‘Let’s go for a coffee and I’ll tell you. I’m paying.’
‘Can you afford it?’
‘Two coffees? Yes. We just got paid, and I want to treat you.’
‘If you’re sure. Thanks.’
‘Plus, I have something else to tell you and I can’t figure it out. It’s been bugging me, and I need your super-sleuth brain.’
‘Intriguing!’ Hannah checked over her shoulder one more time in case Mr Bale was about to burst out of the toilets. ‘Let’s go.’
Giggling, they ran towards the exit, abandoning their tabards along the way.
‘Thanks for this.’ Hannah gestured towards her coffee and the piece of rocky road that Lottie had bought her.
‘You’re very welcome. You’ve bought me so much.’ It was wonderful to be able to pay with her bank card, and know it wasn’t going to be rejected. Lottie had finally learnt the joys of pay day. ‘It really means a lot more to buy a friend a treat when you’ve earned the money yourself. I never had a clue before. When all my money came from my parents, it meant nothing to buy people presents. That’s one thing I have discovered by being poor.’
‘Well, I appreciate it. Just when you think you can’t get anything better than a chocolate brownie, they invent a chocolate brownie with marshmallows in it!’ Hannah bit into her rocky road. Waiting until her mouth was no longer full, she asked, ‘What’re you going to tell me about first? The job you’ve applied for, or the freaky thing you can’t fathom out?’
‘The job won’t take long. Basically, I saw an advert for a person to work at an independent auction house. It’s called Hastings. It’s on the High Street, by Waitrose.’
Hannah nodded; her mouth once again full.
‘Not actually valuing the items, but doing admin, moving stuff about, talking to customers. And I figured I could do all that. I grew up surrounded by beautiful, expensive objects. I know what goes with what. I didn’t tell you this before, but I went back to Mulberry House once, about a month after Vincent threw me out. I had a little look through the window, and that tosser had bought a load of new stuff. I knew straight away that it didn’t match. He was too primitive to realise he’d been sold a pile of shite. But I knew. As soon as I saw that job advertised, I realised I’ve been wasting my talents. I was so convinced I had nothing to offer an employer. I’ve been doing our job because I thought there was nothing else out there for me. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying it’s a bad job. I’m not being snobby, I’m just saying that, in reality, there’s more to me than I gave myself credit for. I think getting to know you has given me the confidence to apply for something a bit different.’
‘Well I’ll drink to that!’ Hannah raised her oversized coffee mug.
‘Seriously. Growing up, most of my friendships were superficial. Apart from Jennifer, who took me in when I was desperate – I can’t fault her. But even she didn’t really know me. I think hanging out with you has brought out the person who was deep inside.’
‘That’s one of the nicest things anyone’s ever said to me.’ Hannah’s face flushed. ‘Now, tell me the other thing. I’m well and truly titillated.’
Lottie took a sip of her coffee, then held the warm mug in her hands for comfort. ‘Well, this is the thing. I picked up the application form for the job on Friday lunchtime, and I thought I’d go to the café at the top of the High Street to fill it in. No point going all the way back home. And I wanted to hand it back as soon as possible, so I didn’t lose my nerve.’
‘Fair enough.’
‘I was sitting outside the café, making a small latte last as long as possible, and trying my hardest to concoct a decent employment history.’
‘Not easy.’ Hannah grinned.
‘I know! Anyway, I looked over at the gastro pub across the road, No. 21 – you know, the one they just did up. It used to be The Two Bishops.’
‘Oh God, yeah. I remember being called to a couple of shouts there during my short career. It made me laugh when they spent a fortune redesigning it. It’s the same old thugs, having the same old fights about the same old rubbish, just with a nicer backdrop!’
‘Exactly.’ Lottie agreed. ‘Anyway, the smoking bit out the front was full of blokes, all being stupid, messing about and pushing each other, as men do.’
Hannah pulled a face. ‘Yet another reason why I don’t bother with them.’
‘Very wise. Where was I? Oh yeah, I noticed that a couple of them were the lads who used to camp in the meadow. You remember?’
‘How could I forget?’
‘I can’t remember all of them, but some stood out more than others. There was Jayden, the gobby one, Clint, the skinny one.’
‘They sound like the Spice Girls.’
‘Ha ha. But, now, this is the thing …’
Hannah smiled. ‘It’s about time we got to the thing.’
‘One of the lads with them was Chen.’
‘Chen?’
‘I know. It’s an unusual name. He’s Spanish or Argentinian or something. He used to work at the stables for my dad. He’s good-looking. Very fit – think Peter Andre’s abs in that video.’
‘I must remind you; men are really not my bag.’
Lottie continued without seeming to take a breath. ‘Like I say, when I knew him, and I knew him really well, he had this dodgy accent and an exceptionally poor command of the English language.’
‘To be fair, if he’s Spanish or—’
‘I know what you’re going to say, but that’s not what I’m getting at. Listen, when he was shouting at his friends in the smoking area the other day, he had a local Hampshire accent.’
‘Well, it can’t have been him then.’
‘Han, I’m telling you, he was just a few feet away and I do know him …’ Lottie raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, saying again, ‘Really well!’
Screwing up her nose, Hannah asked, ‘You think he was putting on that accent before?’
‘Yes. He must’ve been. But why?’
‘Maybe he thought it would help him to get into your knickers. And, let’s be honest, it sounds like he was right.’
‘No way. I didn’t sleep with him because of his accent; I slept with him in spite of it! It was the most annoying thing ever.’
‘You reckon he’s actually local?’
‘Yes. Now I’ve seen him with all the boys from the youth club, I think I remember him being one of them. It was a long time ago and they were all just little boys, so obviously he’s changed. But when they were all messing about and he was right there in the middle of it, I just …’ Lottie shook her head.
‘You’re saying one of the boys came back to your dad’s estate, after testosterone had done its thing and changed him beyond all recognition. He faked a dodgy foreign accent and got a job working in the stables?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why?’
‘I have no idea. That’s where I thought you might come in handy.’
54
Hannah – 2019
Hannah updated her website. Under the section entitled ‘Client Comments’ she added a quote from Cristina. It had to be anonymous, that was obvious, but it felt great to be able to put, ‘This agency found my missing relative when I had lost all hope. I am so grateful and would recommend them to anyone.’ Hannah thought how funny it was that people were only told what they needed to hear. Whoever read that would assume the anonymous person was delighted to be reunited with their family member. They would imagine a fantastic scene, such as they’d watched on various Find my family television programmes. They would have no idea that the anonymous woman harboured great hatred for her long-lost brother, and had only sought to find him out of some bizarre sense of obligation due to their mother’s terminal illness. Oh well, it made the website look good and it meant at least one of the quotes wasn’t entirely made up.
Hannah’s phone pinged to announce a message. Picking it up, she was pleased to see that Lottie’s interview had gone well. She instantly replied, ‘Great news!�
� and added to it a couple of rows of crossed finger emojis.
Lottie’s next text came through. ‘Can I pop round or are you busy?’
Hannah replied, ‘Of course. You’re welcome any time.’
Hannah handed Lottie a coffee and a tuna sandwich. ‘Are you sure that’s all you want? We’ve got crisps, fruit, biscuits … you only have to say if you want something.’
‘I know. But this is great, thanks. I love tuna; we were never allowed it at home. Too common, my mum said. What have you got in yours?’
‘It’s nachos.’
‘What?’
‘It’s nachos.’
‘In a sandwich?’
‘Yeah. As in – it’s nat yows, it’s mine.’
‘Jesus! By any chance, is that one of your dad’s finest?’
‘Yep. You can tell I’ve been living here too long. I need to get out!’
Lottie laughed. ‘What’s really in it?’
‘Chicken and cucumber. But that’s not funny.’
‘Neither was nachos!’
‘Just trying to provide some light entertainment.’
‘You’re a marvellous host.’
Hannah gave a nod of thanks. ‘So, the interview went well.’
‘It couldn’t have gone any better. I was so nervous for the first minute or so, and then we just started talking about antiques and art and … oh, I don’t know, it just flowed. It felt so right to be talking about things that I know. Things that matter to me. I somehow managed to gloss over the whole “Vincent stole all my parents’ money” thing, and just made a point of saying I’d grown up in a house full of antiques. The boss, Bernard, showed me the storage rooms, the office, where they make their tea, everything. That’s a good sign, isn’t it?’
‘That he showed you around? Yes, I should say so. It means you’re a definite contender.’
‘I hope so. I can’t tell you how much I want this job.’
‘Well, like I said in my text, I’ll keep my fingers crossed.’
‘Yes. All twenty of them!’
‘Is the pay good?’
‘Not brilliant. But better than I’m currently earning. Which would be a great help.’ Lottie’s face fell.
‘What’s up?’
‘Oh, sod it, I might as well tell you. You’ll work it out soon enough when I start smelling bad.’
Sometimes it was hard to fathom Lottie out. ‘What are you on about?’
‘They cut off my gas. I’ve got no hot water for a bath. I had to boil the kettle and have a wash in the sink before my interview today.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me it was getting that bad?’
‘I didn’t want you to know. I’m not exactly proud of it.’ Lottie shuffled awkwardly in her seat.
‘Don’t be daft. I care about you. I hate to think of you standing naked in a freezing bathroom.’
‘Are you saying I’m ugly?’
‘No. You know what I mean, stupid!’
‘Yeah. I’m just kidding. It’s laugh or cry at the moment.’
Hannah got up and placed her arm around her friend’s shoulders. ‘Will you let me help?’
‘Oh no, honestly. I couldn’t. The bill on its own was enough, but now there’ll be a reconnection charge too. It’s relentless. It’s been one step forward and two steps back ever since that thieving …’ Lottie began to cry. ‘See, I told you it was laugh or cry.’
‘I want to help. So do Mum and Dad. I have an idea how my family could make a difference.’
Lottie tore off a piece of kitchen roll and blew her nose. ‘What is it?’
‘We have a spare room here. You could move in, and maybe just pay a tiny bit of rent to Mum and Dad. That way you’d get some money behind you. I haven’t seen your flat—’
‘Too right. And you’re not going to either.’
‘Why not let me see it just once? When I come to help you move out. What do you think?’
‘What about your mum and dad?’
‘They’ll be fine with it,’ Hannah insisted.
‘You’re sure?’
‘Yeah. Besides, I kind of asked them already.’
‘Shit, this is so embarrassing.’
‘It doesn’t have to be. They like you.’
‘But they hardly know me.’
Hannah sat back down. After a moment’s thought, she said, ‘What you need to understand is this. When Dawn died and I got kicked out of the police, I was so down. The first thing I felt as soon as I opened my eyes each morning was guilt. I couldn’t breathe for it. And it wasn’t just the guilt that was suffocating me, there was also the loss. I’d wanted that career for so long. It took me weeks just to accept that I was never going back. Even starting my website didn’t really help. For the first few months no one even looked at the stupid thing. My dad joked to cover up his concerns, and my mum just worried – they were almost as lost as I was. Then I met you, and I started coming home and telling them all about you, and how I wanted to help you to find Vincent, and gradually I felt a change.’
Lottie stopped crying and her face broke into a smile.
Hannah continued, ‘I had a sense of purpose, and you gave that to me. You gave me something to think about; you showed me my life wasn’t over. I don’t know how to thank you for that. Mum and Dad saw that change and they were so grateful to you, because you gave them their daughter back. Besides, since we found our missing person, Dad thinks we’re Cagney and Lacey. And he bloody loves Cagney and Lacey!’
‘I’ve never really been a positive influence on anyone before.’ Lottie choked on her words. ‘It makes me very prou …’ She couldn’t finish her sentence.’ ‘But …’
‘What?’
‘It doesn’t stop me from being mortified that you had to ask them if I could move in. Like some bloody charity case.’ Lottie finished the last bite of her sandwich and put the plate in the bubbly hot water in the washing up bowl.
‘It’s no big deal. They have a spare room and they want to help you. Just as you’d help me. I know you would. Back when you were rich, you’d have helped out little Hannah Sandlin, wouldn’t you?’
‘The awful thing is, I probably wouldn’t have. I was a stuck up, selfish bitch when I was younger.’
‘Right.’ Hannah was momentarily taken aback. ‘Umm … but you’ll help me when you’re rich again.’
‘When will that be?’
‘When you’re running Sotheby’s or Christies or whatever.’
‘Okay. But when I am rich you have to let me pay you and your parents back for everything. Promise!’
‘Perfect.’
‘You’re absolutely sure they’ll be okay with it?’
‘Yes. Let’s go and get your stuff packed up.’
‘Now?’
‘Can you think of a better time?’
‘I don’t know. Tomorrow maybe?’
‘Bearing in mind that means another flannel wash in the morning?’
‘Sold! Let’s go.’ Lottie grinned.
It was odd waking up to find Lottie in the bathroom. Not bad odd, just odd. Hannah was so pleased to hear her friend singing her way through a scorching hot shower. She often thought about how difficult life must’ve been for Lottie since Vincent stole everything from her. It made her blood boil. As much as she’d assured her friend she wouldn’t let her harm the prick, she couldn’t be 100% sure that when the time came, and they were face to face with him, she wouldn’t decide to have a pop at him herself.
Calling through the door, she said, ‘Hurry up in there.’
Lottie’s voice came back through the sound of running water, ‘Sorry. Am I holding someone up?’
‘No. Not at all. But I have some news for you, and I think you’re going to want to hear it.’
A few minutes later, Lottie emerged in a cloud of steam, dressed in a bathrobe and rubbing her hair with a towel. ‘Wow, that shower is amazing!’
‘I know. Mum chose it. It’s a power shower and then some. I’m glad you like it here.’
/> ‘Who wouldn’t? That reminds me, I must thank your parents for paying the gas bill for me. If my scumbag of a landlord gives me back any of my deposit, I’ll be able to settle up with them soon.’
‘No rush.’
‘Thank God for the Sandlins!’ Lottie made her way into her new bedroom, closely followed by Hannah.
‘Yes, yes, yes, we’re all amazing. Now, sit down and let me tell you something Paul found out for me.’ Hannah patted the bed, which was covered in a beautiful lilac and silver throw, bought yesterday by her mum, especially for the new lodger.
‘What is it?’
‘You remember the boy who used to camp in your meadow and then came back to work in your dad’s stables?’
‘Chen.’
‘Ahh yes, Chen. But was he called Chen when he was a kid?’
‘Huh? I suppose so. But I don’t really know. I told you, I never knew all their names back then. They were mostly just silly little boys who came in to use the toilet and annoy me.’
‘I had Paul do some digging for me. He’s local and he knew the boys you were talking about. The lad you had your fling with is the only Mediterranean one in the group, right?’
‘Yeah. He’s the best looking by far.’
‘I’m sure he is. Only the best for Lottie.’ Hannah laughed. ‘Anyway, that phony accent of his – was he trying to sound Italian by any chance?’
‘Could’ve been. But the accent was as dodgy as fuck.’
‘Well, I can tell you that his mum is English, but his dad was Italian. Sadly, he left before his son’s second birthday, so they didn’t get the chance to know each other. Your stable lad was friends with all the other boys when he was little, and he did used to go to the boys’ youth club, so he probably camped in your meadow countless times.’
‘I told you. I just had a hunch.’
‘And …’ Hannah paused for effect, ‘although his dad was Italian, he definitely doesn’t have an accent. He’s as local as me and you.’
‘He can’t be!’
‘He is. I told you, Paul knows them.’
Swindled (The Sandlin PI Series Book 1) Page 19