He shakes his head. ‘Not yet. I assumed the alert was from the viewings and forgot about it.’ Even as Stuart reaches into his pocket for his phone, dread is sinking down inside me. We had the camera installed above the front door early on into your doorstep gifts. Christ, we were so smug about it too, convinced we would catch you and it would all be over in a matter of weeks.
Every time the camera registers a movement it starts a thirty-second recording. When it’s done, an email is sent to Stuart with a link to check the footage. So far, the videos we have of you are the top of a black umbrella approaching the door, and then retreating out of sight. Sometimes we catch a glimpse of a white Puma logo on one side, but it’s not enough for the police to work with. Every sports shop in town sells them.
‘I’ve got them here,’ Stuart says, holding his phone for us both to see. ‘That’s odd. There’s only one. There should be loads more than this with me leavingfirst thing, then you and the kids, two viewings in and then out again and us coming home.’
We watch in silence. It’s over so fast I don’t know what I’ve seen.
‘What just happened?’ I stare at the grey screen. ‘Can you play it again?’
Stuart presses play and I lean closer, my eyes focused on the quick-fire movement this time. A hand, gloved in black, reaches out from beneath the umbrella and touches the camera with something, and everything goes dark. It’s over in seconds.
‘This is insane,’ Stuart mutters.
We share a look before going together to the front door. I let Stuart open it, hating the feeling of cowering behind him like I’m one of those helpless characters in a cheesy nineties horror movie, the one who screams a lot and always gets killed first.
Stuart swears under his breath and I follow his gaze to the camera and the white sticker now covering the lens. It looks like a sticky label, the kind I use on the Tupperware boxes that go in the freezer to remind me what leftovers are in them, the kind you can buy from any supermarket or stationery shop.
‘Can you call Wayne?’ I ask Stuart the moment we’re locked inside once more. ‘You said the first viewing was a couple, right? But the second was a man on his own? Find out who he let into our house.’
‘It’s a bit late to call him now,’ Stuart replies.
‘He said call anytime, didn’t he? “Day or night” were his exact words.’
Stuart nods and fishes out his phone. I stare at the canvas of Beth and Archie on the wall, then the glass bowl of shells on the fireplace that we add to eachtime we take a trip to the beach, and wonder what you touched.
Stuart finishes his call to Wayne and rubs his hands across his face.
‘What did he say?’ I ask.
‘Not much. He was careful to lock up after the viewings. He said the guy was in his mid-thirties. He must have lied about having kids at secondary school. Wayne said he was normal-looking, but maybe a bit weird.’
‘What if he made a key? Should we change the locks again?’
‘He can’t have done. These keys need to be ordered and you can’t order them without a special code, which only I have. Wayne dropped the key back to me earlier. He can’t get back in.’
I let the tears fall then, sinking to the sofa and into Stuart’s arms. Why are you doing this to me?
Chapter 8
Jenna
It’s one a.m. before Stuart and I shut the door behind the two PCs and climb the stairs to bed.
‘Well, that was a waste of time,’ I say as Stuart follows me into our bedroom.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Come on. That whole “it’s not a burglary” thing. They thought I was making the whole thing up. DS Church practically said the same last time we spoke.’
‘Did she?’
‘It was insinuated. Since they’re having so much trouble finding him, am I sure of what I’m seeing?’
‘I’m sure she didn’t mean it like that.’
‘Oh are you now? Since you were there, were you?’ I regret the words the moment they leave my mouth. I don’t know why I’m trying to pick a fight with Stuart. I go to speak again, not sure if I’m going to apologize or carry on.
‘You’re upset, Jenna. I am too,’ Stuart says quickly before I get the chance, his voice calm next to mine. ‘But they are taking this seriously and sending aforensic team first thing tomorrow to dust the whole house for fingerprints. It’s late now. Let’s go to bed.’
