Read Behind a Closed Door (The Estate, Book 2) for Free Online

climb the concrete stairs with a gentle nudge on her shoulder. A ninety degree turn to the left led them into a long hallway, made brighter by the vast but narrow landing window behind them. Four doors led off it. The first one on the right revealed the larger of the two bedrooms. Next to that was the bathroom. It was half the size of the one Kelly was leaving, with damp patches that needed to be papered over or, at the very least, painted. The door on the left led into the other bedroom.
    Kelly walked the few steps towards the last door and pushed it open. It led into the living room.
    ‘And it’s cold,’ Emily added, when Kelly hadn’t answered her.
    ‘It won’t be, once we move our stuff here and put the fire on.’
    ‘But it will be dark soon and I don’t like the dark. I’m scared, Mummy. I want to go to Nanny’s.’
    ‘It won’t be dark for ages yet, and I promise we’ll be gone long before then.’ Kelly squatted down to Emily’s level and pulled her daughter into her arms. ‘It’s going to be fun living here, Em, wait and see. You can have your room decorated however you like. Do you want Barbie again? Or do you want something else now that you’re growing into a young lady?’
    ‘Can I choose my room first?’
    While Emily raced around, determined on making as much noise as possible on the bare floorboards, Kelly checked the windows. Child locks had been fitted, but nothing to deter the thieves: at least they were on the first floor in this block. She ran a hand over the freshly plastered chimney breast. If only the other three walls were in the same state, she could get away with a lick of paint. But they weren’t. The fresh plaster had been where the previous tenant must have ripped out the fireplace and hadn’t put the damage right. The housing association had re-fitted another one, ripping off some of the wallpaper and plastering over a good deal of what was left.
    Kelly looked out of the large window and surveyed the neighbouring properties. She was in a block of four flats: other than the two blocks above hers in Clarence Avenue, the rest consisted of semi-detached properties, similar to the one she was being forced to leave, but they were nowhere near as tidy. The garden in the house opposite had more rubbish bags there than in her new garden and a soggy, single mattress had been dumped on the path. On the patch of grass in front of a bay window, the shell of an old hatchback balanced precariously on piles of house bricks, the wheels having long ago vacated the body. The windscreen was missing and the number plates had been removed to claim anonymity.
    Kelly tried to calm the fear mounting inside her. She’d spent six nights on her own since Scott had gone. Only now was it beginning to sink in that he wasn’t coming home for a long time – wasn’t coming home to Patrick Street at all, in fact. He’d made sure of that.
    ‘I’ve picked me room, Mummy,’ Emily shouted through, bringing Kelly back to the present with a jolt. ‘Come and find me!’
    ‘My room, Emily. I’ve picked my room.’ Kelly raised a smile as she walked through to the bedroom. ‘I can’t see you,’ she played along with her. ‘Are you hiding from me?’
    Emily giggled as Kelly flung open the cupboard door. In a fit of fun, she grabbed her daughter and began to tickle her.
    As they collapsed into a heap of laughter, Kelly’s nerves began to centre. Maybe it was inevitable that she’d be anxious about moving here, but what choice did she have? She had to live somewhere and here was as good as any place. It had a roof and four walls, much more than some people had, and she already had furniture – well, most of it would fit in.
    It would keep her warm and dry, though, and that’s all that mattered, really. And she would be safe, even on her own – if not entirely happy. Eventually she’d get used to every creak of the floorboards, every bang of the hot water system, without jumping out of bed to