Chapter 6 #2
‘She won’t get too much,’ I say, leaning down to stroke Willow. ‘We’ll have a lovely day, won’t we?’ I pull myself up. ‘I do have a friend coming over this morning.’
‘Willow loves company, so I’m sure she won’t be a problem. But like I said, any issues and you can drop her back. Not like I’m far, is it?’ He gestures next door and smiles. ‘Just got all these Zoom meetings to get through.’
‘Oh, Giles, I almost forgot. I’ve got something for you,’ I say. ‘It’s in the kitchen – give me a second.’ I run inside and grab my sketch of Willow.
A pang of nerves hits me when I hand it to Giles; he may not like it, or he could be offended that I’ve drawn his pet without asking first.
‘Oh, wow,’ he says, studying the sketch. ‘This is just . . . it looks like a photograph.’ He leans down and shows it to his dog. ‘Look, Willow – isn’t Ria gifted?’
My cheeks heat up. ‘I couldn’t sleep last night so I sketched it. For you.’
‘Are you sure? That’s extremely kind of you. I’ll have it framed.’
Giles thanks me again as he heads back to his house, turning to wave before I close the door.
In the kitchen, I set out Willow’s bowls and open the back door for her. She bounds outside and I pull out my phone and call Leo. He’ll be driving, but he has a hands-free system in his car.
‘Ria, you okay?’ he says. ‘Sorry I rushed off – didn’t want to get into a long conversation when I needed to leave.’
‘You didn’t know about the barbecue, did you?’ I ask, putting my phone on speaker so I can get a glass of water. ‘You could have just admitted you forgot. It’s not like you to lie.’
‘I don’t remember him mentioning it. It’s weird. He must have, though. I’ve just been so busy. You don’t mind going, do you? I know you’ve avoided big social events since—’
‘If it’s just the neighbours, it won’t be that big,’ I say. ‘And it’s the perfect opportunity for me to get to know everyone better.’
‘Yeah.’ There’s hesitation in Leo’s voice. He’s nervous about me being around our neighbours.
‘I’m not going to talk about the woman I saw,’ I assure him. ‘But if someone mentions it, I’ll have to address it.’
‘Are you still calling the police this morning?’ Leo asks.
This question has been running through my mind since I woke up.
‘They’re not going to believe me, are they?
Not when there’s no evidence and all I have is a sketch I’ve drawn.
And even if they did come and trawl through the grass, it’s one more thing for the neighbours to complain about.
I don’t want to make enemies here, Leo.’ As well as this, they’ve been next to useless in investigating my attack, so my faith in them is negligible.
Leo lets out a deep breath. ‘If that video hadn’t been deleted, that might have been enough for them to start looking into it.’
‘I know. But sooner or later, whoever’s doing this to me will mess up. And I’ll be right there, waiting.’
‘I know you will,’ Leo says. ‘That’s part of why I love you so much. Anyway, I’d better go. Enjoy your yoga with Alicia.’
In a repeat of when I invited Georgia and Eleanor for coffee and no one arrived at the time I’d given, Alicia doesn’t turn up either.
She’d told me she has Fridays off, but I wonder if she’s been called in to work.
I send her a message, but it remains unread, and by twelve thirty I give in and accept that she’s a no-show.
Frustrated by her lack of contact – especially as she was the one who’d pushed for our meet-up to be today – I dial her number, but it rings out with no answer.
‘Hi, Alicia,’ I begin when her voicemail kicks in.
‘I think we were having coffee and a yoga session at my house this morning? Let me know if you can still make it. Hope you’re okay.
’ I hang up, feeling deflated, isolation creeping in again.
Willow trots in from the garden and stands by my feet, staring up at me, reminding me I’m not alone.
‘Looks like it’s just the two of us,’ I say, stroking her soft fur, letting it shed my uneasiness.
She barks in reply, panting and nuzzling into my leg.
‘You want a walk, don’t you? Okay, in a few minutes.
I just need to do something first.’ I sit on the sofa and place my laptop on my knee while Willow makes herself comfortable on the rug.
‘You really make this place feel like a home,’ I say.
‘Don’t tell Giles this, but I wish I could keep you.
’ I put a finger to my mouth. ‘Shhh. Just between me and you.’
I check Facebook Messenger, but there’s still no reply to the message I sent to ‘Alex Vale’, and no activity on their profile.
I type another message, begging them to talk to me, to give me more information.
Then I google the name Alex Vale, even though it’s unlikely to be the real name of the person who messaged me.
A ton of hits comes through and, scrolling through them, none of them is likely to be my contact.
With a heavy sigh that makes Willow’s ears prick up, I close my laptop and tell her it’s time for a walk. Giles doesn’t know just how much of a favour he’s done me by giving me his dog to focus on. It would be too easy to hide away and let fear hold me hostage, but I refuse to do that.
As we’re crossing the green to get to the gate, the door of number five opens and Eleanor steps out.
My breath catches in my throat when I register what she’s wearing: a long white skirt, similar to the one the blonde woman wore that night.
I’m sure it’s just coincidence, but it’s hard not to wonder if Eleanor has dressed this way on purpose.
Without a glance in my direction, she hurries to her car and opens the door.
‘Eleanor!’ I call, rushing towards her. Willow seems to think it’s a fun game and happily bounds alongside me. We reach Eleanor’s car before she has a chance to shut the door.
‘Oh, hi. Did you need something?’ she asks, looking away and starting the car.
‘Just wanted to say hi,’ I say. And force you to talk to me, because you clearly don’t want to.
‘Sorry, I’m just on my way out,’ she says, reaching to close the door.
‘Eleanor, have I done something to upset you?’
She stares at me, her eyes narrowing. ‘Of course not. Why on earth would you think that? We hardly know each other.’
‘I could be wrong, but that’s the impression I get. It feels like you’re avoiding me.’
She doesn’t answer, and neither does she look at me. I prepare myself for whatever she’s about to say. There’s no doubt it will be about my sketch and all my questions about the woman I saw. Eleanor wouldn’t be the first person to express concern about what I’ve been doing.
Eleanor frowns. ‘How come you have Giles’s dog?’ she asks instead.
I look down at Willow, who’s sitting patiently by my feet. ‘Giles asked if I’d look after her. While he’s working.’ I won’t give Eleanor any more detail than that – not until she starts talking to me properly.
Eleanor glances over at Giles’s house then turns back to me. ‘That’s strange. Why would he do that? He loves that dog more than anything.’ Still frowning, she stares at Willow. ‘Willow’s all the family he has left. You’d better take good care of her. Anyway, I have to go. Sorry.’
Before I can respond, Eleanor slams the car door shut and pulls out of her drive, leaving me and Willow staring after her.
And her cold words ring in my ears.