The Half Truth(23)

Nothing was out of place and yet, as her mind jumped back to what had woken her in the first place, she knew there had been a foreign noise, one that did not belong in the house. One that threatened her.

‘Do you want to sleep in Mummy’s bed tonight?’ She didn’t wait for Dimitri to say yes. Tina pulled back the duvet and picking him up, carried him through to her bedroom. ‘There, we will look after each other.’

‘Can I have a glass of water, please?’ said Dimitri as Tina tucked the cover under his chin.

‘Of course.’

The words came out rather more freely than she felt. Going out into the hall, she closed the bedroom door tight behind her, checking it was shut firmly. Tina hurried across the landing. Pausing at the top of the staircase, she looked down into a well of darkness. She looked back at the bedroom door. An irrational feeling of wanting to be on the other side of the door with Dimitri crawled over her. Goosebumps prickled her skin. She glanced at Dimitri’s bedroom door. The blackness seemed to be reaching out, stretching its way onto the landing, curling itself around her ankles.

Tina fumbled for the two-way light switch at the top of the stairs. Immediately the downstairs was illuminated. She ran down the staircase and flicked the living-room light on, then the dining-room light as she navigated the hallway towards the kitchen. She cursed the energy-saving light bulbs. She wanted instant brightness, not the soft glow that slowly stretched its way into the corners of the rooms.

Entering the kitchen, she was grateful that the spotlights were more forthcoming, immediately bathing the room in white light.

Rascal stirred in his basket, lifting his head to see who had interrupted his sleep.

‘Sorry, fella,’ said Tina as she filled a glass from the water-filter jug in the fridge. ‘Go back to sleep now.’

She closed the kitchen door behind her. The next challenge was to make it up the stairs, switching the lights off and having the blackness follow her.

She ignored the slosh of water that spilled from the glass as she rounded the newel post and took the first stair. It was only water, it would dry and not stain. The sound of footsteps on the landing stopped her. Heavy footsteps. Too heavy to be Dimitri’s. Long strides. Too long to be those of a child. She looked up.

Two black-booted feet stood at the top of the stairs. Before she could look any further, darkness descended all around her as the lights were turned off from the upstairs switch.

She screamed. Dropped the glass of water. Her first thought was Dimitri. Whoever was in the house stood between her and her son. There was no space in her head for any other thought. Dimitri and his safety were paramount.

The thundering of booted feet on the staircase penetrated her thoughts. They were coming towards her. An automatic reaction to protect herself kicked in, but before she could throw herself out of the way, two hands grabbed her shoulders, pushing her backwards off the first step. She fought to muffle her scream. She could hear Dimitri calling her.

Oh God, please don’t let Dimitri come out. Please make him stay in the bedroom.

She stumbled backwards, hitting her head against the wall. The hands still held her. She felt the weight of his body against hers. One gloved hand came up and covered her mouth.

‘Shhhhhh.’ He hissed the noise in her ear. ‘Shhhhhh.’

Tina nodded furiously, fighting back the whimper in her throat. His voice was deep and loud in her ear. His breath hot on her neck. It seemed an age before he released his hand from her mouth – just a fraction. Convinced she wasn’t going to scream, he took it away completely.

In the darkness Tina couldn’t see what he was doing, but she could hear him grappling with the coats on the pegs at the bottom of the stairs, finally finding what he needed.

‘Mummy?’ Dimitri’s voice called out again.

The intruder gave Tina a nudge. She took her cue.

‘Stay there, Dimitri,’ she called out. ‘Stay in the bedroom. Do NOT come out.’

The man bundled Tina down the hall and into the living room, pushing her into the armchair. He gagged her with a scarf he had taken from the coat pegs, then forced her to bend forwards before binding her hands and feet together.

No sooner had he done this than he was gone. Down the hall and into the kitchen. She heard him unlock the back door. She didn’t wait to hear whether he shut it or not. She yanked and twisted her bound hands. Fortunately, there was enough stretch in the knitted scarf to pull her hands free. Some more fumbling and she released her feet. Pulling the scarf from her mouth she leapt out of the chair and ran upstairs.

She needed to get to Dimitri.

Tina burst into the bedroom. Dimitri was standing at the window. Tina ran over to him, sweeping her up into his arms. Dimitri wriggled an arm free and pointed to the street below.