Talk to Me (22 page)

‘Are you around tomorrow?’

I nodded again. ‘I, uh, was planning to, uh, come over to get something from Miriam,’ I stuttered. ‘She’s got a videotape I need.’

‘Fine, why don’t you pick me up on the way up to the house? Toot at the gatehouse. I’ll be there. We still need to talk.’ Still facing me he took a few paces back and then without warning, took two strides forward, gave me a brief hard kiss on the lips and then turned away and walked off to the car park without looking back once. There was a catch in my throat as I missed a breath, my lungs stuttering in surprise.

I could see Bill waiting by the car, his phone glued once more to his ear. There was nothing sleepy or slow about him tonight. Pacing up and down, he looked alert and ready to take on the world.

As Bill dashed into his house to collect his passport and overnight gear, Daniel drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Tension lifted his shoulders and he wriggled uncomfortably in the driving seat. The temptation to call Emily was strong but to be honest he wasn’t sure the words would be coherent. How could she lie so blatantly to him? He wanted to punch something. Was there any way she could have genuinely made a mistake? His neck clicked as he tipped his head back against the headrest. Who was he kidding? Christ, he was a fucking idiot.

Of course Emily had lied. It seemed so bloody obvious now. Sitting in the dark car he shook his head and let out a half-laugh of disgust. How had he managed to get it so wrong with Olivia? Again.

Would she forgive him? He’d done her one hell of an injustice. How the hell would he feel? Tried and found guilty without an ounce of proof. It seemed obvious now: he’d acted out of hurt pride that night. Not that that deserved to cut any ice with Olivia. She had every right to be furious with him.

He’d been so convinced that Olivia must have been leading him on, instead of talking to her about it, he’d got his own back by responding to Emily’s unashamed come-on. What a dickhead. He’d blown it so badly and now when he appreciated just how badly, he realised how he felt about Olivia.

With a heavy sigh he sank lower into his seat, regret pulsing through him. Arse. Arse. Arse.

‘Let’s move,’ said Bill jumping into the car, a small bag on his lap.

‘Any idea which terminal?’

‘Three.’

Bill’s expression was grim and neither of them said anything as Daniel concentrated on navigating through the village roads until they hit the bypass to take them up to the M4.

Once they hit seventy, he saw Bill’s grip on his travel bag relax slightly.

‘So … Kate?’ he ventured the question. ‘When did that … er, happen? Not that you have to tell me if you don’t want to. I had no idea, the two of … you …’ His voice petered out.

Bill groaned. ‘It’s always been Kate. Bet you never thought I stood a chance. Let’s face it. No one did, least of all me. Stupid thing was, we got on so well. She just wouldn’t give it a go.’

‘So how did it happen?’

Bill laughed. ‘You mean you don’t know?’

‘Well, I wasn’t thinking it was the Immaculate Conception.’

‘When I went to Oz on tour. Looked Kate up. Bloody fool that I am. Couldn’t stay away from her. Except this time, she actually seemed pleased to see me. We had a great time. Met up for dinner … and,’ Bill groaned again, ‘things went from there.’

Bill shook his head vehemently before he spoke again.

‘Shit, I should have realised it was too good to be true. The next morning she made it quite clear it had been a mistake and I buggered off sharpish.’

Daniel absorbed all this wondering if he should voice his thoughts and then decided to risk it. ‘So why the knight to the rescue act now?’

Bill thrust his hand out and hit the dashboard. ‘Because I can’t believe that night didn’t meant anything to her. I won’t believe it.’ Bill turned his face toward him, misery etching twin furrows on either side of his mouth. ‘And what have I got to lose? I love her. Always have done. Besides she’s alone out there. She needs someone. I can’t stand the thought that she’s lying in some hospital ward without anyone.’ Bill’s voice cracked, making Daniel think of how he’d feel if that were Olivia.

Instinctively he pressed the accelerator. He needed to get Bill on the next available flight.

Thank goodness I had an excuse to get out of the house the next morning. There was only so much time I could spend in my room. I was terrified of giving something away to Mum or Dad by constantly checking for messages on my mobile.

The last contact I’d had with Bill was a hasty text from Heathrow the previous evening, which was nothing more than ‘11.10 flight 2 Sydney. Text when u hr frm K.’

I still hadn’t heard from her. I’d tried her mobile a couple of times but nothing. Was she in hospital? Was she OK? As well as the worry, I was consumed with guilt. Mum would kill me if she found out. I tried to tell myself it was better this way. No point in worrying her until there was any real news. As if! That was rubbish. As far as she was concerned, worry was part of her job spec.

Slipping my mobile into my pocket I headed downstairs where I found Mum and Dad absorbed in their Sunday papers. Dad was very chipper. He didn’t seem too upset by yesterday’s defeat.

‘There’s always next year,’ he said, wincing as he turned the pages.

Mum tutted unsympathetically. ‘If you will go diving about thinking you’re still twenty, no wonder your shoulder hurts. You should let me put some Arnica on that bruise.’

‘Yes, dear,’ he murmured, winking at me.

Pursing her mouth she shook her head. ‘Men,’ she huffed. ‘What time are you going to Daniel’s this morning? Will you be back for lunch?’

‘Not sure,’ I said, putting down my mug of tea, forcing myself to take another bite of toast as I surreptitiously slipped my phone onto my lap.

‘Not to worry. Only soup and sandwiches. What time’s your train this afternoon? Are you staying for dinner? I could do it early.’

I hesitated. ‘Thought I might go for a four o’clock train. Don’t worry I’ll eat when I get in.’ My eyes slid down to my mobile.

‘You’ve got to eat something. You’ve barely touched that toast.’

‘Too worried about her teeth, I should imagine,’ quipped Dad, looking with amusement at the solid home-made wholemeal loaf on the table.

Mum ignored him. ‘Take some leftovers with you when you go … And stop fiddling with that phone. Honestly we all managed perfectly well without them when we were your age.’

‘Sorry,’ I said, giving up on my toast. ‘Look at the time. I’d better go.’

Daniel’s parent’s house, just outside Henley, was a beautiful Queen Anne mansion, complete with a pair of octagonal lodges at the gate. To my great envy, Daniel lived in the left hand one overlooking the sandstone coloured gravel drive.

If I’d been Emily I’d have spent every weekend here but she hated it – said it was too quiet and parochial.

‘Daniel’s house is in the middle of nowhere.’

‘No it’s not,’ I protested amused.

‘Yes it is. No street lights. Pitch black. Strange noises all night. It’s awful.’

‘What sort of noises?’ I asked, trying to be being sympathetic.

‘Horrible ones. I was really scared which Daniel thought was hilarious. Sounded as if someone was being murdered. He just laughed. Said it was the badgers in the coppice. Is that code for something? I had no idea what he was on about.’

‘But isn’t the lodge lovely? Didn’t you like it?’

She’d looked at me with complete disdain. ‘If you like that sort of thing. Did you know he pays his dad a huge rent? Mad. He could get somewhere in London for that.’

What Emily didn’t know was that Daniel’s rent helped to maintain the lovely big house up the way and that he liked to be around. Although his dad was fine now, a few years before he’d suffered a massive heart attack.

Looking at the lodge house as I pulled up and sounded the car horn, I thought Emily was mad. Why didn’t she adore this place? The quaintness of the design; the huge key box in the hallway that held the old iron keys to the estate gates and the ancient oak front door.

I gave my hands a quick wipe on my jeans as Daniel appeared at the upstairs window. To my surprise, he signalled that I should park and come in.

I wandered in through the door he’d left open, my heart thumping. Looking around I gave a little sigh of pleasure.

‘Be right with you.’ Daniel’s disembodied voice floated down the stairs as I stood in the hallway looking through at the six-sided lounge.

Here, contemporary style mixed with traditional features. The room was dominated by a beautiful plasterwork fireplace, which contrasted with the warmth of the polished cherry wood flooring. Two overstuffed cream sofas, filled with tapestry cushions faced each other and there was little else apart from a couple of mahogany occasional tables which probably would have had the experts on the
Antiques Roadshow
wetting their knickers.

‘Sorry, Olivia.’ Daniel’s head appeared over the banisters at the top of the stairs. ‘I got stuck on a work call. Do you mind waiting? I’ve just got to whack off an email. Won’t be long. Have you heard from Kate, yet?’

‘No, but it’s the middle of the night there.’ I shrugged.

He gave me a cautious smile. ‘Don’t worry. She’ll be in good hands. Why don’t you help yourself to a cup of tea?’

‘No, I’m fine,’ I said, feeling relieved that there was no strain between us.

‘Sure?’ he sounded disappointed. ‘I was hoping you’d make me one. You’re so good at it.’

‘Cheeky.’ I stuck my tongue out at him

For a single guy living on his own, Daniel’s kitchen was fabulous, although the big range complete with wok burner was so clean it can’t have ever been used.

What a terrible waste. I’d kill for a kitchen like this. I could imagine it full of people, crowded round the refectory-style pine table, the wok burner fired up with a Thai curry on the go and Daniel dispensing drinks while I …

I shook my head. Don’t go there. Deliberately changing the direction of my thoughts I concentrated on trying to work out the time in Australia. When would I hear from Kate?

I came back to earth as Daniel came clattering down the stairs.

‘Right. All done,’ he said, rubbing his hands together.

I handed him his tea.

‘Thanks. You found everything then?’

‘Yes,’ I said sighing, turning my back on the kitchen and my daydreams. Now that he was here, my palms felt clammy. Was it time for our talk?

I needn’t have worried. Our conversation focused on yesterday’s mad dash to the airport with Daniel giving me a complete run down.

‘Bill was in such a state. He’s pumped up on the rugby pitch, of course, but I’ve never seen him like that off the field. Talk about a bull on the rampage. Poor girl at the check-in desk. I thought he was going to pick her up by the scruff of her neck.’

‘Really? Let’s hope he’s calmed down when he gets there and is a bit gentler with Kate. She’s going to kill me for spilling the beans.’

‘You think?’ Daniel asked. ‘Won’t she be pleased to see him? I had no idea anything had gone on between them.’

‘Neither did I, until that night at The Grayville when you barged in on Kate’s confession,’ I said pointedly.

Daniel looked confused for a second, put down his mug and leaned against the draining board with his arms folded. ‘Come again.’

How nice it was to take the moral high ground and rub it in that he’d completely got the wrong end of the stick that night.

‘Kate was halfway through telling me she was pregnant and hiding in the bathroom when you knocked on the door of the suite.’

Daniel’s face creased into a frown. ‘Ouch. I got that one wrong.’

‘Yes you did,’ I said sternly. ‘Jumping to conclusions. Which seems to have become a bit of a habit.’

I wished he’d stop staring at me.

‘Sorry, I thought—’

‘I know what you thought …’

‘I just—’ He was interrupted by the ring of the phone. ‘Bloody hell.’ He glanced at his watch ignoring it. ‘We need some peace. Let’s nip up to Mum and Dad’s, get your tape and go to the pub for a couple of hours. We’ve got a lot of things to clear up.’

That sounded a great idea. I could do with being on neutral territory in case I didn’t like what he had to say.

Just as he was hustling me out of the door, I recognised the voice on the answering machine, which had just clicked in. It had to be Emily, didn’t it?

‘Hi, it’s me. Think I might have missed a call from you last night. Sorry my phone was erm … off. Call me at home. Catch up with you then.’

So he’d called Emily last night had he? I wondered what for. Was he trying to get her version of things?

The ancient video recorder was in what George and Miriam referred to as the family room, although ten generations of my family would have fitted in there.

Miriam had left the tape on top of the television, clearly marked.

‘Do you mind if we watch it quickly?’ I asked. ‘Make sure it’s on there.’ Now I was here, my stomach was doing cartwheels and I wasn’t so sure about going to the pub.

Wow, Miranda’s dress looked brilliant on TV. The white silk of the fabric was luminous against the deep red of the carpet while the coloured lip prints stood out in multicoloured contrast. The camera hugged Miranda’s tiny figure, zooming in on the ‘Minx Red’ lip print over her bottom.

As the camera swung away down to the later arrivals, it homed in on Emily, looking lush and gorgeous in her Marilyn Monroe halter neck. Bloody hell, she looked stunning. I didn’t dare look at Daniel to see what he thought. Then it panned out over the watching crowd.

‘Look, there’s Kate … oh my God,’ I breathed, realising who she was talking to. I stared at a splash of red around the neck of the man next to her. The hairs on my arm stood rigid to attention as a curl of alarm tightened in my stomach. Leaning forward, I studied the screen, my hand over my mouth, disbelieving.

‘Where’s the remote?’ I asked in a thin high voice, my eyes fixed on the TV.

‘What?’ asked Daniel.

‘Quick. The remote,’ I said.

Unearthing the remote from a pile of papers on the coffee table, Daniel handed it to me. ‘Are you all right, Olivia?’

‘No.’ My heart thudded in my chest as my fingers found the rewind button.

Pausing the picture, I stopped the tape on one frame. There. Behind Emily, talking to Kate in the crowd, was a familiar face, his gaze snapping back towards Emily intent and fixed on her.

Around his neck was a red scarf, knotted casually at the throat. My hands clenched involuntarily. I knew the softness of that scarf – the suppleness of the cashmere. I felt cold, all the way to my bones. The last time Emily or I had seen that scarf it had been hanging on the newel post in the flat.

My teeth nibbled the edge of my fist, biting hard into the flesh. I felt sick, stomach churningly sick. That damp print on the carpet. Oh God, he had been there while I slept.

‘My God, it was him in the flat,’ I whispered, staring wide-eyed with horror at the screen. ‘He’s been in our home!’

Daniel’s forehead creased. ‘What? Who’s been in the flat?’ he asked harshly.

I hesitated for a moment. How much should I tell him? Emily might have done the dirty on me but I didn’t feel comfortable about telling Daniel about her going on a speed-date behind his back. How would he feel?

Daniel’s expression became stern and stony faced. ‘Olivia, what the hell is going on? You never did explain the brick.’ He gave my shoulders an impatient shake. ‘What kind of trouble are you in?’

His eyes held mine, glinting angrily. ‘That broken window was no accident. No irate wife. So who was it? You know, don’t you?’

‘I told you the married man doesn’t exist,’ I said, deliberately stalling for time not wanting to tell him the full story. Now that I’d seen Peter on the tape, I knew we should have taken his emails more seriously.

‘What’s the story this time, Olivia?’ Daniel’s voice had gone dangerously quiet.

His face was level with mine but I couldn’t look at him.

‘You’re going to have to tell me,’ he said firmly in a soft voice. I met his angry stare and pursed my lips.

Looking at his grim face, I knew this time nothing less than the truth would do. Quickly I told him all about the speed-date, Peter’s emails and the missing scarf.

Worrying at the fingernail on my index finger, I watched him with a sinking heart. I wanted to hide. I felt really small. This time he had every right to be angry.

‘Why the hell didn’t you tell anyone?’ he yelled. I’d never seen him like this before. ‘He’d thrown the brick through your window! You had to go to hospital!’

‘I wasn’t sure it was him,’ I said in a small voice. ‘There was no proof.’

‘Bloody hell. How could you be so fucking irresponsible?’ he hissed, stalking up and down the room, kicking angrily at the rug curling up under the sofa.

I’d never heard him swear quite like that before, certainly not at me and not at 95,000 decibels.

‘For God’s sake you’re an intelligent woman! What if he’d let himself in when you were there?’

I bit my lip nervously, dying to put my hand over my ears. Now was not the time to confess that Peter had once.

‘We have to phone the police. You need to get the locks changed.’ He looked at his watch. ‘Today,’ he barked, as I stood there, the remote control limply hanging from my hand.

That was the final straw, all the time he’d been shouting at me, I’d stayed calm. Now I lost it but not very convincingly. Seeing Peter had really shaken me up

‘Don’t shout at me?’ I yelled back my voice wobbling. ‘It was Emily’s fault.’ My voice broke slightly.

‘Leave Emily out of this for the time being,’ he snapped, ignoring the tremors in my voice.

‘I can’t you … you … big dickhead. She’s Walter Mitty, not me.’

That shut him up for a moment.

He looked at me bitterly. ‘What’s Emily got to do with this? Why should I believe that? I’ve never had any reason not to trust her. Now, all this comes out and … I don’t know what to believe. I’ve always trusted you, too. We’ve been … You’re …’ He faltered, a sad expression crossing his face, before he went on in a stronger voice to ask, ‘Why would Emily lie to me?’

God, she’d done a good job on him.

‘You … you… dickhead,’ I said again in sheer frustration.

‘Stop calling me that,’ he snapped back.

I glared at him mutinously, saying slowly and haughtily. ‘I … don’t … tell … lies! Omissions, perhaps. I couldn’t tell you about the speed-date, not that it was anything to do with you, because Emily came with me. So then I couldn’t tell you about Peter. Emily’s your girlfriend, go shout at her!’ I stopped to take a few breaths.