Chapter 97

Chapter 97
Claire’s POV

I am engulfed with terror. What on earth does she mean?

“You’re not making any sense, Nat. I am downtown with Clive right now. He’s just popped into a hardware store. But something strange did happen.” I pause.

“You need to leave, Claire. Jake was pulled in for questioning of the woman that was found in their woods.” I notice the emphasis on the word their. Another shudder runs through me. I glance around and can see through the large windows that Clive is at the section where they have all manner of ropes. What does he need rope for?

Images of him and Jayke tying me up flash through my mind.

Stop it now. You are being stupid. He is perfectly safe. For goodness’ sake woman, Clive was the man that helped you escape from Jonathan.

So, why can’t I shake the feeling? I mean why does he need rope?

“I think everyone in the town was pulled in for questioning, Nat. Surely?”

He has a thick coiled rope in his hand and is weighing it and assessing it. Maybe he has some good purpose for it. I mean, what would I know. I know absolutely nothing about him or his life. And therein lies the problem.

“Yes, but Jake was kept longer and they wanted to charge him but they couldn’t make it stick. At the last minute he had an alibi. Albeit a wishy-washy one, Claire. I’m telling you; I don’t like you being there. You can access the cash and go somewhere. Anywhere. Get a flight to Spain or to Greece and rent a property for a while. You can stay there for ninety days whilst you figure out your next steps.”

I scoff. Although, a warm climate right now does sound like a good idea. I could be sitting on a sun lounger trying to put everything of the nightmare behind me that has anything to do with Jonathan. But I can’t shake the unease that I played a huge part in his murder. What I probably ought to be doing is seeing a therapist to talk it through. That unfortunately will lead to way too many questions and Nat has a career and a reputation to protect. I can’t put my twin in any danger. She has to be my priority on top of myself of course.

“Who was his alibi?”

I glance through the windows; Clive is staring at me. Literally staring. I hold up a hand to indicate that I’ll only be a few more minutes. “Listen, Clive is giving me funny looks. I ought to hang up.”

“No, you can’t. I am telling you to make a run for it. Why won’t you listen to me, Claire? I warned you in the early days that there was something not quite right with Jonathan, and you dismissed it. You were too loved up with him and look how that ended up.”

I bite my lip to not let the words run out of my mouth. She did warn me but I was too loved up with the man he was.

A man who spoilt me rotten to begin with and gave me everything I wanted. Comfort, what I thought was love and presents galore. He used to take me to the theatre in the West End and knew how much I adore Ballet and would take me sometimes to watch Swan Lake. He even took me to Paris to see a production there.

“I can’t run away, Claire. I think I’m being silly and Jake will leave soon anyway. Clive has already confirmed that little snippet of information. He’s made it clear he doesn’t want Jake around for much longer. Then Clive and I will be fine.” At least I hope we will. I think all these weird and insane thoughts I am having are because I am jumpy about the whole incident with Jonathan and the end of his life and being held and almost killed by my best friend.

I mean that is going to make a girl very out of sorts, right?

“Clive was the man who helped me, Nat. I can’t just run out on him without offering an explanation.”

“It was some hobo, a drunk off the street who was his alibi. He said that he and Jake were drinking together that night and Jake had gone in to buy some whisky from an off license. Only the cameras have no pictures of Jake being at the store. The man swore blind they were drinking together.”

Okay, she has a point. It is a slim alibi at best. Surely the police would have wanted to hold him for a bit longer. Or are they now believing drunks off the street? None of this sounds right to me.

“Even if Jake did have something to do with it, wouldn’t there be DNA or something. I mean I don’t know much about any of this.”

Clive is now at the window and taps on it. He mouths something but I can’t get the gist of it.

“Hold on, Nat.” I go to the door and open it. The bell above tinkles.

“How long are you going to be? You’ve been on for ages. I thought it was supposed to be a quick call.” His voice is almost bordering on angry.

For some reason he reminded me just then of the way Jonathan would talk to me. He is still holding the large coil of rope. I glance at it; his eyes follow mine.

He doesn’t offer an explanation, however. I notice.

“A few more minutes,” I tell him and go back outside closing the door behind me.

“They couldn’t find any at the scene. Whoever did it was very good. No two ways about that. But now with this new case, Claire it’s like a carbon copy and the woman is almost identical to you. Please get out of there and don’t waste more time.”

The thought of leaving Clive does make me sad. I can’t simply forget he was the one who helped me and that if he hadn’t, I would have been at the mercy of Jonathan. And God only knows what that man would have done to me.

He wasn’t right, a total psychopath.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Good. The details you need to access have been sent to you. Try to remember them and then delete all the messages in case one of them gets your mobile.”

“Nat, why would they try and get my mobile? I think you are being dramatic.”

She lets out an exasperated sigh. I can visualize her pacing up and down in her office in those skyscraper heels she wears, wearing out her polished wood floors. She always paces when she is stressed or upset about something. Has done since childhood.

“I have to go to a client meeting, Sis. Please think heavily about it.”

We hang up and I walk back inside to see Clive picking up a rather large claw hammer. He turns it over and inspects it in his hand and nod satisfied it is exactly what he wants and heads over to the counter and places it down with the rope.

Why oh why have I got images of being hit on the head with that brutal weapon, tied up with that rope and left somewhere in the back of their woods?