Not bowing out of the group after all then, Natalia? ‘Well, thanks for calling, Christa, but I’m going to have to go now because I’ve got to go and get James, so—’
‘We don’t actually have to go for—’ Ed interrupts, and I glare at him, before putting my finger to my lips. ‘OK, yes I’d love a coffee soon. That’d be great. Yes do. And love to you too, Christa. Take care.’
I hang up, drop my phone and put my head in both hands.
‘Natalia told them everything then?’ Ed says.
‘She has a thing about affairs because her brother was dumped after her sister-in-law fell for someone else. Natalia absolutely hates her. I’ve copped a lot of misdirected rage.’ I sit up and push my laptop back across the table before exhaling heavily. ‘But obviously my far bigger fear is that now seven new people know the truth about Ben.’
‘Well, yeah,’ Ed shrugs, ‘but they don’t even know his full name, so I can’t see that’s a problem. You’re not friends with him on Facebook and there must be hundreds of Ben Davies’s anyway.’
‘Yes, but if Natalia looks at any of my Chichester friends, she’ll probably find him in a heartbeat. I’m going to block her now so she can’t see any of them.’ A couple of clicks and it’s done. ‘I hope I’m not too late.’ I stare at the screen worriedly. ‘I should have done this earlier.’
‘Shit! What was that?’ Ed suddenly whips round and stares through the open door out into the hall.
‘What’s the matter?’ I ask instantly, but he doesn’t speak, just leans to the side, and to my horror, starts to slide one of the knives from the block and gets to his feet slowly.
‘Ed!’ My eyes widen. ‘What the hell are you doing?’
‘I heard something.’
‘It’s probably Sandrine!’ I exclaim. ‘Have you gone mad? Put the knife down! You’ll terrify her!’
‘Jessica, shut up!’ he orders and, chastened by a tone I’ve never heard him use before, I do as I’m told.
We both jump as three rapid knocks sound on the front door.
‘You see? Someone’s out there,’ Ed whispers. ‘Just stay very quiet. Let’s see what they try and do.’
My stomach flips unpleasantly, and I rise slowly to my feet too, convinced that at any second I’m going to hear the sound of a key slowly sliding into the lock as whoever it is tries to use the old one to get in again, but there’s nothing.
What feels like minutes passes, but it’s probably no more than thirty seconds before Ed sets down the knife on the kitchen table and strides out into the hall. The chain is on the door and as I exclaim ‘no!’ in alarm, because I realise what he’s about to do, he suddenly yanks it open. The door bounces as the chain tautens, and I expect to see a face briefly in the gap, but there’s no one there. Ed hesitates and then shoves the door closed, before whipping the latch off and throwing it wide. He dives out into the front garden, and I hasten to the doorway to stand on the step, helplessly, shivering, with my arms folded across my chest, as I watch him disappear round the side of the house, only to return and start a check down the other side. He comes back, throwing wide his hands.
‘Nothing.’ He spins on the spot and looks down the road in confusion. ‘But you heard it too, right?’
‘Three knocks, yes.’
We both stand there watching the empty street. Eventually, there’s nothing for it but to go back in and shut the door. In the hallway, Ed turns to face me. ‘Do you think that was him, just then?’
‘Or her,’ I say. ‘I really have no idea. It could have just as easily been a delivery or something?’
‘But there’s nothing out there! I checked,’ he exclaims. ‘Something’s not right. I can feel it.’
‘Ed, you need to come in and sit down,’ I say slowly.
He looks agitated. He can’t stand still, and the red blotches he always gets when he’s really stressed, are beginning to appear on his neck.
‘I’m fine, Jess.’
‘You’re not,’ I say. ‘Picking up a kitchen knife when someone knocks at the door is not fine.’
He jumps as there’s a creak at the top of the stairs, which makes us both look up. Sandrine is standing there in her dressing gown and slippers, staring at us with wide, frightened eyes.
‘Oh, hi, Sandrine,’ I try to sound completely normal. ‘We thought we heard the door, but we made a mistake. Are you feeling a bit better? Can I get you a cup of tea?’
I watch her gaze lift past me, over my shoulder and through the door to the kitchen table, and the large knife lying between our laptops.
‘No, thank you,’ she whispers, then looks at Ed, petrified, and spins round on the spot before rushing back off upstairs.
‘Lovely,’ Ed says shortly. ‘Now the au pair thinks I’m about to murder her in her bed… although, on the plus side, whoever it was that was trying to get in, didn’t manage it. I feel a lot better about that.’ He smiles widely suddenly. ‘A lot better. Don’t you?’
‘Not really, no,’ I admit, looking at him. ‘I actually really would like you to come and sit down for a minute. You just picked up a knife, Ed. You do know that statistically you’re more likely to have any weapon that you use to defend yourself actually turned on you in a fight – don’t you? Not only that—’
But before I can finish my sentence there’s another knock at the door.
Ed dives past me, practically knocking me over in his haste, and grabs the handle, flinging it open – to the obvious alarm of the delivery man stood on the step, holding a very large box, almost taller than him. ‘Mrs Casson?’
I step forward. ‘Yes, that’s me.’
He looks relieved, but still shoots a wary glance at Ed. ‘Where do you want this? It’s quite heavy, just so you know.’
I hesitate. ‘I’m sorry, where do I want what? I haven’t ordered anything.’
He looks at the address label. ‘Jessica Casson?’
‘Well, yes, that’s me, but—’
‘Then this is for you,’ the man says, as he props the box up against the wall. ‘Happy days. I didn’t even know they made them like this any more.’ He flips the box round to reveal the image on the front, of two children on an old-fashioned wooden climbing frame.
I gasp out loud and stumble backwards.
He looks surprised. ‘Right… Um, can you just sign here then?’
‘No,’ I shake my head. ‘I can’t. I don’t want it.’
‘Wait.’ Ed steps forward. ‘Can I see the dispatch details, please? They’ll tell us who ordered this, and we HAVE to know.’
I start to shake. ‘Take it away,’ I repeat – and then I look at both of the men desperately. ‘Take it away NOW!’
My shriek is enough to make both men leap into action. The delivery man hurriedly starts to remove the box as Ed simultaneously reaches out to grab my wrists, and hold me up, because my legs give way and I slump back against the wall. I look up to see a horribly pale Sandrine reappear, peering down through the bannisters.
‘Jessica?’ she calls down, although I can hear the tremor in her voice. ‘You are OK? Should I get help? Ed!’ she says very bravely, ‘you are hurting Jessica?’
‘No, of course I’m bloody not!’ he says indignantly and lets me go. ‘See? I was helping her up! Fuck’s sake…’ He holds up his hands where everyone can see him, and walks off into the kitchen.
‘I’m OK, Sandrine. Everything is OK,’ I call up, trying to reassure her, and at least stand up properly. ‘There’s nothing to be frightened of. I’m fine, I promise. Go back to bed. You’re not well!’ I give her a beaming smile, but she just looks like she’s about to cry again, before helplessly turning and rushing back into her room, the door slamming shut behind her.
* * *
‘No, she doesn’t want anything for lunch.’ I come back into the kitchen. ‘Unsurprisingly. I told her I was drying up earlier, which was why the knife was on the table, and that there was a huge spider on the box the delivery bloke was trying to bring into the house, and that’s why I shouted at him to take it out and was so frightened. I don’t think she bought it for one second. I might actually have to look into a flight home for her tomorrow.’