my brother’s over, that’s all. It’s nothing.”
“I didn’t know you had a brother,” he replies. “John told me you’ve got no family at all.”
“It’s complicated,” I reply, keen to get back inside. “Thanks for the purse! I’ll see you around!”
Hurrying back to the door, I glance over my shoulder just in time to see a bemused-looking Jason reversing his car out of the driveway. Finally, I watch as he drives away for the second time.
“David!” I call out as I head back into the kitchen and fumble to lock the door. “It’s me! That guy, he was just a friend, I don’t want you to think that anything was going on!”
I hurry across the empty kitchen and through to the corridor, where I pause for a moment, waiting for some clue as to where I’ll find him.
“David! Can I see you? Please?”
I wait, my heart hammering in my chest with such force that I feel as if I might collapse.
“David! Hannah! Where -”
Hearing a noise over my shoulder, I turn and look back into the kitchen just in time to spot the shadow of a man moving outside the window, briefly illuminated in the moonlight before disappearing from view.
“David!” I shout, rushing to the door, unlocking it and finally pulling it open. As soon as I get outside, I see a figure standing just a few paces away, slowly turning back to look at me. “David!” I call out. “What are -”
As the figure finally faces me, I stare blankly for a moment before realizing that it’s not David at all.
“Hey,” John says with a faint smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
“What are you doing here?” I ask breathlessly, looking all around in case there’s any sign of David or Hannah. There’s a crushing sensation in my chest, almost as if I’m disappointed not to see them.
“I heard you shouting,” he replies, “and a moment earlier, I’d see a car in the driveway, so… I just wanted to check you were okay.”
“I thought you were up at your cabin,” I tell him.
“I came back early.”
I stare at him for a moment, still trying to work out why he was walking away from the house when I spotted him. After all, I was shouting like a maniac, calling my dead husband’s name.
“Are you okay?” he asks. “Was that Jason Hodges you were with earlier?”
“Um… Yeah,” I reply, finally managing to get my thoughts together. “I figured after everything you said the other day, I should at least get out into the world again.”
“That’s good,” he replies. “Jason’s a good guy.”
“Were you…” I turn to look at the kitchen window for a moment. “Were you inside the house at any point?”
“Inside? No, why?”
“Were you in front of this window? Is there any way your shadow was on the glass, maybe so that it looked like there was someone inside?”
“Beth, what’s wrong?” he asks, clearly concerned. “I’m sorry if I startled you, but you seem like something else is on your mind.”
“No, I just…” Pausing for a moment, I realize that I need to stay calm and refrain from making John think that I’m completely losing my marbles. “It’s nothing,” I say finally. “Really, it’s just… I’m tired and I’m probably just obsessing over nothing. It’s like my psychiatrist said, the more I worry about appearing sane, the more I risk losing my mind.”
“Your psychiatrist?” he asks.
“I…” Realizing that I’ve let the cat out of the bag, I take a deep breath, but I feel as if there’s no point lying any longer. “I need to go to bed,” I tell him, heading back to the door. “I’m sorry, it’s just been a crazy night and I feel as if I just need to sleep and get a new day started.”
“Want to come over for a cup of tea?” he asks. “It’s late, but I’m always available for a chat. I’d love to know more about this psychiatrist you’ve apparently been seeing.”
“It’s fine, really,” I reply, opening the door before turning back to him. “How… How
“I didn’t know you had a brother,” he replies. “John told me you’ve got no family at all.”
“It’s complicated,” I reply, keen to get back inside. “Thanks for the purse! I’ll see you around!”
Hurrying back to the door, I glance over my shoulder just in time to see a bemused-looking Jason reversing his car out of the driveway. Finally, I watch as he drives away for the second time.
“David!” I call out as I head back into the kitchen and fumble to lock the door. “It’s me! That guy, he was just a friend, I don’t want you to think that anything was going on!”
I hurry across the empty kitchen and through to the corridor, where I pause for a moment, waiting for some clue as to where I’ll find him.
“David! Can I see you? Please?”
I wait, my heart hammering in my chest with such force that I feel as if I might collapse.
“David! Hannah! Where -”
Hearing a noise over my shoulder, I turn and look back into the kitchen just in time to spot the shadow of a man moving outside the window, briefly illuminated in the moonlight before disappearing from view.
“David!” I shout, rushing to the door, unlocking it and finally pulling it open. As soon as I get outside, I see a figure standing just a few paces away, slowly turning back to look at me. “David!” I call out. “What are -”
As the figure finally faces me, I stare blankly for a moment before realizing that it’s not David at all.
“Hey,” John says with a faint smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
“What are you doing here?” I ask breathlessly, looking all around in case there’s any sign of David or Hannah. There’s a crushing sensation in my chest, almost as if I’m disappointed not to see them.
“I heard you shouting,” he replies, “and a moment earlier, I’d see a car in the driveway, so… I just wanted to check you were okay.”
“I thought you were up at your cabin,” I tell him.
“I came back early.”
I stare at him for a moment, still trying to work out why he was walking away from the house when I spotted him. After all, I was shouting like a maniac, calling my dead husband’s name.
“Are you okay?” he asks. “Was that Jason Hodges you were with earlier?”
“Um… Yeah,” I reply, finally managing to get my thoughts together. “I figured after everything you said the other day, I should at least get out into the world again.”
“That’s good,” he replies. “Jason’s a good guy.”
“Were you…” I turn to look at the kitchen window for a moment. “Were you inside the house at any point?”
“Inside? No, why?”
“Were you in front of this window? Is there any way your shadow was on the glass, maybe so that it looked like there was someone inside?”
“Beth, what’s wrong?” he asks, clearly concerned. “I’m sorry if I startled you, but you seem like something else is on your mind.”
“No, I just…” Pausing for a moment, I realize that I need to stay calm and refrain from making John think that I’m completely losing my marbles. “It’s nothing,” I say finally. “Really, it’s just… I’m tired and I’m probably just obsessing over nothing. It’s like my psychiatrist said, the more I worry about appearing sane, the more I risk losing my mind.”
“Your psychiatrist?” he asks.
“I…” Realizing that I’ve let the cat out of the bag, I take a deep breath, but I feel as if there’s no point lying any longer. “I need to go to bed,” I tell him, heading back to the door. “I’m sorry, it’s just been a crazy night and I feel as if I just need to sleep and get a new day started.”
“Want to come over for a cup of tea?” he asks. “It’s late, but I’m always available for a chat. I’d love to know more about this psychiatrist you’ve apparently been seeing.”
“It’s fine, really,” I reply, opening the door before turning back to him. “How… How
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