I watched the DCI for a minute or two. He was looking over the horizon, scanning the grounds. As he turned to look up at the house, I ducked back behind the French doors before he could see me.
21
MULLED WHINE
It was late. I sat in the living room by the dying embers of the fire with Gloria asleep at my side. The night continued to be my only solitude, and I was finding it increasingly difficult to find sleep. I think I preferred it when we were snowed in. At least then Jeannie had been on her Keep Calm and Carry On kick. At least then we hadn’t felt like we were being held under house arrest.
Jeannie had been scowling all day, banging cupboards, and generally making life as awkward as possible. Two officers had remained stationed outside to watch over us, and she was doing everything in her power to make sure they knew they were not welcome, whilst simultaneously letting Miles and I know we were to remain in the doghouse for speaking to them without Peverill.
Two days until Christmas and it couldn’t come soon enough.
My editor had emailed me, predictably on her last day before the holidays, chasing me for the manuscript. I held her off, saying I was just making a few final tweaks… She obviously hadn’t seen the discussion in the forum, then. Part of me was disappointed that she hadn’t seen it. I wanted it all to be over– Christmas, the publishing contract– burn it all to the sodding ground. Raze this shitshow and start from scratch.
Strangely, when I’d last checked the troll site, the post about me using a ghostwriter had been deleted. The other trolls were going crazy asking each other if anyone had seen or heard from OpinionatedOgre1… But it appears she and her profile, and every post she’d ever made, had disappeared off the face of the earth. If only the real OpinionatedOgre1 would vanish… Now that would be a real merry Christmas.
I glanced up as echoing sobs cut through the hiss from the fire. Begrudgingly, I gently moved Gloria’s heavy head from my lap and left the warm spot on the sofa. With effort, I managed to open the living-room door without it creaking on its hinges. I waited a moment. The distinctive smell of weed wafted down through the gallery, and a moment later, another choked sob emanated from the landing above.
‘I’m just waiting for a few more people to join the live,’ Beebee said sniffing, followed by the sound ofshickshickof the spark wheel on a lighter. A momentary glow from the flame lit Beebee’s silhouette on the wall before it was gone again.
‘I know– I know, I will get kicked off the live for smoking. But I’m just so fuckingdone.’ She paused, presumably to read the comments pouring in. ‘“You look so pretty when you cry.” Aww, thank you so much, Gary1964, but I really don’t. Maria Lopez says, “How are you doing honey?” Well, I’m really not good, Maria.Really reallynot good. My parents are dead, and my idiot sister has up and left me with these complete weirdo assholes. Oh, thank you, Dav-o, for the rose!’ Beebee let out a squeal. ‘Oh myGod,thank you, Kevin, for the universe! I am going to need all the universes I can get with my parents…dead.’ She finished the last word with a dramatic quiver in her voice.
I hung back, stranded again. I had almost,almostfelt sorry for her, until she started practically begging for gifts from what I could only assume were creepy old men. The twins would be absolutely fine as far as financial security went, Jeannie would see to that. A vicious part of me couldn’t help but think that maybe the girls would have a chance at growing up a little, dare I say,nicer,without their self-absorbed narcissistic parents… Yes, maybe that was a tad too far. Maybe.
Going back into the living room, I peered out of the sash window. The officers were sitting in their car outside. One of them looked up and I ducked back at the last moment. They had explicitly told us to stay in our rooms and lock our doors… I should probably take that advice, I thoughtshivering. I just couldn’t stand much more staring at that ceiling.
I would go back upstairs via the fridge for a late-night snack, maybe sneak a few glugs of wine to help me get some shut-eye, before heading back up by the secret passage.
* * *
I had broken sleep. The bedroom was pitch black, some dull noise awoke me and I managed to prise my eyes open to look at the alarm clock. Not yet three a.m. I must have slept then, as the last time I looked it was gone one a.m. When I strained my ears to listen, all was silent, so I let sleep lure me back like the tide.
A bloodcurdling scream cut through the house. Bleary, my head spinning, I forced my eyes open, this time against the blinding sun. I threw back the covers and was on my feet, hurtling through the door. A part of me still felt asleep, and Ihad no notion of what day, time, month or year it was as I stumbled out of our room and onto the landing.
Another scream. I leaned over the wooden banister and peered down below.
Mrs Harlow stood over a body, her hands shaking and raised to her head.
‘Oh myGod,’ I said, barely audibly.
Beebee lay at the base of the staircase. Something about her body looked unnatural. She was all twisted. All wrong.
Mrs Harlow just kept staring down at her, unable to move, to speak. I flew down the stairs and arrived at Beebee’s body. I could barely look at her; her hip bone protruding the way it was made me weak at the knees.
Suddenly Beebee jerked and I let out a strangled scream that sounded like a cat being drowned.
She was still again, her eyes staring up at the chandelier above, a dribble of blood running down from her mouth.
‘Beebee?’ Mrs Harlow knelt down to her. ‘Are you okay?’
Beebee didn’t respond.
‘I don’t think she’s okay,’ I said, shaking my head as Iturned away and found a ginormous planter to empty my guts into.
‘It’s going to be okay, dear…’ Mrs Harlow said, as Beebee twitched again and coughed, spraying Mrs Harlow with her blood.
‘Oh-fuck-shit-christ-almighty-so-help-me-God!’ Mrs Harlow screeched.
I backed further away. The urge to make the sign of the cross with my fingers and chant ‘The power of Christ compels you’at the top of my lungs was strong. But I didn’t, of course; that would make me look insane.
