The en-suite door is ajar and I walk into the room, giving one more call of Alice’s name, just to be doubly certain she’s not in the bathroom.
The first thing I do is open the wardrobe. There are quite a few clothes hanging up and it strikes me Alice keeps her wardrobe in the same sort of order that I keep mine in. All the tops together, all the skirts, all the jackets, although Alice’s is a depleted version of mine. I reach for the tops and push apart the coat hangers. And there it is, the blue top with the green-and-white fish pattern is hanging up, right in the middle. So, Pippa was right, not that I ever doubted my friend, but it was something I needed to see with my own eyes. I’m then struck by the top hanging next to it. The blue-and-white striped t-shirt with the red piping on the sleeve. I have the exact-same one. I start to rummage through the rest of the clothing. A blue denim skirt, just like the one I wore with the fish- patterned top.
I take a step back from the wardrobe, as if I’m stepping away from the edge of a cliff. My head swims and I take a moment to steady myself as I feel off-balance. I close my eyes for a second and when I open them. I take another, more measured, look at the clothes. They are definitely the same as mine. Are they mine?
I dart out onto the landing and into my room, the next one along in the hallway. I yank open my wardrobe and pull at the garments, shoving the coat hangers apart, looking for the clothes I have just seen in Alice’s wardrobe. None of them are there.
‘They’re my bloody clothes,’ I say out loud.
The sound of my own angry voice pulls me up short. I can feel my pulse thumping in my neck and my breathing is coming fast and heavy. I need to get a grip. So what my clothes are in Alice’s room? She’s just borrowed them, like she did before.
I walk back to Alice’s room and go to retrieve them, but pause. Of course, I could play this to my advantage. I rearrange the coat hangers as neatly as I found them and close the wardrobe.
Looking around the room, my attention is suddenly drawn to the dressing table. In particular, the bottle of perfume on the side. It has a sliver top and the bottle is shaped like an hourglass. I know, without even smelling it, that it’s the Avon perfume I have on my dressing table. I smell it all the same to be certain. Where the hell did she get another bottle of that? It’s like gold dust, having been discontinued a couple of years ago. This will be just more proof.
I sit down on the dressing-table stool and although I know it’s wrong, I feel totally justified in looking in the drawers. Her underwear is even laid out neatly in order, the same way as in mine. Somehow, I’m not surprised. I close the drawer and look at my reflection. I think back to the photograph Alice sent me and mum of herself and her friend and how happy we were to have finally been contacted by her.
I notice the bedside table in the mirror and find myself drawn towards it. I’ve poked around in her dressing table, what’s the point in stopping now? I might as well go the whole hog.
I slide open the single drawer of the bedside table. I’m shocked by what I see. A silver photo frame, like the one my wedding photo was in, is lying in the drawer face up. It’s not just the frame, though, it’s the picture inside. It’s of Alice, taken on Brighton seafront, but she’s not alone. Standing close next to her, arms around each other, is Luke, both smiling madly at the camera. My mouth dries as I stare at the photograph. My legs feel wobbly and I sink down onto the edge of the bed. My heart pummels my breastbone. I blink slowly and take another look at the picture, in case I’m imagining things.
No, they are still there, smiling back at me. My husband and my sister. Mocking me.
Chapter 15
I can barely wait for everyone to get home. Then I can show Luke and Mum what Alice is really like. I can’t help feeling a little guilty, as I know I’m going to cause Mum a lot of pain, but I really think they need to know the truth about Alice, that she’s manipulative, deceitful and even a fantasist, if the photo of her and Luke is anything to go by. I can’t wait to hear how Alice is going to get out of this one.
Mum and Alice arrive home and, of course, are surprised to see me. Mum comes into the kitchen on her own.
‘Where’s Alice?’ I ask, wasting no time on civilities.
Mum stops and looks at me. She can sense something is up. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see you here. I hope you’ve calmed down after this morning.’ She places two bags of shopping on the worktop and leaves them there while she checks the post on the table.
‘I wasn’t feeling too well,’ I say. I look back down the hall. ‘Is Alice with you?’
‘She’s just nipped to the bathroom,’ says Mum. ‘Clare, you still seem very on edge. I don’t want any more trouble.’
‘Why hasn’t she used the downstairs loo?’ I ask, noting the cloakroom door is not closed properly and ignoring Mum’s comment
‘I’ve no idea. Does it really matter?’
I hear footsteps on the stairs as Alice trots down. She swings around the newel post and flashes a smile at me.
‘Hello, Clare,’ she says. She comes into the kitchen. ‘You okay? Not at work?’
‘Clearly,’ I say. ‘I’ve misplaced an important file, so I’ve popped back to look for it. I don’t suppose anyone has seen it, have they?’
‘No, sorry, love,’ says Mum her tone lightening slightly. ‘Have you checked your desk in the study?’
‘Yes, but I didn’t go in there at the weekend. To be honest, I didn’t even take it out of my briefcase.’
‘Well, you can’t have brought it home, then,’ says Alice blithely as she unpacks the shopping. She pops a can of beans in the cupboard as if she’s done it a hundred times before. As if it’s her kitchen.
‘It’s not at work, so it must be here,’ I say tersely. I catch a glimpse of the expression on Alice’s face. Was that a little smile at the corners of her mouth as she turned away? ‘Are you sure you haven’t seen it, Alice?’
Alice gives a laugh, as if I’m being totally ridiculous. ‘Clare, I promise, I haven’t seen the file. I don’t even know what it looks like. Have you checked everywhere?’
‘Of course!’ I snap.
‘Clare!’ Mum gives me a disapproving look. ‘Alice is only trying to help. Now make yourself useful and put the kettle on.’
I do as I’m told and by the time I’ve made tea, Luke has arrived home.
‘Mummy!’ calls Chloe, running down the hallway. I scoop her up.
‘Hello, darling. How was your day at nursery?’ I give her several kisses and spin her around in my arms before putting her down. ‘Would you like a drink?’
‘Juice, pease,’ says Chloe, still not quite able to master the word.
I meet Luke’s gaze and offer a smile as I try to gauge his mood with me. ‘All right?’ he says. There’s a coldness to his voice and I can’t help feeling disappointed as he side-steps me without stopping for a kiss.
‘How was your day?’ I push on.
‘How do you think?’ His voice is monotone. ‘Yours?’
‘Not so good. I’ve lost a file. Came home early to try to find it,’ I say, trying to keep a faint hold on normality.