Trusting a Stranger (10 page)

They had once more reached the door to his office. Ethan pushed it open and she followed him in.

‘Wait here for a moment,' he said as he stepped through a door at the end of the room. It was not exactly camouflaged, but Hayley had not noticed it before.

She sat as instructed, thinking that she might as well; she was doing everything else he told her. What had gotten into her? It was not like Hayley to be so obedient. Normally, she liked to do her own thing and that was why being in business for herself so suited her.

But there was something about Ethan that encouraged her to trust him and to do what he suggested. Something about the way he understood the situation, understood her. Not to mention that he had saved her life! She certainly owed him something for that.

His computer screen was dark. So he must have been in bed when the phone rang.

There it was. And for the second time that evening, the phone began to ring as though it were answering her.

Who on earth would be ringing him at this time of night? Hayley looked towards the door through which Ethan had vanished. But he did not reappear.

What should she do? The phone was still ringing. It could be something important. It could even concern Katy. In fact, it was very likely to concern Katy. There were very few other reasons imaginable for calling someone this late at night.

As soon as she considered that, she reached for the phone herself. It was clear Ethan was not returning to this room. She might only be a guest here but if there were news of his daughter, he would certainly want to know.

‘Hello?' she said into the receiver before remembering where she was. ‘I mean
buongiorno
.'

‘Who is this?' The voice at the other end of the line was crisp and authoritative. It belonged to a woman who knew whom she was calling, and who had not expected to be answered like this.

‘This is Ethan McDonald's phone,' Hayley said smoothly.

Immediately, she was determined to give away no more information than someone ringing this number would already know. She had only been mixed up in this business for a few hours, but already she was becoming suspicious. Who knew which people were connected to Tomasi and to people associated with him? Hayley had to be more aware of that danger than almost anyone — after all, she had been involved with the Tomasis herself. She would keep her identity here secret. She had no particular desire to let anyone know that Ethan had someone staying with him.

‘I know whose phone it is,' the woman said. ‘I want to know who you are.'

There was a certain note of bellicose aggression to the other woman's voice now. A certain sense of ownership, as though she somehow sensed that her territory had been invaded by this woman that was answering Ethan's phone when he was meant to be here on his own.

Hayley couldn't understand it. The woman sounded too old to be romantically involved with Ethan and, in any case, the way he had spoken of being alone with Katy, Hayley was fairly certain he was on his own in the world. He said his mother had died. His sister was too frail looking and also too young to be the woman on the other end of the line.

‘I think he'll be at the phone in a second,' Hayley said, hoping she sounded as though she didn't understand the aggressive tone. This seemed the easiest way of not having to respond to it.

A moment later, the door was still closed and Hayley was still standing there. She had moved the receiver away from her ear. But Ethan still wasn't coming.

She moved the receiver back to her mouth. As much as she had the sense that it would be better to avoid this woman, she had to speak.

‘Would you like me to take a message?' she asked.

The woman snorted. ‘Tell him Elspeth called.'

‘Elizabeth?'

‘Elspeth.' The woman swore. ‘That boy doesn't get to liking them any brighter. I said Elspeth. E-L-S-P-E-T-H. Tell Ethan — that's if you know his real name — that I want to hear back from him as soon as he…finds the time.'

Carrying a small black fabric bag, Ethan re-emerged from the other room almost as soon as Hayley hung up. He looked surprised to see her standing and her hand on the receiver.

Surely he had heard it ringing? Hayley wondered if he had trouble with his hearing.

But she was unable to stop herself stepping back quickly, as though she did feel guilty about something, although such an idea was ridiculous.

‘A woman named Elspeth rang,' she said, just to make things perfectly clear. ‘She wants you to call her back straight away.'

There was something in his eyes that was almost laughter at the mention of Elspeth's name. Which at least meant that this particular woman was not someone to worry about.

‘We'll call her from the car,' Ethan said. ‘Let's go.'

***

Ethan drove a long, low, sporty Italian car of the kind that Hayley had only ever seen before on televised car races. He opened the passenger side door for her then sprinted around to his side and was speeding out of the garage while she was still fastening her seatbelt.

Hayley took a deep breath. The night had taken on a weird feeling of unreality. It wasn't just the way Ethan insisted on pretending she was beautiful. It didn't seem as though anything here could really be happening. She had been shot at. She and Ethan were rushing off into the Italian nighttime to rescue a potential kidnap victim from her nightmares.

None of this seemed like it could possibly be part of the sensible, organised life of Hayley Wolfe, wedding photographer. Perhaps she would feel a bit more like herself if she returned to the hobby she usually buried herself in when there was anxiety in her life. Thankfully, her camera bag was in her lap. She patted it and that gesture itself was comforting.

‘Do you mind if I take photos?' she asked.

His hand on the gearstick, Ethan looked across at her. There was a puzzled expression on his face. ‘Why would you want to do that?' he asked.

She shrugged. ‘I find it relaxing, I suppose.'

His eyes back on the road, Ethan shrugged. Hayley watched as a muscle in the side of his jaw twitched, then his arms softened. He was obviously making some attempt to keep himself calm as well. After all, it was Katy's nightmares that had precipitated this nighttime ride. Hayley knew that nightmares are often the result of anxiety and stress. It would not do the little girl any good for her father to turn up looking worried and tense.

‘I won't take any photos that could possibly give information to Tomasi,' Hayley promised.

What she really wanted to do was take a photograph of Ethan's profile right now. With his eyebrows as thick, straight lines and his jaw clenched, he was the living picture of a strong man keeping himself under closer control. The look was dangerous and sexy.

‘We won't be passing many weddings out here tonight,' he observed in a deep voice.

Hayley laughed. ‘That's how I earn a living. I take interesting photos as well,' she said. ‘It's just hard to get anyone to pay for those.'

‘Hell, we all make livings any way we can,' Ethan said. ‘My own work can get dangerous I'm told. Some of my colleagues have been in really tricky situations. SO far I've been okay.'

Then she pulled out her camera and took the photo she had wanted. Ethan, captured forever on the memory card inside her camera. Something for her to look at when she got back home. Hayley was already sure that this whole adventure was going to come to seem like one long, unlikely dream.

They reached the end of the narrow road that only led to Ethan's villa and turned onto one of the wider country roads. At night, the trees that had shaded her scooter ride earlier seemed almost black.

‘Weddings are work,' she said. ‘You have to earn a living doing something. Weddings are one of the few things that people will pay to have photographed these days.'

‘You'd rather do something else?'

‘I'd rather do just about anything else. I don't even like weddings.'

Ethan tapped the steering wheel. ‘A photographer that doesn't like weddings? I bet the brides all love you.'

‘It's not something I tell very many of them,' Hayley said. She turned towards her window and took a photo of the scenery speeding by outside. It was beginning to be early morning and there was a beautiful orange glow along the horizon.

‘What's wrong with weddings?' Ethan asked. ‘Most married people have had one.'

‘It's more the marriage than the wedding I'm sceptical about,' Hayley confessed. ‘I mean, weddings are fine as an excuse for a pretty dress and a big party. But marriage…'

‘Marriage…? What were you about to say?'

‘Oh, I don't know. I just don't think marriage is a very good idea.' Hayley slid the camera back into its case. ‘I suspect it's for people who can't cope with life on their own.'

‘You said you were only married for a very short while.'

‘It was long enough for me to form an opinion about it,' Hayley insisted. ‘The reality is that sometimes, we all just have to be lonely.'

‘Maybe it's not so hard to be on your own if you have someone special waiting for you at home,' Ethan said.

Hayley shook her head. ‘Being lonely is sometimes better than being with someone else. I know. I saw it with my own parents.'

Ethan accelerated further as the road broadened and the vision out the front window brightened. ‘One marriage not working out doesn't damn the whole institution,' he said.

‘It's not just that,' Hayley said. ‘People go on and on about fate, that sort of thing. I don't believe in fate.'

‘Neither do I. That's something we can agree about.'

‘Anyway, you've been married. I'm sorry to say this, but you don't make it sound like being married to Erica was the happiest time of your life.'

Hayley stopped suddenly, her hand over her mouth. She had said too much. She was always either asking too many questions or offering too many of her own opinions.

‘I know I shouldn't have said that!' she wailed.

Ethan turned to smile very briefly at her. ‘No, you're right. My marriage wasn't a great success. But I was happier then than I am now.'

‘That doesn't mean anything. It's worrying about Katy that makes you miserable now.'

‘I still believe people can be married and be happy.'

‘I'll have to see someone do it before I have any belief,' Hayley said.

‘Your own parents?' asked Ethan.

‘Divorced when I was very young. My father brought me up on his own.'

‘Your father? That has to be unusual.'

‘It is.'

Hayley fell into silence. She did not like to talk about her mother. The glow along the horizon brightened and extended as they drove. Hayley had new questions she wanted answered. She wanted to know who Elspeth was. Was she the PA that Ethan said babysat Katy sometimes? What sort of personal role did she have in their lives? How long would it take them to reach Katy's school? But she was acutely aware of the way Ethan had mocked her about all her questions.

Instead of asking, she stuck to her camera. This was a beautiful part of the world and there was some new scenic wonder that would make a wonderful image at every turn in the road.

‘Come on,' Ethan said, when it was finally bright enough outside for it to be called day rather than night.

‘What do you mean?'

‘I said come on. I mean, spit it out. You have something you want to know. Questions you want to ask.'

‘You're very perceptive.'

‘You're not exactly subtle,' Ethan observed. ‘Sitting there like that. What is it that you want to know?'

‘I was wondering about two things,' Hayley confessed. ‘Since you ask.'

‘I suppose I should be surprised it's only two. You're in the wrong profession. You should have been a reporter.'

Hayley had actually considered this from time to time. But this was not the right moment for a discussion about career decisions. ‘How long will it be until we get there?' she asked instead.

Ethan looked at his watch. ‘I'd say about twenty minutes,' he said.

They had been travelling for over an hour already. The beautiful countryside looked different now that she was aware of some of the contemporary feuds being carried out. Machiavellian, almost.

‘Aren't there any schools closer to your house?' Hayley asked.

Ethan shook his head. ‘Well, there would be. I wanted Katy in the safest place. And not necessarily one that would be easy to find. That was your second question?'

‘No.'

‘Yes, it was. You asked how far the school was. Then you asked if there weren't schools closer.'

‘I didn't mean that to be my second question.'

‘Nevertheless…' Ethan began. But when he looked at her, his eyes were crinkling and she knew he was joking. ‘I only agreed to two.'

‘I've been wondering who Elspeth is,' Hayley insisted. ‘I mean, you said you'd call her from the car. But you haven't. Don't you think she'll be worried?'

Ethan shook his head. ‘She probably got news about Katy too,' he said. ‘She probably just wanted to make sure I had the message.'

‘If she's worried, shouldn't you call?'

Ethan seemed to consider it. ‘She'll understand,' he decided.

‘What's her connection to Katy?'

‘Four questions!' Ethan raised his hands in a characteristic gesture of surprise. ‘I certainly did not agree to that.'

Hayley raised her camera and took a close up photo of his fingers. Despite his jaunty tone and the light-hearted nature of what he was saying, his hands were so still they were an honest expression of how he was feeling.

‘Elspeth is my personal assistant,' Ethan explained. ‘She helped me a lot with Katy after Erica died. A young girl needs a woman's influence.'

‘She sounded a bit old to be a secretary.' Hayley did not mean for her tone to sound as sceptical as it did.