Dani’s heart exploded in her chest. At least that’s what the moment of panic felt like as she stepped back in terror. She crashed into the sofa arm, then the coffee table, until finally her back thumped against the wall. She pushed both her hands onto the cold surface, as though checking it was really a wall and nothing more. Some sort of comfort at least to know there was only bricks and plaster behind her now.
But she could see nothing in front of her at all.
‘Brigitta?’ Dani shouted, terror in her voice. ‘Brigitta!’
Nothing. No chanting, not even any sounds of the old woman breathing. All Dani could hear was her own uneven breaths and the whistle of wind as it forced its way into house. From where, Dani had no clue, though she was sure she could feel its chill.
She fumbled in her purse for her phone. Took it out with shaky fingers.
‘Brigitta, can you hear me?’ Then muttered under her breath, ‘It’s just a power cut. That’s all.’
Dani held her breath as she clumsily tried to find the torch on her phone. Brigitta still hadn’t made a sound. Was she even there any more?
The torch light finally flicked on, though its white arc of light was pathetic and barely touched the edges of black.
Dani twisted the phone around and shone the meagre light into the corner.
Brigitta’s chair was empty.
‘Mrs Popescu?’ Dani croaked, her voice almost giving in she was so scared.
There was a rush of air right next to her. Dani screamed in horror and bolted to the side. She whipped the phone in that direction.
The light reflected off two bloodshot eyes. Two bloodshot eyes that were all of a yard away from Dani.
Angry eyes.
‘Who are you?’
Brigitta. Standing right in front of Dani. She wanted to feel relief, but she wouldn’t just yet.
‘Mrs Popescu, it’s me, Detective Stephens.’
‘Why are you in my house?’
She sounded confused, and more than a little scared now. Completely different to moments earlier. What was this woman on?
‘I think there was a power cut,’ Dani said, briefly glancing over her shoulder to the hallway which remained pitch black. ‘Do you know where your fusebox is?’
Brigitta said nothing as she stared coldly at Dani.
‘You wait there,’ Dani said. She turned and moved out of the room. As soon as she stepped into the hallway it was like walking into a different realm. All of the tension, all of the terror of the lounge evaporated.
‘Come on, Dani,’ she said to herself under her breath.
She stepped into the kitchen, and to the door that led under the stairs. She opened it up and shone the torch into the cramped cupboard beyond.
At least there wasn’t a basement leading down in here. Dani really wasn’t sure how she’d cope having to go down there.
Sure enough, behind the stack of hanging coats, was the fusebox, and Dani saw the tripped switch straight away. She flipped it back into place and there was another clunk as the system came back to life. Not that the house was exactly bathed in light in that moment.
Dani moved back out of the cupboard and closed the door, then, out in the hall, she flicked on the lights.
‘No! Why did you do that?’ Brigitta said, standing in the lounge doorway, a hand up to shield her angry and sullen face as though the light was burning her. ‘I hate it like this.’
‘I just want to make sure everything is OK,’ Dani said.
‘Who are you?’ Brigitta said, shooting Dani a cold glare, though her hesitation and confusion remained.
‘Mrs Popescu, I’m Detective Stephens. We met the other day. Do you remember?’
She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t look convinced.
‘We were talking in the lounge a few moments ago? You were telling me about bones?’
‘Bones. What are you talking about? I’m phoning Victor.’
Brigitta turned and shuffled out of sight into the lounge.
‘That’s probably a good idea,’ Dani said.
Though she didn’t want to be here when he arrived. She’d had enough of this place, of Brigitta and Victor for one day.
She moved back into the lounge to see Brigitta with a cordless phone in her hand, heading back to her chair in the corner. The phone was shaking in her hand. Fear or just old age?
‘Vic. Yes.’ Then she babbled on for a few moments in lightning-speed Romanian. The only word that Dani made out was politie. Police. Brigitta put the phone down and glared back at Dani.
‘He’s coming now.’
‘Mrs Popescu, are you sure you don’t remember what you were saying to me? It was only moments ago?’
‘How did you get in here?’
Dani sighed.
‘I knocked a few times. You didn’t answer, but the door was open.’
‘Yes, well. Victor is coming now.’
She nodded. Didn’t stop. Her eyes moved from Dani to a spot somewhere on the far wall. She continued to nod.
‘I’m glad,’ Dani said. ‘He’ll be able to take care of you.’
Dani turned. She just wanted to go.
‘It’s not me that needs taking care of.’
Dani said nothing, just shuddered as she walked out and made for the front door.