S is for Stranger: the gripping psychological thriller you don’t want to miss!. Louise Stone

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СКАЧАТЬ Paul tried this time, jogging after her.

      Amy turned around. ‘Yeah?’ she shouted.

      ‘Slow down there, cowgirl,’ he said breathlessly and hugged her close, kissing the top of her head. The gesture made me tense; my stomach churned up.

      I walked fast to catch up.

      ‘Come on, let’s go!’ Amy skipped about in front of us, eager to explore.

      ‘What do you want to go on first?’ Paul asked.

      ‘The rollercoaster,’ she said, without pause for thought.

      ‘OK, you’re going to have to count me out.’ I put my hands in the air in mock-surrender. ‘Unless you want a very ill Mummy on your hands.’

      ‘I’ll take her then,’ Paul said, shooting me a look. ‘One of us has to be with her.’

      ‘How about I take you on the teacup ride later, Amy?’

      ‘OK, but the rollercoaster first.’ She rolled her eyes.

      ‘Right.’ I cleared my throat. ‘I’ll go and get a bottle of water then. You guys want anything?’

      They shook their heads and started toward the rollercoaster. I spent the next ten minutes wandering through the crowds before I stopped to buy a bottle of Evian. The rollercoaster stood some way off in the distance and I could just about make out Paul and Amy taking off their belts and dismounting the ride, chatting happily. To my alarm, Paul pointed to the ground and walked off. Amy stood obediently next to the ride and I tried to catch her attention with a wave but she didn’t see me.

      I dodged a pram as it mowed its way across my path and walked straight through a gaggle of teenagers shouting over the top of my head. The fairground was swollen with people moving in all directions and the air was thick with the smell of fast food. I looked in Amy’s direction again, now having to stand on tiptoes to see over the crowds.

      My heart started to beat faster; panic flooding my body. A stranger, a woman in a black coat approached Amy and started chatting to her. It was the woman, the woman from outside the hamburger joint last month. Walking faster now, I had her in my eye line but I was still too far away. My breath caught as I watched her stoop down to Amy’s eye level and unfurl her hand. I couldn’t see her face but she appeared to hand something to Amy and Amy giggled with delight. A cold sweat engulfed me and I wanted to scream for everyone to get out of my way. My daughter was in trouble and I needed to get to her. I had told Amy never to talk to strangers but she was such a trusting child. I watched the woman stand upright and ruffle Amy’s auburn curls. I didn’t know who the woman was, and I ran faster.

      ‘Amy!’ I shouted, my words swallowed whole by the milling crowds. ‘Amy!’

      A young woman stepped in front of me and I tripped, falling to the ground. Without hesitation, I picked myself up and wiped my dirty hands on the back of my jeans, ignoring the throbbing pain in my left wrist. I looked from side to side, desperate to regain my bearings.

      ‘Excuse me,’ I said more loudly now. ‘Can you get out of the way?’ I put out my arm and started shoving people. A woman to my right tutted and a balding man shouted ‘Oi’ in my ear. But it worked and a gap slowly opened up. Once I had managed to escape the main avenue of stalls, I cut a left and ran to the rollercoaster ride. Amy was nowhere to be seen.

      ‘Amy,’ I hollered, moving from left to right and back again. ‘Amy, where are you?’

      People were staring but I didn’t care.

      ‘Amy!’

      A tap on my shoulder.

      I spun around. They were stood in front of me: Paul holding Amy’s hand.

      ‘Amy.’ I couldn’t disguise the anger in my voice. ‘Who were you talking to?’

      ‘When?’ Her gaze tipped downwards.

      ‘Back there, next to the ride. I was trying to get your attention.’ I pointed to the rollercoaster.

      ‘No one.’ Amy shook her head.

      ‘What do you mean no one? I saw you.’

      She shook her head again and pushed her fisted hands into her coat pockets, like she was trying to hide something.

      ‘What have you got there?’ I grabbed her hand and prised her fist open. A red lolly fell to the ground. ‘Where did you get this, then?’

      ‘For God’s sake, Sophie, leave her alone. It’s just a lolly,’ Paul said, taking my arm and jamming his fingers firmly into my coat and skin. ‘She’s here, I’m here, and that’s all that matters now.’

      I let go of her and Paul continued to hang onto me, his fingers hot on my chilled skin.

      Through clenched teeth, I said, ‘Do you mind?’

      Paul released my sleeve and gave me a withering look. My head pounded with the onset of a headache.

      ‘Sorry, Amy.’ I hugged her close. ‘I didn’t mean to shout. You just gave me a scare, that’s all.’ I turned my attention to Paul who was looking at me like I had lost it.

      ‘And where were you? Where did you go?’

      ‘To the toilet,’ he said, unflinching.

      ‘To the toilet,’ I repeated, ‘to the toilet. You call that good parenting?’

      ‘I was only a few minutes.’

      I inhaled deeply.

      ‘Sophie, maybe you’re tired. You look tired, if you don’t mind me saying.’

      He was trying to undermine me but I was familiar with his tactics and I didn’t rise to the bait.

      ‘Amy, how about you and I go get some candyfloss or something,’ I suggested, my voice calm except for a slight tell-tale waver. ‘How does that sound?’

      Amy looked to Paul before answering. He started to protest but surprised me. ‘Go on, Amy, it’ll be nice to spend some time with Mummy.’

      ‘OK,’ she agreed quietly.

      I took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

      ‘Meet me here in twenty, OK?’ Paul said, and pointed to the information booth sign. I nodded. ‘And I mean twenty. No later.’

      Amy led me from one stall to another and we finally stopped to watch a young boy focused on winning a Winnie-the-Pooh-Bear at the coconut shy. We stood in silence for a few moments before Amy’s face took on a weighted seriousness.

      ‘Mummy, why do you get so angry with Daddy?’

      ‘Because we don’t always see eye to eye. But it’s not you. You do know that?’ I put my arm around her. ‘I’m sorry about shouting at you earlier. I was just worried.’

      She paused. ‘I didn’t do anything wrong.’ СКАЧАТЬ