Hunter's Chase

by Val Penny

  Tim was off that weekend, but Sophie was not good at delegating. Tim was allowed to move furniture and carry boxes of beer and wine. This proved difficult as Lucy wound in and out between his legs, following him wherever he went. Sophie set up the extensive savoury buffet in their hall.

  The colourful desserts and gateaux were displayed on the table and desk in what would be the second bedroom, if Sophie ever stopped using it as a study. The food looked really tempting. Tim moved to test a profiterole, but Sophie smacked his hand then kissed him firmly on the mouth. Lucy interfered by tripping them both up. They nearly arrived at their own party dressed as chocolate cakes. Tim grinned as he and Sophie regained their balance, then he and Lucy moved into the living room.

  Tim insisted that it was his job to set up the music; Lucy helped by mixing up the cables and sitting on CDs. He also wanted to set up the bar in their large, bright kitchen. He was pleased they had bought disposable plastic glasses, cutlery and plates, but could already hear his father complaining about the lack of class.

  “I am still not convinced that inviting my father to the party was your best idea, Soph.”

  “Well, I enjoy throwing everybody in together at parties and letting them get on with it. I'm sure it will be fine. He will either bore my poor father to death, or leave early.”

  “I'm not so sure. I would normally host two smaller gatherings: one for friends, one for family. I just hope this all works out the way you think it will, my little ray of sunshine.”

  Tim loved the ways that Sophie had changed his life. His dad liked her, and she did not take his father too seriously. That made life easy for Tim. He knew her title endeared her to his father, and the fact she was pretty did not hurt. Dad did like a pretty face.

  “Pity Ailsa can't be here tonight, isn't it?” he mused.

  “I know, Timmy, but I can understand that a weekend at the beginning of the works Christmas party season was not a good one for a junior A&E doctor to ask for time off.” Sophie went over to give him a hug.

  Tim shook his head and smiled. His sister was important to him, but Sophie was even more so now.

  “You know, Sophie, it's only since we got together that I am beginning to realise how much I missed after we lost Mum. Sometimes I wonder how my dad coped. Of course, he never said, but neither Ailsa nor I ever thought to ask.”

  “Of course you didn't, Tim, you were both kids.”

  Tim smiled at her, gave himself a shake and began to set up the beer and cider kegs. He put the white wine and Prosecco in the fridge and opened a couple of bottles of red to let them breathe. Things were looking good.

  Sophie stuck her head round the door.

  “Ice cubes?”

  “Shit, I knew I'd forgotten something. I'll run and pick some up from the off-licence while you get a shower.”

  He grabbed the car keys and flew down the stairs while Sophie jumped into the shower. Everything else was done. Tim knew she was excited about the party. He was more nervous than she was, but was sure he would relax into the evening.

  By the time Tim got back, the first guest, Sophie's brother, Geoffrey, was already there. Sophie had said he always arrived early. It allowed him to set himself in a position that suited his frame. Tim went into the kitchen and found Geoffrey sitting near the drinks table.

  “Hi, Geoffrey!” Tim said, more cheerfully than he felt. “Can I pour you a beer?”

  Geoffrey accepted the drink in the skinny fingers of his less disabled hand, then went to get showered and changed. Only after that was Tim able to really look forward to the party.

  Tim poured himself and Sophie a drink.

  “I think I'll start with a sparkling water, pet. I'm feeling a bit dehydrated.”

  Tim was surprised that she didn’t want a glass of wine, but shrugged and poured what she wanted. They clinked their plastic glasses. No washing up. Tim reached for a handful of cashew nuts, only to get his fingers slapped again. He made to lick the pain off his hand in jest and threw a few nuts into his mouth.

  “Victory to me! I got one over the establishment,” smiled Tim.

  “Those are for the guests, bad boy!” Sophie laughed.

  Geoffrey smiled and took a few. He stuck his tongue out at Sophie.

  “I'm a guest,” he said.

  The doorbell rang. Tim winked at Geoffrey and triumphantly grabbed some more cashews as he followed Sophie to the door.

  “Woohoo, we're off!” she said, as they ran to answer the door to Rachael, Jane, Mel and Bear. They were keen to see around and admire the new decoration and furniture, so Sophie began to show them round the flat as Tim was dispatched to get drinks.

  “Beer, Bear?” Tim called over the girls' heads to Bear with a smile. He got a thumbs-up as Bear wandered towards him in the kitchen instead of going for the guided tour.

  “Geoffrey, good evening.”

  “Winston.” Geoffrey acknowledged Bear by his given name. He did not offer to shake hands; he never did.

  The bell rang again. Tim went to answer it as Lucy retreated beneath the bed.

  The rooms warmed up as more and more people arrived. Rachael and Jane stood chatting with Samantha Hutchens by the large bay window of the living room. Sam, clearly unable to break the habits of a lifetime, kept shooting off photos.

  “You're off duty, Sam,” said Rachael.

  “I know, but I'm going to put them on a disc as a housewarming present for Tim and Sophie.”

  “That's a brilliant idea,” Rachael said. “Don't you get a good view up and down the street from this bay window? I suppose the lighting has to be good because of the older folks' accommodation across the street. Look at the trees and gardens opposite, and the landscaping around the sheltered housing. It's lovely.” But Rachael noticed the trees losing their leaves, emphasising the turn of the year. “The double glazed windows keep the damp and cold outside, and, I hope, keep most of the noise of the party inside the flat,” she smiled.

  Sophie joined them, accompanied by an older version of herself.

  “Jane, Rachael, let me introduce my mother, Caroline. Jane, you've been up to Alaska to see the whales, haven't you? My mother has always fancied taking a cruise to see them.”

  “How lucky you were to have such a fascinating trip,” Caroline Dalmore said. “Please tell me all about it.”

  “It is an amazing sight, Lady Dalmore.”

  “Caroline, please.”

  Jane smiled, “I just wonder which other party I might go to this year and speak to a Countess as well as a DC!”

  Rachael sighed. If she heard about the bloody whales one more time she would probably explode. She saw Samantha wander away to take more photographs. Rachael turned back to the window. The view had to be more interesting than the whales.

  She watched as it began to rain. Clouds covered the moon and the night was suddenly dark.

  As Rachael gazed down to the street, glad to be inside as the wind battered the rain against the window, she noticed Tim's father marching smartly along Gillespie Crescent. A vehicle crawling along the street seemed to be following him. It was probably another guest looking for a place to park, or perhaps looking for the number of the building. It did occur to her it might be an exasperated resident who could not find a parking space in the street tonight. Rachael smiled at the thought that they might call the cops.

  Outside the flat, the car paused and then started reversing into the only parking space Rachael could see. The light-coloured Land Rover stopped and the driver jumped out. He called over to Sir Peter and the older man waved and crossed the street to speak to him. They looked up and caught Rachael's eye, but looked away quickly. Too quickly.

  Rachael tried to focus on the number plate, but no way she could read it through the rain.

  Rachael continued to peer out of the window into the darkness. Handsome man, she thought. Even she could appreciate that. Italian, maybe? Dark hair and eyes, well-trimmed beard. Dripping wet. A covered handshake. What was that he had passed to Sir
Peter? Tim's father pressed something into the other man's hand as they stepped apart.

  Then a familiar looking car drew up. John Hamilton's blue Mondeo. Rachael remembered its very messy interior, littered with chocolate bars and biscuit wrappers.

  John was late, but then John was rarely early. When Rachael saw him struggle out of his car, she watched him talk briefly to Sir Peter and the owner of the Land Rover. John shook the Land Rover driver's hand then looked up and gave her a wave before he and Sir Peter walked towards Tim's flat. Rachael tried again to read and remember the number plate. No joy.

  Rachael left Jane to regale Lady Caroline with experiences about whale-watching while she moved through the flat to look for John. She wanted to ask him about what she had seen, to find out what he had seen, and find out who the good-looking man was. No way was she going to approach Tim's dad, MSP and ex-Chief Constable.

  Rachael eased her way through the groups of people. It took her ages to get anywhere as there were so many people that she knew and stopped to chat to. There were many more she recognised, so she went nowhere fast.

  “Mel! You having fun?”

  “Yes, but Sam is going around with her camera - make sure she doesn't catch you unawares!”

  “Have you seen John?”

  “I think he's mixing with the great and the good. People-watching can be fun. Look at him over there.”

  Rachael looked through to the kitchen and saw John pouring drinks for other guests. Then she did a double-take. John was deep in conversation with Sir Peter, handing him a red wine while John supped a beer. The two men clasped hands and exchanged something, just as Colin Reid and his wife Maggie arrived.

  “Sorry we're didn't get here sooner, Tim. We came by taxi, but it was late,” Colin said. “Maggie, this is the new guy on our block, Tim Myerscough.”

  “Good you could both make it. Go get a drink. I think John is in the kitchen, playing bar-man.”

  John looked unusually animated, Rachael thought. Showing off to Sir Peter, probably. John caught Rachael staring at him and shook his head almost imperceptibly. He clearly did not want her to interrupt his moment. Rachael was too deep in thought to hear Bear approach her.

  “You look like you seen a ghost, Rache!” He grinned at her.

  “No, Bear, no ghost, but I definitely think somebody is getting taken for a ride. I just hope it's not Tim. Wow! Talk of the devil. Look over there, with Tim.” What she had just seen was far more interesting than whatever nonsense John was up to.

  “Gosh, yes! I never thought I'd see that. I didn't even think the boss was coming.”

  “Exactly! He told me he wasn't, but Meera is here. That might have something to do with it,” Rachael smiled.

  She turned around to see Tim and Sophie in conversion with Hunter. Tim was pouring the senior officer a drink. Meera had sidled over.

  “Hello, Hunter. Mind if I join you?”

  Rachael watched as Tim tactfully handed his boss his beer, then moved to interrupt his father's conversation with John and Colin.

  “Dad, can you help me out? I think Lord Dalmore is looking for some grown-up conversation.”

  “Of course, my boy, of course.” Sir Peter dropped the DCs much faster than was polite, and followed Tim to where Lord Dalmore was standing.

  “There, that's Dad out of harm's way,” Tim commented to Rachael as he returned to the kitchen. “Or out of Hunter's way. Same thing to me tonight.”

  Rachael looked around again, but John was no longer in the kitchen. She made to move back to Jane, and found Sophie checking on the rest of the guests, a tray of snacks in hand. Sophie was a good hostess. Rachael thought she and Tim made a good couple. They certainly threw a good party.

  “What you two plotting?” Mel asked as she came up and hugged Bear. Then she looked at Rachael. “Rache, you okay? You don't look too well.”

  “Not really, I think I'll go and get a breath of fresh air. It's a bit hot in here.”

  Rachael walked smartly towards the door and almost ran into John coming out of the bathroom. She really should get some answers, but she did feel odd, so decided to make use of the bathroom and then get some fresh air. As she turned round to flush the loo, she spotted dust on top of the cistern. The rest of the house was spotless. Rachael washed and dried her hands, then dipped a finger into the substance and after smelling it, rubbed it on her gums.

  Cocaine, no doubt. Shit! John?

  Rachael jogged down the stairs and walked outside into the street. The rain was even heavier now. The weather was settling in for a miserable evening, but Rachael could see more outside than she could through the windows. She noticed that the Land Rover had moved, and was now parked further down the street. How did John and Sir Peter know that man? He had seemed quite friendly, but did not stop for long with either of them. The man was not amongst the party guests.

  Rachael considered. She had not seen Sir Peter for a while.

  ***

  Mel and Bear had watched Rachael leave the flat.

  “Rachael doesn't seem to be herself, does she?” Mel said.

  “Not at all. Shall we go through to the living room and see if we can find Jane?”

  Bear bumped into John, who did not seem happy to see him. He looked really tired; almost fed-up. His mood had changed fast since he had arrived earlier. He certainly did not seem to be in the party spirit now.

  “Watch what you're doing Bear! You nearly made me spill my beer,” he said grumpily.

  “Sorry, John, man. I didn't mean anything by it. A mistake, right?” Bear held up his hands in a submissive gesture and John shook his head as he wandered off.

  ***

  John was looking for Rachael. He needed to talk to her.

  He saw Jane standing by the window talking to some old bird. Rachael was always close to Jane, so he worked his way across the room towards her. By the time he realised Rachael was not there, Jane had spotted him and called him over.

  “John, have you met Countess Dalmore, Sophie's Mum?”

  “Caroline, please.”

  They shook hands.

  “We've been discussing holidays and whales,” Jane said. “Let me leave you two to chat while I go to find Rachael.”

  Great, John thought, I'm on mother duty. Unfortunately, because of the volume of the music and his own lack of clarity, he also thought Jane had told him that they had been talking about holidays in Wales. He began to tell the bemused Countess about the Outward Bound course he had taken there as a boy.

  ***

  Caroline shifted slightly to make more space between herself and John. He was acting very strangely and made her feel awkward. As Sophie approached with a tray of snacks, Caroline took the opportunity to move away from him.

  “That young man's eyes were not focussed,” she told Sophie as she nodded towards John. “I felt uncomfortable near him.”

  “Why don't you find Father and get something to eat?” Sophie suggested.

  Caroline found her husband in the hall, where a large table was groaning under the weight of the food. She mentioned the strange DC to him and suggested they speak to Tim, but Lord Dalmore dismissed that idea. The party was going well, he said, and suggested Caroline just avoid the fellow. There were plenty of other people to mingle with.

  ***

  John hardly even noticed Caroline go. He was still looking for Rachael. She had seen the Land Rover. It was the one Arjun Mansoor had reported stolen.

  Then John decided discussing a car with Rachael was not as important as a free feed. He would check with Rache tomorrow.

  “Great buffet, isn't it?” he said to nobody in particular. He wandered off to fill another plate with some of the food. When he went back into the living room, he looked out of the window to see Jane and Rachael standing by his car. John shivered: this was not how he wanted to see Rachael. He downed the rest of his beer in one and made his way back to the kitchen for another. Then maybe he would have some more to eat.

  “The buffet looks exc
ellent. You can't fault the catering at a toff's party,” he said to

  Geoffrey, who was still sitting by the beer.

  “Indeed,”came the short reply.

  The celebrations continued well into the night. Jane and Rachael never returned.

  John did not drive home. When Mel found him he was giggling uncontrollably. She and Bear helped Colin pile him into a taxi. John was muttering about stopping off for pizza, but Colin paid the driver and instructed him to take John straight home. John had eaten well at the party, but that seemed to have done nothing to reduce his appetite.

  Hunter and Meera were still there at the end of the evening and helped Tim and Sophie clear up by filling black bags with cans, bottles, plastic cups and paper plates.

  “Sophie, give me some cling film and I'll start putting it over what little food was left. It looks like you invited a swarm of locusts!” Meera joked.

  “Thank you for all your help, Boss. It's really kind, but Sophie and I will sort the rest in the morning. Can I order you a taxi? I'm getting one for Dad.” Tim's father was sitting silently drinking coffee in the kitchen. Tim thought he seemed quieter than usual, almost as if his battery had run down. He was not surprised that it had clearly never crossed his father's mind to offer to help.

  “No trouble, Tim. Meera is going to drive me home.”

  Tim grinned and noticed Hunter blush.

  “You ready to go? I think we should all get to bed.” Meera looked happy as she bade the hosts goodnight. Hunter shook Tim by the hand, blushing again.

  The taxi for Sir Peter arrived and the last three guests left at the same time, thanking Sophie and Tim for a good night.

  Tim finally closed the door on his boss and his father. He breathed a sigh of relief and drew Sophie into his arms.

  “It's over and it went well. Didn't it?”

  “Yes, Darling, it went very well. I told you it would! And it was fun.”