Sleepwalk (10 page)

‘What are you doing here? Oh my God what’s the time? I should be at work…..’ She tried to sit up and her head began to swim……….

‘Whoah. Don’t try to move. Your head is like……you’ve got this massive bump. Can you feel it?’

‘It…… It hurts, yes….. What happened?’

‘I was about to ask you the same thing. You didn’t answer
your
phone. I was worried about you. I took Ollie to Mums and came over and you…… you’ve obviously had an accident or…... or something.’

‘I had a bath……… I had a bath and went to bed……..’

‘But your head is like……… look’. He took her make-up mirror from the bedside cupboard and held it up for her. There was a huge lump on her forehead; a small cut at the side of her head and a lump of dark red beneath it where the blood had congealed.

‘I finally got you in my bedroom and I look like this……’

He smiled that perfect smile.

‘I think we should call the police. Your back door was open……. That’s how I got in. Can you not remember anything?’

‘I was on a white horse…….’

‘Oh great.’

‘What?’

‘Well it’s like this officer; she was on a white horse and…..’

‘I was dreaming.’

‘Oh please…’

‘Seriously. I was dreaming……. about the horse I mean. I don’t know how this happened. I had a bath. I had a bath and went to bed then I had this dream about the horse. I was on his back holding his mane and he was galloping along the beach. I fell and I saw the sand coming up to meet me and …….. then you woke me up’

‘Do you remember locking the back door before you went to bed?’

‘Yes. I always check that everything is locked before I go to bed. Do you think someone came in here and hit me with something?’

‘It’s possible you could have fallen out of bed but I wouldn’t expect an injury that bad from a simple fall from this height. Flick, do you sleepwalk?’

‘No.’

‘How do you know if you’re asleep?’

‘Why do you ask?’

‘Because I don’t like being unable to explain the unexplainable. She … Ellie that is; she sleepwalks.’ He told her about Ellie and how he’d found her in the garden that night; about her stay in hospital and about Abi, and how their relationship had faded when she had appeared. He told her about their current arrangement and how Ellie preferred the company of a woman. David stayed with Felicity and looked after her, phoned her boss and arranged for Graham to take over the office and he kept a close eye on her. As the day went on, with David’s help and a bag of frozen peas the lump on her head came down and her headache eased off until by mid afternoon she felt almost normal. She dressed and made her way downstairs to find him in the kitchen cooking something that smelled delicious. He had found her wok and was stir frying vegetables whilst chicken breasts were bubbling away in another pan enveloped in a white mushroom sauce.

‘Mmmmmm….. that smells good.’

‘Hey what are you doing up?’

‘I’m ok. Honestly. If I stay in bed much longer my body will cease up completely and I won’t sleep tonight.’

‘Well. We can’t have that.’ He gestured to a chair by the kitchen table. ‘Sit down Flick. Would you like a cup of tea or coffee?’

‘Have I died and gone to heaven?’

‘No. They don’t eat meals like this in heaven. In fact I doubt they eat at all in Heaven. After all, they’re dead aren’t they? Why would they need to eat anything?’

‘She’s very beautiful.’

‘Who?’

‘Your wife…… Ellie. She’s very beautiful. She’s got a face – and a body to die for.’

‘Beauty is only skin deep’

‘Oh come on David. You have to admit it. She’s like…… a model……. a movie star or something. Why would you look twice at someone like me?’

‘Felicity Breen you
are
beautiful; and your beauty is not just on the outside. You’re beautiful inside too.’

‘Shut up blue eyes. White man speak with forked tongue.’

‘What did you call me?’

‘Oh. It’s kind of my private name for you; except it’s not private anymore because now you’ve just wheedled it out of me. Blue eyes……... you know; you have blue eyes; eyes like the deep blue sea…...’

He put the wooden spoon into the wok and came toward her, then kissed her full on her mouth slowly; gently; and while her head still thumped with the pain of whatever had happened last night, her body reacted to his kiss and as she stood to meet him she felt the desire rise within her. She leaned into him and kissed him back and as he moved in and pulled her to him she felt something she hadn’t felt in a long time…….. completely helpless; and wanton; and she didn’t care.

Then he stopped her. Not completely; just enough to bring her back to reality.

Oh m
y God I’m like putty in his hands
……..

‘I’m burning your dinner
……
Flick, if that lump’s not gone completely by tomorrow morning I think we should get you checked out at the Doctors. I’d like to stay here tonight if that’s ok with you. I’ll sleep on the sofa of course and in the morning I’m going to change the locks. I’ve taken a couple of days off work and Mum is ok to have Ollie tonight. I phoned her earlier. Look, Flick if you’d rather I didn’t stay…… If there’s anyone else that could stay with you, or perhaps I could drive you to your parents?’

‘No. It’s really good of you to offer but I don’t want to put you out David. D’you think someone broke in and did this?’ She felt for the lump at the side of her head. It was still there. ‘Who would do something like that?’

‘I don’t know babe. It’s feasible that you fell and hit your head on the bedside cupboard or….. Well, there are a number of possibilities but what worries me is that when I came over here this morning you were out for the count
;
your kitchen door was wide open…... and it hadn’t been forced. Whoever opened it had a key. The locks need to be changed. I should have gone into town and got replacements today but I didn’t want to leave you.’

Felicity sat back in the kitchen chair and sighed.
David Wilson where have you been all my life
………God she wanted him; badly. She watched him at the stove, wooden spoon in his right hand, deep in concentration stirring stir fry. After seeing Ellie yesterday in all her innocence and natural beauty; having had Ellie as his wife how could he ever be content with Felicity? What man would
not
want
to be with Ellie?

David was up with the lark. There was no sound from upstairs as yet and he found bacon and eggs in the fridge and set to work in the kitchen. He intended taking her breakfast in bed but by the time he had finished cooking it she had appeared in the doorway, her long chestnut hair bedraggled and swept back over her head and her eyes, blinking; still half asleep. She saw his bemused look as he placed knives and forks on the kitchen table.

‘Wow, you scrub up well.’

‘Oh my God David what are you doing?’

‘Sorry I um……. should have asked. I was going to bring it to you in bed. How are you feeling?’

‘Spoiled.’

‘Yes. Sorry Flick. I’ve used all the bacon and there’s only one egg left but I’ll get you some more.’

‘I don’t care about the bacon, or the eggs. You shouldn’t be doing this. I should be making breakfast for you. You’re my guest.’

‘Hardly; you’re my patient. Anyway it’s done now and I enjoy cooking.’ He set down a rack of toast and took two plates from the grill pan filled with bacon, eggs and to
matoes. ‘It’s ok. I don’t make
full English every morning; only on special occasions. It’s normally toast or cornflakes as I’m on my way out the door.’

They sat down to eat and Felicity couldn’t help thinking………
she wouldn’t ever want him to leave
.

‘Did you sleep well?’

‘Like a log. How about you? You couldn’t have been very comfortable on that sofa.’

‘It was fine honestly. It’s quite cosy actually.’

They ate his incredibly tasty grilled breakfast and he checked her bruising which had come down nicely, then while Felicity went upstairs for a shower he began the washing up, then there was a knock at the front door. David went to the door and found a woman standing there with a toddler in her arms; a little boy about Ollie’s age.

‘Oh!’ She looked quite shocked to see him opening Felicity’s front door. ‘Is Flick there?’

‘Yes, she’s just upstairs in the shower.’

‘Right.’
Wow. This must be
‘
Blue Eyes
’
. Things have moved on! You haven’t wasted any time Flick and
……..
I can’t say I blame you
………… ‘Hi, you must be David. I’m Sandy, Flick’s friend.’ She held out her hand and they shook hands briefly.

‘Yes. Nice to meet you Sandy. Oh God look at me standing in the doorway; come in, please.’ He stepped aside and she walked past him into the sitting room where the spare duvet and pillow was still neatly folded on the sofa.

‘I was worried about her. I phoned her office and they said she wasn’t at work because she’d had an accident so I came straight over because after the cat thing and that thing with the guy from her work…….. Oh…….’
Has she told him about Peter? Should I mention what happened to the cat?
‘So what happened to her
?
………. the accident? Oh…… or is she pulling a sicky?’

‘No. We don’t really know. I came over yesterday morning and found the back door wide open and she was kind of semi-conscious in her bed and looked like she’d been whacked across the side of her head with something.’

‘Oh Jesus. We should have phoned the police. We should never have buried it. I should never have left her on her own. This is all my fault.’
Sandy
sank into the sofa and went quite pale.

‘Sorry, you’ve lost me. Are you talking about the cat?’ The sitting room door opened.

‘What about the cat? Hi Sand. Hello little Joshy……. Come to Aunty Flick’ Felicity made a bee line for the little boy, picked him up and gave him a big hug and while she did so
Sandy
gave David a look that automated an oath of silence.

‘I was just saying to your…….. to David that you’ve had a tough time recently what with this and with the cat thing. Why didn’t you call me hun?’

‘I’m ok Sand, honestly. Probably just fell out of bed and hit my head on the side of the cupboard or something. So, you two have met then?’

‘Yes’.
Sandy
gave her friend an approving look.

‘Well, I’ll put the kettle on then.’ Flick went into the kitchen and they heard the tap running as she filled the kettle.

David turned to
Sandy
, ‘Look can we talk? Can you wait here with Flick whilst I go into town and get some new locks? I don’t want to leave her alone here.’

‘Yes of course……….. David?’

‘Yes’

‘Do you know what this is about?’

‘No. I was hoping you could shed some light on the situation. We’ll talk when I get back.’

‘Yes…….. Ok.’

‘Ook Mummy!’ Josh came running in with a colouring book and a crayon.

‘Wow Josh, lucky you!’

‘Au’ty Fick give me’

‘Wow! Did you say thank you?’

He ran from the room as fast as he had entered, ‘Fank ‘ou…. Au’ty Vik’

David smiled at
Sandy
as the little boy left. ‘I have one, about the same age as your Josh. Where do they get all that energy eh?’ He followed him into the kitchen where Felicity was pouring tea into mugs. He moved one of the mugs before she could fill it.

‘I’ll have one later thanks. I’m going to pop into town and get some new locks Flick. I won’t be long.’ He kissed her briefly and left through the back door. She watched him go past the kitchen window and laughed as he paused and blew her a kiss through the glass.

‘Ok miss Felicity Breen. Spill the beans. He is gorgeous!’

The two girls talked and played with Josh.
Sandy
didn’t mention the cat. She thought she would wait and talk to David; see what he thought. After all, he seemed like a really nice, sensible guy and was quite obviously as head over heels about her friend as she was about him.

‘Fate is a funny thing.’
Sandy
remarked as they pondered their love lives. ‘If you hadn’t run back to your car that day for your stupid diary you may never have met him.’

‘I know. Weird isn’t it?’

‘And he’s really lovely Flick. I can see he really cares about you.’

‘He thinks someone is trying to kill me. Why else would he be changing the locks?’

‘Do you think it might be that Peter guy from your work?’

‘No. I think I must have been so tired I forgot to close the door and the wind blew it open or something. Funny though, I’d swear I locked it. I do it automatically every night.’

‘And how do you explain the bump on your head?’