Larry stood firmly in my way, his belly showing through the burst button on his beer-stained shirt. He blocked the space in-between the settee and the table and made it impossible for me to pass.

  ‘Excuse me, I need to get back to my friends. I told them I’d only be a couple of minutes,’ I said in a matter-of-fact tone and stared coldly into his bulging, bloodshot eyes.

  ‘I think we could have our own little party here. You could spend some time with me and tell me how you know Marcus?’ he sneered.

  I couldn’t think of anything I’d like less.

  ‘Thank you, but my friends are waiting for me. You’re more than welcome to join Marcus and I for a drink at our table,’ I replied firmly, swallowing down the lump in my throat and hoping he wouldn’t take me up on that offer.

  ‘Let’s have a quick drink here,’ he said. ‘Though it looks like the party’s already started without me.’ He nodded towards the two empty glasses on the table.

  ‘Won’t your wife be wondering where you are?’ I blurted. My voice sounded pathetic, even to me.

  I quickly dared a glance at the door and hoped someone, anyone would walk in, but I couldn’t hear a sound.

  ‘My wife? I’m sure Bowman could tell you all about my wife,’ he spat with venom.

  I remained silent. I had no idea what he was talking about.

  ‘You’re married!’ he exclaimed, staring at my wedding ring. ‘Ha, he does like the married ones.’

  Braithwaite was making no sense at all; his voice was slurred and his manner disturbing.

  I quickly buried my hands underneath the shrug I was holding. I couldn’t breathe. My throat was getting tighter and tighter. It felt like someone was choking me. My heart was racing; I had never experienced fear like this before. I prayed Marcus would stride through the door and rescue me.

  But no one came.

  My eyes brimmed with tears. The absolute horror of it all completely paralysed me. The more I thought about making a run for it, the more terrified I felt. My pulse thumped in the side of my head.

  Why me? Why had Braithwaite singled me out?

  ‘You and Bowman must be cut from the same cloth. Home wreckers,’ he muttered under his breath. His face was smouldering with rage.

  I didn’t understand what he was talking about, but that was the least of my worries. Where was Marcus? Why hadn’t he come looking for me?

  I took a step back.

  He moved closer. I could feel his breath on my face.

  ‘Now tell me – what are you doing with a loser like Bowman?’ He wiped the spit from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

  Inside I was shaking with rage. I felt sick to my stomach. Without me realising, he’d moved me back against the wall.

  I was trapped.

  ‘I need to leave,’ I whimpered.

  ‘You can leave.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Soon.’ His eyes darkened.

  ‘You’re drunk.’

  He didn’t answer but placed his arms either side of my head and imprisoned me. I heard the tenor of his breathing change, and I turned my head to the side. I couldn’t bear to look at him or feel his breath on my face. Feeling helpless, I tried to push against him, but he was too strong.

  He laughed at me.

  My mind was whirling.

  He grasped at my hair and turned my face towards his. I winced. He tilted my chin upwards. The touch of his grubby hands on my skin made me feel nauseous again. He grinned before leaning in to try and place his repulsive lips on mine.

  ‘No!’ I screamed.

  I wanted to sob but nothing came.

  I could feel the fear creeping upwards from my shins. I was rigid.

  His eyes pierced mine. His sadistic smile glinted in the low light.

  ‘Bowman wouldn’t mind sharing you. He likes to share my things.’

  ‘Wait.’ I put my finger up to his lips, my inner strength taking over. I knew I wasn’t strong enough to fight him. There was only one thing to do and that was to play this monster at his own game. I’d seen something similar in a movie once.

  ‘Let’s make ourselves more comfy,’ I said softly, amazed how normal my voice sounded, and nodded towards the rug.

  He was obviously excited by my reaction. A smile that made my skin crawl stretched right across his face.

  ‘Now you’re talking.’

  Arrogant bastard, I thought.

  ‘Come on then, let’s see what delights you’re hiding under there.’

  I flinched.

  ‘Be patient,’ I said, wagging my finger and stepping sideways. Flicking his tie, I hooked a finger around his belt loop and gave it a quick tug.

  ‘You go first.’

  Larry didn’t need asking twice. He pulled his belt off in one swift move and his trousers dropped to his ankles. He placed his hands on his hips and grinned.

  ‘Wow! You are a man of huge potential,’ I scoffed, barely able to look at the small damp lump protruding through his underpants.

  ‘You’d better believe it,’ he replied, either totally oblivious to my sarcasm or choosing to ignore it.

  ‘Ta dah,’ he continued, dropping his off-white Y-fronts to the floor and stepping out of them. He was now standing in front of me completely naked from the waist down except for the grey socks pulled up over his bulging calves.

  ‘Lie down,’ I ordered.

  Without hesitation he sprawled out on the rug and began to pat the vacant space at the side of him.

  I felt the bile rise to my throat.

  ‘Remove that pretty dress of yours.’

  ‘Relax, close your eyes,’ I said softly. ‘I’m going to lock the door. We don’t want anyone walking in on us.’

  ‘Hurry, I want to feel your skin next to mine.’

  My hands were sweating and my heart was thumping. I turned and grabbed hold of all of his clothes and ran to the door as fast as I could. I heard movement behind me. Larry was up on his feet. I squealed as I heard the thud of footsteps behind me but I didn’t dare glance back over my shoulder. I fumbled with the key before I managed to pull it out and slam the door behind me. I dropped the clothes on the floor and swiftly locked the door, just as Larry thudded into it. I jumped out of my skin.

  ‘You bitch! Bowman will wreck your life like he’s wrecked mine,’ Larry shouted with malice.

  I slumped down against the door. What the hell had just happened? I couldn’t hold my emotions in check any longer and burst into tears.

  ‘Lizzie?’

  I looked up through my tears to find Marcus standing in front of me. ‘What’s happened?’ He crouched down beside me and took hold of my hands.

  ‘Where were you? Why didn’t you come?’ I asked crisply.

  ‘I’ll explain in a minute,’ he answered, his strong arms pulling me to my feet.

  ‘Tell me now,’ I said, my whole body trembling.

  ‘You’re shaking. Come here.’

  I buried my head into his chest and the tears cascaded from my eyes.

  ‘Let me out!’ Larry bellowed, banging on the door.

  Marcus tilted my chin upwards and looked me square in the eye. ‘Larry?’ he asked, recognising his voice and raising his eyebrows.

  I nodded.

  ‘What the hell are you doing with him?’

  ‘He followed me into the room and wouldn’t let me go.’ I shivered. ‘What the hell is going on, Marcus? Why do you both despise each other so much and how do you know him? You’ve only been working for the company for a short while,’ I said, pulling away from him. Larry’s comments were ringing loudly in my ears.

  Marcus stared at me for a second, his eyes wide, but he chose to ignore my questions. He grasped my hand firmly and led me away from the door.

  ‘Why didn’t you come to find me? I was gone ages,’ I said crossly.

  He paused. ‘Something’s happened, Lizzie; I have some bad news.’

  ‘What’s happened? Tell me.’

  ‘Just as you left the room, Ann’s phone rang. It was Dave. Her mother passed away. She’s just left.’

  Time seemed to pause for a moment. A feeling of helplessness swept over me.

  ‘Oh no, poor Ann. I wasn’t there for her.’

  My tears fell freely down my cheeks.

  ‘It’s not your fault,’ Marcus said softly.

  ‘No, it’s his.’ The anger began to boil inside me. ‘You bastard, Braithwaite, you bastard!’ I screamed at the top of my voice. Marcus grabbed me and held me tight.

  I wept in his arms.

  ‘Marcus, please take me home.’

  32

  Staring up at the grey council house before me, I felt sick to my stomach and exhausted. I hadn’t slept a wink the previous night. Marcus had kindly organised a taxi as soon as I’d discovered Ann had left. It wasn’t how the night was meant to end. Pierre had been a total gentleman and asked me to pass on his condolences to Ann. He’d waited patiently outside with us, and only once we were inside the car did he go back to the party. Marcus and I had travelled back in silence. He’d held my hand for the whole of the ride. I’d rested my head against the window and closed my eyes, wishing the journey to be over.

  Marcus had ordered the taxi to pull up around the corner. He’d kissed my forehead and whispered it was safer if he climbed out there, just in case Henry saw us getting out of the taxi together. I’d nodded and watched him walk towards his home as the taxi pulled away.

  I’d stood on the doorstep, rifling around in my bag for my keys as I’d checked my phone for the umpteenth time but there’d been no messages. I’d texted Ann from the party but she hadn’t replied.

  The taxi had driven off and I’d been able to see Marcus in the distance, walking up the cul-de-sac. The street lamp had lit up his face, and he’d raised his hand slightly to wave goodnight as I’d disappeared inside my house.

  Luckily for me, once I’d tiptoed into the hallway, I’d heard Henry snoring upstairs. He must have been in one of his heaviest slumbers. I’d been relieved because I’d obviously been wearing a totally different outfit from when I’d left the house, and I was sure, given the state of my emotions, that I wouldn’t hold up under questioning.

  I’d slumped against the kitchen cabinet, my arms wrapped around my bent knees and hugging a mug of tea. Before I’d known it, it had been stone cold. I didn’t know how long I’d sat there, but eventually I’d pulled myself to my feet, tipped the tea down the sink and stared out of the window towards Marcus’s house, which was now in darkness.

  Braithwaite’s words had been swirling around in my head. ‘Ha, he does like the married ones… you and Bowman must be cut from the same cloth.’ Was he telling the truth? I’d felt uneasy; there was something about all of it that just didn’t make sense.

  After placing the five empty beer cans scrunched up and abandoned on the worktop into the bin, I’d climbed wearily up the stairs. Stepping out of my dress on the landing, and clutching at my shoes, bag and shrug, I’d tiptoed quietly into the bedroom.

  Henry hadn’t stirred. Quickly and quietly I’d stuffed my clothes into the bottom of the wardrobe, climbed into bed and watched him sleep for a while, wondering to myself where it had all gone wrong. I’d watched every hour tick past on the clock.

  Now, the next morning, I was standing outside Jean’s garden gate, snatching air into my lungs. The for-sale sign in the front garden wafted slightly in the chilly breeze. I’d travelled to Ann’s home first thing, up and out at the crack of dawn. Henry was still asleep so I’d scribbled him a note and left it by the side of the kettle to let him know.

  When I’d arrived at Ann’s house, all the curtains had been closed. I hadn’t been sure whether it was a mark of respect or whether everyone was still sleeping. I’d rung the bell and waited patiently on the doorstep until Dave appeared. He looked dreadful – his face was pained and he’d looked exhausted. Ann wasn’t there. He’d told me she’d left early to visit her mum’s carer before she went over to her mum’s house. That’s where I was standing now.

  I found the front door ajar so I pushed it open a bit further and stepped inside. I couldn’t hear a sound. I peered around the living-room door. There was a makeshift bed set up in the corner of the room with a quilt, a set of pillows and a waterproof undersheet that hung down. Jean must have been sleeping downstairs before she was moved into the home. An ancient, well-thumbed copy of The People’s Friend lay beside a pair of glasses on a little wooden table, alongside a pen and a crossword puzzle.

  I was startled by movement from the settee and there sat Ann. I opened my arms wide and she stood up immediately and collapsed into them. She sobbed, and I held on to her tightly, my heart plummeting.

  ‘I’m so sorry for your loss, Ann, I really am.’

  My voice was soft and soothing.

  Ann couldn’t speak; she just clung to me.

  After a few minutes she broke away and sat back down. I perched next to her on the settee, holding her hand.

  ‘It’s going to take a couple of days at least to clear this place out.’

  ‘I’ll help you. We can do it together,’ I said warmly.

  ‘Thank you. Dave’s booked a house-clearance company to collect the larger items, and I’ll sort through all the clothes and take them to the charity shop. There’s all the stuff like the kitchen cupboards to empty and then her personal items to sort through. It just doesn’t seem right though, going through her things.’

  ‘We can sort all that, Ann; don’t worry about it today.’

  She nodded and dabbed her eyes with the sleeve of her jumper.

  ‘Here, let me get you a tissue,’ I said, leaning over and grabbing one from a nearby box.

  ‘How did you know where to find me?’

  ‘I drove around to yours and Dave said you’d be here after you’d visited her carer.’

  ‘I needed to come here. I needed to feel close to her, if that makes sense.’

  ‘It makes perfect sense.’

  ‘Her carer Ruby was devastated. I knew it was going to hit her hard. They were so close, and she’s only young. I found her sitting on the edge of the empty bed, staring out the window. She’d obviously been crying, but she’d gathered all of Mum’s things together in a box for me. She’s going to organise some time off to attend the funeral.’

  ‘Lovely gesture,’ I said.

  ‘I knew it was coming. I’d watched her deteriorate over the past couple of weeks. It was like she was ready to go. She knew her time was coming.’

  ‘They say you always know when you’re ready to slip away.’

  ‘I wasn’t with her when she went, Lizzie. I had so many questions. Was she scared? Was she in pain?’ Ann wept and placed her head in her hands.

  ‘What did Ruby say? Did you ask her?’

  Ann looked up and nodded. ‘Yes, she said she went to sleep as normal around 10 p.m. and when she checked up on her half an hour later, she’d already slipped away.’

  ‘That’s the best way to go, though.’

  ‘It’ll break my heart to go through her things. I feel like I’m intruding.’

  ‘We can do that together if you like?’

  ‘Thank you. I was worried about you last night. I’m so sorry I left you in the lurch. Dave rang and the rest is a blur to be honest.’

  ‘You’re sorry? It’s me that’s sorry – I wasn’t there for you when you got that call.’

  We heard a small tap on the living-room door and looked up.

  ‘Ann, is that you? It’s me,’ a voice called.

  Ann immediately scooted up from her seat and opened the door wide. ‘Come on in Ada, it’s lovely to see you.’

  A small-framed woman walked into the room. Her wispy grey hair was scooped back in a bun and her fleshy face was sad and tear-stained.

  ‘If only in better circumstances, eh? I saw the door open and thought it must be you.’

  ‘Ada, this is Lizzie, my best friend. I’m sure you’ve probably met before.’

  We both nodded.

  ‘Ada has been friends with my mum since they were girls; they lived next door to each other for nearly thirty years, is that right?’

  ‘Yes, I’m so sorry to hear about Jean. She was a lovely woman and a very good friend to me,’ she said, taking Ann’s hand in hers. Ada’s voice was frail and her eyes brimmed with tears. ‘I can’t believe she’s gone. I know it’s not been the same since she was moved into the home, but we did enjoy a good chinwag over the garden gate. We knew how to put the world to rights,’ she said, smiling through her tears.

  ‘You certainly did, Ada, and you’ve been a good friend to Mum too. Thank you. She always spoke very highly of you.’

  ‘I can still picture her standing in the front window, watching the world go by.’ Ada bit down on her lip. ‘We were such rascals in our teens, you know. Always up to something or other. School holidays were the best. We would go everywhere and usually anywhere we weren’t allowed. We had so much freedom back then. Nobody knew where you were. We had no financial worries, no debts and we’d only roll home when our bellies dictated.

  ‘We’d spend days and days practising our make-up in front of the mirror, only to be told to wipe that muck off our faces by our fathers. We’d stow away clothes in a rucksack and change down by the bridge to meet the lads from town. Our T-shirts were always too tight and our rouge perfect.’

  I raised my eyebrows at Ann, who managed a weak smile.

  ‘I remember the day we caught the train over to Blackpool. I had no idea where it was, and it was all because one of the boys we’d meet in town was bragging his parents took him there on holiday. Jean wanted to see the sea and hear the gulls. It took nearly a day to travel there. How we ever found our way there I have no idea, but your mum was very resourceful and even talked a couple of the local lads into buying us a bag of chips for our tea.’

  ‘I remember this story,’ Ann said, smiling. ‘My grandparents thought you were over at another friend’s house that day.’

  ‘That’s right,’ Ada replied. ‘There were no mobile phones or any of those other gadgets we have today, and we missed the last train home.’