Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
LIANE
It’s a blustery day and the wind that is blowing through the park is only adding to the sense of unease I have about being here. But there’s not much time for nerves now because it’s almost midday and, as I look around, I see a solitary male walking towards me.
Is this the person I was messaging? There’s nobody else around, so the odds are good.
I study him as quickly as I can, seeking to gain as much information as possible from purely a surface level.
It’s not an ideal way to form an opinion of someone, not much different to browsing in a bookstore and basing your purchases on nothing more than a quick glance at the front and back cover.
But sometimes that’s the only way you have to judge it, and it’s the only way I can judge this man before I potentially speak to him.
He is tall but not massively so, maybe just around six feet.
His shoulders are narrow and his physique is far less imposing than that of my athletic eldest son.
But what he lacks in physical presence, he potentially makes up for with a curious mind.
I sense that about him by the way his eyes are darting around this park as he walks through it, and the hurried pace at which he moves suggests he is someone who likes to get things done faster rather than slower.
I watch him and his mop of dark hair get closer before he suddenly pauses.
When I see him stop, take out his phone and type a message, I wonder if I am about to receive something on my phone.
I do.
I’m here.
It’s definitely him.
Okay, so I know the person who gave Haven that note was a man.
A good-looking man, who looks to be a few years older than my son.
Within seconds, my imagination is running wild.
Is this her other boyfriend? Is this who she is cheating on my son with?
Is this the person she plans to share my mother’s wealth with once she has found a way to get as much of it as she can from Joel?
I can feel my anger bubbling up, but I must stay calm, at least until I have tried to speak to this person, so I start walking towards them.
Because he’s looking out for a woman who looks like Haven, he has no reason to pay me much attention as I get closer to him.
But he does give me some attention when I stop in front of him and hold up my phone, showing him the same message he just sent me a few seconds ago.
The man frowns as he tries to figure out what has happened here, but I help him by spelling it out for him, deciding that I might as well admit to exactly who I am in the hope that it will lend itself to him being truthful too.
‘I’m the mother of Haven’s boyfriend,’ I say clearly, though my mouth is so dry that I’m surprised by how confident my voice sounds. ‘Who are you?’
‘What?’
‘You heard me. What is your relationship with Haven?’
Despite being afraid that this man might mean danger, I am forcing myself to stay strong or at least project some semblance of strength in his direction.
More than anything, I’m trying not to think about how he could easily have a knife or some other sort of weapon that he might have brought here to use on me if he thinks I’m a threat.
‘How did you get my number?’ the man asks, his darting eyes scouring me for clues. ‘That was a private number that only Haven should have had.’
‘Then she should have been more careful with it,’ I reply, hoping my false confidence isn’t straying over into arrogant territory because that would be foolish. ‘Now tell me who you are.’
As I wait for his answer, I remind myself that this is all for my son and his safety. Whatever Haven might have got herself involved in in the past, or at the present, should be her business and I’m only concerned because my boy could now be dragged into it.
‘Where is Haven? Is she okay?’ the man asks then, showing where his own concerns lie.
‘She’s fine, but I need to know who you are because I need to know if she is using my son,’ I explain, again being as honest as I can because I want that honesty to be reciprocated. ‘I’m just a parent who is worried about their child. Are you a parent?’
The man studies me for another second before shaking his head.
‘But you might be one day, so you will understand how I feel right now,’ I go on in hope.
‘It’s an awful feeling to worry about your child, but that’s the curse of parenting.
The worries never end. Fortunately, many of the worries are silly, everyday ones.
But this one right here, this worry I have now, is a big one, so I need you to help me.
Please can you do that? I’m begging you.
Just tell me what you know about Haven.’
The man’s eyes continue to examine me as if he is trying to determine if I am telling the truth. I hope he can see that I am. But what he does next suggests he doesn’t trust me.
He looks like he’s about to speak and say something important.
But then he just turns and runs.