The Therapist(42)

‘For example,’ Eve goes on. ‘After the murder, Tamsin wanted to move away. We all did; it was a natural knee-jerk reaction. A violent murder had happened in close proximity to where we were living and we were all scared. But Connor insisted they were staying and refused to even consider a possible move. If he had tried to find a middle ground, told Tamsin that yes, they could think about moving away if that was what she really wanted, she wouldn’t have broken so completely. Will was brilliant, he said that we could put the house back on the market even though we’d only been here five months. Lorna especially was in a terrible state. She wanted to go and stay with her sister in Dorset, at least for a while, and Will offered to drive her and Edward there. But the next day, Edward was taken to hospital with a heart attack, brought on by the stress of the murder next door, so they hadn’t been able to leave. Anyway, before anyone could do anything, Oliver was arrested, then he killed himself. And everyone began to feel safe again. The only people that did actually move away were the Tinsleys, who lived at number 3.’

‘Hm,’ I say, because my mind is still stuck on Tamsin and Nina’s falling out. I don’t want Eve to know that she’s given me lots to think about so I look for a way to change the subject.

‘By the way, I was in the garden this morning and I found a gap in the fence between our two properties.’

‘Gosh, I’d forgotten about that! Oliver used to lend Will his lawnmower because it was a new state-of-the-art one and they opened up the fence so they could push it through instead of having to take it around the front. You’ll probably find a gap on the other side too, because Oliver used to cut Lorna and Edward’s grass for them. Geoff does it now.’

‘He lives on the other side of them, doesn’t he?’

‘Yes.’

‘Does he live there on his own? Someone mentioned that he’s divorced.’

‘Yes, for a few years now. I never knew his wife but Maria did, because they were neighbours. She met someone at work and that was it, marriage over.’ She stands up and stretches her arms above her head, easing her muscles. ‘Sorry, but I need to go. Do you want me to ask Will to put the panel back up?’

‘No, don’t, it’s fine. The gap has grown over anyway. And you never know, it might come in useful,’ I add with a smile.

‘Is Leo coming back each evening, like he did last week?’

‘No, I told him not to. It’s a long journey to have to make twice a day.’

‘Then do you want to come and sleep at ours?’

‘That’s lovely of you. But if I’m to stay here, I need to get used to being in the house on my own.’

‘If you change your mind, just let us know. Do you want to jog back with me?’

‘No, thanks, I’m not really the jogging kind.’

She laughs. ‘Bye, Alice. It was nice talking to you. See you at Tamsin’s on Friday, if not before.’

I watch her thoughtfully as she runs off. I’m grateful for everything she told me but it was a huge amount of information to dump on me in one sitting. Maybe it’s Eve I’m not meant to trust. And from what I’m beginning to learn about Nina – her affair, her rejection of Tamsin – maybe she wasn’t as lovely as I thought.





Past


I have a new client and a new office. It’s on the first floor of an old, rickety building and I hear her running up the stairs, her feet hammering on the wooden steps. She’s late.

‘I’m sorry,’ she says, flustered. ‘I got lost. I haven’t been living here long and I don’t know my way around yet.’

‘It’s fine,’ I say, giving her a smile. ‘You really shouldn’t have run.’ I mean it; her cheeks are flushed and she looks slightly sweaty. Her hair is a mess, half of it still tied up, the other half falling in strands around her face.

I wait while she takes off her coat and extra-long scarf, both of them black. The dress she’s wearing is also black, as are her boots. She sees me looking and gives a self-conscious laugh.

‘Trying to fit in,’ she explains. ‘Most of the women here seem to wear black.’

I smile non-committally and tell her to make herself comfortable, although it may be difficult in the angular chair I’ve chosen for this office. I ask her if she’s warm enough; it’s cold outside, the temperature is almost zero.

‘Yes, thank you,’ she says.

I move my eyes to the window, giving her time to settle. The street outside is busy with the sounds of people going home after their working day.

‘How are you?’ I ask, once she’s sitting down.

She shifts in the chair. ‘To be honest, I’m not really sure why I’m here. I mean, there isn’t really anything wrong. I just need to talk to someone, I guess.’

‘That’s what I’m here for,’ I say, putting her at ease.

She nods. ‘I’m not sure where to begin.’

‘Why don’t I ask you a few questions first?’

Another nod. ‘Yes, of course.’

I pull my pad towards me. ‘Before we begin, I want you to know, and remember, that anything you say in this room is confidential.’

She gives a little laugh. ‘Good. Not that I’m going to tell you anything amazing. As I said, I don’t really know why I’m here. My life is perfect. But I’m not happy. I feel terrible for saying that but it’s true.’