Chapter Eighteen #2
Gd mrng sweetheart. Sleep well? Xxxxxxx
My heart did a funny little flip and I lay back on my pillow, a silly grin on my face, counting the kisses on the message. How sweet was that? He was only the other side of the wall.
From there it all went downhill.
It should have been a relief when Kate finally phoned, but she was listless and weepy. I felt so helpless. All I wanted to do was give her a big hug. Never had I felt so far away.
‘Hi, sweetie. How are you?’
‘OK,’ she said wearily. ‘I want to go home but they won’t let me.’
‘How’s Bill?’ I asked warily.
‘Fine,’ she said.
‘Oh,’ I was flummoxed. Pulling teeth would have been easier. ‘Just fine?’
‘Yes,’ she said her voice breaking.
‘Kate, don’t. I thought you’d be mad at me for telling him.’
‘Too late now,’ she said with a sniff, her voice sounding thick as if she had a cold. ‘He knows. Anyway, there’s no baby, so he doesn’t need to stick around.’
‘Kate. You know that’s not true. If you’d seen him the night he flew out.’
‘How was he?’ she asked pathetically eager.
‘In a state.’
‘Honest?’ she asked quietly.
‘Yes,’ I said exasperated. This wasn’t like Kate. Normally men fell like ninepins at her feet with her stepping over them with careless abandon. When had things changed? Was Bill really that important to her?
‘For God’s sake, Kate. The poor man dropped everything, hopped straight on a flight and flew twenty-four hours to see you.’
‘You think he really cares?’
Duh! I was trying to be gentle with her, she clearly wasn’t herself. Good job she was so far away, otherwise I would have given her a good shake. ‘Kate! Listen. Of course he bloody does. You can ask Daniel if you don’t believe me. Shall I put him on?’
‘Daniel?’ her voice sounded puzzled. ‘He’s with you?’
‘Erm, yes. Actually I meant he’s here in the flat but now you mention it, I could say “with me”. We’re still working on it.’
‘You and Daniel.’ She brightened up. ‘Yay. About time. You finally dislodged him. I want details but not now. Bill’s going to be here soon.’
There was a pause down the line, followed by a small sob. ‘What am I going to say to him? It was his too.’ She stopped.
‘Kate, it’s not your fault. He’s not going to blame you for having a . . .’ I couldn’t bring myself to say the word. As if saying it made it more real. Until now, Kate being pregnant had been almost hypothetical.
‘What if it is my fault? I didn’t want a baby and now it’s gone.’ Her voice went up. ‘And now,’ she was crying in earnest, ‘I do.’
My fingers tightened on the phone as I bit my lip at the anguish in her tone.
‘I was going to get rid of . . . my baby . . . it . . . I said that. As if my baby was nothing. How could I? Now I’ve been punished for being so . . . It was my fault. Maybe I shouldn’t have flown back. Air travel can’t be good for pregnancy. What if I never have another chance?’
‘Kate, stop. It wasn’t your fault. These things happen. It’s a cliché, I know, but they do happen, much more often than people realise. There’s some statistic, one in three—’
‘That’s marriages ending in divorce. Not babies,’ wailed Kate.
My shoulders slumped. This conversation was so hard over the phone. I would have done anything to be sitting with her, on the end of her bed, holding her hand.
Trying to distract her, I changed the subject. ‘Do you want me to say anything to the parents?’
‘Noooo!’ she cried. ‘I can’t . . . No . . . not Mum. Don’t tell her yet. Wait ’til I’m out of here.’
Finishing the call, I looked at my watch. I was running late but I just didn’t care. Poor Kate. Then again, there was no way I wanted to hang around the flat. After everything that had happened this weekend, work would be a break. Hopefully it would take my mind off everything else.
Last night Daniel had said that he’d wait until I’d left to talk to Emily. No doubt she’d be demob happy and only working minimal hours. Shit. I had to speak to her about that today. It wasn’t her day either.
* * *
As predicted, Emily had decided she would be late in.
‘I’m far too shaken up,’ she explained wearily from the bathroom, where she was busy applying her make-up. ‘You can explain why.’ As if it was entirely my fault.
‘OK,’ I said, dying to ask where Daniel had got to. There was no sign of him and my coat was neatly hung back on its peg as if last night had never happened.
‘What are you doing about the fridge?’
My immediate thought was ‘not a lot’.
‘Don’t think I’m going anywhere near it,’ she announced, tossing her head, mascara wand in hand. ‘Daniel’s had to go out to buy a pint of milk. Yesterday’s smelt funny.’
I replied resignedly that I would sort it out. PC Carpenter’s view was that the smell would take a while to get rid of. He had to be joking, there was no way I was cleaning out that fridge. I had every intention buying a new one today, that’s what credit cards were for.
There was something I could do about the fridge in the meantime.
As soon as Daniel came back from the corner shop, I asked him very loudly so that it was all above board in front of Emily, to help me move it out onto the fire escape.
‘Come on, then,’ he said, discarding his jacket and putting his shoulder against the fridge to heave it towards the door. I paused as Emily appeared in the doorway, although he couldn’t see her.
‘Come on. No slacking,’ he admonished. ‘Your mission, should you choose to accept . . .’ He broke into the Mission Impossible tune. I caught Emily’s eye. She was stony faced, her mouth curved downwards in a crescent of disapproval as she stood watching our antics.
I couldn’t stop myself giggling. Daniel was wearing a tea-towel mask and darting around the room, arms flailing as he made random karate chops in the air.
With slow motion care, he opened the back door, poking his head in and out several times, before pulling lots of faces to show me that all was clear.
‘Why don’t you grow up?’ tutted Emily, her lips pursed as she directed her narrowed eyes at me, making it clear we were about as funny as a pair of nine-year-olds on laughing gas.
‘Sorry,’ I said meekly, trying hard not to snigger as I caught Daniel pasting a look of mock innocence on his face.
‘Hmph,’ muttered Emily, glaring at me and ignoring Daniel, as she turned to stomp back down the hall. She paused, ‘When will you sort out a new one?’
‘Don’t worry. I’ll get one today.’
‘Good.’
We giggled quietly, pulling the tea towels off. I cast mine aside ruefully. ‘I’d better go. I need to get to work.’
‘Haven’t you forgotten something?’ teased Daniel, with a tilt of his head.
I glanced at the door, the coast was clear. It seemed totally natural to slip into his open arms, my own coming to rest around his waist.
‘When am I going to see you again?’ he asked. ‘After work tonight?’
‘Only if you don’t mind coming to John Lewis with me to buy a new fridge.’
‘Can do.’
Quickly we arranged to meet in front of the store and a moment later, I pulled away. ‘I really have to go,’ I whispered regretfully.
‘I’ll see you later. I’ve got a meeting in the West End later this morning which is going to last nearly all day. I’ll take the car and park up in Portman Square, it’s right behind the store. Quarter to six outside.’
I bit my lip and nodded.
‘Take care, Olivia. I don’t like the thought that Peter’s still out there.’
‘Well, at least he hasn’t got keys.’
‘Yeah, but . . .’ He shrugged and took a step forward. ‘Just be on your guard,’ he muttered, giving me one last kiss before I slipped down to the front door, grabbing my jacket on the way.
* * *
The shiny new lock, which glinted at me as I pulled the door to, was an unwelcome reminder of another thing I had to sort out. Barney.
God, he was going to be so pissed off that the police were involved.
I flicked open my mobile as I walked down the street, a spring in my step and a fierce glow in my chest. The postman looked distinctly amused when I gave him a big grin and gave me a knowing wink.
‘What — this had better be good,’ snapped Barney in my ear, as I finally connected with him.
‘It is. Remember the guy that I spoke to you about. Things have escalated — he’s been in our flat and yesterday left us an unpleasant package in our fridge.’
‘What sort of unpleasant package?’
‘A bag full of rotting offal.’
‘Shit. You’re kidding me.’
‘Yes of course I am. It’s just the sort of thing I’d joke about.’
There was a gratifyingly stunned silence for a few seconds before he breathed a heartfelt, ‘Fuck.’
‘Fuck indeed. Emily found it.’
‘Emily? Fuck? Is she all right?’
I felt ready to scream. Emily was bloody fine, lapping up the sympathy, while muggins here had to sort everything out.
‘Have you told anyone about this?’
‘The police came round yesterday. Sorry, they needed your details to contact Peter.’
To my surprise, he didn’t object. ‘Fair enough. They haven’t called yet, but I’ve got Peter’s address.
I dug it out last time you called. Olivia, I’m really sorry.
It never occurred to me that this might happen.
’ His voice dropped and for one second, I almost believed he was sincere.
‘Mind you, if I did vet everyone, it would make us so much better than all the rest. Great marketing.’
‘As long as no one hears about this,’ I snapped.
‘’Spose so.’ There was a pause before he asked, ‘You haven’t told your mother, have you?’
I sent a silent appeal heavenward. As if.
‘No, you’re off the hook. Mum doesn’t know, so you’ll still be the blue-eyed nephew.’
‘Do you know, Olivia, sometimes you’re a shrew. I meant could I reassure her that I’m checking Peter out.’
Bugger, I hated it when Barney showed his kinder side. I always assumed people like him had no conscience.