10

Meredith walked and cried, too many emotions filling her to overflowing. The undergrowth and tree branches clawed at her cloak, tearing it. Her hands stung where she’d tripped down the steps outside Grannie’s house and grazed them on the gravel path. She had to find the train station, leave Paradise, and never look back. Mrs. Thorne could forward on her things to the hotel once she found one.

It wasn’t long before she was completely lost. She ran blindly. Eerie howls echoed through the forest. She glanced to her left. A blur of black kept pace. It matched her stride for stride. Flinty, silvery blue eyes gleamed at her.

Meredith swung a left, down a path that seemed vaguely familiar. The trees parted and she was in a clearing, covered with long meadow grass. In front of her was a cottage. A trellis arch over the front door had Christmas lights glowing in the pale light. It was the one from the newspaper—her home. The reports said it had burned. But it was right there.

They lied about that as well.

The sun hit the horizon. The light faded fast as night fell. She needed somewhere safe to hide. She pushed open the gate. Had it been recently oiled? She’d expected a squeak. The windows were clean, the grass neatly mown in precise lines. A lit-up snowman glinted in one of the windows, and outside lights hung over the porch and around the thatched roof. Perhaps the owner would let her shelter for a bit or give her a lift to the station. She walked up the path and reached out to knock on the door.

Before her hand made contact with the knocker, the door swung open.

Wolfe held open the door. “Meredith, what a pleasant surprise. When I said we’d meet again, I had no idea it would be so soon.”

Meredith thought quickly. “I don’t want to intrude. I was passing by and stumbled upon this place by accident. With the sun about to set, I wondered if I could use your phone and call a taxi or something.” Her gasped words fell in a panicked rush. She pressed a hand to her side in a vain attempt to ease the stich.

He tilted his head and studied her. “But you recognize the cottage, don’t you? Come in and see for yourself.” He gripped her arm, tugging her over the threshold.

Hazy scenes from the past flashed though Meredith’s mind too fast to snare. She’d been a child in this house. Perhaps seeing it once more would help fill the hole in her memories. Once and for all.

Wolfe closed the door firmly behind her. Something clicked. Had he locked it? “I’ll take your cloak and put the kettle on while you wait for the taxi. In fact, I’ll call one for you as well. Feel free to wander into any of the rooms. You’ll find nothing much has changed.” His fingers slid over the daisy as he hung it on the coat rack. “I’ll go make that tea.”

Meredith looked at the rainbow coat rack and then at the blue carpeted stairs. There should be thirteen steps. Slowly she headed up, fingers trailing the white bannisters, counting. The fifth, seventh and tenth stair creaked, just as she knew they would. The blue carpet spread onto a narrow landing with three doors opening on the left and two at the other end.

The door at the head of the stairs led to the bathroom with its white suite and the same blue carpet. There were white tiles with faded wall paper above them. Meredith quickly washed her hands, watching the red blood swirl down the drain. A quick check of the bathroom cabinet yielded a first aid kit and she covered the cuts.

The next room was the one she’d shared with Annabelle—their name plaques were still attached to the white door. For the moment she skipped that one, heading past the airing cupboard, to the last door on the left. That was her parents’ room. A deep purple carpet covered the floor. Wardrobes lined the wall opposite the bed, a dressing table sat in front of the window. Her parents’ things still covered the units. But there was no dust to be seen.

The end room, the box room, was evidently the one Wolfe was using. She didn’t linger, but remembered the yellow carpet. She and Annabelle had pretended it was the seaside, the yellow being sand and the blue the sea.

Meredith headed back down the landing to ‘her’ bedroom. She ran her fingers over the name plates before she opened the door. It was as if she’d only left that morning. The pink candlewick bedspread lay over her bed, her white doggy nightdress case sitting on her pillows. Annabelle’s bedspread was blue, her teddy lying to one side.

She sank down on her bed. She clutched the doggy, fingers digging into it as she glanced around. The orange toy cupboard stood in the corner of the room. The dressing table with huge orange dog stuck to the mirror was under the window. So many memories flooded back and overwhelmed her. A tear tracked her cheek, falling onto the doggy’s head.

A tap on the door brought her back to the here and now.

“I made some tea.”

Meredith clambered to her feet. “Thank you.” She followed him down stairs and into the lounge, catching a glimpse of the small galley kitchen with several blue painted cupboards and a black-and-tan checkered tile floor.

The lounge dining room ran the length of the cottage and was exactly as she remembered. The grey sofa with wooden arms and feet, brown radiogram and fire with guard and hearth, set around the grey and red swirled carpet. The yellow sea painting hung on the wall above the couch.

She glanced down the end of the room. The patio door opened out onto the garden, but it was too dark to see out there now. A hatch connected the dining room to the kitchen, a stone’s throw from the table surrounded by six black and white chairs.

Wolfe handed her a cup. “Here. This should warm you up. You’re shivering.”

“Thank you.” She sipped it. “Perfect.” She wondered how he got it right without asking. “Did you manage to call a taxi?”

He hovered next to her. His tongue darted over his lips. “The lines are down. Must have been the storm last night. Have a seat. Please, make yourself comfortable.”

Meredith moved to the top of the room and sat on the chair by the Christmas tree. “Why keep the cottage the same?”

“Why not? The furniture is perfectly good. I never use the rooms upstairs anyway, apart from the box room, so it seemed a waste to clear it all out.”

“I thought the cottage burned down.”

Wolfe shook his head. “No. Where did you hear that?”

“It was in the newspaper reports that Jeremiah had.”

“Lies.” His face curled into a snarl. “Too many lies.” Then he harnessed his anger, pulling back as a cat sheathes razor-sharp claws. “It’s the same as it always was.”

She nodded. “Even the pictures on the walls. I always loved the yellow sea. I’d sit in front of it, pretending I was standing on the beach watching the tide coming in.” She paused. “Being here, it’s as if time stood still and I’m a child again.”

“What do you remember?” he asked looking wistful.

Meredith sipped the tea. “I remember little things like Dad playing the violin at Christmas. There was a tree where yours is, only it was silver and green tinsel. It had those old fashioned fairy lights on it, with the shades, and a rocking horse ornament. Mum made our clothes, knitted, and kept this place spotless. We used to go to church in Turningdale rather than the local one here.”

Wolfe’s cool eyes glistened. He blinked rapidly and shook his head, his hair falling in his eyes, looking almost like a mane. There was something about him, something familiar. Almost as if she knew him.

“Your eyes are an interesting color,” she said quietly. “They’re not blue or green, but a mixture of both.”

“Silver, like the wolf,” he said.

“Jeremiah’s dog has odd eyes,” Meredith said. She rubbed her temple, her thoughts muddling. There was something about eyes chasing shadows through her mind. Her eyes were brown like Dad’s, while Annabelle’s were blue like Mum’s. She didn’t remember Gretchen’s, but Peter…

She scrunched her eyes tight shut, trying to remember. His eyes were—

The cup slid from her hand to the floor, spilling the tepid contents over her feet. “I’m sorry. I feel like I ought to know you, but I can’t work out where from.”

Long fingers, so much like hers, picked up the cup. “It’s OK, Meredith. It’ll soon become clear. I’ll get you some more tea. You’re home now.”