He was in the kitchen checking the back door for any signs of damage.
“I can't see anything,” he said without looking up. “Did Penny leave it open?”
I shook my head.
“No, Penny didn't come in while we were away and we didn't leave it open either.”
Philip stopped instantly and stared at me, puzzled.
“Well, there is no damage so if Penny hasn't been here then one of us must have forgotten to lock it!”
“It was Sam!”
“Sam!” he exclaimed, “What do you mean, Sam? I thought you were done with all that!”
His face looked like thunder!
“I have, I promise you but I just spoke with Penny. She said Sam visited her saying that she should be with me and not you.”
“I'm calling the Police!” Philip said curtly and turned towards the phone hanging on the wall.
I grabbed his arm.
“No, not yet. She said she lost her keys but found them between the cushions of the sofa. Whatever has happened with Sam it is entirely my fault. At least let's give her the opportunity to either admit it or prove her innocence. Besides, we don't have any firm proof yet.”
Philip looked doubtful.
“Look,” I told him. “I am over this now. I know where my heart lies so, if you like we will confront her together.”
He took a deep breath.
“All right,” he said at last. “We do this together and if she has been in here then she has issues that need to be addressed.”
“Yes, I agree but we can't go to the Police. I couldn't bear for all this to be made public.”
“Fair enough,” he relented. “What do you propose then?”
I thought carefully before answering.
“I don't know...”
I pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and sat down, my head in my hands and he sat beside me.
“I've been such a fool,” I whispered. “Not only have I been selfish but I could have have put you in danger.”
Philip's face softened then.
“You could have put us both in danger,” he said.
He took my hands in his and gazed into my eyes.
“When I married you I promised 'for better or worse' and quite honestly I can't think of anything which could be much worse than losing your love.”
I opened my mouth to protest that I did love him but he stopped me from speaking with a finger on my lips.
“I thought I had for a time and it was unbearable,” he continued quietly. “Now I know I haven't. I am certain that you love me just as much as ever and I will stay by your side and protect you for as long as we live.”
I could feel a tear begin to form but before it could fall, Philip wiped it away with his thumb and kissed me gently on the lips.
“I will never betray you again,” I whispered then took a deep breath. “I suggest that we see Penny and find out exactly what has been happening whilst we were away and then take it from there.”
“Fair enough,” he replied, “There is something I must do first, though.”
I looked at him, puzzled.
“Change the locks!” he said. “If she does have a key she could come back anytime she wants to.”
After he left for the hardware store, about twenty minutes away, I busied myself in the kitchen clearing away the breakfast things and washing up. We had a dishwasher but as it was empty it was just as easy to wash these few items by hand.
I went to throw a piece of unwanted toast into the bin but when I opened the lid there was no bag inside.
I had forgotten that I had emptied and cleaned it before we left.
The new bags were in the garage which was accessed from a door at right angles to the back door so in I went and reached up to the shelf where they were stored, tore one off the roll and returned with it to the kitchen but when I stepped through the door my blood ran cold in my veins.
The back door was open!
I couldn't move but just stared at it, terrified.
“Sam...?” I called out but the sound was barely more than a whisper and my voice was tremulous with fear.
There was no reply and all I could hear was the deafening hiss of the blood flowing through my ears and the heavy pounding of my heart.
I slowly turned around, not sure what I would find but it seemed I was alone.
Suddenly my mind went haywire and I slammed the back door shut and wedged a chair back beneath the handle then did the same with the door through to the hall. I couldn't secure the garage door as it opened the opposite way but I knew she wasn't in there and she didn't have a key for the outer door.
As soon as I was satisfied that I was safe I grabbed my phone and called Philip but the called was immediately diverted to voicemail.
“Ph...Philip,” I stuttered, “I think she's in the house!”
I waited, hand shaking but there was no reply, of course.
I called Penny.
“Hi, this is Penny. I'm sorry I missed you...”
No! Not her too!
I looked around frantically for something to defend myself with, not sure whether Sam had lost her mind.
There was a block of carving knives on the work surface so I grabbed the biggest and sat at the table waiting, every nerve in my body taut and tingling.
After what seemed an eternity there was a thump on the door to the hallway and I jumped out of my chair and faced it, holding the knife out in front of me.
The handle rattled.
“Anna? What's going on?”
Philip!
I ran to the door and threw the chair to one side, dragged it open and threw my arms around him, dropping the knife onto the floor.
“She's here!” I hissed into his ear. “I went into the garage and when I came out the door was open again!”
“I just came through the front door. Surely I would have...” he started to say but seeing the look of panic on my face he relented.
“All right,” he said softly. “Let's have a look around.”
I picked up the knife again and followed him up the stairs.
We checked the bedrooms and bathroom carefully but all was as quiet as it was downstairs so we returned to the kitchen and once I had returned the knife to its space in the block, Philip took me by the shoulders.
“Let me fit the new locks then we will go and see Penny and see what's going on.”
I nodded, still nervous.
“I will make coffee,” I said, more for something to say but I also needed a very strong dose of caffeine.
Philip went into the garage for his tools and returned moments later with the small plastic box and immediately set to work.
I watched intently as he began removing screws from the edge of the door.
Suddenly he sat back as a strip of metal clattered loudly to the floor.
“Oh, you've got to be kidding!” he exclaimed.
“What?” I asked, wide eyed.
“This bloody lock hasn't been fitted properly. It's all come apart inside and broken!”
“What are you saying?” I said, puzzled. “It was only fitted a few months ago!”
“I am saying,” he said slowly, “That this door has never been locked all the time it's been fitted!”
He began pulling pieces of metal from inside the plastic door.
“Look at it this. The handle has been operating but none of the latches have been locating and now the spring in the lever has broken so it won't even hold the door closed!”
It took a minute or two for this startling piece of information to sink in.
“Erm... so you're saying that the door could have opened by itself?”
“I'm saying that I am surprised that it stayed closed at all!”
“So I have accused Sam and she hasn't done anything?”
He breathed out slowly.
“Looks like it,” he agreed.
Now I felt terrible and hoped that Penny had not spoken to her yet.
“I'll ring Penny and tell her,” I said quickly, grabbing my phone from the table. “Oh Lord, I hope she hasn't said anything to her yet.”
My finger quickly tapped the screen and I waited patiently for her to answer.
“Hi. This is Penny. I'm sorry I missed you...”
I waited impatiently for the tone.
“Penny, it's Anna. If you haven't spoken to Sam yet, don't!” I almost shouted the last word. “Ring me as soon as you can, it's important.”
I tapped end call, put the phone on the kitchen table then flopped onto the chair.
“What the hell is she going to think of me?” I said quietly. “First I break her heart then accuse her of stalking me. If she didn't hate me before she certainly will if she finds out!”
I looked across at Philip, not really expecting a reply but he looked back with a look that said she deserved it.
“She didn't deserve it, Philip,” I said pre-empting the thought.
“Did she know you were married?” he asked, turning his attention back to repairing the door.
“Yes, but...”
“Then she knew what she was getting into. She is not a child, Anna.”
I didn't argue.
In a way, he was right but I still shouldered one hundred percent of the blame and the fact that I had led her into this mess weighed heavily upon me.