The Stranger at the Door: A gripping psychological thriller with a twist that will leave you breathless by A J Wills

Author:A J Wills [Wills, A J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cherry Tree Publishing
Published: 2024-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 33

Harvey stares at Freya in shock. 'Her sister? I don't believe you. She doesn't have a sister.'

'It's the truth.'

'What on earth is going on here?'

As one, Harvey and Freya turn towards Leanne.

She usually has the face and temperament of an angel, so it's disconcerting to see her turn up looking so flustered and angry. She brushes past the security guards restraining Harvey and marches towards Gwyneth's bed, casting a concerned eye over the blinking numbers on the machines.

A flush of embarrassment heats Harvey's cheeks. He shouldn't have lost control, especially in front of Gwyneth. Leanne warned him she could hear everything going on in the room and that they all needed to maintain a calm environment.

Harvey tries to pull free, but the security guards won't let him go. Not yet.

Leanne folds her arms stiffly across her chest. 'Who is going to explain?'

Freya's head droops. 'I'm afraid it's all my fault, nurse.'

'She lied to us,' Harvey blurts out, sounding like a petulant child. 'She told everyone she's Gwyneth's mother, but it's not true.'

Leanne's gaze flicks from Freya to Harvey and back again, like a reluctant observer at a tennis match.

'Freya?' Leanne says.

'It's true. I'm not Gwyneth's mother,' she whispers. 'She's my sister. I'm sorry.'

'So she says,' Harvey huffs.

'Quiet! And for goodness’ sake, let him go,' Leanne snaps at the security guards.

They exchange a look, uncertain what to do. 'He assaulted that woman. We were about to call the police.'

'I'll deal with it,' Leanne says sternly.

'Are you sure?'

'Just let him go,' she demands.

The guards shrug and finally release Harvey's arms. 'If he causes any more trouble, call us, okay?'

Harvey rubs the feeling back into his arms and shoulders as the guards depart, and Leanne suggests they go somewhere more private to talk.

She marches them out of the room like two naughty schoolchildren and finds a quiet office off one of the main corridors.

They stand facing each other, reminding Harvey of the night Gwyneth was brought into hospital and he stood with the detectives, Chalk and Enright, in a similar office as they questioned him.

'Would you like to explain why you thought you could come onto my ward and assault Freya?'

It's worse than being summoned to the head teacher's office. Leanne's probably young enough to be his daughter, but she speaks to him like he's a spotty teenager caught smoking behind the bike sheds.

'Sorry,' he mumbles. He probably overreacted, but he couldn't help himself, especially when Freya laughed at him. 'But she's been lying to us all. She's not who she says she is.'

'I never lied,' Freya protests. 'You assumed I was Gwyneth's mother when we first met. I know it was wrong, but I was too embarrassed to correct you. I didn't even know who you were.'

It's not the way Harvey remembers it. He's sure she introduced herself as Gwyneth's mother when he found her at his wife's bedside, but there was a lot going on. He was still trying to come to terms with his wife being in a coma, their lives changed forever.

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