A grin spread across his face. ‘Too late. Besides, I like it.’ She felt him wrench a length of her hair and wrap it around her throat. As he throttled her with her own hair, all she could do was stare at him, hoping that he’d see the pain in her eyes and let her go. Her face dipped below the water’s surface once again. One glance back at him through the rippling water told her that this was her end. He bit his bottom lip with closed eyes, which told her he wasn’t letting her go. One last grab at the shower curtain brought the whole pole tumbling down. That move got her nowhere; it merely depleted what little bit of energy she had left. She flapped her arms, spraying the room as her vision started to fade. It was like being dragged backwards, the blackness of the vignette getting larger until her sight was almost gone. She let out one last croak as he brought her to the surface and all she could hear was his whisper.
‘Was it enough?’
She thought of Charlie and Holly as her muscles tensed one last time.
* * *
He grinned as he took a step back. The feel of her squirming beneath him still tingled through the latex gloves. He scurried down the stairs after checking that no sign of him had been left behind, then he darted out through the back gate, aiming to run the three blocks to his car. He grabbed the holdall that he’d left in a hedge, tucked the boot covers and gloves into the side pocket, and ran. He’d rushed to get over and when he’d seen Charlie leaving, he’d seized the opportunity. It had been handed to him on a plate when he’d opened the unlocked back door and read the note.
Was it enough?
No.
It was only the start.
He felt a stir in his boxer shorts, the very pair that Holly had given him for his birthday. With one urge taken care of, he had another that was forming and he knew there was one person who’d be more than happy to attend to that one. She’d be waiting and he was ready.
He’d been careful. Would his crimes catch up with him if he didn’t give up?
Was it enough?
Could it have been better? He nodded and grinned. It was also too easy.
There would be a next time…
Chapter Thirty-Three
Cass tried to call Elvis one more time to tell him she wouldn’t be at home when he finished work but, once again, it had gone straight to voicemail. ‘Message me when your phone’s back on. Why aren’t you answering my calls?’ She placed the phone in her zip-up bag and hurried up the long winding drive. The cutesy street lamps that lit up the hedges led the way to the huge double-fronted house. Having a wealthy family ensured that Kerry would never be like Cass, living in an unkempt rental property with zero chance of ever owning her own home.
As she reached the front door, she took a moment to take in the mature gardens and perfect weed-free block paving, and the large silver feature balls that shone under the security light. She walked around the gleaming Mercedes, consciously making an effort not to allow her bag to brush against the silver paintwork. A scratched car wouldn’t get her back into Kerry’s inner circle. She rang the bell and waited. Glancing across she saw the little camera next to the bell and smiled. Was Kerry watching her? Making sure she wasn’t a dangerous intruder. She gave a little wave just in case. Her once best friend neared the door. Cass could just make out her outline through the narrow strip of glass.Smile, she thought.
She gripped her bag, then held it more casually.Don’t look so tense, Cass.
‘Cass, hi. Thanks for coming over. Lovely to see you after all these years. Sorry but I don’t think I’m much company at the moment.’ Kerry’s streaked blonde hair fell over her shoulders. The light shining through it showed the many shades that made up the overall honey tone. Her large green eyes and petite features seemed wasted on the pink track bottoms and the oversized T-shirt she was wearing.
This wasn’t the Kerry she recognised from her Facebook photos sporting flawless skin and fitted clothing, always showing off her slender figure. At school, Kerry always owned and wore the newest of trends and had the most stylish of haircuts. She was everything the other girls at school aspired to be. Now, without her make-up, she looked so ordinary, if not slightly pockmarked. Maybe they had more in common than Cass thought.
‘Cass, are you okay?’
She realised she’d been staring. ‘Sorry, yes. It’s just been such a long time.’ She reached into her bag. ‘I thought you might need this.’ She held the bottle of bargain rosé wine up and smiled. Instantly, she wondered if she should have spent a little more on the wine, not getting the bottle from the fiver basket. Kerry was more of a vintage woman, she guessed.
‘That’s lovely of you. Well, don’t stand on the doorstep all night. I best get the corkscrew out.’
Cass knew there was no need for a corkscrew. She followed Kerry through the large hallway with its reception sofa and wide central staircase. Underneath stood a large white plinth containing a vase full of dying carnations, the same ones from the wedding reception centrepiece.
At twenty-five, Kerry had everything. There was no way Cass could ever invite her to her scruffy flat. She would bet everything she had that the corner of the bathroom, or should she say bathrooms, wouldn’t have a regularly recurring patch of mildew spores reaching for the lighting. She could also guarantee that Kerry wouldn’t need to place a collection of buckets around the house during rain showers. She wanted to slap herself. Kerry was her friend and her soon-to-be best friend. She couldn’t envy her. Envy was an ugly trait, one she wished hadn’t plagued her so readily.
Kerry led her through the double-door entrance into a large open plan kitchen and dining room with a table that seated around twelve. She grabbed two wine glasses from a cabinet and sat on a chair. ‘Well, sit down. Take your coat off. Get comfortable.’
Cass smiled as she undid her Primark coat. She would also bet that Kerry didn’t own any clothing that had come from Primark.
‘Hearing from you reminded me of back then. I won’t lie, it’s been a bad few days. None of us can believe what happened to Holly.’ Kerry poured them both a glass of wine and stared at the pink liquid.
Cass was sure she could see a bubble of water building up in the corner of Kerry’s eye. If there’s one thing she’d learned over the years it was to listen to people and never look shocked. Always keep a straight but friendly face and people would spill out their secrets and thoughts. ‘I’m so sorry about what happened and I know we haven’t spoken for a long time but we’re friends and I’m here for you.’
Wiping a tear away, Kerry half smiled. ‘I treated you badly at school. I can’t believe you’re here now. For years I thought about you. I thought you might never want to speak to me again. I was just a stupid kid. That’s no excuse, I know, but I want to make things right. Losing Holly like we all did has made me realise how precious life is. I didn’t want you to go through life hating me.’ Kerry sniffed as she wiped her eyes.
‘As you said, we were just kids. It doesn’t matter any more. How are you coping?’
