Free The Optician's Wife by Betsy Reavley Page A

seem yourself.’
    ‘Was just thinking about her. That’s all.’
    ‘It’s not nice but there’s nothing to worry about.’
    ‘I know that. It’s the idea of her being in that freezing cold water.’
    ‘She was naked apparently.’
    ‘Naked? Had he hurt her?’ I hadn’t heard that before. ‘How do you know?’
    ‘Overheard a conversation between Mr Rook and a customer. He works with the police. Had some inside information.’ He picked up his fork and shovelled some pie into his mouth. ‘She had been strangled with her own skirt. It was still around her neck when they pulled her from the river. They think it’s linked to Ms Faulks. Similar wounds or something like that he said.’
    ‘A serial killer?’
    ‘That’s pretty much what he said.’ A piece of mushroom was stuck in his white teeth.
    ‘Did he say anything else?’ My stomach felt like a washing machine and I suddenly felt very sick.
    ‘Like what?’
    ‘Oh I don’t know. Did he talk about suspects or evidence or anything like that?’
    ‘Nah, he didn’t. It’s not like you to ask so many questions. Why are you so interested?’
    ‘Well, I mean, you know if there’s someone going round killing women,’
    ‘Hey. No one’s going to hurt my girl.’ Larry winked. ‘You’re safe with me.’
     
     

September 3 rd 1984
     
     
    I discovered I was pregnant in April of 1984. Larry was over the moon but I was shocked. We hadn’t been using protection but we hadn’t been trying either. It wasn’t something we’d discussed. But Larry had a way of making even bad news seem good. ‘Change is good,’ he would say. My purpose in life was to make him happy. He was my world.
    For the first few months the morning sickness was debilitating. I had to take time off work and Stuart, my supervisor, was less than understanding.
    Larry’s mother was thrilled. Linda was longing to be a grandmother. I was pleased to be able to give her a grandchild but not that happy when she started to turn up at the house more and more often, with gifts and suggestions.
    She had always been very respectful and never interfered before. The news that I was expecting seemed to send her into overdrive. With hindsight, I believe she saw it as a good excuse to spend less and less time at home with her husband. They were having problems. Big problems.
    Jim Miller had been suspended from his teaching position after an allegation of inappropriate behaviour with a student. The thirteen-year old girl had complained to her parents that Mr Miller had come on to her. Jim denied it but the school had no option but to suspend him while they investigated her claims. After this all came out Larry confided in me that his father had left the last school under a similar cloud. Jim Miller would never get a job in education again.
    Poor Linda, who was a good honest woman, had moved out of their marital bedroom and into the room Larry left vacant. It turned out that our wedding was a blessing for a number of reasons.
    I asked Larry if he thought his parents would divorce. He didn’t know but it was clear then that he disliked his dad. Finally, I understood where all the tension in the family stemmed from.
    By September I was really beginning to show. I’d always been overweight but now my stomach was bigger than ever before. I loved the feeling of my baby moving around inside of me. I would talk to my bump for hours, stroking my belly.
    Until then my sex life with Larry had been extremely active but the moment he discovered I was pregnant he refused to touch me. It was as if I was made of glass. I couldn’t help but feel neglected and unattractive. As the months passed he came home later and later. I knew he couldn’t be at work. Mr Rook kept very strict hours and the moment half-past five arrived the shutters came down. I used to wonder where Larry went. Every night I made his dinner and sat at our dining table waiting for him in vain. I didn’t understand what had changed. I loved him and