Unfaithful (63 page)

Her eyes widened expectantly. “I know you're a charmer but this is astonishing, even by your standards. Tell me everything.”

“There's not much to tell really. I suppose I got lucky.”

She glared at him.

“Not lucky like that! What do you take me for?”

“Do you really want me to answer that question?”

“Actually, no, I'd rather you didn't. She was having computer problems and Shona offered to have our I.T. guy take a look at it for her. When they were out to lunch I fixed her computer and copied her files to my hard-drive.”

“Aren't you the clever clogs?” she grinned at her brother.

“You better believe it.”

Reverently, she picked up the hard-drive and plugged it into her computer. “Here goes nothing. Pull up a chair and we'll have a nose together.”

“No, I'm going out with the girls tonight.”

“Pardon?”

Adrian rolled his eyes. “We're having dinner at Rebecca's house. It's a team bonding session.”

“Make sure you're in investigative mode.”

“I will, don't you worry about that. I'll see you later anyway and we can discuss what you find. Try not to work too hard.”

“I don't know about that. My evening suddenly got very interesting.”

Chapter 15

Colm sat bolt upright in bed and listened intently. His heart was pounding in his chest and a cold sheen of sweat glistened on his brow. He held his breath and listened. The house was deathly quiet. There wasn’t a sound except for Jackie’s rhythmic breathing as she lay sleeping peacefully beside him. He glanced at her, wishing he could find the rest that enveloped her every night. Sleep was such a gift. It had the power to ease his worries and cares, but not tonight. He couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was stress, overwork, constant worry about his marriage or maybe he was beginning to unravel. Who could blame him for cracking? He had nobody to share his burden, nobody he could talk to and nobody he could trust with his deepest, darkest thoughts. Once he could have told Jackie but now he was too afraid that she’d end up leaving him and he couldn’t stand that, not after everything he’d done to keep her.

Slowly, his heartbeat began to return to normal. Maybe it was a nightmare that had woken him in such a panic. He’d suffered from nightmares as a child. His parents had brought him to see several specialists and some said his nightmares were a coping mechanism; a way for his brain and body to get rid of the stress he held inside and couldn’t express when he was awake. Now it seemed the nightmares had returned to haunt him, new ones this time. He shook himself. He didn’t want to think about them. He eased himself back under the duvet and closed his eyes, but the shadows soon returned to dance before his addled mind. Sleep eluded him. He stared at the ceiling, his mind racing. “What am I going to do?” he whispered into the darkness.

Carefully, he got out of bed, not wanting to wake Jackie. He walked barefoot to the window and gazed outside. There was nothing there. All was well. It seemed as if the whole world was sound asleep except him. What else did he expect at such an hour? He glanced at the clock. The neon buttons read 3.03 a.m. The witching hour, Emmett called it. It seemed his son had inherited his over-active imagination. He sighed in relief, releasing the breath which he’d been unconsciously holding. Some warm milk and a piece of buttery toast and he’d feel a lot better.

He shrugged into his bathrobe and slowly made his way downstairs, tip-toeing past Emmett
’s and Charlotte’s bedrooms. He cringed as the floorboards creaked underfoot, hoping he wouldn’t wake anyone. He wanted to be alone right now. He needed to calm down, get his head together and get a grip on reality. He couldn’t allow himself to spiral out of control. There’d be too high a price to pay.

He padded into the kitchen, an involuntary shiver running through him. It was unusually cold. The window was swinging wide in the wind. He closed it tight and checked the security alarm. It was disabled. Strange, he could have sworn he’d set it before he went to bed. Had Jackie left it open? She’d been cooking earlier so she might have opened the window to let the steam out and stop the fire alarms going off. It was a family joke at this stage how long it would take her to start the alarms ringing. There was no need to call them when dinner was ready; the alarms did the job for her! He couldn’t help smiling. She really was making a huge effort to make their relationship work. She even cooked dinner every night and she hated cooking with a passion. It was a welcome change from their usual fare of pizza, chips or takeaway food.

He poured milk into a saucepan to boil, which he hoped would soothe his rattled nerves. Wrapping his hands around the cup for warmth he wandered into the living room and sank onto the comfortable couch. It had been weeks since he’d slept properly. The insomnia which had plagued him at different times throughout his life was back in full force and he was exhausted. He had a constant dull headache and he felt jumpy and nervy all the time which wasn’t helped by the amount of coffee he drank. His doctor had recommended sleeping tablets but they left him feeling even more wretched. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the couch. Finally, just as the sun was rising over the distant mountains he fell into a dreamless sleep.

“Daddy, why are you sleeping down here?” Emmett asked curiously, watching his father carefully from the doorway.

“What? Oh, good morning, son. I couldn’t sleep, so I came downstairs.” Colm sat up and rubbed his tired eyes. “What time is it?”

“It’s ten past seven. Mom’s in the bathroom, and Charlotte is still fast asleep.”

“Come on and I’ll get you some breakfast.”

“Good morning, darling. You were up early.” Jackie suddenly appeared and gave her husband a quick kiss before helping herself to some fresh coffee.

“He was sleeping on the couch,” Emmett said, an accusatory note in his voice.

Jackie glanced quizzically at her husband. “Is everything okay?”

“I couldn’t sleep so I came downstairs, I didn’t want to disturb you. By the way, did you forget to close the kitchen window last night?”

Jackie frowned. “I didn’t open it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I'm positive. I distinctly remember because it was raining last night and I didn’t want to soak the place.”

“Never mind, I probably opened it and forgot about it.” He didn’t want to worry her so he didn’t say anything else.

“Okay. Emmett, will you tell your sister to hurry up?
” Jackie asked. “We have to get a move on. I’ve got a meeting with my publisher after I drop you guys to school so we need to hurry.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Jackie studied her husband’s face and saw the dark smudges under his eyes. He’d lost weight recently and seemed more preoccupied than usual.

“Everything’s fine,” he forced a weak smile. “I'm just being paranoid.”

“I’ll be back by lunch-time. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay, will do.”

There was a final flurry of activity while they pulled on their coats and scarves before he waved them goodbye. He shut the door behind them and scrubbed his face with his hands. “Get a grip,” he ordered himself.
He poured another strong coffee before gathering his paperwork together and settling down at the computer in his home office. Work was the only thing that helped take his mind off his worries.

Chapter 16

“Damn it!” Mark swore as the shrill ringing of his mobile phone made him jump, causing him to nick his face. He flung his razor into the sink and stuck a piece of tissue on his bleeding cheek.

“What?!” he yelled into the phone.

“Mark?” A woman’s voice was on the other end of the line. He knew the voice but couldn’t quite place it.

“Yes, this is Mark,” he replied carefully, wracking his brain.

“I think it’s about time we met, don’t you?”

“Who the hell is this?”

“Mark, I'm hurt. You don’t remember me?” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“Quit playing games and tell me who you are,” he ordered.

“Oh, Mark, I love it when you're masterful with me.” She laughed a mocking laugh which made his blood run cold. “This is Savannah. Remember me?”

He almost dropped the phone in shock. Savannah Kingston, how could he ever forget? “I don’t have anything to say to you,” he hissed.

“But I have a lot to say to you Mark. We have some unfinished business, in case you’ve conveniently forgotten.”

“That’s over and done with. There’s nothing left to say.” He tried to sound authoritative and in control but he couldn’t stop the edge creeping into his voice.

“It’s far from over, Mark. Meet me in an hour at the coffee shop around the corner from your house. It should be busy enough for us to blend in,” and with that she hung up.

He stood staring at the phone. His mind was racing. What the hell did she want? This was all he needed. He’d just started to get some semblance of a life and now she had turned up to ruin everything. I suppose it can’t hurt to hear what she has to say, he mused as he carefully studied his face in the mirror. Should I tell someone, maybe Maggie or Fergus? Thoughts whirled around and around in his head. No, it was best
to meet her alone. There was no point getting anyone else involved at this stage.

He dressed quickly, pulling on jeans and a freshly laund
ered shirt. He wrapped a scarf around his neck and pulled a baseball cap low over his eyes. The last thing he needed was the media snapping photographs of himself and Savannah together. Who knew what twisted spin they’d put on their meeting. He checked his phone to make sure there was plenty of battery power remaining and tested the voice recorder. No harm in taking precautions. Carefully, he tucked the phone securely into his jeans pocket.

He peered out the window, relieved that the journalists who seemed to have taken up residence outside his apartment had left for the evening. He was sick and tired of being stalked by them. Every time he came or left the building there was someone lying in wait for him, ready to shove a microphone in his face. He'd been dazzled several times by the bright glare of a camera snapping him as he went in and out of the apartment and quite frankly he was getting irritated by the media intrusion on his privacy. He'd served his time, all he wanted now was some peace and quiet; time to adjust to his new-found freedom and gather himself together. There’d be plenty of time later for the media when he published his book, but for now, he wanted to be left alone.

He locked the door securely behind him and ran down the steps, quickly losing himself in the crowded street. Luckily, it was raining, which afforded him a little more anonymity from any prying eyes. He opened his umbrella and walked the short distance to the aptly named Insomnia Café. They had the best coffee in town but he rarely indulged himself there as he didn’t want the staff becoming too friendly or familiar with his whereabouts. People loved to gossip and he couldn't be too careful. He never knew who might be prying into his life.

He pushed open the door and savoured the welcoming warmth which greeted him.
It was a bitterly cold day and he was already shivering from the short walk to the café. The place was busy with the usual mix of students and office workers. The intoxicating aroma of freshly brewing coffee filled the air. He scanned the room but there was no sign of Savannah.

“Can I help you, sir?” the pretty barista smiled chirpily at him from across the counter. “Yes, please. I’d like a large Americano with an extra shot.” He’d need his wits at their sharpest to deal with Savannah, so the extra shot of espresso couldn’t hurt.

“Coming right up, sir. If you’d like to take a seat I’ll bring it straight over.”

“Thanks.” He surveyed the room and decided on a quiet window-seat in the corner, at least there’d be less chance of anyone overhearing his conversation with Savannah, plus he had the added advantage of seeing her as she approached. She was already fifteen minutes late. He glanced at his watch in annoyance. The least she could do was be on time. He really wasn’t in the mood for her pathetic mind-games. She’d burned him badly in the past and there was no way he was going to let her burn him again. What did she want and how did she know where he lived? Had she been following him? He hadn’t even known that she’d been released from prison. Then again, he hadn’t cared enough to find out.

Slowly he sipped his coffee, his temper and impatience increasing with each passing minute. He knew he shouldn’t let her get under his skin, it was probably all part of her strategy, but he couldn’t help it. The cafe was buzzing with chatter and music. A few people sat alone but they seemed to be immersed with their iPads or mobile phones. Rain pattered steadily against the window and cars splashed the busy crowds who streamed steadily past the window. It wasn’t long until Christmas. A slight melancholy came over him. He wondered where he’d be spending Christmas, probably alone.

“Oh the weather outside is frightful,” a familiar voice sung in his ear, making him jump. It was Savannah. She bent to kiss him on the cheek. It was a struggle not to recoil at her touch. She’d ruined his life and now she had the audacity to kiss him
like they were long-lost friends. It made his stomach turn.