conducted, which would require Aiden’s presence. So instead of sleeping in her crib she fell asleep in Isla’s arms. Struggling slightly beneath the weight of her growing daughter, Isla wandered back into her bedroom and looked back out of the window. She tensed when she realized that the arm of the mailbox was up once again.
‘Shit,’ Isla couldn’t stop herself from cussing but luckily Meegan slept through it. Carefully Isla carried the little girl downstairs and out the front door with her to the mailbox. With one hand she managed to pop open the front door and felt her stomach drop when she spotted the white envelope. She placed it between her teeth as she shut the mailbox back up and headed inside.
Placing Meegan in her travel cot in the lounge, Isla sat down heavily on the sofa and surveyed the white envelope. The front was blank, no addressee. For a moment she didn’t dare to open it but then her curiosity got the better of her and she ripped it open and unfolded the note contained inside.
The same erratic lettering. A different, yet still menacing message.
Get Out While You Can.
Isla’s grip tightened on the note. There was no misinterpreting the author’s intention. Barely daring to breathe, Isla looked over at her sleeping daughter who was so innocent, so small and so painfully vulnerable. Isla knew it was time to make Aiden aware of the notes; they’d gone beyond a joke and escalated into something far more troubling.
*
Isla seemed distracted over dinner. Meegan was upstairs, sleeping soundly, the heat of the day making her more tired than usual, so it was just the two of them sitting down to eat which was a rare occurrence. Usually Isla would take advantage of such a situation and light candles and open a bottle of wine, but there was no ceremony for the meal. Just two plates of meat loaf.
‘So how is the case coming along?’ she asked between mouthfuls, but then looked away as though she didn’t care for the answer.
‘It’s…interesting,’ Aiden admitted, more interested in what was troubling his wife.
‘Mmm,’ Isla gave a non-committal response.
‘I think it has the potential to get a lot messier than I anticipated.’
‘Uh huh.’
Isla would normally jump on such a comment, demanding to know the ‘messier’ details. Something was definitely wrong with her. Aiden put down his cutlery and looked her square in the face.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘What?’ Isla feigned surprised.
‘You’re behaving oddly, what’s the matter now?’
The inclusion of the word now seemed to irritate Isla and her eyes narrowed.
‘I’m fine.’
‘Seriously, what’s wrong?’ Aiden pushed.
‘I’m fine.’
‘Isla, I’m not an idiot. I know that when a woman says she’s fine she means the exact opposite!’
‘I’m really fine.’
‘Can we just skip to the part where you tell me what’s wrong, please?’ Aiden sighed, feeling drained from the argument he’d previously witnessed at Samuel Fern’s mansion and not wanting to enter into one of his own.
‘It’s just,’ Isla picked absently at the remains of her dinner as she tried to find the words.
‘Just what?’
Aiden was tired himself. The last thing he wanted to do was deal with whatever issue his wife currently had. In an ideal world he’d be able to just go up to bed and sleep. But Isla would only be unbearable the following day if he did that. Aiden ran a hand through his hair and wondered if he was heading in the same direction as Samuel Fern, if one day all that would remain in his marriage would be bitterness.
‘I don’t think I can stay here any longer,’ Isla told him, her voice rising slightly from nerves. ‘I know you like it here, and I know you think it’s best for Meegan for us to remain here, but I get a vote too and I’ve given the rural life a try and it’s not for me.’
Isla thought of the note, now torn up with the trash. As much as she wanted to ignore the notes, she couldn’t help but agree
‘Shit,’ Isla couldn’t stop herself from cussing but luckily Meegan slept through it. Carefully Isla carried the little girl downstairs and out the front door with her to the mailbox. With one hand she managed to pop open the front door and felt her stomach drop when she spotted the white envelope. She placed it between her teeth as she shut the mailbox back up and headed inside.
Placing Meegan in her travel cot in the lounge, Isla sat down heavily on the sofa and surveyed the white envelope. The front was blank, no addressee. For a moment she didn’t dare to open it but then her curiosity got the better of her and she ripped it open and unfolded the note contained inside.
The same erratic lettering. A different, yet still menacing message.
Get Out While You Can.
Isla’s grip tightened on the note. There was no misinterpreting the author’s intention. Barely daring to breathe, Isla looked over at her sleeping daughter who was so innocent, so small and so painfully vulnerable. Isla knew it was time to make Aiden aware of the notes; they’d gone beyond a joke and escalated into something far more troubling.
*
Isla seemed distracted over dinner. Meegan was upstairs, sleeping soundly, the heat of the day making her more tired than usual, so it was just the two of them sitting down to eat which was a rare occurrence. Usually Isla would take advantage of such a situation and light candles and open a bottle of wine, but there was no ceremony for the meal. Just two plates of meat loaf.
‘So how is the case coming along?’ she asked between mouthfuls, but then looked away as though she didn’t care for the answer.
‘It’s…interesting,’ Aiden admitted, more interested in what was troubling his wife.
‘Mmm,’ Isla gave a non-committal response.
‘I think it has the potential to get a lot messier than I anticipated.’
‘Uh huh.’
Isla would normally jump on such a comment, demanding to know the ‘messier’ details. Something was definitely wrong with her. Aiden put down his cutlery and looked her square in the face.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘What?’ Isla feigned surprised.
‘You’re behaving oddly, what’s the matter now?’
The inclusion of the word now seemed to irritate Isla and her eyes narrowed.
‘I’m fine.’
‘Seriously, what’s wrong?’ Aiden pushed.
‘I’m fine.’
‘Isla, I’m not an idiot. I know that when a woman says she’s fine she means the exact opposite!’
‘I’m really fine.’
‘Can we just skip to the part where you tell me what’s wrong, please?’ Aiden sighed, feeling drained from the argument he’d previously witnessed at Samuel Fern’s mansion and not wanting to enter into one of his own.
‘It’s just,’ Isla picked absently at the remains of her dinner as she tried to find the words.
‘Just what?’
Aiden was tired himself. The last thing he wanted to do was deal with whatever issue his wife currently had. In an ideal world he’d be able to just go up to bed and sleep. But Isla would only be unbearable the following day if he did that. Aiden ran a hand through his hair and wondered if he was heading in the same direction as Samuel Fern, if one day all that would remain in his marriage would be bitterness.
‘I don’t think I can stay here any longer,’ Isla told him, her voice rising slightly from nerves. ‘I know you like it here, and I know you think it’s best for Meegan for us to remain here, but I get a vote too and I’ve given the rural life a try and it’s not for me.’
Isla thought of the note, now torn up with the trash. As much as she wanted to ignore the notes, she couldn’t help but agree
Similar Books
