‘Look!’ cries Audrey too loudly. ‘There’s a drain pipe. We’ll just climb up and find an open window.’ She takes a step forward, immediately slipping over again in her estateagent booties. From the ground, she rallies. ‘Someone pick me up, then give me a leg up!’
‘You’re being ridiculous, you mad old bat!’ Teddy cries.
‘Ilovebeing ridiculous!’ Audrey says with delight. ‘Ipridemyself on being ridiculous.’
‘You actually think you could shimmy your way up that drainpipe?’ Teddy asks archly. ‘You think you can . . . what? Use your art teacher scarf to loop through that tree branch up there, and then Tarzan your way up?’
‘It’s a pashmina!’ Audrey’s voice is shrill, then she grins. ‘You lot have no idea how strong and nimble I am. I did some pole dancing in my day and I’m more flexible than you can possibly imagine.’ She winks at Ivy who turns a bit green. ‘Just ask my ex-lovers, they’ll tell you.’
‘OK, great,’ Teddy says cheerfully. ‘Get over here, I’ll give you a leg up. Come on, old woman.’ She leans forward, linking her fingers together as Audrey excitably clambers on, grabbing for the plastic pipe.
‘Ugh, it’s wet!’ she cries and Teddy rolls her eyes.
‘It’s adrainpipe.’
Ivy reaches forward, ready to catch the octogenarian when she inevitably falls. ‘Maybe we shouldn’t . . .’ she attempts as Audrey throws another hand upwards, pouting as she finds only moss and muddy leaves.
‘Just listen to me!’ Paula says with determination, taking herself by surprise. Everyone turns to look. Audrey steps back down. They regard her expectantly. ‘I think,’ Paula continues in a softer tone, ‘that we should probably just go in through this unlocked back door here.’ She pauses as they stare at her with surprise. ‘I tried the handle, it’s open. Drunk idiots don’t tend to bother with security that much.’ Shesniffs, thinking of Seb. ‘Drunk idiots and thirty-year-old sons.’
In silence, they file inside, Audrey shooting one last longing look up at the drainpipe before they enter. They find themselves in a utility room of sorts. A dirty mat welcomes them, with coats and shoes piled up underneath a boiler in the corner.
The group takes a moment, listening to the house around them. There is no noise, no movement, no nothing.
‘He’s got an Ideal Boiler like we have at my house!’ Paula whispers and Teddy shoots her a look. How is she to know what’s relevant and what isn’t?
They move out into a small hallway. There are several doors – several rooms – coming off the hall, and the group exchanges a look, wondering which way to go. They need to find the stairs.He’s up there right now, they silently communicate, fear and adrenaline zigzagging between them.
Paula takes a left, happening upon the kitchen. It’s bigger than her own and has a darling little island in its centre, flagged by two stools. She likes an island. Maybe she’ll get one of her own in the future. If she hasn’t given all her money away to loan sharks. She turns to say as much to Ivy and finds herself all alone.
Pure terror spikes through her. Where have they gone? Did they find the stairs and go up without her? They’re supposed to be in this together. She’s supposed to be one of them, how could they abandon her? Should she run away? Should she hide? Should she—
‘Paula?’ Teddy’s impatient tone is clear, even in a whisper. ‘Don’t go off on your own, babe, we’re supposed to be in this together. Don’t leave us.’
Paula feels warmth move through her as she rejoins the other women. They didn’t leave her. They were just in the living room.
Silently, they move through the rooms, and Paula thinks about the last time they explored a strange house together. The eighteen-million-pound mansion in the Surrey Hills. It was almost a month ago, but feels much longer. So much has happened in that time. They’ve bonded a lot in such a short period of time. Death and money will do that, Paula supposes.
At the front of the group, Audrey makes a noise. She stops short and Ivy crashes into her.
‘Have you found the stairs?’ Teddy hisses from beside Paula.
‘No, my darlings,’ Audrey sighs. In the dim light, Paula can just about make out her friend’s silhouette. ‘I’m afraid there was something rather crucial we forgot to check when we made this plan.’
‘Beyond lucking out with an unlocked back door?’ Teddy asks dryly in a low voice.
‘Yes,’ Audrey nods. ‘When we decided to push the man down the stairs, we probably should’ve checked he lived in a house with them.’
‘What?’ Paula whispers and Ivy waves before them at the kitchen. They’ve come full circle.
Audrey sighs. ‘My darlings, we’re in a bloody bungalow.’
23
They’ve stood around in worried silence now for several minutes. Paula’s anxiety is notching up and up and up and up.
‘So, what now?’ she says at last in a low voice.
They all look back the way they’ve come, towards the direction of the one closed door in the single-floored home. It must be Dominic Shipman’s bedroom.
