Watched: When Road Rage Follows You Home Read Online Free PDF Page B

his wife as his property but a bubbling fury was seeping through him at the thought of someone acting like that.
    His voice was surprisingly steady. ‘Who was he?’
    ‘I don’t know but when the bins were knocked over yesterday, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.’
    ‘Does he live around here?’
    ‘I don’t know that either – but one of the pages from the phone company was missing too. It might have blown away, but if it was taken, then the person would know our number.’
    Charlie was about to say something when he realised what she was saying. He eased himself away from her enough to see her face. ‘Those two calls last night.’
    ‘I know. I should have said something then…’ Esther tailed off, before adding: ‘It’s probably a coincidence.’
    ‘Should we call the police?’
    ‘What are we going to say? I didn’t think to look for his number plate and neither of us saw anyone around the house yesterday evening. It could’ve been a gust of wind, or the kids from next door. Anything, really.’
    Charlie knew Esther was right but felt useless. He had to get changed for work but stood in the doorway, one foot in the kitchen, the other in the hallway.
    ‘Go,’ Esther said.
    ‘I don’t want to leave you.’
    Esther smiled but her eyes weren’t matching her lips again. ‘I’m a big girl now. He was just some idiot in a car. What’s he going to do?’
    ‘I don’t know, I just…’
    ‘You can’t spend every minute with me. Things happen. I’ve got plenty to get on with today. If you’re home on time, I might even have something on the stove for you.’
    ‘Are you sure?’
    ‘Of course I am. You’ve got to go to work and I have things to do.’ Esther stepped forward, pushed up onto her tiptoes and kissed him on the bottom lip. ‘Go and get changed.’
    Charlie did as he was told but couldn’t stop thinking about what Esther had told him. If he’d have been in a car on his own with someone else roaring around him in a circle, swearing and shaking their fist, then he’d have been terrified. In many ways, it felt worse that it had happened to Esther, not because she was a woman, not even because she was his wife, simply because she was so… nice . He couldn’t think of a better word. She had good things to say about everyone, she didn’t fall out with people and she always looked on the bright side. He was the one who’d slink into the corner at any function and try not to talk to anyone. He’d have the odd stand-up row with people at work when he thought they weren’t pulling their weight. He drove like an idiot sometimes, sneaking through red lights and breaking the speed limits. Esther was the person he wished he could be – but someone had apparently seen that vulnerability and done their best to terrify her. That was what which made him utterly furious.
    After putting on his suit, Charlie brushed his teeth, staring at himself in the mirror and forcing himself to be calm. It was going to be a long day and he couldn’t start it by being angry. He could hear Esther humming to herself downstairs, a beautiful soft, slightly out-of-tune chorus that he couldn’t fail to smile at.
    With a final check that there was nothing stuck between his teeth, Charlie headed downstairs into the kitchen, where Esther was staring out towards the back garden, sipping from her mug of coffee with another slice of toast in her hand.
    She smiled as she turned to face him. ‘You look smart.’
    ‘I know you don’t like the suits.’
    Esther pressed upwards and kissed him again. ‘True but it’s better than those tatty pyjamas you haven’t thrown out yet.’
    Charlie grinned – they were back to his nightwear again. He half-thought she’d have found a way to ‘lose’ them during the move. ‘I’ll see you later. Love you.’
    ‘So you sodding well should.’
    Esther winked at him again, cracking into a genuine smile for the first time since moving day. There were small crinkles around her