‘Laura,’ Sam said, his voice cracking with the effort of breaking her trust. ‘Mrs Peterson has been here.’
From the look on Harper’s face, this was evidently new information and Sam immediately regretted telling him. ‘Just Mrs Peterson?’
‘Yes.’
‘She’s an attractive woman, wouldn’t you say?’ the detective said, speaking his thoughts out loud if not his suspicions.
‘Yes, I suppose I would,’ Sam said with a degree of honesty. There were some feelings he was already tired of denying.
‘Were you having an affair?’
‘No.’
‘Then why was she here?’
Sam pursed his lips as he tried to figure out how much more he should tell Harper. He needed to convince the detective to redirect his enquiries elsewhere without putting Laura in an untenable position. ‘I wanted to help the Petersons, that’s all. I saw a family down on their luck and I assumed that the only thing behind Jasmine’s unhappiness was her dad’s struggle to find work, but first impressions can be wrong, can’t they?’ he asked without waiting for confirmation. He doubted the detective would admit to what might prove to be a flaw with his current investigations. ‘While we were at the caravan, I got to see first-hand why Jasmine and her mum tried so hard not to draw attention to themselves. They were frightened, Harper.’
‘Mrs Peterson wasn’t just frightened this morning, Mr McIntyre, she was terrified,’ Harper said, refusing to be drawn off track. ‘She’s facing her worst nightmare and the real possibility that she may never see Jasmine again. I can’t imagine what that’s like, can you?’
‘Have you spoken to her?’ Sam said, ignoring the question that suggested Harper also knew more than he was letting on. ‘Have you spoken to Laura alone?’
‘Why would we need to do that, Mr McIntyre?’
Sam raked his fingers through his hair, which had dried into sweaty clumps. He felt a wave of nausea the moment he thought about Jasmine and his heart filled with fear. ‘Haven’t you worked it out yet?’
20
Tuesday 18 August 2015
Anna had been right about the rain, which arrived overnight as predicted. Tuesday morning was wet and wild, but by midday the summer storm had passed and by late afternoon golden sunshine had broken through the silvery clouds. Spent raindrops glistened off the broad leaves of newly planted hostas and the air tasted damp and metallic.
Finn was standing on the balcony watching Sam, Anna and Laura as they planted various sections of the garden, all bent double as they worked. Jasmine moved awkwardly between them with a heavy watering can thumping against her legs so she could pour extra moisture into the warming earth and gradually lighten her load.
‘It’s almost five,’ Finn called over to them.
Sam put a hand on his back as he tried to straighten his crooked spine. It was a long and painful process and by the time he was able to turn towards the caravan, Finn had opened a can of beer from the four-pack he had taken from the fridge. The other three dangled from his raised hand. ‘Anyone care to join me?’
‘Maybe we should be thinking about getting ready,’ Anna said with a painful groan as she too struggled to straighten up.
‘OK,’ Sam agreed. ‘Why don’t you two start getting ready and me and Finn can finish off?’
‘Are you suggesting we’ll take the longest?’ she asked.
Sam smiled. ‘Yes.’
Anna shrugged. ‘Fair enough.’
While she and Laura kicked dried mud from their boots, Sam’s focus was on the remaining plants lined up on the newly laid patio. ‘I’d say we could get this lot in the ground in half an hour, wouldn’t you?’
Finn downed his beer in one before detaching another from the pack and throwing it over to Sam who caught it perfectly. ‘You’re on,’ he said and jumped into action by opening a second can. He raised an eyebrow at Laura as she passed, daring her to challenge him. She said nothing.
‘What about you?’ Sam asked Jasmine. ‘I can finish the watering if you want to go with your mum.’
Jasmine didn’t look up but concentrated on gently sprinkling life-giving droplets over the spindly shrub Sam had just planted. ‘I don’t mind staying to help.’
Finn laid down his beer on the corner of the balcony and, jumping over the last few steps, landed on the ground with a heavy thud. ‘Right, back to work then.’
The sun was still warming up despite the lengthening of the day and when Sam pressed the soil snugly around the very last plant, the earth was warm and dry. Jasmine’s arms trembled as she carried the newly filled watering can towards him. Her foot caught on the edge of a flagstone and she stumbled, dropping the can heavily and only just stopping herself from toppling right over it.
‘Watch what you’re doing!’ Finn shouted. He was over by the balcony again and put down what would be his third can before going over to check for damage to the patio. ‘I’ve told you before that those flags are still settling in. I don’t need you knocking them out of place.’
‘Sorry, Dad,’ she said and flinched when he approached.
‘Here, give it to me,’ he said gruffly, taking the watering can from her. ‘Now go in and get cleaned up.’
‘I was going to take Nando for another walk first.’
Finn’s face had turned puce. ‘Don’t argue! Get inside now!’
Jasmine scurried up the balcony steps, but in her haste tripped on the last one and this time she did go flying. Her arms flailed in front of her and she knocked over the collection of beer cans Finn had lined up. Two empties were sent spinning across the floor but the third was heavier and rolled sluggishly across the decking, leaving a trail of foam that filled up the grooves in the wood with beer.
‘Jesus! What’s wrong with you, Jazz?’ Finn snapped. He took a step towards her, but his daughter was already sprinting into the caravan.
‘It’s all right, Finn. No harm done,’ Sam said although he was trying to keep his own anger under control. ‘She’s just tired after working hard all day.’
‘Fucking kids. You don’t know how lucky you are, Sam. Don’t let Anna go talking you into having them, they’ll be the bane of your life for bloody years,’ he said savagely.
Sam didn’t respond and would say little else for the remainder of the evening. The short exchange between father and daughter had been just another symptom of the mood that had been darkening all day. Working in the rain hadn’t made for the best of starts, although the storm clouds over Pantymwyn had been nothing compared to the one they could all sense on the horizon and when the sun had arrived, it had brought more shadow than light.
Taking a day off in the middle of the week wasn’t turning out to be the best of ideas after all, because even though they were making progress, there was still so much more to do. They had yet to make a start on the far section of the garden and there was still the rockery and the brick barbeque to build, which was a new addition to Sam’s plans when they had felt a little more optimistic about the week. One of Pat’s neighbours, who had taken a keen interest in their endeavours, had offered them a pile of bricks he had cleared from his own garden and it had been Finn who had suggested building the barbeque.
And while all of those outstanding jobs were worrying Sam, he didn’t think it was the heavy workload that was bothering the others. Although he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, something felt wrong, particularly between Finn and his family. There hadn’t been even the hint of a disagreement between man and wife, but Finn kept looking at Laura as if he sensed her disapproval. Laura, by contrast, had spoken less and less because even the most innocuous of comments managed to antagonize her husband. And while Sam soaked the ground around the last planting of the day, it was that sudden insight that played on his mind. Laura was frightened.
Sam peeled his eyes open slowly as if pulling a sticking plaster from sensitive skin. He couldn’t move anything else because Anna was lying with her head on the crook of his arm; an arm that was completely numb exc
ept for the vague sensation of the drool slithering like a slug trail from her mouth. They were in the smaller of the caravan’s so-called double bedrooms – the bed was little more than a single and the room itself only marginally wider. The air was thick with the smell of stale alcohol.
The meal at the Crown the night before had been delicious but the evening itself hadn’t exactly been the reward Sam had had in mind. Reminiscent of the first time the two couples had gone out together, the conversation had been loud and boisterous but the laughter was forced at times and the talk more animated than was entirely necessary. It was as if they were all trying to convince themselves there wasn’t an atmosphere.
Jasmine had behaved impeccably, spending much of her time out in the play area, but she came back into the pub regularly so her parents didn’t have to go looking for her when the food arrived. Even so, Finn had found reason to complain about having a child in tow, especially when Laura announced it was past Jasmine’s bedtime and that while she was happy for the rest of them to stay out, she was taking her home. It was the only time Sam had seen Finn’s wife stand up to her husband and after they had left he was sullen, but only until the next round of drinks arrived. And they had kept on coming as Finn refortified the numbers of their group by making friends with the staff and regulars until he looked for all the world like he had been drinking there for years.
Rubbing his face with his free hand, Sam’s skin felt sandpaper rough and his head throbbed so much that he could feel the pulsating pain in his temples. He pulled out his earplugs which, thanks to paper-thin walls, were a necessity Pat had warned him about. It stopped being woken up by woodland creatures scraping claws across the roof and it also meant that snoring from other rooms wouldn’t keep anyone awake; apparently her son-in-law was renowned for it. The only sound Sam could hear now was a blackbird singing which made him crave fresh, damp country air and the dappled shade of the woods.
When he groaned, Anna shifted in her sleep giving Sam the opportunity to rescue his dead arm. He was busy wishing it was his head that was devoid of feeling when he heard one of the external doors being pulled open, making the caravan shudder. It closed again with a gentle click and then there were urgent whispers, which Sam presumed would be Laura and Jasmine. He couldn’t imagine Finn being up and about yet. As if proof were needed, there was a single, guttural snore from the next bedroom.
The warm sunshine filtering through the closed curtains was heating up the stale air in the room to toxic levels and forced Sam into action. He raised himself up onto an elbow and the pain in his head sharpened and thickened at the same time, but when he picked up his mobile from the table to check the time, he was even more determined to keep moving. He wasn’t going to let their one day off go to waste. He nudged Anna.
‘Are you awake?’ he asked taking out one of her earplugs.
It took another nudge before she mumbled, ‘What?’
‘It’s almost nine o’clock. We’ll have to get moving soon if we’re going to make the most of the day.’
Anna’s response was more of a whine. ‘I can’t move. It hurts!’
Not to be thwarted, Sam eased himself out of bed. He ignored the wave of nausea and slipped on a T-shirt and a pair of jog pants. ‘I’ll get you some water. You can see how you feel then.’
‘And paracetamol,’ she whimpered as Sam left the room.
Laura and Jasmine were in the kitchen making sandwiches and they looked up in alarm as he opened the door that separated the bedrooms from the living quarters. He ran his fingers through his unkempt hair. ‘Sorry,’ he said and then winced as the echo of his voice boomed inside his head. He lowered his voice as he continued, ‘I didn’t mean to give you a fright.’
Laura took a step back. She was wearing canvas shorts and a white vest top beneath a bright yellow cardigan with the sleeves pulled up, and a flowery chiffon scarf around her neck to complement the outfit. Her usually pale skin looked a little more tanned than it had been at the beginning of the holiday while her hair, pulled back in a ponytail, appeared a shade lighter. Her face was make-up free and, despite the hint of dark circles under her eyes, she managed to look stunning. Sam’s reactions were sluggish and his wide, unblinking eyes gave away the attraction he had been hiding from himself as much as from her.
Laura held his gaze and her face softened. ‘No, I’m sorry. Did we wake you?’
‘I was already awake. I wanted to be up and about by now anyway.’
Jasmine had turned away from them both and Sam assumed she wanted to carry on making her sandwich but she had picked up a glass and filled it with water, which she passed to Sam.
‘Thank you, Jasmine.’
‘You need to drink plenty of water,’ she told him.
Sam closed his eyes as he greedily downed the glass of cold, clear water. When he opened them again, he was being watched by mother and daughter. Jasmine took the glass and immediately refilled it.
‘So what are you two up to today?’
‘We’ve just got the bikes out of the shed and we’re going to go on a little adventure,’ Laura said, keeping her voice low. ‘I was thinking we might ride into Mold. One of the neighbours has just said there’s a market in town today.’
‘And there’s an ice cream shop there too,’ Jasmine piped up.
‘Finn isn’t going with you?’
Laura shook her head. ‘He’ll be sleeping it off until at least lunchtime.’
‘And he’ll be like a bear with a sore head when he does get up,’ Jasmine added knowledgeably. ‘We keep out of his way then, but you could come with us if you want, Sam.’
There was an awkward pause when Laura tried not to look at Sam but he fought for and held her gaze. He wanted to say yes, that he would like nothing better than to spend the day with them, and for a moment he thought Laura might say it too, but the spark between them was a dangerous one and she was the first to extinguish it.
‘I’m sure Sam and Anna would rather have some time on their own,’ she said with a smile that held more than a hint of regret.
‘Anna’s probably in a worse state than Finn,’ Sam said, deftly avoiding the answer. ‘And I am sorry about keeping him out late last night.’
‘If you haven’t worked it out already, Finn is the architect of his own downfall,’ Laura said bitterly before turning away. ‘I’d better get on with our packed lunch. I’d rather be gone before he does get up.’
Sam reached over the small counter where Laura was standing to take another glass from the cupboard. He could smell her hair, which had soaked up the fresh air and sunshine. ‘Anna’s after some paracetamol if there is any.’
Jasmine was already on the move when she said, ‘I’ll get it.’
She disappeared towards the bathroom and Sam occupied himself by filling the second glass with water. Laura was still only inches away but this time she wouldn’t look at Sam. ‘Sorry about Finn,’ she said.
‘No need to apologize. After everything he’s done this week, he deserved a blowout. We all did.’
Laura was slicing cheese in gentle, tentative scrapes as if her mind were not on the task. ‘Once he’s got the taste, it’ll be hard for him to stop. He might not be as productive from now on.’
Sam resisted putting a comforting hand on Laura’s shoulder, but only just. ‘I’m hoping there’s not as much work left as it looks. We’ll manage with or without him, don’t worry.’
He could sense Laura holding herself as if her whole body were one tight knot of worry and when he returned to the bedroom, he could feel his own anxiety building. He gave Anna her water and watched as she swallowed her pills while his ears were tuned to the sounds coming from the kitchen. There were more urgent whispers and after a few minutes the caravan shuddered once more as a door opened and then Laura and Jasmine were gone.
‘Who was that?’ Anna asked in a hoarse whisper.
‘Laura and Jasmine are going on a bike ride.’
‘Not Finn?’
‘Did you see
the state of him last night? I don’t think he’ll be going anywhere today.’
Anna had been leaning up on her elbow but let her head drop back down on the pillow. ‘Me neither. I’m sorry, Sam, but I feel awful. I can’t go climbing mountains. Not today, please.’
She had closed her eyes but peeled them open to check why Sam hadn’t spoken. ‘Sorry,’ she said again. ‘I’m an awful girlfriend, aren’t I?’ When Sam still wasn’t willing to reply, she added, ‘I gave you a hard time last night, as I recall.’
‘What do you mean?’ He knew exactly what she meant.
‘About Kirsten. If you don’t want to go to the wedding then that’s up to you. I shouldn’t have been badgering you, not in front of Finn.’
‘I can’t be forced into something I don’t want to do, even if it was two against one. Three, if you include Selina’s previous attempts.’
‘I just thought it would be a good way for you to draw a line under the past. If turning up with your new girlfriend at your ex-wife’s wedding isn’t closure then I don’t know what is.’
‘I already have drawn a line under it, Anna: a line that separates Scotland from England and the past from the present. It’s my very own Hadrian’s Wall.’
Anna was trying to keep her bloodshot eyes open but there was pain etched across her face. ‘OK, fair point. I won’t mention it again. Oh, God, I feel wretched,’ she complained as she put a hand over her face. ‘I really, really need to sleep this off. You could always go out on your own. I wouldn’t mind.’
‘By that, you mean: can I leave you alone now?’
She peeked at him through splayed fingers. ‘Would you mind? You didn’t want me peering over your shoulder as you sketched anyway.’
Sam had to agree that it wasn’t a bad idea and he was normally happy enough in his own company – but not today. Today he was wishing he had joined Laura and Jasmine on their ride into town, but no one was more aware than he that wishes were dangerous things.
The Child's Secret Page 13