The Broken Man (Special Edition) Read online

  She gave a warm smile. ‘I should never have doubted her, because she welcomed me with open arms.’

  Sally listened quietly; at times shaking her head and other times shedding a tear.

  The longer she talked, the more Anne relaxed. ‘When I got there, I was exhausted and close to collapse. Aunt Ada took it all in her stride. She put me to bed, then she sat beside me, holding my hand. When I said I had some bad things to tell her, she said it could wait until I was rested. She reassured me that after I’d had a good long sleep, I could tell her, or not tell her, whichever I felt comfortable with. Either way, she would be there for me, and would nurse me back to health. And that’s exactly what she did.’

  Sally had met the old woman on only a couple of occasions. ‘That was a wonderful thing for her to do, but that’s what friends are for. Even so, as a young girl in need, you should have been able to turn to your parents.’

  Anne nodded sadly. ‘I know,’ she murmured, ‘but my parents were the last people I could turn to, and to tell the truth, I do understand now. They had me too late in life and it was all too much. Aunt Ada, though, was wonderful! I told her everything: how my parents had turned me out of the house; about Edward Carter, and the spiteful beatings.’ Her voice broke. ‘I told her about the baby, too, and we cried together. I felt so very sad.’

  ‘What did your aunt say you should do?’

  ‘She said I ought to report him to the police and tell them everything; that it wasn’t too late. But she didn’t know Edward like I did. If I had reported him, the police would have tracked me down, and then he would have got to me somehow. He would have killed me without a second thought. I know it, Sally. I know it!’

  Sally reminded her, ‘They would have questioned him anyway, what with the bruises on you, and the baby … and everything.’

  ‘Aunt Ada said that, but I know Edward. He would have wormed his way out of it, somehow or another. He probably blamed me. I wouldn’t put it past him.’

  ‘Anyway, thankfully he never did find you, did he? And thanks to Aunt Ada, you now have a whole new life.’

  ‘That’s true.’ Anne smiled at Sally. ‘And I have the best friend in you.’ Talking to Sally was as though a great weight had fallen from her shoulders.

  For a time, the two of them sat holding each other and thinking of the bad times.

  After a while, Sally asked, ‘Anne, you don’t have to answer this, but something has just occurred to me. How did you divorce Edward Carter, without him somehow discovering where you were?’

  ‘I never did divorce him.’

  ‘Oh, my Lord, why not?’

  ‘For the very reason you just mentioned: because I was afraid that if I applied for a divorce, I would have been found. He would know where I was, and I could not risk that.’

  ‘But doesn’t that mean you are technically still his wife?’

  ‘I suppose I must be. I’ve never really thought about it and, thankfully, no one has ever served me with official papers, but I don’t care. I don’t want anyone – lawyers or police, or anyone else – to find out where I am.’

  ‘Oh, Anne, you must find someone who can help you. Otherwise you’ll never be free of that monster. Neither of you will ever be able to move on with your lives.’

  ‘I don’t care about that!’

  ‘But what if you find someone in the future? There might come a day when you want to get married. But you won’t be able to.’

  ‘I will never again want to get married.’

  ‘All right then. But if you truly want to be rid of him, you need to find a discreet lawyer and tell him everything. He’ll be able to free you from Edward Carter once and for all. I’ll help you, Anne. I’ll do all I can to help you, I promise.’

  ‘No!’

  ‘But maybe there’s a way in which they can protect your address, so he can never find you.’

  Growing fearful, Anne drew away. ‘No! I won’t do it. Please, Sally, don’t ask me to. You can’t know what he’s like. He’s unhinged.’

  Sally urged her to think about it all the same.

  ‘I won’t ever let myself get drawn into another deep relationship. It’s too frighening,’ Anne said.

  ‘Anne, listen to me for a minute, please—’

  ‘You’re wasting your time. Please, Sally, don’t make me wish I’d never told you.’

  Undaunted, Sally had one more try. ‘If you don’t go to the police and tell them what he did to you, who’s to say he might not do the same to some other poor, unsuspecting woman? What if he was to hurt her, like he hurt you?’

  ‘It would not happen.’

  ‘But, how can you know that?’

  ‘Because I know I was partly to blame. I was just a stupid, naïve young girl who could not handle a deep relationship like that. I didn’t know how to deal with his moods. I was too easily bullied … too afraid. No other woman would ever be so gullible. No woman would ever let him hurt her like he hurt me. She would stand up to him, protect herself, or tell someone.’ Her voice dipped. ‘Only I had no one to tell.’

  Glancing about nervously, she suddenly drew closer to Sally. ‘I thought I saw him,’ she whispered huskily.

  ‘Who?’ Sally was taken by surprise.

  ‘Him! Edward Carter!’

  ‘When?’

  ‘This very morning, when I was leaving home. I saw this man, and for one awful minute, I could have sworn it was him!’

  ‘It wasn’t, though … was it?’

  ‘At first I was sure it was him. He was walking close to the house. I’d never seen him before, but at first glance he looked uncannily like Edward … same build. Same dark hair. But then I realised that Edward is older now, so the stranger could not have been him. He couldn’t, could he?’

  Sally calmed her. ‘No, of course not. Can’t you see, he’s haunting you, Anne. This is why you need to punish him for what he did to you and the baby. Trust me, Anne. You really must take legal steps. Divorce him. Close that episode of your life and stop being afraid.’

  ‘No! You don’t understand. If I stir things up now, he will never stop until he’s found me. I know him. I know what he’s capable of.’

  Growing nervous even at the possibility that Edward might somehow find her, she started the car. ‘We’d best make tracks.’ She grabbed Sally’s hand. ‘I’m really grateful for you listening to me. You can’t know how hard it’s been, living with the truth, and not being able to tell anyone.’

  Thrusting the engine into gear, she moved the car out of the side street and onto the main road.

  As they headed further into Bedford, neither Sally nor Anne spoke a word.

  And then out of the blue, Anne confessed, ‘The odd thing is, even though he was cruel and he hurt me badly, I never hated him.’ She took a long breath before finishing. ‘Until he killed my baby.’

  Sally made no comment, but when she noticed a solitary tear rolling down Anne’s face, she reached out and squeezed her hand, to reassure her that she was not alone any more.

  And the gesture was enough.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  HAVING ARRIVED AT Sally’s house, Anne drew up to the kerb. ‘I’ll see you on Monday then?’ She waited for Sally to climb out of the car.

  ‘Wait a minute!’ Sally had noticed that her husband’s car was not in its usual parking space. ‘It looks like Mick’s not home yet. He said he was popping in to see his mum on the way from work, so how about I come back with you? Afterwards, I’ll get the bus to Mick’s mum’s, and drive home with him.’ She gave Anne a way out: ‘Or have you had enough of me for today?’

  Still reeling from the shocking things Anne had confided in her, Sally was concerned about her being on her own just now.

  Anne, though, was receptive to Sally’s idea. ‘OK, that’ll be nice.’

  ‘Good!’ Sally slid back into her seat, a little smile of satisfaction curling the corners of her mouth.

  Edward Carter was quietly congratulating himself. After learning as much as he c
ould from the old geezers in the pub, he impatiently bided his time while hiding in a derelict builder’s yard.

  The day had seemed a lifetime long. Twice he’d returned to the house on Roff Avenue, but each time there were no signs of life. Then there was that officious-looking bobby, constantly patrolling the streets, and seeming to peek into every little hidey-hole, presumably looking for the man he saw lurking about earlier.

  So, remaining wary of the bobby, Carter watched and waited. When she got back, he would be ready for her.

  Yet again, he cautiously emerged from his hiding place. Snaking his way through the maze of back alleys and less inhabited places, he made his way back to the house. ‘You’ve been a thorn in my side for too many years,’ he muttered insanely. ‘You moved far away, but you should have known I’d find you eventually, and now that I have, we need to finish it, once and for all.’

  A short time later, unaware that he was lurking out the back, Anne slid the key into the front-door lock and stepped back for Sally to enter.

  ‘You put the kettle on,’ she said, ‘I’ll call the cat in. Little devil! She ran off again this morning, before I could feed her. I’ve no idea where she goes.’

  Sally chuckled. ‘Leave her alone. I expect she’s got a boyfriend.’

  While Anne rushed ahead, Sally followed her down the passageway and through to the kitchen, where she placed her handbag on the windowsill.

  Making a small bowl of meaty titbits, Anne then threw open the back door. ‘Pusscat! Come and get your feed … come on, I won’t call you again!’

  Meantime, Sally busied herself making the tea. ‘Milk, and one sugar, isn’t it?’ she called out.

  ‘Please.’ Anne returned with the bowl of food. ‘I expect she’ll come back when she’s ready. I would leave her food out, but stray cats will wolf it down.’ She covered the bowl with a plate and put it inside the sink cupboard.

  ‘Come on then, let’s you and me have our tea in the front room, eh?’ She placed a packet of gingerbreads and two cups of steaming tea onto the tray, and made her way to the front room.

  Anne padded happily along behind her. ‘Sounds good to me.’

  As they left the kitchen, not for one moment did they realise that they were being watched.

  A short time later, Sally threw her coat on, jingling the change in her pockets. ‘I’ll ring you when I get to Mick’s mum’s house.’ She gave Anne a parting hug, ‘Thanks for a smashing day out.’

  ‘Thanks for listening to my troubles.’

  ‘Ah, but don’t you remember what I said: that’s what friends are for?’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘Listen, Anne, about doing something to end the marriage … you will think about it, won’t you? You never know, maybe you’re already free, but you just don’t know it. I have heard that they can declare a marriage null and void in certain circumstances, but I’m not sure.’

  Anne gave a little smile. ‘Don’t forget to ring me when you get to Mick’s mum’s.’

  Having seen them arrive, Edward Carter had kept his distance. Now he was placed in a vantage point at the end of the alley where he was able to see out while no one could see him.

  He watched Sally hurry past the opening. He saw her turn and wave.

  ‘’Bye, Anne. See you!’

  He smiled to himself. Will you now? His plan did not include a third party.

  At the bus shelter, Sally checked the time of the next bus. Still twenty minutes to wait. Oh, bugger, I could have stayed with Anne another ten minutes, she thought impatiently.

  Back at the house, while collecting the tray from the front room, Anne glanced through the window to see the tabby cat, strolling lazily across the busy road. Quickly replacing the tray on the table, she ran out of the front door and swept the cat into her arms.

  ‘You silly little devil! You could get run over.’

  Carrying the wriggling bundle inside, she placed the dish of food on the floor, and stood the grateful cat in front of it. ‘There! Make sure you eat it all up.’

  While the cat tucked into its food, she returned to the front room, and collected the tray. As she walked back into the kitchen, she had a sickening feeling that someone else was in the house.

  Through the corner of her eye she saw the swish of a dark jacket. Panicking, she turned to run, but he was on her, gripping her so tight by the neck, she struggled to breathe.

  The more she fought to escape, the more his grip tightened, and there was no way out.

  ‘Missed me, have you?’ His warm, thick breath fanned her face. ‘Long time, no see, but you haven’t changed much. Still the same, tight little figure … same mop of hair. Mmm!’ Gripping a lock of her fair curls in his teeth, he buried his face in her hair. ‘You smell real nice … all woman.’ He gave a long, deep groan as he ran his free hand over her private parts.

  Frantic, Anne tried to push him away, but he held her fast. He swung her round to face him, his narrow eyes boring into her. ‘You ran away from me. No woman ever ran away from Edward Carter!’ Pushing his face close to hers, he whispered in her ear, ‘That was not a nice thing to do. You really are a prize bitch, aren’t you?’

  ‘Leave me alone!’ However hard Anne struggled, she could not free herself from his vice-like grip. ‘You mean nothing to me. I don’t want anything to do with you.’

  His laughter rang through the house. ‘Is that so?’ he growled. ‘Little Miss High-and-Mighty doesn’t want anything to do with me? Well, you listen to me, bitch! This is your husband you’re talking to. The same husband you dumped back there. The same husband who helped you when even your own parents turned you out. You might be surprised to know that I’ve made a few friends since I got here, and by the way, I’ve done my homework. Oh, yes! I know you don’t have a man-friend, and you should thank your lucky stars for that, because if I thought you had set up with another man, I would need to deal with him … and it would not be nice. If you know what I mean?’

  He craftily slid one arm over her shoulders and across her breast. When he began roughly fondling her, she fought viciously. ‘Get off me! Get out of my house! My friend has just gone to the shop. She’ll be back in a minute—’

  ‘Liar!’ Screeching with laughter, he licked her neck from the hairline to the collarbone, making her cringe with disgust.

  ‘I’ve been watching you,’ he crowed, ‘and your friend. I know she’s gone, and I know she’s not coming back. I heard her say cheerio. So, to my reckoning, that leaves just you and me. You may not believe it, but it’s been a while since I had a woman. Oh, but that can wait for now; until we’ve discussed the legal stuff.’

  Anne knew the depth of his badness, and she was desperate. ‘What are you talking about? What legal stuff? There’s nothing between us any more, and never will be. Like I told you, I want nothing to do with the man who killed my baby! I hate you. Every minute of every day, I’ve wished you dead. Do you hear what I’m saying?’

  Her words were cruelly cut short when he grabbed her by the face. ‘You want me dead, do you? Well, it won’t happen. I’ll tell you what will happen, though, shall I?’ Lowering his voice, he growled in her ear, ‘Like I said, I’ve made friends. They very kindly filled me in on a thing or two. For instance, I know the old biddy left you this house. Only it’s not your house now. It’s mine! I’m your husband. What’s yours is mine. I’m entitled to whatever you have, and that includes this house.’

  ‘NEVER!’ Anne screamed at him. ‘You’ll get my aunt’s house over my dead body.’

  ‘Oh, don’t you worry, that can always be arranged.’ Thrusting his face close to hers, he took delight in boasting, ‘After you ran off, it didn’t take me long to find myself another woman. I never loved her, though; not like I love you. She meant nothing to me. She was weak. She had no spirit. I despised her for that.’ Anne was shocked when he added casually, ‘She died, you know.’

  ‘What do you mean, “she died”?’

  ‘She had an accident. She fell down the stairs �
� broke every bone in her body, I shouldn’t wonder. I had a son too … Adam. I left them both behind, because of you. Y’see, it’s you I want.’ He smiled. ‘It’s always been you. So, what d’you say to that, eh?’

  ‘I say, I’ve always known that you’re completely mad.’ Now she was more convinced of that than ever.

  ‘Still feisty, eh?’ Her spirit pleased him. ‘If I’m “mad”, it’s prison that made me that way. I did time because of that weak, spineless woman. Even when she was dying, she was too afraid to accuse me.’

  ‘Was it your fault she died?’ Anne dared to ask.

  ‘Hmm! Don’t you think if it had been my fault she would have said so, and I would have been put away for a very long time?’

  He abruptly changed the subject. ‘The boy was made in her mould. I’ve no idea where he is now. Nor do I want to know. He meant nothing to me, and neither did his mother, although I’m grateful that she chose not to say it might have been me who caused her early demise.’

  His manner darkened. ‘There were others who tarnished my name, though. Apparently, the medical team found a number of bruises on her body, and made certain suggestions. One or two other things were said that marked my card and got me put away. My own son turned against me, and some old man gave an account of me supposedly running away on the day it all happened. I got a prison sentence. Oh, but it was rough in there, I can tell you. The place was filled with rogues, murderers and bad people you could never imagine. But the experience has made me stronger. It’s taught me that I must do whatever it takes to survive.’

  He smiled. ‘It even gave me the will to find you … and lay my claim to this house. So now, I’m back in your life, and that pleases me.’

  He sniggered. ‘You should be delighted to see me. Instead, here you are, calling me all sorts of names, and even wanting to fight me.’

  Suddenly, taking him by surprise, Anne pulled away and ran down the hallway, but he caught her and pinned her against the wall. ‘Don’t make me angry.’ He dragged her into the front room. ‘You’ll only come off worse.’ With one mighty shove he sent her sprawling onto the sofa. ‘Now be quiet or I’ll have to gag you!’ Keeping a wary eye on her, he swiftly drew the curtains shut. ‘We don’t want anyone being nosy, do we?’