his other hand up to wrap her in a tight hug, then freed the arm that was behind her and turned over.
‘Love you,’ he muttered. His breathing soon sounded regular, but Ellie knew he wasn’t asleep.
* * *
A cloudy start to the day had deteriorated into a still, heavy night with dark, overcast skies, and there wasn’t a glimmer of moonlight. There were no streetlights down this country lane, but the lack of a light source meant there were no shadows.
Dressed from head to toe in black, with only the eyes showing through slits in the balaclava, the figure waited patiently. It would only take a matter of moments for the eyes to adjust.
The front door provided the easiest access - the fastest route to the target, but the window to the master bedroom was standing open right above the doorway and the slightest sound could alert one of the occupants. The side door was out of the question too, because crossing the wide gravel parking area would create too much noise. So it would have to be the kitchen door. Once inside, that would mean navigating the kitchen and dining room and then the long hallway to reach the bottom of the stairs, but there was no choice.
The figure crept silently along the side of the house, using the grass to muffle any footsteps. Very familiar with the layout of this house after the forays of the last few days, the intruder knew that tonight’s success would depend on Ellie’s predictability.
The three keys were easy to differentiate. How stupid to leave them lying around like that for anybody to take. Inserting the largest into the lock, it turned without a sound. The door opened on silent hinges.
The intruder stood just inside the doorway. There were weird glimmers of light in the room; the small green lamp on the freezer door, the brightly displayed temperature on the fridge and the luminous digital clocks on the control panels of the two matching ovens combined to throw faint shadows around the room.
Although there wasn’t a breath of air, the door was gently closed - a rogue gust of wind could slam it and alert the whole house. Everywhere was silent. Strangely, though, there was no sense that the house was sleeping. It felt awake, aware - as if it were watching the intruder’s every move on high alert.
Keeping to the centre of the room to avoid furniture, the ghostly shape crept towards the atrium. Unless there was a break in the clouds, there would be no light there at all, and all movement would have to be based on memory. The darkness was dense and solid, yet offered no resistance.
Every inch of this house had been explored in the last few days. More often than Ellie knew. It was important to learn one’s way about, find out which stairs creaked, which doors could be opened soundlessly. It offered added pleasure that this was Ellie’s house - the woman everybody believed to be perfect. If only they all knew. And they would do soon.
Sweat was making the balaclava stick to clammy skin, and breathing was becoming difficult. It was so much easier to sneak in when the house was empty - but for this task, Ellie had to be at home.
The hallway was easier. A gentle glow came from the landing - no doubt from a night-light left on for the twins. How very convenient. The goal was in sight as the black figure approached the bottom of the stairs.
40
Day Seven: Thursday
Leo was surprised to find Max sitting alone in the kitchen. She had kept out of the way for as long as possible this morning, but the house seemed quiet, so she’d decided to finally emerge from her bedroom. She was definitely going home today.
‘Morning, Max. Where are Jake and Rubes?’
Max was playing with, rather than eating, a bowl of cornflakes. If he’d seen the twins doing that, she knew what he would have said to them.
‘I’m at a bit of a loose end today,’ he said. ‘It’s a friends’ birthday, so about ten of them have gone off to Chester Zoo this morning, and then to the soft play place this afternoon. Whatever happened to a two hour party with jelly and cake?’
‘Not to mention the potted beef sandwiches,’ Leo replied with a grin. ‘My mum gave the very best parties when I was little. She made everything from scratch, and we had prizes for all the games. It took effort