Secrets of the Past (4 page)

  
“Where is it, where is it”

I choked back

“What do you want
?
”

A male voice then replied,

“You know what, the locket”

I was gasping for breath.
He
had
pushed me lower into the water
I was so frightened
.
Was he about to push me under the water?
He
was so strong.

The water splashing, I was becoming hysterical, the thought went th
rough my mind shall I tell him.

Zoë’s words were in my head, you must not give the locket to this man ever.

Should I give it to the person who is trying to kill me?

He may kill me anyway.

I lay powerless
, the steam rose from the water, making it difficult
to see. M
y eyes streaming, his hands
were tightening
I
then
began to feel weak.

The room now a blur, I could not make anything out, it had become grey and misty.

As it began to darken, I heard a loud ringing
,
I think
it was my doorbell, the man put his hand over my mouth told me to be
quiet,
or he would kill me.

I pr
omised I would, so I could breathe again
.
..

I gasped a breath, my vision still hazy.

I started s
p
lashing my arms
about, in
the water.
B
y his
breathing,
he
sounded
very panicky.

  
However, if I screamed would anyone hear me,
he may push me under the water; I could not take the risk.

I had calmed a littl
e.

We waited; he had lo
osened his hand from my throat, it hurt, but I lay the
re as told. I saw much clearer
, and I knew it was
him
, the man in the street.

H
e smelt awful, I felt sick, obviously, whoever rang had gone, the man then came close to my face his breath smelt of cigarettes, it almost made me vomit.

He had black teeth and pit holes in his skin he was unshaven, disgusting.

I tried to shut my eyes, but he shook me, tears were now streaming down my cheeks.

He spoke, with a husky deep voice.

“I will be back and I promise you will die if you do not give me the locket
, you little bitch
”

“Do you hear
me?
”
He screamed.

He was then
up, turned, and rushed out leaving the door wide open.
I could feel the cool air from the hall.

I lay in shock wondering if he had gone, heard a few bangs then after a few seconds, lifted myself out slowly trying not to make a
sound, and grabbed my robe,
peeped out the bathroom door, there was no sign.

I pull myself together still trembling from the shock, searched my entire flat.

I opened the door to
my
lounge;
it was
upside down, papers, everywhere, cushions all over the floor.
He must have been in there all the time
I was bathing.

I eventually got dressed, still trembling I got to the front door that is downstairs, and saw the lock had been forced, so without a moment’s notice, pulled it
shut, grabbed my purse, checked the street.

As I w
alked, still shaking. I thought.

“Right enough is enough, what the hell is going on
.
”

I made my way to the
shop at the end of the road
and bought a new lock
. I am handy fixing thing
s have learnt to be. B
rilliant with a drill, thought

‘Well this is no problem I can fit this’, but it took me over an hour to work it all out.

I used to watch
Dad, doing his odd jobs, he always wanted me to be a boy as my brother was not hands on, he was always a white collar worker, never liked doing any manual labor, where
as I was eager to learn
, so dad took me on as his little helper.

Tom was always head in books,
and
very good at sports
.
Intelligent is the word for him.

Mel phoned and I told her about the man and she made me promise to go to the police, but really, I did not want the hassle, all I wanted was a quiet life, I had enough excitement to last me a lifetime.

It was now late afternoon so I decided to take
a walk;
needed to get some air, walked
past the old pubs, cafés, up the little hill and through the castle grounds, it was so lovely, there were a group of kids with drawing boards facing the castle.

Remembered my school trip, I was twelve, we came here and the teacher talked about the castle and Charles Dickens, the famous author.

  
Mum, Dad,
Tom,
and I would come here all through summer for a picnic, and we would go to see the boats along the river’s edge.

I realized I was heading for the river, scene of the crime it felt like now. Not the wonderful tranquil place I used to feel when I was here all those times before.

I hesitated as I looked
over, but it was fine, the waves swaying in the current
.

I stood watching the boats pass.

There was tape the police had put up blowing in the wind, bollards all knocked over near the scene.

My thoughts were for the young woman who was there when I visited last, was she married?

Did she have kids?

It is just so awful to think how she ended up there.

I then noticed Zoë almost upon me.

She said.

“Hi, how are you
?”

I rep
lied, “Oh you what
do you want, w
hy do you keep bothering me?
”

“Geoff isn’t it has he been to round to see you
.
”

She replied
.

“Yes he has, he tried to kill me, he broke in my flat while I was in my
ba
th and tried to throttle me ok, now leave me alone.”
I said.

Her reply seemed panicky.

    
“I am so sorry, but I did warn you.
”

Warned me I thought, as though this was my fault.

Then someone called out
loudly her name.
It was
him
again
.

She started shaking, saying,

“Go now I will deal with him
.
”

But could I leave her alone with this maniac,
but I like a coward did run,
I
was terrified, I ran
towards the castle, not looking back, I ran all the way until I was so puffed I sat on bench by the museum, in the high street.

I checked
but could not see them, so made my way home, not noticing anything in my path, the street a
blur, as I ran, I fumbled with my keys, reached my door, and ran up the stairs, my mind racing again.

     I was now
becoming very scared, the doorbell, the street, the night times.

This disgusting man, who keeps bothering me, was it time to just go to the police and tell them everything. I picked up
the locket, opened it
.

Then the room grew dim, it frightened me on this occasion, so I immediately shut it.

As I did, something stopped it from closing, a tiny piece of paper. Sticking out from behind the photo, so I gently pulled it out, it looked faded.

Dear Anastasia,

We will talk soon, I love you; tell Anna, I think of her all the time.

Mee
t me at 7 o’clock by the chalet, on Tuesday
evening;
I have a gift to show you.

I cannot think of any other, my mind is you, as if we are one

It has been while, but I will be home very soon forever this time.

Signed 

C.
D.

It was magical to read, I had a funny tingling in my body. It was a love note from many years ago, I thought. Obviously, this person was very much in love.

My thoughts went back to my old dad, he used to leave little notes everywhere for mum, they were so much in love. He always signed with his initials.

Mum would do his sandwiches for work, always with a little message inside, for him to read during his lunchtime at work.

My thoughts went back to Zoë was she ok; I really
should have stayed to help her. The man obviously dangerous, but what could I do?

If I go to the police they will ask me so many questions, and after all, I did not know much or these people.

No, better not, put it out, my mind.

     Perhaps I will show the locket
to Eddie the antique dealer, he will know, his an expert, he will tell me. Therefore, the next morning I caught him and showed it to him, immediately I saw his expression, he said “Wherever, did you
pick this up, it is beautiful,”
with excitement in his voice.

“This is a
great find, who gave it to you?
”

“I
found it in the flat
.
”

He suggested, he keep it, so he could study it some more, check some textbooks.

I left it with
him
; best not tell him too much. I
rushed off, I trusted Eddie,
and he was friends with my dad, a great old man.
Always checking I am ok.

   
I nipped to local grocers, picked up some supplies, was gettin
g short
. M
y mum would be ashamed of me
my cupboards being bare, but I ate out so much, did not need much.
Long as I had my coffee, I was fine.

I returned home, pottered about. Then, there was a ring on the door, it was James my boss, wh
at did he want,
I wondered?

He told me he had been thinking about me, as I had been acting out of the ordinary, and he was worried about me, so I invited him in.

He glanced around my flat with an admiring look, I think he was surprised, by my décor, I had collected some lovely items, mainly from old Eddie downstairs from the antique shop, and mum had left me some
gorgeous pieces her and dad had collected on their trips to Egypt and India. They travelled a lot.

I offered him some coffee, and we sat, chatted for a while. James then told me he had split with his fiancée,
Rebecca,
as they had not been getting along for some time.

I was not that disappointed as I had fancied him from a distance for such a long time, but felt it my duty to console him at this time.

It felt a bit strange him being here though, as though he was invading my space.

Something was not quite right.

He then left, told me if I needed some time off
, it was fine,
just
to give him a ring.

He seemed so generous; I felt a twinge of guilt about his break up.
After his departure, I picked up the newspaper and
started reading about the headline again
, as I said it had made front-page news.

It read that the girl was a known prostitute of the area, wel
l known to
the police
, but they
had not named her, as her family had to informed, and they were looking at
the case as a murder
.

I felt a twinge of guilt; if I went to the
police would they laugh at me?

No, I thought they would think I am crazy.

I decided to go down to the tearooms and indulge myself in a large cream cak
e,
so off I went to try to forget everything that had happened and to get back to reality.

I
grabbed my order and
was just about to tuck in to it when I noticed someone at the side of me, and when I looked up it was Geoff the guy who try to kill me, I jumped back startled.

The color must have drained from me.

“Keep calm, and I will not hurt you”