Page 42 of The Jealous Girl

17

NOW

Late August

Wednesday

I turned the key and the engine fell silent.

The interior light flicked on instantly.

I cursed as I lurched forward, my hand flying up to the roof, my fingers fumbling for the switch. Finally, darkness dropped back around me.

I froze, my heart pounding as I stared through the windscreen.

Had anyone seen that?

The yard beyond remained still. No lights flicking on at the house. Just the low outline of the stables and farmhouse in the dim moonlight.

I didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.

Seconds stretched, until finally my shoulders dropped and I exhaled slowly.

I should have thought about the automatic light. I’d been so careful. Turning the headlights off and pulling off the road early; tucking the car into the verge where it was hidden from view. I hadn’t seen another car since I left Swanage. Not that that was surprising after midnight, not out here. But still. It was better to be careful.

I sat there a moment longer, letting my breathing settle, trying to calm the jitter running through my body.

I reached for the door handle and tugged gently. I pushed the door open slowly and slipped out.

The cool night air seeped through my black hoodie, hints of September approaching. I eased the door shut behind me, wincing slightly as it clicked into place. The noise was too loud out here in the stillness.

I turned and started walking towards the fence line. Each footstep tentative and slow on the uneven ground beneath me.

A sharp cry stilled the air.

I flinched. My eyes darted towards the sound, but nothing moved.

‘A fox,’ I whispered beneath my breath. ‘It’s just a fox.’

But that thought didn’t settle me. This wasn’t me – sneaking around in the dark, trespassing. Breaking in.

I swallowed. It wasn’t too late to turn back.

I didn’t move.

Going back now meant accepting that nothing would be resolved. No answers. No clarity. Somehow that felt worse than being out here in the darkness.

Staying close to the hedgerow, I picked up my pace. I reached the fence, hesitating momentarily, before reaching for the top rail and hauling myself up. The wood chafed against my palms, rough and splintered.

Stay where you belong. Where you can cope.

I shook my head, refusing to let Janine derail my plans now.

I swung my leg over the fence and dropped to the other side, stumbling slightly. Straightening up, I nodded. There. I could do this.

I started moving again. This wasn’t the time to dawdle. I was on their property. The stakes felt higher. The sooner I did what I came for, the sooner I could leave.

Giving the house a wide berth to avoid the sensor for the security light, I crossed the yard towards the stables. I reached the building, and moved close to the wall, listening.