Chapter 12
TWELVE
Shocked to the core, I watch as the woman turns abruptly and leaves. What the hell did she mean? Shaking myself, I go to follow her.
‘Kara, wait.’ Jack catches my arm. ‘Just let her go. She’s talking rubbish. She and Natalia didn’t even get on. They hadn’t seen each other for years. She’s clearly confused, inventing things – probably because of her own guilt at not being a good mother. It’s all pure fantasy, I promise you.’
I narrow my eyes, searching his face carefully.
His expression is a mixture of desperation and despair, and I have no idea what to believe.
I turn to watch Lina head towards the lane, where it appears a taxi is waiting.
Her gait is unsteady, I notice, and I’m worried for her.
As she reels, swaying dangerously and holding on to the fence for support, my heart leaps into my mouth.
Pulling away from Jack, I go after her, to his clear frustration. ‘She’s imagining things, Kara,’ he calls after me. ‘She’s probably trying to gain sympathy to get access to Evie. Will you please just let her go?’
I ignore him. I have no choice but to. Confused she might be, but she’s also obviously physically ill. Catching up with her, I thread my arm around her shoulders and ask if she’s all right. My alarm escalates as I note her clasping a hand to her chest.
She nods weakly and draws in a shallow breath. ‘It’s my heart,’ she whispers, another laboured breath rattling through her. ‘The stress doesn’t help. It will pass.’
‘I’m sure it will, but you’re coming back inside until it does,’ I say firmly. Her face is now drained of all colour and I’m frightened for her.
‘I’ll be fine,’ she insists. ‘Jack won’t be pleased if I go back in.’
‘Then he’ll have to be displeased,’ I tell her, adamant. ‘I can’t let you go off like this. I won’t rest knowing you’re not well.’
‘Oi,’ someone shouts behind us as I steer her gently back towards the house. The taxi driver, I realise, twisting to look at him. ‘She hasn’t paid her fare,’ he says.
‘Wait there. I need to get her inside,’ I tell him tersely. The man obviously needs paying, but he could be more sympathetic and a little less aggressive.
Leaving him, I help Lina through the front door, to Jack’s evident irritation. ‘Can you pay the taxi, please?’ I ask him, nodding back that way.
‘She’s imagining things, Kara,’ he says again, sighing heavily.
‘Just do it, Jack.’ I shoot him a meaningful glance as I head on with Lina to the lounge.
As I help her down onto the sofa in front of the fire, her pale grey eyes search mine. ‘You’re a kind soul, aren’t you?’ she says.
‘I’m concerned about you, Lina.’ I reach for the throw on the back of the sofa to wrap around her. ‘You’re obviously unwell. Have you seen a doctor?’
‘I have.’ She sighs, a hand fluttering again to her chest. ‘I have some tablets. They don’t help very much.’
‘Where are they?’
She indicates the bag she has on her arm.
‘Do you mind?’ I ask.
Answering with a small shake of her head, she offers it to me and I delve quickly into it.
The losartan I find inside, along with another pack of tablets to reduce breathlessness, confirms her condition.
She definitely has a heart problem, suffering similar symptoms to those my own dear nan had before she died.
I pull out another packet, mirtazapine. An antidepressant.
I was prescribed the same drug after losing Mark and Kai.
Too much loss to bear. Tears spring so fast to my eyes I struggle to force them back.
I have to. I need to focus. I have to know whether there’s any truth in what this woman is saying.
‘Do you want me to call a doctor?’ I ask, looking her over worriedly.
‘No.’ She waves her hand dismissively. ‘It was just a giddy spell. It happens all the time. I’ll be fine when I catch my breath.’
I’m not convinced. Her colour’s a little better, but she’s still terribly drained.
My gaze drifts to her feet. Her ankles are swollen, I note, another telltale sign of heart trouble.
There’s no way she can go anywhere like this.
I would never forgive myself if something happened to her.
‘Would you like a drink?’ I ask. ‘A nice warm cup of tea?’
‘I don’t want to be any trouble,’ she answers anxiously.
‘It’s no trouble.’ I smile, hesitate, then sit down beside her. ‘What did you mean, Lina?’ I ask carefully. ‘Why do you think I need to get away from Jack?’
She looks reticent, and then glances away.
‘You have to tell me,’ I urge her gently. ‘You said your daughter had been pushed, that my life might be in danger if I stayed with him. That’s a serious allegation.’
She stays quiet, staring silently into the fire.
‘Lina?’
After a moment, she turns to me, studying me intently, as if assessing me. Then, ‘Are you her?’ she asks.
I frown in confusion. ‘Am I who, Lina?’
‘The one he was having an affair with,’ she clarifies, utterly astounding me.