The Hidden Girl Read Free Page B

bought that place. I didn’t even know it was there. Can you imagine Nan’s face? She was always boasting about you at the post office: “My boy, up in London, mixing with the stars, you know . . . ” She’d have had a field day with this. And God, the garden’s amazing! I couldn’t get the kids out of it this morning. I’ll warn you, they’re going to ask you if they can have a trampoline on the lawn. We haven’t got room, and . . .’
    Will waited for Laurie to remember. One, two, three . . .
    ‘. . . and . . . anyway. So.’ On cue, Laurie’s cheerful expression disappeared. ‘So, no Hannah, then? Did she not fancy a drink?’
    She watched him with the unabashed affection that had made him uncomfortable as a teenager, but now made him grateful every time he saw her.
    He waited to feel guilty about not being honest with Hannah about where he was right now, but didn’t. She never stopped talking about that bloody house. He needed a break.
    ‘No. She wanted to get sorted. But she says hi. And thanks for the food.’
    ‘That’s a shame,’ Laurie said, unconvincingly. Will had seen his cousin watching Hannah by his side at Nan Riley’s funeral: suspicious, a cat guarding her owner’s garden.
    ‘But, so yes. What an amazing house,’ she said, subdued.
    Will sipped his half-pint, wanting a proper one. He also wanted to tell her that Tornley Hall was a complete shithole, and he’d known the minute they arrived that he should never have let Hannah talk him into either the house or coming back here.
    ‘You don’t want to know how much the mortgage is, Lor. Needs a lot of work, too.’
    She nudged him. ‘You should get Ian over with his power-spray. He cleans everything with it. Fences, walls, bins, kids, me . . .’
    Will knocked back his half-pint, checking the bar clock and wondering how long he could push it, before he had to go back.
    Laurie scratched her nose under her glasses. He saw the words teetering on her lips.
    ‘No,’ he said, putting her out of her misery.
    ‘No, what?’
    ‘We haven’t heard anything.’
    ‘Oh, OK. And how’s Hannah?’
    Where would he start? ‘You know,’ he said. ‘Got her plans.’
    ‘Well, tell her if she needs any help . . .’
    He wondered, if Laurie did actually spend time with Hannah on her own, how long she’d be able to act polite.
    ‘How are the kids?’ Will asked, before he said something about Hannah that he’d regret.
    He saw the relief on Laurie’s face that she could now mention them without worrying. He forced himself to smile, as she reeled off the recent achievements and funny things said by Daniel, Caitlin and Sam. Then he did what he had done his whole life and summoned a song into his head, to drown it all out.

CHAPTER THREE
    In the end Will stayed for one more drink, ignoring Laurie’s glance of disapproval as he ordered a full pint alongside her half. Later he found his way more easily along the dark lanes back to the bald hedge and the crooked gate with the red rope, and turned right.
    The ‘Tornley’ sign appeared, and he bore right again, past the terrace of three cottages. That was better. He knew where he was now.
    Will slowed down, scrabbling around in the side-pocket to find chewing gum to disguise the alcohol on his breath.
    Something moved to his right.
    He braked, tensing for a thud.
    A tall, lumbering figure ran towards him from the direction of Tornley Hall at a clumsy half-trot, wearing a black hoodie and tracksuit trousers, head bent forward.
    He waited for the runner to look up into his headlights and wave an acknowledgement that they’d seen each other, but they just kept going, diving into the long beam of the car’s headlights, then onto the verge, before disappearing.
    Wanker. They’d get hit out here, wearing that at night.
    Will turned the last bend. The illuminated gables of the old house appeared through the bare hedge. The ridiculousness of what he’d let Hannah do – buying this rundown old dump – hit