Dying To Get Away

Chapter Seven

 When Carrie's shift ended, she made her way to Barkley's Bank, and alongside the bank were a couple of benches, and there he was, waiting patiently.

Hi, Carrie. You all right?' he said to her with what seemed to be a fake grin.

'I'm fine. Thank you for the reference.'

'You were a good worker, Carrie, I was sorry to see you go.'

'Shut it, Darren, and tell me what you really want.'

'We'd split up ages ago, Carrie. I swear.'

'How did she know who I was?'

'She follows me around; turns up unexpected at places. She must have seen us together and started following you.'

'You expect me to believe that?'

'It's the truth.'

'OK, I'll believe you for now.'

'Can we start again?'

'I'll think about it,' Carrie answered before coolly walking away to go and catch her bus home.

On the bus, she kept thinking about what Darren had said. Did she believe a word of what he had told her? The answer was no. She didn't trust him. Things about him didn't add up. But what could she do about it? She just didn't know.

That night Carrie had a visitor – Emma.

'This is a rare appearance,' Carrie said to her. It's me usually coming to see you.'

'I thought I'd surprise you. I was gonna text you, but I couldn't be bothered. Then I thought I'd ring you, well, I was until I bumped into an old friend – Jade Humphries. Remember her?'

She's a few years older than us, but yeah, I remember her. Her sister was in my maths class.'

'Well, have I got a tale to tell you.'

'Come on, Em', don't keep me in suspense.'

'She used to work in the office you did, and apparently Darren couldn't keep his hands off her. He promised her the world – then she finds out that he is married. She saw him in town with another woman. It didn't take her long to put two and two together. When she confronted Darren about it, he told her some amazing tale. She didn't believe him. Anyway, she got her brother to warn him off. She hasn't set eyes on him since.

'Emma, how long ago was this?'

'Last year, a few months before I started at the factory.'

'She didn't happen to know where he was living at the time?'

'Yeah, the Hamilton estate.'

'Bloody hell, Em', have you seen the size of the houses there?'

'I know. You virtually must be a millionaire to live in one.'

'So, come on, which one is it?'

'That's the easy part. It's the first on the left-hand side as you go in.'

'I've seen it on the bus. It's a stunning place.'

'Yeah, apparently, it's got a swimming pool and a tennis court.'

'Anyway, I'll be visiting it on Saturday.'

'Want me to come?'

'No, I'll be OK. Darren may be many things but he ain't violent.'

'He may not be, but his wife might. She did threaten you, remember?'

'Yeah, but according to Darren, he told me it was all over between them and that she had been stalking him.'