Page 7 of The Stranger in Room Six

Gerald’s eyes are still open when someone helps me to my feet. His body lies motionless, blood streaming down the side of his face onto the pavement.

A man in a pale blue anorak is kneeling next to him, holding his wrist. ‘I’m a doctor,’ he says, looking up with anguish in his eyes. ‘I’m afraid I can’t feel a pulse.’

This can’t be happening. I know people use that phrase all the time, but this time I really mean it. This just can’t be real.

‘She did it,’ screeches a woman pointing at me. ‘I saw her. She pushed him.’

It’s the blonde from the photograph. ‘Karen!’ I gasp.

Tears are streaming down the woman’s cheeks. ‘You killed the man I loved.’

I feel like I’m in a crazy pit of madness.

‘He’s my husband,’ I scream. ‘And I didn’t mean to hurt him. I was just angry.’

Of course I was. Who wouldn’t be after learning their husband had been unfaithful? They’ll believe me, won’t they? They have to.

A police car is pulling up, followed by an ambulance.

Again, I tell myself this can’t be happening.

Any minute now, Gerald will get up. He’ll dust himself down (Gerald’s fastidious about not getting dirty).

He’ll be a bit stunned after passing out, but his heart will be beating.

We’ll sort out the confusion over this horrid woman with the dark roots.

We’ll have to, for the girls’ sake. Then we can continue with our quiet lives and I’ll never, ever harbour ridiculous middle-aged dreams about Imran again.

But instead, two paramedics leap out of the ambulance. One starts trying to resuscitate him. My whole body shudders with terror as I watch. Eventually – I’ve no idea how long but it seems ages – he shakes his head. ‘I’m sorry.’

Karen begins to wail, loud, high and hysterical. I want to cry but I can’t, I’m too numb.

A crowd begins to gather. ‘Why’s that woman screaming, Mummy?’ asks a child in a pushchair.

‘Shh,’ she says, putting a hand over his eyes and hurrying on.

They put a blanket over him.

I sink to the pavement next to the red shroud.

Only a few minutes ago, I hated Gerald with all my heart.

Now, I just want him here. We can start again.

I’ll begin to show more affection; he will do the same.

We will learn from what we almost lost. Couples do that, don’t they? This can be our second chance.

‘Gerald,’ I whisper. ‘Speak to me, please.’

Above me is the same screechy voice. ‘That’s the woman you want. She did it. She murdered the man who loved me.’

I shake my head. ‘It’s not true. She’s lying.’

Someone is putting their arms under mine and helping me up. They’re lifting Gerald onto a stretcher. ‘I’m sorry, madam, but we have to take the body away now.’

‘It’s not a body,’ I sob. ‘It’s my husband. Please don’t separate us. I need to ask him the truth. Find out what happened.’

‘This woman needs to be arrested,’ screams Karen. ‘I saw the whole thing.’ She looks around wildly, her eyes like a madwoman’s. ‘Who else did?’

‘Me,’ says a man with a ponytail, cautiously raising his hand.

‘Me too,’ calls out an elderly man leaning on his shopping trolley.

I watch, horrified, as a policeman starts to take evidence. ‘I saw her pushing him really hard,’ I hear the younger man saying. ‘There was this horrible thump as his head hit the pavement.’ He clutches his stomach. ‘Makes me feel sick to think of it.’

‘I didn’t do anything wrong,’ I say shakily. ‘And if I did, I didn’t mean to. It was the shock, you see. I found this photograph … It looked like my husband was having an affair … but he just isn’t like that.’

‘Come with us, please. We need to ask you some questions at the station.’

The station? I can’t move. My legs won’t work.

‘Let me help you.’

The words are kinder than the tone of voice.

‘My daughters. What am I going to tell my girls? I’ve got to ring them now.’

‘You can make a call from the station.’

I have no choice. I lean against the policewoman as she helps me into the car. I feel everyone looking at me, as if the word ‘criminal’ is branded on my forehead.

Any minute now, I’ll wake up. But as we drive through the leafy town, where no one murders anyone, I feel a cold calm descend on me as the truth sinks in. This morning, our lives had been normal. Now, my husband is dead. I am under suspicion, and everything has changed for ever.