Page 73 of Finding Jacob
“Why don’t you get some sleep and then we’ll head off this afternoon?”
It was my turn to nod. He slid from the bed and closed the curtains. I handed him the tray and settled back in the pillows. “Just give me a couple of hours, otherwise, I won’t sleep tonight?” I asked, hoping I would sleep and not have nightmares.
As soon as Jacob left, I drifted off.
Jacob opened the front door to my townhouse. Nathan had met us there. He’d told the police officer in charge that I was heading there, and we had been instructed to wait for him. The house had been designated a crime scene, so we were to avoid the kitchen. I did glance through the door and saw the cartons and syringe gone, thankfully.
Jacob and I headed up to the bedroom. When he saw the state of the room, the splintered door frame where it had been kicked open, the debris from my attempt to keep the intruder away, he really lost it.
He swore and stomped around the room, shaking his head. “I fucking swear to you, Anna, when I find out who did this...”
I was thankful he didn’t tell me exactly what he would do. His jaw was tense, his fists clenched, and it looked like he’d expanded a few inches. He was completely intimidating. His eyes had darkened.
I walked over to him and placed my hand on his chest. I stared at him. I could feel his heart racing, as was mine, but I wanted to get done what we had to, and get out.
He took in a deep breath and let it out. He then wrapped me in his arms and kissed the top of my head. “I will kill him,” he whispered, and I believed him.
I pulled a couple of holdalls from the closet and started to pack. I needed a suitcase, but they were in the basement, I asked Nathan if he’d grab one. I decided to pack as much as I could immediately, and then I’d arrange for a removal company to deal with the rest. I packed one with toiletries, hairdryer, and straighteners, and then another with underwear and casual clothes, adding shoes on the top. I was an expert ‘packer,’ having had to take many short trips with just hand luggage.
By the time I had filled the second holdall, suitcase, and a backpack, I had enough for a couple of weeks. I walked from the bedroom to the nursery next door, Jacob followed me.
“I never got to set this room up,” I said sadly. I had been looking forward to designing the walls and seeing all the furniture in place.
Jacob placed his arm around my shoulder. “We’ll have this sent to the apartment and you can do that there,” he said, referring to his London pad.
“I’m going to have a removal company deal with all my personal stuff, all the furniture can stay in the house, other than the nursery, obviously. I’m not sentimentally attached to any of it.”
I couldn’t help the sadness creep into my voice. I didn’t want to leave my home under those circumstances, but it didn’t feel right to stay there anymore. I felt forced out. I knew once I was settled in Hampshire I’d love it, but the timescale had been taken away from me. I knew I’d never feel safe in my home again. If it had been a straightforward burglary, I think I could have coped, but it wasn’t. Someone meant me harm, whether they knew me or not. I shivered at the thought.
“I need to get out,” I said to Jacob. My skin prickled, the hair on my neck stood on end, and I felt sick. I could feel my heart starting to race and my vision blurred. I was heading for a full-on panic attack.
I rushed down the stairs with him behind, tripping on the last step because I was wearing a pair of Jacob’s flip-flops that were many sizes too big. I hadn’t thought to change my footwear when I was upstairs. Jacob asked Nathan to grab my bags and he’d settle me in the car. We couldn’t go anywhere until the police arrived so would have to sit in the street. Instead of sitting in the car, I opted to sit on the end of a raised planter. I dragged in air and concentrated on settling my shaking hands. Jacob sat beside me.
“Are you okay? We saw the police here,” I heard. I opened my eyes to see a neighbour, one I’d bade a good morning or afternoon to, but never had a conversation with. He was an elderly gentleman.
“Sorry, I needed a moment. I was attacked the other night here in my house. It’s been hard to come back but I needed some things.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. Can’t believe these things can happen here, can you?” he replied. “I’ll be sorry to see you leave. You’re the only one who speaks.”
He genuinely looked sad, and I felt a pang of guilt. I hadn’t been the best neighbour myself. He wandered off with a wave.
“You can relax now,” I said.
I’d felt Jacob tense and half rise from where we sat. He was on alert, and I liked that. I’d never had the feeling of being protected before, although I had been by Nathan. With Jacob, it felt so different, way more personal.
Before he could answer, we were joined by a police officer. He introduced himself and asked if I felt more comfortable talking at the station. I shook my head and stood.
“We can sit in the living room,” I said, determined to walk back into the house.
Nathan was taking photographs in the kitchen and the courtyard, and he wasn’t even trying to be subtle. I could hear the second officer on site grumbling about it. I often wondered how Nathan got away with as much as he did and was determined to ask.
I was asked what I could remember of that night.
“Something woke me, I was startled, I remember that. Then I heard a noise and it sounded like my fridge and a cupboard door being opened. It was like that. I got out of bed and listened, then I heard the chair fall and it sounded like a woman. I called out, stupidly, that I’d called the police, or something like that.”
I couldn’t get the timeline right in my head.
“When did PC Andrews call you?”
