Never Out of Sight: The chilling psychological thriller you don’t want to miss!. Louise Stone

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СКАЧАТЬ he’s…’ She stopped herself. ‘Oh, never mind.’

      ‘He’s what?’

      ‘He’s hot,’ she muttered. ‘That’s all I was going to say. No big deal.’

      My stomach did a somersault. Zoe had told me months ago that Jerry Wyre, the farmer, had made a pass at her. So why on earth would she have gone back? No, I decided, it was Keira once again making out that Zoe was to blame. I knew, without a flicker of doubt, that Zoe had been dragged back there by Keira.

      Suddenly, I heard the letter slot open and snap shut, and I jumped, my nerves frayed. I walked quickly to the hall. The mail lay on the mat. I didn’t know why but I pulled the door open and walked outside; there was no sign of anyone, except the postman walking away and the neighbour’s cat sunning itself on the lawn. So why did I feel like I was being watched? My skin crawled with unease.

      ‘Keira, I’m going to have to go,’ I said hurriedly into the phone.

      ‘Will you let me know what’s going on?’

      I thought about Zoe, about Keira not knowing where she was, and my stomach knotted with fear once again. Something wasn’t right. My breathing came hard and fast as if my lungs were being crushed.

      ‘Mrs Hall?’

      My knees started to buckle and I knew I needed to hang up on Keira. What if something had happened to Zoe? ‘Yes, I’ll be in touch.’

      ‘Okay.’ Keira sounded less sure of herself now. ‘Is it going to be okay?’

      ‘Yes, Keira,’ I said with more defiance than I felt. ‘It’s going to be fine.’

      I cut the call, dropped the phone on the hall console and walked through to the kitchen, sitting quickly at the table, my legs shaking uncontrollably. Just as quickly, I rose and popped another pill in my mouth, cupping my hand under the tap to wash it down. I took another and it immediately caused my stomach to cramp but I needed to numb the tide of panic building inside. My breathing grew increasingly shallow as my mind grew dark with the realisation that Zoe might be missing.

      I couldn’t shrug off the feeling that I was being watched. Or was I being paranoid? Had I taken one too many pills? My gaze flitted about the kitchen as I drank in the familiar sights of the house. I shook my head, my eyes taking a moment to adjust back to my surroundings. No, I decided, it must have been the pills and my worry over Zoe making me think irrational thoughts.

      Minutes passed and I willed Zoe to ring the house phone, ring me on my mobile. When my mobile buzzed in my hand, I jumped. It was an unknown number.

      ‘Hello?’ I said, fighting my nerves.

      ‘Freya?’ It was Stephen. ‘I’m phoning from the hotel room. I’ve just had a look at Zoe’s profile on Facebook and Keira’s asking if anyone’s seen her.’ His voice was shrill and I swallowed deeply. ‘What’s going on?’

      ‘Keira phoned here about five minutes ago asking for Zoe.’

      ‘And?’

      ‘She’s not here and apparently she didn’t stay with Keira last night.’ I paused. ‘I asked her to get in touch with people they know to see if anyone’s seen her.’ Warm tears began to stream down my cheeks. ‘I had no idea she would message everyone using Facebook.’

      ‘Freya,’ Stephen cut in, ‘why the hell didn’t you phone me?’

      ‘Give me a break, Stephen. I’ve literally only just found out myself.’

      ‘Shit,’ I could hear him muttering, ‘fuck. I’m leaving. I’m coming home now.’

      ‘She’ll probably walk back through the door at any moment. Anyway, you’re miles away. It would take you ages to get back and then she’ll walk through the door the moment you arrive home. You know what Zoe’s like, she’s a free spirit,’ I said, trying to soothe him, but I recognised I was starting to slur my words and I stopped abruptly. ‘This isn’t the first time she’s not come home straight away. Remember back in May when she didn’t come home for twenty-four hours and she told us she was with Keira but Keira hadn’t known anything about it? I reckon this is the same. We’ll just need to talk to her when she gets back, tell her it’s not on.’

      ‘The time in May, at least she was in contact with me and told me she was okay. She’s just gone silent and that’s not like Zoe at all.’

      I had to admit that Zoe had told us not to worry and that she had something important to do. We never did find out what it was but she came home safe and sound, and that was all that mattered. Stephen, to this day, swore she had changed while she had been away, but I wasn’t convinced. To me, she was the same daughter who had clearly been testing us for whatever reason, for twenty-four hours. In fact, it occurred to me that perhaps Zoe was staying away on purpose now. Maybe she wanted our attention.

      ‘Have you been drinking?’ Stephen asked, breaking into my thoughts.

      ‘No,’ I said.

      ‘It’s nine a.m, for fuck’s sake, Freya.’

      ‘I haven’t,’ I said, frustration mounting inside. The pills were making me feel woozy.

      ‘Phone the police. I’m on my way home. I’m only in Oxford anyway.’

      My mind was whirring with images of Zoe: the last time I’d seen her, she hadn’t been smiling. If I was honest with myself, she had looked preoccupied, maybe unhappy. I had got angry with her; thought she was just being a hormonal teenager. I remembered my final words to her as I went to bed on Thursday night:

      ‘Zo, life does not revolve around you.’

       Life does not revolve around you…

      I choked back a sob as an overwhelming sense of failure swept through me and I tried to think straight, my mind whirring with guilt.

      ‘You know, she’s probably just testing us?’ I said after a moment or two of silence. I delivered it as more of a question and realised I wanted Stephen to confirm that was exactly what was happening and it was all going to be fine.

      ‘No, I don’t think so. I have a bad feeling.’ I could hear him zipping up a bag. ‘I’m coming home now.’

      He was right. I knew it; I just wanted him to tell me it would be fine. But my body was strung out: ready to snap. It was the fluttering in my stomach that told me Zoe was in trouble. Stephen denied my ever having a maternal instinct but he was wrong: I could feel it now, Zoe needed me. Maybe she had needed me last night. That thought struck my heart with force and I whimpered, my hand over my mouth, as I realised how I hadn’t been at home, I hadn’t been where I should have been all along.

      Stephen cut the call.

      I rushed to the sink and wretched, my mind buzzing with panic. I turned my head, my eyes flitting towards the front door, waiting for Zoe to walk in, waiting for my daughter to come home safely.

2

      Stephen walked through the door just СКАЧАТЬ