It was the first time Laura had visited Tanners Fen, and she gazed around in approval. ‘What an idyllic spot! It’s so peaceful.’
Liz thought of Kate Stonebridge’s equally beautiful situation, but there was no peace there. Matt had returned from his visit to Holland House in shock. He’d had his first insight into Kate’s state of mind, and it had shaken him.
They went inside and Liz offered their guest some tea. ‘Matt’s just tidying himself up. He won’t be long. He’s been stacking logs in the store, ready for next winter.’
As Liz was bringing the tea, Matt arrived. His first words were, ‘Am I glad to see you!’
‘That sounded pretty emphatic,’ Laura said.
And the dam burst. In a torrent of words, Liz and Matt told her about Kate and the strange way she was behaving, and their concerns for Will. Laura listened intently.
After a lengthy silence, Laura set down her mug. ‘I can see that your friend is in dire need of proper help. You tell me that she refuses to ask for that help, and her husband is not prepared to go against her wishes. That means we need to try and find another way to mitigate her escalating mania and hopefully break the pattern. It will be very difficult. If she is as you describe, it’s unlikely that we’ll succeed without the aid of medication. Is there any way I could meet her?’
‘We can try, Laura, but Will is against it at present. He’s afraid Kate will realise that you’re a doctor.’ Matt sighed. ‘The poor guy risks losing her whatever he decides to do. He’s walking a tightrope, with no safety net beneath him.’
‘Not quite,’ said Laura with a gentle smile. ‘That’s exactly what you are at present. Imagine having to face all this alone, with no friend to listen to you.’
‘I’m afraid of what might happen, Laura,’ Matt said after a while. ‘As I see it, she’s heading for a complete breakdown, and if that happens, he will blame himself.’
‘Is there any chance she might recover without any treatment?’ asked Liz.
Laura tilted her head to one side. ‘She’s clearly a fighter. She came back from a similar situation once before, so she could do it again. The move to Holland House must have been quite traumatic for her, especially when she found out about the children that died there, after losing her own baby not so long before. I suppose her compulsive behaviour might resolve itself if her life gets back on a more even keel.’
‘Whisper Fen isn’t exactly a peaceful place right now.’ Matt told Laura about the attacks on Emilia’s cottage and the presence of an unsavoury character living not far from Holland House.
Laura pulled a face. ‘Ah. No, it doesn’t make for a relaxing atmosphere.’
Matt leaned forward. ‘I only saw one of her paintings, Laura, but it was extremely disturbing. Tomorrow, I’m taking Kate to visit an old-timer who worked at Holland House many years ago. While we are out, Will is planning to get into her studio and photograph all the paintings. I’ll forward them to you. I think you need to see them.’
She nodded. ‘I know. I’ve told Sam about this case and he’d also like to see them. His help will be invaluable. From what you’ve told me, it’s my belief that Kate’s condition is due to unresolved grief over the death of her baby.’
‘What advice should we give to Will?’ asked Matt.
‘The best thing he can do at the moment is try and keep her calm. He shouldn’t try to contradict her, whatever she says. That’s easier said than done with those mood swings, but even if he is screaming inside, he needs to try to keep the peace. What we don’t want is something upsetting her even further. He has to try to keep things ticking over quietly, which means no nasty surprises.’
‘No nasty surprises,’ echoed Matt. ‘It seems to me that it’s Kate who’s dishing those out.’
‘In truth, what Kate Stonebridge needs is expert help.’ Laura paused. ‘It might come to that, despite everyone’s best efforts.’
Though Liz didn’t say so, she wondered if that might be for the best. But what would it take to make it happen? And who might get hurt in the process?
They sat talking for a while, until Laura said she ought to leave.
‘Thank you so much for listening,’ said Matt. ‘And I’ll get those photos forwarded to you as soon as I get them.’
With a final, ‘No surprises, remember?’ Laura Archer drove away.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Long before Matt was due to arrive, Will was watching the lane for signs of his approaching car.
It was the morning of Matt and Kate’s meeting with old Amos. A lot hinged on whether Matt could keep Kate away from the house long enough for Will to get into the studio and photograph those paintings.
He paced to and fro, ashamed of behaving in such an underhanded way towards his beloved wife. He felt like a traitor.
As soon as he saw Matt’s car, he went indoors to find his wife. Kate was upstairs in their bedroom, standing in front of the long mirror and smoothing down her jeans, which she’d tied with a leather belt to keep them from falling down. With her hair scraped back in a ponytail, she looked thinner than ever.
‘Ready, sweetheart?’ Will said. ‘Matt’s here.’
She looked like a frightened teenager. ‘I haven’t been out for a while, have I? Still, it’s got to happen sometime, I suppose. Let’s hope old Amos keeps my mind occupied. Are you sure you won’t come along?’
He hugged her and found she was trembling.
‘Oh, sweetheart, you’ll be quite safe with Matt. He’s really keen to introduce you to the old guy, and you know me, I’d be bored stiff within five minutes.’
‘More like two, actually.’
‘Exactly. Tanners Fen village is only a couple of miles up the road. You’ll be fine. It’ll be good for you. You can do it, I know you can.’
She swallowed hard, drew herself up straighter. ‘You’re right. I can.’
Will waved them off, went back into the house and ran up to the studio. As he had expected, the door was locked, which meant using the ladder again.
Will hurried downstairs. He stopped in his tracks. Lying on the hall table were her keys. Seeing them there, he realised just how anxious she had been about venturing into the outside world. She normally took them everywhere with her, even to the toilet.
Back upstairs, he unlocked the door and went in.
The doll.
It sneered at him from the window seat, its derisive expression making him uneasy. He picked it up, turned it to face the window and wiped his hand on his jeans. Even touching the thing repulsed him.
He took out each painting and photographed it with his phone, making sure to put them back exactly as they had been. There were more than he’d thought. Nine dark and frightening paintings, all depicting a concealed and apparently dead child with some dreadful evil entity lurking in the vicinity.
He lingered over the one that Matt had seen. His friend had said it scared him to death. Awful in its content, it was nevertheless brilliantly executed. Soft luminescence from a lantern illuminated the scene. Though the subject matter was ghoulish and macabre, Kate’s talent was undeniable.
Will quickly went through the paintings again and came across one he had missed. He stood back and stared at it. Though it contained no monster or partially hidden baby, the painting seethed with an almost palpable sense of foreboding.