she imagined swigging the liquid. Last night had given her the taste again, albeit a small one. That moment plagued her thoughts.
No. She dropped her hands and checked over her shoulder. Shame burning her cheeks; thankful that no one was looking. Christian had bought the wine for their guests and, as usual, Cherie would just tell them that it didn’t agree with her as she filled her glass with flavoured water.
She didn’t need vodka. Removing her hand from the bottle, she continued walking down another aisle. When shopping the other night, her mind had been elsewhere – it still was. She doubted it would ever return to normal. Something had been set in motion and she had to fix it. When her dinner party friends, Marcus and Isaac went out for a cigarette later, she’d get her chance to find out if they knew anything about Penny.
A devil mask stared back at her. She swallowed and stepped back, glad that after tonight Halloween would be over. The kids would stop knocking and her children would stop whining to dress up.
‘Watch where you’re going. You trod on my son.’ The annoyance on the woman’s face said it all as the knee-high boy began to screech the place down.
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—’
One person turned around, then another and several more. All eyes were on her. She turned, pushing the door so hard it bounced on its hinges. She scarpered past the barking mongrel that snapped at her ankles until the lead snatched the dog back towards the post.
Soon she was away from the shop and heading for a tree-lined cut through towards the edge of the woodland. The earthy smell coming from the damp ground took her back to that night. She ran for the trees before leaning against the bark, hidden from the path. No one could see her like this, not a stranger, not Christian. He already thought she was losing it and turning back towards the drink. He couldn’t know. All he should know was that as usual, like every year, her friends were coming over for dinner. It was a tradition they’d upheld since leaving school and they were her best friends. All would be fine, she told herself, but she knew in her heart that it wouldn’t be.
She hit her head and slapped herself across the face. She didn’t like them as much as she made out, but tradition was tradition. Pull yourself together.
Leaning back, she felt the roughness of the bark scratching her neck. She wanted to cower down and curl up next to it – hide.
Oregano. The one thing she’d come out for and she had failed to get it. She’d tell Christian that they didn’t have any. He’d have to pop out to the supermarket while she started preparing the meal. She couldn’t have stayed in that shop any longer with that bawling child and the staring crowd.
She almost slipped on mud as she took a step from behind the tree. One step after another, all the way home. Looking up, the grey clouds seem to swirl and fall. The treetops rustled, scattering wet across her cheek. A large bird squawked from a high branch, its beady glare meeting hers. Staring down, she followed the pavement, avoiding the little dips where the tarmac had come up over the years. Tarmac changed to slabs, halfway home.
Thud, thud came a noise from behind. A car engine revved up in the distance concealing the sound of whatever was catching her up. Then the car quieted down.
The footsteps were getting louder and louder. Heart pounding, she began to jog in her heeled boots. The end of the cut through was in sight but that was less welcoming than the woods. The back of the houses had long gardens. No one was out in weather like this, tending to their plants and pruning their shrubbery. No one would hear her scream. The wind on her back whooshed as her stalker closed the gap. Run faster, just a little way to go. Then scream as loud as you can. She aimed for a sprint then her heel caught on an uneven slab. Fighting to wrench it out, she skidded forward and plunged to the ground, landing on her arm. A sickening pain shot through her shoulder and bicep. Screaming, she turned to see his face.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cameras flashed and a boom pole almost clonked Gina on the chin.