“And what you want is to be an art teacher in a comprehensive school? What the hell are you? You’re just pathetic.”
“I don’t really care about being a teacher. That’s just an easy way to get people to like me. Teachers are warm and cuddly. Art teachers who wear tweed are even cuddlier.”
“You messed up with that girl in Bournemouth though, didn’t you? You might have manipulated her into not talking about your little affair, but that photo on Facebook was a slip up.”
“Katie was young and made mistakes. She was almost as broken as you. She loved to be led. She liked to be controlled. Most women like it.”
“What have you done with Josie, Jake? Have you hurt her?” My bottom lip trembled. Why didn’t I see his disregard for other people? Why had I never noticed how much he hated the world? This was all so hidden from me. He kept it in that garage along with his true face. That was where he hid his obsession.
Slowly, he walked across the room towards the fireplace and retrieved a shining object from the mantel. I gasped. It was a long, sharp knife, wider than a chef’s knife, with a smooth handle made from some sort of ivory-coloured material. My stomach twisted into a knot when I realised it was bone.
“Hugh gave me this as a present,” he said. “It’s a hunting knife. He told me you probably wouldn’t approve, so I decided to keep it hidden. It seems appropriate to use it now, in his home.”
“Jake,” I whispered. “What are you going to do with that thing?”
“Finish what I started ten years ago,” he hissed.
41
My muscles felt like stretched elastic. The hairs stood up on the backs of my arms as Jake tilted and examined the knife in his hand. I tried to ignore a third cramp as it took hold of my womb, squeezing and twisting up my insides. My fists clenched, pressing my fingernails deep into the palms of my hands.
“I’ve wanted to tell you this for a long time, Emma.” He smiled, revealing those white teeth I had once found so attractive. Handsome Hewitt. “It’s a confession, really. An event that I wasn’t proud of at the time, but it grew to be an accomplishment I praised myself for after the dust settled. The thing is, I got away with it. At least, I thought I had. The problem is, your son came back, and it’s only a matter of time before he starts talking, I’m sure of it.”
My fingernails dug harder into my skin. I felt warm liquid pool there.
“Despite all my best efforts to get rid of him again, you seem determined to keep the little brat around, so I suppose I may as well spill the beans.” He laughed. “Not even the little incident in the crib with the paint changed your mind.”
“That was you?” I said. Why was I even surprised? He was clearly capable of anything.
“Yes, darling. It was. But going back to the past… I wasn’t ever going to tell you, but then you went to my garage and you snooped in places you shouldn’t be snooping. You made it so that I’ve got nothing to lose.” The knife blade glinted as he held out his arms and grinned at me. “You’ve only got yourself to blame, now. This all would have been swept under the rug and we could have lived a happy life if you hadn’t kept digging. Somewhere down the line, preferably before Aiden grows a pair and starts talking, I’d have ensured Aiden had a little accident. So tragic, but these things happen.”
Heat washed over me. My chest was tight, making it hard to breathe, but I forced myself to concentrate. I could see how Jake was loving the captive audience, drinking in the way I hung on his every word, waiting for the moment I would finally get some answers. He wasn’t going to make this easy for me. He wasn’t going to make this quick. He was going to enjoy it.
“Let me tell you a story about a feral child. You see, feral children usually have terrible mothers. Those mothers are often too young to be mothers and let their children run riot wherever they feel like it.” He paused to see if his words got a reaction from me but I didn’t give him the satisfaction. “When all the other, normal children are behaving themselves, feral children do the opposite. Normal children know how to behave when there’s a natural disaster like a flood, but fucked-up children like Aiden wander off on their own and decide to play in the river.”