I glance at it. Then my eyes widen when I see that it’s a receipt for a jar of peanut butter. I shake my head. ‘What the hell, Liz, this isn’t mine!’
‘Just jumped into your pocket, did it?’ She folds her arms across her chest, her lips trembling.
‘Lizzie, I promise you that I didn’t buy it. Why would I? I don’t know how it got into my pocket but I promise that it wasn’t me.’ I can’t believe this. It’s like I’m in some sort of nightmare.
‘Why are you lying to me? The evidence is right there in front of your eyes. Are you playing me, Nick? Trying to make me think I’m having a breakdown?’
She can’t really think that! But I can see how bad it looks. I grab her hand in mine.
‘Liz, I don’t know how that receipt got in my pocket, but I swear to you on our kids’ lives that I didn’t buy that peanut butter.’
I don’t like swearing on the kids’ lives and she knows it. We both said we would never do that. Surely she has to believe me now.
‘So how did it get there?’
I shake my head again, bewildered. ‘I have no idea.’
‘Unless!’ Lizzie’s hand goes to her mouth. ‘You found the back door unlocked this morning, Nick. And I told you that I had an eerie feeling when I went down for a drink last night. Someone must have sneaked in and put the receipt in your jacket pocket.’
I’m struggling to take this in. ‘Who would do that? And why?’
‘I don’t know but it’s the only thing that makes sense. Whoever it was wanted to frame you, Nick.’ The colour drains from her face. ‘Someone has access to our house and I’m scaredthat we’re all in danger. I think we should call the police.’ She’s trembling now.
‘And say what? Nothing’s been taken. We’ve no proof that anyone has sneaked in or done anything.’
‘Why are you so willing to sweep this under the carpet?’ she demands. ‘Nick, this is serious. Someone has sneaked into our house twice now, and they must have heard me come down last night and legged it, leaving our back door unlocked. What would they have done if I’d walked in on them? Or if it was one of the kids who came down?’ She gulps. ‘Aren’t you even the slightest bit interested who that person is?’
There’s only one person I think can be responsible for this and that’s Alison. But if it is her then the last thing I want is the police involved.
‘I am, of course I am. But let’s not jump to conclusions, Liz. There might be a reasonable explanation for this.’
She glares at me. ‘You think it’s me, don’t you? You think I’m having a breakdown again and doing things I don’t remember! How bloody dare you put this on me!’
She storms out and I hear her go upstairs.
I groan. I don’t want to do this to Lizzie. But I need a bit of time to deal with it.
I open the messages on my phone and reread the one that pinged in earlier when I was at the park with the kids.
I want five thousand by the end of this week.
Or I’ll tell everyone it was you who killed Arthur.
I’ll be in touch with instructions where you have to leave it.
56
LIZZIE
‘Mummy, why are you shouting?’ Grace comes out of her bedroom, worry etched all over her little face. Me and Nick always try not to argue in front of the kids, but I was so mad I hadn’t kept my tone down.
I go over to her and pick her up. ‘It’s nothing, darling, just a silly little squabble like you and Isaac sometimes have.’ I kiss her cheek. ‘It’s all over now, you go and play.’ She squirms out of my arms and runs back into the bedroom. I glance over at Isaac’s room, his door is firmly closed – probably to keep Grace out while he builds his Lego. I don’t think he heard anything or he would have come out to see what was going on too.
I go into our bedroom and sink down onto the bed, I don’t know what to do. I’m at my wits’ end.
Nick comes up a few minutes later with a coffee. ‘I have no idea what’s happening here, love. But I’m working on a new project that’s computer-based so I’ll work from home this week. Why don’t you call in sick and take a couple of days off. Give yourself a chance to chill out a bit. I’ll look after the kids.’
Is he trying to say that I’m responsible for all this? That I’m going crazy?
