of everything – every sighting, everything she says, everything she does. And if we ever feel threatened we’re to ring 999 straightaway.’

‘Oh my God.’ I press a hand to my throat. I was so desperate for Max to believe me but now he does I feel genuinely scared.

‘It’s going to be OK, Jo.’ Max reaches for my hand and presses it between his. ‘We can get through this.’

‘Can we? What if the police press charges about the drugs? I’ll have to go to court.’

‘I don’t think that’s going to happen. The police only found a small amount. “Personal use”, that’s what the DS said. I think you’ll be let off with a caution whether they find Paula or not.’

‘But why did she do it, Max? Why go to all the trouble of breaking in just to plant drugs? Why didn’t she ransack the place if she’s convinced you have something of hers? It doesn’t make sense.’

The TV is still in the alcove to the left of the fireplace, with the DVD player and PlayStation 4 on the shelf beneath it. Elise’s iPad is propped up against her box of toys. All the DVDs and games are still on the bookcase. I went through every room in the house when I checked the windows and nothing was missing, nothing was out of place.

‘What are you doing?’ Max asks, following me as I walk into his study next door. His desk looks the same as it always does – strewn with papers, CDs, coffee-stained mugs and pens. His books are still on the shelves. His records are still in the racks. I open the doors to one of his cupboards and look inside: more documents, more paperwork, more folders.

I turn back to look at him. ‘Is anything missing?’

I watch his face as his eyes flick from the desk to the shelves to the racks to the floor. ‘No. Not that I can see.’

‘Do you swear on Elise’s life that you’ve never taken anything that doesn’t belong to you?’

‘I swear.’ His eyes don’t leave mine as he shakes his head. ‘I swear on our daughter’s life.’