Haunted Fields Read Free Page B

rounded woman, who he assumed to be Elizabeth, push her way through a rickety garden gate.
    â€˜That was delicious. Just what I needed,’ said Freddie, as Elizabeth waddled around the kitchen table to retrieve his spotless plate. ‘Thanks.’
    â€˜You’re too kind,’ she said, her cheeks glowing.
    â€˜What time is Jessica due back, love?’ asked the man seated opposite Freddie.
    Freddie looked across at his new boss – Elizabeth’s husband, Greg. Many years of outdoor manual labour appeared to have eroded Greg’s features. Freddie hoped the summer holiday wouldn’t be long enough for the novice sculptor who’d altered Greg’s mug to attack his own.
    â€˜Your guess is as good as mine,’ replied Elizabeth, pushing a slobbering Labrador down from the table. ‘Down, Betty!’
    Freddie could see one good thing, if no others, coming out of his new job. Greg may have been weather-beaten but Freddie could see muscles bulging from beneath his rolled-up shirt sleeves. If he rolled up his own sleeves and got stuck in, Alice’s older brother wouldn’t be stealing Freddie’s next girlfriend.
    â€˜Do you have much to do with Ursu–?’ Freddie began, before being interrupted by the door swinging open. A girl he guessed to be around his own age strode in.
    â€˜I hope you weren’t about to say Ursula Hawkins’ name at our dinner table!’ she said.
    â€˜Hey, Jess,’ Greg said. ‘Good day?’
    â€˜Until this joker went and spoilt it,’ said Jess, suddenly breaking into a smile. She thrust a hand in Freddie’s direction. But, he couldn’t possibly shake her hand! He couldn’t touch her! She’d feel the tremors running through his fingers and the clamminess of his skin! The urge to scratch his chest grew as pinpricks of sweat took hold. Had someone turned the heating on?
    â€˜You must be Freddie,’ she continued. ‘And you really shouldn’t mention that name in front of mum. Not unless you want Betty’s biscuits on your plate.’
    Freddie snatched at the offering, his palm sliding over Jess’ fingers. It was the wimpiest handshake in history – but at least it was over.
    â€˜Yeah, I’m your new lodger,’ he said, taking a long look at his placemat.
    Freddie heard Greg strike up about animal food prices, without really listening, as he retrieved his Samsung from his pocket, opening a message that had come through since he’d last checked five minutes ago. The arrival took a second or two to load, and all the time he felt Jess studying him. It had to be a photo. A text message wouldn’t take so long to appear. Weird! He didn’t recognise the sender’s number. Then the picture materialised.
    â€˜Are you all right, Freddie?’ Jess said. ‘You look like you’re gonna be sick.’
    Sick? He felt like he was dying. He wanted to die. Who would do this to him? How could they? He snapped the phone shut but the image remained, burned into his memory forever. His first love, Tiffany, perched on the knee of Alice’s brother, kissing, hands all over one another. What had he done to deserve this? She’d cheated on him. Fair enough, it happened. But he’d moved on… or had tried to, anyway. He didn’t need this idiot rubbing his bloody nose in it.
    â€˜Sorry,’ he said, scratching his chin, ‘just a bit tired.’
    â€˜I’ve been saying for years that she’ll pay for what she did…’ Elizabeth suddenly said, snapping Freddie back to reality.
    â€˜Come on, Mum,’ Jess said. Freddie spotted Jess looking across at Greg, wincing. Then her hazel eyes turned on him. ‘Now you’ve done it. Mum’s on one!’
    â€˜Ursula Hawkins…’ Elizabeth began, her gaze drifting away. Freddie was reminded of the vacant look in the eyes of the face at the window. ‘She’s wicked. And she