I dream of my purple moon again that night; A moon with a fantastic halo and sherberty-orange stars that pulse brightly in the night sky. I haven’t had that dream for so many years, and yet here it is again, as if to mark the start of my new life.
I wake at first light and watch the sun break over the mountains as I eat my eggs. The weather is grey and bleak most of the time, and the only person I see is Marjorie, the white-haired landlady, who drives up on Friday to collect her rent. She is curious about my situation, especially when I tell her that I would like to stay on for a few more weeks, but I don’t let her lure me into conversation. I doubt anyone’s heard about the trial in these parts and I’d like to keep it that way.
I only go down to the village when I run out of fresh food and even then I don’t go anywhere but the village shop. I gaze wistfully through the windows of the little boutique Kate and I found the last time we were here, but I don’t go in. It’s crucial that I keep a low profile. Besides, what use do I have for beautiful dresses now?
By Saturday, though, cabin fever has crept in. I need to get out, even if just to go down to the village. I promise myself I’ll be careful, that I won’t get caught in conversation by the shop assistant, or linger too long outside the boutique. I just need to taste my freedom for a bit, to remind myself that I can come and go as I please now. That I’m no one’s prisoner.
But as I open the door, something flies past me, into the cottage. I jump back, startled, till I see that it’s just a little robin. He’s very friendly – hops right up to me and accepts crumbs from the table. He’s such a sweet little thing, I would love to keep him but I could never do that. I could never put him in a cage. Instead, I let him eat his fill and then show him the way out.
It’s raining hard as I return from my shopping expedition, laden with a rucksack full of groceries and wine. I towel off and put everything away. In addition to the usual sundries, I’ve treated myself to a face-mask and a French manicure kit. These, along with a box of macaroons and a Coronation Street DVD, ought to keep me occupied for the rest of the day.
I am just about to apply the first coat of nail polish when there is a knock at the door.
Who’s that?
My hair stands on end a little as I go to the door. I cannot let go of the fear that Alicia will come after me. That she’ll go to the ends of the earth to find me. That I’ll never truly be free of her.
I spot Marjorie’s pink umbrella through the spy-hole and start to unbolt the door. But it isn’t Marjorie who stands, dripping from head to toe, in the doorway.
“You didn’t let me explain…”
“Deacon!”
Water drips from his body and pools on the bristly doormat.
I thought I’d never see you again!
“Can I come in?”
“I think you’d better,” I say, quick to recover my composure.
I pull him inside and help peel off his sopping wet raincoat.
“How on earth did you find me?”
“Your neighbour.”
“Mr Krinkle? Doesn’t that man ever learn?”
“Apparently not. He was at his window the night the minicab picked you up. He overheard the driver yelling ‘taxi for the station’.”
“He couldn’t be bothered to ring the doorbell, the lazy sod. But how did you know I was coming here?”
“The overnight train was the only one running at that time of night and I knew you’d only been to Scotland once before and that was with me.”
My mouth drops open. “So you came all this way – on the off-chance?”
“Not quite. I rang Marjorie to see if you’d booked the cottage.”
“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.”
I feel a slightly heady sensation as he reaches for me and grips my shoulders.
“I can’t believe you just left like that. Were you ever coming back?”
He sounds… angry, no, more than that – hurt, upset.
“I didn’t think I was ever going to see you again!”
“Me neither.” I pull away, before I do something reckless. I’m so torn and confused. Too shocked to think clearly. I hadn’t expected him to come after me like this. Hadn’t prepared myself for the possibility that he’d find me.
“I’ll make us some coffee,” I say. “Then we can talk properly.”
“Fine. I’ll go and change into some dry clothes.”
I try to collect my thoughts as I boil the kettle. Part of me is giddy with excitement, but another part wonders if this can ever work.
“You really should let me explain about those things I said,” he says, accepting a cup.
I look down at my palms. “I don’t think there’s anything you can say.”
“Just hear me out, OK?”
“OK.”
Because I’m not quite ready to let you go yet.
“Those things I said – they were all for Alicia’s benefit. I knew she was listening at the door that night. I needed her to believe that I was still taken in by her. I didn’t want her to know that I was onto her. “
His face is flushed and earnest. Is it possible he’s telling the truth?
“Come on, Isabel. You know me.”
I thought I did.
“You sounded so… convincing…”
He presses his lips together. “I have to admit – there was a moment when I did wonder about you. You were acting so strangely that I was genuinely worried, but it wasn’t for very long. The more time I spent with Alicia, the more I could see that she was the sick one, not you. I never really thought you could harm Fluffy. I could never think that.”
My body’s in shock. I feel like I’m floating on air.
“So you don’t think I’m crazy?”
“Well, not in a clinical sense…”
“I still find it hard to believe that you weren’t really in love with Alicia.”
I saw the way you looked at her. You never looked at me like that.
“Isabel, I don’t know what I have to say to convince you. Except that you’re the one I want. The only one.”
He reaches over to me and I’m afraid he’s going to touch me, afraid I won’t be able to control myself if he does, so I set down my coffee and walk over to the window, from where I can steer the conversation back to safer waters.
“How is everyone? Is Kate OK?”
“She’s fine. She doesn’t understand why you left in such a rush, though, or why you won’t answer her calls. She was threatening to come and find you herself.”
“So that’s why you came?”
“You know why I came.” He takes a deep breath. “I do have some news, though. I don’t really know how to tell you this – I don’t want to scare you.”
“What? What is it?”
“The police found the bodies of Alicia’s father and brother at their holiday home in France. Apparently, the bodies had been there some time.”
“They’d been… murdered?”
“The French police thought the deaths were accidental, but considering what we already know, I doubt that’s true.”
So that’s why Alicia came after me. She’d already got revenge on her family. I was just next on her list.
“Brian made a few calls for me and it sounds like Penney and Millrose are going over there to speak to the French police. They want to launch an investigation.”
“Let’s hope they get it right this time.”
“That’s the thing. Brian reckons that if they do press charges, then Jody’s going to take the rap for it all. She’ll do anything Alicia tells her, and she’s got a history of psychiatric illness. She can play the insanity card if she has to.”
“So Alicia won’t go to prison?”
“I don’t know, but it sounds like Jody has already confessed to some of the lesser charges. They’re sending her to Gillmore.”
“Gillmore?” I relish the very idea of Jody being sent to the place where I was wrongly incarcerated. The taste is quite delicious on my tongue. If only Alicia were going too. How poetic that would be.