by Anita Waller
‘Let’s order,’ she said, ‘and then, we’ll talk.’ He saw the blush creep up her cheeks, and inwardly, he groaned, amazed at how fast he was falling for her.
Their order placed, he went to the kitchen and came back with a bottle of Rioja and two glasses. ‘This okay?’
She nodded. ‘Make mine large. I’ve been trying to pluck up courage to tell you something, and I think I might need to be a little bit tipsy.’
He frowned, concerned by her reaction. Suddenly, he wasn’t sure he could bear it if she was calling a halt to their relationship.
‘Jenny, you can tell me anything at any time. You don’t need to be drunk to talk to me. Is something wrong?’
There was hesitation written all over her face. He placed the bottle and glasses on the coffee table and sat down by her side.
‘Talk to me,’ he said, and pulled her towards him.
She dropped her head. This whole plan for the rest of her life depended very much on what happened in the next ten minutes. She went into acting mode.
‘I …’ She paused.
‘Don’t leave me,’ he said. His voice sounded tight.
‘Leave you? My God, no! What I’m trying to say, and feeling scared to death to say it, is I think I love you. We just seem so right together, and I hate it when you have to travel for your business – I’ve been miserable these last few days. I’ve thought and thought about this, and decided I had to come clean with you. If you have no feelings at all for me, I will leave, but I felt it was important to be honest with you.’
He held her tightly. ‘My God, Jenny … don’t ever think about leaving. I’ve been so close to telling you how I felt, but didn’t want to scare you away. Please, tell me you’ll move in here, and get rid of that awful place you live in. We’re so good together.’
She nodded. ‘If that’s what you really want. I don’t want to push you into anything, and you know I can’t possibly pay my way in this place!’
‘There’ll be no paying your way. Good grief, woman. I’m going to change this for some champagne.’ He picked up the Rioja and returned to the kitchen.
Jenny smiled, punched the air, and mouthed, YES!
Plan A working very well, so far.
8
Susan was surprised when Jenny handed her the envelope.
‘Please, don’t tell me …’
‘It’s my notice. I’m leaving the area, and it doesn’t make sense to be travelling the extra distance. I’ll be leaving immediately, so I’m sorry I’ve not given you time to replace me. I am grateful you gave me the job. I don’t know how I would have carried on, if you hadn’t, but it’s time for me to move on now.’
Susan nodded. ‘Are you still with Sebastian?’
‘No, I haven’t been seeing him for a few weeks now. Mutual decision. It’s one of the reasons I’m moving away.’ Jenny lied fluidly, keeping her face passive.
‘Good luck. We’ll all miss you, but you need to put yourself first. If you need a reference, you only have to ask.’
And part one of the plan was completed, as easily as that.
‘Are you absolutely sure about this, Seb?’ She looked at the few boxes she had packed; nothing from her previous life.
‘Never been more sure about anything.’ He took her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. ‘You’ve finished at the teashop?’
‘Yes. You’re right. It is too far to travel from here, the wages weren’t that good. I’ll find something else in this area.’
‘There’s no rush. Give me your bank details, and I’ll transfer some money to keep you going, until the right job crops up.’
She smiled. ‘I don’t deserve you. But, I can’t take money from you. I’ll start looking tomorrow for a job.’
He moved towards the table and lifted his laptop. ‘Give me your bank details.’
‘No. It’s not right.’
He sighed. ‘You’re still being ornery, Jenny Carbrook. Look, I was saving this for this evening at the restaurant, but …’
He walked towards her, knelt on one knee, and took a ring box out of his jacket.
‘I love you, Jenny, and I want to show you how much. Moving in with me is a massive step for both of us, and I want to make it official as soon as we can. Jenny, will you marry me?’
She gasped audibly. ‘But …’
‘Will you?’
She sank down to join him on the floor. ‘Of course I will.’
He grinned. ‘Thank God for that!’ He placed the ring on her finger, and she couldn’t speak. The diamond glowed; shards of light shone from it, and she briefly brought it to her lips.
‘It’s beautiful,’ she whispered.
‘So are you. I needed to do this, Jenny. I’m certain this is what I want; I want you in my life as my wife. But, I won’t push for a wedding day. We can take our time getting to know each other better, and if, at any time, you are uncomfortable with the arrangement, I won’t stop you walking away. Well, apart from handcuffing you to the radiator or something, I won’t stop you,’ he laughed.
He helped her to stand. ‘I won’t leave you,’ she said quietly. ‘I love you.’
She almost meant it; in different circumstances, at a different time …
‘So, now, can I have your bank details?’ he asked, with a grin.
‘Look, I have a bit saved. I’ve about £200, and that will put petrol in for me to get a job. You really don’t need …’
He held out his hand. ‘Bank card.’
She handed it over, and sighed. ‘You’re bullying me.’
‘You’re going to be my wife. You need money. I have money. Stop moaning, woman.’
He went on his laptop, pressed a few keys, and handed the card back to her.
‘Enjoy,’ he said. ‘And we need to talk, but it will do when we go out tonight.’
And he needed to think. There was no doubt now he would have to end the relationship with Erin, but it would have to be carefully orchestrated. He didn’t want to hurt her. Maybe he would have to invent an ex-wife and child, who wanted to make a go of it again. Would she fall for that? He doubted it. Whatever he told her, it would have to be a damn good story.
Jenny went into the bedroom and emptied the boxes she had brought from her flat; there was still some stuff back there – the place she had retained so she would have a place to house both her and Grace. She could hear Sebastian on the phone, giving instructions to a colleague, the occasional laugh, and then, heard him say goodbye.
Immediately, he began to speak to someone else, and she picked up her own phone. She pressed the app for her bank account and logged in.
£20,000.
He had paid in £20,000 to her account. For a second, she froze. She heard him once more say goodbye, and she logged out, her brain reeling. Her plan was escalating far quicker than she could ever have imagined. Just who had she agreed to marry? What was his business?
It dawned on her she knew nothing about him; she hadn’t considered it necessary to know anything. Her strategy had been simple; get as much cash into her account as possible, and get Grace.
Then, get the letters.
She heard him say goodbye once more, followed by his footsteps coming up the stairs. She slipped her phone into her bag and pulled open a drawer.
He smiled. ‘You have enough room for your stuff? Do we need more furniture?’
‘Seb, I brought four boxes and a bin bag. I’d say we definitely don’t need more furniture.’
He crossed the room, and embraced her. ‘Have I rushed you?’
She nodded. ‘A little. More overwhelmed me than rushed me. We’ve only been together three months…’
Her mind was whirling. She had to keep up the pretence of naive little Jenny, until the day she walked away; he had to believe everything she said.
‘I think we need to talk tonight. I’ve asked for a secluded table, because I intended proposing to you at the restaurant, but it means we can talk. I know nothing about you, and I need to, my J
enny.’
She nodded. ‘There’s not a lot to know. My life has been boringly straightforward, really. But, I’ll look forward to learning about you. All I know is you travel a lot, not what you do on these travels.’
He smiled and turned to leave the room. ‘Shall we open the champagne now, or wait until later?’
Her giggle made his heart soar. ‘Oh, I think now, don’t you? Go downstairs while I finish in here, fiancé, and do the honourable thing – get out the champagne and glasses, and let’s start our life together now. I love you.’ She blew him a kiss.
She watched him go, dropping the smile. The plan was working spectacularly; her acting was spot on, and she knew it wouldn’t be forever. Soon, it would just be her and Grace.
The maître d’ inclined his head as soon as he saw Sebastian. ‘Good evening, Mr. West. Your table is ready for you. I’ll send Carlos over shortly to take your drink order.’
They followed him into a softly lit, quiet corner. Pulling out Jenny’s chair, he waited until both were seated and handed them menus.
‘Enjoy your evening.’ Inclining his head, he left them.
‘This is lovely,’ Jenny whispered. ‘Do you come here a lot?’
He laughed. ‘I only come into this corner when I’m proposing to my girlfriends.’ He teased, and she blushed. ‘No, I’ve never been at this table before. The restaurant I use regularly for important clients.’
‘Well, it’s lovely. I’m very impressed, Mr. West.’
‘Good. Champagne?’
She shook her head. ‘Would you mind if I just had lemonade? I’m not much of a drinker, and we’ve already polished off one bottle of champagne.’
‘You have whatever you want.’
As if by magic, Carlos appeared and took their order.
Sebastian leaned forward. ‘So, talk to me. We got engaged today, and I don’t even know if you’re free to marry. Is there a Mr. Carbrook lurking somewhere?’
‘There was, but it was over a long time ago, and we never married. Carbrook is my own name. No children, no dogs, no cats, no rabbits. Free and single, happily so, until you walked into my life. What about you?’
‘Never been married. Had a couple of long term relationships, but to be honest, they were pretty much doomed from the start. I always put work first, and still do, to some degree. When I started the company, it took every waking hour to build it up. Now, I can take a step back, because I’ve got a brilliant team working for me. Tara Lyons, the little darling who stormed out of the tea shop, was one of the team. She isn’t now, but I’ve replaced her with a young lad called Dom Kitchen, who has slotted in so easily and competently, I can step back even more.’
‘Yes, but what do you do?’
‘It’s an IT company …’
She held up a hand. ‘Say no more. I wouldn’t understand. I have enough IT knowledge to get by, but absolutely no interest in it. I’m sorry, you want the ring back?’ she asked, with a smile.
‘It wouldn’t fit me,’ he responded.
Carlos arrived with their drinks, and they ordered their meals. They continued to chat; she found out that he’d had a privileged childhood, an excellent education, and had used an inheritance to start the company. She told him how her parents had died while she was still young, and she had no family. Her half of the church would be spectacularly empty on their wedding day, he realised.
The evening passed quickly. They talked, laughed, and shared food as lovers do. It was only when they were back home after the short taxi journey that Sebastian realised he still knew very little about his bride-to-be, other than she had orphan status.
And she certainly knew nothing about the other woman in his life, Erin. This was an issue which had to be dealt with, and fast.
9
‘Mr. Carbrook? Lily Montague here. Are you free to speak?’
‘Lily! Hi, yes, I’m fine. Working on paperwork today. Is there a problem?’
‘Not at all. I’m just ringing to tell you the flute and the other instruments have all arrived. So, from Monday, Grace will be transferring to the flute.’
‘That’s excellent news, Lily. Do you know Adam didn’t even know Grace was having music lessons?’
‘He’s a typical brother, Mr. Carbrook,’ she said drily.
‘Please, it’s Mark, not Mr. Carbrook. And you’re right, but his face when she played “Amazing Grace” was an absolute picture. I wished I’d had my camera with me. She played it note perfect.’
‘Well, that’s something I wanted to tell you. As you know, we always have an end of year concert, where we involve all the children. This year, the music group have a section all to themselves, and I am going to have Grace performing a solo on the bass, but maybe a little passage on the flute, if I can get her to learn something in time. I just wanted to give you a heads up on it, as your father was so generous. It’s going to be advertised in the local paper, because I’ve notified them about the success of our little group. They’re sending a reporter along next Monday to take pictures, so I’ll give him details of the date of the concert. It’s on Wednesday, 13th July.’
‘That’s fantastic, Lily. My father and I will be there, obviously, but I may need a couple more tickets, if that’s okay?’
‘I’ll set half a dozen on one side for you, don’t worry.’
He had a smile on his face, as he disconnected the call. Maybe things were starting to look up for them, and they could put the last six months behind them.
He made a note in his diary of the date. This was something he wasn’t going to miss. And just maybe it would go some way to alleviate the inherent tension whenever Grace’s other grandparents were around – he would invite them to the concert, because he was sure, just like him, they had no idea of the talent bubbling away inside their granddaughter.
Tommy and Sally March had been devastated when he told them Jenny had left him. In his own grief and anger, he had added the little snippet of running off with a known drug dealer; that it was because Anna had been so distraught when she had caught Jenny in the process of moving out she had left Lindum Lodge, only to drive into the truck. Their strength throughout the whole horrendous time had been their grandchildren, and he felt sure more bridges would be built, if they came to see Grace perform.
He picked up the phone once more and rang the Marches. He was about to hang up when, suddenly, it was answered.
‘Mark.’
‘Sally. I thought you weren’t there …’
‘I’m here. I just didn’t want to answer. But, I thought there might be a problem with one of the children, so …’
Mark was puzzled. ‘What’s wrong, Sally?’
‘Where’s Jenny?’ Sally’s tone of voice was ice cold.
‘I have absolutely no idea. She hasn’t been in touch?’
‘Not a word. She’s our daughter, Mark. No problems at all in that relationship, then, you tell us she’s walked out on you to live with some low-life, and we believed you. But, what I can’t believe is, she’s not going to contact us. It’s been six months, Mark.’
‘I know.’ He almost knew what was coming next.
‘Well, we’re going to report her to the police as a missing person.’
He sighed. ‘Okay, let me tell you what I know. She can’t be missing, because both Grace and Michael have seen her. Not to talk to, just seen her outside school. Michael actually got a photo of her car, to check with me it was her. It’s certainly her car, even though you can’t see who is in it. But, Michael saw her, and this was a few days after Grace had told us she had seen her. She’s certainly visiting this area, even if she isn’t living here. We also believe she took some white roses to Mum’s grave. There were white roses in the vase she had thrown at Mum’s head. She hasn’t come to any harm, Sally, despite what you were inferring.’
There was a lengthy silence.
‘I’m sorry, Mark. I’m just going out of my mind with worry. I don’t know what to think. I just want her to get in touch with me.’
‘I hope she does, Sally. However, do not point her in the direction of the children, ever. They won’t be allowed anywhere near her and drugs.’
‘I understand. So, what did you originally ring for, Mark? Are the children okay?’
‘They’re fine. I rang to invite you to a concert.’ He spent the next five minutes describing Grace’s prowess with the bass and the flute, and they closed the conversation with Sally saying they would love to go to see Grace’s performance.
Mark sat quietly, turning his mobile phone over and over, going through the conversation in his head. What if Sally had reported Jenny missing? Just how quickly would DI Gainsborough have jumped on to that snippet of information – a woman at the centre of three unsolved murders suddenly disappearing. And not reported as missing for six months. If she hadn’t been under investigation before that, she certainly would be, once the MISPER was in place.
He hoped he had managed to talk Sally March out of such drastic action, and decided he would show her the photo of the car when they came over for the concert.
His thoughts drifted back to just over a year earlier, when life was uncomplicated, before Ray Carbrook’s death escalated everything he had taken for granted into some nightmare. He had thrown Jenny out of the house within half an hour of learning of her part in the murders, desperate to keep everything away from Adam and Grace. The children must never find out what their mother had done, and the desire to protect them dominated his every waking moment.
But, he regretted not finding out how she had done it; why she had killed Ray, he completely understood, but the whole thing must have taken some very careful planning. And how could she come home, hug and care for her children, with the blood of three victims on her hands? The letters couldn’t possibly have told the whole story, and he should have dragged some facts out of her, prior to kicking her out of his life.