Eventually he opens his eyes and takes a few seconds to register me before his face breaks out into a smile. ‘Imogen. Thank you so much for coming.’ He’s propped up on a mass of pillows and I ask him if I can get him anything. ‘Oh, no. I’m fine. Thank you. I’m lucky to be alive.’
‘You are,’ I say. ‘I’m so sorry this happened to you. I’m looking after Cady and she’s doing really well, but she’s missing you.’
‘That’s kind, thank you, dear.’
‘What happened? Did you fall?’ I ask, already knowing there’s more to it otherwise why would he ask to see me?
His expression clouds over. ‘It was very odd. I received a knock at the door and it was this delivery guy. At least, I assumed it was a delivery guy. He was holding a small package which he asked me to sign for but he didn’t have one of those electronic thingies that the postmen have – it was a piece of paper and he didn’t have a pen. So I asked him to hold on for a second while I went to get one and he followed me into the kitchen. And that’s thelast thing I remember. Because when I woke up I was here.’
‘So he attacked you.’
‘I’m assuming so, dear, because I woke up with a crack to my skull and a doctor hovering over me telling me how lucky I am to be alive.’
‘God, Dennis.’ My lungs feel like they are being squeezed. ‘Do you think it might be the same person that locked us in the bunker? This has to be all to do with Dorothea, doesn’t it?’
He pats my arm which rests on his bed. He has a cannula in his hand and I’m taken aback by how old and frail he looks, his skin paper-thin with purplish bruises staining his wrists. ‘Be careful, my dear. I don’t understand what’s going on, but yes, I think this is the same person who hurt Dorothea. I haven’t told the police that yet because I wanted to speak to you first. I noticed you didn’t tell that detective lady about the sculpture. Do you still want me to keep quiet about it even if it’s probably linked?’
I hesitate, unsure of what to do.
He pats my arm again. ‘I won’t say anything about it for now. But please, be careful. Don’t go in the bunker again.’
I nod. ‘Thanks, Dennis. I will tell DI Shirley soon. I just want to see if I can figure out what the sculpture means first.’ I don’t say it, but I can’t help but feel I’d have betrayed Dorothea somehow if I told the police about the sculpture. She left it for me to find. She wanted it kept a secret.
‘The man who attacked you. Did you see his face?’
‘Well, no, that’s the thing.’ And his next words give me goosepimples. ‘He was wearing full-on biking gear. And a helmet, with the visor down.’
I can’t stop thinking about Dennis’s words all the way home. Was his attacker the man who’d shoved into me when I was in Bristol – and also the person who’d locked us in the bunker? But why? And why attack Dennis of all people? It doesn’t make any sense.
The security team have left by the time I pull up on the driveway. As soon as I step out of Josh’s car, he appears at the front door, his face contorted in anger.
‘I can’t believe you just took my car,’ he says as I walk towards him. ‘I might have needed it.’
‘Why? You’re working from home,’ I say calmly even though my heart is beating fast. I dump the car keys in his hand as I walk past and he follows me down into the kitchen.
‘Where did you go that was so urgent?’
‘I went to see Dennis in hospital,’ I say without missing a beat. I bend down to stroke the dogs who have rushed up to greet me. ‘I should take them out for a walk.’
‘You’re going out? Again?’
I turn to face Josh. ‘If that’s all right with you?’ His eyes widen at my sarcasm and for a moment he looks confused. Usually when Josh is annoyed I keep out of his way until his bad mood has passed. But not this time. Being here in Dorothea’s house –in my house– hasempowered me. I clip the leads onto the dogs’ collars. Josh opens his mouth to say something but then thinks better of it. He storms out of the room, his footsteps heavy on the stairs, and then a slam of a door.
‘Come on then,’ I say to the dogs. ‘Let’s get out of here.’
I take them through the newly secured side gate, breathing deeply to steady my nerves. Despite my bravado with Josh, I hate it when we’re not speaking. At least I don’t have to worry about feeling unsafe now the security system is up and running. The villa now feels like the kind of prison Dorothea surely never envisioned for her home but that might have kept her alive.
I step onto the pavement and it all happens in a flash. The roar of the gears, the squeal of tyres on tarmac, the smell of petrol, the glint of metal as the motorbike veers onto the pavement and drives straight for me.
24
At least one way of getting Josh out of a mood is being almost killed.
The motorbike had mounted the pavement so that I had to slam myself against the wall, letting go of the leads so that Cady and Solly could get away unhurt. The biker’s foot grazed my hip as he weaved around me and sped off, and I had sunk to the pavement in a trembling heap. The dogs, thankfully, came running back to me and I hurried them into the house, calling for Josh.
‘What’s happened?’ he asked as soon as he saw the state of me, his anger forgotten.
Josh has gone into full-on alpha mode, trying to comfort and protect me. He seems to like me best when I’m vulnerable: it’s an unpleasant thought and I’m determined not to pick over it now. He’s already made me report what happened to DI Shirley, who must be getting bored of me. My mind went blank, predictably, when she asked for details like reg plate or any distinguishing features. Hard to notice such things when a motorbike is charging full speed towards you. Josh looked through the new security camera footage,but it’s set to only trigger if someone tries to get in through either of our gates.
