She tried to push the door back against him, but he barged his way in, causing her to stumble as he elbowed past her.
‘How dare you force your way into my house?’
‘Your house?’ His face was ugly with rage. ‘This is my house. My family’s house, in my family’s name. Harville Hall. You’re just a tenant, until I can buy it back.’
‘How’s that going to happen?’ Jenna followed him into the kitchen. ‘My name’s on the deeds now. I’m the owner, fair and square.’
‘And look what you’ve done already. Ruining the place. It’s like one of those crappy daytime DIY shows in here.’
‘Lawrence, get out. This is my property and if you don’t leave, I’ll call the police.’
‘Oh, will you?’ Again, a nasty look in his eye. ‘Really, Jenna? Is that wise?’
‘I don’t think it’s me who has cause to fear the police.’
‘What do you mean by that?’
‘I mean that your name was mentioned in connection with something pretty serious to me today.’
‘By Mia? A girl so out of her mind on ketamine that she barely knows what day it is? I think you’ll have to do better than that, my dear. You know she called me the moment your little tête-à-tête was over, don’t you? She’s my bitch. She does what she’s told.’
‘You have a hold over her, I know that much.’
‘And I have a hold over you, Jenna. Because I know you aren’t alone here.’
Jenna had to fight to keep a quaver out of her voice.
‘You know nothing. You can get out and stay out.’
‘I’ll leave when I’m ready, Jen. But I thought I’d stick around for the fun.’
Jenna grasped the back of a chair to steady herself.
‘What fun?’
In reply, Lawrence walked out of the kitchen and went to stand at the foot of the staircase.
‘Oh, Jason,’ he called in a creepy mockery of a voice, his hand cupped around his mouth. ‘We’re all bored with hide and seek now. Come on out, wherever you are.’
Bowyer came scampering down first and wound himself around Lawrence’s legs before being kicked aside. Jenna, furious, picked him up to protect him from further assault.
‘Just get out,’ she hissed. ‘What do you want from me?’
‘What I’ve always wanted,’ he said, in a brief respite from calling Jason’s name. ‘My house back. But it’s OK. I’m going to get it, now.’
‘No, you’re not!’
&nb
sp; The screech of sirens sounded faintly in the distance, growing closer. Lawrence laughed with pleasure.
‘Ah, the game is on,’ he exclaimed. ‘Aren’t you going to open the door to our visitors?’
Jenna ran to the front porch and watched in horror as three police cars and a van pulled up outside, lights flashing. Within seconds, half a dozen uniformed officers were in the front garden – and they were all looking up.
Jenna ran down the stairs to see things from their perspective, and was horrified to see Jason standing on a parapet near the top of the house, above the great mullioned window at the centre of the façade. Bowyer, appalled by the noise and fuss, leapt from her arms and streaked off into the bushes.
‘Jason!’ she screamed, but her voice was drowned out by a police officer with a megaphone.