Read Online Don't Tell Eve by Airlie Lawson - Free Book Online Page A

wearing an alarmingly short white skirt, enough gold jewellery to satisfy a mid-range ransom demand, and a sun visor. She’d brought food – which meant she’d been to the supermarket dressed like that – but on seeing Kate had not unpacked it. Instead, she had volunteered to take the boys home with her, and Kate too. Kate had chosen to stay where she was, but had promised not to harm herself. Her mother had snorted and told her daughter not to be so dramatic, she didn’t come from that sort of family.
    When the house was silent again, Kate had dragged herself out of her bed and into the kitchen, where she now sat, ignoring the knocking at the front door. Only when it stopped did she venture out.
    On the doorstep sat a silver box wrapped in an ice-blue ribbon. Threaded through the ribbon was a card on which was written her name and address.
    For a week after the dismissal there’d been presents. She’d received flowers, chocolates and, from Papyrus, a department store gift voucher, so the arrival of this box wasn’t unexpected and she wasn’t particularly curious about its contents. But after taking it inside, as she wasn’t busy and as it didn’t look like a bill, she opened it.
    Inside was a parcel, also carefully wrapped, this time in white tissue paper. There was no card, no explanation.
    She opened the next layer and there it was. What Kate found was not an ordinary doll. It wasn’t made of moulded plastic, fabric or even porcelain. It was not dressed in quaint old-fashioned clothes with pinker than pink cheeks, nor was it a trendy urban fantasy, all hair, pointy toes and slink. It wasn’t, in fact, a store-bought doll.
    She examined the intricate work. It seemed that someone had made it, by hand, all of it – the face, hands, clothes and the shoes. The shoes. The doll was wearing a pair of sky-blue suede shoes. She was flummoxed. Why on earth would someone send her something like this? It didn’t feel like a prank, as it was too carefully constructed. It was homemade but not amateur. It was instead bespoke, handmade. It was more like a work of contemporary art than traditional craft. But that didn’t explain what it and its tiny blue handbag were doing in her kitchen. Nor did the note that accompanied it.
    Please keep away from children, animals and other destructive forces. Until the time is right, this must remain our secret.
    Our secret? repeated Kate to herself. But who are you? And what do you mean, ‘time is right’? She studied the doll more closely, and, for the first time in what felt like years, she felt the muscles in the sides of her cheeks spontaneously contract.
    Not long afterwards there was another knock at the door and this time Kate answered it without hesitation.

Chapter 8
    The tall, dark-haired man in front of her was apologetic. ‘So, you’re alright. I was getting worried – I hadn’t seen you or the boys for a while and you hadn’t said you were going away —’
    ‘I’m fine.’
    ‘Really?’
    ‘Well, to be honest, I haven’t felt like talking or listening to anyone.’ Kate felt the tears welling up yet again. ‘First I lose my husband, then my job – what is there to say? For me or anyone else? It’s been easier to be alone.’
    ‘At home, in your pyjamas, all day?’
    Kate had forgotten that she was wearing the same pyjamas she’d been wearing for the last four days, and that she hadn’t brushed, let alone washed, her hair once during that time. What possessed her to open the door? If that damn doll hadn’t arrived she wouldn’t have. She’d have let the doorbell ring until Oliver left, then spent a little more quality time staring at the wall, mulling over life and injustice and mysterious objects.
    ‘How about I make myself a cup of coffee while you have a shower and put on some fresh pyjamas? Or you could goall-out and put on some clothes. I don’t normally find myself asking women to do that,’ he added for clarification as he proceeded down the hall