CHAPTER 50
Matt stood and jabbed his finger across the screen. “Kayley? Hang on, I can’t hear you.” He strode out to the hall.
Alone in the kitchen, Daisy slumped slightly as she looked around. She’d poured so much time and love into this house … maybe she shouldn’t have torn up the form. Only she wanted nothing more to do with Matt.
She’d been an idiot. About everything, if she were being honest. Mainly because she hadn’t seen Matt for what he really was: arrogant and insecure. And, worst of all, capable of holding a grudge against her and James all these years.
“ Christ! ” He came back into the kitchen.
Daisy got to her feet. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Kayley – she’s stuck on the road beyond the driveway. The river’s burst its banks again and the road’s flooded. She tried to drive through – I think she said they couldn’t get out of the car ... I couldn’t hear her that well and then I got cut off – fucking signal!”
Daisy looked out through the patio doors. The rain was getting heavier by the minute, it seemed. “She and Tim will probably just have to get out of the car and walk the rest of the way. I mean, how far away from the house are they?”
“Tim got delayed so he’s not with her!” Matt scowled. “So she insisted on driving back by herself. Well, I’m assuming Drew is with her.” He pushed a hand through his hair. “But I think I caught the word ‘injured’.”
“Who’s Drew?”
“Her bodyguard.” He turned to go.
“Hang on!” Daisy said.
Then the patio door opened and Fionn and Niamh burst into the kitchen, sliding the door quickly shut behind them.
“It’s crap out there,” Fionn declared, flicking wet hair out of his eyes. “And Kayley doesn’t seem to be here yet. What’s the story?”
“The river’s burst its banks again,” Daisy said, “and Kayley just phoned to say her car is stuck on the road beyond the driveway. Tim isn’t with her but her bodyguard must be. She might have said something about being injured – Matt couldn’t hear properly and then got cut off.” She turned to Matt. “Have you a rain jacket I can borrow? I’ll come with you. And do you have some torches? Just in case?”
He nodded to one of the kitchen drawers and went out to the cloakroom. Daisy opened the drawer to find a collection of random items, from DIY bits to first aid supplies. She grabbed a couple of small torches and as an afterthought, a roll of bandage, still in its plastic packaging, and shoved them into her jacket pocket.
Matt returned with a few brightly coloured rain jackets and handed one to Daisy. “It should fit.”
“I’m coming too,” Niamh said, taking another jacket from him.
“Stay here, Fionn,” Daisy said. “Have your phone on in case we need you. And get in touch with Tim and let him know what’s happening. Oh, Matt – can you send Tim’s number to Fionn right now?”
He did so.
The rain was hitting the ground hard as Matt, Daisy and Niamh stepped outside and immediately Daisy could feel it starting to soak through her tights. She glanced down at her shoes. “Go ahead! I’ll catch up,” she said. “I must change my shoes.”
She opened her car, grateful there was no need to lock it out here, and kicked off her shoes, throwing them into the back, before sitting briefly in to pull her runners back on.
She just hoped the flooding wasn’t as bad as last time. If she couldn’t drive, she’d rather swim home than be stuck here another minute. Briefly, she wondered how long it would be her home. Maybe she and James would be one of those couples who couldn’t afford to sell and would be forced to live separate lives under the same roof. It was a depressing thought.
She hurried to catch up with the others at the gate and, as they stepped out onto the road, the water rushed up around their legs.
Matt waded ahead.
“ Fuck ,” Niamh muttered. “We’re lucky there’s no electricity wires along this road. If a wire came down in this!”
Crap! Daisy hadn’t even thought of that. “You’re sure there aren’t?” She looked up nervously.
Niamh shook her head. “Nah, they’re on the other side of the house.” She raised her voice to be heard above a loud rumble of thunder. “I noticed the first day I arrived out.”
“ I can’t see the car! ” Matt shouted back to them.
Daisy squinted along the road. No car yet visible. She waded on. Was it her imagination or was the water getting deeper? It certainly seemed to be getting faster.
“This is pretty scary shit,” muttered Niamh.
Matt stumbled over something and almost fell into the water. As he righted himself, Daisy and Niamh caught up with him and they waded on.
“Where the fuck’s the car?” Matt muttered. “If anything’s happened to Kayley ...”
“Sucks for her!” Niamh said. “You can’t control the weather.”
Matt glared at her. “ Kayley could be injured! In any case, she’s panicking! ”
Niamh stopped for a moment to find her footing. “Yeah, but you’re not responsible for her. Like, you barely know her!”
Matt halted. “Actually, I do.” He was breathing heavily, from anger and effort. “Look, you both might as well know. Kayley and me – we’re together.”
Niamh stopped walking. “What the fuck are you on about?”
What did he say? Daisy halted. Together?
And suddenly she realised the truth. She just hadn’t registered the clues. She was the woman in the photo in Matt’s bedroom. And he was the reason she was starting her Irish tour in the grounds of an old house that until a few months ago only a small number of people even knew about!
She stared at Matt but he didn’t meet her eyes.
“Kayley and I dated for nearly a year. We’ve been on a break.”
“But you’re back together now?” Daisy almost laughed.
Matt started to speak, but Niamh yelled over him. “ How come nobody knew? I mean, she’s this big country singer, and somehow nobody knew she was dating you? ”
“Of course people knew.” Matt spoke with savage civility. “The public didn’t know, that’s all. We kept it private, because that’s what we wanted. Look, we’re wasting time.” He waded on.
Niamh waded after him.
“ That’s such horse shit! ”
Daisy followed. “Niamh! It’s actually none of our business!” She did her best to inject a note of warning into her voice.
Niamh didn’t reply, and Daisy wasn’t sure if she could hear her. The rain seemed to have got heavier. Now it was hitting them sideways, the strong winds and the water rushing around their legs threatening to unbalance them with every step.
It was her business, though, she thought, suddenly. Matt had made it her business!
“ Why didn’t you tell me, Matt? ” Daisy shouted to be heard. “ You could have just said something! ”
Daisy saw a flash of understanding in Niamh’s expression, but forced herself to focus on Matt.
He swung around. “We only got back together this week. That’s what I wanted to tell you earlier tonight.”
Daisy stared at him for a moment. How could she have misread so many signs?
“And that I’m her new manager.”
“ What? ” Daisy laughed now. “That’s a bit outside your expertise, isn’t it?”
He shook his head. “Whatever. We’re wasting time.”
He turned and waded further down the road, the water hitting his knees.
Resisting the sudden urge to leave, Daisy waded after him, mentally relaying every conversation they’d had since he’d come back, every stupid coffee and pancake he’d made her. The night she’d stayed at the house could have gone so differently if she’d allowed it. Would Matt and Kayley still have got back together if it had? It didn’t matter anymore – she had to stop wondering about ‘what ifs’.
“ I knew there was something going on! ” Niamh shouted. “ She was always hanging around, flirting with you. That’s why she moved in. I didn’t think she’d stick it out when things started going wrong! She’s such a spoiled cow! ”
Matt either hadn’t heard or was ignoring her.
Niamh was right, thought Daisy. Kayley’s move from a five-star hotel in Dublin to an old house in the countryside, in the middle of a major redesign, had nothing to do with the paparazzi!
And despite everything that had gone wrong after she’d moved in ... after she’d moved in ... Daisy turned to look at Niamh. Through the dark and the rain, she could just make out the expression on her face, as Niamh met her eyes.
It had been Niamh who’d decided to overhaul all the electrics. And Daisy had trusted her, or at least she’d trusted Kenny. She remembered the day the house lost power. None of Kenny’s team had been able to figure it. Could Niamh have done something? And then all that stuff about Kayley – including the photos – had been leaked online. She’d blamed Alec, but Alec had no reason to mess things up. Maybe Niamh had hoped that if she made things uncomfortable, Kayley would move back to her luxurious hotel suite?
She had no evidence. But if Niamh had been behind even some of what had happened ... she needed to steer the conversation in a safer direction …
“When did you become Kayley’s manager?” she asked Matt.
“What?” He glared at her. “Why does it matter?”
It didn’t matter – she already knew.
“ Why did you lead me on like that? ” Niamh yelled.
Daisy and Matt both turned to look at her.
Tears seemed to be streaming down her face, although it was hard to tell with the rain. Things had officially reached peak weirdness, Daisy thought.
“What are you talking about?” Matt glared at her.
“Niamh, I don’t think this is the time.” Daisy wished she’d just stayed at home and emailed Matt the stupid form.
Niamh waded up to Matt and poked him in the chest. “I’m talking about you dicking around. Tonight, you even asked for my number!”
“Because you’re an electrician!” Matt sounded exasperated. “And you and I were just having a bit of craic. I doubt the rest of the crew could even have an intelligent conversation. And that boss of yours is a grumpy prick.”
Had Matt always been such a snob, Daisy wondered. How had she not seen that?
“ You leave my dad out of it! ” Niamh shoved Matt so hard he almost lost his balance.
What? Shit , thought Daisy, I can’t afford to lose Kenny!
“Niamh, forget it – he’s not worth it!”
“You’re Kenny’s daughter?” Matt rolled his eyes. “Figures.”
He turned and waded on, then halted abruptly. “There’s the car!”
The SUV was tipped on its side in the ditch close to the riverbank, water flowing all around it. As Matt headed for it, Daisy dialled 999, shouting into the phone to be heard. As she hung up, she noticed Niamh was heading back towards the house. She cupped her hands around her mouth. “ Niamh, where are you going? ”
“ Leaving! ” Niamh didn’t bother to turn around.
“ We might need you! ” Daisy yelled back.
When Niamh ignored her, she rang Fionn.
“ Fionn, can you hear me? ” She heard a faint reply. “ Message me when Niamh gets back to the house .” Zipping her phone away, Daisy waded on, her eyes starting to hurt as she squinted into the rain and wind.
As they got to the car, another part of the riverbank burst, sending more water rushing onto the road. Daisy tried not to panic as she battled to stay standing. The water was now well over her knees. It was then she noticed that one of the old trees that lined the riverbank had fallen across the road, completely blocking it.
“ Oh shit, Matt! ”
“It must have come down just after Kayley got through,” Matt shouted. “It could have hit her car!”
He waded the final few steps and, after a few attempts, heaved himself onto the side of the car.
“Give me a torch, Daisy.”
She handed him one. He wiped his sleeve across the window to try to clear it, before shining the torch into the car.
“I can see Kayley! She’s lying down. Kayley? Can you open the door? Shit, she’s not moving! Kayley! ” He pulled hard at the handle. “ It won’t budge! ”
“What about Drew?” Daisy called.
“He’s in the passenger seat. He seems to be out cold! Or worse. He probably banged his head when the car overturned.”
“Do you think it’s locked from the inside?” Daisy swayed as a wave of water hit the back of her knees.
“Hang on, it might be just stuck. I’ll try to force it!”
Half-standing now, his legs braced either side of the door, Matt gave a loud grunt as he tugged on the door.
It came suddenly away, and Daisy watched, as if in slow motion, as the momentum threw him back off the car onto the flooded road.
He fell backwards, plunging under the water.