Off the Record

by Rose, Alison

  She sighed. The numbness was wearing off. Suddenly, she missed him so much she ached. If she were honest, she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to write the book to put the record straight, or to provoke a reaction from Paul.

  ‘Well that’s your career sorted. I wonder what I’ll end up doing with mine,’ Alex mused.

  ‘You’re going to be Mrs Johnson Brand,’ Kate reminded her.

  Alexandra’s whole face lit up with joy. ‘So I am!’ she smiled, and hugged her daughter.

  On Sunday morning, Alex said: ‘I want to go to church, would you like to join me, darling?’

  ‘I suppose so. Where’s the nearest one?”

  Alex waved a hand. ‘I’m not in the mood for wandering into a strange church, I’d rather go somewhere I know. I’ll feel safer. I thought, as we’re in London, we can go to St Michael’s in Blackheath. It’s where we worshipped when I was young.’ She smiled. ‘And, it’s where I met your father.’

  Katie raised her eyebrows. ‘Is it now? Well, that definitely makes it worth a visit,” she smiled. ‘OK. We’d better let the babysitters know.’

  ‘Do we have to?’ Alex sighed. ‘I thought we could just slip out and get a taxi.’

  ‘And what would Johnson say if he knew you were going to do that?’ He was not a patient man when the woman he loved was stuck in England, and the band now had back to back gigs through France, Germany, Sweden, and then Italy. Every day he called at least three times to talk to her mother, and make sure they were safe. ‘If we go off to church, and he calls when you turn off your phone during the service, he’ll freak. It wouldn’t be fair to do that to him, Mum. It would be better to let the lads tag along. Mind you, I’m pretty sure that one of them’s Jewish, and he might not take too kindly to babysitting us in an Anglican service,’ she teased.

  ‘All right,’ her mother conceded. ‘Give them a shout, and let them know our plans.’

  The trip out to the suburbs was completed in good time, although traffic was still far heavier on a Sunday morning in London than it ever got in rural Wiltshire. Kate wondered where she would end up living, now that her ties had been cut. She still had her rented flat in London, but the police had advised against going there for the time being. Her heart knew that she wanted to be wherever Paul was, but that was unlikely to happen.

  St Michael & All Angels looked just the same. Her grandparents and great-grandparents had worshipped here and this was where Alex had been christened and attended Sunday school as a child. She didn’t recognise the minister, or any of the congregation. Everyone moves on, she reminded herself.

  But it was good to be in a familiar place. They sat near the front, while the men sat at the back, watching and waiting. Kate had been right about Jake being Jewish, but he had been very gracious about spending time in church.

  ‘No problem, ladies,’ he’d told them. ‘I hear your Jesus was a good Jewish boy.’

  ‘He was that,’ Alex agreed, laughing.

  The service was a traditional Eucharist, and Kate relaxed and absorbed the sacred words and music. It felt strange not to see one of her parents officiating, but also a relief. She knew that her mother would serve God just as well without a dog collar. There was no doubt in her mind that she would continue to serve Him, no matter what direction her life took from this point. She prayed that this time she and Johnson would be able to make a life together. The couple loved each other so much, and Kate was grateful that her mother had been able to find happiness again after the death of her father.

  Kate couldn’t help feeling a pang of envy though. For a brief moment in time she thought that maybe she had found the blessing of true love in Paul Brand. But he’d made it clear that he wasn’t going to take their relationship any further. Sometimes she let herself dream that once Roxanne was caught he’d have a change of heart. But the damage had been done, and she doubted he would risk his heart. Nor was she sure she had the courage to risk her own again. It hurt too much.

  Of course, Roxanne was still out there somewhere. Kate knew that Alex prayed that God would touch Roxanne’s heart and heal her.

  ‘She must be so ill and unhappy, darling, wanting Johnson so much that she’s prepared to kill anyone that she sees as a rival for his affections.’

  Alexandra touched Kate’s arm, bringing her attention back to the service, and nodded towards the aisle. The congregation were rising to move towards the altar for communion. Alex stood up and slid out of the pew, then stood back to let Kate out. They joined the queue of people, oblivious to the anxious looks of Jake and his partner at the back of the crowded church.

  Kate had just raised her head to accept a sip of communion wine when it happened.

  The priest lowered the chalice, saying ‘The blood of Christ’.

  ‘Amen,’ she responded just as someone screamed. Everything seemed to happen at once. Kate was aware of a scuffle behind her, as the chalice fell from the priest’s hands, emptying the red liquid over her white top. Kate turned to her mother and out of the corner of her eye saw Roxanne push her way past an elderly couple in the aisle.

  ‘No!’ Kate surged to her feet as she saw the glint of a knife. Roxanne struck out at her mother kneeling at the altar rail, and raised her hand to strike again as Alex slumped forward.

  People were shouting and screaming. Kate threw herself at Roxanne, grabbing her wrist and twisting, pulling her away from her mother. The priest was calling for calm as the people around them scattered.

  ‘Let me go!’ Roxanne screamed.

  ‘Not in this lifetime!’ snarled Kate, hanging on for dear life as the other woman kicked out, anger giving her strength.

  Roxanne lashed out with her free hand, catching Kate a glancing blow. Kate saw stars and felt herself fall, but refused to give up. She pulled Roxanne with her, shifting so that the older woman landed beneath her.

  The more they struggled, the angrier Kate became. This was the woman who had stalked Johnson; who had attacked Paul when he was just a boy; had stolen from her mother and ruined her home and her reputation; had attacked her in the hotel! The woman’s perfume was unmistakable.

  Even as they fought, Kate’s mind was working overtime. This woman had hurt everyone she loved. What she’d put Paul through all those years ago had ruined Kate’s chance of happiness with him. As Roxanne twisted and screamed obscenities at her, Kate’s fury made her stronger.

  She used her body weight to pin her down as she swung back her arm and threw a punch at Roxanne’s jaw. The blow was enough to stun her, and she slumped back, silent at last, the knife falling from her hand with a clatter as it landed on the stone floor in front of the altar.

  Kate raised her arm to swing again, wanting to beat her to a pulp, to see her bruised and bloodied, to punish her for everything she’d done to Paul and the others, but her hand was caught in a firm grip.

  ‘Kate, it’s OK.’ Jake told her quietly. ‘You can get off her now. I’ll hold her.’

  ‘Where’s Mum?’

  ‘Charlie’s with her. She’s still breathing. An ambulance is coming.’

  Kate put a hand to her chest. ‘Thank God,’ she breathed. ‘Help me up.’ She put out her other hand. Jake swore as they both realised it was covered in blood. ‘I’m all right,’ she said. Adrenaline pumped through her body, her mind still reeling from the fright of seeing someone stab her mother. She stood up. Her mother was still, slumped over the altar rail, a pool of blood covering her back. The priest was standing over her, his hand on her head, praying. Kate’s head began to swim. ‘Mum?’ she whispered as she fought to breathe.

  Moments later, Jake caught her as she lost consciousness.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Hours later, she awoke to find Paul sitting by her bed, gently holding the fingers of her bandaged hand, his eyes closed and head bent as though he were praying. She watched him unobserved for a few moments, happy to see him, until she tried to move her other arm and saw that she was attached to a drip. Memories of the scene at the church rushe
d in and she gripped his hand hard.

  ‘Where’s my mum?’ she demanded.

  Paul opened his eyes, a welcoming smile spreading across his beautiful face. ‘She’s with Dad, talking to the police. She’s OK,’ he reassured. ‘You pulled Roxanne off her before she could do more than nick her.’

  ‘Oh, thank God!’ she breathed, closing her eyes in relief.

  ‘Yeah, I’ve been doing that a lot since I got here.’

  ‘You’ve been praying?’

  ‘You bet your beautiful ass I have, Armstrong,’ he said. ‘All the way to the hospital, and then thanking the guy upstairs since the doc said you were sedated but OK.’

  Kate told herself not to get carried away with the thought that this was the old, annoyingly macho, gorgeous Paul. ‘So Mum’s really OK?’

  ‘Absolutely. The doc stitched her up and gave her a clean bill of health. She came off better than you in the end. They’ve had to do some repair work on your tendons. You’ve been in surgery. It’s going to hurt like hell when the anaesthetic wears off. Don’t worry about your mom. Dad won’t leave her side. The doc says you can both get out of here in a few hours.’

  ‘What about the tour? You should be in Germany.’

  ‘Cancelled.’

  ‘Just like that?’

  He shrugged. ‘There were only a few dates left. We’ll reschedule later in the year. But right now you and your mom are more important to us than disappointed fans. They wouldn’t have seen him at his best, in the circumstances,’ he pointed out. ‘You made the headlines again, by the way.’

  Kate groaned. ‘Don’t tell me. For every paper except The Globe.’

  ‘OK, I won’t tell you that someone used their cell phone to get a shot of you wrestling Roxanne in the church. Every paper from here to Chicago bought it.’

  ‘What?’ She tried to sit up, only to fall back down again.

  ‘Easy, honey. Are you in pain?’

  ‘No. I don’t know what they put in that drip, but I’m feeling no pain at all. Now stop changing the subject and tell me how Roxanne knew where we were.’

  Paul didn’t look convinced, and she wasn’t about to tell him that actually she was bloody sore. She needed to know how Roxanne had managed to find them. ‘Come on, Brand. How’d she do it?’

  He looked grim. ‘Greg.’ She must have looked confused because he went on. ‘Our lead guitarist?’

  ‘I know who he is,’ she grumbled.

  ‘He just forgot to mention that his wife is Roxanne’s cousin, and that he and his wife borrowed a lot of money from Roxanne’s dad. When the old man died a few months ago, Roxanne inherited the debt, and she’s been pulling his strings ever since. He’s been feeding her information all along.’

  ‘But … she’s a crazy woman. How could she manipulate Greg like that? Why didn’t he tell anyone?’

  Paul shook his head. ‘I have no idea. She may be crazy, but she managed to fool a lot of people. Whatever she did, he was more scared of her than he was of us.’

  ‘Maybe she threatened his family. We all act irrationally when someone we love is threatened.’ She held up her injured hand. ‘I didn’t even know she’d got me, I was so angry that she’d hurt my mum.’

  Paul looked grim. ‘Yeah. I know. I guess there are a lot of people like her out there – just look around the world and you’ll see whole countries being undermined and destroyed by madmen who somehow convince perfectly rational people they’re the answer to their problems.’

  ‘So don’t vote for Roxanne, eh? What a frightening thought!’

  ‘Well, there’s enough evidence, not to mention a whole church full of witnesses, to guarantee she’ll never bother us again. And Greg is history. He blew it, big time. He’ll be charged as an accessory.’

  ‘Roxanne was the woman he’s been getting calls from?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘How did you find out it was him?’

  ‘Roxanne’s phone. He’d called her this morning, just after he heard Dad talking to Jake about the church you and your mom were going to visit. She’s been hanging out in London, waiting for him to tell her where you were. When Jake checked it, he recognised Greg’s number.’

  Kate felt for Paul. He was obviously angry, but she suspected that he was also hurt that someone he trusted had betrayed them like that. ‘Hang on a minute. Greg’s been with the band for, what? Five years? But he wasn’t with the band when she attacked you. Does that mean there’s someone else involved?’

  He looked sick. ‘Yeah,’ he said quietly. ‘That was Mick.’

  ‘The drummer?’

  ‘Yeah. He finally ’fessed up. He had a fling with Roxanne when she worked for Dad, before anyone realised what she was really like. She blackmailed him to report on Dad’s movements. When she was committed to the hospital he just kept his mouth shut, and carried on as though nothing had happened.’

  ‘Saved his marriage,’ she murmured, remembering their conversation at the club.

  Paul shrugged. ‘Well, him and Greg have got a lot of explaining to do – to us and to their families.’

  ‘Where are they now?’

  ‘Helping police with their enquiries – isn’t that what you Brits say?’ He flexed his hand and Kate saw the bruises on his knuckles.

  ‘Which one did you hit?’

  ‘I got Mick, Dad got Greg.’

  ‘Did it feel good?’

  ‘Hell, yeah!’ he laughed, then sobered. ‘Actually, no.’ For a moment he looked bleak. Then he seemed to shake himself out of it and reached for her hand where she had a matching set of bruises on her own knuckles.

  ‘I heard about your violent streak, Miss Armstrong,’ he said as he placed gentle kisses on her hand, carefully avoiding the drip. ‘Jake told me you knocked Roxanne out cold before he could get to her.’

  ‘Hell, yeah!’ she mimicked. ‘That woman stabbed my mum!’

  ‘And it just had to be done,’ he agreed.

  ‘You understand,’ she grinned, and they laughed together.

  But the memory of the blade flashing towards her mother robbed Kate of her smile. How can I be laughing about this?

  ‘Kate, don’t. It’s OK. It’s over.’

  She looked at him, sitting there, holding her hand. Understanding.

  ‘Until the next time?’ she reminded him of his own words. ‘Our parents are getting married, you know.’

  ‘Yeah, I know.’

  ‘So how many more Roxannes are going to come crawling out of the woodwork to threaten my mother?’

  ‘I don’t know. I’m sorry. I wish I did, but I don’t.’

  She lay still, staring at the ceiling. For the first time she understood why he had sent her away. ‘But Johnson said this was his last tour. Surely if he’s not in the public eye it won’t be so bad?’

  ‘Yes, he’ll definitely retire after this. But what do you want me to say?’ he asked. ‘I hope you’re right. But I don’t know. I can’t tell you your mom will be safe. All I can tell you is my dad would die before he would let anyone harm her.’

  She was silent for a while. She knew he was right. Johnson would do everything in his power to protect her mother. And even if the worst happened, she knew her mother would never regret taking the risk to be with the man she loved.

  She turned her head to look at Paul, and knew. She knew that even if it all ended badly – as it very nearly had today – she would rather risk being by his side than not being with him and living a safe, lonely life without him.

  The question is, are you prepared to take a risk on me?

  ‘Good question.’

  She gasped. ‘Did I say that, or are you a mind reader?’

  ‘Now there’s a thought,’ he said, one eyebrow raised. ‘What do you think?’

  She narrowed her eyes, refusing to be seduced by the tenderness in his.

  ‘Whatever,’ she waved her bandaged hand, and then regretted it as she felt the stitches in her wound pull. ‘Ow!’

  He wagged a finger at her. �
��Don’t you go changing the subject on me now, Armstrong.’

  She rolled her eyes. He leaned close, resting his head on the pillow beside hers.

  ‘Will you promise me something?’ he asked.

  ‘I might. What are you after?’

  ‘Next time I act like a jerk and try to send you away, sock me with that right hook.’

  ‘Knock some sense into you?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘I think that could be arranged. Does that mean you’re going to keep me?’

  ‘If you’ll have me.’

  ‘Well, I’ve always wanted a brother,’ she said.

  ‘I never wanted a sister. I still don’t.’

  ‘So what do you want?’

  ‘For you, Kate Armstrong, to marry me.’

  ‘Until a few hours ago you wanted me out of your life. You didn’t want any baggage,’ she reminded him. ‘You accused me of not knowing what I want, and insisted that you wanted to be alone.’

  ‘You know what a stupid jerk I can be. I thought it would keep you safe. I can’t promise I won’t have days when I get scared and irrational again.’

  ‘And that’s when I have to smack you?’

  ‘Yeah. Will you do it?’

  ‘It depends.’

  ‘On what?’

  ‘I can’t go through it every week. You’ve got to sort yourself out, Paul. It’s not realistic to expect either of us to be happy if Roxanne’s influence is going to live with us.’

  He was silent for a moment. Kate wondered whether she’d pushed too far. She wanted more than anything to be part of his life, but she knew that they had to have this out first. Otherwise, they would never be free of the woman. She wanted Paul’s love unconditionally, and wanted to be able to love him freely and without worrying that he could change his mind if something happened to remind him of the dangers people like Roxanne posed.

  ‘I was wrong,’ he said at last. ‘I thought I could keep you safe by pushing you away, but I just made myself miserable, and I couldn’t stop worrying about you. You were right. I let Roxanne lock me up in a prison of denial. I guess I’m not free of it yet, but I’m getting help. I know I need it.’