The Deadline Series Boxset

by Wendy Soliman

  ‘Right, okay, well, that’s good.’ He offered Fay a detached smile. ‘So, that just leaves the business of Natalie’s will.’

  Fay looked shocked. ‘She made a will?’

  ‘Indeed. She owned this cottage outright, along with all its contents. She had a healthy bank balance and thriving business.’ Denton paused and leaned forward to hold Fay’s gaze. ‘She left all of it to you.’

  Alexi’s smile was as spontaneous as it was heartfelt. Fay, on the other hand, looked to be on the verge of passing out. Alexi reached across and took her hand. It was ice cold.

  ‘Me?’ Fay shook her head. ‘But she must have hated me for…’

  ‘Evidently not,’ Denton replied. ‘But there is one major stipulation.’

  ‘Of course.’ Fay seemed to shrink in on herself, as though she expected someone to jump out from behind a chair and yell got ya! ‘If Mr Seaton has any dealings with Natalie’s property, then the will is revoked and everything is left to charity. I have been appointed as administrator of this rather unusual bequest. I am to have full access to all accounts, and to the property and business without prior appointment. If I find this clause has been circumvented or abused in any way I have the power to revoke the bequest and evict you from the premises.’ He smiled to take the sting out of his words. ‘I hope that won’t prove to be necessary and I’m sorry to sound so blunt, but Natalie was adamant.’

  ‘I’m sure she was,’ Alexi muttered when Fay didn’t immediately respond.

  Fay glanced at Alexi, her eyes glassy with shock. ‘She didn’t hate me,’ she said dazedly. ‘She didn’t forget me. She wants me to have all this.’

  Fay burst into tears. Alexi smiled at Denton, who fidgeted in his chair and looked most uncomfortable, the way men do when women cry in their presence.

  ‘She was offering you a way out,’ Alexi explained when Fay’s sobs subsided. ‘She probably knew you would never leave him otherwise, or that he wouldn’t let you and you had no independent means to make it happen.’

  ‘She left this for you.’

  Denton stood up, handed Fay a sealed envelope and prepared to take his leave. ‘If you have no further questions, ladies, I ought to be going.’

  Alexi could see that Fay had a great many but was too stunned to voice them. Instead she fingered the envelope Denton had given her, clearly wanting to open it but afraid to do so. Alexi gave her some privacy by showing Denton to the door and then wandering around the back in search of Cosmo. She found him stretched full length in a patch of sun, ever optimistic, beneath the bird feeder.

  ‘They won’t come if you make yourself so obvious,’ she told him absently, her head full of Natalie’s bequest.

  She and Cosmo stayed in the sun for a good ten minutes before they wandered together into the sitting room. Fay had the letter open and was clutching it between trembling fingers.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Alexi asked tentatively.

  Fay looked up, a combination of relief and sadness clouding her expression. ‘She explains it all,’ she said. ‘How excited she was to go to that damned awards dinner with her father, and how confused she was by what he did to her once she got there. She believed him, you know. She was convinced it was her own fault, that she’d encouraged him in some way and that I would think less of her, if I believed her at all. When she was old enough to realise it hadn’t been her fault, she was already working as an escort and was ashamed of what she’d become.’ Fay’s eyes flared with anger. ‘As though that was her fault!’

  ‘She wanted you to be proud of her.’

  ‘She says she could have lied to me about what she did for a living. A lot of the other girls were able to deceive their families, but she preferred to keep her distance rather than for there to be more secrets between us.’ Fay sighed. ‘She was planning to contact me once she’d concluded her business with her natural father. She was blackmailing him and Gerry, not for herself but so she would have enough money for me to be able to move in here with her if I wanted to and help with her business.’

  ‘She knows you would have liked that, I expect, which is why she designed the garden to your specification.’

  ‘Do you think so?’ Fay’s eyes were again streaming with tears, but she had the presence of mind to keep the precious letter clear of the waterworks.

  ‘I’m absolutely sure of it.’

  ‘What I would give for her to have been able to do so without sacrificing her life.’ Fay sighed. ‘She didn’t need to blackmail anyone.’

  ‘She needed to exact revenge before she could move on,’ Alexi replied quietly. ‘I’m glad she did it with your interests front and centre. It shows just how much she valued you.’

  ‘Foolish child! She should have told me all this years ago. I would have left Gerry in a heartbeat and lived with her in a hovel if necessary.’

  ‘She probably only remembers the big house and the fact that you were accustomed to the best of everything.’

  Fay placed a hand over her heart, looking appalled. ‘Don’t say she got herself killed trying to live up to the standards she thought I expected.’

  Alexi touched Fay’s shoulder. ‘I’ve already told you. She did what she needed to do for her own peace of mind, aiming to help you at the same time.’

  ‘Yes, I think perhaps you’re right.’ Fay folded the letter, placed it back in the envelope and zipped it into a separate compartment in her bag. ‘I feel as if a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.’

  ‘You should. None of this was your fault. A lot of mothers don’t realise anything is untoward in their family when the patriarch does the unthinkable because…well, because they simply can’t imagine loving someone who would do such a terrible thing. You’re certainly not alone in that respect.’

  ‘Even so, I should have known,’ Fay said stubbornly. ‘I should have sensed it.’

  ‘It all happened so quickly. Natalie didn’t hang around long enough for you to pick up any signs.’

  ‘No, she was very strong willed. I suppose, in some ways, I’m glad she knew her own mind. It saved her from more suffering, although what she went through after that—’

  ‘Shush. Don’t get worked up. I’ll introduce you to the lady who took Natalie under her wing when she ran for the second time. She can tell you a lot more about her and put your mind at rest.’

  ‘Thank you, Alexi. You know all the right things to say.’

  ‘What shall you do now?’ Alexi asked.

  ‘Why, what Natalie wanted me to do, of course. I shall move in here and take over her business. And I shall still sue my husband for divorce and take him for every penny I can.’ She tossed her head. ‘I’m not quite the doormat he takes me for. I’ve always known how much we’re worth and where all his bank accounts are. Even the ones he thinks are secret. Especially those. I shall make my daughter proud of me, you just see if I don’t.’

  Alexi believed her.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  ‘What do you think?’ Alexi asked.

  Cheryl grinned. ‘I think it’s perfect for you. The garden’s big enough for Cosmo to stake his claim but not too big for you to manage.’

  ‘Or I can get a man in.’ Alexi grinned. ‘I’m not that much of a changed character. A window-box still stretches my horticultural abilities.’

  ‘Well, the important thing is that the cottage is just right, and you’ll have the fun of furnishing it from scratch.’

  ‘Yes, I’m glad I let my London loft furnished. All that glass, chrome and leather wouldn’t be right in here.’

  The friends joined Cosmo on the patio and sat in the sun, enjoying a moment’s peace and quiet. It was the first they’d had for some time. In the two weeks since Natalie’s funeral, life had been hectic. Fay was doing okay. She’d moved into Natalie’s cottage and taken over her business. A girl from the village, good at floral design, was doing the arrangements while Fay did what she did best and concentrated on ensuring the garden thrived. Business was brisk; partly morbid curiosi
ty, Alexi suspected, but if the product was good enough, presumably some of those customers would stick.

  But, most importantly from Alexi’s perspective, Fay seemed to be at peace with herself at last. It showed in a dozen little ways and every time Alexi saw her, she seemed stronger. The healing process had finally begun after a hiatus of almost thirty years.

  The funeral itself had been conducted in accordance with Natalie’s wishes. Gerald Seaton created quite a fuss, wanting to attend. Fay had told him he would be bodily removed if he attempted it, right in front of the press contingent covering the event. The threat was enough to keep him away. Denton was there to ensure fair play. Athena De Bois attended and Alexi saw her and Fay in deep conversation at the small reception held at Hopgood House afterwards. Darren Walker, the man Natalie had dated three times, was also invited. He and Fay had a great deal to say to one another, too, and Alexi understood they’d arranged to have dinner together soon. Alexi was glad. Fay was already making new friends and building an independent life for herself.

  Fay had insisted that Alexi write Natalie’s story. At first lukewarm about the idea, it had grown on Alexi. She needed to do something while she decided on her future, and this was a story that needed to be told. She already had a publisher interested.

  Patrick had been down, they’d had dinner together and she had told him his offer of employment was a no-go. He seemed sad yet resigned, still convinced she would have enough of the country sooner rather than later and promising to keep the offer open for her indefinitely. When she was ready he would make it happen. Somehow.

  She diverted him by pitching a story to him that she really did want to write—a three-part series for the Sentinel focusing on the effects of incest on its victims and how it impacted upon the rest of their lives. She had two such people willing to contribute. One who had put it behind her and moved on, one who had been in and out of therapy for years and couldn’t get past it, and Natalie, the avenging angel. The world now knew of Alexi’s involvement in Natalie’s case and it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to piece together the part Gerald had played in it, even if she couldn’t actually name him or Natalie in the article. It would be the ultimate revenge—the ultimate closure—for Fay.

  And for Natalie, too.

  She still thought Seaton was getting off too lightly, and fumed because she couldn’t do more to name and shame him. He’d ruined Natalie’s life but was now doing the media rounds, painting himself as a victim. Natalie’s murder had broken up his marriage and it was all Fuller’s fault. Fay was furious. She knew he was doing it to get back at her. He would have to agree to her terms for the divorce and couldn’t claim a half-share of her inheritance, off-setting it against what he must pay her, partly because she’d sued for divorce before she knew of the inheritance. Also because the terms of the inheritance precluded him having any part of it. How well Natalie must have understood his rapacious nature.

  Seaton continued to plague Fay with entreaties, promises and then threats in his determination to get her back. In the end she had threatened him with a restraining order and since then he’d gone deathly quiet.

  Cheryl and Alexi tore themselves from the sunny patio and re-joined the letting agent who was patiently waiting for them in the sitting room.

  ‘I’ll take it,’ Alexi told him. ‘How soon can I move in?’

  Having told the agent she would call at his office to sign the lease agreement the following day, Alexi drove Cheryl back to Hopgood House.

  ‘Oh, God!’ Cheryl shuddered when she heard shouting coming from the kitchen. ‘I’d better go and see what’s wrong this time.’

  ‘Leave him to it,’ Alexi said, heading for the kitchen. ‘You’ll only encourage his bad behaviour otherwise. Come on, I’ll make us a cup of tea.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Cheryl said, when Alexi placed a cup in front of her a short time later.

  ‘What’s happening about the annexe?’ Alexi asked. ‘Any news about the future of Fuller’s yard?’

  ‘More owners have withdrawn their horses,’ Cheryl replied. ‘And some of the lads have already been poached.’

  ‘What will you do?’

  Cheryl sighed. ‘I wish I knew.’

  ‘Are you up for suggestions?’

  ‘Speak!’

  ‘We…ll, I was just wondering if you’ve considered using your lovely home as a retreat.’

  ‘Conferences, you mean?’ Alexi nodded. ‘We don’t have the facilities. Besides, most conferences are at weekends and that’s when we’re busiest.’

  ‘Not necessarily. I shall be living down here and I happen to know a lot of people who’d pay through the nose to attend journalist workshops hosted by yours truly, modesty notwithstanding. And I have other colleagues from different aspects of the business who would probably contribute. Then there are creative writing retreats, stuff like that. With the right marketing, it could work.’

  ‘I’ll talk to Drew about it, but I already know he’s desperate enough to try anything.’

  ‘And what about the annexe? Do you really want to keep that monstrosity?’

  ‘Of course not, but—’

  ‘Why not replace it with a proper extension, in keeping with the main part of the house?’

  Cheryl flashed a sarcastic smile. ‘And pay for it, how?’

  ‘Hear me out.’ Alexi paused to sip at her tea. ‘You don’t want the tennis courts back. They’re a pain in the backside to maintain and no one used them anyway. You said that yourself. But, you could have a lovely conference centre on that site, use aged bricks so it blends in better with the main building, get landscape gardeners to put in courtyards and pretty little bits…and, I don’t know, but I’m sure you get my drift.’

  Cheryl shrugged. ‘There’s no harm in dreaming.’

  ‘Hey, pay attention, I’m serious. I was thinking of Marcel and how to keep him. His star’s in the ascendency, so lots of wanna-be chefs would pay good money to come here and be yelled at by him.’ She spread her hands. ‘It takes all sorts. Anyway, you could open your restaurant at lunchtimes and flog their efforts cheaply enough to attract a crowd.’ Alexi grinned. ‘A crowd who would stump up for wine to accompany the food. Marcel could boss his students about and feel important, and you could reap the benefits.’

  ‘It’s a lovely idea, Alexi, but it would cost a fortune to build the conference centre and finish it to the required standard. We just can’t—’

  ‘No, but I can.’

  ‘Seriously?’ Cheryl blinked. ‘Why would you?’

  ‘I need an investment opportunity. My flat in town has already been let for twice the amount I’ll be paying in rent down here; I have the money I inherited from my mum sitting in the bank earning diddly squat; my redundancy pay-out has nothing to do, and now the publishers are talking a hefty advance for Natalie’s story.’

  Cheryl swallowed, looking warily interested. ‘You really are serious?’ She covered Alexi’s hand, and then leaned forward to kiss her cheek. ‘Thank you, but even if we were tempted, it would be years before we could repay you.’

  ‘Hey, I’m not an easy touch. If you go into business with friends, it needs to be on an official footing. I’d want a binding contract that allowed you to pay back my capital in a timescale that wouldn’t keep you awake at night and pay me a handsome dividend from the profits.’

  ‘You’re overwhelming me, Alexi. I can’t—’

  ‘Think about it. Talk to Drew.’

  ‘What if Marcel decides to leave anyway?’

  ‘His ego won’t allow it. Anyway, you might want to offer him a share in the profits, which would bind him in.’

  Cheryl caught an errant tear on her forefinger as it trickled down her face. ‘Why would you do this, Alexi?’

  ‘I know a good opportunity when I see one. Besides, someone has to take care of my godchild’s interests.’

  Cheryl grinned. ‘The idea has merit but it’s so ambitious it takes my breath away. Still, if you really mean it, I’ll definitely r
un it past Drew.’

  ***

  Alexi drove to her new home, Cosmo in his usual place on the passenger seat. She was feeling upbeat and positive about the direction her life had taken. The furniture van arrived at the same time as she did. Within an hour her new abode was tastefully furnished and Alexi was left alone to make up her new bed with the Egyptian cotton sheets she’d purchased the day before. She hummed as she worked, telling herself it didn’t matter that she hadn’t seen Tyler since the funeral. It was definitely better that way. Out of sight, and out of mind. Well, he was definitely out of sight. The second part might take some work, but she’d get there.

  ‘There,’ she said aloud, standing back to admire her handiwork. Her bed with its brass bedstead looked pretty good with her mother’s patchwork quilt spread across it. It was in perfect keeping with the style of the room and Alexi already loved it. ‘Now for those damned curtains.’

  Alexi had purchased new curtains that were too long for the window. She sat on a stool, her mouth full of pins and attacked the hems. Having got them to clear the floor, she pulled them across and stood to examine them with a critical eye. ‘Perfect,’ she said aloud.

  ‘My thoughts exactly.’

  Alexi almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of a male voice coming from the open doorway directly behind her. She would know that voice anywhere.

  ‘Tyler,’ she said, turning slowly, trying not to smile and failing miserably. ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘Came to see how you were doing.’ he said, bending to scratch Cosmo’s ears as the big cat wound himself around Tyler’s legs.

  ‘You know me, Maddox. Self-sufficiency is my middle name.’

  ‘I just stopped by at Cheryl’s. She said you were here.’

  ‘Yes.’ Alexi looked down at her feet, feeling tense, unsure what to say. He still hadn’t said what he was doing here.

  ‘How’s Fay?’ he asked.

  ‘Fay’s doing really well. She looks ten years younger. Seaton’s been pestering her to go back to him, trying to convince her she doesn’t need Natalie’s bequest and doesn’t want to divorce him.’