Chapter 37
Skye drove down Princes Street, still trying to shake the last words she had exchanged with Bear. A song she liked came on and she sang along, the distraction a relief, and before she realized, she was going past the salad bar she went to in her lunchbreak.
She was a stone’s throw from her office.
It was as if Skye had been struck by a bolt of lightning. All thoughts of Bear left her, as an electric feeling of clarity came over her. She knew what she had to do, and she felt supercharged. Why put off until tomorrow — or Monday — what you could do today?
Swinging into the underground car park, she rolled down the ramp and reversed into the first space she could find, glad her car was small enough to fit next to the SUVs and Range Rovers that otherwise populated it.
She walked past them, recognizing Will’s black-windowed SUV, all the better for hiding clandestine activity. Skye shuddered.
Jogging up the ramp, she rounded the corner, and stood and stared at the glass building in which for the last few years she had spent most of her waking hours.
The last time she was here, Skye had been cursing her idiocy, about to run away. She had worried that she would feel sick at the prospect of standing there once more, but it wasn’t as daunting as it had been in her imagination.
‘Skye? It is you!’ came a voice. Skye looked round. It was Tanya Green. ‘You look completely different when you’re not in a suit. Even your face seems more relaxed. And is that your natural colour peeking out there? It’s gorgeous.’
Skye looked at her outfit. She was in scruffy jeans, a white tank, and a cardi that she had worn three days running, and all her ear piercings. And her hair — she’d forgotten about her hair — the red escaping at the parting.
‘It is,’ Skye said. ‘Me. Skye. In the flesh. Right here before your very eyes.’
Having intended to go into the office, Tanya’s appearance on the pavement had put her off her game, and she cursed her babbling. Tanya, to her credit, didn’t blink. So as not to wreck her false lashes. Skye chided herself for that — Tanya had given her a month off.
‘Thinking of popping in?’ Tanya asked. ‘On your last day of freedom?’
Skye nodded. ‘I was planning to see if you were free. I stopped by on the off-chance.’
Tanya raised an eyebrow. ‘You’ve caught me on my lunch break. Why not come with me? I’m going to get a panini. Have you eaten?’
Skye’s stomach gave an audible rumble. ‘I’m fine.’
‘Not sure your belly agrees,’ said Tanya. ‘I’m off to Moretti’s. Do you ever go there?’
‘Sometimes,’ said Skye. ‘There, or to the salad bar, or I bring in leftovers.’
‘Well done, you,’ said Tanya. ‘I barely have the time to make supper, let alone think ahead to making my own lunch. You, however, are the kind of person who is organized, who gets things done. It’s why you’re such a great fit at the firm. I’m looking forward to having you back in on Monday.’
‘About that . . .’
Tanya grabbed Skye’s arm, a desperate look across her face. She then let go with a contemplative, this-could-be-construed-badly look. Instead, she rounded on Skye and held her hands up, and Skye knew she was about to pre-empt her confession, beg her to stay.
‘You’re brilliant at what you do. I know you had a bit of a panic at the end of last month — I’d figured as much — but that doesn’t define you, you know that? And, Skye . . . Considering you only did half a paper, you did incredibly. Jamie MacKenzie, one of the senior partners, said he’d never seen such skill. He also said it was a damn fine shame you didn’t complete it, but still. You don’t have to re-sit. Might not have been flying colours, but you passed.’
Skye couldn’t find the words. ‘You’re kidding. But—’
Tanya shook her head. ‘I am not a kidder. Come on. Let’s go into Moretti’s. Whatever it is you’re about to say, I get the sense that it’s better if I’m not hangry.’
Tanya marched around the corner, Skye almost jogging to keep up. They stepped into the tiny café, and Tanya said, ‘The usual, please, Giovanni.’ Skye ordered a breakfast sandwich, then Tanya steered her to one of the aged Formica tables at the back. On the way, she picked them each a cup of water from a tray on the counter.
They sat, and Tanya banged the cups down on the table, water slopping over the sides. ‘Out with it, then.’
This was the Tanya she knew and loved, sharp tongued and one-track minded. It was oddly comforting.
Skye took a sip of water to steady herself.
‘I don’t think I’m right for Tilling and Browne,’ she said.
‘Is this about Will Tomlinson?’
Skye almost spat out her mouthful. Had she been the subject of office gossip? Had somebody spotted her and Will out together and reported them?
Skye swallowed. ‘Can I check, is everything I say here confidential? Totally off-record, if that’s possible.’
‘Of course.’ Tanya narrowed her eyes. ‘Go on . . .’
Skye proceeded to tell her about Will. About the relationship and how he had told her not to report the relationship until they were entirely ready, and how he had been seeing someone else too. That Will was the catalyst for her skipping town.
‘How did you find out about it?’
A waiter plonked two plates down in front of them, both their choices accompanied by a handful of crisps and a tomato garnish.
Tanya picked up her panini and took a bite. She chewed rapidly and swallowed, before dabbing her mouth with a paper serviette. ‘He came to see me.’
Skye felt the air depart her lungs as she slumped over. ‘The bastard.’
Tanya looked at her. ‘It’s something I wanted to address when you’re back on Monday, but I might as well give you a heads up. He alleges that you came on to him . . .’
Skye’s eyes widened, her back straightening as if an invisible string had pulled her upright. ‘He what?’
‘Let me finish. Now this is strictly off the record, but he came into my office to speak with me. Norah was next door, but she could still hear everything. After he left, Norah said she overheard him ask you out, after the Christmas party.’
‘That’s true,’ said Skye, her nerves in tatters. ‘He asked me out.’
‘Norah said he asked her out two years ago. She said no, because she felt that working in HR and dating a staff member was a recipe for disaster. Which of course it would be.’
‘Oh.’ Skye felt herself redden.
‘Eat your sandwich, Skye. It’ll be revolting when it’s congealed.’
Skye obeyed and took a nibble of her sandwich, praying she didn’t bring it back up.
‘I called him back into my office,’ Tanya continued. ‘And had another off-the-record conversation with him. If you don’t want to pursue it, he won’t either. Are you sure it’s finished?’
‘Oh, I’m very much done with him,’ said Skye, with a burst of catharsis that made her muscles relax. Now for the hard part.
‘The other thing, Tanya. I’m going to hand in my notice on Monday.’
Skye’s eyes filled with tears as she said it. It was a universal truth that making the right decision wasn’t always easy, but you hoped you could do it without turning on the waterworks. Tilling and Browne had taken her on, believed in her. And here was Tanya, who Skye had considered a dragon not to be prodded, taking her for lunch and offering an ear.
Tanya let out a sigh and put her panini down. She closed her eyes as she finished the mouthful she had just taken. Then she looked at Skye and gave her a hint of a smile.
‘It was at the back of my mind, when I offered you that time off — and this, by the way, will make a complete mockery of my staff wellbeing scheme — but I’ve feared this moment might come.’ She sounded tired, rather than angry.
‘Really?’ asked Skye. She blinked and wiped her cheeks with the cuff of her cardigan.
‘Last year, there was a meeting on the Gordon case. I tucked my head around the door, and I could see you looking at the client, fighting to keep a look of disgust from your face. But your eyes were burning.’
‘He was revolting.’ Skye shuddered at the memory of the man.
‘I’m not at liberty to comment,’ said Tanya.
‘How did you know? I didn’t think I was that easy to read.’
‘I do my job because I find people fascinating. I love all the personalities in the firm, most of them at least, and take joy in working out what everyone’s like. Not to blow my own trumpet, but I’m bloody good at it too.’ Tanya winked at her. ‘Although you managed to keep the Will business very under the radar. Had I known, I’d have warned you off him.’ She picked up her panini, and took a large mouthful.
‘I feel guilty letting you down. Especially after you gave me this time off, although I think the scheme is a fantastic idea for wellbeing. In all, it’s been a difficult decision to make,’ said Skye. Tanya looked unconvinced. ‘Fine. It wasn’t that hard. But it’ll be a wrench. The firm has taught me so much and could have taught me so much more. It’s opened up all kinds of doors.’
‘And set you up financially,’ said Tanya.
‘Sure. But it would have been ill-gotten, in some cases. For me, anyway. I couldn’t go on working on briefs that had me sitting at my desk trying to find a way to recuse myself from them.’
Tanya nodded. Skye took a proper bite of her sandwich. Amazingly, the egg hadn’t set, and the yolk spilled out, satisfyingly soaking the floury bap.
‘What’ll you do next?’ asked Tanya.
Skye put the sandwich down and gave the ideas that had tried to take hold space to grow. ‘I’m going to look at charities and NGOs looking for legal counsel. I’ve got the right experience, and I’d go in at junior level.’
She would also, she thought, go to the nearest police station and confess to throwing the brick all those years ago. Do the right thing and hope for the best, and put it to bed once and for all.
Tanya nodded. ‘It will pain me to do so, but I’ll write you an excellent reference. I’ll be sad to see you go, as will a lot of the staff.’
‘Thanks, Tanya. That’s really kind of you.’ Skye’s words were heartfelt. ‘An irony, but maybe I should feel grateful to Will for setting off the whole train of events that made me realize―’
‘If I was you, I’d not thank him for anything,’ Tanya interrupted.
Skye laughed.
‘Well,’ sighed Tanya. ‘In that case, on Monday morning, why don’t you come to my office. I don’t need a long letter of resignation. A short one will do.’
Skye nodded. Maybe she wasn’t going to have those Sunday night blues after all.
* * *
Skye’s phone buzzed, an alert coming up over the top of the satnav. Houda. She ignored it. Seconds later, it buzzed again. Chloe. She could tell the text was in all caps, but didn’t dare look any more closely. She was back to the hairpin bends.
‘Zaza, read text messages,’ she said, taking a second to marvel at the technology.
A robotic voice came in over the car’s speaker.
You cow! You came by the office and you didn’t tell me. Tanya said she saw you and that you looked wonderful. Call me. Miss you. H x
Skye smiled. She was looking forward to catching Houda up with all her news. She waited as the phone read the next message.
PAOLO IS GOING TO MEET UP WITH FABIEN. WE NEED TO SORT SOMETHING. HELP! C xxx.
Skye’s ears almost stung from the alarm ringing in her brain. She had intended to sort out Hamish and Paolo as soon as she had returned from the city. All other thoughts — including those of a particular architect — left her head.
‘Zaza. Put Hamish on speaker. This is urgent.’