The Tangled Web
Page 28
“Agapi mou, this is my gift to you. I bought it some time ago and was waiting for the right moment to give it to you. I thought that would be this afternoon. I was wrong. Instead, I’ll make it my parting gift. It was supposed to be a spy pen. It has a built in camera. I wanted you to use it to catch those cheaters and make notes you could show to your clients. Now, I’ve changed my mind. It’s your writing pen. Use it for your research. Take photos of places and people who inspire you. Write notes for your novel. Because I know you can write it. You don’t need to keep writing those blogs. You don’t need to have an interesting life to inspire you to write something worth reading. Your imagination is enough. I just ask that you let me know when it’s published, so I can buy a copy. Christos xx”
Vicky put the letter back into the envelope and twirled the pen around her fingers. Didn’t he include the instructions for this thing? She examined it more closely and was startled when she heard a click. Did she just take a picture? She wanted to stay annoyed with him, but she couldn’t wait to try out her new camera-pen. She still had one more full day in Cyprus and she was determined to make the most of it now that the assignment was taken care of. Sort of. She hadn’t even thought to bring a proper camera. All she had was her phone’s camera, which was hardly discreet. She pointed the pen towards Cleopatra and clicked again, then used the back of the envelope to pen a short description of the cat.
She stood and looked around the hotel. It was only ten thirty, but the bar was closed already and the whole reception area was deserted. No chance of ordering a bedtime hot chocolate, she thought and frowned.
As she walked into the garden towards her apartment, she began to think about Christos’s relationship. She had already decided not to speak to his girlfriend. After all, if she wanted to know if he was cheating, she would pursue the matter herself. Vicky made up her mind not to meddle, ever again. Even when she had been asked to do so, it hadn’t brought her or Flic any happiness.
As for her friendship with him…well, she would decide that when she got home. There was no question that things would never be the same, and she would never be able to confide in him about any future heartaches, but she couldn’t deny that she had been the instigator – SHE had been the one to ask Pamela to investigate him, albeit as a fake assignment to keep Pamela out of her hair. She felt she had no right to complain now that it had blown up in her face.
She reached the front door of the apartment and put her key in the lock. She heard rustling from a bush behind her and turned around. She expected to see one of the cats, but was shocked to turn around and see Colin sitting on a stone wall, the rustling noise coming from the plant behind the wall.
‘Hi Vicky,’ he said, the smile audible in his voice.
‘Colin?’ she asked. She had no idea why she was asking. She knew it was him. She would be an idiot to pretend she didn’t recognise him. They had been a couple since their early teens and only spent the last year and a half apart because of his itchy feet.
‘You look like you need a hug,’ he replied, walking towards her.
She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him closer, pouring all her emotion into the hug. ‘You arsehole! I could really have done with a cuddle from you recently!’ she mockingly scolded him.
‘So I’ve heard,’ he muffled into her head as he kissed her hair.
She pulled away and looked at him searchingly. It was no coincidence that he was here, waiting outside her apartment for her. ‘Who told you I was here?’
‘Your friend, Christos. He got in touch with me a couple of weeks ago. He tracked me down on my old MaisonNet page. It was pure chance that I checked it. I haven’t looked at it in ages! He said you were going to be in Cyprus. I couldn’t believe it. I’ve been here for the last month volunteering at a dog shelter near Famagusta. Didn’t he tell you I was coming to see you?’ Colin asked.
Vicky shook her head. ‘No, he didn’t. What else did he tell you?’
‘Not much. Just that you were going through a rough time and it was very important that we talk. And that you had a big surprise for me that might persuade me to come back to Scotland.’
Vicky pulled away. She wasn’t sure how or what she was going to say to him. She was glad he was here though. She needed the friendship she knew she would get from him. And Colin needed to know that Sasha existed.
‘You’d better come in,’ she advised.
He nodded warily and followed her. When they stood at the door and she fumbled as she turned the key, he nervously attempted to make small talk.
‘Are you and Scarlett still Inverness’s most glamorous funeral directors?’
‘Yeah, we are,’ she nodded.
‘What about your writing? Have you gotten your act together and written that novel yet?’
Vicky smiled. ‘It’s funny you should ask that. I was just about to start it.’
EPILOGUE
Three and a half years later….
Vicky wants to chat with you!
Christos says...
Hi Blondie ;) Long time no chat!
Vicky says...
Hiya :) I know. This must be the first we’ve chatted since before Cyprus.
Christos says...
The least said about that the better ;) Did you get my flowers?
Vicky says...
Yeah, thanks :) You really didn’t have to!
Christos says...
Well, it’s not every day you become a published author!
Vicky says...
It took me three years! And I’m self published. It’s not like I’ve had the approval of a publisher :/
Christos says...
You had a dream and made it happen. You’ve taken your destiny into your own hands. You deserve your moment of glory :)
Vicky says...
I can’t believe it’s finally happening. I just finished off the “About The Author” section to put on the Kindle author profile. Do you want to see it?
Christos says...
Obviously!
Vicky says...
Here it is...
Victoria Robertson is an indie author and funeral director from the Highlands of Scotland. She is the daughter of a sex toy inventor and erotic fiction novelist, Daisy D’Souza and is the sister of controversial Big Brother winner Pamela Robertson. She lives with her husband Colin, daughter, Sasha and son, Jason.
She divides her time between Inverness and Cannes, where her brother is a personal trainer to the rich and tasteless and her former business partner Flic is a successful “investigative celebrity photographer.” (That’s a paparazzo to you and me)
In her spare time she enjoys playing with her children and god-daughter Gypsy and stuffing her face with cupcakes baked by Gypsy’s mother (her best friend and manager of the Petticoat Patisserie in Inverness), Scarlett.
The HunE-trap is her first and last novel. The next dream she hopes to realise is seeing her favourite band, Suburban Legends, play live in their native California, after which she hopes to study for a degree in Geography.
Vicky is managed by Magnus Pellicci (magspellicci@gmail.com) and although she does not use social networking sites, she loves to hear from her readers at vickyrobertsonauthor@gmail.com.
Vicky says...
What do you think?
Christos says...
Perfect :)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lacey Dearie is an indie author from Ayrshire in Scotland. In her other lives she has been a book-keeper, a secretary, a paralegal, a mystery shopper, a blogger, a failed actress, a product tester and a freelance writer. Her first paid writing job was an article about Friday the 13th in 2005 for British magazine, The Lady (using her real name) and she hopes to begin writing factual articles again in the future.
The Tangled Web is her first novel. It was downloaded over 15000 times in its first 9 months on Amazon. It reached number 1 in the Amazon UK Free Download chart in January 2012. Lacey is currently working on the two novels, Divas España and Glam Rock a
nd a collection of short stories which is as yet untitled. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her son, learning to speak Spanish and Greek and catching up with the housework (oh, the glamour of being an indie author).
Lacey plans to donate 5% of her earnings from The Tangled Web to charities which tackle homelessness in Scotland.
Lacey loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted at laceydearieauthor@gmail.com or on Twitter as @laceydearie
First published for Kindles in December 2011
To be published in paperback in December 2012
Copyright © Sharon Millar 2011
Sharon Millar, using the pseudonym Lacey Dearie, has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
This is a work of fiction. The plot and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover artwork © Michael King McGee 2011
Photograph of Petra tu Romiou © Alexander Milligan 2010