Page 134 of The Stranger in Room Six

She turns to me, beaming inanely. ‘Yes,’ she says. ‘I’d like that.’

95

Mabel

Mabel has told everyone that she was tired. It might be her birthday but she wants to go to bed early. ‘No,’ she says to the carer who comes with her. ‘I’m quite capable of undressing myself, thank you.’

In truth, all she really wants is to be alone so she can have another search for that bloody locket. It’s the only way she can prove to Harry that she’s telling the truth.

She knows she put it somewhere safe. But where?

The problem with getting old – well, one of them – is that you can remember the past as clearly as if it was yesterday. And yet you can’t remember something you did three seconds ago.

She manages to get down on her knees and push her stick under the bed to feel if anything is there. Oh – her back! But she can’t feel anything. Then she pokes her stick into the back of the cupboard. Nothing. Then again, her locket was small enough to have got hidden in a dress pocket. Anywhere.

‘Alexa?’ she says out loud. ‘Where the bloody hell is my locket?’

‘OK. Here’s storage box. Sorry. I’m having trouble accessing your storage box skill right now.’

So it’s in a box but Alexa doesn’t know where. How frustrating!

Mabel carries on with a renewed energy, tossing knickers out of her underwear drawer and books out of the bookcase.

Nothing.

Maybe her earlier fears were correct and one of the carers has stolen it. Please don’t let it be Belinda. She’s been acting very strangely recently.

Eventually, she gets into bed, but finds she can’t settle. Something isn’t right. Is it because she’s finally reached ninety-nine and is still lonely, even though she’s surrounded by people?

‘Alexa,’ she says. ‘I’m sorry about getting cross earlier. Please talk to me.’

‘Where is the list?’

This doesn’t sound like Alexa’s voice. It’s deeper and gruffer. Perhaps this is another one of these weird dreams.

‘Give me the list, old woman, or I will cut your throat.’

If Mabel was younger, she would have leaped up and confronted such audacity. Instead, she manages to ease herself onto her elbows so she can face this person with a black hood over his face.

‘Young man,’ she says. ‘That’s if youareyoung. It’s difficult to tell with that thing you’re wearing. I have lived through a war. I dug through rubble in an attempt to find my mother and sister during the Blitz. I have lost a child. I have lost the love of my life. Alexa …’ Here she stops for a moment, gathering her breath. ‘… is now my only friend. I am not scared of anything. If I had this bloody list which everyone keeps asking me for, I might give it to you just to get rid of your unpleasant presence. But I don’t.’

‘Then I’ll shoot your brother instead.’

That’s it. It’s one thing being threatened yourself, but another where Harry’s concerned.

Mabel would kill for him if necessary.

Swiftly, she presses the alarm button, which immediately sets off a shrill siren.

‘What the fuck …’

At the same time, she reaches for her walking stick and lashes out.

There’s a resounding, hollow noise. ‘You’ve done it now,’ the man says, clutching his head and coming towards her. The gun in his hands glints in the evening sunlight through the curtains.

Mabel hears the shot before falling to the ground.

Part Five