12

‘What do you mean, someone was following you?’ Eddy demanded, frowning.

Charlotte was surprised to see how lined her stepson’s forehead was. He seemed to have aged twenty years in a couple of weeks. His hair was greying at the temples, and pouches under his eyes gave him a worried look. He repeated his question. Feeling slightly embarrassed, she explained about the van she had noticed following her home from the supermarket. Far from sharing his stepmother’s concern, Eddy scoffed at her.

‘That’s ridiculous. You’re imagining things.’

‘I know. That’s what I thought at first.’

‘At first? What do you mean? How long has this been going on?’

Charlotte explained that she had seen the van parked opposite her house.

‘Did it follow you here?’

‘No. I checked.’

‘How can you be sure it was the same van?’

‘Well, I think it was. It was a black van anyway.’

‘A black van? Did you get the registration number?’

‘Well, no. But it looked like the same van…’

Eddy was clearly irritated, but he spoke gently. ‘Mum, there are vans everywhere, black vans, white vans. It doesn’t mean they’re interested in you.’

Charlotte bristled at his patronising tone. He sounded just like his father.

‘I’m not an idiot,’ she snapped. ‘I know there are a lot of vans around. But I’m telling you, there’s one that’s following me, and you should take it seriously.’

‘I think you’re being paranoid, suspecting it was the same one. Why don’t you talk to the doctor?’

Charlotte sighed. She might be in a vulnerable state of mind, but she knew what she had seen. There was nothing the doctor could do about that.

‘You think I’m imagining it, don’t you?’

As she spoke, Luciana came in and joined them.

‘Who’s imagining what?’ she asked as she sat down.

‘Mum’s having a bad time of it,’ Eddy replied. ‘I mean, she’s been coping really well, but she’s having a bit of a reaction. It’s understandable.’ He gave Charlotte a sympathetic smile. ‘You know, if there’s anything we can do, you’ve only got to ask.’

She nodded gratefully, but they could no more protect her from her fears than they could restore Mark to life.

‘She thinks she’s being followed,’ Eddy added.

Luciana looked startled. ‘What do you mean, followed?’

With a sigh, Charlotte recounted her story. She expected Luciana to dismiss the account as fanciful, exactly as Eddy had done, but to her surprise Luciana leaned forward in her chair and questioned her earnestly.

‘Are you sure it was the same van?’

‘Well, no, I can’t be sure, but it looked like the same one.’

‘See,’ Eddy cried. ‘I told you, she’s imagining it. Listen, mum, you’re bound to be in a state. It’s hardly surprising after –’ he broke off and drew in a sharp breath. ‘You just need to give yourself time to get used to it,’ he added lamely.

He gazed anxiously at Charlotte, while Luciana questioned her further about what she had seen, asking for details Charlotte was unable to supply.

‘If you spot that van outside your house again, you must go to the police,’ Luciana concluded at last.

‘You don’t think I’m imagining it then?’

‘Well, if you want my opinion, I think you’re just nervous about living on your own,’ Luciana answered. ‘It’s understandable. But you’ll get used to it. And in the meantime, the police will be able to reassure you that you’re quite safe.’

Eddy remonstrated with his wife, accusing her of winding his stepmother up.

‘You’ll only make a fool of yourself if you go to the police about this. I mean, what are you going to say? That you’ve seen a black van?’ He gave a short laugh. ‘Mum, don’t you think you’ve got enough on your plate right now without getting the police involved?’

‘I’m not getting them involved –’

‘Once they start poking around, who knows what they might turn up?’

Charlotte was startled by her son’s aggression. ‘Eddy, is there something you’re not telling me?’

But he protested that he was only thinking of her. ‘This isn’t about me. The police can be a real pain and I just don’t think you need that in your life right now.’

Luciana protested that he was wrong to dismiss his stepmother’s concerns so readily, but when Eddy asked who on earth might be following her, she had no answer. Listening to them, Charlotte had to admit her fears sounded silly. Who on earth would want to follow her home from the supermarket? She was hardly a celebrity. Right now she didn’t even have much money, only a house and an inheritance due when the lawyers got their act together. Why would anyone be interested in her? Sitting chatting with Eddy and Luciana, Charlotte could acknowledge that she was being foolish. But once she was alone again, everything felt different.

She would have preferred to sleep at Eddy’s house that night but they hadn’t invited her to stay, and she didn’t like to ask. In any case, there would be the next night to get through on her own, and the one after that. The fact was, she needed something to take her mind off her husband’s suicide. It was a terrible experience for anyone to undergo and, although she knew she would never fully recover, she had to find a way of getting her own life back on track. In addition to prescribing her pills which she wasn’t taking, the doctor had suggested bereavement counselling might help her, adding that there were therapists experienced in supporting people in her situation. She found it depressing yet selfishly reassuring to know that she wasn’t the only woman whose partner had taken his own life.

‘I expect you’re right,’ she admitted. ‘I’m just all over the place at the moment. Forget I said anything. And don’t worry, I’ll go back to the doctor. You just concentrate on looking after yourself, and Luciana.’

‘Are you sure you’re all right?’ Eddy asked.

He looked so worried that Charlotte was almost overwhelmed with guilt. Eddy had just lost his father in the most horrible circumstances imaginable and now, instead of comforting him, Charlotte was causing him to suffer further distress. Not only had she been the most terrible of wives, she was a dreadful stepmother, focusing only on herself and not giving a thought to how her stepson must be feeling. With an effort, she forced herself to smile as she reassured him that she was going to be fine. There was no point in upsetting him any further. Whatever was happening to her, she would have to deal with it by herself. She was alone now, for better or worse.

Leaving Eddy’s, she drove out to the shopping centre in Monks Cross, more to delay returning to her empty house than because she really wanted anything. She spent a while wandering around the stores, and bought herself some shoes she didn’t need. It was late and the place was nearly deserted by the time she left the shops. Crossing the car park, she heard footsteps close by. Glancing over her shoulder she saw a tall man striding towards her. With a tremor of fear, she walked faster. The man’s pace quickened, closing the gap between them. It was hard to believe he would attack her in a public car park, but it had begun to rain and there was no one around to help her. She began to trot.

‘Stop!’ a deep voice called out.

She broke into a run. Looking back, she saw the man was sprinting after her. There was no way she could outrun him but she kept going, her breath coming in short painful gasps.

‘Wait!’ he called out.

As she turned her head, she saw him raise his hand. It was difficult to see clearly while they were both moving, but it looked as though he was holding a gun. It took a conscious effort to force her legs to keep moving. Ahead of her she could see her car, but she didn’t think she would be able to reach it before the man caught up with her. Whimpering from the effort, she kept going. Her heart was pounding and her chest hurt from struggling to breathe.