Hattie threw back her head and laughed. ‘A thief? My God, Sarah, you’ve got a vivid imagination.’
‘I knew you’d react like this,’ muttered Sarah, pulling out her phone. ‘Look at this. I’ve got evidence this time.’ She scrolled through her phone and found the photos she’d taken in Felix’s tipi.
‘Sarah, I know what you’re going to tell me, and it’s not what you think.’
‘You knew?’
‘Felix hasn’t stolen anything.’
‘Hattie, I’ve seen the inventory myself. I know there were items missing, not to mention the scones you all teased me about. This is indisputable proof of what he’s been up to.’
‘Sarah, I promise you there is an excellent explanation for all of this. It’s not my place to tell you what that explanation is, but you need to trust me.’
Sarah saw red. ‘Trust you? TRUST YOU? You let staff members steal from under your nose, hold secret meetings with individuals to create rifts in the team and think it’s an acceptable working practice to hold a staff meeting in a pub. A pub, for God’s sake!’
‘Sarah…’
‘No, don’tSarahme. You can stick your job. All I’ve got from all of you since I’ve been here is a web of lies. There’s no one here I can trust. If I never see you all again, it will be too soon. I QUIT!’ Sarah stormed through the pub. Locals stared, pints halfway to their mouths, distracted by the drama unfolding in their sleepy establishment.
‘Sarah. Sarah!’
Sarah ignored Hattie’s calls, setting off at a sprint along the road. She’d cut through the forest and gather her belongings before the others got back. No way was she giving them the satisfaction of laughing at her again. She was done with this place. Done with her so-called friends. Done with this fresh start. She was going home.
Chapter 39
Sarahescapedunseen.She’dpacked her belongings in record time. Half an hour after arriving at her tipi she was leaving it for the last time, having had the foresight to book a taxi on her way back from the pub.
As her train carried her further and further from Cornwall, Sarah let her body relax. It had been the right decision to leave. If she were honest with herself, she’d never fitted in. Any suggestion of friendship had been on a surface level. Everyone had let her down, even reliable Fran. Sarah felt a pang of loss. Despite her recent behaviour, Fran would be the one person she’d miss.
What about Felix? Sarah pushed away the thought. He may have conned her with his good looks and fake niceties, but she’d never let a man do that to her again. Sarah pictured Felix arriving at her tipi to find her gone. Would he be pleased? Would he be disappointed? Perhaps he enjoyed stringing more than one woman along at a time?
The one thing Sarah was sure of was that none of her so-called friends would take any responsibility for what had happened. No, she’d be to blame. She’d become a legendary story shared each time a new staff member joined the team.Remember that girl Sarah we had working here? What happened to her? Oooh, that’s quite the tale, that is.
Sarah’s phone pinged with a message from Felix.
Where are you?
Sarah ignored it. Five minutes later, another message came through, this time from Hattie.
Sarah, we need to talk. You’ve got the wrong end of the stick. Please come back so I can explain.
Wrong end of the stick? Hattie was having a laugh. Even if Sarah went back, she’d only receive another pack of lies. They must think she was stupid. Sarah’s phone rang. Fran. So Fran wouldn’t talk to her at work, but was happy to call her now? Sarah turned the phone onto silent and placed it face down on the table.
It was close to midnight when Sarah arrived back in her hometown. She shivered, despite the warm evening. The relief of being home never arrived. She felt as though she were a stranger visiting a place for the first time. After spending more of her savings than she would have liked on yet another taxi, Sarah sped through the empty streets. As the car pulled up outside her old house, Sarah felt the beginnings of panic surface. She paid the taxi driver, took a deep breath and walked towards the front door.
Sarah looked for the plant pot used to hide the spare key. She shone her phone torch around the front step, but there was no sign of the pot. With her attention turned to the rest of the front garden, Sarah turned over every loose paving slab, felt beneath every bush and plant. No key.
Think, Sarah told herself, scrubbing her hands through her hair. She couldn’t fall at the first hurdle. At the side of the house, Sarah reached behind the gate and lifted the catch. She looked behind her to check no nosy neighbours were watching and slipped into the back garden.
In the last few months of their marriage, Cynthia had nagged Colin daily about the broken kitchen window. Sarah prayed he hadn’t got around to fixing it. As she reached the kitchen, Sarah tugged at the window. It rattled in its frame but didn’t open. Torch on, Sarah scoured the garden for useful implements, breathing a sigh of relief as she stumbled upon a metal spike Colin used to mark out his vegetable patch.
Sarah squeezed the metal stick in between the window frame. With much effort and plenty of swearing under her breath, she caught hold of the catch and lifted it away from its fastenings. The window swung open. Sarah let out a silent cheer.
It took a few attempts to reach the opening, but with the help of an upturned crate, Sarah squeezed herself through the window, falling in a heap on the kitchen floor.
The first thing Sarah noticed was the silence. The house was still, as though holding its breath. Pulling herself up from the floor, she felt her way along the wall. Sarah’s fingertips met the light switch. She flicked the switch up, but nothing happened. A surge of panic coursed through her. Without power, she was screwed. It wasn’t as if there was anywhere else she could go.
Sarah found the cupboard which housed the fuse box. She flicked the switches, and the hallway flooded with light. Sarah leaned against the wall, sliding down it in relief. A full day’s work, combined with emotional stress and a last-minute escape across the country, caught up with her. Sarah closed her eyes, tempted to give in to sleep there and then.
