Page 29 of The Day After Christmas
‘See ya in a bit.’
‘Will do.’
Felicity headed to the break room to find a jumper as it was inexplicably cold in the centre that day. She opened her locker and her mouth dropped open.
Sitting in her locker in the break room was a small shoebox. It was wrapped in pink paper with one of those cheap stick-on bows in red on the top.
A shudder went through her.
Last time someone had given her a mysterious box it had contained an engagement ring. A stunning Tiffany ring, no less. A stunning Tiffany ring that was meant for someone else. One of the many girls, in fact, that she had unknowingly played second fiddle to over the years. Cold prickled the back of her neck. Surely Adam couldn’t have left this here, could he? Surely all that was done now. She looked over her shoulder, half expecting him to be leaning against the door frame. He always had liked surprising her.
Satisfied there was no one around, she tentatively opened the box, and gasped. Inside was the most horrific thing she had ever seen. And she had been forced to watchHellraiseras a kid. Twice. Her brother had a lot to answer for.
Slowly, ever so slowly, she drew out the item, a small wooden rabbit. It looked as though it had been hand-carved as its features were rather crudely drawn in felt-tip pen and in its tiny (creepy) paws it was holding a blood-red heart. On the heart was written, again in felt-tip, the words,Be Mine.
There was no way Adam would have ever left something so hideous even at the height of his stalking.
Felicity let out a sigh of relief, then bit her lip. If not Adam, then who? And why?
CHAPTER 16
Friday night came round faster than she was ready for.
At 5pm as she finished her shift and locked the big heavy barn doors behind her, her father (her actual real-life father!) was already waiting in the car park, moving from foot to foot as if he’d been there a while.
It was a balmy evening and Harry was wearing a pale-green shirt and chinos, making him look a little like he was going on holiday. As soon as she saw him, her body relaxed, shoulders dropping clear inches. It was really him. It was her father. She was sure of it now. Definitely not an axe murderer. She could feel it, somehow, a long-lost thread of connection drifting between them like a gossamer spider’s web. Her heart gave a little lurch.
‘Evening, Felicity,’ he said, a little shyly.
‘Evening,’ she replied, her voice catching.
‘Good evening,’ came a third voice, and there was Andrea hurtling towards them across the gravel.
‘I thought you’d gone home already,’ said Felicity, weakly, even though Andrea had barely acknowledged her presence. She was homing in on Harry, her arms already outstretched.
‘I forgot something,’ said Andrea quickly to Felicity, a fixed smile on her face. And then, louder, ‘Well, helllooooooo. You must be Harry. How delightful to meet you at last.’
As she pulled back from two ridiculously un-Andrea-like air kisses, Harry was openly staring.
‘Erm. Hello. Yes, hello there. And you are…?’ he said, his already deep voice suddenly a semitone deeper.
Andrea giggled, actually giggled, like a small child.
Felicity rolled her eyes. ‘This is Andrea. She’s my boss. She doesn’t normally… I mean she’s not normally…’ Her voice tailed off as she realised neither of them was paying any attention to her at all.
‘Ahem,’ she tried, again.
Harry didn’t even turn his head towards her. He and Andrea were standing, transfixed, as if neither of them had ever seen another human before.
‘Sorry, darling,’ he said eventually. ‘What was that you were saying?’
‘Never mind. And don’t “darling” me. We’re not there yet I’m afraid. Shall we go?’ Felicity felt angry again all of a sudden. Protective, maybe even a little jealous. It was a strange feeling to be having about your own father.
‘Oh yes, right, of course. Lovely to meet you, Andrea,’ he said smoothly. ‘I hope to see you again.’
‘You can count on it,’ said Andrea in her filthiest voice.
‘No, you absolutely won’t,’ said Felicity, escorting Harry away and throwing Andrea a warning look over her shoulder. Andrea simply shrugged as if to say, ‘What?’
