51. Pablo the liar
PABLO THE LIAR
Ursula shuddered. It was her fault. Anton was dead and it was all her fault.
Andi was standing next to her. ‘Urs, what’s the matter?’
‘Nothing. Is Esme nearby?’
‘There’s a bunch of skanky individuals she hangs out with in town. She’s with them. Did she do anything to hurt you?’ Andi was scrutinising her now, trying to work out why she was so spooked.
Ursula shook her head. Some things you had to keep to yourself. ‘No, nothing like that. I think she’d already gone out when I found it. It shook me up, that’s all. I should have stayed and dealt with it but I ran away.’
‘Understandable. Brett and Gareth sorted it. Where did you stay last night?’
‘The bothy.’
Andi nodded. ‘Shall we go and get that tea before the big showdown?’
Don and Megan were huddled over the kitchen table in quiet discussion. They stopped when Andi and Ursula walked in. Andi took her bag off and dropped it on the table. ‘It’s not too bad. The boys and Ursula have done a good job of cleaning it.’
Don jumped up. ‘I’ll get you that tea. And toast. How about a round of toast?’ He hovered, waiting for an answer. None came. ‘I’ll make some. I don’t know about you lot but I’m hungry.’
Megan leaned across the table towards Andi. ‘What are you going to do about her?’
Andi’s phone alerted her to a message. She glanced at it. ‘Something I should have done months ago.’
The plate of toast lay largely untouched, except for a few slices that Don had eaten.
Only his self-conscious nibbling and the gulps of hot tea sliding down their throats broke the silence.
The kitchen door opened. Esme was here, her face like a thunderous cloud.
‘You better not have touched any of my stuff.’
Andi got up, her breathing long and slow. ‘You violated my private space and you violated my friend. You’re lucky I didn’t put a match to it straight away.’
Esme snorted. ‘It was a joke, that’s all. Anyway, she was horrible to me so she deserved it.’
Andi crossed the kitchen and stood in front of her. ‘You’re not welcome here anymore. Go and pack up your things.’
Esme twisted her head this way and that. ‘I’m not going anywhere. You can’t make me.’
Megan stood up and folded her arms. ‘I’ll tell you what, Esme, I’ll do it. You got some bin liners, Don? I reckon it’d take me ten minutes, tops.’
Don took a roll of bin bags out from a drawer. ‘It will if I help.’
‘Don’t you dare touch anything.’ Esme tried to push Andi out of the way but Andi refused to budge. All the same, she looked small and unprotected next to the young and spiteful woman and Ursula ran to her side. Don and Megan did the same.
Esme looked at them all, one by one. ‘You lot make me sick.’
‘Just go and pack before I do something you’re gonna regret,’ said Andi.
Esme turned back to Ursula. ‘This is all your fault, Miss Perfect. Not so perfect now though, are you? Did she tell you she was screwing Howard last night, Megan? No? Thought not.’
‘Shut it, you lying little bitch.’ Megan’s fingers were twitching, as if they really wanted to do some damage to Esme.
‘It’s true, I saw them. Disgusting it was. I’m amazed they waited for Dilys to die. Probably been at it ever since she got here.’ She looked as if she was really enjoying herself now. She was so like Pablo, it was uncanny.
‘Enough!’ Andi thrust her hand in front of Esme’s face. ‘You’re lucky I haven’t called the police to report you for malicious damage. Now get your crap together. Your ride’s on its way.’
‘What ride?’
‘The one you’ve been waiting for. Your father’s coming to collect you.’
‘Pab? He’s come all the way from Spain for me?
’ A smile spread across Esme’s face. All of a sudden she was a child who’d just been given everything she wanted.
Her dad was coming for her. Ursula understood that feeling.
She might have wanted it once herself. Not when she was Esme’s age though.
But the smile had given Esme away and allowed Ursula to see what Andi had known all along.
All of this vindictiveness was about one thing, or rather one person. Pablo.
‘No,’ said Andi. ‘Crouch End. He’s never been to Spain. Not even for a package holiday.’
Esme’s smile slipped. ‘But he told me–’
‘He lied. That’s what he does, Esme. He’s a big, fat, fucking liar. Get used to it.’ Andi moved out of Esme’s way. The others shuffled back with her. ‘The clock’s ticking and he won’t be staying, so you’d better get a move on.’
Esme slid past them and snatched the bin liners out of Don’s hand. Andi followed her out. Don tutted. ‘I’ll go and keep an eye.’
‘Good idea, Don. I wouldn’t trust her not to lay one on Andi.’ Megan scanned the dirty pots and dishes that Brett and Gareth had left from last night. ‘We’ll clear up down here.’
‘Right. I’ll go up then, shall I?’ He shook his head. ‘It’s some business, this.’
‘It is,’ said Ursula. She picked up the plate of cold toast and emptied it into the bin. So Pablo was on his way? She hadn’t seen him since Anton’s funeral, and before that not since just after her mum died when they’d moved here under another cloud that Andi had never fully explained.
Megan filled the sink and started to wash up. Ursula picked up a tea towel and waited, not for clean crockery but for the inevitable question that she was obviously building herself up to ask.
‘Is it true?’ she said, eventually.
Ursula picked up a cup and started to dry it, trying to work out what to say. It was, after all, no one’s business but hers and Howard’s.
‘I think you’ve just answered my question.’ Megan looked at her and Ursula saw she was on the brink of tears.
‘You should talk to Howard.’
‘I’m talking to you.’
Before they could say any more, the door to the boot room opened and Brett and Gareth burst in with Esteban at their heels. ‘Sorry we’re a bit late. The job took longer than I thought it would,’ said Brett. ‘You all right, Ursula?’
‘I’m fine. Thank you for clearing things up last night. It must have been horrible for you to find it.’
Brett shrugged. ‘Actually, Gareth did it.’
Gareth grinned at her. ‘Don’t worry about it. I’ve spent most of my life farming. A bit of goat shit doesn’t bother me, does it, Mam? So what’s happening then?’
Megan cleared her throat. ‘The great leader’s coming to take her away.
He’s been in Crouch End, apparently. Not Spain.
Another fantasy. Andi and Don are upstairs supervising the packing.
Brett, love, will you go and help. That Esme’s a vicious cow and if she starts, I don’t fancy either Andi or Don’s chances.
Neither of them are exactly spring chickens, are they? ’
Gareth frowned. ‘You all right, Mam?’
Megan wiped her damp hands on her trouser legs. ‘Stop fretting, Gareth. It’s not all about me, is it? Have you seen Howard?’
‘Not seen him as such, but we’ve had a call. He seems all right. A bit brighter.’
‘Does he?’ Megan eyes shot to Ursula, then back to Gareth. ‘I’m gonna head home. You stay here and look after Andi.’
Gareth watched her go then plunged his hands into the water and carried on with the washing up. ‘Mam seems upset.’
‘Esme said something.’
‘Ah right. Well if there’s one thing you can rely on Esme for it’s to say something that’s gonna set your world on fire. Was it about me?’
‘No, nothing like that.’
‘About Howard then? Was it about last night?’
Ursula swivelled round to face him.
Gareth gave her a little smile. ‘We guessed you were in the bothy and thought you probably wanted to be left in peace. When Esme came in mouthing off about what she’d seen, we told her what we’d found and then we told her to piss off back to her seedy mates.
Don’t worry about Mam. She’ll get over it.
She just needs a bit of time to process things.
It’s how she deals with stuff. For what it’s worth, I don’t think there was anything wrong with you and Howard comforting each other.
You gotta do what you gotta do, haven’t you? ’
Esme was kicking off about something upstairs.
Gareth went to investigate and lend some weight in case things got nasty while Ursula put the clean dishes away.
Four supervisors was a bit over the top.
Esme was only one person, but it wasn’t only about physically protecting Andi.
It was about standing together. Safety in numbers.
Maybe she should go up there too because Pab was on his way and safety in numbers sounded very appealing right now.
But then she heard the outside door open in the boot room and felt the shift in the atmosphere just as easily as she felt a change in the wind, or the rain coming.
It was too late. Footsteps on the tiled floor made their way towards the kitchen and there he was.
Pablo the liar. Pablo the cheat. Pablo the thief. Pablo the would-be rapist.