The Optician's Wife (6 page)

Returning to the body I knelt down beside it and stroked her hair for one last time before carefully inserting the point of the knife into the skin below her left eye. I moved the blade around the socket until eventually I was able to lever the eyeball out.

The jelly mass lay on her cheek still attached to the nerves. I was amazed by the intricate anatomy. My fingers were covered in blood and bits of skin so I wiped them on her blouse before hacking through muscles and veins that were attached to the eyeball itself.

When I had finished removing both eyes I stood up to admire my work. She would never look at me like that again. Two hollow bloody caves stared back at me and I felt a grin spread across my face. I returned to the kitchen, washed my hands and the knife before putting it back where I’d found it. Then I searched for something to put the eyeballs in. I would keep them. They would be a reminder.

For lack of anything better, I used a plastic bag to wrap them in before putting them into my pocket. Checking the time on my wristwatch I saw that it was nearly one o’clock in the morning.

Stepping over her corpse I went over to the front door and opened it a fraction. Outside the night was dark and quiet. I ran my eye up and down to the street to check nobody was about, before taking hold of her ankles and dragging her heavy weight down to the river. It was only twenty yards but my heart was thumping hard in my chest from a mixture of the effort and the next wave of adrenaline.

I rolled her on to her back to look at her one last time and noticed the little brooch on her blouse glinting in the moonlight. A keepsake.

Using all my strength I rolled her little body into the water and watched for a second as it started to drift away.

Then I slipped back into the night taking with me my treasures.

By the time Tuesday arrived I had started to forget about my interview from hell. Larry had done a brilliant job of consoling me. Silly old bat, he’d said. It made me feel much better. But still I couldn’t quite shake the memory of her forbidding stare and cutting words.

It wasn’t the first time in my life that I’d suffered rejection, and it wouldn’t be the last, but it had never come from someone I expected to respect before. I couldn’t make sense of it. My mere existence seemed to be at the root of her hostility.

Before I met Larry I’d been invisible. I might not have liked that but I was comfortable with it. It was all I’d ever known. Then he burst into my life and things started to change – both for the better and for the worse. It seemed that my association with him was having a ripple effect on my life. It was as exciting as it was scary.

As usual I had agreed to meet Larry for lunch. It was a dull day. The air was close and the sky threatened rain. On my way to buy my sandwich I passed a newsagent’s. Propped outside beside the entrance was a billboard with a headline in large black capitals.

BODY OF WOMAN FOUND IN RIVER

I never normally paid attention to the local news but it was such a sensational story that I felt compelled to go into the shop and buy a paper. I paid for a copy of the
Cambridge Evening News
and left the shop. The sky was darker than before and ominous clouds were collecting above the rooftops. Shoving the paper into my rucksack I made my way towards the café I often met Larry in. I would read about it later.

When I reached the café Larry was standing outside leaning against a wall talking to a beautiful brunette, who curled a long lock of hair in her fingers and giggled. I stopped just out of sight, uncertain whether I should interrupt. The young woman was wearing a pale pink vest and denim shorts that showed off her long thighs. She dropped the cigarette she had been smoking and stubbed it out with one of her clean white sneakers before sauntering away. When I was sure she was gone I scurried out from my hiding place and approached Larry.

‘Hi Dee.’ He hugged me.

‘Sorry I’m late.’

‘Only a minute or two. Doesn’t matter. I just bumped into Lorna.’

‘Who is she?’ I tried my best to disguise my jealousy.

‘One of Eric’s girlfriends.’ Larry rolled his eyes.

‘How many does he have?’

‘Too many. Lorna was trying to find out what he’d been up to and why he hadn’t contacted her.’

‘Oh.’ Relief washed over me.

‘I really don’t understand where he finds the time to juggle all those ditsy girls. One girlfriend is enough for me.’ It was the first time he had referred to me, as that and I loved how it sounded.

I was someone’s girlfriend.

‘I’ve been thinking,’ he continued, ‘it’s about time you met my family.’ I was horrified and thrilled all at the same time. ‘Why don’t you come over for Sunday lunch? My ma does a good roast.’

‘If you think it’s OK.’

‘OK? I’ve told them all about you. They’re dying to meet my mystery woman.’

‘OK then. That sounds nice.’

‘Great. I’ll tell Ma to set another place at the table. She’s going to be so excited.’

This was a big step. It was huge. I was going to meet his family. My stomach filled with butterflies.

‘Now,’ he put his arm around my shoulder and started to guide me away from the café, ‘I want to buy my girl something to wear for the special occasion. We want you looking your best.’ Was he really suggesting we went clothes shopping? I hated the idea but remained silent as he led me by the hand towards the shopping centre. ‘Come on, look, Topshop has a summer sale.’

I had never been clothes shopping with anyone other than my mum and certainly never somewhere like Topshop before.

‘I don’t know.’ I freed my hand from his and stopped outside. ‘I don’t think it’s really me.’

‘Sure it is. Just come in and have a look. If you don’t see anything you like we won’t buy anything.’ His boyish enthusiasm was hard to refuse.

‘OK. Just looking.’

When we entered the shop we were subjected to loud music blasted out of speakers on the wall. David Bowie’s ‘China Girl’ filled the air. The room was filled with racks of clothes all hanging neatly. It was so colourful. So unlike what I was used to. Gaggles of girls stood fingering through the clothes. They all looked like adverts for the store. I stood out like a sore thumb in my Woolworths uniform. One or two of them looked at me with disdain.

‘Over here,’ Larry called out. He was standing holding a pink dress with puffy arms and frilly skirt. I’d never seen anything like it. ‘What about this?’

‘No, I couldn’t.’ The idea of it was horrible.

‘Too much?’ he examined the dress.

‘Just a bit.’ I didn’t want to be rude but there was no way I was going to wear something like that.

‘OK. So we keep looking,’ he hung the dress back on the rack. ‘Seen anything you like?’

‘Not so far.’

‘Let’s keep looking.’

I followed him around the shop as he picked up clothes that I continued to reject until finally I spotted something bearable.

‘This is nice.’ I held up a plain white cropped T-shirt.

‘OK.’ He didn’t sound convinced. ‘I suppose that’s a start.’

I clung on to the top for dear life hoping that the shopping trip would now end. But it didn’t.

Larry went over to a row of shelves on the wall and removed a pair of denim shorts with frayed hems. They looked very similar to the ones Lorna had been wearing.

‘These would be perfect with the tee.’ He held them up against me.

‘They look a bit small.’ Shame hit me like a fist to the face.

‘So, find them in your size.’ He wasn’t going to take no for an answer so I went through the pile until I found a pair of size 14. It was the largest size they had.

‘Are you going to try them on?’

‘No!’ the idea of going into the changing room was terrifying. ‘I’m sure they will fit. I can always bring them back if they don’t.’

‘OK.’ He was looking at the price tags. He had offered to pay but I wondered if he really meant it. Too embarrassed to ask I opened my rucksack and searched for my brown purse.

‘Don’t be silly. Put it away,’ he said, dismissing it with a gesture. ‘It’s my treat.’

Grateful but unaware of how to show it, I put my purse back into my bag.

‘Now, to the shoes.’ Larry marched over to the display at the back of the shop.

I had never seen so many shoes before. There were heels in all shapes and sizes. I’d never worn stilettoes before and didn’t plan on starting any time soon. Luckily he made his way over to the sneakers. He picked up a pair of bright white ones with pink laces.

‘These are perfect.’ Larry held them out for me to inspect.

‘Not really me.’ I refused to take them.

‘Nonsense. They will be perfect with the outfit. What size do you wear?’

‘Six.’ I didn’t have the energy or the inclination to disagree.

Larry approached a girl wearing a nametag who was picking at her nail varnish.

‘I’ll take these in a size six.’

I watched as the girl disappeared into the back of the shop to fetch the shoes and it occurred to me that the shoes were a lot like the ones Lorna had been wearing. Just like the shorts.

Larry paid, handed me the bag and we left the shop. My stomach was rumbling since we hadn’t had lunch. My sandwich was sitting in my rucksack getting warm.

‘Right. Next.’ He checked his Casio wristwatch.

‘Next?’

‘Come with me. I’ve got a surprise for you.’

I followed him through the shopping centre and back out on to Sidney Street. We passed Woolworths and continued on to Bridge Street. The sky was even darker and the rain was imminent.

Larry stopped outside a hairdresser’s and held his arms out. ‘Surprise!’

I didn’t understand.

‘I’ve booked you an appointment to have your hair done.’ He must have seen the look of horror on my face. ‘You looked so lovely the other day, with your hair back, I thought maybe it was time for a change. You are so pretty, Dee. You don’t know how pretty you are. I think a haircut is just what you need to help you make the most of yourself.’ He brushed my frizzy hair back off my forehead. ‘A new style will make you feel like a new woman.’

He held the door open and I stepped in. The smell of flowery shampoo filled my nostrils. Larry approached the desk.

‘Dee has appointment for twelve-fifty.’

‘Yes, that’s right.’ The receptionist said checking her diary. ‘With Lucy. Please take a seat.’

I went over to row of chairs and sat at the end. Larry came and sat beside me.

‘I really don’t think I can afford it Larry.’ The panic was beginning to set in. ‘I don’t get paid until the end of the month.’

‘My treat, I said.’ He rubbed his trousers with the palms of his hand then picked up a magazine that was lying on the small coffee table. He flicked through before stopping on a page and showing me the picture. ‘What do you think?’

There was a photograph of a pop star I vaguely recognised.

‘Very nice.’ I didn’t really understand what he meant.

‘Good. We’ll tell Lucy that’s what you want: a Sheena Easton.’ He put the magazine down, open, on the chair next to him, folded his arms and sat back.

‘You mean the hair?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Oh, I’m not sure,’ I felt like I was losing control.

‘You’ll look great. We’ll ask her to dye it to. Would you rather go darker or blonde?’

‘Um,’ I’d never thought of dying my hair and wasn’t sure I was ready to do so then. ‘It’s just a bit shorter than I normally like.’ I referred back to the photograph of the pop singer’s cropped hairstyle.

‘Change is good. Otherwise you’re always just standing still.’ He always used to say that.

Before I could object Lucy appeared and guided me over to a chair. Larry followed casually holding the magazine. I sat obediently down in front of the mirror. Lucy, standing behind, smiled at me in the reflection.

‘So what can I do for you today?’ She was chewing gum.

‘That.’ Larry held the picture out to show her. ‘Just like that.’

‘Oh lovely.’ Lucy was lifting first one section of my hair and then another. She nodded. ‘I love it when a client comes in who wants a new look.’

‘I’m not sure it’s really me.’

‘I think it will really suit the shape of her face.’ Lucy continued paying no attention to my objection. ‘Are you wanting to dye it?’

‘Yes.’ Larry was standing next to her and smiling at me in the mirror. I didn’t want to disappoint him.

‘Yes.’ I echoed.

‘What colour would you suggest?’ he asked the hairdresser.

‘Nothing too dark. Maybe a few highlights here and there.’ Lucy had her head tipped to one side.

‘What about blonde?’ Larry looked eager.

‘Yes, that could work.’

I sat in silence while the two of them discussed what should be done to my hair. It made me feel foolish, not being included in the talk. Larry had never made me feel like that before. As if sensing my disappointment Larry interrupted Lucy, who was suggesting maybe auburn would suit me.

‘What do you think Dee?’ he smiled at me and squatted down so that his face was level with mine. ‘What do you want?’

‘I think blonde would be good,’ I suggested hoping that would please him.

‘Blonde it is.’ Larry stood up. ‘Right, I’ll leave you girls to it. I’ll see you back here in…’ he checked his watch.

‘Give us until two-fifteen.’ Lucy said fighting with a tangle in my hair.

‘But work! I’m meant to be back at one-thirty.’ There was no disguising the panic in my voice.

‘I’ll go in and tell them you went home because you didn’t feel well. Relax, it will be fine.’ Larry turned and sauntered out before I had a chance to disagree. Before I knew it Lucy had my head in a sink and was energetically washing my hair. After she had lathered my head in shampoo and conditioner she wrapped a small blue towel tightly around my dripping wet scalp and led me back to my chair.

While she disappeared off to fetch one product or other I removed the newspaper from my rucksack and started to read the main story.

BODY OF WOMAN FOUND IN RIVER

In the river by Stourbridge Common, dog walker made the grim discovery of a body in the early hours of the morning, the
Cambridge Evening News
can reveal.