Olivia drove home from Noah’s with her mind working overtime as she processed everything she had learnt from Daniella.
She was unsure how to feel about Noah’s deception, knowing their initial friendship had been based on a lie and that, while she had been falling for him, he had been investigating her.
Knowing that he had called off that investigation before they had become involved, that he hadn’t charged Adam Somerville, and that his feelings for her had been real did soften the blow. She wasn’t ready to forgive him yet, still didn’t know if she could, but she was cooling down to a point where she prepared to meet with him and listen to what he had to say for himself.
Well, that is if we can bloody find him.
Daniella was worried, and Olivia suspected she was usually unflappable. Daniella was also right. It wasn’t Noah’s style to just vanish. So where the hell was he?
Her own unease was growing. Regardless of what had happened between them, she couldn’t just shut her feelings off. The idea that something might have happened to Noah, that he could be in trouble or worse, actually made her feel sick.
Molly wasn’t at home, hadn’t left the porch light on, and Olivia cursed her as she readied her keys, making the quick run from her car to the dark porch. She fumbled with the lock, pushing open the door and reaching for the switch, flooding the hallway with light before quickly locking herself inside.
The heating was on a timer and had kicked in an hour ago, so at least the house was warm. She instructed her Echo to tune in to her favourite radio station then walked through the house drawing the curtains and turning on all of the lights to scare away the shadows. I should invest in some timer lightbulbs.
After kicking off her shoes and hanging up her coat, she pulled out her phone, noting there was still nothing from Noah. It had now been well over a day since anyone had seen or heard from him and panic was gnawing at her gut. Where is he?
Needing to know he was safe, she dialled his number. He hadn’t answered to Daniella, but maybe he would to her.
Or not. Her call went straight to voicemail.
She didn’t leave a message, figured she would give it half an hour and try again.
Slipping her phone in her pocket, she called Luna, heard the familiar thump of paws hitting the wooden floor of her bedroom as the cat jumped off the bed. As she went through to the kitchen, there was a tap, tap, tap of paws on the stairs, and Luna appeared, slinking around Olivia’s legs as she filled her bowl.
Molly often cooked before she hit the gym (which is where Olivia assumed she was), but the work surfaces were clean. I’ll make dinner, Olivia decided. She owed Molly for being a good friend last night. Besides, cooking might take her mind off the worry about Noah.
After showering and changing into a fleecy top and her favourite pyjama bottoms, she tried Noah again, this time leaving a message that she was worried about him and could he please call her. Then she foraged through the fridge and cupboards, looking for potential ingredients.
Settling for a simple Italian dish, she began dicing vegetables, as her mind again ran over her conversation with Daniella. Together they had gone through Noah’s notes, trying to figure out exactly what lead he might have been working on before he disappeared.
He must have left the house of his own will. His car was gone and there was no sign of forced entry. Daniella had taken his MacBook home and planned on hacking her way in. That way she could check his emails and also the footage from the cameras set up around his house.
When she had learnt there were cameras in his house as well as outside, Olivia had immediately panicked, questioning as casually as possible if Daniella knew where they were situated, as she recalled the various places where they’d had sex. She tried to keep her relief discreet learning there were just two: one in the hallway and the other on the landing.
They had left it that they would stay in touch with each other and get in contact immediately if they heard any news, and Olivia had her phone on the worktop as she started making the tomato and garlic sauce, not wanting to miss any calls from either Noah or Daniella.
It occurred to her that Adam Somerville hadn’t returned her call either, but as Daniella had said he was a man who preferred others to do his work for him, not wanting to get his own hands dirty. Shame. I’d like to give him a piece of my mind.
As she stirred, the radio cut into the local news. Distracted by her thoughts she was only half listening, but the name Janice Plum immediately caught her attention. The newscaster reported that she had passed away in hospital from her injuries and her attack was now being treated as a murder investigation.
Olivia’s blood ran cold. Janice had been the fifth victim, which left just her and Fern. And Fern was already missing.
Maybe she should stay with her mum for a couple of days. It would be safer for her with more people around, plus Jamie there at nights, and probably safer for Molly too. Her lodger had already been surprised by an intruder in the garden. If Olivia stayed here, surely she was putting Molly in danger.
Her phone pinged and she snatched it up, overcome with relief when she saw Noah’s name on the screen. She quickly swiped open the message.
Sorry I’ve not been in touch. I know you’re still mad at me, but I have found something and I need to show you. Can you come meet me?
She read and reread the message, her heartbeat quickening. What the hell had he found that had caused him to go missing for over a day?
Hearing the sauce bubbling, she quickly removed the saucepan from the hob ring, pulled up Noah’s number and hit ‘call’, going through to the front of the house and into the living room, pacing up and down.
It rang twice then went to voicemail.
Frustrated, she hung up.
What the hell was going on with him? Why wasn’t he answering? He had just called.
Irritated, she fired a message back.
Where are you? Call me.
Nearly ten minutes passed before she heard from him again. No call. Instead another message.
Sorry, really bad signal. I’m at Black Dog Farm. Liv, you need to come meet me. This is really important.
Seriously? He was all the way up at Roughton? What the hell was he doing there?
She didn’t like the idea of going to meet him, not alone. Okay, so it was Noah and she wasn’t afraid of him, but she hadn’t been up to the farm since the accident and it was already dark, plus it was in the middle of nowhere. She would feel better if she could just speak to him.
Again she tried to call him, hanging up when the voicemail message kicked. Instead she tried Daniella. Maybe Noah had tried to call her too.
Daniella’s phone rang for longer, but also cut to voicemail. Frustrated that she couldn’t get hold of anyone, Olivia left her a message. ‘Hi, Daniella, it’s Olivia. I heard from Noah. He’s at Black Dog Farm. Don’t ask me why. He wants me to go and meet him there, says it’s important. Have you heard from him at all? Can you let me know? Thanks.’
She had just ended the call when she saw car headlights through the curtains, heard an engine. Even though it was probably just Molly, she automatically tensed. Peering through a crack in the curtains, she was relieved to see her lodger climb out of the car and told herself to get a grip.
Quickly she fired off another message to Noah, offering a compromise.
I’m not comfortable with driving up there by myself. How about I meet you halfway?
Remembering she had left the pasta sauce off the boil, she went back through to the kitchen, was at the stove when Molly walked in. She dumped her gym bag at the bottom of the stairs.
‘Something smells good.’
‘I thought I would cook. I owe you for the last couple of days.’
Molly wandered through to the kitchen, her eyes narrowing. ‘Livvy, you look really stressed. Are you okay?’
Now that was a loaded question.
‘I spoke with Daniella earlier. You know, Noah’s business partner? Noah has been missing for the last day.’
Molly frowned. ‘Okay, and that is your problem how? You broke up with him, remember?’
‘Yeah, but I can’t just shut my feelings off. I’m not a tap.’ Olivia paused, her face contrite. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. Anyway, that’s irrelevant. He messaged me a few minutes ago.’
‘Right, so he’s okay. That’s good for Noah, but…’ Molly’s expression was suspicious. ‘Livvy, you haven’t forgiven him for what he did?’
‘No, well I… He’s out at Black Dog Farm. You know where the fire happened. He says he’s found something. Wants me to go meet him.’
‘You can’t go. You know that, right? What he’s asking is ridiculous.’
‘He says it’s important.’
‘Really? And what if it’s just some stupid ploy to get you back?’
It wasn’t. Olivia was sure of that. Noah might be a lot of things, but he wouldn’t ask her to travel out to the farm unless it was serious.
When she was silent, Molly shook her head. ‘You’re gonna go, aren’t you?’
‘I don’t want to go out there alone. I haven’t been back there since the accident. But this sounds urgent. I just wish I could get hold of him to speak to. I don’t want to just drive out there not knowing where exactly he is.’
Olivia glanced at her phone again. Noah still hadn’t replied.
‘Look, I’m not going to do anything rash. Let’s eat and I will wait to hear from him again.’
‘Have I got time for a quick shower? I still stink of gym.’
‘Fifteen minutes? I just have to cook the pasta.’
‘Can do.’
Noah’s next message arrived as she was dishing up dinner.
If I could come to you I would, but you need to meet me at the farm. I’ll explain when you get here.
Fuck! She didn’t like this one little bit.
She told Molly as they ate, who immediately tried to talk her out of going.
‘I’ll try Daniella again. I’m really not keen on driving up there by myself.’
‘Then don’t go. If Noah wants to see you he will come to you.’
‘He said it’s really important.’
‘And you believe him?’ Molly shook her head in resignation when Olivia fell silent. ‘Okay, look. Do you want me to go with you?’
Olivia’s eyes widened in surprise. This was Noah they were talking about and although Molly had made more of an effort in the last week, she still didn’t like him. ‘No, you don’t have to do that. I can go by myself.’
‘I really don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m not letting you drive up there alone.’
Olivia hesitated. She really didn’t fancy going alone. ‘Okay, thank you.’ Finished poking her food around on the plate, she cleared the table, sent another message to Noah.
Okay, I will come to you, but it had better be worth my time. Where will you be?
‘When do you want to leave?’ Molly asked.
Olivia glanced at her watch. It was almost seven. ‘Give me ten minutes to get dressed and we’ll leave straightaway. Hopefully that way we won’t be back too late.’
As she went upstairs she figured she should update Daniella, sending her a quick message, letting her know she would head out to the farm with Molly.
Up in her bedroom she glanced out of the window. It was a dry night, but cold, the crescent moon offered little light. They would have to take torches and she would need something warm to wear. Quickly she changed into jeans and her thickest jumper, put on two pairs of woolly socks.
Noah replied to her message as she slipped on her boots.
I’ll wait for you by the main farmhouse. See you in about forty minutes. This will all be over soon, Liv. I promise. Xx
Although the words were probably meant to be comforting, she couldn’t help the sense of foreboding. Quashing it down she slipped her phone in her pocket and went downstairs to find Molly.
