A Dark Matter Episode 43

Hannah wondered about the wife and baby. Sleepless nights, loss of sex drive, breast feeding, nappy changes, tantrums and the sudden lack of freedom. Enough to turn a guy away from his exhausted wife to a 20-year-old student.

It didn’t take much for men to mess around. Hannah thought about all the times some married guy had chatted her up in a bar, even when she was there with Indy, obviously a couple. Oh, to have the confidence of a middle-aged man. Honestly, these guys acted like the world belonged to them.

It was afternoon and the high school was coming out, streams of teenagers in black and white, just the red flashes of their ties marking them out from any other kids in the city. Boys were mucking about and jumping into the road, girls pulling on short skirts and covering their mouths at something outrageous one of their mates said. They all gave the hearse a wide berth, some peeking in and turning away when Hannah held their gaze.

She thought of her own school days, the safety in finding your own small group of friends, bolstering yourselves against the hard world. Hannah’s coming-out was relatively painless and she was grateful for that.

Her three best friends were all straight and fine with it, but there was a slight distance afterwards, like they couldn’t talk about boys in front of her, or maybe they worried she was about to jump their bones.

On the surface all was fine, she socialised, hung out, went to prom, but she was glad when uni came around and she could start from scratch. Maybe life needed that, the chance every few years to start somewhere new, where no one knows you and you can redefine yourself, untied to the past.

The school kids had thinned out, but still no one came out of the Longhorn house. The front garden was tiny, a lot of them in the row were converted to parking spaces. Somewhere to park your car was prime real estate in this city. Hannah had already pumped umpteen coins into the meter for the privilege of sitting here.

The door of Peter’s house opened and the two cops stepped out. They turned on the doorstep, Peter in the doorway holding the frame, and the three of them smiled, sharing a joke. They talked for a few moments, the body language of new friends, then Peter reached out and shook both their hands.

Hannah got out of the hearse and strode to the house. “Hey.”

All of them turned. She could see now that Peter’s wife was in the doorway too, behind him and to the side, supporting him all the way. When Peter saw Hannah he tried to usher his wife inside, but she stood her ground. She was still carrying the baby on her hip.

Hannah turned her attention to the cops. “Are you not arresting him?”

The plainclothes guy adjusted his stance. He was about the same age as Longhorn, shorter, broader, his hair already receded from his forehead.

“Can I help you, Miss?”

“Why aren’t you arresting him?” Hannah said, reaching the garden.

“This is none of your business,” the cop said.

“My friend is missing and he had naked pictures of her in his desk.” She pulled the photographs out of her pocket and waved them as she walked up the path.

Sidestepped

The uniformed officer took a step towards her, puffing out his chest. He was in a stab vest, and she imagined picking up a rock from the side of the path and hurling it at his head. Instead she sidestepped him and darted up the steps to the front door.

“You,” she said, in Peter’s face now. “What do you have to say?”

“You’ve got a nerve.” This was his wife, stepping forwards. “You broke into his office.”

Peter turned. “Emilia, please.” Hannah thrust the pictures in front of Emilia, the naked one on top. “Look.”

Emilia shook her head. The baby in her arms looked like it was about to start crying.

“He’s explained it to the police,” Emilia said. “She was obsessed with him, stalking him.”

“And you believe that?”

The woman held her gaze as if testing herself. “He wouldn’t lie.”

Peter shifted his weight and put his hands out to take the heat out of everything.

“What about this?” Hannah flipped through the pictures, came to the selfie of Peter and Mel.

Peter shook his head. “She surprised me with a camera one day in the cafeteria. I couldn’t exactly say no.”

“You’re on a date,” Hannah said, pointing. “No.”

Hannah waved the pictures. “Why did you have these?”

Peter looked embarrassed. “She sent them to me, I didn’t know what to do with them.”

Emilia leaned out of the house. “Get away from my family,” she said under her breath.

“I think we’ve had quite enough.” This was the plainclothes guy.

Hannah turned to him. “I can’t believe this.”

The cop nodded at the pictures in her hand. “Those don’t prove anything and they were obtained illegally.”

“But they’re suspicious as hell.” Emilia spoke to the cops. “Get this b **** away from our house, she’s dangerous.” “Emilia, please,” Peter said.

“She’s probably obsessed with Peter too.” Hannah took a step towards her. “I beg your pardon.”

She felt the uniform cop holding her arm, pulling at her. “Get off me,” she hissed behind her. She tried to shake him off but he held firm.

Emilia was in her face now. “Just another silly student with a crush.”

Hannah raised her hand and brought it down on Emilia’s cheek so hard that the woman almost lost balance, bumping into the door frame with the baby, who screamed, tears in her eyes and snot from her nose.

Hannah stood there breathing heavily, her body shaking with adrenaline.

Emilia slowly righted herself, put her hand to her reddened cheek, then smiled at Hannah.

“I want her arrested for assault,” she said.

Hannah raised her hand and brought it down on Emilia’s cheek so hard that the woman almost lost balance

A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone is published by Orenda Books, as is Black Hearts, his latest in the same series. orendabooks.co.uk