Chapter 58
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
Walking back from the village, Juliette turned to check the road as she was about to cross. A few metres behind, Sarah was walking slowly. Juliette waved and waited for her to catch up, wondering why she hadn’t shouted to her. It was as if she hadn’t wanted to be seen.
‘Hey. How are you?’ she asked.
‘I’m okay, thanks.’
‘I’ve been thinking about you since we had our chat. Figuring out how to help you.’
Sarah looked around as if Richard was going to jump out of the hedgerow and catch them talking.
‘He’s not here,’ Juliette spoke softly.
‘Sorry, I’m just wary.’
‘I wanted to ask if you knew where Louisa used to live?’
‘I don’t know her exact address. Why?’
‘I’m going to set out to find her family, see if they’ve heard from her.’
‘You can’t do that.’ Sarah stopped. ‘If Richard gets to hear about it, he might become suspicious.’
‘But if I do find her, then we can figure out why she abandoned Daisy and I think—’
‘No.’ Sarah shook her head. ‘It’s too dangerous. What happens if you contact someone, they find out she’s missing and then come here? Richard will go berserk. He’d probably keep me on a tighter leash.’
‘Do you have any other suggestions? We have to get you away from him so that you and Daisy can live without fear.’
‘I’m worried about what will happen if he finds out.’
‘It’s a chance we have to take.’
‘No!’ Sarah cried again. ‘Maybe we’d be better leaving things as they are.’
‘And you live like this, with a child stuck in her room?’
‘She’s not in there all the time. Mostly she has the run of the house. And the garden was okay until you came.’
‘What he’s doing to you both is wrong.’ Juliette wondered why she was putting the blame on them. ‘What he might have done to Louisa is wrong too. So for now, I need to find out where she is.’
‘You can’t, please!’
Juliette paused. ‘You really don’t want me looking into this now?’
‘Not yet. I need more time.’
‘Okay.’ Juliette was lying. She would search for Louisa, but she wouldn’t say anything to Sarah until she had concrete evidence.
‘I shouldn’t have brought you into this.’ Sarah’s shoulders drooped.
‘You needed my help and I’m happy to provide it.
Hey, I’d walk right out of here with you and Daisy if you’d come.
I hate what he’s doing to you.’ She pulled a mobile phone from her bag.
‘I bought this for you. It has my number on it, credit too. We can keep in touch by text instead of using your main phone. Keep it on silent, read what I send and then delete the messages so if Richard does find it by chance, there will be nothing incriminating on it.’
Sarah paused for a moment, as if she was wondering whether to speak or not. Finally, she did.
‘There’s a box of Louisa’s in the annexe. Richard must have put it there when I moved into the main house, and I found it by chance. I could leave that out for you if I can get it down. It might have something useful in it. I don’t know where anything else of hers went.’
‘You mean her things have gone?’ This was all too creepy for Juliette.
Sarah nodded. ‘A long time ago.’
‘Okay, I’ll leave you for now.’ Juliette touched the woman’s arm. ‘But if you need me, ring at any time.’
‘I will, thanks.’
Once back in her home, Juliette was glad she’d offered to help Sarah. She seemed petrified of Richard finding out anything. A few minutes later, she received a text message from an unknown number. She opened it to see a message.
I don’t think it’s a good idea to pursue this anymore. Thanks anyway.
Juliette baulked. What had made Sarah change her mind again so quickly? Had Richard scared her? Was he hurting her, or threatening to harm Daisy?
Whatever the reason, she was determined to help even more. Poor Sarah, why should she put up with such abuse? It wasn’t right.
Juliette replied to the message.
Next door, Sarah sat in the kitchen as she read Juliette’s reply.
You need to get away. Let me see what’s in the box, see if I can help you.
She cursed out loud. She’d been reckless to get Juliette involved. This change of plan couldn’t work. It would do more harm than good. She should have continued alone.
It had taken her a whole year to get to this point. She had kept the secret of Louisa’s death to herself. She had suffered the anguish of knowing her sister had been murdered, hadn’t received a proper burial, that she’d rotted in the woods mere metres away.
She had internalised the pain she’d felt covering things up, the guilt of not going to the police when she could have.
Yet even though she knew it was harmful for Daisy, it was the right thing to do. Bide her time and wait.
She felt as trapped as Richard. He’d been right on that night.
She would have implicated herself if she said anything to the police.
She couldn’t go to prison for something he had done.
And would a jury really see it as self-defence, that she’d had to keep herself safe and do as he said, for Daisy’s sake as well? She couldn’t have taken that chance.
Still, she needed to keep things from Richard for a while longer before she set her plan into motion. Which meant either she got Juliette to back off, or they brought everything forward before what they were doing got out.