Accidentally Together

by Jade Winters

  Tesco in Lewisham was a superstore, and there were plenty of people milling about. If there was one saving grace for bumping into Mike the previous week, it was that she knew what he looked like. Since she’d last seen him all those years ago, he could have completely changed his appearance.

  Unfortunately, after walking aimlessly around the car park and inside the store, Lauren hadn’t found Mike anywhere.

  And this is why I’d make a crap detective. Disheartened, she considered asking for his whereabouts at the customer service desk, but she didn’t want to lose the element of surprise. When she finally told him about the letters and what the consequences had been on her life, she wanted to see an organic reaction from him, not a prepared one.

  Lauren glanced at the time on her phone. Damn. She would have to come back tomorrow. It was nearly midday and she was late for her meeting with Frankie.

  ***

  Lauren entered Gavan’s thirty minutes late. It was a small intimate restaurant with wooden beams dominating the ceiling, and chunky oak furniture giving the place a rustic feel. Being only a few minutes’ walk from the South Bank, the restaurant was already crowded with diners. Lauren spotted Frankie as soon as she entered, luckily he had managed to secure them a table by the window. As Lauren wandered over to him she imagined how romantic the setting would look in evening, with candles on the tables and soft music playing in the background. She made a mental note to return with Emma.

  He stood when he saw her.

  ‘I’m so sorry I’m late,’ she said, pecking him on the cheek.

  ‘Don’t worry, I only got here ten minutes ago myself. I hope you don’t mind, but I ordered the seafood platter to share,’ he said, sitting down.

  ‘That’s fine,’ she replied, draping her coat over the back of the chair before sliding onto her seat.

  Frankie looked at her expectantly. ‘Right, now tell me what the hell is going on.’

  A waiter stopped by the table and Lauren ordered a latte.

  When they were alone, she said to Frankie, ‘I finally know who my stalker is.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Do you remember when I told you I bumped into someone I went to school with?’

  ‘It isn’t him!’

  ‘Yes. Emma convinced me. It all makes sense now. Anyway, I’ve reported him to the police.’

  ‘I thought they were useless?’

  ‘They were years ago. Seems they take harassment more seriously these days. They’re gonna have a word with him. I can’t believe this nightmare is nearly over.’

  He squeezed her hand. ‘I hope so, you deserve a break from all the stress.’

  ‘Just to think if you hadn’t persuaded me to come back, I would still be running.’

  The intensity in Frankie’s eyes lessened to something calmer. ‘After all this time, you can finally reclaim your life.’

  And the woman I left behind.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Emma’s intention was to go home and have a lazy Sunday. Was being the operative word. Instead she found herself jumping on a bus heading towards Kennington. Since Jay’s unexpected visit, Louise had been on her mind. Emma had to make sure she was okay and confirm Jay’s story, regardless of the wrath she would face from Gina.

  Louise lived in a quiet crescent with oak trees hugging the curved street. The day was pleasant enough, with the sun peeking out from behind white clouds and birds twittering from the bare tree branches. It was lucky Emma had a good memory. Considering all the forms she filled in each day, she was still able to remember Louise’s address.

  Number 57 was a terraced redbrick building, with a neat compact garden that had a double-tier waterfall in the centre. Emma found the sound of the water soothing as she rang the bell and stood waiting. She would have been lying if she’d said she wasn’t nervous. This time tomorrow, she might be dragging Lauren with her to the job centre.

  Emma did her best not to think about how things were going with Lauren.

  Footsteps approached the door and she braced herself.

  The door opened and Louise’s face paled at the sight of her. ‘Ms Clary? What … what are you doing here?’

  ‘We need to talk.’

  Louise glanced behind her. ‘You shouldn’t have come. I’ll get into trouble.’

  ‘More trouble than your friend Jay?’

  Louise gasped. ‘Jay? How did you …?’

  ‘He came to see me.’

  ‘He did what? That idiot. I knew I shouldn’t have told him anything about you.’

  ‘I need to know the truth, Louise, what happened with Jay? Did he attack you?’

  ‘Of course he didn’t, he’s my boyfriend. My dad has just blown this out of proportion.’

  ‘Who you talking to, Lou?’ a male voice asked from inside the house.

  Louise looked uncertain how to answer. ‘Um … it’s no one.’

  ‘You’re talking to someone.’ The voice grew nearer, and then its owner appeared behind Louise.

  Emma did a double take. Instead of the big macho man she had envisaged, Mr Willis couldn’t have been taller than five foot three. His build was slight and his left eye had a twitch. She couldn’t believe the man standing in front of her was responsible for the damage inflicted on Jay.

  ‘Mr Willis, I’m—’

  ‘I know who you are. What do you want?’ he asked in a soft-spoken voice.

  ‘To talk.’

  ‘We’ve got nothing to say to you, Ms Clary. I thought I made that clear to your boss.’

  He started to close the door, but Emma pushed it back. ‘I’m sorry, Louise, but I have to tell your father the truth.’

  ‘The truth about what?’ Mr Willis asked.

  She hesitated, desperately thinking of a suitable way to explain the situation. ‘The young man you assaulted—’

  ‘So you’re one of those appeaser types. What would you have done, Ms Clary, if you’d come home and found a thug raping your child? Invite them to join you for dinner once it was over?’

  He looked at her with disgust, revealing the rage bottled up inside.

  Emma turned her attention to Louise. ‘Please, you need to tell your dad what happened.’

  ‘I saw what happened with my own eyes. Now get off my property. I have never hit a woman before, but right this minute, I’m sorely tempted.’

  ‘What’s it to be, Louise?’ Emma asked, backing away.

  ‘I’m sorry. I can’t,’ Louise mouthed. The expression on her face was one of regret as her dad pulled her inside and slammed the door shut.

  Emma let out a pent-up breath and started down the path. That didn’t go too well now did it, Ms Busy Body?

  Standing at the bottom of the path, she looked back in time to see the curtain flutter at the window on the ground floor. All she could do was hope that her words sank into Louise’s subconscious and persuaded her to do the right thing.

  Emma took out her mobile to call Lauren. Realising only a few hours had passed since they parted ways, she stuffed her phone back into her pocket. She didn’t want to seem too eager. Besides, waiting a whole day to see her again meant she could get on with the house work she’d been putting off. Or I can spend the night wrapped up in the quilt Lauren slept in. She didn’t have to think twice about how she’d be spending her evening.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The early morning sky was shrouded in slate grey clouds as Lauren hailed a taxi and made her way to Waterloo. Her first stop of the day was Enterprise car hire. If she were going to stake out Tesco for an extended period of time, hiring a car was the best option. The school run meant traffic along Lambeth Palace Road was horrendous. Cars were jammed together, barely leaving an inch of space, but the taxi driver didn’t seem too bothered. After all, the meter was running. Still, it was a mild relief to be held up. The delay offered her a reprieve from the anxiety that had hounded her since leaving her apartment.

  She stared out of the window as the taxi inched along, past Lambeth Palace and St Thomas’
Hospital. Why did her courage disappear as soon as she was away from Emma? By not seeing her last night, not only had she missed her terribly, but her confidence had wilted. Perhaps it was because she took after her mother, who constantly looked to her dad as the strong one, the ‘rescuer’, the person who would make everything right in her world. Maybe that’s what I’m doing with Emma. Turning her into my rescuer.

  Eventually the traffic became unglued and cars broke free, moving forward at a faster pace. Ahead, she could make out the distinctive green logo of the car hire shop. Lauren rummaged inside her bag for her purse and double-checked she had her driving licence. She didn’t want to have to make the same trip twice in one day. Once the driver pulled up outside the building, she slipped him a twenty pound note through the small gap in the partition to cover the fare.

  Inside the sleek office, the space felt dark and gloomy despite the white walls and floor to ceiling windows, as if the weather outside had managed to cast its shadow inside the building. Lauren took her place behind a couple of customers waiting to be served by the tall, lanky salesman behind the raised counter. He wore a dark grey suit and a crisp white shirt. Lauren watched him as he swiftly dealt with each customer in a happy, confident manner.

  When Lauren stepped up to be served, his reception was no different, and she told him her requirements. She squinted to make out his name tag: Nick.

  ‘How long do you want to hire the car for?’ Nick asked. He looked up at her from the computer screen.

  ‘Three days,’ she said, thinking that would be enough time to catch Mike. She could always get an extension if needed.

  ‘Visiting family?’ he asked in a conversational tone as he typed in the details from her driving licence.

  ‘Um, no. Just need a run-around for a few days.’

  ‘Cool,’ he said cheerfully. He printed the paperwork and slid it across the counter towards her with a pen.

  After photocopying her driving licence and taking payment, Nick led the way to her hire car: a black 2015 Ford Fiesta with black fabric seats. The interior wasn’t overly spacious, but it suited her purposes. It wasn’t as if she was going on a long-distance trip. The furthest she would be driving was three miles away.

  Buckling her seatbelt, she rearranged the rear-view mirror so she had a clear view behind her and started the engine. It purred like a kitten. Shifting into reverse, she slowly edged her way out of the hire car’s garage and headed towards Lewisham.

  Grateful for the built-in satellite navigation system and its ability to plot a faster route, Lauren realised it would have taken her an age to get to Lewisham without using the back streets. London had changed so much since her last visit. Every inch of the city seemed to be cluttered with fashionable, unpronounceable restaurants or luxury apartments. Even the layout seemed alien to her. Roads had been widened and the amount of traffic seemed worse than she remembered. And I thought driving in Paris was manic.

  The journey didn’t take too long, and she was soon turning off a small roundabout and following a sign towards Tesco. She queued behind a line of cars waiting to get into the car park.

  When the traffic dispersed, she crawled along, searching for a space. She needed to get as close to the entrance as possible to spot Mike when he entered or left the building. Luckily, as she neared the entrance, a van pulled out and she manoeuvred the small car backwards into the spot with ease. Switching the engine off, she unbuckled her seatbelt, leant forward, and stared through the car window at the main entrance. Seeing a flurry of young, attractive women, she wondered whether Mike had stalked any of them. If he had the inclination to stalk one person, he might have made a habit of it. Maybe someone else had reported him to the police, which would only add weight to her complaint.

  Lauren glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard. Whether Mike would show up today was anyone’s guess, but it was a gamble she was willing to take. She preferred sitting there, where she felt in control, rather than at home, waiting for the flap on her letterbox to open.

  It’s a pity I didn’t think to bring a flask of coffee with me. If he didn’t make an appearance that day she’d make sure she brought enough to keep her going next time. Lauren had thought about borrowing Emma’s binoculars, until she realised how peculiar she would look spying on shoppers. Management would no doubt call the police if they caught her.

  She turned on the radio for company and settled back in her seat, not daring to take her eyes off the entrance, not even when her phone rang hours later. Feeling around for it in her bag, she accepted the call.

  ‘Hello.’

  ‘Hello, Lone Ranger.’

  Lauren’s lips curved at the sound of Emma’s voice. ‘Hello yourself.’

  ‘Where’re you now?’

  ‘At Tesco.’ Lauren kneaded the tense muscles behind her neck. ‘I’m still in the car park, waiting to see if Mike turns up.’

  ‘Are you kidding? How long have you been there?’

  ‘Hours.’ Lauren had committed herself to confronting Mike, and she wouldn’t leave until she achieved her goal. If she had to hang around until midnight, so be it.

  ‘Fancy some company? I can bring a quilt to snuggle under.’

  As much as Lauren wanted Emma by her side, she didn’t want to take advantage of her generosity or her time.

  ‘Ha! We’d probably get mistaken for homeless people and be moved on. Besides, I’m warm enough. I hired a car.’

  ‘I’ve always dreamt of doing something like that: staking someone out in a car. We can be like Cagney and Lacey.’

  ‘At least Cagney and Lacey got paid for their time.’ Noting the raindrops on the windscreen, Lauren turned the ignition and flipped on the wipers to clear her view.

  ‘I’m a sucker to be taken advantage of. What do you say? Can I join you? I’ll bring coffee and snacks.’

  Lauren should have said no, but she was a little parched. A caffeine jolt is just what I need. Anyway, two sets of eyes were better than one. ‘Okay, you’ve twisted my arm.’

  ‘I hope that’s not the only reason you want me to come,’ Emma said.

  Lauren stifled the instinct to tell her the truth: that if it were possible, she would spend every minute of every day with her. Instead, she said, ‘Coffee and good company. Who could say no to that?’

  ‘I’d say I have more to offer than that, but pointing out my positive attributes can wait. I’ll be there ASAP. What car are you driving?’

  ‘A black Ford Fiesta. I’m opposite the entrance.’

  ‘Be there before you know it.’

  The line went dead, and Lauren threw the phone onto the passenger seat. Resting her chin on the steering wheel, she said, ‘Come on, Mike, where are you? Show yourself.’

  She imagined the other things—positive, constructive things—she could be doing with her time. Not only to do with work, but with Emma as well. How strange that the very situation that had torn them apart years ago was now the glue holding them together. Because of Emma, Lauren had found the strength to face her stalker. Any other time she would have hightailed it back to Paris without another thought.

  Thinking about Emma, Lauren almost called her back and begged her to hurry. A day away from her had been too long.

  Half an hour passed, and a knock on the passenger side window startled her. She snapped her head around and looked straight into Emma’s apologetic eyes. Emma was wearing the same red leather jacket as when she had shown up unexpectedly at her apartment. Lauren liked the way it hugged her figure, the V-neck finish exposing a small area of her bare chest. She had to mentally kick herself to stop from thinking about what lay beneath it. Instead, she thought about how much she liked Emma’s hair when her ponytail was a loose plait slung over her left shoulder. A much safer vision to focus on.

  ‘Are you gonna let me in?’ Emma asked with a laugh.

  Quickly removing her phone and bag from the front seat and throwing it in the back, Lauren pressed the automatic switch that unlocked the doors.

&nb
sp; ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,’ Emma said, handing Lauren two hot coffees in a cardboard holder and a sandwich before slipping into the seat beside her.

  Lauren handed Emma her coffee and took the lid off her cup. The rich aroma of coffee beans filled the small space. ‘Don’t worry. I was miles away.’

  ‘Thinking about something good, I hope.’ Emma set her coffee cup on the dashboard and shrugged off her jacket.

  ‘You could say that,’ Lauren said her eyes focused ahead.

  ‘Still a no-show?’

  Lauren bit her lip and shook her head.

  Digging into her shoulder bag, Emma took out her iPad. ‘First, let me say I’m a hundred percent convinced Mike’s your stalker, but I thought there wouldn’t be any harm if we widened the circle to make sure we haven’t overlooked anyone. I mean there is a tiny, tiny possibility it could be someone different to your original stalker. Maybe even a copycat, someone who knows what happened to you and are playing on your fears.’

  ‘I’d have to be pretty unlucky don’t you think?’ Lauren said.

  ‘Stranger things have happened. I’ve been researching stalkers online and found this questionnaire on a website called “Who’s Stalking You”. You in the mood to answer a few questions?’

  Lauren opened her sandwich. It wasn’t until she took her first bite that she realised how hungry she was. She nodded, encouraging Emma to carry on as she kept her eyes glued on Tesco’s entrance.

  ‘Here goes,’ Emma said, launching straight in with her first question without taking a breath. ‘Most victims are stalked by someone they know. Can you think of anyone apart from Mike, in this case, who has shown excessive interest in you?’

  Lauren gave it some thought, feeling Emma’s gaze on her. It was strange, sitting in a cramped space in a supermarket car park reliving her past. Maybe she really had missed something. If so she owed it to herself to look at every detail, no matter how unrelated it might seem. Besides, coming up with ideas on how to find the person responsible for making her life a living hell seemed to make Emma happy. In that sense, answering a few questions was definitely worth it.