by Linda Huber
Nina watched from the study as he flung his bag into his car and roared off towards the town centre. Poor Paul. She poured another coffee and took it through to the living room, comforted by its warmth in her left hand as she accessed Beth’s number on her mobile. This wouldn’t be an easy call.
Bethany was silent as Nina told her what had happened over the past few days. Nina could hear the wind in the trees; Beth must have taken her phone outside. She would be sitting in the farmhouse sun-trap, the old wooden bench with the view over the water to the mainland. Tears spilled from Nina’s eyes and she brushed them away impatiently. How soppy, getting teary over a flaky old garden bench. But like nothing else it brought home the contrast between this dingy, depressing house with its sad tales of abuse, and the island, where there was greenness and fresh sea breezes and people who loved her.
‘Dear God, Nina,’ said Beth in a low voice when Nina had finished her account. ‘Come home today, honey, there’s nothing to keep you there. I’ll come to Glasgow and meet you off the plane.’
Nina bit her lip. She wanted nothing more than to be back on the island – but if she went home today she would be running away from the new situation, instead of fighting it.
‘I’ll need to see the police again first,’ she said. ‘I’ll go and stay with Sam’s parents tonight, though. And there’s the great-aunt I’ve found – Emily Moore. She’s a real duck and I have to visit her again before we come home. But when I do get back I think I’ll never leave the island again.’
‘I wish I could help more.’ Nina could hear the misery in her friend’s voice. ‘Do you want me to come down, Nina? Tim would manage on his own for a day or two.’
Nina swithered. Beth’s presence would make things more bearable, but more complicated too. They couldn’t all stay with Cassie. And the B&B was more than one person’s job in the summer – Tim wouldn’t really manage on his own.
‘Don’t worry, Bethie. Cassie Harrison will take care of me as much as I let her.’
‘Nina – will I ask Mum if she knows anything?’ said Bethany. ‘Claire might have told her something about it, way back then.’
Nina considered. The two mothers had been good friends from the time of the family’s move to the island right up to Claire’s death. It was quite possible she’d confided in Morag James at some point. It would even be interesting to know if Claire hadn’t said anything to Morag.
‘Yes – but don’t say that I was abused,’ she said at last. ‘I’m not ready to tell people yet.’
Beth agreed, and Nina broke the connection feeling both comforted and bereft. But there was no time for tears; she had to phone Naomi now and sound like nothing was wrong, which was going to need all her acting skills. Naomi mustn’t know what was happening, not yet. For a moment Nina sat glaring at her phone. How the shit she was supposed to break all this to a ten-year-old she had no idea, but there must be people available who could advise her on that so she should see them first. Psychologists or something.
Ten minutes later she was congratulating herself on sounding upbeat and positive to both Naomi and Cassie, promising to join them late afternoon. That would give her time to close the house and talk to David Mallony about what – if anything – they could do about the abuse. ‘Alleged’ abuse, they would call it. Or even ‘historic alleged abuse’. It was depressing, this would come down to Paul’s word against his father’s, and most likely George Wright would deny everything. Paul would need a lot of inner strength to deal with it, and the fact that he hadn’t reported it himself was telling.
An odd thought spiralled into Nina’s head. Was it true? She thought of the anguish in Paul’s face last night, and the expression in his eyes when he’d talked about what had happened. Yes, she believed him. One hundred per cent, and the story was backed up by the paedophilia in John Moore’s computer too. With evidence like that the police would have to do something about George Wright. She would go now and talk to David Mallony face to face.
In the hallway she bent to lift the little pile of post lying behind the door. Most of it was advertisements, trite and happy little flyers contrasting starkly to her brave new world. There was a new Indian takeaway on the High Street, and the River Fitness Centre was having a half-price weekend at the end of the month, and – oh shit.
Hell. Her heart hammering behind her ribs, Nina stared at the envelope in her hand. Another anonymous letter. The same kind of envelope as the first one, the only difference being it was her name above John Moore’s address on the sticky label. And contrary to what David Mallony had supposed, this had been delivered by hand; it was under the pile of post – the letter-writer must have watched for the postman approaching then slipped his letter through the door first. Christ, what a ghastly thought. The scumbag had been right outside this door.
Nina dropped the letter onto the desk and used the paper knife and a pen to manoeuvre the single sheet of paper from the envelope and spread it out.
Her breath caught in her throat as she read.
‘Bring £20,000 in a sports bag to the crazy golf hut in Wicks Park at 1 a.m. on Wednesday 26th July. Leave it in the doorway. No police if you know what’s good for your daughter. We know where she is. And we’re watching you both.’
‘Oh God,’ she whispered. Naomi – but Naomi was fine, they’d just discussed the Harrison’s garden fence on the phone. But the letter said ‘we’. Who was ‘we’? Hands shaking, Nina reached for her phone.
David Mallony was calm. ‘You’ve done the right thing in telling us. I’ll consult the Superintendent now and get back to you. Don’t leave the house.’
Nina buried her face in her hands. She should never have stayed on here. It was a ridiculous way to spend the summer even if she was about to inherit a fortune. And how unbearable it was to think that Naomi was being threatened too. Money was nothing compared to what she and Naomi had together; Nina knew she would give up the house and all the money in a heartbeat if it meant that her daughter would be safe.
Her mobile rang and she grabbed it. That had been a quick consultation with the Superintendent.
But it was Bethany. ‘Nina, I spoke to Mum. She said Claire told her your father was a ‘big bully’ – those were her words – and that he’d been hitting you both around. I didn’t ask more till I’d checked with you but I’m sure there was no thought of sexual abuse in Mum’s head.’
‘And she didn’t say anything about Paul, my father’s cousin?’ Nina forced her mind away from the anonymous letter and back to the other end of the problem.
‘No. I could mention you meeting up with him and see what she says.’
Nina thought swiftly. There was no point in hiding things, least of all from Morag, who’d known her since she was five. The police were involved and unless she was very lucky it would soon be all over the tabloid press.
‘Tell her Paul remembers being abused and ask if Mum ever said anything. Thanks, Beth. I have to ring off, I’m expecting a call from the police – there’s been another anonymous letter.’
‘Oh shit. Nina, take care, honey. Speak to you soon.’
When her phone rang ten minutes later it was David Mallony.
‘Plan of action. It isn’t likely that this is more than one person, but it’s quite possible he’s watching you, so he mustn’t see that you’ve involved us. I want you to leave the house in fifteen minutes and walk to the supermarket on the corner. If the blackmailer’s watching he’ll follow you, but don’t worry, one of our men will be trailing you too. Try to act naturally, do some shopping. Leave the back door unlocked and we’ll go in via the street behind and wait for you. Okay?’
Nina gripped the phone. ‘Okay. Oh, and Paul Wright remembers us both being sexually abused as children. Apparently our fathers hired us out.’
There was a split second’s silence before he spoke again.
‘I’ll get someone onto it now.’
It was horrible, walking up the road knowing that the letter-writer could be observing her ev
ery move. Having police protection wasn’t much consolation; it was difficult not to look over her shoulder all the time. Nina arrived at the supermarket and wandered round, blindly filling a basket with a variety of miscellaneous items. Sensible shopping was the last thing on her mind. Walking back was even worse; her steps quickened as she approached the house, and shit, her heart was thudding away in her chest – supposing she passed out on the pavement? No, no, look, she was nearly home – oh God, it had never been home – but the police would be inside by this time and she would be safe, and oh, how she needed to feel safe.
Four men stood silent and motionless in the kitchen when she returned, various pieces of electronic equipment in their arms. David Mallony switched the radio on, and loud pop music blared out.
‘We’ll check the place hasn’t been bugged,’ he murmured, bending close to her ear.
Nina started to put her shopping away, banging cupboard doors. Surely the place wasn’t bugged? A few minutes later one of the men gave David Mallony a thumbs up sign.
‘All clear, boss.’
‘Did you really think I’d been bugged?’ said Nina, turning to David Mallony.
‘Almost certainly not, but with the technology available today it’s better to be safe than sorry. Okay. There didn’t seem to be anyone following you. Nina - ‘ His face became tight. ‘Tell me what your cousin said about the abuse he remembers you both being subjected to.’
Nina sank into a chair, leaning over the kitchen table while she related everything Paul had told her. Telling David Mallony was easier than telling Beth. He noted down the details.
‘I’ll pass this on,’ he said. ‘Okay, we have new information about George Wright. It now seems more possible that this blackmailing business could be down to him. He was involved in a very similar scam several years ago, pretending to be a victim.’
Nina remembered Paul’s face when he’d talked about his father. Her poor cousin. ‘That’s what Paul said. I should tell him about this. And Sam.’
‘Yes. Unfortunately we don’t know where George Wright is. He’s spent a lot of time abroad in the past ten years, but he’s also been back in the UK for spells in between.’
He was silent for a moment, his face neutral, then he leaned towards her. ‘Here’s the plan. It’s too dangerous for you to walk to the crazy golf hut with the cash, so we’re going to turn Sabine Jameson into your double and she’ll do it. She’ll be wearing a wire so we’ll hear everything that’s going on. Then we’ll be able to detain whoever picks up the bag.’
‘Right,’ said Nina. Thank God they didn’t want her to stroll through the park personally, a bagful of money in one hand. In the dark. Alone. Knowing there was a weirdo lying in wait for her. Hell, no.
‘What if the blackmailer notices it isn’t me?’ she said.
‘I don’t think he will. You and Sabine are the same build, and you both have blonde hair. Plus it’ll be dark, and we can arrange to have some of the lights in the park switched off. She’ll be wearing jeans and your sweatshirt or jacket. I’ll get onto her now to see when she’ll be here.’
He strode into the hallway to make his call. Nina sat with her elbows on the table, her chin in her hands. Not two weeks ago she had been grieving about the senselessness of Claire’s death. Now she was a victim of blackmail and threats – not to mention childhood abuse. Talk about changed days.
David Mallony came back while she was trying to work up the energy to phone Paul and Sam.
‘Sabine’s on her way and she’ll stay with you for the rest of the day. She’ll appear at the front door in about half an hour and you’ll greet each other like long-lost friends. And if anyone at all asks, Nina – friends, family, anyone – you say that she’s a friend from university.’
‘Okay,’ said Nina. ‘I did secretarial studies in Glasgow.’
‘Fine,’ said David. ‘Now, when she arrives the two of you should hang about in front of the house for a minute to give the rest of us time to go out the back. Be noisy, move about so that anyone watching will keep right on watching. Sabine will stay with you till she leaves to go to the park.’
‘What about the money?’ asked Nina.
‘The two of you will take a bag to the bank this afternoon. You have to do that in case he’s watching you. You’ll be shown into a small room and the bag will be filled with money. Then you bring it back here.’
‘Real money?’
‘Fake money.’
Nina almost gasped. It sounded too incredible to be true. ‘I don’t think I’m cut out to be James Bond,’ she said, and David laughed.
‘You won’t need to leap across the rooftops. We’ll get him, don’t worry.’
He nodded reassuringly and left her still clutching her phone. Nina glanced at the time. Twelve fifteen. The number she had for Paul was a landline, but there was maybe a slight chance he went home for lunch.
Luck was on her side, for Paul’s phone was lifted on the fourth ring. Nina explained what was going on, omitting the detail that it would be Sabine who went to the park. Unsurprisingly, Paul sounded weary and upset.
‘Oh God, Nina, I don’t think it was a good idea, telling the police. They’ll never prove anything and it’s my word against my father’s now. It all sounds very dangerous to me.’
Nina swallowed hard. She was lying by omission here and it was so not what she wanted. She’d only just found Paul and here she was endangering their relationship by telling him fibs. But what else could she do? David’s instructions had been clear.
‘The police’ll be watching all the time. I don’t like it either, but we need to catch him.’
‘Right. I’ll come by again after work if that’s all right,’ said Paul, breaking the connection without saying goodbye.
Nina pursed her lips. It was clear he wasn’t happy, and who could blame him? And now she would have to explain what she was doing to Cassie.
Rather to her surprise Cassie took the news in her stride. ‘Make sure you do exactly what the police tell you, Nina. I’ll tell Naomi you can’t come till tomorrow because of business, will I? Oh, and is it all right if we take her to the pool this afternoon? We would both be in the water with her.’
‘She’ll love that,’ said Nina. ‘Thanks a million, Cassie. Tell Naomi I’ll call her later, and I’ll phone you tomorrow morning.’
Was she being too casual with her daughter, leaving her with Sam’s folks for such a long time? But it would be impossible to have Naomi here in the middle of all this, and the Harrisons were lovely people. As was their son, who was next on her list to call, and something was telling her Sam might not be quite as cool about what was going on as his mother was. And rats, his phone was taking messages.
‘Sam, it’s me. I’ll catch you later,’ she said. It was horrible having all this going on and Sam unaware of it. They’d parted on bad terms after yesterday’s call, and she didn’t want to be on bad terms with Sam. Either as a friend or her lawyer.
When the doorbell rang David Mallony gave her a little push.
‘On you go. It’s going to be fine. Remember this is your old friend, now – shrieks of joy, big hugs,’ he said.
Nina had never felt less like shrieking joyfully, but Sabine had obviously missed her vocation in the police force. She threw herself into her role with such enthusiasm that Nina responded almost as if she was meeting an old friend for the first time in years. They hugged fondly on the doorstep, then Sabine stepped back and pointed up to the top of the house, walking up and down the gravel, asking about the rooms. They remained outside, pointing and talking, for several minutes.
‘Okay. Shall we go in?’ said Sabine at last, grinning at Nina.
Inside, Nina watched as the young woman pulled a package from her bag and placed it on the living room table beside the photographs.
‘My wire,’ she said. ‘You’re doing really well here, you know. Let’s make coffee and then we’ll get off to the bank. The boss’ll have the fake money there by that time.’
/> Nina breathed out shakily. How normal it all sounded. Coffee and then the bank. There must be hundreds of people doing something very similar right this minute.
If only she was one of them.
Chapter Twenty-One
Nina’s feeling of unreality persisted throughout the afternoon. It was difficult to drive the short distance into town and park behind the library, impossible to walk into the bank as if this was any old shopping trip, her and her old friend and everything hunky dory. She felt conspicuous with the empty sports bag – not something she usually carried for an afternoon in town – but at least they wouldn’t meet anyone she knew; she didn’t have to pretend this was normal. At the bank she and Sabine were shown into a small room with ‘Manager’ on a blue sign on the door. Nina’s sports bag was taken away and returned considerably heavier.
‘What’s to stop the blackmailer accosting us and stealing it?’ said Nina, hugging the bag to her chest as they left the bank. She should try to act normally here – but how impossible was that when her gut was performing somersaults like something from the Moscow State Circus.
‘He won’t,’ said Sabine cheerfully. ‘He’s made his arrangements for his own good reasons, and he’ll stick to them.’
Her heart in her mouth, Nina cradled the bag in both arms till they were back in the safety of the hired car. Stupid, she thought. It wasn’t as if it was real money, and even if it had been, money didn’t matter. Naomi was the only important thing and it was unbearable that circumstances had split them up like this. The lump in her throat, never far away since she’d left Naomi with the Harrisons, swelled painfully.
Back at the house, Nina shut herself into the study to try Sam’s number again. This probably wasn’t the best time to phone him, bang in the middle of the afternoon, but she could try. She listened as the tone pinged out then broke off immediately as he took the call.