CHAPTER THIRTY
The following day passed in a blur of confusion.
Although I was working in the café – chatting to customers, liaising with the girls at the Little Duck Pond Café, who were supplying the cakes we needed, and helping new girl Merry to settle in – my mind wandered continuously to Xander, wondering what on earth I should do.
I kept picturing the cold, hard look in his eyes when he saw me.
I knew I should be going to the police about the photo of him in the newspaper, but something was holding me back. So I was quite relieved when, later that afternoon, Lyndsay phoned and said she’d finally made up her mind to go to the police station.
‘I’ve been putting off going because I still can’t quite believe Xander could be involved in something like that,’ she said. ‘But I’ve decided I have to do it. You do understand that, don’t you?’
I sighed. ‘Yes, I do. And... well, actually, I’m starting to think I didn’t know Xander very well at all.’
‘What do you mean?’
So I told her about finding his campsite in the woods and how he’d reacted quite aggressively when he’d seen me and I’d panicked and run away.
‘Oh, my goodness. Are you all right, love?’ She sounded really shocked.
‘Oh, yes. I’m fine. Really. I was just a bit shaken up at the time, that’s all.’
‘Of course. You would be. Crikey, so he’s been camping out in the woods to escape capture? It doesn’t seem real, does it?’
‘I know.’ I gave a mirthless laugh. ‘I keep thinking I’ll wake up any moment and find it’s all been just a horrible nightmare.’
We ended the call with Lyndsay telling me she’d phone me once she’d been to the police station after work...
*****
Later that evening, I sat in a state of nerves trying to watch TV – but expecting Lyndsay’s call at any moment and jumping every time I heard the slightest sound.
When the doorbell rang around seven, I shot to my feet to go and answer it.
Lyndsay had obviously decided to call round and tell me in person about her chat with the police – and the anxious way I was feeling, I couldn’t wait to see her...
As I opened the front door, I’d already started telling her to come in and tell me everything.
My heart gave a lurch of shock as I saw who was standing there.
‘Xander?’ I whispered.
*****
‘Anika. Can I come in?’
I swallowed hard and tried to remember where I’d left my phone.
Just in case.
But he looked like his normal self. His eyes were the eyes I’d always known. Kind and gentle and smiling. Not wild and angry like they’d been in the woods.
Still, I hesitated.
‘I’ve been to the police,’ he murmured.
My eyes opened wide in surprise. ‘You have? When was this?’
‘Straight after you showed me the photo in the newspaper.’
‘And... what happened? Did you tell them everything?’
He nodded, looking down. ‘I told them... everything I know.’
‘But... how are you here?’ I asked in confusion. Surely he would be in police custody if he’d admitted to being involved in the robbery? ‘I don’t understand. And why were you so horrible to me yesterday when I saw you in the woods? Was that because I’d stumbled upon your hiding place?’
He frowned. ‘Hiding place? In the woods?’
‘Yes.’ I glared at him, my heart beating fast. I couldn’t believe he was going to lie to me. Again! ‘Xander, please don’t try to pretend it didn’t happen.’
He’d turned away from me and was staring into the distance, a puzzled frown on his face. Then he gave an odd sort of groan. ‘Of course. The woods,’ he murmured, as if he was talking to himself.
‘What’s that?’ I demanded, and he turned to face me.
‘We used to go there with Gran and pitch a tent sometimes. To the woods. And she’d supervise us while we made a campfire.’
I stared at him. ‘Who’s “we”? Who are you talking about?’
I was getting quite worried now. Was Xander starting to imagine things that weren’t actually happening? Maybe the stress of being a hunted criminal was getting to him...
He seemed to be looking right through me, like he hadn’t heard my question.
‘Sorry? What did you say?’ he asked, focusing on my face at last.
‘I just wanted to know who you were talking about. You said, “ We used to go there.” To the woods. So who’s “we”?’
He drew in a long breath and blew it out.
‘My brother,’ he said at last.
‘You have a brother ?’ I looked at him suspiciously. ‘You never told me.’
‘I know. I’m sorry.’
I gazed at him, helpless to know what to think. He was behaving so strangely.
Had he lied by omission about having a brother as well? Just as he’d failed to tell me Minnie was his grandmother?
What else hadn’t he told me?
‘I didn’t mention him to you because I never talk about him to anyone,’ he said flatly.
My mind was whirling.
And then suddenly I remembered the photograph. Not the one in the newspaper, but the one I’d seen that Minnie always carried with her.
I’d spotted the photo in her purse the day she came to see me – when she got out her bank card to offer me a loan.
It was a photo of two small boys. Her grandsons.
Two identical faces.
‘You have a twin,’ I murmured, as things started to slot into place.
‘Freddie. Yes,’ he replied softly.
‘So it wasn’t you I saw in the woods,’ I said slowly. ‘It was your brother, Freddie.’
He nodded.
‘And it’s Freddie the police are looking for?’
‘In connection with the robbery, yes.’
We looked at each other and I saw uncertainty in Xander’s eyes.
I could tell he was waiting for my reaction, probably not knowing if finally having the answers I needed would make me feel relieved and glad to see him, or whether I’d be angry because he’d been keeping so much from me the whole time...
‘Do you want to come in?’ I asked at last.
He nodded and I held the door wide and he walked over the threshold.