The Breakdown(20)







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b a paris


As the owner showed us round, I could tell that Rachel

had fallen in love with it even though she couldn’t afford it. To her it was just a pipedream, but I knew I could make it happen so I arranged it all in secret. I close my eyes, imagining her face when she realises that the

cottage is hers. I knew it was exactly what Mum and

Dad would have wanted me to do. If Dad had lived

to make a will, he would definitely have bequeathed

something to Rachel. And if Mum had been of sound

enough mind, she would have done the same.

A sound, like a crack, interrupts my thoughts. My eyes snap open and my whole body tenses. Instinctively, I know that something is wrong. I lie as still as I can, straining my ears, listening through the open door for

the sound that told me I wasn’t alone in the house.

Hannah’s words about Jane’s murderer being holed up

nearby come back to me. I hold my breath and my lungs,

deprived of air, tighten painfully. I wait; but there is

nothing.

Keeping my movements steady so as not to disturb

the water any more than necessary, I raise my arm

carefully; it breaks through the suds and I stretch my

hand towards my mobile, perched precariously on the

edge of the bath near the taps. But it remains out of

reach and, as I slide further down the bath towards it,

the water lapping against the side of the bath sounds as

loud as waves crashing onto the shore. Terrified that I’ve drawn attention to myself and horribly conscious that I’m naked, I leap suddenly from the bath, taking half The Breakdown





71


the water with me and lunge for the door, slamming it


shut. The sound reverberates around the house and as I

shoot the bolt, my fingers shaking, I hear another creak, I can’t work out where from, and my fear increases.

With my eyes fixed on the door, I take a couple of

steps backwards and grope along the edge of the bath

for my mobile. It slips from my grasp and clatters to the floor. I freeze, my arm still outstretched. But still there is nothing. Bending my knees slowly, I retrieve my mobile. The time appears on the screen, six-fifty, and the breath that I forgot I was holding comes whooshing

out in relief, because Matthew will soon be home.

I dial his number, praying that I’ll be able to get a

signal, because with the bathroom at the back of the

house, it’s never a sure thing. When his mobile starts

ringing, I’m dizzy with gratitude.

‘On my way,’ he says cheerfully, thinking I want to

know how long he’s going to be. ‘Do you want me to

stop off for anything?’

‘I think there’s someone in the house,’ I whisper

shakily.

‘What?’ His voice is sharp with worry. ‘Where are

you?’

‘In the bathroom. I’ve locked the door.’

‘Good. Stay there, I’ll phone the police.’

‘Wait!’ I find myself hesitating. ‘I’m not sure. I mean,

what if there’s no one there? I only heard something

once.’

‘What did you hear? Someone breaking in, voices?’





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‘No, nothing like that, just a sort of creaking noise.’

‘Look, stay where you are, I’ll be with you in two

minutes.’

‘All right,’ I say. ‘But hurry!’

Feeling less anxious now that Matthew is coming, I

sit down on the edge of the bath. The feel of it against

my bare skin reminds me that I’m still naked so I drag

my dressing gown from the back of the door and shrug it

on. I can’t help wondering if I should have let Matthew

phone the police after all. If there is someone in the

house, he could be in danger.

My mobile rings. ‘I’m here,’ Matthew says. ‘You OK?’

‘Yes, I’m fine.’

‘I’ve parked in the road,’ he goes on. ‘I’m going to

take a look around.’

‘Be careful,’ I say. ‘Stay on the phone.’

‘All right.’

I listen nervously as his footsteps crunch on the gravel

and then round the side of the house.

‘Can you see anything?’ I ask.

‘Everything seems fine. I’ll just check the garden.’ A

minute or so passes. ‘All good, I’m coming in.’

‘Be careful!’ I warn again.

‘Don’t worry, I grabbed a spade from the shed.’

From the bathroom I hear him checking out the

rooms downstairs. When I hear him on the stairs, I

start unlocking the door.

‘Let me check the bedrooms first!’ he calls. It isn’t

long before he’s back. ‘You can come out now.’

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I open the door and, when I see him standing there

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