‘No, they’re okay now.’
‘Did you help them, like when you saved that baby at work?’
A twinge of guilt washes through me. I haven’t put them right about that as I was hoping they’d forget. ‘Something like that. Some nice people from the pub carried her from the beach and warmed her up.’
‘They must be kind people, Mummy.’
I smile and begin playing their game. They were kind people. I must go back and thank them but I don’t know if I’ll have time. Half an hour soon passes and the place is filling up. ‘Right, I think we should head back in a minute.’
As soon as they finish a game, the girls pack the cards away and we start walking back towards the cottage. When we reach it, my dad ushers them towards the door and I check the car park. The parking space I need to look at is free.
‘I just need to check something, I’ll be in in a minute,’ I tell him.
He nods. ‘Are we ready for some more Buckaroo?’
The girls yell with delight as they go in.
I run across the car park, the huge meal I ate now gurgling away in my stomach. When I pop out later, I need to find a chemist and take a test to see if I really am pregnant.
A few more steps and I’m there. A shiny patch of black sits in that very space. I was right. I’m being constantly followed. I look in all directions frantically, then I squint as I try to gaze through windows and into the distance. Cottages dot the hills and the beach is quiet apart from a few people walking in coats. All I want to do is scream in frustration.
Who are you?
THIRTY-SIX
KATE
As I approach the ice-cream shop, I peer around the corner. If Cody is there, I don’t want him to see me entering. Whatever this woman has to tell me, I get the feeling it would be best if I were to see her alone and not under the scrutiny of Cody, who is likely to be involved.
On the harbour Cody gazes about, hands on hips like he’s the king of his castle. By the bench, I see a bike and two young women sitting on it. I instantly recognise Daisy. She’s leaning back and eating while talking to the other girl she was with at the café. It’s not Rachel, the young woman with the baby. Damn. I need them all to go.
The tide is low and the boats look off-kilter, stranded in the sand and weed. They’re like me, stuck in the moment and unable to move.
Cody says something to his daughter and strides off with his bag. Now I can make my move. After jogging to the ice-cream shop, I join the queue and hope that no one else comes in after me. First she serves a woman, then some teenagers. I place my hands palm down on the glass counter. ‘Hi, we need to talk.’
She steps out and closes the door, turning the closed sign around. ‘Come through.’ She heads through the door at the back and it’s like my feet are glued to the ground. Someone attacked me yesterday and for all I know, it could be her. This could be nothing more than a lure to get me alone again. ‘Are you coming? I can’t keep the shop closed for too long.’
‘I, err, can we talk here?’
She peers out of the shop window. Cody has just come back. ‘You need to get through here now. He can’t see you. No one can see you here. They all talk, you know.’
I glance back and realise that my knees are knocking and I feel like I’m turning to jelly, but I follow. My desire to get answers is so strong there’s no way I’m going to turn around and walk out. I follow her through what looks like a storeroom. There’s a large walk-in freezer and I shiver, not because it’s cold, because I don’t want to end up in it while she tries to work out where to dump my body.
Following her up the narrow dark stairway, I take in the old black-and-white photos of people standing outside the shop, all taken at different times. The stairs creak and crack, like they might fall from beneath us and there’s a damp patch on the ceiling. A musty smell makes me recoil. This feels like a place a person would come to die. As I reach the top, she leads me into the kitchen. I wonder if she’s hiding any secrets behind the other doors.
A chopping board and a chunk of cheese is all that sits on the worktop. A hard crust has formed in the corners and the slightly stale smell teases my nostrils, making me want to cover my face. I swallow as my gaze falls upon the bread knife, a beam of sunshine glinting from its blade. I inhale, then I exhale slowly. I’ve gone and done it, I’ve put myself in danger again.
The woman grabs the knife and sweat prickles at the nape of my neck. She throws it into the water filled washing-up bowl, then wraps up the cheese. ‘Sorry about the mess. I don’t get many visitors. Okay, Kate, take a seat.’
I sit on one of the two chairs that are neatly positioned at each side of a small drop-leaf table that is pushed up against the wall. The view outside takes me away for a few seconds. The boats, people walking and laughing do nothing to calm my nerves. I try to focus on the outside for a second, to calm my heart rate down.
‘You want to know what I know, and I’m prepared to tell you.’
‘Thank you. I really appreciate what you’re doing.’ I don’t want her to stop talking.
‘Coffee or tea?’
I shake my head. My stomach is still feeling yucky after wolfing down that huge lunch. The spicy curry is repeating on me too, leaving a bitter taste at the back of my throat. I wish I hadn’t eaten it. She leans forward and I flinch but I soon realise that she’s not reaching for me. She grabs a photo of one of the fishing boats and it looks like it was taken many years ago.
