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“Hello?” Allee answered, her voice low and cautious.
Stuart stood outside the house in West Court, an arrogant smile on his face. He'd driven down from Albury that morning and had a sense of self-satisfaction at his patience over the last two weeks. He lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply before slowly letting the smoke stream from his mouth. It gave him something to do with his hands, especially when he was so consumed with rage that he would physically lash out otherwise. He leaned back against his beloved Monaro, unconsciously stroking one hand up and down the A-pillar. He finished his cigarette, flicking the butt away, straightened his open jacket and walked towards the front door. Allee was going to be in for a massive surprise, and he was going to enjoy watching her squirm.
Trying the security screen, he grinned when it opened under his hand. Allee had become lazy since she had run, he thought, as he would never have allowed such a lapse under his roof. He knocked on the solid wooden door, angling himself so that he could not be clearly seen unless the door was opened.
Stuart was a bit disconcerted to find himself face-to-face with an older woman, one he knew was not Allee's mother.
“Yes, can I help you?” she asked, looking Stuart up and down, shielding the interior of the house with the door.
“I'm looking for Allee Duggan. May I come in?” Stuart asked, hastily smoothing his face into his most charming grin.
The older woman frowned and then shook her head, “Sorry, there's no Allee here. I think you've got the wrong house,” the woman replied, turning to close the door in Stuart's face.
Stuart was speechless. Not only did he have a wooden door shut in his face, but he also had no idea where Allee had gone. He had known that he had the right information, as the neighbours had confirmed she'd lived there, but in the fortnight since he'd last been at the house, she'd gone. Stuart knocked on the door again, hoping that he could get some answers before having the door shut on him again.
The same woman answered, looking slightly irritated to find Stuart still at her door.
“What is it? I told you, there's no Allee here.”
“I'm sorry, I was told that she lived here. I was wondering if maybe you knew of a forwarding address? Where her mail may be forwarded to, or perhaps where the furniture was moved to?”
“I don't know any of that. The real estate is renting this place out as furnished short-leased accommodation. We only moved in on Monday, and we'll be out again at the end of the month. I can't help you.”
Stuart thanked the woman and went back to his car. Perhaps she had only lived there until she'd found more permanent accommodation.
Although he was disappointed, he could not face her that day, he still knew where she worked. He would call her office on Monday, confident once again that he would have Allee standing before him before too long, and he would make her answer for her disobedience.
Barely containing her excitement as she disconnected her call, Allee whooped with glee, startling Piddle awake. Work was improving, she was making new friends, and she’d just been approved for the town house. Snuggling with the disgruntled feline, stroking her fur soothingly, Allee’s thoughts soared with the future possibilities. Everything was falling into place.
Chapter Nine
The following week passed by in a blur for Allee. She started coming into her own at work, gathering more respect from her colleagues, especially when various items from their 'wish lists' began to arrive. Rather than cheap, second-rate equipment, Allee had provided them with high-quality, top-of-the-range items. Even Charlie had grudgingly admitted to Noah that Allee hadn't shafted them as she'd claimed she would.
Allee's friendships with Darryl and Noah also continued to blossom. Each morning, she would make herself and Darryl a coffee, and they would chat. Doctor Who remained one of their favourite topics. Noah had started to join her in her office at lunchtime, and occasionally Darryl would too, if he wasn't busy. Allee also began receiving visits from Sammy in the afternoon. At first, it was due to the assorted sweet treats she had sitting on her coffee table, then developed into conversations about marketing. Andre and Michael would also drop in to browse the various publications that Allee was collecting in her office and had begun to make friendly chit chat.
Allee regretted that Charlie could not bring herself to be polite, but she knew that she had no control over the other woman's emotions or opinions. So, she bit her tongue whenever Charlie snarkily commented her way, although she struggled to maintain an unaffected expression. More than once had she ended up locking herself in her office and screaming into the cushions while she played music to cover her frustrations.
That Friday, she got an invite to Darryl's house for a barbecue lunch on Saturday. Allee hesitated, not sure whether she was ready for socialising outside of work hours. Darryl gave her his address in Daisy Hill, telling her that it was entirely up to her but that he'd thought that she would enjoy some extra company over the weekends.
It was a warm, sunny day, and Allee was expected at Darryl's home in the early afternoon. Allee rose early, her nerves getting the better of her. She showered and got ready, hoping that she wasn't overdressed, nor that anyone would think her pretentious turning up dressed as she was, but in truth, she wore some of the most casual clothes that she owned.
Still battling her nerves, Allee moved on to making a dark chocolate Toblerone cheesecake to take for dessert, and as she mixed the ingredients together, she could feel the tension easing. Ever since she was a young girl and both her own grandmother and Cass’ Nonna had taught her to make her very first biscuits, the very act of baking soothed and calmed her. After placing the cheesecake in the freezer to set faster, Allee wondered if she should take anything else besides the dessert and decided that she would take a bottle of wine with her as well, as a thank-you for inviting her into his home.
Before long, it was time for Allee to leave. She carefully put the cheesecake into an insulated bag, topped up Piddle's food bowl with some dry kibble, and then went down to her hire car.
Allee drove to a local bottle-shop first, picking up a bottle of red and then grabbing a second of white, just in case. She then made her way to Daisy Hill, parking out the front of the double garage. There was only one other car there at that point; an Arden blue Astra. Allee slowly got out of the car, eyeing up the Astra, as its colour reminded her of the TARDIS, grabbed her handbag, the wine and the cheesecake. She could hear music and laughter, and when she rang the doorbell, there was a deep, low bark.
The front door swung open, a woman in her mid-thirties stood there. She was similar in height and build to Allee, her peroxide blonde hair chopped into a messy short bob, with a labret and eyebrow piercings on her face, several piercings up the side of each ear, and tattoos exposed on her bare arms, shoulders, neck and legs.
“Um, hello, Darryl invited me over?” Allee said.
“Oh, hi, you must be Allee! I'm Tania, Darryl's better half. C'mon in!” Tania opened the door, ushering Allee inside, asking if she could take anything for her.
“I brought dessert, so if that could go in the fridge?”
“Sure you can. I'll just clear some space first. Am I allowed to peek, or is it a surprise?” Tania took Allee through to the kitchen, laying the cold bag on a bench and Allee placed the bag holding the wine next to it.
Allee smiled back at Tania before signalling that she could take a peek.
