The Broken Man (11 page)

‘I wonder if the landlord would mind me having a pint of beer alongside you kind folk?’ He needed to keep their confidence. ‘You seem to know a lot about my family. It might be nice to sit and chat awhile.’

He was eager to know everything about his runaway wife. Where did she work? How long had her aunt been gone? Did she have a relationship? What was the house worth?

It was beginning to look like he’d fallen on his feet. His bad mood lifted and he had to stop himself from laughing out loud. This morning he was beginning to wonder if he might ever find the woman who was still his legal wife. And now not only had he found his wife, but he’d stumbled across a fine property. As her husband he surely had certain legal rights …

He was nobody’s fool. He knew that if he played his cards right, he could have it all.

CHAPTER FIVE

‘H
ANG ON! I’M
on my way!’

Hopping along the passageway with one high heel on and one in her hand, Sally cursed under her breath, ‘Stop pipping that damned hooter. You’ll have the neighbours out!’

Slinging her shoulder bag round her neck, she flung open the front door and locked it behind her. She then slipped her foot into the shoe, dropped the key into her pocket and ran down the path.

Seeing her friend make her way down the path, Anne leaned over and threw the passenger door open. ‘What did you say?’

‘Oh, now suddenly you’ve gone deaf, have you?’ Red-faced from hurrying, Sally clambered into the car. ‘Well, I can’t say I’m surprised, what with all the noise you’ve been making. Old Mother Benton next door threw a bucket of water over the ice-cream man, just for ringing his bell. So I reckon she must be out just now, because with the racket you created, she’d have been charging at you with the hose-pipe!’

Anne laughed. ‘In that case I’m glad she’s out. I’m just excited, that’s all. It’s been ages since we went to the seaside, and now that we’re actually on our way, I can’t wait to get there.’

In truth, she had felt oddly uneasy these past few days, and the idea of getting away from Bedford, if only for a day, had eased her mind.

As they drove off, Sally took a sneaky look at her. ‘Are you all right?’ She had noticed how tired Anne looked, and how every now and then she would nervously glance in her driver’s mirror. ‘Anne?’

Anne was too deep in thought to hear her name being called.

‘Anne!’

Anne gave a little gasp. ‘Oh, sorry … what?’

‘You seem to be miles away. Tell the truth … have you changed your mind? Would you rather not go to the seaside? It’s a long drive, and I know you’re not too keen on driving long distances.’

‘No, I’m fine, honestly. I’m really looking forward to a day at Yarmouth. I was just thinking, that’s all.’

‘About what?’

‘Nothing in particular.’

‘I’ll drive, if that’s what worries you?’

‘No, like I said, I’m absolutely fine. I just didn’t sleep too well last night.’

‘Why not?’

Anne gave a little shrug. ‘Dunno … overtired, I suppose.’ She had never told anyone the truth of her past, not even the lovely Sally. She still believed that keeping quiet was the right decision, because that way she had a better chance of putting the horror behind her.

So far, that particular plan was not working.

Sally’s voice gentled into her thoughts. ‘OK. Well, when we get to Yarmouth, you can park the car and we won’t go anywhere near it again until it’s time to come home. In fact, if you want to, we could lie on the beach all day, and do nothing.’

Anne laughed out loud at that suggestion. ‘Huh! I can see
you
lying on the beach doing nothing. You’d be bored out of your mind.’

‘I expect I would, but if it’s what you want …?’

‘It isn’t.’

‘There you are then! And besides, where’s the fun in “doing nothing”? And what’s the point in going to the seaside and not trying the rides, or eating candy floss? Or having a go at winning some money in the amusement arcade? And what if we meet up with a couple of good-looking fellas who might want us to be with them for the day?’

‘And you a happily married woman! No, thanks all the same … about the fellas, I mean.’

‘Hmm! So are you saying that if some gorgeous bloke made a pass at you, you would actually turn him down?’ She gave a knowing little grin. ‘I don’t believe that for one minute.’

‘Well, you’d better believe it,’ her tone darkened, ‘because I’m off fellas for good!’

Sally was saddened by Anne’s remark, and surprised by the angry manner in which she had said it.

She had to ask. ‘Anne?’

‘Yes?’

‘What’s wrong?’

‘What d’you mean?’

‘I’m not really sure, but you seem to be in a strange mood. Going to Yarmouth was your suggestion, and now you don’t seem so sure. Just now, you decided to wake the whole street by honking your car horn, and then you go all quiet on me, like something’s playing on your mind. And just now, when you said you were off fellas for good, why is that?’

‘Forget about it. I suppose I’m just not ready for settling down, that’s all.’ She hoped that would be the end to Sally’s questions.

‘But you sounded angry … as though you’d had a bad experience.’

Unaware that she had touched a raw nerve, Sally went merrily on, ‘Most women look forward to a happy marriage, and children.’

Anne regretted having made that controversial statement. ‘I’m sorry if you thought I was angry, because I wasn’t.’ She gave a little shrug. ‘It’s like my head’s all over the place at the minute. I don’t really know what I want, that’s the trouble.’

‘I reckon you’re tired. You said yourself that you’re not sleeping. I’m worried about you, Anne. So, what’s the problem? We’re like sisters, you and me, and you should know by now you can talk to me about anything, and you can rest assured it won’t go any further.’

‘I know, and I’m sorry.’ Anne felt vulnerable. ‘There’s nothing to talk about. I got out of the wrong side of bed this morning, that’s all. And now I’m spoiling everything. Look, take no notice of me. I promise, we will enjoy ourselves. I’ll make sure of it.’

Still not altogether convinced, Sally had to accept her explanation. ‘Just remember, though, if there is ever anything on your mind and it’s causing you a problem, I’m a good listener. And I do know how to keep my mouth shut.’

‘I appreciate that, but there is nothing to tell. So now, can we please stop the chatter, and let me concentrate on my driving?’

‘OK, and if I open my mouth again, feel free to kick me out.’

Sally’s light-hearted remark lifted the mood, but she had known Anne long enough to realise that something was worrying her, and one way or another, she was determined to get to the bottom of it. Meantime, she had to play along.

‘Right! So now let’s turn our thoughts to enjoying ourselves. OK?’

When Anne seemed deep in thought, Sally asked her again, this time louder, ‘I said … OK?’

‘Yes … OK!’ Anne gave her answer with a willing smile.

All these years she had kept her dark secret, but now she wondered if it was time to share her fears. After all, Sally was her best friend, and if you couldn’t tell your best friend, who could you tell?

And yet the idea of confiding in anyone, even Sally, filled her with dread.

Through the final leg of the journey, Anne concentrated on the road, while Sally’s thoughts were focused on Anne.

She had suspected for some time now that Anne had a past she did not want to reveal. In all the time she had known her, Anne had never spoken about her family, or the circumstances that had brought her to Bedford.

She had spoken often about her aunt Ada. It was clear she had adored the old woman, but not once had she mentioned her parents or other family. When one of their workmates asked her about her family, Anne always excused herself, claiming that she had something urgent to attend to or somewhere she should be.

Sally, though, remained curious. But her affection for Anne meant that she must respect her friend’s right to privacy. Even though, as the years went by, Anne’s obvious need to bury her past was of some concern to Sally.

She noticed things that worried her. First, Anne’s obvious reluctance to talk about her family did seem unnatural. Also, whenever she had been invited to Anne’s house, Sally soon realised that apart from one faded photograph of her old aunt as a young girl, Anne had no photographs on show of either herself or anyone else. And whenever the discussion turned to family, or girlish talk about when they were teenagers and experienced their first love, Anne would swiftly change the subject.

It was a strange and curious thing, but it was Anne’s right not to discuss her private life. And it was Sally’s intention never to pry.

Over the years, Sally had learned to tread carefully, and because of her discretion, her friendship with Anne had flourished.

She had no idea what had brought Anne here to Bedford, and she had no idea of what her life had been before, or what her future plans were. In the end, it didn’t really matter.

Since she came to work at Woolworths, Anne had been a great friend to Sally. She had proven herself to be a kind and compassionate young woman, who cared very much for those close to her. Now Sally could not even imagine what it would be like without Anne. To Sally it seemed as though Anne had always been there, and always would be.

Sally herself had no brothers or sisters, so always having Anne around made her feel complete in a way; kind of warm and happy inside.

Lately, though, she had become concerned that whatever secrets Anne was hiding had begun slowly to destroy her peace of mind.

For a time, the two of them were lost in thought: Anne training her attention on the road ahead, which was getting busier by the minute, Sally looking ahead to a wonderful day out, and the fun that might await them.

While she was concentrating on driving, Anne was thinking that she was even more determined than ever to distance herself from the dark memories that had robbed her of a normal life. Sometimes, she could go for weeks, even months, without letting the past invade her peace of mind, then out of the blue something would happen to trigger it all off again; like this morning, when she caught a glimpse of that stranger through her driving mirror.

Try as she might, she could not get the dark-haired man out of her memory. She could see him now in her mind’s eye, clear as a bell and larger than life.

It was the way he had walked along the street, in that same, confident manner as her tormentor.

It was the shifty manner in which he had glanced about … like a cat watching for a mouse.

It was the shock of dark hair, and the straight shoulders … like the posture of a military man.

She had tried so hard to put him out of her mind, and now, thanks to Sally and her innocent chatter, she was beginning to feel a little bit easier.

So, as they neared Yarmouth, Anne promised herself again that she would make a concentrated effort to put the past behind her once and for all. She knew it would not be an easy promise to keep, because Edward Carter had made her suffer badly, and that was not something she could shrug off. It went too deep. It had a life of its own.

That man, that monster, had taken a bright, young girl, and robbed her of all trust and innocence.

He taught her how to be subservient in order to survive. He taught her the very depths of hatred.

Until she met Edward Carter, she had never known the true meaning of fear. Now, try as she might to overcome it, that fear continued to haunt her in her nightmares and in her every waking hour.

All the promises in the world could not make her forget the pain and terror he had put her through. The memories were too strong.

The fear that he might one day track her down still haunted her every waking hour.

CHAPTER SIX

T
WO HOURS AFTER
leaving home, they were on the outskirts of Yarmouth.

‘Look, there’s the sign to the front.’ Sally pointed the way, straight on.

Anne headed the car towards the sea. ‘It’s just what the doctor ordered.’ She was really looking forward to their day out. ‘Sun, sea, and time on our hands.’