Abi's Neighbour

by Jenny Kane

  ‘What? How dare you read our private papers?’

  ‘You don’t deny they aren’t legally binding then?’

  ‘They are binding! What would you know about it anyway?’

  Dora’s expression hardened. The effect was startling, as she switched from her daft old lady act to a woman very much in control of the situation. ‘I know because no lawyer can represent himself. I know, that, having studied Cass’s business documentation and a few items of her personal correspondence, that a number of the official papers you have used in the past have not only been signed by one Crystal Templeton, but drafted by her in the first place. Including these, I think.’

  Enjoying the stunned expression on Justin’s face, Dora carried on talking. ‘And if my instincts can be trusted, the amount of Ms Templeton’s input means that, in a court of law, it would be easy to wave the word “forgery” around just long enough to cause a great deal of embarrassment.’

  Cass looked from Justin to Dora. Her heart was thumping hard and she found herself gripping the edge of table, wondering whether it would be Justin or Dora who broke eye contact first.

  It was Justin.

  As soon as the lawyer opened his mouth to argue, Dora put up her hand to stop him. ‘The question is, Mr Smythe, which woman put you up to all this in the first place? I am confident you were in it from the beginning despite your claims to the contrary. Although, and I’m only acting on a hunch here, I suspect you had little choice in the matter. You certainly appear to have no backbone, so you wouldn’t have been able to stand up to either Jacinta or Crystal.’

  Justin blanched at Crystal’s name. Dora’s steely gaze read every line on his face as she said, ‘Ah, so it was Ms Templeton. Yes, she struck me as clever when we spoke on the phone.’

  ‘You have spoken to Crystal?’ Justin was incredulous.

  ‘Yes. It’s unbelievable what skills we pensioners have picked up. We can use telephones and everything since rationing stopped.’

  Sitting down with a thump, Justin said, ‘You have honestly spoken to Crystal? Why?’

  Taking a sidelong glance at Cassandra, who was gripping her glass of wine so hard the stem was in danger of cracking, Justin said, ‘Go on then. I’ll go along with this charade. What did Crystal tell you?’

  ‘The truth.’ Dora folded her arms. ‘You have a choice now, Mr Smythe. You can be the one to tell Cass what you have done, or I can. You choose.’

  The silence went on and on. When the doorbell rang, the relief to hear a sound sent Cass to her feet with far more speed than decorum.

  Expecting to see Max arriving to check that everything was alright, as arranged, Cass felt confused at the sight of Dan on the doorstep.

  ‘I was worried. You’ve been ages.’

  Shocked to have found that Justin and Dora’s confrontation had slipped from her mind for a second, as her attention strayed towards the care manager, Cass hurried back down the hallway. ‘Come on. I don’t want to leave her alone with him.’

  None too pleased to have another stranger present to hear his conversation with Dora, Justin took in Dan’s tattoos and spiked hair with disdain.

  ‘Your choice in friends has clearly nosedived further than I thought.’

  Cass had had enough. ‘Dan is twice the man you’ll ever be, Justin, so keep your snap judgements to yourself and tell me the truth, now.’

  ‘Or you’ll get your gorilla to attack me?’ Justin’s snide comment at Dan’s expense hit Cass where it hurt, especially as she knew she’d made similar assumptions about him herself at first.

  ‘I would rather you didn’t insult my friends in what we’ve established is my house.’ Cass, finding strength in Dan’s unexpected presence, crossed her arms and stood up. ‘What is it that Dora thinks you should be telling me?’

  Justin’s eyes narrowed. ‘OK, but they leave.’

  ‘No need.’ Cass could tell he was feeling hemmed in. ‘They already know. I’m the only one who doesn’t. Tell me.’

  ‘If they know they would have already told you.’

  ‘They could have; but they believe in fair play. They don’t want to put words in your mouth. It’s called justice, Justin. You may have come across the concept in court.’

  He scowled. ‘Jacinta will never agree to a divorce. She has, as has been discussed, the power to…remove my new position from me. She thinks the idea of destroying the agency was hers.’

  Glad to be sitting down, Cass somehow managed to keep her voice steady. ‘And when did Jacinta discover our affair?’

  ‘Crystal told her.’

  ‘Crystal again. Your right hand. How?’

  ‘Too many hotel receipts with two breakfasts went through the books.’

  ‘You idiot!’

  Cass stared at the table. She could hear Dan stepping closer, and the thought of turning to hug him, to let him make all her worries go away was increasingly compelling. Remaining where she was however, Cass said, ‘If it wasn’t Jacinta’s idea, then who first put the idea into her head?’

  ‘Well. The thing is…’

  ‘It was Crystal’s wasn’t it?’

  Justin suddenly looked so defiant that, in that second, Cass saw how blind she’d become. Hot and cold at the same time, she whispered, ‘You really are sleeping with Crystal?’

  Justin’s lack of comment said it all.

  Dora, seeing the pain on Cass’s face, decided to wind things up. ‘Cass, love, I’m sorry. I was hoping to spare you from that extra hurt. Crystal found out about you. She was jealous. She thought you were going to drag Justin away to Cornwall.’

  ‘But I didn’t want to come here.’ Cass’s voice was pleading, but every note also dripped with confusion at her own feelings.

  ‘Justin told Crystal you were the one who wanted to start a new life down here.’ Dora fixed their visitor with a gaze made of ice, daring him to deny it. ‘You see, Cass; it is Crystal Justin has been trying to get shot of, not you. I think she got wise to his plans and tried to get rid of you first by feeding you to Jacinta.

  ‘Don’t forget that Crystal is a very clever woman. She got Jacinta to believe she’d come up with the plan to destroy your agency herself; a way of making you less attractive in Justin’s eyes. After all, your agency gave you position in society.

  ‘In the end Justin was caught in the middle, and suddenly he saw he was going to lose everything. Wife, job, and both mistresses, all at once. You were sent here, not to avoid the wife while he got a divorce sorted, but the third woman, while he left her.’

  Dora turned to the lawyer. ‘You did love Cass, didn’t you.’

  ‘Yes. And I did want her away from London to keep her safe. I did intend for this to be a holiday home, but then…’

  The former spy finished the sentence for him, ‘Then, separately, Crystal and Jacinta threatened you with exposure from different angles. Rather than do the right thing, you sat back and let them dismantle everything Cass had worked for.’

  Justin looked ashamed. It was such a foreign expression on his features that Cass didn’t recognise it for what it was at first.

  Fishing in her handbag, Dora pulled out a stone and laid it on the table. ‘This is a piece of crystal from my rock collection. You can see that, despite its beauty, it is cloudy. The edges are sharp despite its stroke-able appearance. It is formed by being squashed, but when it emerges from the earth, it is very hard, and in certain lights it is enchantingly beautiful. Beguiling, even.’

  Letting her words sink in, Dora pushed the rock towards Justin. ‘Keep it as a reminder to never trust anyone named after something so hard, something that can become sharp when its edges are chipped.’

  Dan couldn’t hold back any longer. Coming behind Cass’s chair, he passed his arms around her, and hugged her gently. ‘We would like you to leave now, Justin.’

  Justin stared at his former lover. ‘Oh, I see, Cassandra. You really have moved on.’

  Standing up, the frail biddy act completely gone, Dora faced Justin. ‘I
suggest that, before you go, you write Cass a cheque to cover the cost of her ex-employee’s redundancy pay.’

  ‘I will do no such thing.’

  ‘I think you will.’ Dan’s voice was so quiet, but so commanding that only a fool would have disobeyed.

  ‘And what exactly are you threatening me with now, Cassandra? His fists?’

  ‘Not at all. Like all military folk, Dan is a man who prefers peace. You will write a cheque now, or I will personally phone your wife, your partners at Family Values, and then the press, and tell them about your life as a multiple adulterer, and how you were outwitted by a little old lady,’ Dora said sweetly.

  In the grip of Dora’s polkarface, Justin muttered multiple expletives. He wrote a cheque quickly and dropped it to the floor. ‘How did you discover so much about me anyway?’

  ‘I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you!’ Dora winked at Cass as Justin disappeared out of the house. ‘I have always wanted to say that!’

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Cass hadn’t thought she’d sleep, but emotional exhaustion had managed to conquer the combined sensations of hurt, betrayal, relief, and gratitude, along with whatever the hell it was she was feeling for Dan.

  Her gaze landed on the cheque that sat on her bedside table. Cass had deliberately placed it there in case she felt the need to see it if she woke up in the night. A tangible thing to look at. Reassurance that she hadn’t dreamed Justin’s begrudging act of compensation towards her staff.

  A small tug at her heart sent a bruising feeling through her slim frame. He had loved her. But not enough. Not enough to not give in to his male vanity and sleep with Crystal, and certainly not more than his career.

  With Justin gone, Cass knew she was finally free to start a new life. She would instruct Donald to get the redundancy money to her ex-staff, and start planning her own future. It was time to claw back some level of control over her life.

  The thought of how gullible she’d been made Cass shiver beneath her duvet. It was that feeling which was stopping her feeling guilty about extracting money from Justin rather than directly from his wife – she didn’t even want to consider Crystal.

  Torn between wanting to leap out of bed and start the rest of her life, and hide under the covers in shame, Cass started thinking about Dora and Stan.

  She hoped Max and Jacob had given Stan a good stag night, and that Dan had got Dora home in time to bluff her way to victory in her poker hen night.

  In the discomfort of the evening before, Cass hadn’t stopped to wonder why Dan had been there rather than Max and Abi. As she watched the sun’s rays peeping through the small triangular gap at the top of her bedroom curtains, logic began to make its presence felt, and she realised Dan had been there for purely practical reasons. Max had obviously had to stay with Stan while they waited for Jacob, and their night out to start, and Abi would have been keeping Beth company. Dan was the only person left. Anyway, it was his job to look after Dora. He hadn’t come because he wanted to, but because it was part of his job.

  For a moment, when he’d slipped his arms around her shoulders, Cass had hoped it was because Dan cared for her a bit. The morning light was making things much clearer.

  Cass realised that she was already dangerously close to being taken in by a man again; and all thanks to her physical attraction to him. A man who, whichever way she looked at it, was as far away from her type as it was possible to get.

  She wasn’t going to be used again. Ever.

  Dan was a good person, like all the other people she’d been lucky enough to meet in Sennen, but he was just a friend. The roses had been yellow after all. End of story.

  ***

  ‘How’s the head?’

  Jacob grimaced as Beth drove them into the car park of the West Cornwall Hospital, on the outskirts of Penzance. ‘I must be getting past it. I only had three pints so I didn’t let you down this morning, but my head is thudding the same as if I’d downed a brewery’s worth of beer.’

  ‘Old age and impending fatherhood already taking their toll then.’

  ‘Cheek.’ Jacob took a swig from a bottle of water, washing down some paracetamol. ‘Stan had a good time though. He can still drink a fair bit, you know.’

  ‘I don’t doubt it.’ Beth smiled at the thought of Stan chuckling his way through the evening. ‘Is he looking forward to tomorrow?’

  ‘Very much.’

  Finally spotting a free parking space, Beth turned off the engine and breathed out slowly.

  Jacob frowned. ‘You alright?’

  ‘Nervous.’

  ‘I thought you’d be excited. We’re going to see our wee one for the very first time. Sort of anyway.’

  Beth rummaged through her purse for some change for the pay and display machine. ‘I am. I can’t wait, but at the same time…’

  ‘At the same time what?’

  ‘I’m scared. What if there is something wrong? I’m not sure I’m strong enough for that. Aren’t you a little bit worried about what lies ahead? And what if I’m a badly prepared parent.’

  Jacob scooped the loose change from Beth’s palm to go and fetch a parking ticket. ‘I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit apprehensive, but it’s so exciting. The very best of adventures.’

  ‘Really?’ Beth stared lovingly into Jacob’s eyes.

  ‘Really. And whatever happens, we’ll have the adventure together. Look, love, you are fit, healthy, you don’t drink much, and you don’t smoke at all. There is no reason anything should be wrong, is there.’

  ‘I suppose not.’ Climbing out of the car, Beth heaved the holdall she’d brought off the back seat.

  ‘I’m still not sure why you’ve got so much stuff with you, though.’

  ‘Well, the doctor said we could be here ages while we wait for our turn, so I’ve got us some puzzle books and snacks. Plus, because our first scan is potentially a bit late, they could want to do a more thorough examination. I’ve got my dressing gown and stuff in case I have to strip off. Not to mention a urine sample.’

  Jacob laughed. ‘What were you saying about being a badly prepared parent?’

  Max cursed under his breath. Why did Beth’s scan appointment have to be this morning, just when he could use her help.

  The suitcase was open on the bed, and his half was already packed. It had been easy. Some clean underwear, a spare T-shirt, a shirt for the evening, clean jeans, and a jumper in case the temperature dropped.

  Abi’s clothes drawers had been open for over half an hour, and still Max didn’t know where to start.

  Muttering, he decided to tackle the problem methodically. ‘Obviously she will need clean knickers.’

  Having always appreciated Abi’s underwear when she wore it – or at least when she took it off – being faced with a mound of mixed-up satin and lace left Max totally confused. ‘So, the main rule with women’s underwear is that the knickers match the bra. Where are the bras?’

  Bemused as to why they weren’t next to the knickers in the drawer, when her socks were, Max pulled out three pairs of socks, three of his favourite black panties, crossing his fingers that they were ones Abi would have chosen herself, and began an exploration of the next drawer down for bras.

  ‘Oh, good grief.’ Max found himself face to face with a bewildering array of bras, mostly black or white but with many other colours thrown in. Some had straps one way, some another – some had no straps at all. ‘What the hell would I have found in here if Abi was the sort of woman who actually cared about clothes?’ He had the sudden thought that Cass probably had an entire chest of drawers full of bras, colour-coded neatly into all shades of the spectrum.

  Selecting two black bras, and crossing his fingers he’d got that right, Max steeled himself for guessing which outer garments Abi might want to wear during their trip away.

  Last night, discussing the night away he’d got planned with Jacob and Stan, he’d told them he was going to tell Abi today so that she could pack herself,
and therefore they wouldn’t start their anniversary with an argument about missing T-shirts. Both of the other men had been adamant he should do no such thing. That the whole point of a surprise was to keep it until the last possible second. And anyway, they had reassured him, Abi wasn’t the sort of woman who was in the least bit worried about clothes, as long as she was comfortable and happy.

  Last night, with a pint of Tribute in front of him, Max had believed his friends. Now, with the wardrobe doors wide open, and the realisation that he might have to return to the perilous arena of the underwear drawers to find some tights if he packed a dress for Abi, he was having doubts.

  Going cold as he remembered how close he’d come to messing things up with his partner only a few days ago, Max bravely entered the dress domain, and after picking one he’d seen Abi wear before, he kept packing, trying to banish thoughts of what shoes went with what.

  ‘Elizabeth Philips?’

  Beth gave Jacob an anxious glance as they got up from the plastic seats, which they’d been sat in so long it felt as though they’d been welded to their backsides.

  Following the midwife into a small side room, Jacob slipped his hand into Beth’s. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone use your proper name before. I thought she was calling someone else for a minute.’

  Glad to be able to dispel her anxiety by talking about something else other than the forthcoming scan, Beth said, ‘Grandad used to call me Lizzie, but no one ever used Elizabeth, not even my parents. I’m not sure why they didn’t call me Beth in the first place.’

  ‘It must be lovely to have a name with an element of choice. I mean, Jacob is just Jacob. Well, I suppose it could be Jake. But Elizabeth can be Beth, Liz, Lizzie, Bess… I think we should pick a name for Denny junior which gives them scope to adapt it, fit their own personality. What do you think?’

  ‘I think I’d like a pee!’ Beth smiled at the midwife who was now giving them all her attention.

  ‘Not long until you can go and get comfortable, I promise.’ She patted the paper-covered bed, which was positioned next to a computer monitor and some equipment Beth decided not to look at. ‘I’m Sue, and I’m going to introduce you to your baby.’