The Game Changer (10 page)

‘You know a lot about my dad?’

‘Your father, Kate, was a bit of an enigma.’

There it was again, that critical tone. ‘How do you mean?’

‘He was fond of puzzles. It was one of his survival tactics, not letting others know what he was really thinking.’

‘Survival – that’s a rather strong word.’

‘Perhaps, but it sums up how he used to be, always wanting to keep others guessing. I doubt even your mother knew him fully.’

Kate wasn’t sure why, but Malcolm’s last sentence made sense to her. How much did she know about her father?

She was still lost in thought when he asked, ‘Are you happy?’

‘Yes, I think so.’

‘Then let sleeping dogs lie.’

‘You’re not usually a man for clichés.’

‘Sometimes they’re appropriate.’

‘I guess.’

He stood up, walked over to sit beside her on the couch and took her hand. ‘Kate, you do know you’re very important to me?’

‘Yes.’

‘If anything is troubling you, I want you to know that you can trust me.’

‘Thanks, Malcolm. That means a lot.’

‘You’re very like him, you know.’

‘My father, you mean?’

‘Yes. He was often far too stubborn for his own good.’

‘Do you think I’m stubborn?’

‘At times, yes, I do. It’s the fighter in you.’

‘That’s partly an act, you know.’

‘I doubt it, Kate.’

‘I don’t know. There’s been times lately when I’ve felt strong and others, when I’ve not been so sure.’

‘You’re only human. I’ve always watched out for you. You do know that?’

‘I do, but it’s all the bits I don’t know that trouble me most.’

A NOISE MADE KATE BOLT UPRIGHT ON THE COUCH. She must have fallen asleep. A small table lamp lit one corner of the living room. She heard the noise again. Someone was turning a key in the front door but it was jamming. The door to the hall was open, and she could see Charlie’s door.

What if the sender of the note was taking it a step further? What if they had somehow managed to get a copy of the key? It was then that she heard the front door creaking, as if in slow motion. She jumped up from the couch, seeing the front door opening a few inches at a time. She’d never make it to Charlie’s room in time. Looking around her, she grabbed the first thing resembling a weapon: a glass paperweight from the coffee table. Hiding behind the living-room door, she heard the front door close. The intruder switched off the light in the hall. Christ, she thought, someone is actually breaking in, they are actually inside the apartment, and as she thought this, she also realised that they would see the lamp on in the living room. She held her breath, ready to bring the paperweight down as hard as she could as soon as they passed the door. But there were no footsteps, only the sound of another door opening. Charlie’s. Jesus, she screamed inside her head and, like a wild person, she ran out into the hall.

‘Christ, Kate, what are you doing?’

At first she didn’t say anything, taking in Adam’s large frame. ‘Why did you turn out the light?’ she barked.

‘I thought you were asleep. I was checking in on Charlie.’

‘But the hall light is always left on.’

‘Okay, okay – calm down,’ he whispered. ‘I forgot.’

She rubbed her eyes. ‘I must have had a bad dream.’

‘You think?’

‘I remember someone was chasing me, but then when I looked around, I couldn’t see them. They’d disappeared.’ She rubbed her eyes again.

He took the paperweight out of her hand, gesturing for her to go back into the living room. He followed, asking, ‘What else happened in this dream?’

‘I don’t know. I can’t remember much more of it.’ She turned to him, asking out of the blue, ‘Did you have any luck contacting Addy?’ It felt such a random, yet oddly normal thing to ask.

‘Kate, are you sure you’re all right?’

‘Yes, yes, I’m fine.’

‘Let’s put on another couple of lights.’

Initially, the brightness felt oddly intrusive to her, at odds with her half-dream state, but then her mind settled. What she had feared didn’t exist, it was only a dream.

‘That’s what I call a close encounter,’ he joked, gesturing at the paperweight.

‘Sorry.’

‘Don’t be.’

‘And Addy? I was asking you about Addy.’

‘It seems, Kate, I’ve made a career of putting people into prison, while my son is intent on locking himself into one. According to his mother, he’s been in his bedroom for most of the day.’

‘He’ll come round. Give him time.’

‘Maybe,’ he replied, ‘but right now, I need a hug.’

It was him, rather than her, who did the hugging, and Kate felt as if he was trying to hold on to her for too long. Almost as if he knew something he wasn’t saying. The moment she thought this, she chided herself. Why was she suspicious of everyone?

‘How’s the Michael O’Neill case going?’ she asked instead. ‘It gets more complicated by the hour.’

‘Do you have any more information on his mysterious meetings?’

‘Not so far, but the guy certainly knew a lot of people.’

‘I don’t suppose you get to his age without gaining a number of acquaintances along the way.’

‘Or enemies, Kate.’

‘How do you mean?’

‘As of late this afternoon, we’ve been looking at potential blackmail.’

‘Really?’

‘Michael O’Neill made large cash withdrawals from his bank account over the last few months – they added up to a hundred thousand euros to be exact.’

‘Cash?’

‘Yeah, multiples of five thousand – the bank should have noticed it, but each time it was below the threshold for irregular transactions. There were a few questions asked, mainly because they thought he had plans for investing the money elsewhere.’

‘And did he?’

‘Not that we know of.’

‘It’s sounding like one of those investigations that keep gaining legs.’

‘I know.’ He paused. ‘You’re very pale.’

‘Am I? Sorry, it must be tiredness.’

‘Or that note?’

‘Wait there,’ she said, ‘I’ll get it.’

A moment later she was back, placing the envelope and the note on the table. She watched as he took in the message, then asked, ‘Any more ideas on what it means, Kate?’

‘As I said earlier, it might be a disgruntled client or someone connected to one of the investigations.’

‘Whoever it is, they know where you live.’ He kept his words deadpan.

‘That’s not all.’

‘What?’

‘I think they know the code to the building. The envelope was put under the door from the communal corridor.’

‘They could have slipped in when someone was going in or out.’

‘Maybe.’

‘You look like you have a theory, Kate. Spit it out.’

‘I can’t help thinking it’s connected to when I was attacked all those years ago. I know it’s a long shot, and I’m probably only linking it because …’

‘Because what?’

‘It’s been playing on my mind.’

‘Kate, can I ask you something?’

‘You’re putting on your detective voice.’

‘Am I? I didn’t know I had one.’

‘Well, you do. What is it?’

‘When was the last time you saw Malcolm Madden?’

‘This evening, why?’

‘Are you sure you can trust him?’ He leaned back in the chair.

‘Of course. I’ve known him my whole life.’ She stared at him, sensing he was still holding something back, then blurted out, ‘What is it? What are you getting at?’

‘He knew Michael O’Neill.’

‘So? You said yourself a great many people knew him.’

‘I’m only telling you to be careful. Don’t shoot the messenger.’ He leaned forward to take her hand, just as Malcolm had done earlier. ‘It might be nothing, but even if their mutual acquaintance means nothing …’ he paused, looking down at the note ‘… that means something.’

‘I know it does.’ She sounded more downbeat than ever.

‘Look, Kate, I’ll take it to the guys in the lab in the morning.’

‘The techies have enough to do. Anyhow, you won’t get anything off it now.’

‘I’m owed a few favours. Leave it to me. Look, you’re the one taking time out, so step back and let me deal with it.’

‘That’s the thing, Adam. Stepping back doesn’t feel like an option any more.’

PLANS HAD TO BE REARRANGED TO FACILITATE Sarah’s request for an urgent meeting outside of Ocean House. Luckily, the Game Changer now had a more private venue set up, one closer to Kate, both physically and personally.

If things worked out, the session with Sarah would prove to be a profitable one. Like many in the programme, for her, the concept of Saka and all he represented was seductive: she saw Saka as the great hero, the one who echoed the ethos of the programme, creating whatever illusions best met her needs, and the Game Changer had every intention of reaffirming her delusion. People, like Sarah, who had never experienced financial worries, and didn’t have enough respect for money or its power, deserved to be punished.

∞

‘Nice to see you again, Sarah. Why don’t you take a seat with Lily in front of the camera? Make sure you’re comfortable before you begin.’

Nervously Sarah wrapped the blanket around the baby doll. ‘John has refused to touch Lily.’ Her voice was close to a whisper, covering the doll’s ear on the side not held tight to her chest. ‘I wasn’t sure how he would react, but I hadn’t expected that. He keeps looking at me as if I’m deranged and no matter how much I explain to him about Lily, and that she means the world to me, he won’t accept her.’

‘He might need more time, Sarah. Do you think that could be the problem?’

‘I don’t know. I don’t understand him any more. I can’t deny her.’

‘What about work? How did they react to your change of plans?’

‘They were sympathetic. I told them I needed time off for a personal matter.’

‘So, Sarah, you’re saying John is the real problem.’

‘Yes, and it was awful last night. After he’d stopped shouting and stomping around, he stood in the bedroom where I lay with Lily, and there was a crazy look in his eyes. He asked if I wanted him to get help for me, saying our GP could recommend someone. He’s so bloody-minded at times. He thinks one cure fits all.’

‘Do you think his mind is completely closed to accepting Lily?’

‘Yes. He can’t see past living his life like everyone else. What’s so terrible about me wanting Lily in my life, if it makes me happy?’

‘Happiness is important, Sarah.’

‘In the end, I built up the courage to ask him why he was staring at us, and if he didn’t love us any more.’

‘And what did he say?’

‘He didn’t answer. Instead he walked around the room, his arms folded tight to his chest, like he wanted to squeeze some torment out of himself.’

‘That doesn’t sound good, Sarah.’

‘I pleaded with him. I told him we didn’t have to follow other people’s concepts of what’s okay.’

‘And what was his response to that?’

Sarah looked down at Lily, making sure she was still fast asleep, then said, her voice low and strained, ‘He roared at me that Lily was nothing more than a damn doll. I couldn’t believe it. He should have known that she was more than that to me. If he wasn’t so pig-headed, he’d understand.’