Chapter Thirty-Five
Haze
What a fucking mess.
We couldn’t trust anyone in our lives, and it seemed like we couldn’t trust each other. He was really coming after Jenny? I knew he didn’t like the idea of Sally being a plant, but to try and accuse Jenny?
We didn’t have time to thrash it out properly, as Bibi needed picking up from school and Reggie was waking up from his nap. A temporary truce. Our arguments needed to be scheduled.
I let Fox deal with a cranky Reggie and headed out to pick up Bibi, as at least that got me out of the house.
The painting I’d started after Clark Dixon’s death was nearly finished.
I was pretty confident it was one of my best yet.
I was excited to share it with Hamish at the gallery and hear the flood of praise I needed to feel good about myself.
The large check when he eventually sold it would help too.
I was ten minutes early to pickup. I stood a little further away from the gates than the clusters that were already beginning to form. I looked up from my phone when I sensed someone standing next to me. A little too close.
I turned to see Diana Morgan staring at me. “Hello, Hazel.”
“Hello, Diana.”
We stood in silence as we watched the other groups of mothers laughing and talking.
I just needed to keep quiet.
Keep quiet.
Fuck it.
“Ted pulled any hair recently?”
She was straight back. “Bibi punched any faces recently?”
“My daughter only attacks threats.”
“Maybe she’ll grow up to be a lawyer.”
“Oooh yeah, lawyers are scary.” I scoffed.
Diana looked at me with a small smile. “You’ll see.” The gates opened, and she strode purposefully toward them.
What the hell did that mean? It struck me how Diana was someone who had recently come into our lives, a ripple effect from her child attacking ours.
Maybe little Ted was tasked with singling out Bibi?
Could Diana also be working with The Chameleon?
Or was she just a pissed-off mum, out for merely metaphorical blood? God, this was getting exhausting.
I walked toward the school gates as my phone pinged.
It was Jenny announcing to our group chat that she’d got us tickets to a conference at Balgray Hall in a few days.
It was being held in the ballroom, the same location as the Restore Glory party.
It was the chance to try and get to know our battleground ahead of our confrontation with The Chameleon.
Bibi bounced into my arms, her pigtails swinging. “I did no hitting today!”
She said it loudly enough that a couple of the other mothers turned to look at us.
“Great, baby, that’s great.” I hugged her close and added, in her ear, “No need to tell me, okay? I’ll just presume you haven’t.” It wasn’t a great idea to celebrate each day she didn’t whack someone.
We got home to find Fox pacing the kitchen and talking on the phone.
“I don’t understand this! It’s just ridiculous.
Okay…Right…Bye.” He hung up and turned to me.
“That was our lawyer. The council are coming after us saying the kitchen extension didn’t have the correct permission.
Apparently a law firm representing a couple of concerned locals are kicking up a fuss over the fact it’s three meters bigger than what was put in the original application. ”
“That’s insane! We bought the house with this already here. How is it our—” I stopped as something clicked. “Which law firm?”
Fox tapped at his phone as he scrolled through his emails. He looked up at me. “Backhouse Dunne. Isn’t that…?” He trailed off when he saw the rage I was struggling to control.
Backhouse Dunne. The law firm where Diana Morgan was a managing partner. That crazy bitch!
“I just saw her!”
Fox said, “And did you antagonize her further?”
“No.” I paused. “I mean, it wasn’t friendly on either side. But she was the one talking about lawyers being a threat. And now it’s clear why!”
Fox shook his head. “This is going to be messy and expensive to sort out.”
“She’s bloody counting on it.” Diana had taken time out of her undoubtedly immensely busy schedule to find a way to fuck with us.
In case it wasn’t enough that we had to worry about a criminal organization and an assassin being after us, we also had to deal with a well-connected and pissed-off mother.
I really needed to get better at playing well with others.