Читать книгу The Bad Sister - Kevin O'Brien - Страница 15

CHAPTER SEVEN

Thursday, 11:52 P.M.

Hannah sat up in bed. Through the window, a streetlamp outside provided just enough light to see everything in the small bedroom—including the empty bed across from her.

Eden had been gone six hours. And it was raining out, not the dull, monotonous Seattle type of rain Hannah was used to. This was a downpour with thunder and lightning. She’d purchased a fan earlier in the evening, and it had cooled the bedroom down. She’d also left the window open. The ugly beige curtains billowed with the breeze from the storm. Hannah thought about getting up and checking the windowsill to see if any rain was coming through the screen. But then she figured, if Eden’s bed got wet, she deserved it.

This was so typical of her half-sister. She literally didn’t have sense enough to come in out of the rain.

After Rachel and Alden had left earlier tonight, Hannah had unpacked, showered, and gotten a feel for the bungalow that would be her home for the next nine months. While upstairs, she couldn’t resist checking out Rachel’s bedroom—despite the closed door. It was gorgeous and roomy with a queen-size bed; more sleek, mid-century modern design furniture; an amazing, huge framed print of the Eiffel Tower; and a plush shag rug. Rachel even had a vase with freshly cut flowers on her desk—along with a silver-framed black-and-white photo of a sexy, handsome young man. It looked like an old high school graduation portrait. Hannah put it together from a collage of photos on Rachel’s bulletin board that the stud in the silver frame must have been Rachel’s father. It was weird to see him age—getting balder and paunchier—in so many pictures. Hannah also noticed there was only one photo of Rachel’s mother—in a shot with Mr. Bonner.

The bedroom was about thirty degrees cooler than the rest of the bungalow, thanks to the air conditioner humming in the window.

Hannah had hoped that Rachel and Alden would come back in time for the three of them to have dinner together, but no such luck. By eight o’clock she was starting to feel totally abandoned—and hungry. She texted Eden:

Where R U? Alone here at Bung 20. Want 2 go eat?

No reply, of course. She shouldn’t have been surprised. Eden had probably switched off her phone again.

Hannah called home and talked to everyone. Earlier, she’d been afraid that, upon hearing her parents’ voices, she’d burst into tears. But it was her mother who lost it and started crying. “We miss you so much, honey!” she said, her voice all broken and weepy. Apparently Hannah’s twelve-year-old brother, Gabe, kept going into her empty bedroom and coming out with this melancholy look on his face that absolutely broke her mom’s heart. Her mother made it sound more like Hannah was dead than just away at school.

Everyone expected to talk to Eden, too, of course. Hannah told them that she’d gone off by herself two hours before and was incommunicado.

“Why am I not surprised?” her mother sighed. “Well, when she re-appears, have her call us. Okay?”

After hanging up with her folks, Hannah stuck a Post-it note on the bedroom door:

E—

Gone to the student union for dinner. Call home when you get this.

8:15

The student union was in a big, modern glass-and-steel building that included a coffee shop, Campus Grounds, and a 7-Eleven type of market, the Grub Hub. Hannah had a feeling both spots would be her salvation in the months ahead. The union was like one huge bar—with two pool tables, dart boards, pinball and video game machines, and a couple of strategically located TVs. It was also air-conditioned, thank God. On the wall behind the counter-bar was a chalkboard menu of Italian sodas, juice drinks, and coffee specialties. Exposed pipes, beams, and ducts ran along the ceiling, and concrete support posts were staggered every twenty feet or so. There were about twenty-five people—mostly girls—eating and drinking at the tables. It didn’t seem like much of a crowd for such a large space. Hannah guessed most of them were freshmen, like her. She’d hoped against hope that Rachel and Alden might be among the diners, but she didn’t see them anywhere. Some students sat in couples or groups, making Hannah wonder how these people knew each other when they’d all just arrived today. Were they all from the same high school?

Or maybe they just had roommates who hadn’t deserted them.

Several students ate alone, staring at their smartphones so that they wouldn’t look utterly pathetic. Hannah figured that was what she’d have to do.

She sat down at a table close to the entrance so that, if Eden showed up, she’d find her easily. The laminated handwritten menu had eight food selections. Hannah decided on the Cobb salad, and then glanced around for a waitperson. Or did they even have servers? Maybe she was supposed to go up to the counter and order her stupid dinner.

She hated this.

She should have sat near someone else that was alone—and then she could have asked what the hell she was supposed to do to get some dinner in this dump. She might have struck up a friendship, too, if only a temporary one.

She noticed a couple of girls, a chubby blonde and a pretty brunette, about three tables over. They both wore Our Lady of the Cove T-shirts, which Hannah thought was kind of pathetic for any freshman to do on her first day here. But they looked friendly enough, and they smiled in her direction. So Hannah smiled back. Then the brunette got to her feet, waved, and signaled like she wanted her to come over and join them.

Hannah was so grateful. Even if they were total dipshits, at least they were nice enough to invite her over. She waved back and started to stand—just as another girl walked past her. The other girl wore an Our Lady of the Cove T-shirt, too.

Standing there for a moment, Hannah watched the new arrival join her friends at the other table. The blonde whispered something to her two friends, and they all laughed.

Hannah shrank back into her chair. Had they noticed her making an ass out of herself? Was that why they were giggling? She gazed down at the tabletop and started to count to herself. In thirty seconds, she’d get up, walk out, and find something to eat at the Grub Hub. She didn’t care if it was a stale hot dog that had been on one of those rotisserie things since Tuesday—just as long as she didn’t have to sit here alone.

After twenty-three seconds, she became aware of someone standing beside her table. Hannah figured it was the waitperson, and she hesitated before looking up.

“Please tell me that you haven’t ordered yet, because the food here really sucks.”

Rachel was smiling down at her.

Hannah sprung to her feet. She almost wanted to hug her.

Ten minutes later, they were headed to town, walking through a residential section with beautiful, big old homes. The tree-lined street ran alongside a bluff overlooking the beach. The sky was darkening and ominous over Lake Michigan. It looked like a storm was rolling in. Hannah could feel the wind picking up and the temperature dropping.

Rachel explained that she’d seen her note to Eden on the bedroom door. She apologized for running off earlier. Alden had needed to pick up a pair of prescription eyeglasses at Target in Lake Bluff. “It didn’t dawn on us until we got there,” Rachel said. “We should have invited you along. You probably need stuff for your room or groceries. Anyway, we can still pick up anything you need while we’re here in town tonight.”

Hannah asked where Alden was. With Riley out of the picture—if not completely, then at least until a week from Saturday—she couldn’t help wondering about Alden.

Rachel shrugged. “Beats me. I dropped him off at his dorm about fifteen minutes ago.”

As they approached the town, Hannah spotted her first firefly. She wanted to chase it, cup it in her hands, and watch it light up. Rachel was amused. “God, you’re like a little kid! It’s just a lightning bug.”

“Well, they don’t have them in Seattle,” she replied, out of breath. She gave up on the chase. There was something so magical about the glowing insect—and this moment with her cool, sophisticated “big sister.” Just minutes ago, she’d been so alone and depressed. But Rachel had come to her rescue, and they were on their way to have dinner together. A part of her was actually glad Eden had disappeared. It would have been a real drag to have her half-sister along.

In a cozy Italian restaurant called Bellini’s, they ate the most delicious pizza Hannah had ever tasted. She’d never seen pizza cut in squares before, but apparently, that was how they did it in Chicago.

They were just finishing up dinner when Hannah worked Alden into the conversation again. She finally had the nerve to ask: “So—are you guys like—dating or anything?”

“Me and Alden?” Rachel laughed. “God, no. He’s practically like my brother. We grew up together. His mother was a maid in our house, an Irish girl, and single. She died from a brain tumor about ten years ago. But Alden stayed on—with the house staff looking after him, well, the house staff and me. And now he’s looking after me. At least, that’s what my father thinks about the setup. Alden started here last year. My parents are paying for it.” She picked up a square of pizza, but then seemed to change her mind about eating it and put it back. “Anyway, no, Alden and I aren’t dating. Why do you ask? If you’re interested in him, you’re shit out of luck. Alden will deny it until he’s purple in the face, but I’m ninety-nine percent sure he’s gay as a Christmas goose. Or he’s at least a Kinsey five.”

“Oh, I wasn’t interested,” Hannah lied. She tried to hide her disappointment and fiddled with a breadstick. She should have known. He seemed too good to be true.

Rachel sipped her Diet Coke. “I didn’t want to ask you this in front of Alden earlier. But how is it with your dad? I mean, I’ve read such terrible things about him screwing around all the time, but he really can’t be that awful.”

Making a face, Hannah squirmed in her chair. “I used to think I was so lucky. Most of my friends, their parents are divorced, or if their parents are still together, they can’t stand each other. But my mom and dad seemed happy, always hugging and kissing, very lovey-dovey, almost nauseatingly so. As far as fathers go, my dad seemed pretty cool. I mean, all my girlfriends thought so. Then the shit hit the fan, and I found out he was this sleazy serial cheater. And so did everyone else, because the whole thing became a media sensation. Anyway, while all that was happening, he was laid up in the hospital with major injuries—”

Rachel nodded. “Yeah, I read that he was shot and crashed his car.”

“As angry as I was, I kind of felt sorry for him, too,” Hannah admitted. “But I couldn’t really forgive him, y’know? I don’t think I ever will. He hasn’t been the same since all this happened. He doesn’t even look the same—thanks to the accident.” She shrugged and worked up a smile. “Anyway, aren’t you sorry you asked?”

“Not at all,” Rachel murmured. She actually seemed fascinated. “I read something about your dad and your aunt having an affair. Is that true? Him and your mom’s sister?”

Hannah snapped the breadstick in half. “Yep, it’s true.”

“What was she like? Or don’t you want to talk about it?”

“Oh, I don’t mind talking about it with you,” Hannah said. “Actually, I never knew her. She died before I was even born. It was a suicide. She took a swan dive off the roof of a high-rise apartment building.”

“Yeah, I read about that, too. But did your mom or dad ever say anything about her?”

“Up until two years ago, my younger brothers and I had no idea she even existed.” Hannah sighed. “My parents kept it a secret that she had a kid sister. But last year, I got my mom to open up about her. Her name was Molly, and I guess she was a major flake—really irresponsible, sort of a wild child. But she was pretty. My mom was so mad at her about the affair that she destroyed every photo of Molly she had. Then a couple of years ago, she had a change of heart and contacted some of Molly’s high school and college friends for any pictures they’d saved. She managed to track down a few. I’ve seen them. Molly really was a knockout. Anyway, I don’t know much else about her. It’s not like my mom and dad talk about her. And for obvious reasons, bringing her up in a conversation with them tends to be a real buzz-kill.”

“That’s so sad,” Rachel whispered. She must have meant it, too, because she actually had tears in her eyes. “I feel so sorry for her . . .”

“I feel a lot sorrier for my mother,” Hannah said. “Anyway, enough about my parents. That’s one big soap opera. What about your folks?”

Rachel wiped her eyes with her napkin. “What about them?”

“I don’t know,” Hannah said. She’d thought she should change the subject so the conversation wasn’t only about her. “Are you all close?”

Rachel shrugged. “Yes and no. It’s your standard poor little rich girl story. When I was growing up, my dad was away a lot on business. My mother was an heiress. Dad took over her father’s company and made it into this huge corporation. I was raised mostly by a series of nannies and household staff members. If it weren’t for Alden, I’d have been awfully lonely. I don’t have any brothers or sisters or cousins. But I always had great birthday parties, packed with my father’s business associates’ kids and a ton of presents. I made quite a haul every Christmas, too. It’s still that way. Anything I want, I just ask for, and I usually get it. My dad sort of dotes on me now. I think it’s to make up for all the time he wasn’t around when I was a kid. He’s really overprotective. That’s why I’m going to school here. It’s only forty-five minutes away.” She made a face. “My mom and I don’t exactly get along. She’s the Botox queen of the Gold Coast. It’s gotten so her expression never changes. I honestly can’t tell anymore if she’s mad at me or happy. I’m terrified I’ll grow up to be just like her, because she was an only child, too. And I’m an heiress, like her. She went to school here, too.”

“Was she here when those murders happened?” Hannah asked.

“No, that was like fifty years ago. She came here years after that. She’s fifty-seven.” Rachel glanced at her wristwatch. “God, it’s twenty to ten. I didn’t realize it was so late. The Jewel’s closing soon. We better get going. I’m buying you guys a fan for your bedroom. It was like a sauna when I was smudging in there this afternoon.” She waved at the waiter. “Dante! Check, please—and could you box this up?” She pointed to what was left of their pizza.

Hannah reached into her purse, but Rachel insisted on paying for dinner, since she’d invited her. Hannah thought it was a pretty sweet deal having a rich roommate.

Minutes later, they stepped out of Bellini’s—right into the beginnings of a thunderstorm. The rain was just starting to come down—sporadic, heavy drops.

The two of them hurried across the street to take cover under some shop awnings. Hannah spotted the sign for the Jewel-Osco supermarket down at the end of the next block. Delmar’s main drag was only three blocks long and didn’t even have a stop light. She figured it was about a mile back to St. Agnes Village—and they were going in the opposite direction.

“Maybe we should head back now before it really starts to pour,” Hannah suggested, glancing over her shoulder. “I don’t really need to go to the store. I can survive without a fan for one night.”

“Nonsense, I’ll just call Perry,” Rachel said, talking loudly to compete with the patter of rain on the awning overhead. She fished her cell phone out of her purse. “He can drive us. No sense getting caught in a monsoon.”

“Who’s Perry?” Hannah asked. There was a crack of thunder, and she flinched.

“He’s our ride.” Rachel kept walking, but slowed down as she worked her thumbs over her phone screen. “Did you see Alden and me when we took off earlier? Perry was driving the Town Car. My father hired him. Like I told you, my dad’s overprotective. When I first started school here, he actually had three guys working in shifts on bodyguard duty. I think my parents were worried I’d get kidnapped or something. Twenty-four-seven, one of them was always in a car parked by the entrance to Saint Agnes Village—like it was a stakeout or something. Totally ridiculous. After a couple of months, I persuaded my father to narrow the team down to one guy. Anyway, that’s Perry. He’s sort of like my bodyguard and babysitter. But mostly, he’s my chauffeur.”

“Like your own personal Uber,” Hannah said. “Is he still staked out by the front gate to the village?”

“No, thank God,” Rachel said, putting her phone away. “He lives here in town, and he’s on call. Talk about a cush-cush job. I don’t think he’s much of a bodyguard. If somebody actually wanted to kidnap me, I’d be in real trouble. Still, it’s nice to have him around in situations like this. He’ll meet us outside the Jewel.”

Rachel was right. After they picked up a few items— including the last box fan in stock—Rachel and Hannah stepped out of the supermarket to find the Lincoln Town Car waiting for them. A stocky, thirty-something man with a crew cut and a five o’clock shadow stood by the car. He had an umbrella ready, and opened the back door for them. Hannah barely got wet, even with all the rain.

“Perry, this is Hannah, my roommate and ‘little sister,’” Rachel said, once he pulled out of the parking lot. “You’re going to see a lot of her in the coming year.”

“Hi,” Hannah said.

The rain beat on the car roof, and the windshield wipers squeaked a bit. Hannah saw the driver glance at her in the rearview mirror. He nodded.

“Perry’s a man of few words, aren’t you, Perry?” Rachel said. “What were you in the middle of when I texted? Don’t tell me you had a hot date. I’ll hate myself for interrupting.”

“Nothing that important,” he answered seriously. “I’m here to serve.”

Hannah had a feeling he didn’t like being teased. She noticed him eyeing her in the rearview mirror again.

After he pulled over in front of the bungalow, he jumped out and opened their door. Then he held the umbrella over both of them—while he walked in the downpour—right up to the cottage’s front door.

It was completely dark inside, and Hannah realized Eden still hadn’t come back.

She noticed Perry unlocked the door with his own key. “I should do a house check,” he announced. He nodded at the front of the bungalow. Beside the big picture window was a smaller one they’d left open. “I don’t like that open window.”

“C’mon, give me a break,” Rachel said, stepping inside and switching on the light. “The window’s got a screen on it, and all the other windows have bars on them . . .”

“Just doing my job,” he said. Collapsing his umbrella, he started in after them and then slipped off his shoes. Hannah was startled to see him head right into Eden’s and her bedroom.

Rachel rolled her eyes. “Tightly wound,” she whispered. “But he means well.” She set down the fan, plopped on the sofa, and switched on the end-table lamp. Then she glanced around. “Where’s Eden anyway?”

“Beats me,” Hannah sighed. She set her grocery bag beside the fan on the floor. “This is classic Eden behavior, disappearing for hours at a time and being incommunicado.”

Perry came through the living room again. He stopped by the window and got ready to close it.

“Oh please, spare us!” Rachel cried. “We’ll suffocate.”

“Some rain’s getting in,” he said.

“I don’t care. I can live with a wet floor. I promise, we’ll close and lock the stupid window before we go to bed.”

He gave a curt nod and then headed up the stairs.

“There better be nothing missing from my underwear drawer when I check later tonight!” she called.

“That’s inappropriate,” he replied from upstairs.

She grinned at Hannah. “God, I love teasing him. Anyway—that’s really weird about your sister. She’s been gone, like, five hours. You’re not worried?”

“A little bit, I guess,” Hannah admitted.

“Maybe you should call her.”

“She always turns off her phone. I think she does it just to be perverse.”

Still, Hannah dug her phone out of her purse so she could once again text her wandering half-sister.

That had been nearly two hours ago, and there was still no response.

When Perry had left, he’d reminded Rachel to bolt the front door. But they couldn’t, not while Eden was still out there somewhere.

Rachel had headed up to bed about an hour ago. Hannah had dug out the bedding from one of the boxes and made up both Eden’s and her beds. She’d thought of that line from her dad’s favorite baseball movie, Field of Dreams, something about, If you build it, he will come. In the case of Eden’s bed, Hannah had thought, If you make it, she will come back.

Now the bed was probably damp with rain in the spot under the open window. The curtains kept fluttering. Beyond the jail-like bars, Hannah saw another flash of lightning. The overgrown garden next door was briefly illuminated. She noticed the lonely, solemn statue of St. Ursula, unmoving against all the swaying foliage and flowers. The two Japanese maple trees on either side of the martyred saint looked like they might snap in the rain and wind.

Hannah glanced at the digital clock on the desk behind her: 12:26 A.M. She wanted to switch on the lamp and read a little. But she hated the idea that anyone walking by could see her in here—on the ground floor. Of course, who in their right mind would be out walking in this rain? Who, besides crazy people and her half-sister? That was just the problem. She didn’t want any psycho out there peeping in at her. They could walk right up to the barred window if they wanted. And she couldn’t close the curtains without stifling the cool breeze.

She really wished she were in her own bed at home, where it felt safe, where worrying about Eden was her parents’ job. Hannah couldn’t help thinking that the move to college—along with this sudden sense of responsibility for her half-sister—was turning her into her mother. Really, why should she give a shit if Eden wanted to stay out all night carousing? Carousing? God, she was even thinking in terms her mother used.

Beyond the sound of the whirling fan and the pelting rain, Hannah thought she heard a strange click—inside the house. She threw back her sheets and jumped out of bed. In her blue gingham summer pajamas, she crept out of the bedroom. She checked the kitchen—and the back door. Nothing. She listened for a moment.

A lock rattled. Someone was trying to get in the front door.

Please be Eden, please be Eden, she thought.

Hannah stepped out toward the kitchenette and paused by the bar. She noticed the empty champagne bottle on the counter. If she had to, she could clobber an intruder over the head with it. Biting her lip, she watched the front door open.

Soaking wet, Eden stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Her blond hair was in damp tangles.

With an exasperated sigh, Hannah stomped back into the bedroom, dug a towel out of one of the boxes, and returned to the living room with it. “Here,” she hissed, practically shoving the towel in Eden’s hands. She brushed past her, double-locked the door, and secured the bolt. Then she swiveled around. “Where the hell have you been all night?” she whispered. “And could you at least take off your stupid shoes? You’re getting the floor wet.”

“God, get off my ass,” Eden muttered, patting herself down with the towel. Her T-shirt and ugly yellow overall shorts were drenched and clinging to her. “What are you having a cow for anyway? It’s not that late. It’s only like ten-thirty Seattle time.”

Hannah shushed her. “Rachel may be sleeping.”

“Sounds like she’s got an air conditioner up there,” Eden said, lowering her voice. “I doubt she can hear us. I don’t think we’re interrupting the princess’s beauty sleep . . .”

She headed into the bedroom, and Hannah followed her. “Here’s a crazy idea,” Hannah said. “Why don’t you turn on your stupid phone once in a while? Did you even bother reading my texts? You’re supposed to call home.”

“I texted them about an hour ago, and they all texted back,” Eden replied. She started to peel off her wet clothes. “God, nag, nag, nag . . .”

Hannah plopped down on her bed. “Where were you all this time?”

“I told you—I wanted to check out the campus. I ended up having dinner at the Sunnyside Up Café. I met this creepy guy there. Or maybe he just seemed creepy because he was drunk. He’s a janitor with the college. He sure knew enough about this place.”

“What do you mean?” Hannah asked, concerned.

“He knew the setup, that we’re sleeping in this closet, and that Rachel has deluxe accommodations upstairs. Maybe she’s had him clean in here or something. I don’t know, beats me. Anyway, he also told me about a shortcut through the woods.”

Except for her panties, Eden stood there naked and ran the towel over herself some more. She didn’t seem to care that the window curtains weren’t drawn. “It started raining when I left the diner,” she said. “I almost took the shortcut, but then I decided, screw it. There was something I didn’t trust about that janitor guy. So I went back to the café. I had some coffee and started talking to a few of the locals. One of them gave me a ride to the gate down the street. God, I really need a shower . . .”

She wrapped the towel around her and headed out of the bedroom.

Hannah remained on the bed and listened to Eden climbing the stairs. She was wondering about the creepy janitor when she noticed Eden had left her wet clothes on the floor in the middle of the bedroom. What a slob. And it hadn’t even registered with her that her bed had been made. Did she think it had just magically happened?

Oh God, she thought, I really am turning into Mom.

This living arrangement wasn’t going to work out. For the sake of everyone’s sanity, Eden had to go. Maybe there was a vacancy in another bungalow—or in a girls’ dorm. Eden would probably be happier there. And she’d be someone else’s headache.

Hannah would talk about it with Eden in the morning. Right now, she was too upset to broach the subject. The two of them would just end up getting into a huge argument.

Hannah climbed under the bed sheet and turned her face to the wall. If she could fall asleep before Eden returned, she wouldn’t have to talk to her at all.

But Hannah was still wide awake when Eden wandered back into the room with a towel around her. Hannah wondered what kind of mess she’d left in the bathroom.

“You didn’t have to make the bed for me, y’know,” Eden said. “I could have done it myself.”

Hannah didn’t reply. She wondered if this was her half-sister’s version of a thank-you. She glanced over her shoulder. Eden now had on an oversized V-neck T-shirt. She crawled into bed. She’d left the towel on the floor.

Hannah sighed and stirred under the thin bed sheet. More than anything, she just wanted to fall asleep, but she knew it was impossible. She held her tongue for another few minutes, but finally caved. “Y’know,” she said quietly. “I think we’re going to end up killing each other if one of us doesn’t find another place to live. You obviously aren’t crazy about Rachel. Well, I happen to like her—a lot. I want to stay. I’ve unpacked most of my stuff already. It can’t really matter to you where you live. Maybe at this orientation thing tomorrow, you can ask about relocating.”

There was no response. Then Eden let out a moan and a single snore.

Hannah couldn’t believe it. Was she actually asleep already? Her head had hit the pillow less than three minutes ago. Amazing. And in a strange, new bed, too.

Hannah sat up and gazed at her half-sister, dead to the world.

There was another crack of thunder, more distant and muffled this time.

Hannah glanced toward the window to see the lightning flash—which illuminated the garden next door for a second. She saw a man standing by the overgrown plot.

Her heart stopped. She wanted to scream, but couldn’t. She could hardly breathe.

It had happened so fast. She’d glimpsed him only in silhouette. But she could tell it was a man lurking out there in the rain—right by the spot where those girls were murdered.

With a shaky hand, she reached over and shook Eden. “Wake up!” she whispered. “There’s someone outside.”

Eden barely stirred. “What?” she murmured, her eyes still closed.

There was another flash of lightning. Hannah expected to see the man on the other side of the window, peering in at her through the bars.

But she saw no one—just the garden, so much like a little cemetery.

Eden let out another solitary snore and rolled over in bed.

Hannah grasped the bed sheet to her chest. She was afraid to move. She could feel her heart racing wildly. She hadn’t imagined the man. She knew he’d been out there in the downpour. But she couldn’t say for certain that he was peeping in at them. For all she knew, he could have just been walking by. Maybe he had a girlfriend in one of the bungalows, and he was meeting up with her in secret.

Hannah told herself that if she was going to sleep in a bedroom on the ground floor, she’d better get used to seeing people walk by at all hours. She settled back in bed and closed her eyes. She was being paranoid. There were bars on her window. The front door was locked and bolted, and Rachel had a bodyguard on call who was just five minutes away.

As much as she tried to calm down, Hannah knew it would be hours before she fell asleep tonight.

She opened her eyes and gazed at the window again.

She couldn’t help wondering if they put the bars up after the girls next door were murdered.