Chapter 14
LENA
I’m cross-legged on the grass, watching Henry and Drew as they sit at one of the round tables by the pop-up café.
Henry has bought Drew a cup of tea, and he dunks the teabag in the way he does when he visits me at Citizens Advice.
Drew’s body is angled towards Henry so that I can’t see his expression, but they look to be in deep discussion.
Are they friends? It seems a very unlikely friendship, especially as Henry and Marielle haven’t long lived in Bristol, but that’s judgemental of me. They might go way back for all I know.
The grass is prickly on my legs but at least it’s cool here, under the tree.
Phoenix is curled up beside me, snoozing.
I’m still pretending to be absorbed by my phone, with my sunglasses on, but my gaze doesn’t leave the two men.
After about fifteen minutes they get up and shake hands.
Then Henry walks away, continuing past the playground, and exits the park through the entrance on the other side.
Drew stays at the table. I contemplate following Henry as he’s not heading in the direction that would take him home, but I’d also like to ask Drew what they were talking about.
I get up quickly, Phoenix suddenly alert, and make my way to the van to order a Sprite. Phoenix is busy lapping water from the bowl the van owner has left out for dogs. I amble past Drew’s table, on the pretence of looking for one of my own, then fake a double-take.
‘Drew! What a surprise. How are you?’ I take a seat on the chair next to him, feeling like the hammiest actor in the world.
He looks up at me in surprise. ‘Lena. Hello. Oh, and you’ve brought your dog. Hello, boy.’ He bends down to pat Phoenix, who flops at his feet. ‘I’m assuming he’s a boy?’
‘He is. We’re just out for a walk. What are you doing here?’
‘I was meeting someone who used to work with SJ, Henry Morgan.’
‘Henry used to work with your sister?’ I ask incredulously.
He frowns. ‘Yes. A few years ago now. Remember I told you she used to work as a receptionist at that clinic in Reading? Well, Henry worked there too, around the same time. How do you know him?’
I cast my mind back to our conversation earlier. He did say he was meeting an ex-colleague of his sister’s, but I never thought in a million years they would turn out to be Henry Morgan.
‘He’s my neighbour,’ I say. ‘Not long moved in. Does he know something about your sister?’
Drew looks downcast as he rubs at the tattoo on his bicep. ‘Not really. He was one of the surgeons at the clinic and he said …’ he gives a little cough ‘… it’s a bit embarrassing really, but they had to let her go.’
‘As in sack her?’
‘Unfortunately, yes. Lateness, apparently, and some unorthodox behaviour. He didn’t say what and I was too mortified to ask.
Our family have always had such a great work ethic – farmers, you know, you must understand that, Lena,’ he says earnestly, his eyes not leaving mine.
‘But Sarah-Jane was never like the rest of us and, as I said before, I have started to worry she might be involved with some unsavoury people.’
‘And Henry hasn’t seen her since she left?’
‘That’s what he said. Three years ago, apparently.’
‘But you don’t believe him?’
His expression sharpens. ‘I didn’t say that. Why? Do you know something?’
Shit, I’ve said too much. ‘No, not at all. Sorry. It just sounded like you were unconvinced, that’s all.’
‘What do you know about Henry?’
‘Um …’ I can feel heat flooding my face. ‘Not much, really.’
Marielle’s voice breaks into my memory.
You promised me you’d take her. I’ve got everything ready. The room …
And then Henry saying, I know … but … after what happened before … should we really try again?
I remember the night in my living room with Jo and all the crazy theories we discussed.
Kidnap had been one, of course, but neither of us really believed it.
It was just light-hearted chat. Could there have been some truth behind it?
No. It’s ridiculous. I’m putting two and two together and making five, just because of my conversation with Drew and seeing him with Henry.
His sister sounds flighty, that’s all, and Henry worked with her.
It’s not going to go away. And I’m not going to forget about it. This has to happen as we planned. It’s the only way.
It’s too risky … we could get caught …
Their voices crowd my mind. Have I dismissed their conversation too quickly because they seemed nice and polite and respectable? Am I no different from my mother?
My thoughts bounce, back and forth, back and forth.
I don’t know what to believe. I’ve never been very good at trusting my own judgement.
I wish I’d listened to my instinct over what I suspected Simone was up to, but I hadn’t wanted to believe it at first because I liked her.
Because she was fun and pretty and respectable.
And the same for the doctor who was part of the scandal.
I’d always trusted doctors implicitly, so my foundations were shaken.
I wanted to believe they were innocent so I said nothing.
I regret it now and I can’t let it happen again.
I concentrate on blocking my ping-ponging thoughts. ‘I’m so sorry, Drew. I really am. I wish there was something I could do to help.’
He smiles sadly. ‘Thank you, Lena. You’ve always been so kind to me. Do you have any brothers or sisters?’
I shake my head. ‘Sadly not. I’d have loved siblings, but my parents split up when I was nine and neither married again. My dad has passed away now and my mum has a boyfriend, but she only met him a few years ago.’
‘And do you like him? This boyfriend?’
I picture Mick, with his tufty hair, his big, bulbous nose and his love of hiking and rare birds.
He’s never had children of his own but has a menagerie on his smallholding: pigs, goats, chickens and dogs.
When she comes to stay, he always remains behind to ‘look after the animals’ and has never shown much interest in getting to know me or Rufus.
When we’ve gone to visit Mum in Rye, he’ll pop in and have a cup of tea before swiftly heading back to his own place.
Mum says he prefers the company of animals to people, but he seems fond of her, at least. ‘He makes my mum happy so that’s good enough for me.
’ I stand up and dust down my dress. ‘Well, I’d better get Phoenix home.
It’s too hot for him to be out this long. ’
He nods, but doesn’t move from his chair.
Drew looks so lost, sitting there, so forlorn, that my heart goes out to him. I sit down again. ‘Here, take my phone number. Call me if you think of anything else that might help.’
He looks a bit taken aback and then he smiles. ‘Thanks, Lena. That’s really kind.’ We exchange numbers and I get up to leave. I say goodbye, clip the lead to Phoenix’s collar and head out of the park.
On the walk home it strikes me that Henry could have spoken to Drew over the phone. A courteous but brief call to say Sarah-Jane used to work for him, but he hasn’t seen her in years. Instead he made the effort to meet him and sat there talking to Drew for fifteen minutes. Why?