‘I know it sounds bad, but—’
‘Bad? Otis, it sounds more than bad.’
Suddenly, I’m painfully aware that I am in a stranger’s house and no one knows I am here. That a knife block stands on the kitchen counter, closer to Otis than to me.
With that thought ringing in my ears, I can’t help thinking that, despite a long list of recent stupid decisions, the choice to come to Maple Crescent today might have been my most stupid choice of all.
CHAPTER 12
‘Are you okay?’ Otis asks, frowning at me.
‘Me? I’m fine,’ I fluster as my eyes dart around the kitchen for an exit. Gulping, I open my mouth to make an excuse to leave, but Otis speaks before I can.
‘There’s a reason I didn’t go to the police,’ he says, reaching into his back pocket for something I can’t see and won’t until it’s too late.
‘I – I’ve just remembered,’ I stammer as I back away. ‘I have to go home.’
Otis’s eyebrows shoot towards his hairline. ‘You’re leaving already?’
‘Yes. I’m sorry. I – I have something on.’
‘But you said you wanted to help,’ Otis presses, moving closer and bridging the gap I created between us. ‘I’m only telling you any of this because you said you’d help.’
My eyes widen at the proximity of Otis’s impressive arms. One look at their size and I know I would be defenceless against this man. The thought has me moving quicker until I’m practically dashing for the exit and the safety it promises.
‘Lex is using her bank card,’ Otis calls after me.
My footsteps slow until I come to a stop. I turn back to him.
From his back pocket, Otis pulls out his phone. ‘We have separate bank accounts, but I know Lex’s bank login, she knows mine.’ He types something, then approaches me. ‘I didn’t go to the police because of this. Here, see for yourself.’
With shaking hands, I accept the phone and flick through the transactions. Relief spreads through me as Alexa’s spending habits since Saturday prove that she is alive and well.
‘You think the same as me, don’t you?’ Otis says. ‘You think that if she’s using her card, then she’s got to be okay.’
Too relieved to speak, I nod.
‘I don’t want to find Lex for any reason other than to check she’s all right,’ Otis continues. ‘She can stay away for as long as she needs to. She can go on holiday, move in with a friend, whatever. I just want to know she’s okay.’
‘We’ll find her,’ I say, my tone so confident that it melts the edges of Otis’s tension.
Looking back at the phone, I study the transactions made since Saturday. Sure enough, Alexa’s card has been used every day. The purchases aren’t big, no more than twenty pounds each time, but they happen a few times a day.
Expanding the details on each transaction, my head tilts as names of various Manchester establishments flick by. Some are fast food places, some are supermarkets, some are bars. Clearly, Alexa Clarke left this house and let loose.
‘Okay, this is great,’ I say. ‘Using this information, we can narrow down Alexa’s location. All of her purchases have been made in Manchester. Does she know someone who lives there?’
‘We know a few people, but they’ve all said they haven’t seen her.’
‘Could she be with someone you don’t know?’
Otis’s forehead creases. ‘Maybe? I don’t know when or where she’d have met them, though. Lex hasn’t been the best at socialising recently.’
‘Well, she’s eaten out most days. At least we know she’s eating.’
‘I know, but who is she eating with and why isn’t she eating at home?’
As Otis crumbles, I look back to the statement to give him a moment’s privacy. I reread the expanded transaction information of the purchases, checking the times and locations. When I look at the details of a £3.52 purchase made on Monday, something catches my eye.