‘But why?’ I said, gesticulating my confusion with my palms splayed wide open. ‘Why is he doing this?’ Outside, a bus rumbled past, followed by a string of cars. Noelle seemed to be mulling over my question, working out if she could trust me with the response. She looked at me glumly before responding, her elbow on the inside window frame as she leaned on her right fist.
‘He’s a sociopath, pure and simple. The world revolves around his wants and needs. The rest of us are just here for his amusement.’
I frowned. ‘But he said that he was abused. Did he make the whole thing up?’
Noelle looked me in the eye, her expression resolute. ‘The only abuse here is how he’s bled my parents dry over the years, manipulating them into parting with their money. A university education, the latest gadgets, a brand-new car.’ She glanced around her own worn-out vehicle. Through the crack in the windscreen she probably couldn’t afford to repair. But her face held nothing but concern as she mentioned her mother’s ill health. ‘I’m sure it’s the stress that’s caused Mum to become ill. She got divorced five years ago and it’s been tough for her, having to adjust – especially financially. She’s virtually penniless. The last thing she needs is Luke turning up at her door.’
I bit my lip as I realised the implication of her words. ‘He lied about everything. Luke said he came from a single-parent family, just like me.’
‘It’s messed up, isn’t it? He’s always had a fascination for schoolgirls. It’s wrong, all wrong.’
‘So why did I get the blame for what happened in school?’ I said.
A faint smile rose to Noelle’s lips. ‘You’re not exactly snow-white, love. I was forever looking out my window and seeing your face in the street below. Besides, he was my brother. I only saw the worst of him after he was kicked out of school.’
‘For what happened to Sophie?’ I said. Sophie Smith was the girl in the year below me who had replaced me as the focus of Luke’s attentions. That was why I had kept up monitoring his whereabouts, long after I accepted he had finished with me. It was also why I had written an anonymous letter, telling her parents what was really going on. It had taken me a long time to gather up the strength to fight him, after he’d threatened me in my own home. But I could not stand by and watch him destroy another life.
‘That used up the last of my mum’s money, paying them both off so they wouldn’t call the police. Mum was such a sucker for Luke’s sob stories, blaming everyone else, saying he was misunderstood. After the money well ran dry, he disappeared. But not before he got his own back on me.’
‘You?’ I said, wondering if I had heard her right. ‘What did you do?’
‘Tried to stop him. Told him I was going to the police. He tampered with the brakes of my car.’ She lifted the left sleeve of her black dress. A long white scar ran down the length of her inner arm. ‘That’s a result of the accident. I have nerve damage. It’s permanent. But it’s nothing compared to what could have happened that day.’ She gazed at me, her eyes filled with renewed conviction. ‘That’s what I mean when I say he’s dangerous. He’s got unfinished business with you. That’s one angry hornets’ nest you don’t want to be poking.’
‘It’s too late for that,’ I said flatly, my stomach churning at the thought. ‘I think he’s already here. That’s why I asked if you’d spoken to him, so I could at least know what frame of mind he’s in.’
Noelle’s head swivelled from left to right as she checked the street outside. ‘Then I suggest you get as far away from him as possible.’ Leaning over me, she grabbed the car door lever and pushed the door open. Straightening herself in her seat, she turned over the car engine and waited for me to depart. ‘I’m sorry, but you’re on your own.’
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
EMMA
2017
Alex met me at the front door, looking over my shoulder before letting me in. I had witnessed him experience the whole gamut of emotions since I’d confessed to burying Luke in a shallow grave. He was usually so easy to read it was painful. From shock to fear to fierce protection as he tried to work out what to do for the best. Today his anger was evident.
‘Where have you been?’ he said gruffly, closing the front door behind me. ‘Because I know you weren’t meeting a client at the shop. I’ve been ringing non-stop. Then I got Theresa to check and she said you weren’t there.’
I tried to brush past him, but he grabbed me by the forearm. ‘Emma, did you hear what I said?’
I stiffened. ‘What’s the point? You won’t believe a word I say.’ My eyes flicked to the grandfather clock as it chimed in the hall. ‘Is Jamie in bed?’ It was only eight o’clock, but I knew he was tired from his exertions in school. I hated missing kissing him goodnight.
‘He’s asleep,’ Alex said, loosening his grip. He followed me into the kitchen, where the smell of garlic and tomato still hung in the air. I took in the dirty frying pan and the unwashed plates piled in the sink.
Pushing up my sweatshirt sleeves, I turned on the tap. We didn’t own a dishwasher because there was no room in the kitchen to plumb it in. It had always seemed unnecessary, given there were only three of us at home.
‘For God’s sake, stop messing around with the dishes and look at me!’ Alex shouted, making me jump.
Shutting off the tap, I slowly turned to face him. My eye twitched in a nervous tic as I absorbed the anger emanating from his body. ‘What do you want?’
‘What do I want? You’re joking me, aren’t you? I’ve been worried sick. Why don’t you start by telling me what’s going on?’
‘I’m sorry,’ I said, feeling like I had not slept in a month. ‘I went to see Luke’s sister to find out if he’s alive, but she doesn’t know where he is.’
‘What?’ Groaning, Alex rubbed his forehead with his hand.
I folded my arms, my back against the kitchen counter. I hated seeing him like this, but all the fight had left me. I didn’t want to argue any more. ‘I had to do something,’ I said. My words were slow and deliberate. It was as if I’d had too much to drink and were pretending to be sober. I could not look Alex in the eye, for fear that I might laugh out loud. It was something that would probably frighten me later, but for now, detachment felt preferable to facing up to what I had done. ‘Anyway, she couldn’t tell me much. She’s too scared of him to find out where he is.’
Alex threw me a glare that conveyed he was not entirely convinced. ‘Please tell me you haven’t done anything to hurt her.’
‘Of course not,’ I said. ‘What do you take me for?’ I tried to give him a reassuring smile as I realised the irony of my statement. It quickly dropped from my face as I took in the extent of his anger. He was in a foul mood, and nothing I said would ease it.
‘So, everything you said about meeting a client was a lie.’
I could have turned the tables on him, asked how his coffee with Theresa had been, but instead I turned back to the sink and immersed my hands in the hot soapy water. The bubbles felt nice on my skin, and I squeezed the sponge as I ran it over the plates. I did not want to think about Luke, or Noelle, or the binge I’d partaken in today. I was not sure my mind could cope with it. But Alex stood over me, filling the air with hushed accusations. It was my fault I had dragged the family into this. All I did was tell a lie. I didn’t take his feelings into consideration for a second; did I love him at all? I allowed his words to flow over me, waiting for him to run out of steam. I knew he was keeping his voice down because Jamie was asleep, and I wondered if it would be better for him just to let it all out.