Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
STARING RIGHT AT ME
Scarlet
A quick trip back to the loch house gave me the sheet of paper with Kaylee’s burial details. I’d spotted it last night, on top of a pile of paper on a side table in Ally’s lounge. With that in hand, I hopped back into the BMW and sped out of the estate.
The shock of Ally’s news had lessened, and I could think straight now. It had bothered me how Devon had got the Storm Force management job. He’d either worked like a demon on the last week of his internship, or he’d simply stolen my work.
He’d borrowed my laptop in the final meeting prior to the Hong Kong trip.
Could he be so brazen?
I dialled his number, grinding my teeth with rage. He answered, and I cut off his waffle about his working project. “Devon. I need to ask you a question and I need you to answer honestly. Did you take the management efficiencies report from my laptop?”
He spluttered. “Scarlet, that is outrageous. I won the job fair and square—”
“I can just ask Philip.”
No response came.
I pushed on. “That report being out in the world has caused a huge problem for a friend of mine. It means that his custody case for his daughter is at risk because his employment can’t be guaranteed.”
I could almost hear Devon’s lip curling in a sneer. “Is this your boyfriend? Convenient that he works for your father.”
Technically, Ally didn’t work for Dad’s conglomerate, but he was dependant on them. We should’ve been able to protect him, but we’d failed him.
“Devon! Aren’t you listening? Admit it so I can fix it. Tell me now.”
“I’m sorry, Scarlet. I have a lot to do. We managers don’t have time for problems of individual staff members.”
“You have to be kidding me,” I yelled. “Undo it. Tell the contracts manager—”
He muttered something, then the line went dead.
I glanced at my phone in my lap. He’d hung up? “Argh!” I bit out to the interior of the car.
There was only one thing for it. I was going above his head. Dad would be travelling with the twins, so I called Philip. His PA answered and put me through with a chirpy greeting. I palmed the steering wheel, taking me onto the main road that led to Inverness.
“Philip?” I said as his voice came on the line. “I need to ask you something important. A friend’s custody case is at stake.” He had grandchildren. This would shake him up.
In concise terms, I explained about the report I’d written and the impact it had had by being released in the world.
“My friend is relying on that employment guarantee to convince the judge he can provide for his daughter. Do you see? He might not get her unless he has that sign-off from Storm Force.”
“Then we need to get him that guarantee!”
“Yes!” I yelped, relief replacing the cold in my veins.
“Excellent. I’ll talk to Devon about it. He’s the manager in charge now. It is up to him—”
“No.” If Devon had ever given me reason to like him, I’d hesitate over what I was about to do. But nope. He’d earned this. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but the report Devon used to get that job was mine. I’ve already asked him to fix this, and he won’t.”
“That’s a serious accusation.”
“It is, and I don’t make it lightly.” I rattled off a series of facts about the report. “Sound familiar? It’s all my words. When we get off this call, I’ll ask Toby to access my original report, and you can compare that with what Devon gave you with his job application.”
Philip heaved a sigh. “I believe you. It surprised me when I saw the diligent work he’d done. He hadn’t shown anything like that initiative before. I was very pleased, but I wonder now how I didn’t question it at the time. We will run a full investigation—”
“Great. You should. But the point of this is my friend’s custody case. We need to send his work guarantee to the court today. His hearing is on Monday. Without it, he will lose custody for sure.”
I gave a final run through of exactly what I thought needed to happen, then I hung up and pressed on. Part one of my plan was underway. Part two was going to take every piece of mental armour I could summon.
The damp cemetery grass squelched under my feet, and I settled on my haunches beside the grave. I’d been so hell-bent on getting to the end of the journey that the magnitude of actually being here hadn’t sunk in.
The flowers were still propped up in their wrapper, and the card wedged in between them. Moisture had smudged the writing, but the message was still clear.
I wish I’d been there for you. Who knew you could die from a broken heart? I’ll never forgive myself. Thinking of you always – G
Wow. My breath left me in a rush. I should be out of here, driving as fast as I could to the florist whose address was printed on the back of the card. It was the longest of long shots that they’d know or give details on the woman who’d bought the flowers. Other than this, I had nothing.
But even with all the urgency in the world urging me on, I just stared at the headstone.
“Did you love him?” I spoke into the cool autumn air. “I’m sorry. He’s highly lovable.”
Then I swallowed around a lump in my throat.
“I’m Scarlet, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make him and your baby happy.
I love them both. I hope we have your blessing.
Cait will always know about you. However it ends up.
Whether Ally gets to have her live with him, with us, or if he only gets to see her once in a while, we’ll still talk about you. ”
The weight of the day crushed me. I wrapped my arms around myself and my inadequate thin top, the wind chilling me to my bones. Around me, graves spread out over the hillside, and I felt it, the temporary nature of life.
I knew what I wanted. Finally. Yet I’d inadvertently messed it up. If Ally lost Cait, he wouldn’t forgive me. How could he? Even if he loved me, this would come between us forever.
Tears welled up, and I dashed them away.
Then another plan sprang into my mind. Would it work? I had no idea. But there was only one way to find out.
“I’m sorry, Kaylee,” I said, needing to get out of here and stop feeling sorry for myself when I was the last person who needed pity. “I wish I’d met you. Cait’s beautiful—”
“She is,” a voice said behind me.
I whirled around to see the woman from the foster carer’s house standing not ten feet away.
“Georgia Banks.” I gasped. It was her, and she was staring right at me.