‘That’s probably wise,’ Gina replied. In a normal case of attempted burglary, she’d have thought it unnecessary, but they both knew this was different. She watched as a van pulled up. The crime scene investigator had arrived.
‘I’d best let them in,’ Luke said as he walked to the door. Gina went back into the kitchen. She made a mental note to arrange for Luke to attend the station to give a DNA sample as soon as possible. His involvement wasn’t likely, but they still had to officially eliminate him.
‘I’m finished here, ma’am,’ said Smith. ‘Good thing is, no one has been in the garden since the incident so let’s hope our unwelcome visitor has left something behind.’
‘I’m not holding my breath. He was wearing gloves and a hooded top, and it’s drizzly and blowing a gale out there. You never know though. Can you stop by at number fifteen across the road in a while and ask if they saw a man sitting on their wall yesterday morning? It was around eleven. This man matches the clothing description that has been given to us tonight.’
‘Will do.’ Smith placed his notebook in his pocket.
‘I’m going to head back to the station for an hour then I’m going home for a shower.
Gina yawned and walked towards the door. As she stepped out into the cold, she nodded at Dr Freeman as he hobbled along the path. ‘You look tired, Keith.’ A strand of his combed-over hair flapped in the wind.
‘My back’s been playing up, been keeping me up all night. I’d just dozed off and the phone went.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that. Anyway, we’ve spoken to Mr Jenkins. The perp tried to get in through the back door after gaining entry through the back gate and no one has been in the garden since. The perp was wearing gloves and a hoodie so I’m not expecting much, but you never know. Can you call me when you’re finished here?’
He nodded back as he passed her with his toolbox. ‘Will do.’
‘Thanks,’ she called as she reached her car.
Twenty-Five
She heard a dog barking in the distance. He was back. She went to turn but flinched. The pain from her tear burned and throbbed. She hoped he’d stay at the house with his mother but she heard his footsteps approaching. The key turned in the lock and he entered. She listened as he stomped up the stairs.
‘He was looking, he had a knife, that bastard had a knife and he’d have used it,’ he yelled as he slammed his hand into the door she lay behind. She remained as still as she could. She had to look like she was sleeping, that way he might just talk to himself for a couple of minutes then leave.
He unlocked the door and a shaft of light entered her cell. The oil lamp flickered and lit up the room, casting elongated, moving shadows over the walls. The last shape looked just like a rabbit. She’d played puppet shadows with both of her children. She closed her eyes and tried to think back to better times. If she thought hard enough and looked like she was asleep, he might go. She swallowed. He stopped still. Had he heard her? ‘What to do, what to do,’ he whispered, beginning to pace, taking the lamp with him. Through closed lids she could see the light flickering. The shapes, concentrate on the shapes, she thought.
The first shape was a circle, what could it be? The circle disappeared off into the distance before being replaced with another circle. The sun, she was looking at the sun. Heidi would’ve agreed. Max didn’t like doing shadow puppets, preferring colouring or generally making a mess.
He stopped pacing; she kept her eyes closed. All she could see was red through her eyelids. He was close. She felt the warmth of the lamp on her back. She needed to swallow and gasp for breath but she forced herself to breath in and out, in and out. She couldn’t show him that she was awake.
He took a few steps back. She heard him place the lamp down on the worktop outside her room. She exhaled and opened her eyes, then watched as his shadow almost filled the wall. She held her breath and closed her eyes again.
‘I don’t know what to do. What do I do?’
She ignored him and remained still.
He pulled back the quilt. She shivered as a cold draft went up her back. His cold hand rubbed her neck. She remained still. The pain in her groin and lower stomach was making her feel like heaving. He sat beside her and began stroking her back with both hands before lying next to her. He dragged the blankets over his body, spooning her. His warm breath made her shiver. A tear rolled down her cheek. Not now, she thought, please not now.
Tears flooded her face and her nose began to fill. She couldn’t stop the sniffling that came with it. ‘Boo.’ She flinched and sobbed. ‘I knew you were awake.’
‘Please, I’m tired and not feeling well.’
‘What harm do you think I’m going to bring? For heaven’s sake,’ he yelled, abruptly getting out of the bed. ‘I need to talk. I need some love and comfort. I’m always looking after you, but where are you when I need you?’
She turned and sat up. ‘I’m sorry.’ She wiped her tears away. At least he’d moved away from her. ‘What do you need to talk about?’
‘I went to the house.’ Debbie shivered. ‘I just wanted to know if Florence was there, by God I’ll kill him if she ever is. He’s not having my Florence. That bastard threatened me with a knife.’
Debbie imagined Luke being disturbed in the middle of the night. Were her children scared? Luke had seen him off. She wanted to smile but she held back. She imagined Luke there with a knife, standing in front of him. She then imagined Luke pressing the knife into his flesh and twisting it until the life drained from his body, but that’s not what had happened. Her kidnapper was standing in front of her, looking shaken but well. He removed his black hooded top and dropped it on the floor outside her room. Sweat trickled down his face and his hair was stuck to his forehead.
‘Was she there? The baby?’ Debbie almost regretted asking. He could answer or he could question her motives for asking. He stared at her before walking over and sitting on the bed.
‘I couldn’t hear her crying. Maybe she’s still at the hospital. I can’t go there again.’ He paused. ‘That man can’t have my Florence. I swear—’ He punched the bed and roared.
Debbie closed her eyes and tried not to weep. She had no idea where her little one would end up, but there was a possibility it would be with Luke. The thought of him going to her house, scaring her children and attacking her husband was too much. Once again, tears flooded her face. ‘Luke won’t have her. I promise. My mother will have her. She’s not his baby, she’s our baby. Can we please leave Luke alone now and get on with our lives, our plans?’
He stroked her hair and wiped away her tears before leaning down and kissing her on the head. ‘I will do anything you want, but I’ll snap his neck before he ever gets his hands on my child, my Florence.’ He lay on the bed and put his arm around her. ‘I’d do anything for you.’ He kissed her again.
Anything? She wanted to be unchained, she wanted to be set free, she wanted to go home and she wanted to be out of pain. She whimpered as she turned away and faced the wall. He rested next to her.
‘I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. Love is a funny thing, makes a person happy. Happiness is everything, isn’t it?’ he whispered in her ear.
She moved her hand to her lower stomach and tried to squeeze the pain away, but it made it worse. She bit her bottom lip in a poor attempt to force her sobs back.
‘Are you happy?’
Debbie swallowed the mucus in her throat. ‘I’m happy,’ she replied.
‘Do you love me?’
‘I love you.’
‘How much do you love me?’
‘I love you a lot.’
He sat up and inhaled. ‘But I need to hear how much. If you don’t tell me, how will I know?’
‘I love you more than the earth, the skies and the planets,’ she replied. That was his preferred response, the one that had helped her in the past.