Page 63 of Witness 8

Her backpack felt heavy. The weight was reassuring. Her back was covered in sweat, but the long black overcoat she wore concealed it. The coat was breathable, but in this heat it was like having a furnace draped over her shoulders.

While she walked, she went over her speech. In her mind.

She would do exactly what the red priest had told her.

Esther Hanson lived in a redbrick, three-story townhouse. A basement apartment below, one set of steps up to her house. Thankfully, no lights were showing in the basement apartment. This was a really nice area to live. And, like most of these places, few people actually lived here. Probably half of this street was vacant properties, bought as investments, occasionally rented out on Airbnb, or short-term leases with stringent terms on cleaning and occupation.

These were no longer homes. They were money. Just big piles of money and, usually, if you left them well enough alone – those piles just grew bigger all by themselves, so when the property was back on the market after seven or ten years, prices had gone up and the investors could make their return.

Esther’s house was occupied. And a lamp lit the living room that overlooked the darkening street.

Taking a deep breath, Ruby climbed the eight steps to Esther’s front door and, covering her little finger with the sleeve of her coat, she rang the doorbell.

She waited only a few moments before Esther opened the door. No security chain. No checking through the peephole before she opened up. She was quicker than Ruby had expected, almost as if she was waiting for a caller.

The welcoming smile fell from Esther’s lips as soon as she saw who was on her doorstep. Replacing it with a look of confusion, and then something else. Something approaching disgust.

‘What are you doing here?’ asked Esther.

‘It’s about Althea,’ said Ruby. ‘I need to talk to you.’

‘You can talk to my daughter, your employer, about Althea. I have nothing to do with it,’ said Esther, coolly, and she stood back, started to close the door.

‘Wait, it’s because of Alison that I’m here. There are things you don’t know. Alison cried for two days after she lost that necklace. The silver lace one that you had given to her. She was inconsolable. I didn’t want to tell you because she was so worried about how you would react. When she found out it was Althea who stole it, I knew Alison would do anything to get that necklace back from the person who took it. But she didn’t do anything . . .’

She paused then, for dramatic effect, and in an effort to let what she had said sink in. Esther was not stupid, but perhaps shewasn’t the quickest. She just shook her head and started to close the door again.

‘Wait, please, do I have to say it out loud? Alison should have called the cops. I think Althea made sure that Alison couldn’t call anyone. I’m pretty sure Althea is blackmailing your daughter. I think it’s something to do with John and the gun the police found in the house.’

The door’s path had already concealed Esther’s face. It was an inch from shutting when it stopped, and gradually Esther pulled it open again. She had finally put together what Ruby was saying. Even if Ruby had to spell it out. Of course, Alison had to call the police. She would do that a hundred percent. Esther knew her daughter. A family heirloom with so much pain and history and love attached to it – it didn’t make any sense for Alison to just let that go.

‘How do you know Althea is blackmailing her?’

‘Can I come in? I don’t want to talk about this out here?’

Esther thought about it. Cast her eyes from side to side to see who else was on the street. It was quiet. No one around. But, still, she didn’t want the neighbors gossiping.

‘You’d better come in,’ said Esther.

She turned away, and Ruby stepped into the house and closed the door behind her. Ahead of her, in the hallway, Esther’s shoulders slumped as she exhaled. Perhaps she was thinking that she had been a foolish person, being taken in by Althea. Not only had this woman stolen from her family, but Esther had been stupid enough to get fooled again.

Turning right into the living space, Esther disappeared from Ruby’s view.

Slowing her pace, Ruby had a few seconds to put on her gloves before she went through. She managed to get them on, then put her hands in her pockets to conceal them.

Esther moved through the living room, and approached a table in the dining area where she pulled out a chair. As the legs dragged across the solid wooden floor, Esther paused again. Second thoughts, maybe. Perhaps Althea had been right all along, and it was Ruby who was playing her now.

Ruby saw the look of doubt creep in. The expressions on Esther’s face were easy to read, even for someone who didn’t have the greatest understanding of emotions.

‘You need to explain yourself right now. Because, if my daughter is in danger from anyone, I need to know,’ said Esther, gazing into Ruby’s eyes for the first time.

‘Why don’t you sit down. I think John and Althea are having an affair and that has something to do with that gun. I think Althea is trying to get money from Alison. This is really complicated. Do you mind if I get a glass of water?’

Waving a hand at the kitchen behind her, Esther sat down, a confused expression on her face.

Ruby wanted Esther confused. She had deliberately told her something so complex and strange, but with it an implied threat to her daughter, that Esther would have no choice but to hear Ruby out. Even if it was to confirm in her own mind that Ruby was full of shit.

Ruby moved behind her into the kitchen.