CHAPTER NINETEEN #2
‘Remind me when that was and why I wouldn’t be OK?’
With a laugh, Hayley flicked back her hair as she said, ‘Guess what, I can’t remember, but I know I’ve told you about maybe breaking up with Hugo …’
‘Yes, and I think it’s a shame when you seem so well suited. Have you done it now?’
‘Actually, not quite. I mean, Stefan’s really cool and everything, but he’s not … I guess he’s not Hugo and … Well, I’m just not sure what to do. I’m really attracted to Stef, you know, in a physical way, but what if we sleep together and it turns out I’d rather be with Hugo?’
Not much liking the sound of that, Cristy said, ‘Is this you asking if you should cheat on Hugo to find out which one you feel you want to be with?’
‘No, that’s not what I’m saying. Not at all, but …
Well, should I? Actually, you’re totally the wrong person to ask after what you went through with Dad, so forget the cheating bit.
Just please tell me you’re free this weekend so I can come and talk it through with you.
I really need to clear my head, and I thought it would be great if we could hang out, just the two of us.
I mean, if you’re going to be around, obvs. ’
Thinking of her aborted trip to Guernsey, Cristy tried to sound upbeat as she said, ‘As a matter of fact I am. When are you thinking of coming?’
‘Tomorrow night? I’ve looked into flights and one gets in about six, so would you be able to pick me up?’
What a treat, a drive to the airport during the Friday rush hour. ‘Of course,’ she said. ‘It’ll be lovely to see you.’
‘We’ve got so much to catch up on,’ Hayley ran on excitedly. ‘It’s ages since I last saw you and I really miss you. If the weather’s bad we can stay in our jammies all day and say to hell with the rest of the world. I’ll bring chocolate.’
Laughing, Cristy blew her a kiss, and clicked off just as Aiden clattered in through the front door.
‘Hey, Mum!’ he shouted from the hall. ‘Something smells good. Piers and Richie are with me. Hope there’s enough for us all.’
Having expected him to turn up with at least one other monster appetite in tow, Cristy said, ‘There’s plenty and if you want to take some out to the homeless after, I’ve got flasks.’
‘We’re your men,’ Aiden declared, coming into the kitchen and making straight for the fridge.
‘Hi, Piers, Richie,’ she said, as they traipsed in after him, just as tall, spottier in Richie’s case, lots of facial hair in Piers’s, all three of them more manly in their growing bodies than they were in their minds.
‘Hey, Cristy,’ they responded, in unison. ‘We’re starving,’ Piers informed her.
‘Hope it’s OK to have a shower?’ Richie said. ‘The hot water’s down at home so Aiden said I could jump in here.’
‘That was kind of him. Off you go and don’t leave wet towels all over the floor.’
‘Just listened to the latest pod today,’ Aiden told her, tossing a protein bar to Piers and tearing one open for himself.
‘They are supposed to be my snacks,’ Cristy informed him.
‘I’ll get some more,’ he promised. ‘Anyway, pod seems to be going well. Have you managed to find out where Sadie’s mother is yet? We all reckon she’s dead and the brother sold the child.’
Cristy frowned. ‘The brother? Why him?’
He shrugged. ‘He had access to her, didn’t he? She’d have trusted him, and it kind of makes sense that someone close delivered her to the creepy aunts. She’d have kicked off otherwise. Any idea where he is now?’
‘Not yet, no.’
‘I reckon she was trafficked, same as her mother,’ Piers put in.
Lowering the heat under the soup, Cristy said, ‘Would someone like to set the table?’
‘On it,’ Aiden responded, showering her with chocolate and peanut crumbs. ‘Sorry. Didn’t mean to share. Is Dad coming for supper?’
‘No, why would he be?’
‘Just asking, you’ve got so much there. Have you emailed Marley back yet?’
Stung by the reminder, Cristy said, ‘I’ll definitely do it this weekend. Hayley’s coming so we can work on it together.’
‘Cool. She’s great at stuff like that. I’m in Yeovil on Saturday, don’t forget. Back on Sunday.’
‘What’s in Yeovil?’
‘Duh! Playing rugger for the school. We’ve got a party after, so staying over. OK, table’s ready, feel free to bring it on any time you like.’
‘You can serve yourselves,’ she told him sharply. ‘I’ve got work to do, so I’ll take it into the bedroom.’
‘Awesome. Love you.’
‘Thanks for the soup, Cristy,’ Piers added, as she packed up her things. ‘Love you too.’
Laughing, Cristy carried her laptop, wine and phone into the bedroom where she’d dumped a couple of Lottie’s boxes on her way in, and closed the door.
The last thing she wanted was to be distracted by the boys’ inane chat, or their awful music, or some kind of farting contest, which they always seemed to find so hilarious.
It was why she’d set up a small desk in here right after moving in.
She loved her son, adored him, but there were limits to her tolerance of teenage-boy wit and wisdom.
Opening up her laptop she took another sip of wine and sat down to read the message she’d started to Robert.
Sorry for late reply, thanks so much for inviting me to the dinner on Saturday night. I wish I was in a position to accept as I’d love to hear your speech, but I’m afraid it won’t be possible.
That was as far as she’d got and she still wasn’t sure whether to come right out and admit she couldn’t go because he was married.
Or maybe she should explain that her ex-husband was also invited and she had a morbid dread of gossips …
Did she really need to give a reason at all?
After all, the late notice presumably meant his first choice had let him down, and she did have a life, even if it didn’t always feel like it.
Sighing, she picked up her wine again. It would be so much easier if she were going to Guernsey tomorrow, a bona fide excuse that would require no further explanation and that might, just might, lead to her seeing David.
In the end she wrote, I truly am sorry to be missing out, but perhaps we could meet for a drink one evening next week so you can tell me all about what I missed. Cristy.
She pressed send, listened for the whoosh and went to sit on the bed as if to distance herself from the fact that she’d just asked a married man on a date.
She thought of David again. She’d far rather be seeing him this weekend, no offence to Robert, or disloyalty meant to her daughter. However, continuing to have feelings for David when Juliette was still in the picture was something she really had to get over.
So put him out of your mind and get on with sending an email to Camille Jardine on the Nice-Matin. It might not lead them to where Symmonds-Browne was today, but at least it could give them a start.
*
The following evening Cristy was almost at the airport to collect Hayley when David rang.
‘Hi, I hope this isn’t a bad time,’ he said.
‘No, it’s fine,’ she replied, trying not to be thrown. ‘I’m driving and it’s … good to hear you.’
‘OK. I’m a bit late to this,’ he said, ‘but I’ve only just heard you’re not going to be here this weekend. Something about Corny staying with Mia?’
‘That’s right. We’d hoped to interview her without Mia knowing until after, but that’s obviously not going to be possible while she’s at the villa.
’ It really never had been a good enough reason to go all that way when they had no idea what Corny could tell them, she just hoped David hadn’t seen through it.
‘Well, I’m sorry you’ve had to cancel,’ he said, ‘because I’m really keen to see you. So I was wondering, if you’re not doing anything else this weekend, how about I fly over there?’
She was so startled that she actually hit the brakes.
‘That,’ she said, quickly speeding up and waving an apology to the driver behind, ‘would have been lovely’ – way beyond lovely – ‘but as we speak I’m on my way to collect Hayley.
She’s having boyfriend issues, so she’s decided to come home for a couple of days. ’
‘Girl chat?’
‘I’m afraid so. Oh God, I’m really sorry. If I’d known you wanted to …’
‘It’s OK, I have kids,’ he reminded her. ‘I get that you need to be there for them, even when you might prefer to be doing other things. I’m not saying you’d prefer to be seeing me …’
‘I would actually, but her plane will already have landed.’
‘Then say hi to her from me, and if there’s anything I can do for you here … I’m not suggesting I interview anyone, but if there’s any more background stuff … Have you asked Sadie about Lottie’s will yet?’
‘Actually, I missed an opportunity today … You heard about Mia being taken to hospital last night?’
‘I did, and she’s fine now, I think?’
‘Apparently. Anyway, I’d rather talk to Sadie about the will face-to-face, or at least when she’s at the lodge out of Mia’s earshot.’
‘Probably wise.’
‘That sounds like you know what was in it.’ When he didn’t respond right away, she said, ‘Sorry, you don’t have to answer that, but if you’re serious about more background stuff, we’d love to know something about the time Lottie and Mia moved to Guernsey.’
‘You mean like where they lived when they first arrived?’
‘I think they rented somewhere until the villa was ready, but was there anyone on the island they already knew? Someone who might have helped them get set up?’
‘I wasn’t here myself back then, as you know, but a lot of my family were, so I’ll start with them and report back.’
‘Fantastic, thanks.’ Deciding to push on, Cristy braced herself and said, ‘I was also wondering if there was any …?’ How should she put this? ‘Any confusion around the cause of Lottie’s death?’
It took him a moment to catch on to why she might be asking. ‘She had a heart attack, on the tennis court,’ David reminded her. ‘Are you saying …? What exactly are you saying?’