by Anita Waller
The door opened, and Gary Bannister popped his head round.
‘Boss,’ he said. ‘You got a minute?’
Mark brought himself back to the present. ‘Give me a minute, Gary, and I’ll be with you.’
He gave a sigh, slipped his phone into his jacket pocket, and went outside to solve a different type of problem.
Jenny was lost in her thoughts. She had finished work for the day, and was now back home, armed with the small notebook she always carried in the zipped pocket of her handbag. Sebastian had rung earlier, saying he would be late, so not to wait to eat; he would get something when he came in.
She wrote the word school and drew a circle round it, staring at the piece of paper. She had no idea what to do next. The plan had been to gather together plenty of money, take Grace, and go. She had initially thought to escape to Sheffield and hide for a few months, but was rapidly beginning to think the plans in her head bore no resemblance to reality.
She scribbled out the word school, and began to make a list.
Get money – got.
Get Grace – how?
Contact Mark, before he can ring police.
Tell Mark want letters back.
Do I keep Grace, or give her back?
Swap?
Escape plan – France? Spain?
She drew a few doodles and contemplated the list. She had to make the decision whether her strategy was about getting Grace back, or getting the letters back. If she went with the swap, she would lose Grace. If she took Grace and ran for the continent, Mark’s first port of call would be the police, letters clutched tightly in his hand. And she had no doubt between him and Michael, they would come up with a good reason why they hadn’t handed them over before. She would be on the run for the rest of her life; British police tended to pursue serial killers with a frightening intensity, or so television shows informed her, and they would find her, eventually.
She sighed. There was only one option, really. She had to go with the swap idea. Grace would get over it, and live a very happy life with her father and grandfather. She would be free to live the rest of her life as she wanted.
Except part of her wanted Sebastian West in that life.
Her thoughts began to drift to Grace once more, and the issue of how to get to her. She knew Mark would have told the head teacher either Michael or himself were the sole carers responsible for collecting Adam and Grace, so just casually walking in and asking for Grace was out of the question.
Meeting them from school was also a no-no; Michael the Dragon was there every night, waiting for them, waiting for her children.
She slipped the notebook back into her handbag and zipped up the pocket. It wouldn’t do for Sebastian to see her notes.
She nibbled at the sandwich she had made and tried to think of a way of reaching Grace. She had to put her thoughts on hold as she heard Sebastian’s Jaguar pull on to the drive.
Her heart lifted, and she immediately tried to control her feelings. Falling for him most definitely wasn’t in the plan. His money had initially been her only concern. Mark had left her with nothing.
But, slowly, things had changed. Now, she knew she needed him and the money. She just didn’t know yet how she could combine the two. However, she sure as hell would try.
Sebastian walked in and kissed her. ‘You’ve eaten?’
His eyes conveyed his pleasure at seeing her.
She nodded. ‘Just a sandwich. I wasn’t hungry. Shall I make you something?’
He smiled. ‘You’re starting to sound like a wife. I love it.’
‘You’d better get used to it, bud,’ she said, and waved her engagement ring at him.
‘I don’t want food. I want you. Let’s go to bed.’
He held out his hand, and she took it.
They kissed on every stair.
10
‘Okay, children, settle down. This lady is called Diane Cunningham, and she is a reporter for the Lincoln Tribune. Who can tell me what the Lincoln Tribune is?’
A multitude of hands shot up, and Lily Montague pointed to a young boy waving his recorder around in his raised hand. ‘Jason?’
‘It’s a free newspaper, Mrs. Montague. My dad reads it.’
‘A lot of people read it, Jason, and this lady is going to write about our music group, and take photographs to put them in the newspaper. So, are we going to behave and smile nicely for her?’
‘Yes, Mrs. Montague,’ was the response chorused back at her, and she shared a smile with the young reporter.
‘Okay, don’t hang about,’ she whispered. ‘Get them while they’re in a behaving mood.’
Diane Cunningham grinned and moved closer to the children. She organised them into a balanced group and began to take photographs. After several shots had been taken, she glanced at the piece of paper she had placed on a chair.
‘Thank you, children, you’ve all been very good. Now, which one of you is Grace Carbrook?’
Grace shyly held up her hand.
‘I have it on my piece of paper that you’re going to be performing a solo at the concert, Grace. Is that right?’
Grace nodded.
‘Ok, let’s have a separate photo of you.’
Grace moved forward and waited for further instructions. Lily Montague handed her the flute and suggested she raised it to her lips.
Diane took several shots and returned to the main group.
‘Thank you so much, children. Mrs. Montague is going to give me a list of all your names, and I’ll make sure everyone gets a mention. Good luck with your concert.’
She packed everything away, while the head teacher sent all the children back to their classrooms.
‘Coffee?’ she asked, when she returned to the hall.
Diane smiled. ‘Thank you, I will. I need the list of names from you, anyway.’
They walked back to the office, and Lily poured out two drinks.
‘They’re nice kids,’ Diane remarked.
‘Yes, they are. And they’re all from very mixed backgrounds.’
‘The young girl with the flute …’
‘We’re very proud of her. She has an exceptional talent. Would you like a ticket for the evening performance? The daytime one is full, but we’ve a few spare places left at night.’
‘I’d love to come. Thank you. So, Grace is very good?’
‘You’ll see for yourself. Her father and grandfather heard her play last week and were bowled over. She never practices at home, so they had no idea. I suspect they’re now thinking in terms of getting her some professional tuition, and I’ll be thrilled to bits if they do.’
‘Is it okay if I give her a special mention in the article? It won’t upset the other children?’
Lily laughed. ‘It won’t upset the children, but it might cause a bit of angst in the other parents.’
‘So …?’
‘Go ahead and write about her. I haven’t been as excited as this for a long time. Music has always been my thing, and I could never have imagined someone as good as this, with no previous tuition, would appear in my school. And, to be honest, when they hear her play, they will know why she was singled out for a special mention, and little Johnny wasn’t.’
Sebastian knew he had to finish with Erin, and very soon. He couldn’t bear the thought of Jenny finding out about his double life, and the only way to stop that happening was to tell Erin it was over.
He was sitting at his desk, giving free rein to his thoughts; his life had changed so much since that afternoon in the tea rooms. If he had ever been asked to describe his perfect woman, that description would have matched exactly with Jenny Carbrook. She came with no baggage, other than an ex, who was no longer on the scene, and she had a beautiful personality, sweet and caring; and she was stunning.
He looked in appreciation at the young girl he employed as a junior, as she placed a coffee on his desk.
‘Thank you, Melissa. You’re enjoying it here?’ She had only been with them for a few weeks.
She blushed. ‘Yes, thank you, Mr. West.’
‘Well, any problems, come and see me. I’d like to get you on a couple of courses now you’re settling in. Would you like that? Is there anything which would stop you doing them?’
Her eyes widened. ‘That would be great. Of course I can do them.’
‘Expect a call from HR. They’ll give you full details.’
He smiled as he watched her leave the room with a big grin on her face—one satisfied employee.
Back to decision making. He had already told Jenny he would be late home; an evening meeting had been necessary. He hadn’t told her it was with Erin. He was going to have to go with the story of an ex-wife and child, who wanted to give it another go, and, of course, he had to put the child first. He thought he would have a son called Alex and a wife called Jane. He grinned as he tried to picture this imaginary family. They had to be real to him; Erin was no fool.
His phone pinged with news of an incoming message, and he glanced at the name on the screen. Erin.
Before checking the message, he went into his contacts and removed her name, leaving only her number. He really didn’t want messages coming from Erin, and Jenny wanting to know who she was.
As he opened the message, he felt everything around him fade.
Showing on his screen was a picture of Jenny’s car. Erin had texted, Keeping an eye out for this car for my dad. If you spot it anywhere, will you make a note and let me know? See you later xxx
A connection between Erin and Jenny? What the …? He felt sweat break out on his brow, and he focused on the picture. It was definitely Jenny’s Fiesta.
He spent the afternoon wondering just what it meant. Maybe it was something as simple as Jenny hitting the car belonging to Erin’s father, and he wanted to trace her, but the sinking feeling in his stomach made him think otherwise.
The life he had started to envisage with Jenny was clearly under some sort of threat, and he didn’t like it.
Sebastian left work at 5.30 and headed towards Erin’s home. In the three months he had known her, he had never taken her to his own home. He had known from the start Jenny was somebody special, and thinking ahead had stopped him from taking Erin back to his place. He didn’t want the two ladies in his life inadvertently meeting up and playing havoc with all their lives.
Erin had never objected to the arrangement, and he arrived at her home still unsure how to handle the evening. He had psyched himself up to the storyline of his ex-wife, but now, he wasn’t so sure. He needed to know the significance of the picture she had sent him. If there was a story behind it, telling Erin their relationship was over could be counter-productive.
He guided his car onto the drive, parking it just behind Erin’s. She came to greet him, as he opened the front door.
‘Missed you,’ she said and kissed him enthusiastically.
‘Missed you, too,’ was his automatic reply.
‘Wine’s in the kitchen.’ She walked down the hall. ‘I’m doing lamb moussaka. That okay?’
‘Fine,’ he responded with a smile which didn’t quite reach his eyes. ‘Do you want a drink?’
‘Yes, please. Been a heavy day, so I’ve earned one.’
He poured out two glasses of the Chardonnay. ‘Cheers.’
‘Cheers. You had a good day?’
He was tempted to say it was good until she had sent the picture of the car, but he merely nodded. ‘It was okay.’
He sat down at the table already laid for their meal, as she finished off the meal preparation.
‘Ten more minutes,’ she said, as she closed the oven door. ‘Go and find us some soothing music.’
He obliged by choosing Adele’s latest CD and inserted it into the player. It might have soothed Erin, but it had no effect on him. The only thing which would soothe him was to find there was no connection at all between Erin and Jenny. He decided he wouldn’t bring the subject up, unless Erin didn’t mention it.
He went back to the table and watched as Erin made the salad and got out the condiments. He would miss her, but he couldn’t risk losing Jenny by staying with her.
She placed a plate in front of him, putting the casserole dish in the middle of the table. ‘Help yourself, Seb. Hope it’s okay.’
He smiled at her. ‘When has any meal you’ve cooked for me ever not been okay?’
‘There’s always a first time.’ She laughed.
They chatted about insignificant things all the way through the meal, with Erin doing most of the talking.
As she cleared away the dishes, she tilted her head to him. ‘Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?’
‘Wrong? Nothing’s wrong.’
‘Seb …’
‘I said, nothing’s wrong. Maybe just a little tired. It feels as though it’s been a long day.’
‘Let’s go through to the lounge and see if I can make you feel better.’
He followed her through and sat by her side. He placed his arm around her shoulders, and she laid her head against him.
‘I can feel something’s wrong. What is it?’
He hesitated, deciding to leave the subject of the car, even though it was dominating his mind. ‘Really, there’s nothing, I promise. I’m just tired. There’s been a lot of wheeling and dealing going off today, a lot of brain power used. It’s hard when days like that crop up, because it’s normally a very smooth-running business. Occasionally, we have days which require a bit more effort, and today was one of those days. Just ignore me. I’ll come around when the gears have stopped grinding.’
She took hold of his hand. ‘How would you feel about meeting my father?’
He stiffened, unable to respond.
‘Is there a problem? He’ll not punch the living daylights out of you, you know. He’s actually a very likeable, laid back man, who would never question my choice of friends, so you don’t need to worry.’
‘I’m not worrying.’ He smiled, but he could hear the strain in his voice. He hoped Erin couldn’t. ‘Of course I’d like to meet him. Shall we take him for a meal?’
‘Well, if you’re sure, I thought I would invite him here, and ask my half-brother and his two lovely kids along as well, and have a barbecue. How does that sound?’
‘That sounds fine. When? Saturday?’
‘Yes. I’m away from tomorrow until Friday evening, so I’ll get things ready Saturday morning for it. You any good with the cooking?’
‘Any good?’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘Any good? Just call me Jamie Oliver.’
She laughed, relieved to see the improvement in his mood. ‘Are you staying over tonight?’
He shook his head. ‘No, I have a call coming through about two in the morning, and then, I’ve an early business breakfast, so I’ll go home.’
The rest of the evening passed pleasantly. They watched a movie, enjoyed each other’s company. Sebastian left just after ten o’clock, pleading tiredness and having to complete some work before his 2 a.m. call.
It was only as she watched his car disappear from the end of the road she realised there had been no move towards making love; no kissing other than a perfunctory ‘see you,’ and a brief touch of lips before he left.
She shook her head, as she locked the door, before going into the kitchen to load the dishwasher. He had clearly been distracted about something; she would see what the state of play was on Saturday, before saying anything.
Sebastian arrived home and hugged Jenny tightly.
‘I love you,’ he whispered, and knew no matter what else the weekend might bring, it would certainly include a split from Erin.
11
Grace picked up the newspaper and carried it through to the kitchen. She quickly flicked through the pages until she found the article.
Her picture was the biggest one and she giggled. Leaning over the table she began to read.
She repeated the reading when she got to the end, a huge smile on her face. Carefully she refolded the paper and left it for her daddy to see when h
e came home from work.
‘It’s here, Granddad,’ she called, and she heard a muffled shout in return from Michael.
She wondered if her mummy would see it; she hoped so.
12
Sebastian clattered down the stairs and moved into the kitchen. He switched on the coffee percolator and popped bread into the toaster. The rattle of the letter box caught his attention, and he moved into the hall. The newspaper was caught, precariously balanced, about to drop out of the flap and on to the mat. He carried it back with him, laying it on the breakfast bar.
He poured two cups of coffee, buttered the toast, and after putting the delivered newspaper alongside, he carried the tray upstairs. Jenny was awake, and she smiled as he came through the door.
‘Good morning,’ he said, returning the smile. ‘Toast and coffee okay?’
‘Just what I need, especially the coffee.’ She reached over and picked up a cup, closing her eyes as she sipped. ‘Mmm, lovely,’ she murmured.
‘You are,’ he agreed.
She laughed aloud. ‘I hardly think so.’ She twisted her hair up and let it drop. ‘Does this really look lovely?’
‘Yes.’
‘Oh.’ She didn’t know how to respond.
‘You have anything planned for today?’
‘Job hunting.’
‘Well, take your time. Make sure it’s the right job. You don’t need to work, so don’t jump at the first thing you get. I’ve got two meetings today, but hopefully, I’ll be home by six. Eat out or in?’
‘In. I’ll cook something.’
He nodded. ‘That will be nice. I keep forgetting to tell you. I won’t be here at the weekend. I’m flying to Zurich on Saturday morning, flying back Sunday afternoon. Will you be okay?’
‘I’ll be okay.’
‘My independent Jenny.’ He leaned over and kissed her.
He picked up the newspaper and began to skim through it. ‘This is the local weekly paper. I’ve brought it up for you to have a scan through. There might be some jobs in it. Put it in the recycling bin when you’ve finished with it.’