Chapter 47
‘Connor Brooks?’ says Felicity Woollaston, as Steve pours her a cup of tea, and Trouble settles on her lap.
‘Connor Brooks,’ says Steve. ‘I thought you’d like to know. He’s about as Swedish as the Pope, this fella.’
Felicity smiles.
‘Hold on,’ says Steve. ‘The Pope’s not Swedish, is he?’
‘American,’ says Felicity.
‘American Pope,’ says Steve. ‘That’s right. He was in a picture round at the quiz. What can I do for you?’
Felicity takes a deep breath. ‘First of all, thank you for seeing me, I know we’re up to our eyes at the moment.’
‘For seeing you?’ says Steve. ‘We’re mates, aren’t we? We don’t have to make appointments.’
Felicity can’t help but smile again. She works for Steve, certainly, and she’s dating Steve’s best friend, but the idea that the two of them might be ‘mates’ hadn’t occurred to her until now. What a lovely thought.
‘I just … I might need your help,’ says Felicity.
‘Okay,’ says Steve.
He is always unruffled. That’s the word that comes to mind. Solid, calm, kind. It would be nice if Steve could find someone, the way that Felicity has found Tony.
‘It’s … it’s just between you and me though,’ says Felicity. ‘If we understand each other?’
‘No Tony you mean?’ Steve asks.
‘No Tony,’ confirms Felicity.
‘If you’re planning to propose to him, I know he likes diamonds,’ says Steve.
‘Can I show you a picture?’ Felicity asks.
Steve nods. Here goes.
‘Only,’ she begins, ‘I couldn’t stop thinking about the man who attacked Tony.’
‘Me neither,’ says Steve.
‘And what I’d do if I ever saw him again,’ says Felicity.
‘I’ve had those thoughts,’ says Steve.
‘So I thought I would do a bit of digging,’ says Felicity. ‘See if I could get anything on him. And I found this on someone’s doorbell, at the top of the alley where Tony was attacked.’
She hands the picture of the man over to Steve.
The woman in the cottage had been very sympathetic.
She’d heard a commotion that evening, but had thought nothing more of it.
As Felicity had told her the story she had sympathized, and hugged her, and told her everything was going to be okay, and that if she was a betting woman she’d have good money on the attacker being an immigrant, and when Felicity had told her the man had a London accent, she had said that that didn’t really tell you anything these days, and London was a foreign country anyway if you really thought about it, and, anyway, let’s see what we can see on my doorbell app.
What they saw was the man Steve is looking at right now. He is around five feet ten, bleached blond hair, bit of a tattoo showing on his neck and, as even the woman who owned the cottage had had to admit, white.
Steve is looking at the image very intently. ‘So this is the man who attacked Tony?’
‘That’s him,’ Felicity says. ‘That’s the man. I know it’s not much, but I wanted you to see the person I saw that night. I thought you could do something.’
‘So this man works, it turns out, for Connor Brooks,’ says Steve.
Steve goes quiet.
‘What is it?’ Felicity asks.
Steve is shaking his head now. ‘I’ve seen him before.’
‘Seen him?’ says Felicity. ‘Where?’
Steve wrinkles his nose in concentration. ‘It’ll come to me. Somewhere.’
‘I’d like to find him,’ says Felicity.
‘And then what?’ Steve asks.
‘I don’t know,’ says Felicity. ‘Something.’
‘If it’s any consolation,’ says Steve, ‘guys like this usually end up in a ditch. Where have I seen this lad?’
‘I hope he does end up in a ditch,’ says Felicity. ‘And I hope I’m there when it happens.’
‘Revenge is more fun in the mind than in reality,’ says Steve. ‘Thinking of ways of killing someone is like looking at houses on those websites. Actually killing someone is like buying a house. Money, lawyers, stress.’
‘I just want to find him,’ says Felicity. ‘I just want to feel like I’ve done something for Tony.’
‘You do plenty for Tony,’ says Steve. ‘You don’t need to go to jail for him.’
‘I know,’ says Felicity. ‘I do know. But indulge me for now. Let me pretend to be a vigilante at least.’
Steve acknowledges this. He holds up the picture. ‘Can I keep this?’
‘Of course,’ says Felicity.
‘It’ll come to me,’ says Steve. ‘Where I know him from. It always comes to me.’
‘And Tony mustn’t know,’ says Felicity.
‘Of course,’ says Steve. ‘Goes without saying.’
He is staring more intently now. ‘I could swear he was …’
‘He was what?’ Felicity asks.
Steve thinks better of whatever he was about to say. ‘Nothing.’
But Felicity sees that there is something, and that gives her hope that Steve might find the man. She won’t push it for now.
‘I’m happy we’re friends, Steve,’ says Felicity. ‘That makes me feel very safe.’
‘Make sure you stay safe,’ says Steve. ‘I understand you want to find the guy who did this, but I won’t let you do anything stupid if we do.’
‘I hardly think I could do him much damage,’ says Felicity. ‘Much as I’d like to.’
Steve nods. ‘But no buying a gun or anything.’
‘Christ almighty, Steve, I’m an office manager,’ says Felicity. ‘And I don’t think you can buy guns in Hampshire.’
‘You can buy guns everywhere,’ says Steve. ‘We used to nick people at Sammy’s Boxing in Portsmouth all the time.’
‘Oh, Portsmouth, sure,’ says Felicity. ‘I meant Hampshire Hampshire. The posh bit.’
‘I’m serious though, Felicity,’ says Steve. ‘Revenge will eat you up. Leave it to me.’
‘I will,’ says Felicity. ‘I promise.’
Trouble stirs, opens one eye and looks up at her. He is, of course, just a cat, and handsome and wise as he is, Felicity knows she is being ridiculous to read anything into his look.
But she can’t deny it, Trouble’s look says to her: ‘Felicity Woollaston, don’t make promises you have no intention of keeping.’