I nod and say nothing as Amy clears the table. When she leaves the room, I lean forward. “It’s spooky up there and if you insist on living here, it needs to be renovated. If there’s mold it could be spreading throughout the house and that’s a health hazard. You really can’t risk the health of the children, Jack. Now I’ve seen it, I really believe you should turn it into a useful space. Are you aware that Ava loves to dance? You could make a practice room for her up there and maybe an art studio. Did you know I like to paint? Three windows would give the room a ton of natural light.”
“Yes, I know Ava suddenly wants to be a ballerina. Jenny will be taking her to dance classes once a week starting in August.” He clears his throat. “I’m sorry, I should have told you. Although, I’m not sure how long this fad will last. She wanted a pony a few months ago. I took her riding and the next day she’d changed her mind. She said her legs were so sore she couldn’t walk properly.” He grins at me. “I do listen to them, you know. Last year she wanted to be a dragon rider.”
I chew on my bottom lip. I need to talk more about the third floor. “Kids, huh? I wanted to fly.” I pause, staring at my hands. “I must tell you. When I was up there, I could hear strange things. A creaking sound and for a moment there I could swear I heard music.”
“Willow.” Jack rolls his eyes to the ceiling and he barks a laugh. “All the chimneys in this house are connected, so in any room with a fireplace you can hear things from other rooms. Sometimes voices travel through the ventilation grates in the hallways as well. Someone could have been walking by singing and you heard them.” He waves a hand toward the window. “Look at the weather; a storm is brewing and it’s windy.Branches rub against the house, the house moves. Nobody is there.” He takes my hand. “Has that put your mind at rest? I don’t want you becoming obsessed with trying to find something that doesn’t exist.”
I look into his eyes and see sadness there. Is he remembering Laura’s mental decline? Am I mirroring her delusional behavior? I’m sure what I’m seeing and hearing is real, but now I’m doubting myself. The lunch confusion the other day, the moving flowers, my vanishing phone all make me more than a little confused right now. How can I tell him I feel trapped inside the house? Seeing his reaction, I decide not to concern him and shake my head. “I’m not obsessed with anything but you, Jack, although I would like the ability to explore the neighborhood and make lunch dates with your friends—I meanourfriends.”
“That’s good to know.” He cups my cheek. “I didn’t mean to trap you here. I know how independent you are. We’ll look at cars this weekend—okay? The kids will love it.”
I nod and smile like an automaton but inside I feel something is off-kilter. This house drove Laura mad or was it just a stepping stone? I need to read more of her diary and discover what else she had on her mind.
THIRTY
FRIDAY
I need to get out of the house but once again the diary lures me. Once everyone leaves, I run up the stairs to my room and set it up. As the weeks count down to the accident on the yacht, Laura appears to be falling deeper into a delusional state.
August 15
I can’t sleep and feel as if I’m drifting between dreams and reality. I went to sleep in my bed last night but woke in one of the spare rooms. I’d even removed the dust cover from the bed. I have no idea how I got there. It frightens me if I’ve started walking in my sleep, as stairs are everywhere, and I could easily have fallen and broken my neck. From now on I’ll lock myself inside my room. I’m convinced there’s a conspiracy going on against me in this house but I need proof. I’m trying to get my head straight by re-reading the old emails from my friends. I’m trying to remember what was happening around the time of the emails and I find that I have blanks in my memory. I’ve tried very hard to prevent anyone drugging me but, somehow, they manage to slip something into my food each day.
Another strange thing happened to me today. My children are still babies and need to be supervised outside. Today I sat in the sitting room staring out of the window at the garden and watched two young children playing on the lawn in the distance. The children must have been around six and eight years old. I immediately wondered who the children belonged to as we don’t have any married couples with young children working at the estate. When Sue came into the sitting room to bring me a pot of tea, I asked her about the children and she insisted they were mine. I understand that some days I’m not very clear in my head but I do know the difference between Ava and Noah and the school-age children in the garden. It was pointless to argue with her but I decided to take a photograph of the children to show Jack later when he came home. I wanted him to clarify that those older children are not ours and then go and talk to Sue and tell her she was mistaken.
When I reached for my phone, which I’d left sitting on the table beside the chair, the phone was gone. I searched all over and even called it from the house landline but the phone is missing and I have no idea where it’s gone or who took it.
A shiver skitters down my spine; I’m not being drugged and yet some of the same things are happening to me. I’m starting to doubt my own sanity. Laura was obviously not of sound mind but could reading her diary make me believe the same things are happening to me? The idea is ludicrous but I don’t have any other solution. Should I read on? I must. The answer to what really happened to Laura and why, must be hidden in these pages.
August 16
My head is clearer today, which is good, as Jack is taking me to purchase a gown for our anniversary celebration aboard the yacht. My phone is still missing and Jack has ordered the staff to search the house for it. After I selected a suitable gown, Jack sent me home with Tom. I like him as he has always been very nice to me and not like the other members of staff. He is more like Jack’s closest friend and I feel like I can trust him. I confided in him about the strange things happening to me and my fear of the house. He was very understanding and when we arrived home, I asked him to come and check my room to make sure I was safe. I’m not sure how it happened; one moment I was crying and he was comforting me, the next moment I woke, wrapped in his arms, as the sun crept above the horizon.
I don’t feel guilty. I feel liberated.
I stand so fast the chair tips and tumbles to the floor. I can’t believe what I’ve read. Laura was having an affair with Tom Bates! Mind reeling with the implications, I close the laptop and stare at it as if it’s on fire. Two and two come together and possible scenarios rush through my mind. Did Jack find out? Was the argument with Tom not about him dating Ruby but about his affair with his wife? Jack wouldn’t be able to stand the humiliation of knowing his wife had cheated on him with his best friend. A memory slips into my mind. Didn’t Missy tell me Tom would do anything for Jack? Did he toss Laura from the yacht? I’m shaking and pace up and down my room. I need to think. Jack’s friends are loyal to him and so is his staff, so to confuse me, it makes sense that everyone would give me a slightly different story—if they were covering up a murder.
THIRTY-ONE
It takes me some time to calm my nerves but I head downstairs. I’m not Laura and I’m not crazy—well, not yet anyway. My day must proceed as normal as if I’m blissfully unaware of the web of lies around me. This morning, I made Jenny aware that I intend to spend more time with the children and will be going with them next week to visit their grandparents. I also requested a list of their movements so I know where they are each day. It’s obvious Jenny isn’t too happy with me taking over. She even mentioned the hostility I might receive by going with her. I’m aware Jack’s parents don’t like me and that’s just too bad. Next week, I’ll be with the children and showing everyone I’m here to stay. The thing is: are they all working against me? Perhaps my inquiry about the night Laura died has set everyone on edge or maybe it’s because I’m mentally exhausted and reading things into situations that don’t exist.
Lying awake each night is becoming a habit, and lack of sleep is making it hard to concentrate. I should be sleeping like the dead. Jack is an exhausting lover, but all night I just lie there staring into the darkness and listening to the waves crashing on the beach. All I can think about is who killed Caroline and Laura. Did Laura believe Caroline was murdered too? Had she comeclose to the truth and needed to be disposed of? Did Jack know and is he covering up for someone?
Where are Caroline’s wedding photographs? Most people have albums. Did Jack have photographs taken on their honeymoon? I must find them, and his wedding to Laura too. I need to know who was at both weddings. Everyone there had the opportunity to kill them. It will be easy to narrow down who was at both murder scenes. I’m not sure what to do if I discover the murderer. Keeping away from them will be the first move, the second will be having a nice chat with the local homicide police.
I walk out the front door and follow the path to the rose gardens; my head is so filled with information, I figure it will burst. So many ideas spin around in my mind, making it difficult to make a decision. This is not like me. Maybe it’s because I’ve always had a job and sitting around all day doing nothing is making me crazy. Now that’s a dirty word around here and I try and center my thoughts. Having a mission to discover the truth will keep me sane. I pull out the notebook from the pocket of my cargo pants. Having clothing with a ton of pockets is essential in this house. I’ll be able to always keep my phone and other things with me. I sit down on a bench beside the fragrant beds. All around me, the heads of the peach-colored roses still carry the morning dew. It’s peaceful here and my head clears. I make a note to look for the wedding albums and then wonder if Jack has kept his yearbooks. He seems to hoard everything from his past. I’ll need to go back to the loft and search but that can wait for a couple of hours.
First, I need to pick up where I left off in Laura’s diary. It’s starting to get interesting and her story of what happened before she died is essential, if I’m to discover the truth. I put away my notebook and head back inside the house, closing the front door silently behind me. I hear voices whispering in the hallway.When I hear my name mentioned, I stop and slide into the office doorway to listen.
“I overheard them talking over dinner.” Amy’s voice drifts toward me. “He hadn’t told her about Caroline.”
“Then we must make sure she doesn’t discover the entrance to the storeroom.” George clears his throat. “I’m not sure why Mr. Hunter brought all her things to this house. He is obsessed with his dead wives. It’s not healthy.” He sighs. “What else do you know?”
“She went to the left wing on the third floor as well.” Amy shifts her feet. “I don’t think she looked around too much. One thing is for sure: I’m not going up there to move anything. I doubt she’ll go back either. She got locked inside a room for a time and told Mr. Hunter she was terrified.”
“Good to know. It will keep her from snooping around.” George rests his hands on his hips. “I don’t want Mr. Hunter to end up with another unstable wife. Make sure you stay close to her and report back to me.”
“I’ll do my best.” Amy crosses her arms over her chest. “At least she’s not like Laura. She scared me.”
