Chapter 92

Chapter 92
Claire’s POV

In the guest room, I sit on the bed and cross my legs. Hector has followed me upstairs and he is in the room with me, on the bed. His head is resting on my shoulder as he sits by my side.

“Good boy, sweetheart,” I say as I wish I had never ever met Jonathan in the first place.

How would my life have panned out differently? Who knows but I wouldn’t have gotten into the mess I did. Faking an identify, and a man being killed before my eyes. Horror floods my body. I was responsible.

Part of my mind pushes back to let me know that I was acting in self-defense. I had to get away from him. I had to run and hide. How was I to know that my supposed best friend had some kind of weird, obsessive love interest in me.

I turn to face Hector and throw my arms around his neck. I want to get out of here. Something is definitely not right. Just like with Jonathan when he changed on me, I can feel it deep seated in my core. There is an uneasy feeling that floods my body.

I reach for the mobile from my jeans and call Nathalie.

She picks up on the third ring.

“Claire, are you okay?” her voice is full of concern.

“Yes, I’m fine but I need to get out of here, Nat. Something isn’t right. I can’t put my finger on it but his brother, or at least he says he is his brother is strange. And there was mention of a woman’s body being found here in their woods.” I let out a long sigh and realize I didn’t even breathe through my sentence. I take some deep breaths to fill my lungs with much needed oxygen.

God, I am so tired and drained. Everything is weighing on my mind. Outside my door I hear footsteps, like one of them is pacing. My heart rate picks up.

“I didn’t want to mention that to you just yet,” Nathalie says. My eyebrows peak up almost to my hairline.

“You knew? For how long? Nat you should have warned me.”

There is a heartbeat’s silence.

“I only found out yesterday and then I had a shit load of work to get through. I’m behind on a case that goes to court in a week’s time. Listen you have nowhere to go right now, Claire. You can’t come to me because it is the first place the police are going to look when they piece together that you were Jonathan’s girlfriend.”

I run my hand through my hair. The other holds the phone. Hector has laid down and rests his head on my crossed legs.

“Sorry, I know you have so much to do. Can’t you rent a place for me? Somehow, I will pay you the money back. I’m sure I can get a job somewhere, Nat. How about the Peak District, Wales, or anywhere? Maybe Portsmouth or Oxford.” I am grappling at straws, I know I am but I am so desperate to get away from Jake and even Clive. My instincts are rarely wrong and the way they looked at each other earlier in the woods made my blood curdle.

She lets out a long breath. “It’s a long-shot, Claire and we’d have to get you out of there without anyone knowing. What about Clive? He likes you and I know you like him.”

I scruffle with Hector’s curls on top of his head. He makes a cute sound.

“I’m not so sure Nat. I’m having second thoughts. The whole thing about a woman’s body in the woods has given me the creeps. They wouldn’t talk about it. Do you know who the woman was?”

“Let me get the notes I made,” she says. I hear her rummaging around with paper, knowing she will be in her untidy office. For someone so organized, Nat can be totally scatterbrained. Her office is a mess of papers, folders and files. Sticky notes adorn the screen and on her whiteboard.

“Right, found it. A woman called Elizabeth Trendle. She was reported missing by her husband the week before they found her body.”

“How was she found?” Do I want to know, the whole thing makes me feel sick to my stomach.

“Strangled,” Nat says like she is standing in court. Totally void of emotion.

“Is there a connection between Clive and Jake and this woman?” I ask her.

“I’m going to look into it. You say you don’t think Jake is Clive’s brother?”

“No, exactly. Honestly, Nat they look nothing alike. Apparently, he lost his wife a few years ago.” Dread fills me, ice fills my veins.

“Nat, when did this happen with the woman?”

I wait for her to read her notes. “A couple of years ago.”

I let out a low moan. “About the same time that Jake came back out clean and started staying here at the cabin. What if….” I don’t finish the sentence.

The footsteps have stopped; I hold my breath.

“Keep digging, Nat. I have to go and look into somewhere for me to go, please. I’m begging you.”

I gingerly move Hector from my leg; he lifts his head. I could easily drown in his eyes.

Tiptoeing to the door, I place my hand on the handle. Damn, why didn’t I place the chair under it like I said I was going to do.

The storm starts and a bolt of lightning flashes as I open the door and see him standing there, evil written all over his face.

“Clive, what the hell? You scared the life out of me.” My heart is pounding so hard it threatens to explode out of my chest cavity. I honestly feel like I am going through the cat and mouse game that was Jonathan and I. He used to stalk outside the bedroom often. I would hold my breath waiting for the night he would come in and hurt me.

“I heard you talking,” he says.

“To my sister,” I reply.

He nods; there isn’t something quite right but I can’t put my finger on it.

“Okay, but you know you come to me if you need anything. No need to get Nat involved in anything further, Claire. You are staying with me now. Be sure to lock the door and place the chair underneath the handle.” He turns leaving me with my jaw gaping open.

Why would he warn me to do this when it’s only his brother in the house and him?

Is he scared Jake might do something to me, or that he himself could?