Flashback

  FLASHBACK

  By Helen McKenna

  © Helen McKenna 2013

  The right of Helen McKenna to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents act.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, re-sold or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without written permission from the publisher.

  All characters of this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  ISBN: 9780994479464

  www.helenmckenna.com.au

  Contents:

  Stalked

  The Group

  Pseudo

  About The Author

  Preview Of The Beach House

  Stalked!

  Patience really was a virtue.

  He’d been coming down to his special hidey-hole every Thursday for weeks now, but the timing was never right. Either somebody else came along…or she was holding a cup of coffee that could be flung in his face…or she was wearing sneakers which would allow her to run away.

  But today - today the planets had aligned in his favour. Not only was she beverage free but she was also wearing stilettos. Ridiculously high, thin heeled stilettos. Her gait was already compromised as she walked along the gravel verge so he knew that once she hit the grass she would be as vulnerable as a fly on sticky paper.

  And to top it all off there was not another person in sight.

  Shifting slightly forward, he tried to block out the discomfort in his legs from squatting in such an awkward position. Just breathe, he reminded himself. He was as tense as a coiled spring but knew he needed to control himself for just a bit longer. If he pounced now, there was a chance she might keep walking along the road. No, it was better to wait until she was right in his line of sight – in the secluded spot he had especially chosen.

  Her hair was up today, which was a shame. He really preferred it long and flowing freely. And the outfit…well, it wasn’t one of her best. But hey, you couldn’t have it all, right?

  His heart started to pound as she approached the northern end of the park. Just a few more steps and she would finally be his…

  The throaty growl of her neighbour’s souped up Falcon ute roused Ella from a deep sleep. Annoyed at her slumber being interrupted before the alarm went off, she buried her head under the pillow. It didn’t help much. Although muffled, the Falcon’s engine kept revving.

  Rrrrrr… RRRrrrrr… Rrrrrrr…

  Jeez do you have to do that every day Greg? she fumed. Why can’t you just turn on the engine and go?

  Finally, after some spectacular gravel spinning and several more revs, the noise eased as Greg drove away.

  ‘Halleluiah!’ Ella mumbled. What’s he doing leaving so early anyway? she wondered. Greg usually hooned off at five past seven on the dot, by which time she was eating her breakfast and could drown out the revving by turning up the volume on the TV.

  It was the unmistakable rumble of the rubbish truck that roused Ella next, just as she was drifting back to sleep.

  ‘What’s with everyone running ahead of schedule today?’ she thought, plumping her pillow with a savage thump. Was it too much to ask for a little peace at such an uncivilised hour?

  Dragging her doona up around her head, Ella wrapped herself in it cosily, determined to at least remain in bed, even if not asleep, until her alarm actually sounded. It was a point of principle for Ella, unlike her housemate Natalie who saw no point in lolling in bed if she was awake and could be up doing something.

  Thinking of Natalie, she was being surprisingly quiet this morning. A theatre nurse who worked day shift, Natalie usually thought nothing of clattering around the kitchen and bathroom as she prepared for her 6.45am start.

  Maybe I’d better go and wake her, Ella thought. But then again it’s not my job she reassured herself. Natalie can get herself up and organised. It would actually be kind of funny to see Miss Cool, Calm and Collected in a total spin. Ella smiled to herself at the thought of it.

  It wasn’t that she didn’t like Natalie, they were just very different people. And the truth was if they hadn’t been thrown together as housemates there was little likelihood they would otherwise be friends.

  The realisation finally hit Ella when she heard Greg’s wife hurrying their kids to get to the bus stop. Launching herself to a sitting position, she reached over to the bedside table for her mobile phone. Of course it wasn’t there; she had put it on the charger in the kitchen last night. That’s why her alarm hadn’t gone off.

  Bugger!

  Wild eyed she leapt out of bed and grabbed her watch from the dressing table. ‘7:22!’ she exclaimed, calculating that she had exactly fourteen minutes to get out of the house if she was to make the train.

  Usually a woman who liked to take her time getting ready, Ella was amazed at the speed she could move when she had to. Following a two-minute shower and a blast of dry shampoo, she coiled her slightly greasy hair into a clamp clip, threw on a polyester dress that didn’t require ironing and gulped half a glass of orange juice.

  Normally she wouldn’t be that concerned about getting to work on time. It wasn’t as if Ella loved her job at Brown and Blain Constructions. But it was payroll day and if the system wasn’t updated before ten thirty, the pays would be a day late. And a mob of angry construction workers was not something she wanted to contend with.

  Sticking her feet into her sneakers for the run to the train station, Ella shoved her work shoes into her oversized handbag and unplugged her phone from the charger. Ignoring the fact it was starting to rain she slammed the door shut behind her and legged it to the train station.

  Luckily the train was a few minutes late.

  Dragging her GO card over the reader Ella joined the mob boarding the 7.45 City Service and finally slunk aboard just before the doors closed. Hanging onto the handrail, she leant forward for a few moments to catch her breath.

  Once recovered, Ella began the long trek to the end carriages. Due to the length of her local platform out in the boondocks, everybody had to embark via the front cars, causing a bottleneck that only subsided when people dispersed through the train.

  Finally, she found an empty seat in the second last carriage and slumped onto it, appalled, as always, that she was actually a commuter. How had her life taken this awful turn? Before the GFC Ella had her own apartment in the inner city and earned a substantial income as a PA to an international real estate mogul. Work was a five-minute stroll away, punctuated by a coffee and bagel en route. She’d had a whole extra hour to get ready and would never have been seen dead in her sneakers. Or this dress for that matter, Ella thought glumly. It had been fashionable in its day, but now it looked like something you’d find at Vinnie’s, which was exactly where it was going after today, she decided.

  Unfortunately, when the US and European real estate markets crashed, so did her career, and much more quickly than she would ever have anticipated. There was no gentle breaking of the bad news and time to gradually wind the business down. Rather Ella was greeted by a security guard one morning, ordered to hand over her phone and laptop and had been given a box of her belongings in return.

  At first Ella had remained optimistic, refusing to downsize or branch out into the suburbs. She was a skilled PA who had worked in a multi-million-dollar company so surely that would hold her in good stead?

  As each month passed, however, and no new amazing job offers landed in her lap, Ella had to be practical. With her credit card debt nudging ten grand and on the slippery slope of having to default on her car loan, she finally emerged from the fog of denial. Relying on her rusty secretarial skills E
lla had talked her way into a payroll job in Geebung and curbed her lifestyle to suit.

  Selling her car had hurt but not as much as giving up the lease on her apartment. Luckily a friend of a friend had just bought a house way out on the fringe of Brisbane and was looking for a tenant at less than half the rent Ella had previously paid. It had sounded too good to be true and of course it was – in Ella’s mind it was simply not possible to be as perpetually positive as Natalie, the commute sucked and she had to deal with Natalie’s moronic boyfriend Marty – but it was workable, at least in the short term.

  Fifteen minutes and a quick make-up job later, Ella felt a bit more human. Slicking some lip gloss on, she checked her reflection in her hand mirror. It’ll do for today, she thought, although I really do need to get my roots done.

  Kicking off her sneakers Ella pulled her new Italian sandals out of her bag. Stroking the soft leather, she couldn’t help but smile. Yes they had been ridiculously expensive and they were impractical for work but she didn’t care. Just because she’d had to downgrade just about everything in her life, it didn’t mean she had to completely tame her shoe fetish.

  Slipping them on she allowed herself to daydream for a moment. I’m still Ella White PA extraordinaire she mused. I spend as much on shoes as some people spend on rent. I eat out just about every night, I get to go on all expenses paid business trips…

  The smell of fresh coffee brought her out of her reverie. Ella looked up sharply as a petite young woman in a Cue suit sashayed past, latte held aloft as she chatted into her phone. ‘Yeah, that’s fine, but just make sure we have enough time for both meetings…’

  Cow, thought Ella. How did she manage to keep her corporate career and I didn’t? What is she, all of nineteen? Don’t get too comfy sweetie, she thought. You never know what’s around the corner.

  A little depressed now, she decided to leave her sandals on. Stuff my grubby old sneakers and their comfort, Ella decided, today I am going to arrive in style. Poking her shoes down the edges of her bag, she then reached in deeper to retrieve the dog-eared Cosmo she’d been reading all week.

  Ella was engrossed in an article about hair straighteners when the melodic tone of her mobile announced a text message. Reaching down, she felt around absently, her attention still on the article. Finally unearthing the phone, she hit the unlock sequence, missing it twice before it finally co-operated. Stupid phone!

  Making the switch from her employer provided iPhone to a no-frills Nokia was a major adjustment Ella still struggled with. She knew she should be grateful that Natalie had managed to swing them a matching pair in a special two for one promotion that included hugely discounted rates when combined with their internet plan but her fun side was still rebelling.

  She frowned as the screen flashed “private number”. Who outside her address book would be texting her at this time of the morning? Hitting the OK key the message appeared. It read, “Hey QT I’m watching you.”

  Ella sat up straighter, her curiosity piqued. Doing her best to look neutral she glanced around the carriage at the familiar faces that made the same journey each day. Nobody appeared to be holding a phone. Before she had time to consider any further the Nokia vibrated in her palm and the message icon appeared. “Love your shoes,” it said.

  With as little obvious movement as possible she keyed in a reply. “Thanks.”

  The screen flashed again about 30 seconds later. “Italian?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Running l8 2day?”

  Ella glanced around surreptitiously before replying. “Who are you???”

  The answer came back in a flash. “An admirer.”

  “How do you know me?” she typed back.

  “I’ve been watching u for months,” said the reply.

  “Why not say something?”

  “2 shy!”

  Thinking for a second, Ella hit the call button and was startled seconds later when a jarring mariachi tune burst into life about five seats in front. Jumping to her feet she followed the sound, amazed to eventually trace it to an elderly woman in a tracksuit. ‘Aren’t you going to answer that?’ Ella demanded.

  ‘What? Oh is that mine?’ the woman asked, opening her bag and rummaging around. Ella glanced at her own phone, only to realise that the call had been rejected already, while the woman’s phone was still ringing. Scratch that idea.

  The phone vibrated again just as Ella sat back down. “Tricky, tricky!” it read.

  “Why didn’t you answer?”

  “More fun this way.”

  Ella stared at the screen, frustrated again not to have her iPhone. It could possibly have given her more information. But then again maybe it was more fun this way. She hadn’t had a secret admirer since year nine. She could do with a liaison of some sort after almost six months of singledom.

  “Why me?” she asked.

  “You’re beautiful.”

  “Aw shucks.”

  “I mean it.”

  “Thx :-)”

  For the next five minutes they texted back and forth, each message becoming increasingly flirty.

  Finally Ella decided to take control of the situation. “Coffee at Central after work?”

  The reply was almost instant. “Maybe”.

  “Oh, only maybe???”

  “I want to REALLY get to know you first.”

  Ella shook her head. Technology had a lot to answer for sometimes. Guys these days hid behind text messages and emails instead of getting out there and talking to women. As much fun as this had been, she wasn’t wasting any more of her phone credit on a loser.

  “Sorry, face to face or no chance!”

  “We’ll see about that!”

  At this Ella’s stomach clenched. How was she supposed to take that? Was it meant to be funny and friendly or was it a tad threatening? Hitting the lock sequence, she dropped the phone back in her bag and picked up her Cosmo again.

  The message beep came almost immediately but Ella didn’t respond. Then came another beep and another. Ella knew she shouldn’t engage any further but curiosity got the better of her. Checking the screen, her pulse quickened. Each message, accompanied by an angry face, was one word in capitals – DON’T – IGNORE – ME!

  Right, thought Ella, you are getting blocked! Holding the phone aloft she scrolled through the menu but couldn’t work out how to activate the block function.

  The phone beeped again then and although Ella knew it was her imagination, this time the tone seemed menacing.

  “Play nice!”

  Ella’s stomach clenched again, tighter this time. This interaction was getting weird. Shoving the Cosmo into her bag, she got up and walked towards the next carriage, studying each face briefly as she walked past. Dan the nerdy guy from the bank would never try anything so forward. Patrick from Qantas was way too tight with money to send frivolous messages. Reg the park ranger didn’t have a mobile phone.

  As she stepped into the alcove at the end of the carriage her phone screen lit up again saying, “I know where you live and work.”

  Ella was starting to feel faint. Recalling the story about mobile phone stalking she had seen on the news the previous week she strode through the next two carriages and sat down next to a woman with a baby. This carriage was much fuller, providing her with a sense of anonymity.

  The messages started coming faster then and Ella decided to turn the phone off. As soon as she got to work she would ring the police and have this fruitcake arrested, assuming of course they could trace a private number.

  It was only when she turned the phone over to activate the off switch that she noticed the little orange dot on the bottom. The one Natalie had put on her phone so they wouldn’t get them mixed up.

  It’s not my phone! Ella realised. Natalie must have picked up the wrong one this morning.

  The relief was so immense she almost burst into tears. True, she felt bad for Natalie, but at least she was safe at the hospital for now. She would call the police anyway and then ri
ng Nat and warn her too.

  Natalie always claimed she had an inbuilt radar for sensing how genuine a person was within moments of meeting them. Obviously it had short circuited on at least one occasion thought Ella a tad smugly. She had warned her housemate about being too friendly and trusting of people. Shaking her head, she thought, dear old Nat, living in her little fantasy world. This might just be the shakeup she needed to get with the program and embrace the real world.

  Ella bounced off the train at Geebung station, happy to see that the drizzle had dried up and the sun was now shining. It was amazing how your world could be turned upside down and then right side up again in such a short time frame. She actually enjoyed the ten-minute walk to work from the station along the back streets. It was much quieter than along the busy main road and there was a lovely little secluded park where she could sit and catch her breath before facing another day at the coalface.

  I really shouldn’t have changed my shoes, she berated herself as she sauntered along, these sandals are not made for walking! It’s lucky I don’t have to run at this end.

  Still feeling buoyed by the relief that she wasn’t being stalked after all, Ella forgot she wasn’t carrying her own phone and didn’t even check the screen before answering the phone when it rang as she walked through the deserted park.

  ‘Hello,’ she chirped.

  The voice was low and menacing. ‘Hello Ella,’ the caller said. ‘Don’t forget to give Natalie back her phone.’

  The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

  The call scared Ella so much she dropped the phone and immediately started running, but of course she didn’t get far in her shoes.