Elena listened in silence. Put like that it sounded so reasonable. But what about me, she wanted to ask. Where do I stand in this, What about my feelings?
"Then, out of the blue,” Yvonne continued, “he meets you. A defensive, easily-hurt person, who’s also uncomfortable with her looks and size. You know it’s true, Elena. He must’ve felt that he needed to handle things very slowly and carefully if he was to find the right time to tell you about his mistress, and also to tell her about you. If he says he was going to talk about Chiara after the holiday, then I’d believe him. It's a difficult matter under any circumstances, and you have to admit, however you found out, you would’ve taken it badly ...”
Elena had to accept that her friend was just speaking frankly. After all, it was the only way Yvonne knew how to be.
“The only important thing to ask yourself is, are you still in love with him and did you really mean to finish it when you told him to go?”
Elena admitted that she was broken hearted about how everything had turned out and that she was still in love with Guy, however, she didn't feel that she could go back to him and ask to try again either. It was still too raw, and she just couldn't cope if he turned her down.
“Well then,” Yvonne said. “If you want my advice, sit back, do nothing at the moment and try to calm down. But if he does contact you again, for goodness sake don't mess it up. If you want this man, he comes with a lot of baggage. You’d have to accept that. Come back to work next week, and try to get some normality back into your life.”
Yvonne sat back and finished her wine. How glad Elena was that she had such a good friend who would listen to all her problems and just offer advice without judging her.
§
That night she tried again to ring Josh, but his phone was still switched off. She rang her parents, putting on a cheerful front in answer to their questions, then asking whether Josh had been in contact. But they’d not heard from him for over two weeks, they said.
She begun to worry slightly, and searched the flat to see exactly what he’d taken. His guitar and rucksack were missing, but strangely most of his clothes still appeared to be lying around in casual heaps. She recalled with apprehension his disappearance when he dropped out of uni, but tried to put it to the back of her mind. After all, she had enough of her own problems to worry about, without trying to keep track of her young brother, too.
It was another two days and several more attempted telephone calls before Elena finally came to the conclusion that Josh was missing again.
Chapter Eighteen
For the next week Elena tried to pull her life back together. She busied herself at work, and Yvonne suggested she might like to help with learning how to analyse the statistics. Elena knew that her boss was trying to keep her occupied to help keep her mind off her problems and she was grateful. No more was said about Guy, and she was glad Yvonne didn’t ask her how things were.
After work, a couple of evenings, she joined her colleagues at the wine bar; it was better than going straight home to an empty flat.
But the thought of Josh and where he might be was still a worm of anxiety niggling at the back of her mind.
She went carefully through all his possessions, emptying pockets and searching beneath the sofa where he usually slept for any clues. She found a few tickets to gigs, bus tickets and, more worryingly, his credit card. Surely he would have taken it with him? She emptied out a drawer in the kitchen which she’d allocated as a space for Josh to put any of his personal papers, but found only half used packets of cigarette papers, flyers for gigs and a card from the restaurant where he’d worked casual hours.
She made up her mind to do a bit of detective work, and on the way home from work she dropped by at the little Greek restaurant which had employed Josh for casual washing up work, to ask if he had been there lately. The manager seemed quite concerned.
“No, he supposed to work here, but not come,” he supplied.
“When did you last see him?” Elena asked, anxious to try and work out just how long Josh had been gone.
“About two weeks ago ... Wait, I ask wife.”
He disappeared into the kitchen at the back of the café for a moment.
“Did not come for nearly two weeks,” he said when he returned.
Elena thanked them and made her way back home. He could just be away at a music festival, she thought, but still, she had an uneasy feeling about his absence.
She looked again at all the flyers and posters she’d found advertising gigs in local pubs. She would go to each place and ask about Josh or any members of the band he played with, she decided. Surely someone must have seen him ...
It was in the third pub that Elena struck lucky. The young man behind the bar didn't recognise Josh's name but he said that the band – The Moon Dogs – had performed there about a month ago.
“They were good,” he smiled. “Really rough sounding, but very different.”
“Did you speak to any of them?” Elena asked. “Did they say they were going away for a festival?”
“No” The barman took a cloth and wiped the top of the bar. It was quiet in the pub and he turned his back on her to tidy away the clean glasses.
“Wait though,” he said, turning back to face Elena as a new memory surfaced. “I did sort of recognise one of the guys, maybe? Pete. If it was him, he drinks in The Lamb sometimes, up Fulham Road."
“Thanks,” Elena said, feeling a glimmer of hope at last. She turned to go.
“No good going this early,” he added. “The place doesn't liven up until about ten.”
§
She took a taxi to The Lamb that evening, and was there for just after ten. The place was obviously popular and Elena ordered a fruit juice, and chose a seat tucked into a corner where she had a good view of the door. She’d taken a newspaper and spread it out on the table in front of her. The last thing she wanted was for someone to start up a conversation; she just wanted to keep an eye on the door to see who came and went.
It was approaching eleven, and Elena was beginning to think that she must leave: she had to get up for work in the morning and didn't want to be too late getting home. She folded the paper and bent down to tuck it into her bag, but as she straightened up she saw a familiar shape at the bar.
It looked like Pete the drummer from the band. She remembered his long, fair hair and black leather jacket. She got up from her table band moved nearer, trying to get a close view.
“Excuse me,” she began. “Are you Pete from The Moon Dogs?”
“Yes,” he replied, turned eagerly towards her, obviously expecting to see a teenage fan. But when he saw Elena, something crossed his face – a shadow, a look of concern – and he finished his drink quickly and turned away.
“Sorry, gotta go.”
He began making hurriedly for the door, but Elena was right behind him as he walked out onto the street.
“Wait!” she called after him. “Don't go. I just want to ask you something. I'm Josh's sister. You've been to the flat. I recognise you ...”
He was moving further away from her, increasing his speed to put distance between them. But Elena was not going to be shrugged off like this after all the trouble she’d taken to find him, so she ran and caught up with him, tugging at the sleeve of his jacket.
“I just want to know where Josh is,” she persisted. “Why hasn't he contacted me?”
The young man looked furtively around him, then gestured for Elena to follow him down a dark alley between two buildings. Normally she would have worried about stepping into such an isolated place at night, especially with someone she hardly knew, but her adrenalin was still pumping after the chase and she followed him.
“He's lying low at the moment,” Pete said quietly. “I can't tell you where exactly because he asked me not to tell anyone.”
“But I'm his sister,” she replied. “Are you in touch with him? Can you tell him I'm worried about him, at least? Whatever it is, I’ll try and help him.
Tell him he can't just hide away like this, whatever has happened.”
Pete appeared to consider the situation for a few moments, then spoke again. “Give us your phone number. I'll ask Josh if it is ok to tell you what's going on and if he says yes, I’ll ring you back on my phone. He's not using his. It's safer that way.”
Elena felt a chill run through her. This was more than just dropping out of uni. Whatever it was, it must be serious. She told Pete her mobile number and he keyed into his phone.
“It might be late before I call,” he said. “So wait up.”
Elena returned to the flat and locked the door. She realised she was trembling with emotion. What is happening to my life, she wondered. Everything was spiralling out of control and it felt like she had no one to turn to. She sat slumped on the old sofa, her phone resting on her lap, waiting.
It was after one when it finally rang, and Elena snatched it up eagerly.
“Hi, Pete here, just listen.”
“Okay,” Elena replied, relieved to have some contact at least. She restrained herself from asking questions.
“Josh said I can tell you this, so listen carefully. He’s staying away for a while, keeping his head down. Don't bother trying to ring as he has switched his mobile off. He’s got out of his depth. He’s been playing the fruit machines and thought he had found a way of beating the system. But he lost quite a bit of money and took out a loan which has gone now, too. And he owes money to people that he can't repay.”
Elena remained silent for a moment as she took in all this new information. But then the questions began tumbling through her mind.
“How could he get a loan? Why is he afraid?”
“Wait, wait,” Pete interrupted. “He went to some loan sharks. Dangerous people. And they want their money back, plus interest. He hasn't a chance in hell of paying it back.”
“So, he’s hiding?”
The awful truth was beginning to dawn on Elena; it was just like Josh to think he could invent a system to beat a gambling machine, and what a fool he was to borrow money that he could never repay! When would he learn, she thought. When would he grow up?
“How much does he owe exactly?”
There was a lengthy silence, and Elena thought for a moment that Pete had rung off.
“Over eight thousand quid, and the interest is building every week he doesn't pay.”
“Eight thousand! Is he really in danger?”
“Oh yes. These people want their money alright.” Pete replied. “Can't tell you any more at the moment.”
“Please, give me just a moment,” Elena pleaded. “Please tell Josh I’ll try and help him if I can think of a way. Tell him not to do anything silly, and just stay where he is. Pete, give me a day to think things over and see if there’s anything I can do? Please, will you ring me again tomorrow night so I can get a further message to Josh?”
Pete agreed that he would ring the next night, around ten.
Elena went to the fridge and poured herself a large glass of wine. Her hands were trembling and she sat down at the kitchen table with the glass in front of her, wondering what life was possibly going to throw at her next.
Josh was a fool, an irresponsible idiot, but he was her brother and, if possible, she had to try and help him one more time.
She considered the possibilities: she didn't have any savings herself as paying the rent, buying food and covering all the bills used up most of her salary. Her parents probably had a little put away in the bank for their retirement, but how could she approach them without telling them the rest of the story, too – that Josh had dropped out of uni some time ago, had no proper job and had borrowed beyond his means in order to gamble!
Her father would have a fit and her mother would catch the next train down to London, then probably have a breakdown on Elena's doorstep. No, it was impossible.
The best way would be to try and get a loan herself from the bank, but that couldn't be arranged immediately, and all the time the debt would be mounting, and until it was paid off Josh would remain in danger.
There was only one person she could appeal to for help, one person who had enough money to settle this debt straight away, one person who would know how to deal with the threat and take care of this whole sorry mess.
But could she bring herself contact him?
For some time Elena sat at the table sipping her wine, then she searched her handbag for the card that Guy had first given, back her when they’d discussed meeting on a Sunday morning. The card had his private mobile number, which he only gave out to a limited number of people. There it was, creased from being at the bottom of the bag, but could she really do this, even for Josh?
It was well after midnight and he could be anywhere in the world, but, at last, Elena wrote a simple message:
Need your help. Please. x
Chapter Nineteen
There was no response, although Elena waited up for the next hour. And at last she washed her wine glass, brushed her teeth and got into bed. For a while she read a paperback, the mobile resting on the pillow next to her, but eventually tiredness took over and she drifted off to sleep.
The noise of the phone woke her a few hours later. She reached for the mobile, clutching it to her as she answered the call.
“What is it that you need?”
Relief engulfed her as she sat up in bed, but Guy’s low, sonorous voice remained stern and business-like, with no hint of warmth or understanding. She could have been a complete stranger, the way he sounded.
“I'm so sorry to ask you,” Elena began, “but I didn't know where else to turn ...”
Guy cut off the preliminary talk. “Just tell me why you want help,” he stated coldly.
Taking a deep shivery breath, Elena tried to relay the story of Josh as briefly and calmly as she could. She knew there should be no dramatics or weeping; Guy obviously wanted just the facts, and nothing more.
He listened quietly as she ran through the series of events, finishing up with the fact that Pete would be ringing her back the next evening.
“And can you trust him, this Pete?” he asked.
“I have to,” Elena replied. “He's all I've got.”
There was a period of silence, and she began to think that Guy was reluctant to get involved. And honestly who could blame him? He’d never met Josh, and at their last meeting she’d said everything was over between them.
“Listen,” he replied. “This is what will happen. When Pete rings, tell him to come to your flat tomorrow, around midnight. In the meantime pack some things for your brother. Just the minimum of clothes, but no phone, passport, cards, money or anything that could identify him. Put the things in a supermarket bag, not a case or rucksack. Have you got all that?”
“Yes, but...”
Guy cut her off. “Just after midnight a mini cab will arrive at the flat, and Pete is to get in with the bag and direct the driver to wherever Josh is staying. Then they’ll pick up Josh, and Pete must go home and keep quiet about this whole thing.”
Another short pause. Elena could feel her heart drumming hard in her chest as she waited for Guy to continue.
“Josh will be taken somewhere where I can talk to him and get all the details direct from him,” he said. “I’ll expect him to be totally honest with me. After that I’ll arrange for him to go away for a while until I sort everything out.”
“I'll pay you back,” she cut in. “I'll try to get a loan from the bank.”
“Just leave it to me,” he replied. “And it will be sorted.”
There was so much more that Elena wanted to say: to thank him for helping, to apologise for running away from Sorrento, to tell him that she missed him, but he had already rung off, and so all she could do now was follow his instructions.
§
It all went smoothly the next night. Pete waited by the window for the mini cab to arrive, the shopping bag of clothes clutched tightly in his hand. As soon as he spotted the taxi, he was off down the stairs and Ele
na watched as he got into the cab, which immediately drove away.
It was out of her hands. There was nothing more she could do but wait for Josh to come back, and that could be a few weeks.
She agonised about whether she should send a thank you text to Guy, but decided to leave it. He was already using his time to sort out her family problems and she didn't want to bother him any further.
Once again Elena tried to get back into a routine. She cleaned the flat from top to bottom, got up early so that she was first in the office, and tried to pick up some sort of social life with her friends from work.
From time to time she wondered if Guy would contact her, to let her know if all was well with Josh, or even if Josh might be allowed to telephone her.
But there was nothing. She would just have to be patient and wait.
Elena knew that the strain of the past weeks was beginning to show. She was comfort eating on chocolate and cream cakes, and had begun to replace those pounds she’d lost with all the swimming when she was on the boat.
She bought more wine, too, and got through a whole bottle by herself most evenings. And her golden tan was fading; she looked tired and pasty.
A Fragile Heart (BBW Billionaire Light Romance) Page 9