The Telltale

Debbie thought she could trust her husband…

When I discovered Blaine’s affair with Carol next door, I was gutted.

I screamed at him about the betrayal of trust, about cheating on me with someone I thought of as a friend, about treating our marriage with contempt.

‘I’m so sorry, Debbie,’ he told me. ‘I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ll do anything to make things right between us.’

‘I don’t know if you ever can,’ I replied. ‘But you’d have to dump her for a start.’

‘Consider it done,’ Blaine assured me. ‘She doesn’t mean a thing to me.’

If that was true, it didn’t make me feel one bit better — it only meant he’d risked the relationship I cherished for something that was of no importance.

For weeks I made him sleep in the spare room at night, while by day he tiptoed around me as if frightened I might kick him out at any moment.

Eventually, I was ready to start reconciliation talks. But where, in the past, I’d always been the timid partner, accepting what Blaine decided for both of us, now I was more assertive.

‘I have a few conditions,’ I announced.

‘No problem. Your wish is my command.’

‘Separate bank accounts, for starters. Since your little affair, I’ve been studying the statements and there are a few purchases that look suspiciously like love tokens — and they weren’t for me. In future, I want to be quite sure I’m not part-funding anything I haven’t signed up for.’

‘Understood.’

‘Also, I want to know where you are when you’re not with me. That means you answer your phone when I call you, instead of sending me straight to voicemail.’

‘You know I can’t take lots of personal calls when I’m at work, Deb.’

‘I’m not an idiot, Blaine. I won’t pester you, but I do expect to be able to ring when you’re not at the office.’

‘Agreed.’

‘And thirdly, I want us to move house.’

‘Move?’ Blaine said. ‘But I thought you loved this place. You’ve put so much into it.’

‘Yes, I did. But you trashed all of that when you had your fling with Carol. You can’t expect me to go on living next door to her after what the two of you did. I flinch every time I see her going to her car. I’m sure she’s laughing at me.’ ‘I really don’t think she is.’ ‘Well, it’s up to you,’ I told him. ‘If you want this marriage to continue, then we’re going to have a few changes, including starting over at a new address.’

‘Do you have anywhere in mind?’

As a matter of fact, I did…

Fairview had been a grand house in its time, but was now little more than a shell.

‘It’s what we like to call a “project”,’ said the estate agent who showed us round.

‘It’s certainly that,’ Blaine agreed. ‘It needs a new roof, new windows and doors, wiring, plumbing, and probably a damp course…’

‘Of course, the requirement for a complete refurb is reflected in the price,’ the agent said. ‘It’s going for a song, frankly, and when the work’s done, you’ll have a property that’s worth a great deal.’

Blaine looked at me and said: ‘You really want to do this? It won’t be easy.’

‘I think working side by side on something like this could be just what we need,’ I replied.

‘Working side by side on something like this could be just what we need’

We both had to keep our full-time jobs in order to fund the renovations for Fairview. We put most of our belongings in storage and rented a tiny bedsit until the new house was

habitable.

At evenings and weekends, we donned our overalls and did what work we could ourselves to keep costs down.

The experience of redeeming the old house gave us a common purpose, and at last I felt that we were getting back some of the closeness we’d shared before the affair.

Blaine said he liked me in my dungarees with plaster dust in my hair, and it gave me a boost and made me feel attractive once again.

Soon, we were cuddling on the old mattress on the rear bedroom floor. It seemed like we were back on track.

Then, one morning, Blaine said he would have to work late that night.

‘No problem,’ I said. ‘I’ll just put in a couple of hours at Fairview by myself.’

‘Don’t do that,’ Blaine advised. ‘The place is still rickety and not safe for you on your own. Imagine if you got hurt and couldn’t reach your phone — there’d be no one to help. We can catch up on the house tomorrow.’

So, I enjoyed a rare night in front of the television, flipping through my pile of interiors magazines.

The cost of fixing up Fairview was more than we’d anticipated.

‘Let’s not panic. There’s always an opportunity for me to work overtime,’ Blaine told me.

‘But with all the effort we’re putting in at the house, you’ll be exhausted,’ I pointed out.

‘Then we’ll slow down a bit — the flat’s not so bad. We can stay on a little longer.’

Delaying our moving-in day was disappointing. But it wouldn’t be forever.

To hasten things along, I decided to defy Blaine and do a bit of work to Fairview when he was late at the office — I’d be very careful not to get into any scrapes.

I was steaming some old, psychedelic Seventies wallpaper off the back bedroom, singing along to the little battery-powered radio, when the reception suddenly started to crackle and hiss.

‘Oh, what’s up?’ I grumbled.

I set down my scraper and tried fiddling with the dial, but to no avail.

‘Drat, it must need new batteries,’ I decided.

‘It’s not the batteries,’ said a strange voice. ‘It’s me. I seem to have that effect on radio signals.’

I swung round to find a matronly lady in a navy tunic and white apron standing by the mattress.

‘Excuse me, but do you mind telling me who you are?’ I demanded. ‘And I’m sure I locked the front door, so I’d like to know how you got in.’

‘I’m Nanny Parks,’ the woman said. ‘And I let myself in. I’m welcome to come and go as I please, and this is my room.’

‘Your room?’ I queried. ‘But I own this house.’

‘In one sense you do,’ the woman said. ‘But I think you’ll find it’s my domain too.’

‘Now listen,’ I began. ‘The estate agent didn’t say anything about sitting tenants or anyone else who might have a claim on the property.’

‘That man? He wouldn’t. He has no sensitivity — lots of people don’t. You, however, are rather well attuned… You really didn’t know?’

‘Attuned? To what exactly?’ ‘Why, to ghosts, my dear!’

To my surprise, finding myself face to face with a ghost didn’t scare me

To my surprise, finding myself face to face with a ghost didn’t scare me at all.

Nanny Parks had no intention of frightening me. Instead, she filled me in on lots of details about the history of the house — the people who’d lived there and the children she’d cared for in its nursery.

‘You love to gossip, don’t you!’ I said, though I didn’t think she was a busybody.

‘It’s my weakness. I’m a chatterbox,’ she replied. ‘It used to get me in trouble, but I couldn’t help myself. I don’t think you’re like me, though — you don’t say much. I imagine you’re very discreet.’

‘I do tend to keep my

thoughts to myself.’

‘Then keep our meeting to yourself too,’ Nanny advised. ‘It won’t do you any good telling people you talk to ghosts.’

I thought she was probably right. Who would believe me? People would think I’d gone mad.

I saw Nanny Parks just once after that, and then I took some time away from Fairview to do the rounds of kitchen designers.

‘We’re not ready to start the work just yet,’ I explained. ‘But I’d like to ask some questions and get a few quotes.’

Should we go for solid wood or would it be too pricey? I also liked painted cupboards, but would the paint chip easily?

Blaine continued with his overtime, but took a great interest in my investigations when he finally made it home.

Then, when I returned to Fairview, Nanny Parks was waiting for me.

‘Hello, Nanny. Want to see my kitchen illustrations?’ I asked brightly.

Nanny didn’t reply. I peered at her face. Always pale, it now looked deeply troubled.

‘What’s the matter?’ I enquired. ‘You can’t feel ill, surely, when you’re already dead?’

‘I feel just terrible,’ she replied. ‘There’s something I need to tell you, and it’s not very pleasant.’

‘Is it about the house? Is there something wrong with the building that we don’t know about?’

‘It’s not the house. It’s your husband — he’s involved in a liaison with another woman.’

I gulped. It couldn’t be true… Not again.

‘You’re wrong!’ I cried. ‘Blaine did have an affair. But it’s over. We’re putting everything into building a future together at this place. You were right about one thing, though — you’re a terrible gossip. Now go away, back wherever you came from. I don’t want to hear another word.’

Nanny didn’t move.

‘I’m sorry, Debbie. Believe me, I didn’t want to tell you this very poor news. But it’s true. He brought her here — apparently their usual meeting spot was unavailable. They lay together on the mattress in this room, she, with her red hair all spread out around her.’

‘Did you say red hair?’

But I knew exactly what

I’d heard. So Nanny wasn’t lying. Blaine was back with Carol — if, indeed, he’d ever left her.

It wasn’t hard to follow Blaine in a hire car and, predictably, he left work bang on time and drove straight to Carol’s.

I sat behind the steering wheel, keeping watch as the bedroom curtains were drawn closed.

After a couple of hours, Blaine re-emerged, fastening his top button and straightening his tie.

I sprang out of the driver’s door and shrieked: ‘You liar!’

Blaine looked over in surprise.

‘Debbie — it’s not what you think.’

‘Actually, yes, Blaine — it’s exactly what I think.’

‘I was just… Just… Just…’ But, for once, no words seemed to come to him.

‘I told you if you cheated again, we were finished,’ I reminded him. ‘But don’t worry, I’m not kicking you out. While I’ve been sitting here, the builders rang to say it’s OK to move into Fairview. There’s still a lot of work to do, but the structure is sound and dry and the electrical and plumbing works are complete.’

‘Oh, that’s wonderful!’ Blaine cried, looking hopeful.

‘Not for you,’ I replied. ‘I shall be living at Fairview — alone. You can keep the flat.’

‘You don’t mean it,’ Blaine tried.

‘Oh, I do,’ I informed him. ‘When we decided to give our broken marriage another chance, you agreed to put our new property solely in my name, as a gesture of your contrition. It was supposed to give me peace of mind. Well, it worked! I feel altogether more peaceful than I did the first time I caught you cheating.’

‘You can’t expect me to stay in that crummy little flat, while you swan about in that huge house!’

‘Can’t I? Tell you what, then — why don’t you move in with Carol?’

Blaine’s face fell.

‘Oh dear — is the grass at her place not greener, after all?’

It was my first night sleeping over at Fairview on my own.

Most of the furniture wouldn’t come until the following week, but for tonight I was happy wrapped up in my duvet on the front bedroom floor.

It might take a while to get over Blaine, but it didn’t feel as bad as the first time he’d cheated, and at least my home was guaranteed.

‘You’ll be lonely, with no one to talk to,’ he’d shouted after me, as I exited the bedsit.

But I did have someone to talk to — my ghostly chatterbox, Nanny Parks.

‘Is it about the house? Is there something wrong with the building?’

Hey, that was mine!’ I told Louise as she grabbed the biggest slice of pizza and a chunk of garlic sausage which clearly belonged to the remaining slice.

‘Oh, was it?’ she asked with fake innocence and ate it anyway.

I wasn’t surprised, as she’d been taking what was mine since the day we met. That was over 15 years ago, and I wasn’t putting up with it a day longer!

I disappeared into the kitchen, where I made a jug of piña colada with extra rum. I poured equal quantities into huge glasses, then added a little extra to Louise’s. I decorated each with a piece of fresh pineapple and a slice of orange wedged on to the rim of the glass, and a cocktail stick threaded with glacé cherries balanced on top. I used three cherries for mine and five for hers.

‘They look fantastic,

Sarah!’ Louise said, as I put the fuller one in front of her.

I picked up my own glass, before she could even consider reaching for it, and swallowed a mouthful. ‘They taste fantastic too!’

As Louise took a sip of hers, I excused myself, saying I needed the loo. Truth was I could no longer look my friend in the face. Former friend. She didn’t know it yet, but the drink was the last thing she would take from me — willingly or otherwise.

To be fair to her, taking what was mine wasn’t always deliberate. She was the new girl at school, and couldn’t have known the bus seat she’d occupied was the one I thought of as mine. When I explained, she asked if we could sit

She didn’t know it yet, but the drink was the last thing she would take from me

together. I agreed, and she took that to mean we were friends.

That would have been

OK, but she took on all my other friends too. She had novelty value and I felt pushed aside.

She came round the house a lot, where she ate most of the snacks Mum made for me and somehow often left with one of my toys, or wearing something of mine. As we got older she ‘borrowed’ a lot of my clothes. It was kind of flattering, to see she admired my taste so much, but it was annoying too.

‘You can wear something of mine,’ she’d say when we were at hers getting ready for a party, and she’d put on the dress I’d brought to wear. She’s always been a size smaller than me.

Of course, she got the boys I felt should have been mine — partly because it took away my confidence to have Louise, a slimmer version of myself, constantly by my side. She even took a job away from me. My fault for telling her how perfect it sounded, and making her think she’d love it too. Oh, she claimed she’d applied in the hope of us working together, but as I knew only one position was available, I’m sure she did too.

Actually, I eventually took that job from her — when she got promoted. On Valentine’s Day, which was only a week after I started, she took the anonymous bouquet left on my desk, saying whoever left them couldn’t have realised she now had her own office.

About the only things Louise doesn’t take on a regular basis are the hints I’ve given about the error of her ways. Usually she ignores my complaints.

Sometimes she tries to make it up to me.

One time she ‘borrowed’ one of my dresses, and I ‘forgot’ to tell her I’d somehow got bits of rose hip on it, so wearing it would make her itch horribly. She was still a bit sore after having it dry cleaned for me!

Occasionally, when I’ve made my annoyance clear, she apologises, but she doesn’t stop.

This morning I got to work — and found her car in my parking space. No doubt she’d have a plausible excuse, but it was the final straw. At lunchtime I went out and bought that little extra which I added to her cocktail, then I went to her office and invited her for a drink this evening.

I can’t hide in the loo all night. I have to get Louise outside, so her body is found well away from my flat.

She’s downed half her drink — more than enough for my purposes. And she’s eaten my cherries as well as hers. True to form, right to the end!

I hastily finish my piña colada. ‘Gosh, that’s strong. Shall we take a walk to clear our heads?’ I suggest.

‘Good idea. But not in these shoes. I’ll wear your trainers. You finish your drink while I find them.’

‘I already have, look.’ I show her the glass, thinking that if she can’t see it’s empty, what I’ve given her is taking effect more quickly than I’d anticipated.

She shakes her head. ‘No, the one you drank is mine. Sorry but, as you know, sometimes I just can’t help taking what’s yours.’

It was a nightmare! A complete and utter nightmare! As her car slowed to a halt,

Louise thumped the steering wheel in frustration. She couldn’t believe this was happening to her. Once more she tried to turn the keys in the ignition, but the engine had as much life as her dad after his lunch every Sunday.

She groaned. She’d never get there in time…

Behind her, the man in his car beeped his horn. ‘You’re blocking the road!’ he yelled angrily. ‘Move out of the way!

Some of us have got somewhere to go.’

Louise turned, and in one movement was about to tell the rude man what she thought of him, when she stopped. Pathetic and helpless was called for…

She eased herself carefully out of her car, and clutching her bump, walked slowly back to the car behind her.

The poor man’s jaw dropped when he saw her.

‘My God!’ he said. ‘Are you all right?’

‘No,’ said Louise, panting. ‘I’m not. I’m actually on my way to the hospital. Can you help me start my car? It’s stopped and I’m not sure what’s wrong with it.’

‘I’m sorry — I would, but I just haven’t got time,’ he said. ‘I’m late for a meeting. If I could just push you over on to the verge…’

‘No way!’ she cried.

‘I’m sure another car will be along in a minute,’ he said.

‘Not down this quiet country lane,’ said Louise, looking around her. ‘Ohh!’ she cried, clutching her middle, her face grimacing.

‘What was that?’ he asked. ‘What’s the matter? Was that… was that a contraction?’

Louise couldn’t speak, she just nodded her head.

‘Look,’ he said, panic spreading across his face. ‘Hold on, I’ll take you to the hospital myself, it’ll be quicker than fiddling about with your car. Hop in and I’ll move your car over.’

Louise gave him a look. Hopping was the last thing she could manage at that moment. She hesitated. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked. ‘My mum told me not to accept lifts from strangers,’ she said.

‘Come on, do you really think I look like I’m a serial

‘You can’t get in my car like that! It’s new — I’ve got leather upholstery’

killer?’

Louise frowned. Well, not exactly, but what did serial killers look like anyway? And then she gasped. ‘What?’ he asked. ‘What now? Not another contraction? So soon!’

She nodded and leant against the car, panting, until finally she could speak.

‘Yes and I think… I think my waters are beginning to go,’ she said.

She walked round to his passenger door and started to open it.

‘Oh no you don’t,’ he said,

leaping out of his car quick as lightning. ‘You can’t get in my car like that! Not if you’re going to mess it up. It’s new — I’ve got leather upholstery. I’ll never get it clean.’

‘But what about me?’ Louise demanded. ‘This is a medical emergency. Blow your flippin’ seats!’

‘Stay calm!’ he said, flapping his arms around. ‘Um, er, let me see… You just need to sit down and relax until these pains go away.’

‘Don’t you know anything? Contractions don’t just go away,’ Louise told him, ‘they bring babies! Oh…’ she cried — and then her face contorted in pain once more.

‘Look, I’ll see if I can fix your car,’ the man said, sounding worried. ‘Whatever you do, hold on to that baby!’

‘I’m trying,’ panted Louise. ‘Believe me.’

‘Sit down,’ he said. ‘Put your feet up on the dash. Maybe gravity will hold it in place?’

‘OK,’ said Louise, waddling round and opening his passenger door.

‘In your own car!’ he yelled.

‘Oh, right…’ Louise waddled back to her car and sat in the driver’s seat.

The silly man didn’t even know how to open the bonnet! She quickly told him and then watched as he fiddled around with the engine — and waited. And waited.

Louise fidgeted anxiously in her seat. He was taking so long. Trust her to break down in front of a man who didn’t know anything about cars! She wound down the window.

‘Can you hurry up, please!’ she cried.

He lifted his head up and banged it on the bonnet. ‘Ow!’ he cried. ‘Ow, I’m in agony!’

‘ You’re in agony!’ repeated Louise. ‘Try being in labour! Then you’ll know what real pain is!’

‘I’m doing what I can,’ he said. ‘Hold on, I think I’ve got it… Right, try turning the ignition on.’

Louise tried. Nothing. ‘The contractions are coming even faster!’ she cried. ‘What are you doing?’

‘I’m getting my hands covered in grease!’ he cried. ‘This engine is filthy. Have you looked under this bonnet lately?’

‘Of course not,’ said Louise. ‘I can’t bend, in case you hadn’t noticed. But if you take another 10 minutes, I’ll have had the baby and I’ll be able to give you a hand!’ ‘Ah, wait a bit,’ he said. ‘I think I’ve found the problem.’

Louise knew what the problem was — the silly man knew nothing about cars. Why couldn’t the AA have been behind her? Or a mechanic? Or even a policeman?

‘Try again!’ he said.

Louise tried. It worked!

The engine started.

‘Thank you, oh thank you!’ she yelled to the man.

He slammed down the bonnet. ‘Just get going!’ he said. ‘Get to that hospital before that baby comes. Drive like the wind!’

Louise followed his advice. But as soon as she got into town, she discovered that the high street was closed due to an accident. There were queues everywhere.

Louise wanted to cry. Everything was conspiring against her. The policeman diverting traffic walked up to her window.

‘Excuse me, madam, but you can’t go down…’ he began. And then he saw the look on her face as it twisted in agony. His eyes travelled down to her very large bump.

‘Oh my goodness! Is… is it happening? Are you on your way to hospital?’ he asked.

Louise nodded. ‘It’s really, really urgent!’ she gasped.

‘We’ll give you a police escort,’ he said. ‘Follow me!’

Louise did as she was told. It was fantastic. It was so amazing how the streets cleared for her. How quickly she got through. The escort took her all the way to the hospital entrance.

‘Are you all right, madam?’ the policeman asked, rushing up and opening her door. ‘Shall I get you a stretcher or wheelchair?’

‘I’m fine, thanks,’ said Louise. ‘I can walk from here, I just need to catch my breath for a minute.’

As Louise waited until the police car had gone, her colleague, Elaine, came rushing out from where she’d seen everything from her desk in hospital reception.

‘I don’t believe it,’ she said enviously. ‘How have you managed it? Only you could get the police to escort you to work because you’re late!’

‘Not only that, my car broke down, I got it fixed and then I got escorted around the traffic chaos in the town centre too,’ Louise grinned.

And then she took the cushion out from under her T-shirt and put it on the seat beside her.

‘Oh my goodness! Is… is it happening? Are you on your way to hospital?’