as he faltered. It was taking too long. Much too long. The woman’s mind was twisted with some need to seek vengeance. What was her warped reasoning urging her to do? What was going through Ollie’s mind? Don’t let her have hurt him. Please don’t let her have hurt him.
Her heart splintered as Joe rammed the front door open and went straight to the bedroom, each piece piercing her chest like an icicle. ‘Ollie …’ she said, her voice trembling, her body shaking as she took in the scene before her. He was on the balcony, standing on the balustrade. He hadn’t been there a short while ago. She must have brought him out to stop them… Stop them what? Her blood froze as she noticed Mr Whale tucked under his arm. Sitting next to him, one arm around him, her legs facing out over the water, was the woman who’d taken him for reasons Sarah could barely comprehend.
‘We’ve come out to look at the pretty boats. We can see them better from here, can’t we, Ollie?’ Courtney said, her voice light, harmless – unthreatening.
He’s just a child! My baby. Sarah almost crumpled.
‘Tell Mummy which one is our favourite, Ollie,’ the woman urged him.
‘The red one.’ Ollie pointed out at the water. ‘It has Donald Duck on it. See, Mummy?’
‘Yes!’ Sarah lurched forward as he twisted to look at her. ‘I see it, Ollie. Keep still, baby. Please …’ She forced back the sob that racked her body. ‘Keep still, sweetheart.’
‘Courtney,’ Joe took a tentative step towards her, ‘it’s cold up here. How about you let Ollie come inside and we’ll talk, just you and me?’
‘You came, then? I thought you might, my very own hero,’ Courtney said, her voice still deceptively light. Smiling, she glanced over her shoulder and then back at the water. ‘Who will you save, Joe, I wonder, if I let go of him?’
Sixty
Her heart frozen with fear, Sarah sank to her knees. She couldn’t stop the tears. Couldn’t breathe.
‘Mummy, what’s wrong?’ Ollie asked, his small voice quavering.
‘Mummy banged her leg, Ollie, that’s all,’ Joe tried to reassure him. ‘Don’t worry, we’ve called the paramedics. She’ll be fine.’
‘Will I see them?’ Ollie asked, his voice filled with awe as he anticipated blue flashing lights.
‘No!’ Joe said quickly, taking another step onto the balcony as Ollie leaned forward. ‘They’re friends. They’re coming in their car. They’ll be here soon.’
‘Oh.’ Ollie sounded disappointed. ‘Can we go inside now, Courtney?’ He looked at her. ‘I want to hug Mummy and make her feel better.’
‘Soon,’ Courtney said. ‘We don’t want to miss the long boat coming through the lock from the river, do we?’
‘No,’ Ollie said uncertainly.
Joe took another small step. ‘Why are you doing this, Courtney?’ he asked, his throat hoarse.
‘Do you remember our honeymoon?’ she said.
‘Venice,’ Joe answered, sucking in a tight breath.
‘It was beautiful, wasn’t it? This view always reminds me of it. We were good together then, weren’t we, Joe? The perfect couple, everyone said.’
Joe kneaded his temples. He didn’t reply.
‘I thought we could go back there. You know, try to fix things,’ she went on. She was completely delusional, living a fantasy. Sarah stared hard at her, taking in her long flowing hair. She was a beautiful woman, competent and confident on the outside. Successful. Bereft and broken on the inside. She couldn’t have Joe, so she would destroy him. Destroy everything he loved.
‘You chose her, though.’ Courtney shrugged. Ollie teetered.
Sarah’s heart stopped beating.
‘I was carrying your child, and you chose her over me,’ the woman continued insanely.
‘I had no idea.’ Joe edged towards her. ‘About the pregnancy.’
‘Would it have made any difference?’ she asked him.
He took another sharp breath. ‘Possibly,’ he ventured.
Courtney didn’t reply for a second. Then, ‘I think not,’ she said. ‘You love him, don’t you?’ She glanced towards Ollie. ‘You love him more than our child. I know it’s him you’ve come for. Not me.’
‘Shit! Courtney, don’t!’ Joe moved fast as she relaxed her arm around him.
Laura, though, was faster. Emitting a cry like that of an enraged animal, she hurtled forward, snatching Ollie from the brink of certain death before Sarah could blink. Whirling around, she pressed his face close to her shoulder, stroking his back, whispering to him as she carried him back towards the apartment.
‘Jesus Christ, no.’ Joe gazed in horror over the balcony he’d reached a split second too late to save the woman whose twisted love had almost destroyed him.
Heaving herself stumblingly to her feet, Sarah