Zoe strode across the room past Bernie, to face James.
“Spirits, attack!” hissed Alice behind her.
Zoe fought to combat Alice’s words but failed. Instead, she raised her hand and slapped James’s face. The sharp crack forced a reaction from Alice.
“Zoe!” she cried.
James let out a noise between a bark and a yowl. He staggered back, hitting the chair and knocking it over, then slammed into the bookcase. As he crumpled to the floor, the timbers vibrated beneath Zoe’s feet. She absorbed the impact in her own body.
“Zoe! What have you done?” cried Bernie.
“Oh my God,” gasped Zoe. “He’s not moving. I’ve killed him.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Alice had sprung forward into the middle of the room. Bernie pushed past Zoe and dropped to his knees beside James’s prone form. James was unconscious. Blood poured across the oak timbers from a gash above his right temple. The chair lay on its side and three spindles had snapped off and rolled in different directions. Alice opened her mouth to speak, but Zoe got there first.
“Alice. Bernie. What shall we do now?” she breathed.
Bernie was already taking charge. He squatted down close to James, picked up one wrist, and felt his pulse.
“Don’t panic,” he said. “He’s breathing.”
Zoe’s heart was pounding so fast, she clutched both hands to her chest. Alice put her arms round Zoe and held her tight. Zoe knew Alice was trying to reassure her. But she was shaking.
The door banged back and Griff stood on the threshold. Alice released Zoe.
“What on earth…” he began then caught sight of James’s body.
He rushed into the room and squatted down beside James’s head.
A lightning swift glance ran between Alice and Bernie. Zoe saw it. She read a plea in Alice’s eyes; as if Alice was saying, Just this once, Bernie, for Zoe’s sake.
“James fell off his chair and hit his head,” said Bernie.
Zoe swallowed several times. Her mouth was dry and her face burned.
“Bernie checked he’s still breathing,” added Alice.
Zoe allowed her eyes to flicker up and meet Griff’s. Her stomach flipped. Mutual understanding flashed between them. He pulled out his mobile phone and began to tap.
The ambulance sped back up the drive half an hour later, unseen by the guests who were all in the dining room, impervious to that evening’s new turn of events. It carried James away from the house and off to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. The witnesses had co-operated well in answering the paramedics’ questions. Zoe and Alice corroborated each other in every part of the story, and Bernie agreed with them; James had been the victim of an unfortunate accident. The chairs were old. The leg on that chair must have been weak.
The only guest aware of the new crisis was Natasha. She’d appeared without warning just as James was being loaded into the ambulance. She listened to Bernie’s explanation in silence. Zoe studied her face. She sensed that Natasha knew exactly what had happened but was saying nothing.
“I’m so sorry, Natasha,” said Bernie. “I’m sure you’ll want to ring the hospital a bit later after they’ve run a few tests to make sure he hasn’t sustained any serious brain damage. We must hope for the best.”
“Of course,” she said, her eyes calm.
Zoe shuddered. Natasha was supposed to love this man. But she betrayed no emotion.
Then Natasha turned to look at Zoe. Zoe avoided eye contact. She knew Natasha was set on breaking down her resistance to her.
Griff said as little as possible.
Alice and Zoe felt no temptation to speak. The speed with which Zoe had acted robbed both girls of further words. The following day was Saturday, the day their current guests were due to leave; and it passed in what felt like a drug-induced haze for Zoe. Natasha had visited James, who, it seemed, had not been seriously hurt, and was expected to make a good recovery. She’d then returned to the centre. She’d phoned Jessica, who’d asked her to take charge until she, Jessica, could be there, first thing on Monday morning. All the departing guests had arranged to see Natasha again, in whose spiritual authority they totally believed. Zoe was left in no doubt at all that Natasha would target the hearts and minds of the new intake of guests the following afternoon.
She herself felt powerless. A strange torpor hung over her. She had neither the energy nor the will to go and visit Theo, who she realised with a sense of dread, was now probably in the same ward as James. Neither did she have the strength to make any decisions. And so the weekend passed, the new guests arrived, and Zoe sunk into a deep sleep that night.
The next day, Monday, she’d regained some of her vitality. When she crossed the courtyard from the dining area beneath a cold but bright, clear sky she saw two people in the office. She hurried through the doorway. Jessica stood in the far corner and Alice sat behind her desk.
“Alice! You’re back!”
Zoe ran behind the desk and hugged her.
“Yes,” said Alice, as Zoe released her from the embrace. “After Friday night’s drama, Jessica called me and asked me to come in again this morning. She said there’d been a misunderstanding.”
She grinned, her white teeth contrasting with her milk-chocolate-coloured skin. Her eyes danced.
Jessica, who’d been going through some folders in the filing cabinet, turned to face Zoe and Alice. She wore a tailored French-blue trouser suit. Zoe was about to hug her, too, until she saw the expression on Jessica’s face.
Zoe moved out from behind Alice’s desk and crossed the office towards Jessica.
“Thank you, Jessica,” she said. “Now James is in hospital, I’m willing to take over. I can do his job as well as my own – until Theo returns.”
“Not so fast, Zoe,” said Jessica. “I’m afraid you’ve misjudged the situation. And I’m a bit concerned at your cavalier attitude to James’s awful accident.”
Zoe cleared her throat. “Yes, of course.”
“Though Natasha has given me the good news from the hospital that they expect James to make a full recovery,” said Jessica.
Zoe twisted the wedding ring on her finger, and made no reply.
“That being said, what matters next is the centre. And our guests,” said Jessica. She walked over towards where Alice sat. Zoe followed her. Jessica perched herself on the corner of Alice’s desk.
Zoe stood facing her.
“Since we have no guests in the room right now,” said Jessica, “I can speak frankly to you, Zoe.”
“Good,” said Zoe.
Alice threw her a quick warning glance.
“Before you say anything,” said Zoe, “I want you to be clear that I fully realize the guests come first. And they’ve booked on this course believing Theo would be leading and supporting them. The centre needs Theo. Over the years we’ve been open, and through the courses we’ve run, the guests have all warmed to him straightaway. Why do you think so many come back again and again?”
Jessica sank her forehead into her hands.
When she looked up, Zoe saw lines around her eyes she hadn’t noticed before.
“You all right, Jessica? Not getting one of your migraines?”
“No; though if we carry on this way, I might do. Listen, Zoe, I’ve always had the highest regard for Theo. But I don’t feel secure about him any more; not now I know how fragile his mental health is.”
Zoe’s mouth went dry as sawdust.
Jessica continued. “Zoe, it’s a big responsibility being manager, warden and creative director of a centre like this, along with the one-to-one counselling he does for those who request it.” Jessica held both her hands aloft. “We need someone strong.”
Alice got up from her chair and, coming round to Zoe, laid her hand on her shoulder.
“Theo has been strong in the past,” said Zoe. “And he will be again, when he has recovered.”
When Jessica spoke, her voice seemed to have dropped a few notes down the sca
le.
“OK. Let’s stop talking about the warden and creative director role, and instead look at the manager post. That job is too big for Theo. But it’s perfect for James, when he’s fully recovered.”
Zoe ran her hands through her hair, her breath coming faster.
“It’s not enough for the guests to be fond of Theo,” went on Jessica. “And I’m sure the other trustees would agree with me there. We’ll meet tomorrow to discuss the situation.”
Alice massaged Zoe’s arm.
“Take it easy, Zoe,” she murmured. “Let Jessica speak.”
Zoe shook Alice off. “Jessica,” she burst out, “why in God’s name do you trust James so much? What is it with him, and you?”
Jessica’s eyes widened at this. “I don’t have to explain myself to you,” she said. “I’m confident my instincts about James are correct. I have considerable knowledge of him to go on. His life experience puts him in a very special place to manage this centre. And other trustees share that view.”
Zoe turned away from Jessica. She swallowed hard.
Alice took her hand and squeezed it. Then Zoe spun round again, startling Alice.
“God forbid that James recovers from his injury!” said Zoe. “He could return stronger than ever, take over again, and triumph!”
“Oh, come on, Zoe,” said Jessica in a sharp voice.
But now neither Alice nor Zoe could restrain their laughter.
Zoe considered wild scenarios: the Celtic Knot, perhaps, renamed The James Willoughby Centre. James might use the property to rally embittered out-of-work actors to his cause – whatever that might be. Or maybe he’d provide a home-from-home for desperate academics who’d been refused research grants and were now prepared to follow illegal paths to achieve their goals. But in truth she considered James’s ultimate objective to be far worse than those two possibilities: she felt sure his plans for the centre involved handing over full control to Natasha.
And meanwhile, thought Zoe, Natasha herself circulated among the guests, making them feel they were precious to her, inspiring them to confide in her, learning of their joys and sorrows, their troubles and medical problems, and offering them the ‘sweet reward’ of healing in return for access to their souls.
Healing them by the power everyone else said came from God but which only Zoe and Alice believed came from a much darker source.
Jessica walked across to the group of easy chairs and sat down in one of them. Zoe had fallen silent but could not master her trembling limbs.
“I plan to visit James in hospital this afternoon,” said Jessica. “We’ll have a chat, and I’ll find out the true story of what happened to him on Friday night.”
A lump rose in Zoe’s throat. She nodded, but could not trust herself to speak.
Zoe returned from visiting Theo in the neurology ward at lunchtime to find Alice waiting for her in the entrance hall.
“Alice! Still here?”
“Yes, I had to stay. How’s Theo?”
Zoe shook her head.
“Hopeless, Alice, hopeless.”
Alice led Zoe into the library and made her sit on one of the chairs at the round table.
Alice took Zoe’s face between her two hands. “I want to see your sparkle back again.” Dropping her hands to her side she pulled out the seat close to Zoe’s, then turned it to face Zoe. Sinking into it, she said, “I’ve got exciting news, Zoe. My agent rang. I have an audition. I’m meeting a casting director in Covent Garden on Friday at ten o’clock.”
Zoe clapped her hands together. “Brilliant, Alice. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you. It means I won’t be in that morning.”
“Of course, of course. That’s fine, Alice. I do hope you’ll get the part.”
“Bless you, Zoe. But now it’s all the more urgent I help you and Theo out of this mess as soon as possible. I can’t bear to leave with you two still in it up to your neck.”
“Sorry, Alice, but you may have to.” Zoe felt close to tears. “I’m so happy for you. I want you to have a great career.”
“I know you do, Zoe. And I want you and Theo to be happy, too.”
Alice got to her feet, pulling Zoe up. “Come on.” Zoe followed her to the far corner, well away from the door. They stood together, close by the bookcase, and spoke in low voices.
“The situation’s dire,” said Zoe. “Jessica’s visiting James later. He’ll tell her what happened. Then I’ll get arrested, charged with assault, and put on trial. I could end up in prison.”
“Rubbish,” said Alice. “Not a chance of it.” She grabbed one of the books from the bookshelf and waved it in the air to emphasise her words. “James might tell Jessica you hit him. But I don’t believe he will. He’s too crafty.”
She opened the book apparently at random.
“Searching for inspiration?” said Zoe.
Alice laughed. “Could be.”
She placed the book in Zoe’s hands. Zoe looked at the page. At once her eyes fell on a group of words: evidence that demands a verdict. As she considered this, Alice spoke again, in a low but intense voice.
“Spirits, give me inspiration!”
Then Alice held her head in both hands. “Think, think, think,” she murmured, walking to and fro across the rug.
Zoe watched her, beginning to feel dizzy. Then she looked back down at the book in her hands. Again, the same words jumped out at her.
“Evidence that demands a verdict,” she said.
“What?”Alice had stopped. Now she whirled to face Zoe and seized her by both shoulders.
“It’s in this book,” said Zoe. “The words jumped out at me.”
“Right, OK,” said Alice. “Don’t you see, Zoe, what they’re telling you?”
“Yes. Yes, I do see,” whispered Zoe, “evidence against James, strong enough to convince Jessica. And how do we get it?”
“James is out of the way,” said Alice. “For how long, we don’t know. Shall we search his room?”
Their eyes met and held.
“Your one chance,” said Alice. “Or the centre falls into James and Natasha’s hands.”
Zoe threw her arms round Alice. “Thank you, Alice. Thank you,” she said in an urgent voice. “Would you do it?”
Alice nodded.
“But be careful. Don’t let anyone see you. Go through his papers, USB sticks, business cards… See if you can find his mobile.”
“I expect Natasha’s taken that to give him.”
Alice hurried across to the door. Then she turned back.
“This could crack it for you, Zoe! I’m going on up to James’s room. Obviously, if there’s anyone around who might see me, I won’t do it. I’d have to choose another time. But I’ll text you later.” Alice pulled the door open. Zoe followed her into the entrance hall, and Alice sped upstairs.
Zoe was just about to go back through the house into the office. But the front door opened and Bernie appeared.
“There you are, Zoe,” he said. “Jessica rang James’s ward. He’s doing well and they expect to discharge him Wednesday morning.”
Zoe folded her arms.
“I’m sorry, Zoe,” said Bernie in a low voice. “You know I’m loyal to you. And I lied to protect you. But I can’t condone what you did to James.” He raised his voice again. “I’m off with Jessica to see James later on.”
Jessica put her head in through the doorway.
“Zoe, will you come too?”
“Won’t Griff need me to help prepare for the evening workshop?”
“No. Why should he? Griff’s handling everything perfectly,” said Jessica. “I’d like you to visit James with us.”
“If you say so, Jessica,” said Zoe. “Right now, there’s work to be done. I’m going back to the office.”
“You do,” said Jessica. “We’ll call for you at five-thirty.”
Zoe walked through to the office with a heavy heart.
Just one thing now gave her any hope: the chance Alic
e might find something incriminating in James’s room. She thrust her hands in her pockets and squeezed both her fists. Evidence, that’s what they needed.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
When Jessica, Bernie and Zoe entered James’s private room at the hospital that evening, James was sitting up in bed, a bandage round his head, reading the latest issue of The Stage, and wearing black silk pyjamas. Zoe gathered Natasha had brought these to him when she visited him that morning.
Jessica went straight up to James and began enquiring after his well-being, whilst Bernie stood behind her. Zoe did her best to keep a low profile, taking a chair at the far corner of the room. But it was soon clear James didn’t mean to let her get away with this.
“Zoe,” he said, “come closer. I want a word with you.”
Gritting her teeth, Zoe approached his bed. He met her gaze with a knowing expression. She refused to be intimidated.
“No serious damage, I hear, James?” she remarked.
“No. I’ll be out on Wednesday.”
She waited.
“I hope,” he said, “when I return, you and I, Zoe, will be able to get our relationship onto a more civilised footing.”
“Oh?” She made no attempt to hide her astonishment.
“Yes, time for us both to move forward.” And with this, he tapped her on the shoulder with his rolled-up magazine in a light, jocular manner. She flinched.
He laughed to see this.
“Come on, Zoe,” he said in a breezy tone of voice. “D’you agree? Shall we put all these misunderstandings behind us?”
Zoe regarded him, tight-lipped.
“An excellent idea,” declared Jessica, “a fresh start for all of us. For my part, I’m so relieved and grateful your injuries aren’t serious, James.”
“No, no, I’m stronger than many realise,” said James, reaching for a large glass of sparkling mineral water at his bedside. He drank. “It would take a lot to beat me. Knock me down and I spring up again.”
“So I see,” said Zoe. She walked across to the door. She had to get out of this room; and what better reason for that than to go and visit Theo, who was in another sideroom on the same ward.
Bernie looked at her, a line in his forehead.
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