WELLS-NEXT-THE-SEA, NORFOLK
They climbed out of their Ford Fiesta and Emily lifted their bags out of the boot. Jack hovered uncertainly, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans. ‘What’s wrong?’ she said, motioning to him to follow her up the path.
Jack shrugged. ‘Nothing…’
‘Just feeling a bit shy?’ Emily finished the sentence for him.
Jack nodded. ‘A bit.’
At that moment the door flew open and Emma came flying down the path. ‘Jack!’ she squealed in delight, throwing herself at him, so that he had to take a few steps to stop himself from toppling over. ‘Hello, Emma,’ he grinned, glancing up at Emily.
‘Will you come to the beach with me?’ she implored, her big blue eyes widening as she grasped his hand and tried to pull him towards the seafront across the road.
‘In a little while, sweetheart,’ said Sophie, coming down the path and giving Emily a huge hug. She looked stunning, in a pale pink loose waterfall cotton cardigan over a matching tunic dress. Her eyes seemed to be shining and her skin glowed under her tan, making Emily feel plain and tired-looking beside her. ‘Let Jack and Emily put their things away and let’s get them a drink first, shall we?’ Sophie said.
‘OK,’ Emma agreed cheerfully, pulling Jack towards the house instead. ‘Come on, Jack, I’ll show you where you’re sleeping.’
Emily and Sophie watched them go. ‘Oh, Sophie, she’s such a little cutie.’ Emily linked her arm through Sophie’s and they walked up the path towards the door together.
‘She’s exhausting!’ Sophie said, with a laugh. ‘But yes, she’s gorgeous. And Jack is getting so tall and handsome. You’ve done such a great job with him, Em.’
Emily smiled proudly. ‘Thank you. He’s a good boy. Are the others here?’
‘Yup. All inside.’
‘How are things?’ Emily stopped before she reached the front door and turned to face Sophie. She really was looking fantastic – Emily wondered if maybe she was pregnant and the thought made her prickle slightly with envy.
Sophie glanced towards the house. ‘I’d say she’s good, considering. But she’s also… fragile is probably the best way of putting it.’
Emily nodded. ‘Not surprising really.’
‘No,’ Sophie agreed.
‘What about the kids?’
‘Hopefully too young to understand, although Megan’s very, very shy, especially compared to Emma. Makes you wonder how much she’s taken in.’
Emily nodded, suddenly nervous about seeing Amy. ‘She doesn’t blame us, does she?’
Sophie bit the inside of her cheek as she thought about it. ‘You know, I’m not sure. Maybe a bit.’
Emily’s heart sank. ‘We did the right thing, though, didn’t we?’ She desperately wanted Sophie to agree with her.
‘Yes, we did. Of course we did. Sometimes it takes people a while to accept what the right thing is, though, doesn’t it? Especially when you have as little confidence as Amy.’
Emily nodded, although there was a horrible nagging doubt at the back of her mind. It had all been her idea and she had been so forceful in persuading the others. If it turned out to have been the wrong thing to do, she knew in her heart that she was the one who was most to blame…
It was lunchtime, two months after the meal at Amy’s house. Sophie was driving her SUV. Emily was in the passenger seat. They had told Melissa she didn’t need to come as there wouldn’t be room for Amy and the two kids if she did and she had agreed with what seemed to Emily like undue haste. Sophie parked on Amy’s drive and they looked at each other nervously. ‘Ready?’
Emily gazed back at her with wide eyes. ‘Not really. I’m terrified. What if that bloody nanny’s there?’
‘You distract her. Tell her you’re looking for someone to look after your son and you want to ask her advice and to see if she can recommend anyone. I’ll get Amy and the kids out as quickly as possible.’
‘OK.’ Emily looked slightly calmer. ‘Let’s go then. No point in waiting any longer…’
They climbed out of the car and walked up the steps together. Emily rang the bell and they waited in silence. After a few minutes, the sound of heels on a wooden floor could be heard. Amy opened the door a few inches, just enough to allow her to peer out nervously.
She visibly jumped in shock as she registered Sophie and Emily. ‘No!’ she hissed. ‘You can’t be here.’
She made as if to close the door but Emily was too quick for her and put her foot on the step. ‘Amy, can’t you see how ridiculous this is? This is your house! We’re your friends. Why on earth shouldn’t we be here?’
Amy’s pale, frightened face crumpled instantly. ‘Because he doesn’t want you here!’ She dissolved into tears and put her hands up to cover her face, allowing Emily and Sophie to step into the hallway.
Emily closed the huge front door carefully and scanned the hall for clues as to who else was in the house but as usual, everything was so pristine that there was nothing.
Sophie put her arms around Amy and hugged her. ‘Amy, we’ve come to get you. You can’t stay here.’
Amy’s wet eyes widened in terror. ‘No!’ she growled. ‘We tried that once before – Emily, tell her – and it didn’t work. He’ll make sure I don’t see the children.’
‘We’re taking the children with us,’ Emily said, in what she hoped was a calm, reassuring voice. ‘He won’t know where you are.’
Amy put her hands over her face again and leaned against the wall for support. ‘He’ll find me. You don’t know what he’s like.’
‘We need to report this to the police—’ Sophie started to say but she was silenced by a yelp from Amy.
‘No! No! You mustn’t involve the police. I just couldn’t bear the shame. What if my mum and dad find out? And he’s a good father… he really is… he loves the children so much. And he loves me! He just…’ She stopped speaking suddenly, as if her words had run out.
Sophie ushered Amy towards the kitchen, where they sat shakily either side of her at the table. ‘Look, Amy,’ she began, taking Amy’s hand in hers. It was freezing cold. ‘Do you love your children?’
Amy frowned. ‘Of course I do. You know I do. Why would you ask that?’ She looked in confusion from Amy to Sophie.
‘She’s asking because it’s the reason that you are going to go upstairs and pack a bag. You are going to get the children up from their nap and you are going to put them in Sophie’s car…’
Amy was shaking her head furiously all the time that Emily was speaking. Emily ignored her and continued calmly. ‘You are going to leave this house and you are going to leave Nick because it’s not safe for you to stay. If you love your children, as we both know you do, you won’t put them in harm’s way.’
‘He’d never hurt the children!’ Amy looked at Emily in disbelief.
‘He’s already hurt them,’ Sophie said gently. ‘Do you honestly think that by beating up their mother, he’s not hurting the children?’
‘But he doesn’t beat me up…’ Amy looked confused.
‘He might not punch you or kick you,’ Sophie said, tilting her head so that she could make eye contact with Amy. ‘But he’s violent towards you, isn’t he?’
Amy blinked several times in quick succession. Emily held her breath. Amy had never admitted it before, maybe not even to herself. But Emily could understand why not. There was something terrifying about hearing the words spoken out loud. It somehow made it seem more real. ‘I… I’m not sure,’ she mumbled.
‘You’re scared of him, Amy,’ Sophie continued. ‘And there’s a reason why you’re scared of him. It’s not your fault. I’m scared of him too, and so is Emily…’
Emily nodded ruefully. ‘It’s true. And we have nothing like your reason.’
Amy’s head dropped. ‘I just haven’t got the guts to leave. I’m not like you two, I can’t stand on my own two feet. I’m useless.’
Sophie reached out and lifted Amy’s chin. ‘You are not useless, Amy. He’s made you believe that you are but you’re not. You are a fantastic cook, a loving mother. You’re beautiful, clever, a great photographer and you are a very, very special friend to us. We love you and we’re worried about you. If you stay, you aren’t just condemning yourself to a life of violence and fear, but you’re condemning your children too. We know that’s not what you want. What damage do you think it must do to Megan to see her mum in such a state?’
A large, fat tear ran down Amy’s porcelain cheek. ‘I don’t want that.’
‘We know you don’t, sweetie.’ Emily put her arm around Amy’s shoulder and rubbed her narrow back. ‘Do the right thing. Come with us now. It’s the best chance you’ll have.’
‘Where would we live? What would we live on?’ Amy shook her head as she spoke. ‘It’s impossible.’
‘You can live with me and I’ll support you until you get yourself together.’
Emily looked at Sophie in admiration. It was a huge commitment she was taking on and yet she had absolutely no qualms.
‘No,’ Amy shrugged wearily. ‘I couldn’t do that, Sophie. You’ve got your own family…’
‘Yes, and I’ve spoken to Steve and he’s completely happy. Amy, I couldn’t have offered it a year ago, but now that we’ve moved into this new house, we have enough room for you. And… well, Nick hasn’t got a clue where it is so he won’t be able to find you.’
‘Oh, he’ll find me,’ Amy grimaced. ‘He’ll always find me.’
Emily caught Sophie’s eye and gestured to her watch. She didn’t want a repeat of what happened last time. At least that bitch Suki wasn’t here this time.
Sophie nodded. ‘Amy, you need to come with me now. I’m not leaving here without you and the children. It’s not safe for you to stay.’
‘Come on, Amy,’ Emily added. ‘This is the best chance you’ll get. Take it while you still can.’
Amy looked from one to the other helplessly. ‘You’re not giving me a choice, are you?’
Sophie shook her head. ‘No, we’re not. But you have to trust us. We are doing this for your own good – and for the good of Megan and George. Those children need their mum back. We need you back. Let’s go and get your things together.’ She stood up and looked down at Amy expectantly.
Something in Amy’s face changed and set hard. She stood up and faced Sophie. ‘Do you promise me it will be OK?’
Sophie blinked before replying. ‘Yes,’ she said, clearly and firmly. ‘I promise.’
Amy nodded, holding Sophie’s gaze. ‘Then let’s go. But we’ll need to be quick. Suki’s due here at two.’
Emily looked at the clock. It was just gone one. ‘We can pack and get out before then,’ she said, already heading for the stairs. ‘And that’s another reason why you need to leave, Amy. You can’t have that vile bitch anywhere near you or your children.’
‘You’re right,’ Amy said, suddenly energized as she climbed the stairs two at a time. ‘I hate her.’
Emily and Sophie both laughed.
The journey to Sophie’s house took over an hour. George slept in his car seat while Megan curled up in Amy’s lap and sucked her thumb. Emily watched her, noticing that even at the tender age of two and a half she looked troubled.
Amy had quickly returned to being a quivering wreck, after almost an hour of seemingly superhuman energy, in which she packed up all her own things, as well as the cornucopia of baggage that accompanied each of the children. Once it was loaded into Sophie’s SUV and they had pulled out of the drive, she seemed to deflate like a popped balloon. Silent tears began to pour down her cheeks and dissolve into Megan’s dark hair.
Steve came out of the front door as they arrived. He peered into the back seat at Amy and the children. ‘You made it then.’
‘Yes.’ Sophie got out the car and gestured towards them. ‘No hiccoughs, thank God.’
‘Are you sure this is OK, Steve?’ Amy’s voice was small and croaky as she leaned forward.
‘I’m absolutely certain,’ Steve said, throwing Amy an encouraging smile as he began to quietly unload the car. Emily watched him, envy scorching through her body. Sophie was so lucky to have him. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have that sort of support. Yes, she had her mum and dad but it just wasn’t the same as having a partner to help with everything. Sighing to herself, she unstrapped George’s car seat and carried the still-sleeping baby into the house.
Inside, it was big, light and airy. It had all the same luxury of Amy’s house without the added tension. And it looked lived-in, unlike Amy’s, which had always seemed like a show house, rather than a family home. Emily looked up at the vaulted glass ceiling at the back of the kitchen, thinking how different it was to her boring little B&Q kitchen in her boring little flat. It made her sad to think that Jack would probably never live somewhere like this, with a pretty garden that stretched into the distance, and a trampoline and swings for the children to play on. Now that she thought about it, she didn’t ever remember seeing any toys in Amy’s garden. Nick probably thought they were too messy.
‘Are you OK, Em?’ Sophie was behind her.
Emily turned and nodded. ‘I am. I’m relieved it’s over.’
Sophie glanced at Amy, who was sitting at the kitchen table with Megan, feeding her a biscuit. ‘I’m not sure it’s over. In fact, I’ve got a feeling this might just be the beginning.’
‘I think what you’re doing for her is incredible, Soph.’ Emily reached out and hugged her. ‘You’re a good friend.’
‘So are you. We’re lucky to have each other.’
Emily smiled, ‘Anyway, I’d better be off. They’re going to be OK, aren’t they?’
‘They’ll be fine.’
Emily walked over to where Amy was sitting. Megan had climbed onto her lap again and the two of them made a pitiful sight. Amy looked dazed, her eyes not quite focusing, and Megan was sucking her thumb again. Beside them on the floor, in his car seat, George slept on, oblivious. ‘Look, Amy, I’ve got to go, but I’ll come back at the weekend, OK?’
Amy nodded mutely.
Emily crouched down so that she was at eye level with her. ‘This is the right thing for you, Amy. For all three of you. Sophie and Steve will look after you and you don’t have to be scared any more, OK?’
Amy nodded again but her gaze was vacant and unseeing.
Emily reached up and ruffled Megan’s hair. ‘I’ll see you very soon, sweetie, OK? And I’ll bring you something nice when I come back.’
Megan shrank even further into Amy’s stomach but she managed a wary smile.
Emily stood up again. ‘So, bye for now. Bye, Steve,’ she called.
Steve broke off from where he was making tea and came over to Emily. ‘Bye, Em,’ he said, giving her a hug. ‘Well done.’
Sophie motioned to him to follow her and Emily out into the hall. ‘Let’s keep in touch. If we hear anything from Nick, we’ll let you know…’
‘And I’ll do the same,’ Emily said, shivering slightly at the prospect. ‘Might be a good idea to take her phone too?’
‘Done it already. I’m hoping she won’t notice until the worst is over.’
The first text came from Sophie a few hours later.
He’s ringing her constantly. I only listened to the first voicemail…
Steve said not to listen to any more. He’ll be on to you next…
As if on cue, Emily’s phone buzzed in her hand, making her jump. The number was withheld but she knew it was him. For a moment she considered answering it. But something stopped her and she let it click through to voicemail.
Once the message alert sounded, she pressed her voicemail with shaking hands. His voice was clear, confident and charming. ‘Hi, Emily,’ he said, before pausing. ‘Look, this probably sounds a bit ridiculous but I’ve just got home and Amy and the kids aren’t here.’
There was another long pause, as if he was collecting himself. ‘I’m just a bit worried. If you get this message and you know where they are, could you give me a call? Thanks, Emily.’
Emily stared at the phone. He was so plausible. So charming. It was hard to imagine him being the monster she knew he was. She deleted the message and decided to switch off her phone for a few hours, so that there was no possibility of her taking any more of his calls.
When she switched it back on just before going to bed, it buzzed into life angrily and she could see that there were six new missed calls. All from him and all with accompanying voicemail. She wondered if she should take Steve’s advice and delete them but something compelled her to listen to them.
In the first message, he managed to maintain his worried yet charming tone but by the sixth, he had given up all pretence:
‘Listen, you fucking conniving bitch, I know you know where they are and I know you’re to blame for them leaving. Call me back and tell me where they are or I will track you down and I promise you, you don’t want that to happen…’
Emily’s heart began to pound with a mixture of outrage and fear. This is what poor Amy had been living with all this time. She couldn’t help wondering, what if he did track her down? He was so menacing and she knew what he was capable of.
But, she rationalized, he had never been to her flat and wouldn’t have a clue where she lived – would he? Amy had taken her phone with her and she was fairly sure her contact details wouldn’t be written down anywhere else. With a trembling hand, she deleted the voicemails and texted Sophie:
He’s threatening to track me down… I’m a bit scared. How is Amy? X
Sophie replied almost instantly:
Do you want to come here? We could squeeze you and Jack in too? Amy’s gone to bed. She’s like a zombie but at least she’s safe.
Emily thought for a moment how wonderful it would be to be looked after by Sophie and Steve. But even though it was tempting, she didn’t want to involve Jack in this mess and if she was honest, she didn’t want to put either of them in harm’s way any more than they already were.
No thanks but I’ll call tomorrow xx
Over the next week, the volume of Nick’s calls increased. Emily stopped listening to them and would delete them in bulk at the end of the day. Then, just as suddenly as they had started, they stopped.
She rang Sophie. ‘He’s stopped calling.’
‘Hmmm. He’s stopped calling her and us too.’
‘It worries me more than the abusive voicemails. He must be up to something.’
Sophie was silent for a few minutes. ‘I know what you mean.’
‘How’s Amy?’
‘Good, actually. It’s as if she’s waking up from a coma. She seems angry, which I think is a good thing.’
‘Me too,’ Emily agreed. ‘I’ll come over tonight if that’s OK? Jack’s at my mum and dad’s house.’
‘Sure. Amy would like that. Stay for dinner.’
Emily arrived at around 7.00 in the evening. The house was a scene of happy chaos, with Steve cooking while Amy watched the kids playing. ‘Where’s Sophie?’ Emily hung up her jacket and took a seat beside Amy at the huge kitchen table.
‘Still at work,’ chorused Steve and Amy together, before laughing.
‘Well, you certainly seem a lot happier than when I last saw you.’ Emily reached out and took Amy’s thin hand in hers.
Amy glanced nervously towards Megan, who was playing dolls with Emma in a corner of the room and seemed oblivious. ‘I’m not sure happy is the right word,’ she began. ‘But I definitely feel better. I’m just terrified Nick’s going to turn up here. Poor Steve – I won’t let him out of my sight in case he does.’
Emily looked up at Steve, who was cooking at the island in the middle of the room. He caught her watching him and smiled. ‘It’s nice to be so in demand. I’m not used to women wanting my attention all the time.’
Emily laughed.
‘Joking aside,’ Amy continued, glancing at Steve, ‘I can’t stay here indefinitely…’
‘Yes, actually, you can.’ Steve’s voice was firm. ‘You can stay as long as you need to.’ He finished the stir-fry he was making and deftly scooped it into three dishes, which he placed on the table, before taking off his makeshift tea-towel apron and sitting down opposite them. ‘Dig in,’ he said, pouring a glass of red wine for each of them.
‘Thanks so much, Steve.’ Amy picked up her fork. ‘I don’t know how I’d have coped without you and Sophie.’
‘Shh! None of that talk,’ Steve said, already wolfing his food down. Emily thought it was a peculiarly satisfying sight to see someone enjoying eating so much, especially with Amy picking at hers like a tiny bird. It was no wonder she was so thin.
The doorbell rang, causing them all to start. Steve jumped up and headed for the front door, wiping his mouth with a napkin. ‘Sophie’s forgotten her keys again,’ he said, before disappearing.
Emily and Amy continued to eat in silence while they waited for Steve to return. Minutes passed. Finally, Emily frowned and stood up. ‘Where’s Steve got to?’
Amy’s eyes widened in fear and instantly she shrank back into herself. ‘Oh God,’ she whispered. ‘What if it’s Nick?’
Emily noticed Megan turn towards them curiously. ‘It won’t be him,’ she said, trying to keep her voice steady as she headed out into the hallway. Even before she reached the wide-open front door, she knew something bad had happened. ‘Steve?’ she called tentatively, before going out onto the front step.
In the neatly paved driveway, Nick’s Range Rover was parked erratically and beside the open driver’s door, Steve had pinned Nick up against the car.
‘You can’t fucking stop me seeing my kids!’ Nick snarled, as a thin trail of blood snaked from one nostril, pooling onto his top lip.
‘You don’t deserve to see them!’ Steve snarled back, pushing his fist further into Nick’s chest, causing him to yelp in pain. ‘Funny how you’re not quite such a big hard man when you’re faced with someone your own size, isn’t it?’
Nick tried to shake himself free from Steve’s grip but he was no match for Steve’s greater height and strength.
‘No, you prefer beating up women who are half the size of you, don’t you? You’re pathetic.’ Steve loosened his hold for a second and in a flash, Nick’s fist came up and connected with his chin, sending him spinning off balance. As Steve hit the ground, Nick kicked hard at his ribs and he howled in pain.
‘Steve!’ Emily cried, running towards Nick, who was about to land another kick in Steve’s stomach. Without pausing to think, she threw herself at him and began to rain blows at his head. The anger she had felt against him for so long overflowed in a steaming torrent of rage as she pummelled him with a strength she had never known she had.
The next thing she knew, she was lying on the ground, waking up to find Steve crouching over her, his face creased with concern. ‘Em? Em, are you OK?’
Emily frowned and rubbed her eyes. ‘What happened?’
Steve reached under her back and helped her to sit up. ‘Nick caught you with a right-hander. Nothing compared to what you did to him, though.’ He smiled ruefully.
‘Where is he?’ Emily tried to turn her head to look for him but immediately felt dizzy.
‘He’s gone. Jumped in his car and took off. He’ll be licking his wounds for a while, I think.’
‘Are you OK? He gave you a bit of a kicking there.’
Steve winced. ‘Think he may have cracked a rib. Hopefully he came off worse, though. Come on, let’s get inside.’ He reached out to take her hand and pulled her to her feet. Emily’s legs wobbled under her and she lurched against him. ‘Whoa! Steady on there. Take it slowly.’
As they shuffled back into the kitchen, they found Amy cowering in a corner of the room, covering her eyes with her hands and sobbing violently. Emma and Megan were staring at her with a mixture of horror and curiosity.
‘Hey,’ Emily said, crouching down beside her. She tried to take her hand but Amy had folded herself into a ball and it was impossible. ‘It’s OK. He’s gone.’
‘But he’ll be back.’ Her voice was little more than a whimper.
‘And if he does come back, we’ll be ready for him,’ Steve said. He tried to crouch but winced in pain and decided to stay standing. ‘It’s OK, Amy. He’s a typical bully. Knowing he’d have to get past us will put him off, I promise you.’ He gave a dry chuckle. ‘You should have seen Emily go for him. Remind me never to upset you, Em.’
Emily laughed. ‘Well, the same goes for you.’
Slowly, Amy unfolded herself until she was sitting with her back against the wall. She wiped her eyes with her hand. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered, giving Emily a watery smile.
There was a bang as the front door slammed, making them all jump. ‘Jesus, what the hell’s been going on in here?’ said Sophie, taking in the scene as she walked into the kitchen, bringing the last remnants of the late summer evening with her. She scooped Emma and Megan up in either arm and planted a kiss on each of their heads. ‘I take it a certain someone’s been here?’
Steve, Amy and Emily all nodded. ‘It got a little… messy,’ Steve said, instinctively putting his hand to his stomach.
Sophie’s mouth dropped open. ‘Oh my God! Are you all OK?’ She put Megan and Emma down on the floor and reached out to take Steve’s hand. ‘Did he… attack you?
‘Well, yes. But we attacked him more.’ Steve gave a rueful smile. ‘Especially Emily. I definitely know not to get on the wrong side of her in future.’
‘Oh God, how awful. Well, at least he’s gone.’
Steve nodded. ‘Yup. I think we can safely say we’ve seen him off.’
‘Until the next time,’ Amy muttered.