Christie Barlow - The Lake House

As soon as Ella closed the door behind them, she turned towards Callie. ‘I just don’t understand this, Callie. The ache in my heart is killing me. Where is he, Cal? What the hell has happened to him?’

‘I don’t know, I just don’t know.’ Callie hugged her friend again, then passed her a tissue from the box in the hallway. ‘I’ll make you a drink. Have you eaten?’ she asked, following Ella into the living room.

Ella dabbed her swollen eyes. ‘I can’t think about eating, showering or anything. I haven’t even slept, in case I miss a call from him. Where is he?’

‘I wish I knew, Ella, I really do. You can shower now I’m here, and I’ll make you something to eat. You have to keep your strength up.’

But Ella wasn’t listening. She’d sat down on the sofa and pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly. She began to rock gently. ‘He just needs to come home.’

‘The police will do their best to find him.’

‘I’ve got this horrible sinking feeling. Someone can’t just disappear with no trace.’ Ella swallowed down the lump in her throat.

‘We’ll have news soon, I’m sure,’ soothed Callie.

‘All I keep thinking about is the worst-case scenario. They’re going to find him dead, aren’t they?’

Callie slipped her arm around Ella’s shoulder and pulled her in close. ‘Try not to think like that, stay positive.’

For a moment, they sat in silence. The last forty-eight hours had taken their toll and an exhausted Ella finally fell asleep. Gently, Callie removed her arm, then laid Ella down on the sofa and covered her up with a soft grey throw. Tip-toeing out of the living room, Callie headed towards the kitchen and switched on the kettle to make a cup of tea.

She would let Ella sleep whilst she could, but hopefully there would be some news soon.

Three hours later, Ella woke up startled. Hearing a loud knock on the door, she was up on her feet to find the same two policemen standing back on the doorstep. There was something about the look on their faces that she didn’t like. This wasn’t good news.

‘What is it? Have you found him?’

‘Are we okay to sit down?’ asked Constable John Price.

‘Yes, please do.’ Ella gestured towards the chairs, whist Callie perched next to Ella on the sofa and took her hand.

‘There’s no easy way to say this. We’ve been to the City Hospital…’

Ella’s heart was thumping so fast, she thought it was going to burst through her ribcage at any second. Callie gripped her hand tighter.

‘What is it?’ Ella’s voice faltered, her whole body trembling. ‘Have they found him? Is he dead?’ she blurted.

‘I’m afraid there is no Dr Alex James working at the City Hospital. We’ve checked and double checked.’

Ella’s mouth opened and closed. The words hung in the air whilst she tried to process what she’d just heard. ‘But… but…’ Ella looked towards Callie, confused. ‘He’s worked at the City Hospital for the last three years. I drop him off and pick him up from the car park there. He has his doctor’s coats hanging in the wardrobe, his spare lanyard is in the drawer. There must be some sort of mistake.’ Ella felt a tightening in her chest as her mind raced.

‘Could we possibly have a look at his lanyard?’ asked the Constable.

Ella was already up on her feet, pulling open the drawer. ‘Here it is.’ She handed the lanyard over to the policemen, who passed it between themselves.

‘See, there has to be some mistake.’ Ella’s voice was hopeful.

‘Ella, this isn’t a lanyard from the hospital. It’s a fake.’

Feeling baffled, Ella looked towards Callie, then back towards the policemen. ‘I don’t understand what you’re telling me.’

‘I’m afraid that the man you knew as Dr Alex James isn’t a real doctor. We aren’t sure that’s even his real name.’

Ella felt the burn of bile in the back of her throat, and an uncontrollable shudder swept through her entire body. Her breaths were now coming in short sharp bursts. The initial shock of what she was hearing just didn’t make sense.

‘It’s going to be okay,’ Callie reassured.

‘It’s not, though, is it?’ Ella knew she was being sharp, but she couldn’t help it.

‘Ella, please can you start from the beginning. How did you meet Alex?’

‘Take a deep breath,’ encouraged Callie, handing her a glass of water from the coffee table.

After taking a sip, Ella exhaled. ‘I’m the owner of the gift shop on the corner of Barton Square next to the City Hospital.’ She noticed that Constable Price was tapping away on an iPad whilst the other officer was writing in his notepad.

Barton Square was home to small boutiques, coffee shops and a deli which was popular with the medical staff from the hospital, and that was where Ella had first spotted Dr Alex James, sitting outside at a wrought-iron table, reading a newspaper and drinking coffee. The second Ella clapped eyes on him she knew there was something about him – the way he carried himself, his Mediterranean olive skin and deep hazel eyes. He was drop-dead gorgeous and even though he was a stranger to her, Ella had a feeling that this man was going to be in her life. And she was right.

‘My parents had passed away…’ Ella let out a long shuddering breath and the tears slipped down her cheeks.

Callie quickly passed her a tissue. ‘Take your time,’ she soothed gently.

‘Their deaths made the local news but that escalated to the national news.’ Her voice quivered.

‘What happened?’ asked the policeman.

‘Carbon monoxide poisoning,’ replied Ella, ‘given off by the old gas fire in the Edwardian property they were living in. There was an article in the newspaper and I was sitting in my shop reading it, when Alex walked in. I was mortified, all blotchy-faced from my tears, with greasy hair,’ Ella reminisced. ‘But he introduced himself, asked if I was okay, and as soon as I explained about my parents’ death, he insisted on making me a cup of tea. He comforted me for an hour, the whole of his lunch break. I felt dreadful – he went back to work not having anything to eat.’

‘And he said at that very first meeting that he worked at the City Hospital?’ asked the police officer.

Ella nodded.

‘And when was the first time you picked him up from work?’ asked Constable Price.

‘Literally a week after. His flat was on the outskirts of the city and he used to ride the bus into work. He didn’t like crawling through the slow city traffic, so it was easier for me to pick him up, as I live closer to the hospital, and for him to come back to mine. It was a couple of months before we moved in together.’

‘And what’s the address of his flat?’

All eyes were on Ella.

Ella’s voice faltered. ‘I… I don’t know.’ As soon as the words left her mouth, she noticed both policemen raise their eyebrows. ‘I know saying that out loud, it doesn’t sound very good, does it?’

‘Did you think it was strange that you never went to his home?’

Ella looked towards Callie who gave her hand a little squeeze.

‘No, I didn’t think about it. It was just easier for him to come to mine when he finished work.’

‘When he moved in, did he bring his belongings?’ the policeman probed.

Now Ella felt like she was under investigation. Why were they questioning her like this? She hadn’t done anything wrong. Her only crime was to fall in love. She shared a look with Callie, raising an eyebrow. ‘Do you think it’s weird I never went to his flat?’