Chapter 11
ELEVEN
Staggered by her absurd accusation, I stare at the woman in complete incomprehension. Has she really just accused Jack of killing his wife? My gaze travels to Jack, who is clearly working to control his temper. ‘She has no idea what she’s talking about,’ he says tightly. ‘She’s obviously confused.’
I glance back to the woman – Lina. Her coat is misbuttoned, I notice, and her pallor is a sickly shade of pale.
I can’t help but feel for her. She seems unwell – early dementia, possibly?
I know Jack. I’m sure now that he would never be capable of hurting even a fly.
He goes out of his way to help people, sometimes doing emergency jobs for free for those he knows are on small incomes.
Anyone who knows him knows he’s too kind for his own good when it comes to running his business.
Lina notches her chin up, as if attempting to stand taller.
‘I may have some physical problems,’ she responds, ‘but I think you’ll find my mental faculties are intact.
’ She looks Jack over, unimpressed, then turns to me.
‘I am demented, but with grief, my dear. I’m not delusional, nor am I inventing things.
He’s lying. They do, you know – tell you they love you while lying through their teeth to keep their shameful little secrets. ’
That unnerves me, and I glance again at Jack for some kind of reassurance.
Tugging in a terse breath, he eyes the ceiling. ‘Lina,’ he looks back at her, ‘I think you should go home. I don’t mean to be unkind, but you’re embarrassing yourself.’
‘Ha. Embarrassing you, you mean,’ she retorts.
An agitated tic plays at Jack’s cheek. ‘You know what happened to Natalia,’ he says, with forced patience. ‘Why would you come here now saying all of this? You’re only going to upset Evie.’
She smiles flatly. ‘Evie’s not here, though, is she?
’ she replies, plainly having seen her leave.
‘Which is why I am here now. She’s clearly not telling you what she’s told me.
She is upset, considerably. Also confused as to how you could have leapt into another relationship so quickly.
A serious relationship by all accounts.’
Her gaze pivots back to me, her eyes straying to my stomach, and I feel naked suddenly under her penetrating gaze.
‘You’ve been in touch with Evie?’ Jack asks, incredulous. But why would he be? I wonder. It’s clear the woman has issues, which might not be healthy for Evie given all she’s had to deal with, but isn’t it likely that she might have wanted to maintain contact with her grandmother?
‘Evie kept in touch with me.’ Lina confirms my thoughts.
‘She had some questions about her mother, questions she hasn’t been able to get answers to from you.
Apparently, you also judged Natalia to have mental health issues.
I thought you were a builder, Jack, which unless I’m mistaken, doesn’t qualify you to judge other people’s state of mind. ’
‘Right.’ Jack emits a satirical laugh. ‘So you reckon Natalia was sound of mind, do you, Lina? Because what she did smacks to me of someone being slightly unbalanced.’
Taken aback by his aggressive tone, I look back to Lina, who lifts her chin another inch. ‘But it didn’t happen the way you said it did, did it?’ she responds, eyeing him challengingly.
‘I’ve heard enough of this,’ he mutters.
‘Evie has no recollection of events the way you described them,’ she goes on, her gaze fixed hard on him. ‘She says she doesn’t remember—’
‘She doesn’t remember!’ Jack yells, causing me to jolt. ‘She blanked it out! She was bloody well traumatised, and now you’re coming here to traumatise her all over again. What the hell is wrong with you?’
Lina doesn’t flinch. ‘She recalls you and Natalia arguing while you were docked in Antigua,’ she says, clearly not about to drop it. ‘Beyond that—’
‘For Christ’s sake!’ Jack drags a hand over his neck. ‘Natalia and I didn’t argue. Evie’s confused. She—’
‘Another one who’s confused,’ Lina comments drolly.
‘Okay, that’s it.’ Jack steps towards her. ‘I don’t want Evie involved in any of this. You need to leave.’
Lina stands her ground. Her face, though, grows a shade paler, her small frame shrinking in stature. ‘And you need to be honest with your daughter about how her mother died. It will come out eventually, and she won’t thank you when—’
‘Now.’ Jack takes another step.
‘Jack, that’s enough.’ I place myself bodily between them, my heart banging. I’ve never seen him like this, his face tight, his eyes dark with palpable anger. ‘What’s going on here?’ I study him hard. ‘You said Natalia took her own life. Did she?’
He stares at me, stunned. ‘Do you really think I would lie about something like that?’ he asks, his tone bewildered. ‘I told you. She jumped—’
‘She did not jump. She was pushed,’ Lina says tearfully behind me. ‘Tell this woman about the state of your marriage, why don’t you? See if she’s so willing to believe your lies then.’
I spin around to face her. I have no idea what she’s talking about. Jack loved his wife. He was broken by her disappearance. It was obvious he was. ‘What do you mean?’ I eye her questioningly.
She studies me for a moment. Then, ‘You’re in danger,’ she says ominously. ‘If you value your sanity, your life, you need to get away from him.’