Chapter Thirty-One
As she got out of her van, the air felt cold. Lisa preferred crisp autumn days, with blue skies providing the perfect backdrop to the changing leaves. They were the type that inspired woodland walks and wrapped-up outings. But this wasn’t one of them. The air was damp and the sun was nowhere to be seen, adding to how cold it felt. Winter was underway, buttoday she didn’t care. The thought of a walk in Houghton Forest with Jack, followed by a cup of tea with Winnie was enough to brighten any grey day.
Lisa reminded herself to let Winnie know she would be heading off to France soon. After sharing just a few too-casual-for-her-liking texts with Nathan, Lisa decided that letting herself go, living life again and having fun should not be dependenton others. If being back had taught her anything, it was that she used to be driven, she used to know what she wanted and she never used to let others dictate how she should live her life. Reconnecting with her past had reminded her of that.
Lisa knew the next step in that reconnection was to go and spend time with her parents. They had supported, even encouraged, her in her younger decisions,they had not tried to hold her back, and she had repaid that kindness with slipping further and further away from them. Now they were the ones building a new life and she had barely paid attention to it. Dismissing their life in France had become a habit and yet it accounted for over half of their year. And Lisa was sure it was only a matter of time before they made their move more permanent.She wanted to share her new-found realisations with Winnie. She hoped she might even inspire Winnie to keep at her effort to reconnect with her son, despite the fact he had ignored her heartfelt letter.
Knocking on the door, Lisa was surprised not to hear Jack’s welcoming bark. All was silent. She checked her phone, but there were no messages from Winnie. She wandered round the windowsattempting to peer in, but Winnie’s net curtains weren’t giving anything away. Lisa went to her van and rummaged for her key in the glove box. Winnie had given it to her early on, in case she was ever out when Lisa arrived – not that Lisa had ever had call to use it until now. It felt strange letting herself into Winnie’s house. Of course, she did it all the time at other clients’ houses, the factthey were out was generally the reason they needed a pet sitter or their dog walked, but Winnie’s was different. Going to Winnie’s was more than a job.
As she stepped inside, the place felt strangely still without Winnie’s warm welcome and Jack bounding up to say hello. It felt colder than usual, like the heating hadn’t been on for a while. Lisa didn’t like it. She called, ‘Winnie,’ andthen, ‘Jack,’ into the empty hallway, but there was no answer. She wondered if she should just leave a note, go and call Winnie later. Turning to look at Winnie’s telephone on the table below the coat hooks in the hall, Lisa saw an envelope with her name on it. She picked it up and opened it:
Lisa, my lovely, if you are reading this then I have gone. It’s been a long time coming. Pleasedon’t be cross with me for not saying. I know I should have told you, especially after all we’ve shared, but I could barely take the news in myself. And you know I don’t like a fuss and nonsense, it just seemed easier to slip away—
‘Oh God!’ Lisa sobbed on a shaky breath. Tears welled in her eyes, preventing her from reading on. She couldn’t take it in, her heart was racing and everythingaround her seemed to be moving. She held the wall in an attempt to steady herself. Realising she needed to sit down Lisa moved down the hallway. She looked at the kitchen door, but couldn’t face going in. Not without Winnie – her biscuit barrel at the ready and her smile as warm as the teapot. Instead, Lisa made her way to the living room, the ice-cold chill of shock spreading through her.
Lisa pushed open the door and it dawned on her that she had never actually been in there before. The hallway and the kitchen had been the only places she had been in, and always in the presence of Winnie and Jack. It felt a little like intruding, but Lisa knew if she didn’t sit down she might fall. Her pulse was racing and she was shaking; she felt engulfed by an overwhelming sense of loss.
As she succumbed to the tears that wanted to flow, Lisa knew she couldn’t read on; even looking at the letter scrawled in Winnie’s cursive script made her want to cry harder. Through her tears, she attempted to take in her surroundings. Winnie’s home – empty and soulless without her and Jack to bring it to life. She touched the arm cover on the high-backed chair she sat on, imagining Winniedoing that hundreds, possibly thousands, of times before her.
The teak coffee table had a well-thumbed copy of theParish Newsmagazine on top. The gas fire looked functional, as opposed to inviting, but the patterned rug at the hearth looked well worn. Lisa imagined Jack curling up there.Oh Jack.She wondered where he was and who had him now. A flashback to him lying on Stan’s gravecaused her lip to tremble.What will he do without Winnie too?Lisa stood up, unable to sit still any longer.
She knew she ought to go. There was no reason to stay. Winnie was gone and Jack, well, she didn’t know where Jack was, but later, when she could bring herself to read Winnie’s letter, she was sure she would discover that he was being well looked after. She stood and attempted tofluff up the cushion, long since devoid of stuffing, that she had sat on.
About to leave the room, Lisa noticed a picture of Winnie and Stan on their wedding day hanging on the wall. Both looked young and vital. Winnie’s figure was shown off to perfection by her no fuss, no frills, empire-line dress. She looked a woman in her prime. While Stan looked every bit the young gentleman in hisdapper suit – pride beaming from his face.Reunited at last, Lisa thought, attempting to find some comfort in Winnie’s loss. She moved along the mantelpiece, and a picture of a young man at the far end made her do a double take. He looked familiar. She lifted it for a better look. Presumably it was Winnie’s son, he looked a little like Stan, but there was something more, around the eyes maybe.
Taking a final glance around in readiness to leave, Lisa was struck by how much the living room reminded her of her Granny Blake’s. The furnishings made it look like a home frozen in time. Lisa brushed her hand over the patterned upholstery of the chair she had sat on. She thought about Winnie buying that chair.Was it with Stan?Had they known that furniture shop would be their last?Lisawondered if there was a time in their lives when people thought that the choices they made would be the ones that would see them through to the end;choose wisely this will be with you until the day you die!Lisa shook her head, upset at the thought.
Preparing herself to go, Lisa jumped at the sound of the back door opening. Her heart in her throat, she edged to the living room door attemptingto see who was there. Fear spread through her on two counts: firstly, she didn’t want anyone to think she was snooping round Winnie’s house with her gone; and, secondly, she feared that it could be someone breaking in. After all, whoever was coming in that way must have bypassed the option of the front door. Winnie’s house backed on to fields.
Through the slit in the door she could seethe back of a tall man, dressed in black, riffling through the largest kitchen cupboard.Oh hell!Panicking, Lisa wondered what to do. If only Jack were there he would see the intruder off. She thought about calling the police, but if she spoke she was sure to be heard – and then what? Alerting the intruder to her presence would make her lose her advantage. Her mind racing Lisa looked around fora heavy object. She had no intention of using it as a weapon, but hoped she might be able to startle the intruder if she ran at him looking like she might. Spotting a large book on the lower shelf of the coffee table she decided that would have to do. Sure that the sound of her own heart was going to give her away, she crept back to the crack in the door, weapon of choice held aloft. The man hadmoved. She couldn’t see him. Lowering the book Lisa squinted and attempted to change her angle.
‘Rose!’
Hearing a voice behind her, Lisa swung round, swiping out with the book as she went. The thud of the contact she made jolted down her arms. She watched in horror as Dom – Dom from the forest, Dom the paramedic, Dom who clearly did belong onCrimewatchafter all – toppled sideways.
‘What the hell are you doing here?’ Lisa screeched as the thought that he had followed her hit home.
With the sound of Lisa’s voice ringing out, Jack burst through the back door and bounded towards her. He was caked in mud and leaving dirty paw prints all over the floor, Lisa’s jeans and top. Lisa tried to take it in while Jack’s long wet tongue slobbered her face. Tears sprangto her eyes as she found herself hugely relieved to see him. The momentary distraction diverted her attention and Dom staggered back to his feet. Jack instantly turned his attention to him. But instead of the barking and growling Lisa had hoped for, he gave him the same warm greeting of muddy feet and slobbery kisses he had given her. He certainly was not reacting as if Dom was a trespasser on histerritory. While the scene reminded Lisa that Jack had met Dom before, she doubted that his over familiarity was the cause of one meeting and a shared bacon butty.
‘What the hell is going on here?’ she managed.
Dom smiled. ‘I’m sorry, I should have told you when I first met you, or when I met you the second time or the third… but—’
‘What?’ Lisa recoiled at the mentionof their third meeting; shoulder-blade-gate was something she would rather forget.
‘I’m Dom—’
‘I know that.’
‘Dom Adams.’
Lisa stared, no flicker of recognition.
‘Winnie’s grandson,’ Dom clarified.
‘What?’ Lisa couldn’t take it in.Winnie’s grandson? Her little…little…what’s his name?Winnie’s grandson isn’t Dom…he’s…he’s… ‘Nicky!’
‘That’s me,’ Dom said, rubbing the side of his head.
