Jess waited patiently, looking through the doors into a wide entrance lobby. A minute or so later, Bradley appeared from a corridor at the top right-hand side of the foyer. He shuffled towards her, his face badly bruised, one eye almost closed and his right arm in a sling. Jess’s face fell.
Bradley pressed a button on the right-hand side of the entrance and the glass doors slid open.
‘Oh, Bradley, I’m so, so, sorry,’ she said.
Bradley pulled his head back and winced in pain as Jess leaned forward to give him a peck on the cheek. He forced a thin smile, then looked nervously over her shoulder, into the car park.
‘You had better come in,’ he said.
She followed him in silence across the foyer and along a wide corridor until they reached a thick wooden door. Bradley pushed it open, then stood aside to allow Jess to walk in.
The apartment was expensively furnished with two, white-leather sofas, a black, leather recliner and an antique coffee table set in the middle of the room. The walls were hung with family photographs and a series of what looked to be, original water colours.
Bradley waved to one of the sofas and waited until she sat down before sitting on the sofa opposite.
Jess smiled softly and put her bag on the seat at her side.
‘Bradley, I’m… oh, I’ve already said that.’ She reached towards him. ‘How are you feeling now?’
‘Sore,’ he said abruptly.
‘I bet. You look it.’ Jess withdrew her hand and clasped them on her lap. ‘What happened, Bradley? I saw the report on the news this morning, I was so shocked, I had to come straight over to see how you were.’
He touched his face and winced again.
‘Two men in hoodies were waiting for me when I came out of the office last night. I didn’t notice them as I locked up. They took my watch and my wallet, but thankfully left my briefcase. It was just an opportunist mugging according to the police…’ he hesitated. ‘I think they’re probably right; I don’t have any enemies that I know of… apart from your grandmother that is, and I doubt that even she would go as far as to hire a couple of thugs.’
Bradley leaned back on the sofa.
‘What were they like, these men? Did they say anything when they attacked you?’
‘Not a word, they just set about me. I thought it odd that they didn’t take my phone, but maybe they thought they’d got enough with my wallet and watch. I only had about fifty quid in my wallet so they’ll be disappointed with that when they open it. I rang the bank and cancelled the cards as soon as I could stand up.’ He paused. ‘It’s the watch I’m most upset about. My father bought it for me a few weeks before he died.’
‘Oh, Bradley. I’m so sorry.’
‘Don’t be, Jess, It’s hardly your fault.’
Jess bit her lip. ‘What were they like?’ she repeated her question.
‘Oh, I don’t know, just men, not teenagers, but young-ish. They had ski masks and hoodies on, both wore Nike trainers and track suit bottoms.’
‘And they said nothing at all? So, you don’t know if they were local or not?’
‘Oh, I’m sure they were local. Why would anyone travel from a distance, on the off chance of meeting me as I came out of the office?’
‘True, I suppose. It’s just that… Well, two men came to the farm the other day, they demanded I pay fifty thousand pounds into a bank account. They gave me a phone number to call and said I’d be given the account number to transfer the money to.’
Bradley straightened, listening intently.
‘And?’
‘And nothing. I didn’t do anything. I can’t anyway without your agreement.’
‘But how would these men know you had money, Jess? I don’t understand.’
Jess sighed.
‘I believe it’s all to do with my father’s gambling debts.’ She held up a hand to silence Bradley. ‘He owes money all over the place and not to the sort of people who are willing to allow him to set up a debt repayment plan. He owes money to people in London, bad people, and he’s owed money to a couple of local gangsters, called the Duncans, for years. Now, I don’t know if the two that called on me were sent by my father, trying to scare the wits out of me, or whether they’re in the pay of the Duncans.’ Jess looked down at her hands, then continued. ‘I really don’t know if the two who called on me were the same men that attacked you, that’s why I asked if you thought they were local. It could still have been a random mugging, even after what happened to me.’
Bradley was quiet for a while. When he spoke, it was through gritted teeth.
‘Why the hell didn’t you warn me?’
‘How was I to know they’d go looking for you? I had no idea what they know or who they know. As I said, Bradley, this could still just be an awful coincidence.’
‘I don’t believe in coincidences,’ Bradley hissed.
Jess wrung her hands.
‘Bradley, if the two events are connected, I—’
‘Of course they’re connected! Why in God’s name didn’t you go to the police?’
‘Because… because… I thought my father might be behind it and he wouldn’t have let them hurt me. I thought it was just a scare tactic… Even now I’m not sure he was involved, other than letting the Duncans think I was about to pay his debts for him.’
Bradley struggled to his feet.
‘You and your bloody family. I wish to God I’d never met any of you.’
‘Bradley, don’t, it’s not my fault. I didn’t ask for any of this. I just turned up to hear what Nana had left in her will.’
‘She’s the instigator of all this. Why the hell couldn’t the old… why couldn’t she have just left a normal will like anyone else? Just keep everyone happy…. Do you know how many wills and estates I’ve dealt with in my working life? Hundreds, and not one of them brought anything other than a letter from another solicitor, contesting the will.’
Bradley eased himself around the coffee table.
‘Your grandmother was a shrewd old woman who knew exactly the sort of people she had in her family. You thought she loved you, but she just left it to you to deal with the eruption of ugliness she knew would follow. Did she love you, Jess? or was she just having the last laugh on all of you?’
‘Don’t… don’t.’ Jess got to her feet and grabbed her bag. Her eyes glistened as she stared Bradley down. ‘Nana was my best friend, the person I cared for more than anyone else on this earth, don’t you DARE sully her memory like this.’
Bradley took a step back.
‘Look, Jess, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—’
‘No, Bradley, you never mean to, do you? Like the phone call the other night. You say so many things you don’t mean, I’m finding it difficult to believe anything you have said to me.’
Bradley held up his good hand.
‘Jess, I’m truly sorry. It’s just… he looked down at his sling, then pointed to his face with his good hand. ‘I don’t deserve this. I was only following Alice’s instructions.’
‘No, you don’t deserve that, Bradley, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but I’ve seen another side of you recently, and to be honest, I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.’
Clutching her bag, Jess walked quickly down the hall and out into the foyer, leaving his apartment door open behind her. At the entrance she pressed the security button at the side of the glass doors, then head down, she hurried along the shrub-lined path to the car park.
As she reached her car, Jess took a deep breath, then opening her bag, she fumbled for her keys. Realising they were in her coat pocket; she held the bag strap in her left hand and fished for them. She was just about to open the central locking when she heard a voice. She turned to see an olive-skinned woman in her late twenties, standing behind the open boot of a VW Golf. Inside the boot were bags of shopping that bore the Waitrose brand.
‘You’re Jessica Griffiths, aren’t you?’
Jess nodded.
‘I’m sorry bu
t I don’t know you, do I?’
‘No, you don’t,’ replied the woman, pushing strands of chocolate-brown hair out of her eyes. ‘I’m Leonora Wilson, Bradley’s wife.’
Chapter 39
Jess blinked.
‘His wife? I thought…’
The woman smiled softly, then closed the boot of her car and held a hand out to Jess. ‘Come, sit with me a while. I think it’s time we had a chat.’
Jess clicked the locking button on her key fob and followed Leonora out of the car park to a paved, seated area to the right of the shrubbery. She sat down on a wrought-iron chair at a stone-topped table and gestured for Jess to sit opposite.
‘How do you know me?’ Jess asked. ‘I’ve never seen you before.’
‘Oh, I make sure I know who my husband is seeing behind my back,’ Leonora replied. ‘I know all about you, Jessica.’
Jess put her hands together on the table top. ‘He told me he was single.’
‘No, he didn’t. He told you we were still friends. He never mentioned a divorce.’
Jess looked at her quizzically. ‘How do you know all this?’
‘Because he told me, you silly girl.’ Leonora lifted the skirt of her dress and crossed her elegant legs. ‘He tells me everything.’
‘So… let me get this right. You and Bradley still live together?’
Leonora laughed. ‘No, no, but we do see a lot of each other. We talk, we laugh, we are still the best of friends even though we live separately.’
She took a packet of cigarettes from her bag and lit one with a silver lighter before tilting her head to one side, blowing out the smoke as she studied Jess.
‘You’re very beautiful, I can see why he chose you.’
Jess blushed and tucked her dark hair behind her ears.
‘He chose me?’
‘Pursued you then, does that sound better?’
‘Not really, no. I thought… well, it doesn’t matter now anyway.’
‘Don’t be sad. He really likes you. I’ve never seen him like this with anyone before.’
‘You mean he does this regularly?’
‘Not regularly, but there have been one or two over the last few years.’
Jess shook her head, her mind reeling at the revelations.
‘None of them got him worked up like you, Jessica. He was really excited when he met you. He spoke of nothing else for days.’
Jess shrugged. ‘Am I supposed to be impressed by that?’
Leonora leaned forward and patted Jess’s hand. ‘No, I think it would take a little bit more than that.’ She flicked the ash from the end of her cigarette, took a final draw, and stubbed it out on the stone table top. ‘I was impressed with you, the moment I saw you. I even admit to being a little jealous as I could see in his eyes that he was really interested in you.’
‘See in his eyes?’
Leonora laughed. ‘At the little restaurant by the river. I sat in my car while you ate. I stood on the bridge as you talked to the swans.’
‘That’s a little over the top isn’t it? Especially as you don’t actually live together.’
‘You might think so, my dear, but I have to look after my interests.’
Jess pulled her hand away; she was sick to death of hearing that word.
‘Don’t be angry,’ Leonora said, soothingly. ‘Anger makes us do things we wouldn’t normally do.’
‘Jess’s mouth dropped open. ‘Don’t tell me you had something to do with the attack on him?’
‘Now you’re being ridiculous.’ Leonora shook her head. ‘I did damage his car when the two of you were canoodling inside your farmhouse though.’ She tipped her head and studied Jess again. ‘Canoodling… that’s such a lovely word, isn’t it?’
‘Does Bradley know you did that? I blamed my ex for it.’
‘No, I doubt Bradley would ever forgive me for damaging his mother’s pride and joy. Are you going to tell him?’
‘No, that should be something you do.’
Leonora got to her feet and picked up her bag. ‘My conscience is clear. I think he deserved it.’
‘But you said you were separated.’
‘We are, but as I said earlier, we still… how shall I put it… comfort each other in times of need. If you see what I mean.’
Jess and Leonora walked side by side along the shrubbery path to the car park. When they reached Leonora’s Golf, she stopped and held out her elegant hand.
‘It’s been an absolute pleasure to meet you, Jessica.’
‘Likewise.’
Jess turned away and walked back to her Toyota. As she flicked the fob to unlock it, Leonora spoke again. Holding the key in her hand, she turned to face her.
‘There is no future in your relationship with Bradley. We’re married, we both come from good Catholic stock. Families like ours don’t believe in divorce. His mother wouldn’t allow it even if we wanted to, neither would mine, actually.’ She pulled two bags of shopping, placed them on the floor, then slammed the boot shut. ‘Having said all that, you do concern me, Jessica Griffiths. I’ll be keeping a wary eye on you.’
Jess watched as Leonora picked up her shopping and walked through the gap in the Cypress trees before disappearing from view. Turning the key over in her hand, Jess unlocked her car and climbed in, then looked back towards the apartment block.
‘Don’t waste your time on me. He’s all yours,’ she said, firmly.
Chapter 40
‘The stupid buggers, what did they think they were doing?’
Bill slammed his hand down on the table as he watched the local news.
Nicola placed a cup of coffee in front of him and looked over to the TV.
‘Oh, Bill, you didn’t have anything to do with that, did you?’
‘Why would you even think that? Don’t be ridiculous.’
‘I just wondered. You did go out in the power cut last night.’
‘Spying on me now, are you?’
‘I just happened to be looking across the road from the shop window. I saw you go out.’
‘Look, you stupid bitch. This attack happened at about six o’clock and if you saw me go out, you’ll know it was much later than that. The lights were still on at six.’
‘Where did you go then, Bill?’
‘What I do and where I go is no business of yours, but, if you must know, I went to see if our Jessica was all right, what with the power going off an’ everything.’
‘That was thoughtful of you, Bill.’
‘She’s my daughter for Christ’s sake. I worry about her living on her own in that big old house.’
‘Was she all right?’
‘Her friends were with her, that trollop, Samantha and some bloke.’ He hesitated. ‘There was a bit of a misunderstanding.’
‘What do you mean misunderstanding? Bill, what have you done?’
Bill swept his hand across the table, knocking the coffee over.
‘I’ve done nothing. I was just making sure she was all right. They jumped to the wrong conclusion, that’s all.’
‘I’ll ask her when I see her next.’
He got to his feet and got hold of Nicola’s arm.
‘Bill, you’re hurting me, let go.’
‘I’ll bloody hurt you all right if you don’t keep your nose out of my affairs.’ He picked the empty coffee cup up and stuffed it into her hand. ‘Now, go and make another one.’
Nicola walked back to the kitchen rubbing her arm.
‘I mean it, woman. Don’t you dare go talking to Jessica behind my back.’
Before Nicola had the chance to boil the kettle, someone hammered on the front door.
‘Nicola! Get that. If it’s that bloody Kaur woman, tell her to sod off.’
Still rubbing her sore arm, Nicola opened the front door about a foot, then found herself pushed back against the wall as a broad, dark-haired man forced his way into the house. Spotting Bill cowering behind the table, he clapped his hands together and a huge smile appeared on
his face.
‘Hello, Owen… Oh, I’m sorry, It’s Bill now, isn’t it?’
‘Dougie, I—’
‘It’s Mister Duncan to you, you snivelling little turd.’
‘Sorry, Mister Duncan.’
Duncan pursed his lips. ‘Now then… Bill. I’ve been looking forward to this little chat for about five years. Five, long years, Bill.’
‘I’m sorry, I went away to try to get you your money back but—’
‘Five years without a word, five years without you even attempting to make contact.’ Dougie pulled a sad face. ‘Do you know, at one time I thought you were dead. You won’t believe how pleased I am to find out that you’re alive and well.’
‘Get out of my house,’ Nicola called from the doorway.
Dougie didn’t bother turning around, his eyes never left Bill.
‘In a moment, love. Bill and I need to have a chat first. Isn’t that right, Bill?’
Bill nodded dumbly.
‘Would you like to know how I found you, Bill?’
Bill shook his head. ‘You have your methods, Mr Duncan.’
‘I’ll tell you anyway, shall I? It was the two pathetic individuals you sent to beat up that lawyer.’
‘That wasn’t him, he had nothing to do with it,’ Nicola shouted. ‘Tell him, Bill.’
Dougie ignored her.
‘I wouldn’t have been any the wiser about your whereabouts, but with the police knocking on my door asking if I knew anything about the attack, well, I had to make my own inquiries.’ He shook his head. ‘Those two soft bastards gave you up in seconds, Bill. They gave you up, they gave up your get rich quick plans and they gave up working for you. They’ve left town for a while.’
‘Doug… Mister Duncan, the only reason I came back was to make it right with you, honestly. I just want to make it right.’
‘That’s very nice of you, Bill. Just tell me, how are you going to go about it?’
‘My daughter, Mister Doug… My daughter, she’s inherited a fortune from her grandmother. She’ll give you the money I owe; I promise.’
‘But I don’t want the money from her, Bill, I want it from you.’ He turned around towards Nicola. ‘As you see, I don’t hurt women and I don’t threaten them. Only cowards do that, hey, Bill?’
The Legacy: Trouble Comes Disguised As Family (Unspoken Book 2) Page 24