The Locked Room (Ruth Galloway #14)(49)

‘Dad,’ says Katie. ‘Your phone’s buzzing.’

Nelson’s phone is on the table. He picks it up. Laura. Instantly, the sleepiness and content fall away and all that is left is guilt. Nelson takes the phone and goes into the kitchen where Flint is sitting on the table hoovering up crumbs.

‘What is it, love?’

Laura is crying. ‘It’s just so awful here, Dad. I can’t cope. Can I come home?’





Chapter 25


Ruth watches Nelson getting dressed, pulling on his shirt and jumper, ruffling his wet hair. She almost offers to make him a cup of tea but decides against it. To be honest, it’s as if he already left last night, as soon as he got the call from Laura. Ruth understands his concern for his daughter. Nelson is a devoted father, it’s one of the things she loves about him. But is he always going to leave her, as soon as he gets a summons from his other family?

‘I hope Laura’s OK,’ she says now.

Nelson turns around, looking almost surprised to see her there. You’re still in my house, Ruth wants to tell him. You’ve just got out of my bed.

‘She will be,’ says Nelson. ‘It’s just lockdown and being in that flat. I think she just needs some space.’

‘It must be hard,’ says Ruth. She has too much space, she thinks. Her cottage is surrounded by space, the marshes, the sea and the sky. Sometimes it feels as if she and Kate are on another planet. Well, at least she now has Zoe next door.

‘I’m sorry, love,’ says Nelson. Though he doesn’t say what for. He kisses her quickly, his lips hardly touching hers. And he’s gone.



Laura arrives home at ten a.m. Nelson has already been back for three hours, trying to make the place look lived in.

‘I think you should go now,’ Ruth had said last night. Her voice was perfectly pleasant, and he couldn’t tell if she was annoyed or not.

‘Oh no, Dad,’ said Katie. ‘Please stay. We haven’t got to the six-fingered man yet.’

So Nelson had stayed the night but he got up at six to drive home. Ruth had still been pleasant in the morning but it was as if all the intimacy had vanished. She sat up in their still rumpled bed, looking, in her white nightdress, like a statue of virtue. ‘I hope Laura’s OK,’ she said, as if asking after an acquaintance.

Nelson had tiptoed in to kiss Katie goodbye then he’d walked out to his car. Looking back, he saw the devil cat at the window, obviously planning a party to celebrate his departure. Was there a flicker at the next-door window too, a hand pulling back a curtain, a white face looking out? Nelson still isn’t sure. As he drove along the coast road, the mist lifted and the sea was smooth and clear, like a mirage. He didn’t see a single other car.

‘Where’s Bruno?’ says Laura as soon as she comes through the door.

‘Jan’s looking after him. I’ve got a lot on at work.’

‘What about Maura?’

‘I thought Jan was easiest. What with lockdown and everything. And she’s got Barney too.’

‘We could get him back now I’m here.’

‘You’ll be working too, won’t you?’

He knows that Laura is still going into school, teaching vulnerable children and the children of key workers. The strain of this and coming home to a shared flat with no outdoor space is clearly what is making her feel stressed. Nelson has always worried about his eldest daughter who has struggled in the past with anxiety and eating disorders. She’s hard-working, conscientious and sensitive and, five years ago, she saw a man die in this very room. It’s no wonder that lockdown is proving hard for her.

‘It would be nice to take Bruno for walks,’ she says.

‘You can take me for walks.’

‘You! Go for a walk without Bruno! That’ll be the day.’

I went for a walk yesterday, Nelson wants to say. Katie found a revolting object called a mermaid’s purse and I had to put it in my pocket along with several lucky stones. But he just gives Laura a hug. ‘It’s good to have you home.’

‘Were you lonely on your own?’

‘Very lonely,’ says Nelson.

‘I’ll look after you now,’ says Laura. ‘I bet there’s no food in the fridge.’



Ruth is left to face Sunday, never her favourite day, on her own. Kate is whiny and bored, missing Nelson. Even Flint looks disappointed. Ruth is at a loss as to how to distract her daughter. Normally, they’d drive into Lynn, look at the shops or go to the cinema. Or they’d go to the swimming pool and race each other up and down the lanes before having frothy cappuccino and KitKats in the café. There’s still the sea, Ruth tells herself, but Kate greets the prospect of another beach walk with disdain.

‘You could take your wetsuit,’ says Ruth. ‘See if it’s warm enough to swim.’

She knows the water will be absolutely freezing. Ruth doesn’t have a wetsuit but will be forced to go in if Kate does. She’s slightly relieved when Kate dismisses that idea. Ruth knows not even to mention homework.

They are eating a rather silent and grumpy breakfast when there’s a knock at the back door. This is unusual enough to make mother and daughter look at each other. Ruth feels an actual twinge of fear. They are on their own, without the protection of Nelson. What if it’s the person who’s been sending her the messages? The Grey Lady can walk through locked doors. You can never be safe from her hunger.