Part 11 (1/2)

Archie tried to press himself further back into the corner while simultaneously wag his tail. What a sweetheart.

Gwen felt her neck stiffen up and s.h.i.+fted so that she was lying down. Archie's eyes rolled white and his paws pedalled as he panicked.

'It's okay, baby, I'm not moving.' She stayed still until Archie calmed a little.

'You're going to have to come out of there sooner or later, you know. You must be thirsty and hungry and there's good stuff to eat downstairs. It's probably served on a flowery mat, but it'll still taste good.' Gwen kept up the flow of words, using a gentle sing-song tone while moving her body forwards a centimetre at a time. Archie was still quivering, but he wasn't trying to push himself through the wall, so that was progress.

'It's okay, baby, come on out.' Gwen was half under the bed now and she thought if she reached out, she could probably grab the dog. It would be better if he came to her, of course, but she wasn't sure how long that was going to take. She inched her hand forwards and then, in one quick movement, reached out and hooked her fingers under his collar. Archie lurched forwards and she got a better hold of his body and hauled him out.

Archie was shuddering, his tiny body convulsing in her arms, but he wasn't struggling to get down. Gwen held him firmly and stroked his back, keeping up a stream of soothing words. Slowly the shaking lessened and he licked her hand. She felt a warmth flowing through her and thought: maybe I'll keep him. What was wrong with her? She didn't need any more responsibilities. A cat and a house were bad enough. Shaking her head at her insanity, she walked carefully downstairs.

'Archie!' Helen leaped off the sofa and rushed to pet the little dog. 'Where was he?'

'Under the bed,' Gwen said. 'You might want to clean up under there.'

Helen's eyes were s.h.i.+ning and she held her arms out. 'Poor Archie.'

Gwen stepped forward, loosening her hold experimentally. Archie gave her a final lick and lurched towards Helen, who caught him and buried her face in his fur. 'What a silly boy, Archie. What were you doing? Why didn't you bark?' She looked up. 'I don't understand. Why didn't he come out? I've been calling him all around the house.'

Gwen put her hand out to scratch behind Archie's ears. As soon as her fingers connected, an image flashed into her mind, accompanied by an overwhelming sense of terror. Navy trainers. She looked at Helen, startled, then checked her feet. Black ankle boots with a little heel.

'Who wears blue trainers?'

Helen frowned. 'Christopher. But he's not here right now-'

'He's the reason Archie was hiding.'

'That's impossible. He hasn't even been here for days. And he dotes on Archie.'

Gwen shrugged. 'I'm just telling you what I saw.'

Helen's face hardened. 'What are you accusing my son of?'

'I'm just telling you what frightened Archie. Christopher's shoes.'

'Get out of my house.'

'I'd like my payment, please,' Gwen said, feeling h.e.l.lish.

Helen thrust the notes at Gwen. 'Don't you dare repeat what you just said. Not to anyone.'

Cam put his hand on Gwen's arm. 'Come on.'

Back at the house, Cam stayed in the car while she walked up the path. That was what she got for using the Finding in front of him. Still, he waited until she had the door unlocked and was safely inside before driving away. Because he's a decent human being, not because he feels anything.

Chapter 7.

16th June Lily Thomas has moved into her father's old house around the corner. There is something very hungry about that girl. I was compelled to make her a gift of one of my nicer lavender bushes. I don't know why, but that's often the way.

At Lily's house, Gwen pushed the gate and walked through a preternaturally neat garden. A square of raked purple gravel gave way in places to allow subdued shrubs. A large terracotta pot by the front door held a neatly clipped topiary, the white care label still attached to a branch. Compared to the house on the other side a which sported a child's climbing frame on a scrubby patch of lawn and some broken toys a Lily's garden looked almost sterile.

Gwen pressed the doorbell and heard an ethereal chime faintly inside.

Lily opened the door, her face falling the moment she saw Gwen. The door began to close.

'I'm really sorry,' Gwen said quickly.

Lily was wearing a pale green silk blouse tucked into smart grey trousers. She folded her arms protectively across her chest and notched her frown up a gear.

'I should have told you straight away, and I don't know why I didn't.' Suddenly it became desperately important to Gwen to make things okay with her neighbour. Lily had been nothing but kind to her since she arrived back in Pendleford and, after her confrontation with Ruby, Gwen could see how valuable that was. Someone in this G.o.d-forsaken place who gave a d.a.m.n. She held up a carrier bag. 'I come bearing gifts.'

'You'd better come in.' Lily turned and walked down the short hallway.

Gwen followed, closing the door behind her. She pa.s.sed a gigantic painting of a white unicorn, its mane being brushed by a simpering blonde in a long white dress, inexplicably set against both a blazing orange sunset and a full rainbow. It should've prepared her for Lily's living room, but Gwen still nearly dropped her bag.

s.h.i.+ny gold frames held more unicorn paintings, while every surface was covered in figurines. Winged unicorns, white unicorns, pink unicorns, unicorns with girls riding on their backs, china unicorns with real hair sprouting from their tails and heads and crystal unicorns that refracted the light. The etched-gla.s.s top of the coffee table was held proudly aloft by four carved wooden unicorns, their horns painted silver. Wherever Gwen looked, unfeasibly large unicorn eyes stared back.

Lily perched on the edge of an armchair. 'You may as well sit down.'

'Thanks.' There was a pale blue sofa that matched the chair, complete with three gold embroidered unicorn cus.h.i.+ons. Gwen didn't think she'd be able to fit her backside onto the sofa without moving them, but wasn't sure if that const.i.tuted a social faux pas. She certainly didn't want Lily to interpret the action as a commentary on her decor. She chose one of the spindly metal dining chairs from around the gla.s.s-topped circular table in the dining nook and crossed her fingers that it was st.u.r.dier than it looked.

'What can I do for you?' Lily's excessively polite tone was more effective than a slap in the face. Gwen swallowed. 'I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. I didn't mention that I'd lived here before because-'

'It's really none of my business,' Lily interrupted.

'I just wanted a fresh start. I know it sounds stupid. I didn't mean to embarra.s.s you.'

'You didn't,' Lily said tightly. 'What's in the bag?'

Before Gwen could explain that she hadn't found Iris's recipe book yet, but that she'd made Lily a cake, a man wearing a towel and nothing else appeared in the doorway. He was blond and good-looking in a calculated kind of way. 'Oh,' he said, 'I didn't know we had company.'

Gwen realised that she'd stood up. 'Sorry. I didn't ... I was just going.'

'Don't leave on my account.' The man lounged against the doorway and took a long, lazy look up and down Gwen's figure, as if she were the half-naked one.

'This is Ryan. He's a journalist, so watch anything you say,' Lily said.

'Hey,' Ryan said, mock-offended. 'You think I've got a Dictaphone hidden under here?' He gestured to his towel, grinning.

'Right. Well-'

'So, are you Lily's latest acolyte?'

'What?' Gwen wanted to leave. Lily was radiating hostility and Ryan was radiating pheromones. His pecs kept twitching as if he were unconsciously flexing them as he spoke to her.

'You've got the right look. Wild-haired. Nervous.' Ryan held up his hands as if he were a photographer framing a picture.