The Stepmother by Ros Carne

Author:Ros Carne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canelo Digital Publishing Ltd
Published: 2021-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

For two weeks, she watched her phone as if it might leap up and bite her. There were few calls. A student. The bank. Mobile reception wasn’t good in the house and most people who knew her texted or used the landline. Every night she checked her voicemail. Nothing. By the time of the art fair she was feeling calmer. She hadn’t forgotten the furious voice at the end of the line, could only pray she would hear nothing more.

Tamsin must have found Kate’s number on her dead husband’s phone. With luck he would have deleted the texts. Just as he would have deleted the photographs. Kate was an ordinary name, not one to arouse suspicion. An unknown Kate in his contact list might be a distant cousin, the wife of a friend, a colleague. There must be a few female butchers.

She had deleted her own messages and couldn’t remember exactly what she had said. But she’d been careful. They’d all been pretty neutral. No endearments. Nothing affectionate or sexy. Just brief arrangements. Then his increasing demands. She hoped she would never have to explain herself but if she did, she would present it as a clear case of stalking. At worst she would have to own up to using him as a model. That had been unwise. But it hardly made her a murdering bitch. She would have some explaining to do to Michael. It wouldn’t be the first time. There’d been a couple of occasions in Bristol.

‘I can’t help men falling in love with me.’

‘Are you sure about that?’

‘I’m just being friendly. Anyway, you’re the flirty one. One rule for men.’

‘Probably true,’ he had conceded.

That was then. She’d been working in the Bristol gallery. Looking good and charming wealthy men had been part of the job. This was now. Everything had changed. They were married.

On the day of the art fair she drove to pick up Jen.

‘Hi Kate. Got room for Lina?’ Jen asked, indicating her daughter, who was clutching at Jen’s skirt.

‘Sure. I managed to squeeze the sculpture in the boot. There’s not that much and it’s all quite small.’

‘Great.’

Kate was fond of Lina, but she would find it more difficult to chat in her presence. She wanted to find out more about Tamsin. How the woman was managing. What her plans were. But just as she was about to speak, Lina asked, ‘Will the naughty boy be there?’

‘Quite likely, sweetheart, but don’t worry. He won’t hit you again. His mum will keep an eye on him.’

‘You didn’t keep an eye on him.’

‘You’re right. I should have done. I didn’t expect him to be naughty like that. I should have been more careful. I knew he was upset. People who are upset often hurt other people.’

‘Why was he upset?’

‘Because his daddy died.’

Lina then asked if her daddy was going to die and Jen, who was always honest with her daughter, began a long explanation about death, which seemed to satisfy her. After Jen had finished, Lina said firmly, ‘If he hits me, I’ll hit him.

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