Divas (57 page)

Suzanne, of course, was a different story. Suzanne and Evie had avoided each other as much as possible, which, in that enormous apartment, hadn’t exactly been difficult. And then the drama
of the visits from the police, living on high alert, had proved an effective distraction from the awkwardness of their respective relationships to Ben Fitzgerald.

Suzanne had been long gone when Evie started her affair with Ben; Evie hadn’t done anything to injure Suzanne; and her resemblance to Lola, after all, wasn’t exactly Evie’s
fault. But this wasn’t a situation where logic could be relied on to predominate. Evie had seen, from Suzanne’s whole demeanour towards her, that Suzanne was very uncomfortable with her
ex-husband having kept a mistress of her daughter’s age, who looked so like her, and Evie had done her best to keep out of Suzanne’s way.

And now Lola was calling Evie over to join the family group. Practically every single person here had been born into riches and privilege – apart from the PI, of course, and she knew
exactly what ex-cops like him thought about strippers like her. They’d all been polite enough to her while they needed her, but now she was surplus to requirements. If Lola kept her word,
Evie would walk away with her apartment and the kind of kiss-off that said
thank you nicely now please disappear from our lives for good so we can forget we ever needed help from someone as
scummy as you.

So that was what Evie was expecting. Thank you, goodbye and don’t let the door hit you on your way out.

Then something else occurred to her.

‘Am I in trouble?’ she asked, concerned. ‘Are they going to arrest me for pretending to be you when the cops came round?’

She was asking Lola, but it was Niels who answered, nodding at Evie in greeting. Evie’s eyes widened when she realised who he was.

The James Bond guy from Maud’s! Wow, who’d have thought it? No wonder he wasn’t interested in me
. She couldn’t help sighing.
Jeez, Lola Fitzgerald, you
definitely landed on your feet. Rich, beautiful and a hot millionaire looking out for you. Some girls have all the luck.

‘Don’t worry, ’ Niels reassured her. ‘If they’ve dropped all the charges against Lola, they won’t bother with you. They can’t let her off for skipping
bail and charge you as an accessory. It’s impossible.’

‘Phew!’ Evie said, miming wiping her forehead in relief.

‘Evie, do you know Niels—’ Lola began awkwardly.

‘Met him at the club, ’ Evie said, winking at Niels.

Then she saw Lola’s horrified expression, and added quickly:

‘At Maud’s. He’s a partner there. You know, Lola. The night you – ahem—’

‘I’m a big fan of Miss Diamond’s act, ’ Niels said, his eyes glinting silver as Evie smiled back at him flirtatiously.

Lola felt a wave of jealousy rise in her, so strong and powerful that her hands suddenly twitched with the effort to not slap Evie in the face. She looked behind Evie, at Lawrence, whose pure,
handsome features were such a contrast to Niels’s craggy, hard ones, and wondered angrily why Evie was flirting with Niels, when she had someone as sweet and gorgeous as Lawrence at her
side.

She’s just a flirt
, Lola told herself firmly.
There’s nothing in it. She’s done more to help you than anyone
. . .

‘Evie, look, ’ Lola said, handing her the piece of paper. ‘It’s the password Dad chose for his secret files. I wanted you to see it.’

Evie’s pretty forehead wrinkled into a frown as she took the paper, not seeing why Lola was sharing it with her. And then she read the eight letters Niels had written on it, and she
knew.

‘Oh,
Lola
, ’ she whispered, stepping towards the girl who looked so much like her.

‘I know, ’ Lola said, as the two girls embraced for the first time.

They could have been sisters. Both blonde, both beautiful, both dark-eyed and slenderly-built, with the same delicate features and pale skin. As they pulled apart a little and looked at each
other, they took in fully the strangeness of the bond between them, the daughter and the mistress.

‘I really cared about Benny, ’ Evie said bravely. ‘I know it looked like I was just gold-digging, and of course I wouldn’t have got together with him if it hadn’t
been for the money. But he was a good man. He was always very kind to me. He took care of me, he really did.’

She looked over at Suzanne.

‘I know this must be tough for you, ’ Evie continued. ‘We’ve never talked about it—’

Suzanne shuddered.

‘I’d really rather not, ’ she said firmly.

‘I just want to say, there was nothing weird about—’ Evie cleared her throat. ‘I mean, Benny was a really nice guy, and I feel sorry for your loss—’

‘Evie, that’s more than enough, ’ Lawrence said gently, to everyone’s great relief.

‘Sorry, ’ Evie said, embarrassed. ‘As long as we’re good, ’ she said to Lola and Suzanne wistfully.

To Evie’s amazement, Suzanne stepped forward, taking her hand.

‘You were there for my daughter, ’ Suzanne said, looking straight into Evie’s eyes for the first time ever, ‘and that’s what matters to me.’

‘I did it for money, Suzanne, ’ Evie admitted guiltily. ‘It wasn’t out of the goodness of my heart. I’m not some heroine, you know? I came to Lola because I thought
I could make some money out of her being in trouble.’

‘It was a fair deal, ’ Lola said. ‘I attacked you onstage, after all. Besides, my father promised you stuff, and you were entitled to it.’ She smiled at Evie. ‘And
you didn’t have to lend me your passport, or pretend to be me, and put yourself in danger of getting arrested. That was above and beyond anything we agreed on. You really helped me when I
needed you.’

Evie’s eyes were watery, but she managed a brave smile.

‘You mean I’m not just a crappy little gold-digger?’ she said.

Lola shook her head.

‘You’re a good friend, ’ she said.

Hearing the truth of her words, Lola was amazed at how far she had come. This was the girl she had loathed and resented for being her father’s mistress, the girl whose face she had wanted
to claw off just a few weeks ago! And now, not only was Lola calling her a friend, she was actually reassuring Evie that she was a good person.

Wonders never cease
, Lola thought.

‘Thank you, ’ Suzanne said to Evie, smiling at her as she released her hand. Evie swallowed hard, and Lawrence put his arm round her.

‘I’ll find the title deed of your apartment and make it over to you, like we agreed, ’ Lola promised. ‘And you’ll be getting a big lump sum as well. It’s the
least I can do.’

‘Make it an investment in her company, ’ Niels advised. ‘That way it won’t look suspiciously like a payment for services rendered.’

‘But I don’t have a company!’ Evie protested, bewildered.

‘You will soon, when Maud’s builds you up into a major burlesque act, ’ Niels promised. ‘Personal appearances, endorsements—’

‘Oh
wow
, ’ Evie breathed, seeing all her dreams about to come true.

Lawrence reached out and took the piece of paper from Evie’s hand, reading the two words written on it.

LOLAEVIE.

He nodded quietly to himself and handed the paper to India.

‘He loved you both, ’ Lawrence said to the two girls, who looked at each other again.

‘Can you forgive me?’ Evie whispered, grasping Lola’s hand.

‘It wasn’t your fault, ’ Lola answered, and the calmness that flooded through her as she said it told her that she meant the words completely. ‘Evie, you were really
poor, and you were just doing what you needed to do to survive. My dad’s the one to blame for being a dirty old man.’

‘Try to forgive him too, ’ Evie pleaded.

‘I have, pretty much, ’ Lola reassured her. ‘I mean, I’m not saying I’d have been that keen on you as a stepmother, for instance’ – she grinned ruefully
– ‘but
anyone
would have been better than Carin!’

‘You think?’ Evie said, and they both started to giggle. In their laughter was a huge release of tension, a sign that they could finally put to rest any lingering dislike or
resentment.

‘Well, isn’t this lovely and cosy!’ exclaimed a voice as rasping and hoarse as a crow. ‘Everyone just having a friendly little love-in! And look at
you
, Johnny!
Don’t you look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!’

Every muscle in Lola’s body tightened as she recognised the speaker. She glanced immediately at Jean-Marc, whose expression had changed from happiness to fear in the split-second it had
taken him, too, to realise who was croaking behind him. He reached out instinctively grabbing onto David’s hand for support as he turned to confront his nemesis.

‘Hello, Johnny!’ Patricia drawled. ‘Fancy seeing
you
here! Back in New York, are you?’ She smiled her big toothy crocodile smile. ‘All ready to come out and
play with me and the boys?’

I
n her brown trouser suit and the black high-necked sweater that concealed her Adam’s apple, with the cheaply dyed dark hair and pancaked
make-up, Patricia looked almost average. As a result, no one but Jean-Marc and Lola realised initially who she was. The impact on both of them was instant and powerful. Lola’s brow furrowed
with concern as she saw Jean-Marc go pale as death. The colour drained from his skin, the suntan he had acquired in California suddenly looking yellowish, jaundiced, rather than healthy and
glowing.

‘Come on, Johnny, don’t look so grumpy!’ Patricia cajoled, her dark eyes gleaming with pleasure at seeing Jean-Marc so affected by her presence. ‘We had lots of fun
together – don’t you remember the good times?’

David began to register who this unattractive, oversized woman really was. He looked at Jean-Marc, horror dawning on his face as he saw his boyfriend’s reaction to Patricia’s
presence.

‘Jean-Marc!’ he hissed. ‘Tell her to get lost!’

‘If he won’t, I will, ’ Lola said angrily. ‘
This
’ – she pointed at Patricia, loading her voice with scorn – ‘is how Carin knew I’d
gone to Italy. Patricia followed me and took photographs for Carin, and Carin gave them to the prosecutors. They were going to spring it on me. Only Patricia’ – Lola gave the name a
derisive spin – ‘couldn’t wait. She wanted to do it herself, didn’t you?’

She glared at Patricia, feeling her anger rising even more strongly.

‘It’s all about power for you, not money, isn’t it? You wanted to punish me for throwing you out of the apartment, breaking up your party with Jean-Marc. And now you
don’t have any control over me, do you?’ she said triumphantly. ‘They’re not going to charge me for skipping bail. And Carin’s been arrested. You’ve got no power
over me at all any more.’

‘Fuck you, you spoilt little bitch, ’ Patricia hissed. ‘I’d have
loved
to see you get what was coming to you in prison.’

Niels took one furious step forward, his fists clenching. Patricia laughed, a short cawing rasp that had no amusement in it whatsoever.

‘You’re going to hit a woman?’ she said. ‘Really? In front of all these witnesses? Go ahead. It’d be lots of fun to sue you for assault.’

‘You’re no woman, ’ Niels snapped. ‘You’re
dirt.
’

Patricia’s eyes narrowed, and, deliberately, she looked away from him, focusing on Jean-Marc.

‘What do you say, Johnny? This is all so boring, isn’t it?’ she cooed at him, softening the rasp of her voice as much as possible. ‘We were never bored, were we? I never
asked you for anything, except to have a good time, remember?’

She extended her hand to him.

‘I’ve got a suite waiting in a lovely hotel, with the boys all dressed up and ready to go . . . we’ll have a party, just like the old days! And don’t worry.’ Her
smile was as wide and toothy now as Lola had ever seen it; she looked as if she could eat Jean-Marc in a couple of bites. ‘I know we went a bit over the top before, didn’t we? But
I’ll take care of you from now on. Nothing too hard.’

She was cajoling now, horribly persuasive. Niels was chafing to get rid of her, Lola could tell: his mouth was an even thinner, harder line, his jaw was set so violently that a pulse was
throbbing along it. Lola’s eyes flashed to Frank, Jean-Marc’s sober buddy, asking wordlessly what they should do. But Frank, watching the scene intently, his tired, experienced gaze
taking in every detail of Jean-Marc’s reaction, shook his head. Lola knew what Frank was saying: that Jean-Marc had to be left to handle this on his own, if at all possible.

‘I’ll take care of you, Johnny, ’ Patricia was continuing. ‘No one else is taking care of you, are they? They’re giving you a hard time, aren’t they? Making
you talk about all sorts of nasty stuff at that clinic . . . not letting you even have a little drink or a little fun every so often! So mean of them! They can’t stop you if you choose to
come with me, Johnny. You’re a grown man, and you can make your own decisions . . . and what’s going to make you happy right now is to come with me back to my lovely hotel suite and get
all nice and relaxed and send all your troubles floating away . . .’

Jean-Marc was still gripping onto David, but his other hand was free, and Patricia had secured it by now. Caressing his fingers with her own, she fixed her dark beady eyes directly on his.

‘You know it’s what you want, isn’t it?’ she coaxed. ‘You know it is!’

‘No!’ Jean-Marc gasped, pushing Patricia’s hand away, jumping back from her as if she were Typhoid Mary. ‘I won’t come with you! You’re
disgusting
!’

Patricia gasped.

‘Johnny, you don’t mean that . . .’ she began.

‘Oh yes I do!’ Jean-Marc said, his voice high and carrying. ‘You don’t want to look after me – you want to drag me down!’ He shuddered. ‘And it’s
not true that I was happy with you! I loathed every minute of it!’

‘That’s right, Jean! You tell her!’ David chimed in, unable to stay silent any longer. But Niels’s deep voice cut through both of them.

‘That’s enough, ’ he snarled. ‘My brother’s told you to get going, and now I’m giving you your marching orders. Get the hell away from me and my family, and
stay the hell away. Or you’ll wish you’d never been born.’