The Perfect Family: An Unputdownable Psychological Thriller With a Heartstopping Twist Read online

  ‘I wouldn’t do that,’ Eva replies with an eye roll, stepping into my embrace for a too-short moment. ‘Well done, Grandma, for finding her.’

  Diane makes a harrumphing sound and purses her lips. But I don’t care how snooty my mother-in-law is being. Thank goodness she showed up when she did.

  I straighten up. ‘Thank you, Diane. I… I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t spotted her.’

  ‘Yes, well, let’s not dwell on that, shall we?’ she replies with a dismissive sniff. ‘Shouldn’t these two be at school by now?’

  I check my watch. It’s already eight thirty. ‘We’re late. I’ll have to cancel my meeting.’ But that’s not important now. What’s important is having my girls back home, safe and sound. I hold out my arms and both girls come close, letting me hug them. Eva likes to think she’s too grown up for cuddles, so I’m making the most of this opportunity.

  ‘Do we still have to go to school?’ Eva asks with a pout, finally having enough of my over-squashy hug.

  ‘Of course you do,’ Diane replies for me.

  Eva wrinkles her nose. ‘But we’ve just had a drama. I thought people had to rest after a drama.’

  I give a little snort of laughter.

  ‘I’ll take them to school, if you like, Gemma. So you can get to your meeting.’

  ‘What about your prescription?’

  ‘My grandchildren are more important than a silly prescription. I can pick it up afterwards.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ I ask, wishing I could decline her offer. I don’t want to let the girls out of my sight. But I have to be practical. Accepting Diane’s help is the only way I’m going to get to work on time.

  ‘Of course. I do wish you’d let me help out more, Gemma. Come along Katie, Eva, get your school bags.’ As Diane walks past, I get a waft of her perfume, Arpège.

  We chaperone the children back inside the house and again I try not to think about what would have happened if Diane hadn’t driven past Katie when she did. Hopefully I would have found her anyway, but there are all kinds of dangerous people in the world. What if one of them had been passing while Katie was out there alone? I should have been more careful. More vigilant. The fact is, someone opened the front door. And even if it was Katie who let herself out, the door was still left open. Anyone could have come into our house… I shudder and take Katie’s hand. ‘Let’s go and wash that teary face,’ I say, taking her into the downstairs loo and running the tap. ‘No more crying, okay? You’re home, safe and sound, and you’ll see Daddy when you get home from school.’

  ‘Okay,’ she says in a small voice as I help to splash her face with water.

  I pat her skin dry and hang up the towel. ‘Now, let’s see a happy face.’

  She gives me a lopsided smile and I seriously consider the possibility of blowing off work, keeping the girls home from school and putting on a Disney movie. But then my responsible head kicks in and I realise that this would be sending out a terrible parenting message, as well as missing out on quite possibly the most important meeting of my career.

  A few minutes later, I watch from the front door as my mother-in-law strides down the driveway with my daughters in tow. Once again, I feel like a crappy parent. I bet Diane never had these crises when Robert and his brother James were little. She was probably the perfect mother. I check my watch again, but I’m not really concentrating. I think I’m still in shock. I’m really not sure the girls should have gone off to school.

  Okay, I can either stand here beating myself up, or I can get myself together and go win this new client. I square my shoulders and take a deep breath.

  Three

  It’s the middle of the night when an insistent banging jerks me upright. I take a deep breath and exhale slowly to get my suddenly thundering heartbeats under control. But they won’t obey.

  ‘I know you’re in there!’ he cries, his voice twisted and rough. Nothing like the adoration and gentleness he used to show me. ‘Come on, you little bitch! Open up!’ His voice is still muffled. Good, he hasn’t broken through the door yet. I still have time.

  This is why I always rent a ground-floor flat with a back door. I’ve never needed it up until tonight, but now that he’s found out where I live, I’ll have to abandon the place before he gets to me, or who knows what he’ll do.

  As the hammering on the door gets louder and the insults worsen, I slip out from beneath the covers and pull a warm sweater over the top of my pyjamas. I grab my phone and my laptop from the dressing table and shove them into my bag. A ready-packed holdall sits at the foot of the bed. No point bothering with the rest of my stuff. It’s not important. Just a few clothes in the wardrobe and some food in the fridge. I’ve never stayed anywhere long enough to accumulate anything of any worth.

  Turning the key in the French doors, I briefly wonder how he managed to find me. It’s been over a month since I last saw him. Over a month since I left his beautiful home. Since I got the hell out of there. So how did he manage to track me down? I’ve used an alias to rent this place, like I always do. Not that it matters how he found out. What matters is that he’s here, and if I don’t get my arse moving, he’s probably going to kill me.

  ‘Open the fucking door!’ More banging, and then an almighty crash.

  Shit. I draw the curtains and slip out through the door, closing it and locking it firmly, checking it really is locked. I’m annoyed to find that my fingers are trembling. I can’t afford to be scared. To be weak. It will slow me down. Make me vulnerable.

  I’ll need to find a new place to stay. Somewhere far from here. I don’t have anyone I can go to. No family of my own. It was always just me and Mum – a team. But since Mum died it’s just been me. Sometimes I really wish I could have a perfect little family of my own.

  As the light flashes on inside, I bite back a squeal, trying not to let the fear consume me. Instead, I shoulder my holdall and slip around the side of the building, breaking into a practiced run. My car is parked two streets away but I can cut through an alley to get there.

  I realise I’ve misjudged this entire situation. I won’t ever make the same mistake again.

  Next time, I will be more careful.

  Four

  When I finally reach my office building in town – a plain 1980s red-brick building with blue windows (hideous, but practical and convenient) – my heart sinks at the sight of a workman’s van parked lengthways across the front of my reserved space. I beep my horn a couple of times, but no one comes and I’m too late to deal with this now, so I reverse out of the car park and luckily manage to find a metered space in a side street around the corner.

  My meeting was scheduled for nine thirty, but I’m already ten minutes late. Maybe he’ll be running behind schedule too? All I need is a few extra minutes to reach my office and get myself together. I’m still shaky from Katie’s disappearing act and I can hardly walk in my heels – I messed up my others in the garden looking for her, so I’ve had to wear a different pair which are higher and far less stable. I wasn’t expecting to have to walk this far. Finally, I make it in through the entrance of the building that houses my company, GB Facilities, on the third floor.

  I greet the receptionist as I make my way over to the lift. ‘Morning, Cassie.’

  ‘Morning, Mrs Ballantine. Your nine thirty is already up there. I said he could wait outside your office.’

  ‘Okay, thanks. What time did he arrive?’

  ‘Only about ten minutes ago. Hope you don’t mind me saying, but he didn’t seem too happy that you weren’t here yet.’

  Damn. Mick Cosgrove is a big deal. He contacted me out of the blue. He owns a couple of huge commercial buildings at the Lansdowne. It would be great for business if I could land him as a client and the last thing I wanted to do was keep him waiting. This pitch is really important to me, but I’m still shaken from this morning’s incident with Katie. I hope she’s okay. I’m half expecting the school secretary to call me to collect her because she’s too upset to stay in class. But I can’t allow my worries to take control. I need to focus on winning Cosgrove over.

  The lift dings and the door opens. I step in and examine my reflection in the mirror, smoothing my hair and checking my teeth for lipstick. Luckily, I look quite calm on the outside, so hopefully he won’t notice any traces of anxiety. My career has always been important. When I left school, I got a job as a PA at a facilities management company and worked my way up to a management position that involved looking after local office buildings, making sure they had adequate security, cleaners, catering, maintenance – all the boring behind-the-scenes stuff that keeps businesses ticking along. I discovered that I was really good at my job. I enjoyed making sure everything was running smoothly. I was respected, appreciated, had a decent salary. Anyway, I was in line for a big promotion when my boss was suddenly arrested for tax fraud and the company went under. I thought that was the end of everything.

  One of my ex-boss’s clients persuaded me to go solo and take over his contract. I got a bank loan and set up a new business – GB Facilities – with just that one contract. Now, nine years later, I have contracts with various local firms who rely on me to look after their office buildings. But Cosgrove is one of the biggest fish in the area and could propel my business out of the small-time and into the big league. I want to land him and I’m determined to win him over this morning.

  The lift opens onto the third-floor lobby and I see a man in a well-tailored suit standing in the doorway to the kitchen, having a cup of coffee with Damien, my PA, and Dave, my head of security. I’ve never actually met Cosgrove in person, but I’m guessing this must be him. He and Dave seem to be having a laugh about something. Thank goodness he doesn’t seem to be in a bad mood. I mouth a thank you to Dave before Cosgrove turns towards me.

  My potential new client is tall, dark and charismatic, his brown eyes full of humour. But when he sees me, Cosgrove’s smile disappears and he gives me a frosty nod. Straightening my shoulders, I hold out my right hand.

  ‘Mr Cosgrove? Hello, I’m Gemma Ballantine. I’m so sorry to keep you wait—’

  ‘You’re late,’ he replies, leaving my hand floating in mid-air.

  ‘You’re right,’ I say, hoping he doesn’t decide to leave. ‘It’s absolutely inexcusable. Please accept my apologies. Honestly, I don’t make a habit of keeping people waiting. There was a van blocking my parking space and… but you don’t want to hear the details of my commute.’ I’m aware I’m babbling like a demented person, but I can’t seem to help myself. Looks like I should have stayed home with the girls after all.

  ‘Luckily, your head of security kept me entertained,’ Cosgrove says, his manner softening a little. ‘Seems we’ve got a few acquaintances in common.’

  ‘That’s good to hear. Dave’s great. And again, so sorry I’m late, Mr Cosgrove.’

  ‘As long as it doesn’t happen again. I’m a busy man. And I was under the impression that you’re supposed to be organised and on top of things.’

  ‘Of course. I am. Today was… out of the ordinary.’

  ‘Okay, well let’s start over. Call me Mick,’ he adds with a slight upwards quirk of his mouth.

  I allow myself to relax a little. ‘Thanks. Okay… Mick.’ I gesture down the corridor. ‘Shall we go to my office? Damien can get you another drink, if you’d like?’

  ‘I’m fine.’

  Once in my office, I tidy a space on my desk and pull my laptop out of my bag.

  ‘Nice view,’ Mick remarks, gesturing to the distant sea glimpsed beyond the other three rows of buildings – mainly low-rise apartments and hotels.

  ‘It’s not bad, is it? I’ve got my eye on the next floor up. You can see the Purbeck Hills from up there.’ Although I’ve meticulously prepared everything in advance for our meeting – PowerPoint presentation, facts, figures etc. – I had banked on having at least half an hour to set up and get myself into the zone. Right now, I’m on the back foot. It’s not a great start. Luckily, it looks like Mick hasn’t been put off. After a couple of minutes of small talk about our professional lives, I launch right into my pitch about the business and what GB Facilities can do for him. Once I start talking, my nerves disappear and I actually begin to relish the challenge of winning Mick over.

  We’re in the middle of a complex discussion about figures when, annoyingly, my phone starts buzzing on the table. I ignore it, but then it pings several times and resumes its buzzing.

  ‘Feel free to get that if you need to,’ Mick says, leaning back in his chair and staring at me.

  ‘Oh,’ I shake my head, ‘no, that’s okay. I’ll just…’ I reach over and turn off my phone. After my terrible first impression this morning, I need to keep him sweet.

  Mick smiles. ‘Annoying things, aren’t they?’

  ‘Tell me about it.’

  ‘You’re not allowed to talk to just one person any more,’ he muses. ‘You have to have multiple conversations. I’ll be talking to you in person while you’re replying to someone on messenger…’

  ‘… and tweeting about who you’re talking to,’ I add.

  ‘… while taking a selfie.’

  ‘… to put on Insta.’ I grin.

  ‘Well, thank you for turning off your phone,’ he says. ‘I’m happy to have your undivided attention.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’

  ‘Look, I have to shoot off soon,’ Mick says, ‘but do you want to finish this meeting over dinner tonight? I’d like to go over that information I asked for regarding those security systems. Will that give you enough time to get prepared?’

  Dinner tonight with a client will not go down well with Robert. And I really wanted to spend time with the girls this evening. I’m so worried about Katie. A knock at my office door saves me from answering. It’s Damien.

  ‘Phone call for you, Gemma.’

  ‘Can you take a message? I’m in a meeting.’ Damien should know not to disturb me. He’s aware of how important this pitch is.

  ‘It’s the school,’ he says in an apologetic whisper.

  ‘Can you take a message?’

  ‘They won’t let me. She’s insisting she speaks to you.’

  ‘Can you call Robert for me?’

  ‘He’s not answering.’

  ‘Please,’ Mick chips in, ‘take the call.’

  ‘Is that okay? I’m sorry.’

  ‘No problem.’ Mick tactfully gets to his feet. ‘I’ll wait outside.’

  ‘Thank you. I’ll be quick. Damien will look after you.’ I turn to my PA. ‘Okay, put the call through.’

  ‘They’re already holding,’ he replies.

  As Damien ushers Mick out of my office, I pick up the phone, half annoyed at the school, half worried what it could be about.

  ‘Mrs Ballantine?’

  ‘Speaking.’

  ‘This is Hayley from the school office. We’ve been trying to reach you for the past half hour.’

  My pulse begins to race. ‘Is it Katie? Is she okay?’

  ‘Katie? Yes, as far as I’m aware, Katie’s fine.’

  ‘So, what’s the problem?’ This better not be a call about missing uniform or a school project.

  ‘Miss Chalmers has asked me to contact you. It’s Eva. You need to come and pick her up.’

  ‘Pick her up? Is she okay? She’s not hurt, is she?’

  ‘No. Don’t worry, she’s not hurt or ill, but Miss Chalmers is insisting you come in.’

  Miss Chalmers is the headmistress and I’ve never met a scarier woman in my life. She’s good with the children, but is formidable with the parents. ‘It’s a bit tricky at the moment. I’m in a meeting at work,’ I explain. ‘Is something wrong?’

  ‘Can you please come in? Miss Chalmers will explain once you get here.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘As soon as you can please.’ The line goes dead. Hayley has ended the call.

  Bloody hell. What’s all that about? I’ve never had a call like that before. I put the receiver back in its cradle, get to my feet and start chewing my lip. I’ve now got to tell Mick Cosgrove that we can’t carry on with our meeting. But that’s the least of my worries. What can have happened to Eva for the school to want me to come in and collect her? Is it something serious? Did someone upset her? I hope it’s not something to do with Katie going missing this morning. It just seems too much of a coincidence to have two separate incidents with my children in one morning. I should have insisted that Hayley tell me what’s going on. She’s power mad, that one. I gather up my phone, laptop and paperwork, and stuff everything into my bag. Taking a deep breath, I leave my office.

  Mick is talking to Damien about AFC Bournemouth and their chances of avoiding relegation, but when I appear he breaks off and raises his eyebrows. ‘Everything okay? Shall we carry on?’

  ‘I’m so sorry. I’m going to have to go. Got to collect my eldest from school – some kind of emergency.’

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. So, shall I make dinner reservations for seven tonight?’

  ‘Can we make it another day?’ I ask, praying he won’t be too put out. ‘It’s just… I’m not sure whether I’ll be free this evening, what with my daughter…’

  Mick frowns. ‘I’m busy tomorrow. How about lunch on Friday?’

  ‘Sounds good.’ I nod. ‘Damien, can you…’

  ‘Of course, you go. I’ll work out timings with Mr Cosgrove.’

  ‘Thank you. Apologies again, Mick. I’ll see you on Friday.’

  ‘Looking forward to it.’ He leans in to kiss my cheek, which is slightly inappropriate, and we bump heads. Luckily, Damien starts talking about suitable appointment times just as the lift door opens and I’m able to get away.

  As I hasten back to the car in my crippling heels, I can’t stop my mind going into overdrive, wondering what’s happened with Eva. They said she’s not hurt or ill, so what on earth can it be about? Why couldn’t they have told me on the phone? I turn the corner and shiver as a gust of autumn wind hits me. Buttoning up my jacket, I try to remember where I parked my Honda CR-V. I’ve got so much going on in my head that I can’t even remember which side of the road I parked on. Eventually, I spy it hiding behind a minibus. But as I draw closer, my skin goes hot and my jaw drops open. I can’t quite believe what I’m seeing.