The Stranger Next Door Read Online Free Page A

she's bored. She won't even play in the garden herself. So am I pleased Lisa wants to come!'
    'We'll be there in twenty minutes,' Anna said with a chuckle. 'Can you hang on till then, Penny?'
    'Just about, I think.'
    After dropping Lisa off in the village, Anna took Tom for a little walk and for an ice-cream. She collected a few things she needed from the village shop. Then it was time for the long slog back up the hill. By then, Tom was worn out and fractious. So it was an exceedingly long haul.
    Soon, Anna promised herself, I'm going to see about driving lessons. I really am. I'll scrape the money together somehow and do it. I need to get that car out of the garage and on to the road. Maybe I'll ask Derek to look at it first. See if it's roadworthy.
    The woman visiting "Moorside" was opening her car door as they passed by the front gate.
    'Good morning!' Anna called, seizing the moment, ready to introduce herself.
    The woman glanced round, gave a curt reply and got into the car, slamming the door shut after her, ending all possibility of conversation.
    Anna felt disappointed and humiliated at what was clearly a rebuff. She continued on to her own gate, dragging a weary Tom after her. By then, the woman had reversed her car through the gate and on to the road. She drove off without giving Anna and Tom another glance.

 
    Chapter Five
     
    She came awake in a thrashing, violent storm, her senses overwhelmed by a terrible noise. She found herself on her knees beside the bed, listening hard to a loud, staccato, crackling roar. It was outside. In the garden. Gradually, the panic subsided. Her heart stopped racing. Her breathing slowed. That man! What on earth was he doing now? She got to her feet and moved to the window.
    She could see next to nothing. Just a couple of dim lights near the bottom of the garden next door. She shook her head with anger. She knew now what the noise was. She recognised it. Somebody down there was operating a chainsaw. In the middle of the night!
    'I'm coming, I'm coming!' she called as Tom began to wail.
    None of them was in very good shape the next morning. Broken sleep didn't suit them. Anna knew she was going to have her work cut out to cheer the children up.
    'We could go fishing today,' she suggested. 'After breakfast let's see if we can find the nets we bought last summer. They're in the garage, aren't they, Lisa?'
    Lisa nodded but didn't say anything.
    'Tom, will you help me look for them?'
    Tom slowly chewed at a piece of toast.
    'Tom?'
    He looked up and stared blankly at her, as if he hadn't heard.
    'Oh, Tom! You're worn out, aren't you? What you need is a good sleep.'
    So did she and Lisa, as well. But she knew that going to bed in the daytime wasn't a real solution. What she needed to do was find a way of stopping that dreadful man waking everyone up at night again.
    She would have to try harder to meet him. Failing that, she could always send him a letter, she supposed. It seemed ridiculous even to think of doing that to a next-door neighbour, but what else could she do? Ring the police or the district council? How pathetic! That's what they would think anyway, if not say.
    She heard the chainsaw again the next night, and the one after that. Not for a terribly long time, but for long enough to ensure that the three of them were exhausted again in the morning and for much of the day that followed.
    Once more! she muttered to herself. Just do it one more time, Mister, and I'll … do something!
    She didn't even bother trying to go to sleep the following night. She waited. She was poised, ready to leap out of bed and do something – anything!
    But it didn't happen. Nothing happened. Eventually, exhausted, she fell asleep. She slept soundly. They all did. It was ten the next morning before Anna woke up. Even then, it was only because the doorbell was ringing. And Lisa and Tom were still in bed asleep.
    'Anna! Is anything wrong?'
    She stared, bleary-eyed, at Pippa through the half-open