Two months later
The estate agent waves as he gets into his car and drives away. Rachel is left with the wooden For Sale sign and a stomach full of hope. She walks back down the path and looks up at the house. The scaffolding was removed last week. Pete had spent a week in hospital undergoing tests, and his wife said the visit from Rachel in which she recounted the events of the past few years was the most intense hospital visit he’d ever had, and that if she’d been there, she’d have put a stop to it in case he had another heart attack. Pete had arranged for a builder friend of his to come in and repair the damage and complete the work on the extension. Freddie had taken over as unofficial project manager and supervised the work. It didn’t take long, given that the house was now empty, and as soon as it was ready, the estate agent came in to organise the sale.
This is the first time Rachel has been back here since she hastily packed essentials for her and the children and they all decamped to her mother’s, who complains about the noise and mess but is secretly thrilled with the prospect of seeing her grandchildren every day. She knows it won’t be for long, though, because Freddie and Rachel have decided to move in together.
Rachel confessed to Freddie that she’d been suspicious of him for a while, and being Freddie, he understood.
‘You were under attack,’ he said. ‘It makes sense to suspect any new person in your life.’
‘Emma was warning me to be cautious, as you’d suddenly got in touch. And you telling me about the embezzlement didn’t help. She was concerned that you might be after Tom’s share of the business. Declaring him dead would mean I could sell out to somebody else and it would be out of your control. I can see where she’s coming from.’
They’ve spent hours analysing Heidi and her behaviour.
‘She was desperate to stop me from declaring Tom dead. She made out she didn’t know exactly how much time had passed since his disappearance when she knew down to the day. I’m not sure anything she told me was the truth.’
‘Sending the notes was a bit desperate, but I can kind of see her logic,’ Freddie said. ‘If there was any possibility that Tom was alive, you wouldn’t be able to declare him dead and inherit the house. And don’t forget that Danny was putting pressure on her. He didn’t want to let her go, and he had that ultimate power over her: he could reveal that she had killed Tom and then her life would be over. Like it is now.’
Rachel pulled a face.
‘She doesn’t deserve sympathy, Rach, especially not from you. She wanted the house and your kids, that’s what all this was about. She wanted your life. She didn’t want you to finally get your hands on the house officially, because that would mean the end of her dream. The fantasy life she’d dreamed of ever since she met Tom. Tom died because he told her he was still in love with you. She never had any intention of being your friend.’
‘I’m just relieved she didn’t get any closer to the children. To think that her and Lara—’
‘Stop. Don’t let your mind go there. Think about Lara now and what a change there has been. You’re not the only one to have a new lease of life.’
Rachel goes over these conversations with Freddie constantly. Now she looks at her watch. Time to get back. Holly is stopping over tonight. She and Lara have set up a crime channel and are making short films about old cases. At least one good thing has come out of this. And Josh is still Josh.
She smiles, then takes one last look at the house. She hopes whoever buys it will be happy there. She glances up at the loft extension, her bedroom that never was. Images of the red-splattered walls still come to her, but less frequently, and she’s learning to shut them out.
Her phone rings. Freddie.
‘All sorted?’
‘Yes. I’m just leaving.’
‘How long will you be?’
‘I’m coming right now.’
‘I can’t wait.’
‘Me neither.’
Rachel has spent the last seven years waiting, and she won’t wait around for a moment longer. A new life beckons. She closes the gate behind her with a satisfying click and doesn’t look back.