rang the bell. Three times. There was the noise of bolts sliding, keys turning and then silence. Gareth tapped his foot in impatience. The door opened on a chain and an elderly man peered at him through the gap.
“Sorry to disturb you,” Gareth said. “My friends, Erin and Simon Smith live next door to you. I was at their party on Saturday. Hope we didn’t disturb you.”
“Eh?”
Deaf or stupid? Did it matter? Gareth gave up trying to sound plausible. “I’m trying to contact the owners of the house next door to the Smiths. I understand they’re in the States. Do you know their brother-in-law?”
“Jacob. Very nice man.”
Gareth bristled. “Could you give me his address?”
“No.”
Gareth chewed the inside of his lip. “Telephone number?”
“How about you give me yours and I’ll ask him to contact you.”
“Perhaps I didn’t make it clear that I’m with the policeman who called a few minutes ago. He forgot to ask you for Jacob’s contact details.”
“What policeman? What’s your name again?”
“Fucking forget it,” Gareth snapped and stalked off.
62
Anna in the Middle
What the hell was happening? Why was there no trust anymore? Had the police not called at the wrinklies’ house? Gareth almost stumbled at the next thought. Had the guy not been a policeman at all? He got back in his car. Maybe the guy who passed him was the prick Anna had been with. So what did he want at Erin and Simon’s? Gareth pulled out and as he drove down the road, he smiled. The guy was trying to trace Anna. It wasn’t too much of a leap. Was he pretending to be a policeman or actually in the force?
It didn’t matter. Whoever the man was, he was history.
* * * * *
Jax took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A short, pretty woman opened the door.
He held out his hand.
“Hi, I’m Jacob la Rue. I’m looking after the house next door for my sister Kelly and her husband.”
“Erin Smith. Hello.” She shook his hand. “I was just talking about you. Come in.” Talking about him? Jax followed her through to the living room. A guy sighed loudly and switched off the TV.
“Simon, this is Jacob la Rue, our absent neighbor’s brother.” Jax stepped forward and shook his hand.
“What a pity you weren’t here earlier,” Erin said. “I told Gareth the same thing.
You both missed the policeman.”
Jax wasn’t sure which words affected him most. The name “Gareth”—the persistent guy Anna had talked about—or the word “policeman”.
“Apparently there was some sort of incident near here on Saturday night and they’re trying to find witnesses. The policeman wanted to know if you’d been next door. We didn’t know your number. The old couple the other side have it, don’t they?
Do you want to give it me as well, just in case?” Shut up. Jax wanted to scream. He was trying to get his head around this.
“If I see anything suspicious I can give you a ring,” Erin said.
Jax fumbled for his wallet and pulled out a card.
“What was the policeman’s name?” he asked. Maybe he was wrong .
Erin turned to the man on the couch. “Can you remember, Simon?”
“Detective Inspector Thorne.”
So blood really could run cold, Jax thought. He felt as though ice water was being transfused into his veins. Jesus, what was Will playing at?
“I have to go,” Jax mumbled and turned.
“What was it you wanted?”
63
Barbara Elsborg
Jax opened his mouth and then closed it again. He turned around. “To introduce myself. Hope you’ll be happy living here.”
He had to get out, find space to think.
“Were you next door on Saturday night?” the guy called as Jax moved toward the door.
“Yes.”
“Wish we’d known. You could have come round for a beer. I expect the policeman will want to talk to you too,” he said.
“I expect he will.”
Jax managed to get into the hall without saying anything more but the word burst from him as Erin was closing the door.
“Anna.”
She looked
“Sorry to disturb you,” Gareth said. “My friends, Erin and Simon Smith live next door to you. I was at their party on Saturday. Hope we didn’t disturb you.”
“Eh?”
Deaf or stupid? Did it matter? Gareth gave up trying to sound plausible. “I’m trying to contact the owners of the house next door to the Smiths. I understand they’re in the States. Do you know their brother-in-law?”
“Jacob. Very nice man.”
Gareth bristled. “Could you give me his address?”
“No.”
Gareth chewed the inside of his lip. “Telephone number?”
“How about you give me yours and I’ll ask him to contact you.”
“Perhaps I didn’t make it clear that I’m with the policeman who called a few minutes ago. He forgot to ask you for Jacob’s contact details.”
“What policeman? What’s your name again?”
“Fucking forget it,” Gareth snapped and stalked off.
62
Anna in the Middle
What the hell was happening? Why was there no trust anymore? Had the police not called at the wrinklies’ house? Gareth almost stumbled at the next thought. Had the guy not been a policeman at all? He got back in his car. Maybe the guy who passed him was the prick Anna had been with. So what did he want at Erin and Simon’s? Gareth pulled out and as he drove down the road, he smiled. The guy was trying to trace Anna. It wasn’t too much of a leap. Was he pretending to be a policeman or actually in the force?
It didn’t matter. Whoever the man was, he was history.
* * * * *
Jax took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A short, pretty woman opened the door.
He held out his hand.
“Hi, I’m Jacob la Rue. I’m looking after the house next door for my sister Kelly and her husband.”
“Erin Smith. Hello.” She shook his hand. “I was just talking about you. Come in.” Talking about him? Jax followed her through to the living room. A guy sighed loudly and switched off the TV.
“Simon, this is Jacob la Rue, our absent neighbor’s brother.” Jax stepped forward and shook his hand.
“What a pity you weren’t here earlier,” Erin said. “I told Gareth the same thing.
You both missed the policeman.”
Jax wasn’t sure which words affected him most. The name “Gareth”—the persistent guy Anna had talked about—or the word “policeman”.
“Apparently there was some sort of incident near here on Saturday night and they’re trying to find witnesses. The policeman wanted to know if you’d been next door. We didn’t know your number. The old couple the other side have it, don’t they?
Do you want to give it me as well, just in case?” Shut up. Jax wanted to scream. He was trying to get his head around this.
“If I see anything suspicious I can give you a ring,” Erin said.
Jax fumbled for his wallet and pulled out a card.
“What was the policeman’s name?” he asked. Maybe he was wrong .
Erin turned to the man on the couch. “Can you remember, Simon?”
“Detective Inspector Thorne.”
So blood really could run cold, Jax thought. He felt as though ice water was being transfused into his veins. Jesus, what was Will playing at?
“I have to go,” Jax mumbled and turned.
“What was it you wanted?”
63
Barbara Elsborg
Jax opened his mouth and then closed it again. He turned around. “To introduce myself. Hope you’ll be happy living here.”
He had to get out, find space to think.
“Were you next door on Saturday night?” the guy called as Jax moved toward the door.
“Yes.”
“Wish we’d known. You could have come round for a beer. I expect the policeman will want to talk to you too,” he said.
“I expect he will.”
Jax managed to get into the hall without saying anything more but the word burst from him as Erin was closing the door.
“Anna.”
She looked
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