Alisha had said to wait in the living room. With her heart thumping and her thoughts racing, Emily pushed open the door directly in front that she guessed could be the living room. It was. She carried Robbie in and then sat on the sofa with him on her lap. The house was hot and she undid their coats. She looked around as her heartbeat began to settle. It was an ordinary enough living room with a large black leather sofa, two matching armchairs, a television, bookshelves and a hearth rug. Strangely normal and at odds with whatever else was going on in the house. Through the patio window, she could see the outbuilding where Dr Burman spent so much of his time. Although it was a closer view than the one she had from her bedroom window, it was no more distinctive as the opaque film covering the glass gave everything outside a hazy look.
Robbie agitated to be off her lap and she put him down so he could toddle around. There were no children’s toys in the room, nothing to say there was a child living here at all. Whatever was going on? Alisha had called the child Eva. How old was she? Emily guessed about six or seven, although it was difficult to tell with her disabilities. How had they kept her a secret for so long, and why? She had so many questions, comments and criticisms. The situation was unreal and she wasn’t sure she should stay.
She could hear Alisha moving around upstairs. A child had been living here all this time and she’d had no idea. A secret child hidden away. It was unsettling and worrying. It reminded her of cases that came to light every so often and were reported by the press, when a child or sometimes an adult had been held hostage for years. When interviewed, neighbours always said the same thing: that the couple were quiet, polite and kept themselves to themselves. Wasn’t that exactly what she would have said about the Burmans? Kept themselves to themselves. Their house and their lives cloaked in secrecy. What other secrets did they have? Ben had been dismissive of her concerns, sometimes making fun of her, but she’d been vindicated, proven right. She’d said Amit Burman was odd and had something to hide, and he certainly did – his daughter!
Emily had just decided that it would be better to leave now when she heard footsteps on the stairs.
‘Thank you for waiting,’ Alisha said, coming into the living room. ‘And thank you for your help. Eva is fine, nothing broken, but I couldn’t have managed without you.’ She sat in one of the armchairs and threw Robbie a small smile. She seemed more relaxed now. ‘I am annoyed with Amit. I told him that hoist in the bathroom needed fixing, but he was too busy in his lab last night.’
‘So, Eva is your daughter?’ Emily said, still struggling to believe it.
‘Yes. She has the same genetic condition that I have and that killed my son. The difference is Eva was born with it. The damage was being done while she was in the womb. My son never looked like that, but I love Eva as I loved my son and always try to do my best for her.’
Emily held her gaze. ‘I am sorry. I’d no idea. I mean, I knew you were ill and you’d lost another child, but I’d no idea Eva was living here.’
‘That was our intention. No one knows. Our son spent all his life in and out of hospital. There was nothing they could do to save him. We don’t want the same for Eva. We had to move from our last house because someone passing saw her at the window. News spread that we had a monster in the house. That’s what they used to call her – our pet monster.’
‘That’s dreadful,’ Emily gasped.
‘Yes, yobs would gather outside and throw stones at the windows and push things through our letter box. You understand now why we have all this security?’
‘Yes I do. I can’t have helped by cutting the hedge.’
‘No. But you weren’t to know.’
‘Don’t you have any help? Surely the social services can offer something? Shouldn’t they know?’
‘They offered help a long time ago when Eva was born, but we refused. They will keep wanting to take her into hospital, like they did our son, and it doesn’t do any good. The doctors can’t help. Eva stays upstairs; the main bedroom has been converted for her use. She is comfortable and has everything she needs. It has become more difficult looking after her since I became ill, but I manage.’
‘Do you?’ Emily asked sceptically. ‘Supposing I hadn’t been here today. What would you have done?’
‘Phoned Amit at work. He would be annoyed, but he always comes eventually. I was about to when I saw on the CCTV it was you at the door. I thought I could trust you. I can, can’t I?’ She looked worried.
‘You mean trust me not to tell anyone?’ Emily asked. Alisha nodded. ‘I suppose so, but don’t you ever take her out?’
‘No. She doesn’t need to go out. She has everything she wants upstairs.’
‘But don’t you need to go out?’ Emily persisted, feeling Alisha was a prisoner in her own home. She glanced at Robbie who had his face pressed to the patio window.
‘I can’t leave Eva alone. She was the reason I could only visit you for fifteen minutes. You were so insistent, I felt it was easier to accept your invitation so you wouldn’t keep asking me.’
‘Sorry, I was just trying to be friendly. I’d no idea …’ her voice fell away.
Alisha raised a small smile. ‘It’s fine. I would have liked for us to be friends, but Amit said you’d tell if you found out.’
Emily shrugged. ‘I would probably have told Ben. We share most things.’
‘Please don’t tell him. I don’t want to have to move again and if Amit found out he’d be very angry. He spends every night working in his lab, trying to find a cure, not just for me, but Eva too and others with the same condition. I doubt he will, time is running out, but it has become his obsession. His way of coping.’
Just for a moment Emily felt a pang of guilt that she had judged him so harshly. There were clearly worse obsessions than trying to save your wife and child. She also felt she couldn’t just walk away without offering something. ‘I understand why you don’t go out, so perhaps Robbie and I could come here again to visit you?’
‘Oh I don’t know,’ Alisha said, concerned. ‘I mean, I’d like that but …’ She looked at Robbie. ‘Wouldn’t he say something to his father?’
‘No, he only has single words at present – mummy, daddy, car, that type of thing. I could pop in when it suits you. No one would know. But only if you want me to.’
‘Yes, I’d like that. I really would. I get so lonely, but you must promise never to tell anyone.’ Fear appeared in her eyes again.
‘I promise,’ Emily said.
‘Early afternoon is good for me,’ Alisha said, visibly brightening. ‘After I’ve given Eva her lunch, and I know Amit will be in the operating theatre all afternoon.’
‘Great. Pick your day.’
‘How about this Friday? At two o’clock.’
‘Suits me. Do you have a mobile?’
‘No. Only the house phone.’
‘I’ll give you my mobile number just in case you need me again in an emergency.’
‘Thank you.’ Alisha found a pen and sheet of paper and wrote it down. ‘I’ll keep it somewhere safe.’ She smiled.
‘See you Friday then.’
‘I’ll look forward to it.’
That night, Emily stood at her bedroom window gazing into the clear still air. As usual, the light was on in Amit Burman’s lab, although nothing could be seen but the faint glow around the very edge of the opaque film and