by Lynda Stacey
Ella followed her, picked Millie up and began rummaging in the fridge. ‘You want some treats?’ she asked Millie, as she placed her down on the floor and dropped pieces of left over chicken into her bowl.
‘What are you doing for the rest of the afternoon?’ Sarah asked as she poured the boiling water into the mugs. ‘I need to go shopping. Do you want to come?’
Ella shook her head and thought of how to answer. She couldn’t go shopping with Sarah, not after passing out that morning. Besides, she already had plans, but didn’t know how to tell Sarah what those plans involved, nor how to get rid of Sarah quickly.
‘I’m a bit busy today, sorry.’ She looked over her shoulder and towards the door as she said it. ‘I’ve kinda got someone coming around.’
Sarah began to smirk. ‘Oh my, you’ve got a hot date with Will, haven’t you? It’s about time you got back in the game. Is he coming around to give you a good sorting out, girl?’ Her eyes were open wide as she waited for Ella to answer. ‘Or have you two already, you know?’ Her hands moved to her hips and made a rotating movement that made Ella smirk.
Ella carried the doughnuts back into the conservatory. ‘Sarah! Not everyone jumps straight into bed, you know. Relationships are built on so much more than that. Besides, it’s not Will that’s coming around.’
‘Okay, so spill the beans. If it’s not Will, who is it?’ Sarah asked as she walked back into the conservatory, two mugs of steaming hot coffee in her hand. She passed one to Ella, then pulled open the doughnut pack and took one, nibbling at the pink icing on one edge. ‘What’s all this?’ She pointed to the table.
Ella began putting the clippings into some sort of order. ‘Just stuff. I’m working from home today. I got out all my old files and to complete the picture, I’ve just downloaded all of this.’ She pointed to the new pile of printing.
Sarah leaned forward. ‘So, you’re digging up your case again, are you?’ Her eyes scoured the table. ‘The police are still looking into it, you know, and I’m sure they won’t let it drop, not till you get some justice.’
‘Sarah, I really think Rick Greaves is innocent. Actually, he is innocent. I just know it. It wasn’t him that attacked me. Don’t ask me how I know, I just do.’
‘My God, have you been on the bloody happy pills? How come you’ve changed your tune?’ Sarah picked up one of the articles and then caught Ella’s eye. ‘Are you sure?’
Ella nodded and watched the cogs begin to turn in Sarah’s mind. ‘I saw him this morning and he looked me in the eye and swore it wasn’t him, and do you know what, Sarah? I believe him. His eyes didn’t flinch, not once. If anything, he looked as terrified as I’ve been.’
‘Have you spoken to the police?’ She sat down and pulled Millie up and onto her knee, immediately feeding the pup small lumps of iced doughnut. ‘Brought them up to date?’
‘What will the police do, Sarah? I know you say they’re still looking into it, but he’s already been cleared. What I need is to find who the real attacker is, and hey … stop feeding Millie or you’ll be cleaning up the mess when she gets the runs.’
‘So, where do we start?’ Sarah asked as she put Millie back on the floor and leaned forward to look at the table.
‘I have no idea.’ Ella began to move the clippings around. ‘But I know it wasn’t Rick. You should have seen him, Sarah; he really didn’t need to say what he did. He was so emotional, so very broken and he had nothing to lose. No one else could hear; he could have said anything, but he didn’t.’ She picked up one of the articles. ‘And what’s more, Sarah, he looked after me. Jesus, he even held my hair back while I threw up in his rubbish bin. Which is why I’m working from home this afternoon rather than being back at the office.’
Ella saw Sarah pull a face and stop in her tracks. ‘You went back to work?’
Ella nodded. ‘Yes. Part-time.’
Sarah didn’t look up. Instead she began picking up the newspaper clippings and looking at them one by one. ‘I’ve always fancied being promoted to detective.’ She leaned back in her chair and studied a clipping.
‘Well, here’s your chance. Rick’s going to be here in about twenty minutes. We’re going to look over all the evidence and hopefully find some clues.’
Sarah dropped the half-eaten doughnut onto the table, rubbed her hands down her jeans and stared at Ella. ‘Hello. Seriously? Are you off your stupid goddamned trolley?’
Ella continued to sort through the clippings. ‘Sarah, he didn’t do it.’
‘He might not have, Ella. But you have realised that everyone he gets mixed up with seems to end up either almost dead or very dead, haven’t you? He’s hardly someone your mother will approve of you being around, is he?’
‘Mum won’t know.’ Ella looked defiant. ‘I’m determined to get to the truth, Sarah. Whatever I have to do, I will find out what happened.’
‘Your mum will find out, especially if I tell her. Jesus, Ella, what if you’re attacked again, or worse? What if you get killed?’ She suddenly stood up, walked around the table and pulled Ella into her arms. ‘I couldn’t bear it. Not again.’ She choked back the tears. ‘I sat there, Ella, day after day, by that hospital bed. I hated Rick Greaves, I cursed him and I prayed for you. I really prayed. I actually thought we’d lost you.’
‘That’s why I’m meeting him here. No one can drug me here. The drinks are mine. I make them and, what’s more, no one can make me go anywhere that I don’t want to go. Anyhow, if you’re so worried, stick around. As I said, he’ll be here soon. You can make the coffee and play detective if you like.’
Chapter Twenty-Nine
‘That’s right, a big bouquet with really bright colours.’ Will pulled the money from his wallet. ‘I take it you can deliver?’ His hand rested on the counter, while he looked up and down the small rack of gift cards. There were ones with love hearts, ones with flowers and others with rainbows and he wondered which he should choose. He really liked the one with a love heart on, but couldn’t decide if it’d be too much, too soon. After all, they’d only shared a kiss or two, albeit passionate ones, or the first would have been passionate if Sarah hadn’t burst in and completely spoiled the moment.
‘Definitely, of course I could.’ She pushed a pad towards him. ‘Write down the address. Now, do you want to include a cuddly teddy? The ladies love them,’ the florist asked, with a hopeful look on her face, as she pointed to a shelf full of furry bears. They all stood, sat or lay. All were of varying size, shape and colour, had different faces and appeared to peer down at Will with beady eyes.
Will shook his head. He wanted the flowers to speak for themselves. He’d asked Ella to keep the evening free and he was determined that, for once, he was going to do things right. First, he had to tell Ella about his job. It was something he should have done before and he just hoped she didn’t hate him or think him to be any sort of a vulture.
‘Are they for your girlfriend?’ the florist asked as Will’s mind wandered to picture Ella’s face, her smile, the way she curled the side of her mouth up when she was teasing and then, then he thought of her kiss. A warmth spread through him and he knew that tonight was all about making the right impression. And once he’d got over the stumbling block of his job, he would wine, dine and romance her, right from the beginning. Ella deserved it. But was she his girlfriend? Was that something he could call her? He cautiously nodded his head, while deep down hoping for it to be true.
He pulled the money from his wallet as the florist began pulling stems of lilies out of a vase and arranging them into a bouquet. ‘I take it you’ll want roses in here too?’ she queried, almost apologetically. ‘They’re good for the romance.’ She sang the words in an Italian accent, which made Will frown – he was sure there hadn’t been an Italian accent there before, and it suddenly occurred to him that she was trying to ease the tension.
He took a deep breath and smiled. ‘Yes, roses are good.’
‘Okay, my dear, I can do that. That’ll be forty-five poun
ds, and you want them delivered today?’
‘Yes, please.’ He passed the money to the assistant and closed his eyes momentarily as he imagined Ella’s face when the flowers arrived. He knew she’d be happy, knew she’d feel pampered, but most of all he wanted her to feel loved. ‘Can I leave it with you? I wrote the address on your pad.’ He turned towards the door and opened it, looked back, smiled and winked. ‘Thanks.’
Will stood by the kerb and waited for the traffic to slow. It was market day. The whole town was alive with activity. The road was busy with cars, taxis and buses all fighting for their position on the road. Men, women and children all pounded the pavements to the sound of market stallholders shouting out loud, selling their wares. Will looked up and down, searching for a better place to cross. But then, he stopped in his tracks and ducked behind a fruit and veg stall. His eyes were fixed on Nina, who stood on the opposite side of the road screaming and shouting into a mobile, which was making people turn and stare.
‘Don’t you dare do this. You just can’t. I won’t let you, we had a deal.’ She turned away from a group of women who’d stopped to listen. A sob left her throat and she suddenly threw the mobile against a wall and then stood back as it landed on the floor in a hundred pieces.
‘What on earth are you up to?’ Will whispered to himself as he inched further along the road. He wanted to get in a better position. Somewhere he could see what she was doing. His journalistic instincts kicked in and he began looking for a vantage point, somewhere he could take a picture from. He watched as Nina dropped to her knees and made a futile attempt to push the pieces of the mobile back together.
Will felt around in his pocket for his phone, but Nina had her back to him. Her hair hid her face and Will tried time and time again to get a picture, but then managed to catch a button on the phone and watched in dismay as it switched itself off. ‘No, you can’t do this, not now.’ He began flicking at the screen. ‘Come on, I need you to work.’
‘Will. What are you doing here?’ Nina’s voice rang out making Will jump. He once again looked down at the phone, waved it in the air and then pushed it into his pocket. ‘I was talking to a friend and the damn thing cut out,’ he lied, but couldn’t think of anything else to say. ‘Are you okay?’
Nina sniffed back the tears and smiled. Her hand immediately went out and held onto his arm. She hooked her arm through his. ‘I’m okay. I could use a drink though.’
Will had to think quickly and decided that the truth would be best. ‘I … I’ve just been buying some flowers.’ He pointed to the florist shop.
‘Oh, okay.’ She looked down. ‘I could really use a friend, someone to drink with. Are you coming?’ Her arm was still hooked through his, and she twisted around to allow her fingers to squeeze his bicep.
Will tried to think of an excuse, looked at his watch and hesitated. ‘I could have a quick one. But I really don’t have long. I’m on my lunch break.’ He tapped the watch. ‘Besides, shouldn’t you be at work?’
Nina pulled him towards a bar. ‘No. Rick’s closed up for the day.’ She looked up at him with huge eyes, pouted and put both hands together as though praying. ‘I just hope he hasn’t closed for good.’
Will was puzzled. ‘Why would he close?’ Nina’s hand had grabbed his and she pulled him into a wine bar, where she navigated through a crowd of people and made her way to a pair of empty bar stools.
‘Gin and tonic please, large one.’ She sidled up to the bar, pulled herself up on the stool and turned to Will. ‘You want the same?’
Will shook his head. ‘No, not for me. Just a Diet Coke, I’m driving.’ He sat on the stool next to Nina. ‘So, you say Rick’s shut the doors?’
‘He did,’ Nina said as the barman passed her the drink. ‘Oh, Will. Everything’s gone so very wrong, again.’ Nina looked visibly upset and she reached for a napkin from the bar and blew her nose. ‘I just don’t know what I’ll do.’
The bar was full of customers who were busy chatting, either showing off the purchases they’d made in the town or simply sitting, smiling at one another, texting or people watching, while drinking vast amounts of alcohol. Everyone was interacting noisily and Will wished for the bar to empty. He wanted to hear what Nina was saying without having to lean in quite so close.
‘So, what’s gone wrong?’ Will asked outright. He caught her eye and smiled. In reality, he wanted to get the meeting over with as quickly as possible, and decided that by getting to straight to the point he might just get Nina to give him the story he’d been wanting for weeks.
Nina sighed. ‘Shall we order?’ She picked up the menu and began to study it, turning it over and over, until Will was sure that she’d read every single inch twice.
‘I … I thought you just wanted a drink?’ Will took in a deep breath and waited for a few moments until Nina eventually spoke.
‘I’m a bit hungry. I’d like something to eat.’ She picked up the gin and tonic and shook the glass. ‘Especially if I have a couple of these. The food will soak it up, don’t you think?’
Will took notice of the smirk that followed her words. She was working the situation, playing him. She was amused and he knew it. Once again, he looked at his watch.
‘I’m in a bit of a hurry. I’m on a lunch break.’ Will shuffled around in his seat.
‘That’s a shame.’ She paused. ‘But I think you’ll make time for me, Will.’ Nina pulled at another napkin and dabbed at her eyes. ‘You do want my story, right?’
Will hesitated before answering. ‘Nina, I have to get back to work, so unless this is really important …’
She looked him up and down and Will knew she was taking in the look of his expensive suit. ‘That’s what you wear to mow the lawns, is it?’
Will closed his eyes. He knew she’d worked him out and he watched her carefully as she glanced down at the floor, before she looked up directly at him. Her dark eyes pierced straight through him in her defiance.
Will sat and thought about what to do before speaking. ‘Okay. I take it that I’m busted. But seriously, I wasn’t just after a story. I really did like working out there. And I’m sorry Rick has closed the doors. Are you okay?’ He smiled politely, but deep inside he was getting impatient.
Nina sipped at her drink and completely ignored the question. Will didn’t want to be impolite but knew that if she didn’t respond soon, he’d have to leave, even though by doing so, he’d lose the chance of the interview. The one story he’d been chasing for weeks. And because of Ella, this was the story he just couldn’t let go. He needed to know what Nina was up to; he had to know what had gone wrong, what her views were on Rick Greaves, what she knew about the wives that had died, but, most of all, he wanted to know if she knew anything about Ella’s attack. If he left now he’d lose the chance of it all and since Nina had worked him out to be a reporter, this could be the last chance he got.
‘Now, come on Will, indulge me. Do you want to order a sandwich or not?’ A false smile crossed her face as she nudged the menu towards him. ‘The beef and horseradish sounds amazing,’ she advised, pointing to the list.
Will backed down and took the menu from her. Maybe if he calmed down, acted relaxed, and pretended that he wanted to be there, she’d relax too, and then he hoped she’d answer his questions.
‘Okay. The beef and horseradish sounds great. Can we get two of those?’ He passed a twenty-pound note to the barman. ‘Please.’
Will listened to Nina’s small talk while they waited for the food. She’d talked about Michelle, about the upcoming funeral and about how she had needed more hours at the gym, not less.
The food arrived and Will struggled to eat. He knew that Nina was watching him. She seemed to be enjoying the power she thought she had over him. She knew that he’d lied, that he wanted her side of the story and she’d made it very obvious that she’d worked out what he really did for a living.
‘It’s the gym that’s the problem,’ she finally announced. ‘I think Rick will close.�
�� She picked up her sandwich and began to nibble at its edge, biding her time. ‘If he closes us down, I’ll lose my job and that wasn’t the deal.’
Will moved uncomfortably in his seat. He was going through the motions of eating the sandwich while silently listening to what Nina had to say. He hadn’t responded to anything she’d said so far and was hoping she’d just continue.
‘Rick’s arrest and court case hit us hard. Members were just starting to come back, but then Michelle died. We were hit again, people stopped coming and now Tim has disappeared. Not only has he disappeared, he’s taken all the money that Rick had. All of it. Thousands. Why would he do that? He was family,’ she said between tiny bites of her sandwich. ‘But then, he did disappear right after Michelle was killed.’ She lifted an eyebrow.
He stopped eating and looked at the floor, thinking. ‘It is a bit of a coincidence. So, surely the police are looking for Tim, aren’t they?’
Nina looked uncomfortable. ‘I … I don’t know.’
‘Okay, Nina. Now, think carefully. Did Tim have an alibi when Michelle died?’
She held onto the bar for support. ‘I don’t know.’
Will weighed up the situation. ‘So, Tim had no alibi that we know of.’ He paused. ‘How about Rick, did Rick have an alibi?’
‘He’s innocent.’ Nina looked around; she smiled at one or two people that she recognised, picked up her gin and tonic, realised the glass was empty and indicated to the barman that she’d like another.
‘Are you sure about that? I mean, come on, Nina, everyone around Rick seems to either die or get hurt. Unless …’ A thought crossed his mind. ‘… unless Tim was involved.’
‘I haven’t been killed or hurt, so you can’t say everyone, can you?’ Nina’s voice had turned from polite to irritated. She picked at the sandwich, pulled the pieces of beef from within the roll and nibbled.