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  The sound of music coming from Steve’s room sent chills through her body. Dragging heavy feet, she braced herself at the door and took a deep breath in anticipation of what she was about to find.

  As she opened the door, she gasped at the sight before her. Steve, sitting up in his bed, was smiling as he listened to the album his mother played on the antique record player. The record player had been boxed away in a cupboard under the stairs. They’d once had plans to set up the room they now used for Steve’s bedroom as a studio.

  Val was sitting back in the armchair beside him, her eyes closed, as she sang along to the scratchy-sounding oldie.

  “Hey, babe,” Steve said, when he spotted her in the doorway.

  She fixed a smile on her face and rushed to his side. “Someone looks happy. Are you feeling better?”

  “When Devon and James came over today, we got talking about music. I asked Mum to drag this lot out.”

  “Can I get you a nice cup of tea, Holly, love?” Val said.

  “No, I’ll do it. You’re enjoying yourself, which is lovely to see. I should have got the camera.”

  Steve held his finger up, the only thing he could move now. “No camera.”

  “I know. I won’t,” she said, gripping his hand. “I’ll make everyone a cuppa, and you can tell me about your visitors.”

  She reached the kitchen on jelly legs, and the tears poured down her cheeks. She’d actually thought the music meant he’d died. But the worst of it was a small part of her wished he had.

  She would never admit to feeling like this. How could she? Nobody would understand. But she’d watched cancer ravage her dad’s body over three years. Her mum had been no use leaving Holly to care for him. Then when Holly was seventeen, she got up one morning to discover her mother had left in the night taking Holly’s eight-year-old brother with her. This sent her dad’s illness into a nosedive.

  She hated her mum with a passion because of it, but now, after all this time, she understood why she left. Not that she intended to do the same, but she loathed the feeling of being trapped.

  When she first married Steve, he was the love of her life—so funny and quirky. They had big plans and dreams of starting a family as soon as Steve’s web design company took off.

  She never once planned for his catheter emptying routine or feeding schedule. Why would she? He’d been a fit and healthy man before the accident. But as soon as it happened, everybody looked to her to pick up the slack.

  Steve spent the first few months in hospital, and she dreaded him coming home. He could move one hand at that stage, and they adapted his wheelchair so he could power it himself. Big wow! The rest was up to her.

  Val lived on the Isle of Wight, and when she suggested she move in with them for a while to help Holly cried with relief.

  It wasn’t as if she no longer loved her husband. She did. But she couldn’t face caring for another invalid. She didn’t have the energy to do it all over again.

  The house was converted to include a wheelchair-friendly shower room, and they added an extension, giving Val her own living area. That was almost six years ago.

  Holly had heard many stories and jokes about the mother-in-law from hell, but Val was nothing like that. She didn’t know how she’d have coped without her.

  Tea made, she went back to Steve’s room as they were clearing the albums away.

  “Have you had enough, love?” Holly said, holding Steve’s cup in front of his face so he could reach the straw.

  He sipped and then shoved it away with his chin and began to cough.

  She placed the cup on the nightstand. “You okay?”

  He nodded. “I’ve chosen my funeral song.”

  Holly’s stomach slammed to the floor. She looked at Val who shrugged sadly.

  “Don’t talk like that, Steve,” she finally mumbled.

  “Aren’t you gonna ask me what it is?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  He moved his finger rapidly meaning for her to look at him.

  She did.

  His lovely hazel eyes brimmed with unshed tears. “It’s okay, babe. We need to talk about it and it’s okay.”

  She couldn’t believe, after just voicing to Cal that he didn’t know, here he was talking about his funeral. Sometimes the universe played games. She was certain of it.

  She gripped his hand again and lifted it to her mouth. She tried to hold back her own tears, but the buggers still came, running hot and fast down her face. She nodded, their eyes glued to each other.

  “Lou Reed, Perfect Day.”

  “I think I know the one you mean,” she managed. Her stomach bounced with suppressed sobs and she felt as though her body was about to turn in on itself.

  “Don’t cry...my angel,” Steve said. “Didn’t mean to upset you. But the lyrics say everything.”

  Holly nodded, unable to speak at that moment.

  He continued, his voice slurring with exhaustion. “I know how hard it’s been on you...especially after...your dad, but fortunately for me, you hung around.”

  She hugged his neck and kissed him hard as wave after wave of emotion flooded through her.

  “However shitty things...got for me, I had you...by...my side. You keep...me hanging on, my love. But, I’m tired now. So tired. And...I need you to know...how much you mean to me.”

  Chapter 23

  Holly couldn’t speak. Long-suppressed tears flowed freely causing a wet patch on the blue cotton duvet. Pain gripped her to the core, making it difficult to breathe.

  Val sobbed and left the room.

  Holly let her go.

  Steve moved his finger again. “We talked...a few minutes ago.” he said. “She needs...time to...process...everything. Stay with me. I need you. Just us.”

  Holly was a wreck. Once the floodgates were open, there seemed to be no closing them again. She stroked Steve’s gaunt face. The doctors warned he wouldn’t live much longer, but she’d thought they were mistaken. Looking at him now, she knew they were right. Her heart compressed painfully.

  She climbed onto the bed beside him and wrapped her arms around his head. He closed his eyes and slept, a faint smile on his face.

  Val returned a while later. “Your dinner’s ready,” she whispered.

  Holly nodded, slid off the bed, carefully placed her husband’s head down on the pillow, and followed Val into the kitchen.

  Hugging her mother-in-law, she asked, “Are you okay?”

  “It came out of the blue. I had no way of warning you.”

  “At least we’re aware of his wishes now. We both witness his suffering every single day. The stench of his rotting flesh, and the nurses’ reaction, upsets him every time they change his dressing. Watching him like this breaks my heart. I hope, for his sake...”

  Val rubbed her eyes. “He had a good day today, laughing and joking with his old friends. And for a time I allowed myself to believe that maybe he was getting better, although I know it’s quite common to perk up a few hours before taking a turn for the worse.”

  Holly nodded. All the crying had left her feeling drained beyond belief.

  “Sit down, lovey. I’ve made a pan of corned-beef hash. We’re going to need to keep our strength up for this next stage.”

  She did as instructed, the same way she did every single night after work. She doubted she would have eaten a thing the past few months if Val wasn’t there standing over her, making sure she didn’t get sick too.

  Steve hadn’t been able to eat for weeks, being fed via a tube that went up his nose and directly into his stomach. The nurses trained Val how to check the tube was in place before feeding him twice a day, but apart from the odd sip of tea, he struggled to swallow.

  With a heavy heart, Holly dreaded the future.

  ***

  Adam’s meeting with Detective Chief Inspector Williamson went better than expected. Only once did he insinuate they might need another team brought in. This was the problem with working in a small s
tation. Everyone outside of the station thought they must sit around twiddling their thumbs waiting for the perpetrators to walk in the door with a giant red arrow above their heads. But he got out of it relatively unscathed after promising, if they’d got no further by next week, he would personally ask the DCI to intervene.

  Muldoon was bound to slip up sooner or later.

  *

  As Adam left HQ he checked his messages. Cal had left several, the last being that everyone had left the station for the day, so he headed for home. Any paperwork would wait until the morning seeing as he’d volunteered himself to do the weekend shift.

  A flash, new cherry-red Nissan X-trail was parked on the street in place of Amanda’s old blue Toyota.

  Adam let himself in to a quiet house, and found Sandra and Mary doing a jigsaw on the carpet in the lounge. “Hello, ladies. Where are the others?”

  “Amanda’s watching Mary Poppins with the kiddies,” Sandra said. “Unless they’ve all fallen asleep. They’re very quiet.”

  Adam laughed and headed through to the family room.

  Amanda sat on the small sofa sandwiched between Emma and Jacob who were engrossed in the TV.

  “Hello, you,” Amanda sat forward and paused the movie.

  “Aww!” both kids complained.

  Amanda shook her head and pressed play. She got to her feet to kiss him. “I didn’t expect you back for ages yet.”

  “I got off early. It’s been another full-on day.”

  “You must be shattered, poor baby. Come here.” She pulled him into her arms.

  “If you grow much bigger, I’ll need to kiss you from the next room.” He put his hands on either side of the bump.

  “Tell me about it. I was never this big with the others.”

  “Maybe we’re having twins?” He gasped and bit his bottom lip in mock horror.

  She placed her hands on top of his. “Shut up, you. I mean it. If there’s more than one shacked up in here, you’re looking after them, and I’m going back to work.”

  “Do you have twins, Mummy?” Emma asked.

  “See what you’ve done now. She misses nothing.” Amanda shook her head in disapproval, but laughter sparkled in her eyes.

  “I like the flash new car. Maybe we can go for a drive if Sandra’s staying for a while?”

  “I’m sure we can. Sandra’s cooking for us tonight, so we can go now if you like?”

  He grabbed the keys and told Amanda he would wait at the car.

  As soon as he opened the car door, he breathed in the brand new smell. Adjusting the driver’s seat, he climbed in, impressed by the plush leather seats and seriously cool dash.

  “It’s got a built-in GPS and hands-free system,” Amanda said, as she climbed in beside him.

  “You chose well. It looks spot on. Does it have seven seats?”

  “Yes. They’re optional. They’re stored in the boot if not needed.”

  “I guess for just you and the kids, five seats are plenty and you’ll need the boot space for all the baby gear you’ll be carting about.”

  “Yes, but Emma already had a sulk on the way home from school because she wanted to sit in the back.”

  “Why couldn’t she?”

  “Promise you won’t laugh.” She half-closed her eyes in shame.

  “What’ve you done?”

  “Nothing! I just couldn’t work out how to lift the seats out.”

  Adam barked out a laugh, shaking his head.

  She swatted at his shoulder. “Shut up, big head.”

  “Why am I a big head?” he said, still laughing.

  “Because you’ll work it out in a flash. Sandra and I were stumped.”

  “Don’t worry. I‘ll have a look at it when we get back. Where shall we go?”

  “I don’t mind, but I do need to pick a few things up from the supermarket before we come back.”

  He drove out of the cul-de-sac and headed out of town to the motorway. He was more than impressed with the car and knew that within the first few minutes, but he enjoyed spending time just the two of them, so he drove further than he intended.

  He eventually did a u-turn and headed back to Pinevale.

  “How was Holly today?” Amanda asked.

  “She seems fine. We’ve had a crazy, emotional day, having to break the news to several people that a family member’s been murdered. It wrenches at my heartstrings at the best of times, but I know it got to her today. The poor woman is coping remarkably well, but for how long is anybody’s guess.”

  “I don’t know how you do it. I would be a basket case.”

  “That’s what I think might happen to Frances if she doesn’t slow down and take some time out for her and her husband.”

  “Would it help if I was to talk to her?”

  He shrugged. “It might. She’s got a lot of respect for you, and you are of the female persuasion after all.”

  “So nice of you to notice.” She smiled.

  “You know what I mean.” He turned into the supermarket car park. “You got the list?”

  “Yep. You don’t have to come in. I’ll be in and out in a sec.”

  “What? And waste time alone with my beautiful wife?”

  “Hardly alone,” she said, eyeballing the mass of Friday night shoppers.

  “Come on.” He ran around the car and opened her door. “I’ll be your escort and push your shopping trolley. How can you pass up on an offer like that?” He squiggled his fingers into her ribs as he nuzzled at her neck.

  “So long as you keep your hands firmly on the trolley,” she giggled, ducking out of his embrace.

  “Spoilsport.”

  They walked, hand in hand, towards the store.

  “We should get Sandra to have the kids for a weekend before bubs is born and maybe go for a mini break.”

  “Where to? I’m not going anywhere if I need to get into a bikini! Look at me! I look like a Womble.”

  “You’re beautiful! Just carrying my baby, that’s all. I wouldn’t care if we were surrounded by bikini clad supermodels, I’d only have eyes for you.”

  “Aw, you’re so sweet. But the answer’s still no.”

  “Come here, my little Womble.” He put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

  “Sod, off, you cheeky bugger. Go grab a trolley and be quick. Mush!” She laughed and flicked his behind as he walked towards the trolley bay.

  Chapter 24

  I feel elated as I go about my usual business, still no closer to being picked up. The detectives are nigh on useless, which has spurred me on even more.

  Being swept along the aisle by a crowd of shoppers, I feel anonymous and inconspicuous. I finger the knife in my pocket. If I chose to, I could take a few of them out right now. But that’s not my style. I don’t go for frenzied terror attacks. I prefer to look deep in the eyes of my victims and thrill at each and every stage of their suffering, from the initial shock to the realisation of their impending fate.

  As I round the corner, I stop in my tracks causing a few of the shoppers behind me to curse and suck their teeth as they manoeuvre their trolleys around me.

  I stare at the detective standing at the checkout pawing at the pregnant blonde by his side. He is totally oblivious to me, and I am empowered. If I were reckless, I’d consider getting into the queue behind him. But I’m not done yet. In fact, this is just the beginning.

  I shove my basket down at another checkout and mumble something about leaving my money at home. I head outside.

  Minutes later, they leave the store, hand in hand, and get into a shiny new car. Keeping some distance between us, I follow them to their ordinary looking house, in an ordinary looking street.

  I smile. Now let the fun begin.

  ***

  They had a great evening seated around the dining table as a family for the first time in ages. Even Mary seemed much more settled after her talk with Amanda.

  Sandra left around 10.00pm, and, after waving her off, Adam made a couple of
trips upstairs carrying two sleeping children off the sofa. On his way back down the second time, he passed Mary on the stairs.

  “Are you off to bed, love?”

  “Yes. Night, night, Adam.”

  “Goodnight, sweetheart. Sorry I can’t make our trip this weekend, but I’ll call Mum and see how we’re all fixed for next week, if you like?”

  “Cool. Thanks.”

  He found Amanda emptying the dishwasher.

  “You go and put your feet up, babe. I’ll do that.”

  “I’m fine, honestly. You go and put the TV on. I’ll be through in a sec.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. Go on.”

  He went through to the lounge and, as he was closing the curtains, he noticed a movement from out near the car. He lifted the lace curtain and gasped. A person, dressed in black, was standing at the front of the car doing something to the windscreen.

  “The cheeky...” He raced to the front door and out up the path. But there was nobody around by the time he reached the street. He walked up and down cursing the feeble street lights.

  Amanda appeared in the doorway. “What’s wrong?” she called in a hushed voice.

  “There was someone hanging around the car a minute ago.” He walked back towards the car and wrinkled his nose as a familiar stench wafted his way. “What the...?”

  “What? What is it?” Amanda padded barefoot down the path.

  “Go back to the house.” He blocked her way and ushered her back inside.

  “Tell me, Adam. What is it?”

  “Stay here. I’ll tell you in a minute.” He grabbed his phone off the table and a sandwich bag from the drawer. “Go and get me a couple of cotton buds from the bathroom, Mand,” he said, as he pulled a bowl out from under the sink and began filling it with hot soapy water.

  “I wish you’d tell me what’s going on.” She flounced from the room and stomped upstairs to the bathroom.