‘… Liar!’
‘Sorry?’
‘Oh! Dr Donovan! I’m sorry… I’ve brought in some of Jonah… Robert’s things.’ Another wave of panic, this time accompanied by nausea. ‘How is he?’
‘He’s recovering from the surgery very well. And we’re optimistic about his prognosis. The indications are that we’ll be able to release him from the coma in the next few days. He’ll continue to be sedated, but we will then be in a position to assess any long-term damage arising from the brain trauma.’
Sophie could feel the nausea getting worse, her throat closing over. Clearly there were outward signs of her crisis.
‘Ms Denham, shall we step outside. It can be quite airless in here.’ Dr Donovan ushered her into the corridor.
She did not turn to take a last look at Jonah but instead garnered her strength to ask, ‘Dr Donovan, will Robert be able to care for himself once he leaves here?’
Dr Donovan bowed his head slightly to look at her, a movement that suggested he was in the habit of wearing spectacles. ‘Mr Perrin is likely to require some period of rehabilitation, after which he might need a degree of assistance.’ He folded his arms. ‘I gather there is a certain confusion over his permanent address?’
Sophie saw no virtue in denial. ‘He was leaving me and our daughter when the accident occurred. I’ve since discovered that he’s married and has two other daughters. I have to presume that he was returning to his wife.’ She paused to breathe. ‘I intend to contact Mrs Perrin and offer my help in transferring his things to his family home.’ The statement had exhausted her but at least it seemed to have driven away the nausea.
Dr Donovan cast a glance towards the side room. ‘Obviously, we are not able to involve ourselves in Mr Perrin’s private circumstances. However, we will do what we can to prepare him to return to his previous life, however complex he may have made it. Will you continue to concern yourself with his recovery?’
‘Yes, but I’ll have a better idea of my involvement when I’ve spoken to his wife.’
Dr Donovan nodded sagely. ‘Ms Denham, I wish you every good luck with that.’ He shook Sophie’s hand then left. Sophie walked over to take another look through the sheet of glass that now separated her from the man she had lived with through the better part of her twenties. She wondered why he had chosen her as the instrument of his adultery, feared it might be because he saw her as easily persuaded, easily deceived. Someone her grandad used to call a sucker.
Back on the ground floor, Sophie found May Barnet sitting with Sam and Laura. She had stopped smiling and was instead straight-faced, listening intently to what Sam was saying. Two empty coffee cups were on the table. Sam pulled out the chair next to him and Sophie sat down. She offered Mrs Barnet another coffee.
May Barnet waved her hand to signal no thank you – the hand waving was clearly an important means whereby she communicated. An attempted smile flickered across her face and was gone. ‘I’d better be getting along. Sophie, you have my contact details if you need me.’ She got to her feet. Sam jumped up, feigning his tall-person, apologetic stoop, which Sophie no longer found convincing. Mrs Barnet gave an abrupt nod and then, with a quick wave to Laura, she was away towards reception.
‘What did you say to her, Sam?’
‘What?’
‘It must have been something because you managed to obliterate the plastic smile.’
‘Well, I did get the impression she disapproved of the speed with which you have readily given your all to another man.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘Either that or she was full of regret that I was no longer available.’
Sophie shook her head. ‘You might be beginning to irritate me.’
‘Really?’
‘No. Let’s go home.’
Laura fell asleep as soon as they left the hospital complex so, whilst Sam was negotiating traffic, Sophie took the opportunity to interrogate him.
‘Did you sleep with many women when you were in Hong Kong?’
‘Only prostitutes. And they were mostly awake.’
‘Sam!’
‘I had a few girlfriends but I was always careful not to get involved.’
‘What about since you’ve been back?’
‘Ah, I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I did, till we loved?’
‘Don’t change the subject!’
Sam laughed. ‘I didn’t. I suppose this conversation was bound to happen, wasn’t it? But I thought I’d have more time to get my story straight. For your information, Ms Denham, I’ve had a few dating flings. I enjoyed the best part of a year entertaining a GP who I knew was moving to Canada to join her fiancé. And earlier this year I spent four blissful months with a visiting history lecturer who eventually returned to her husband in Durham. She nearly didn’t go but I managed to persuade her. Any particular reason why you ask?’
‘No.’ She concentrated on watching the road ahead. ‘I knew you must have had loads of women because you are too good at making love to have spent years being celibate.’
He snorted. ‘Would you have preferred it if I’d spent the last decade being celibate.’
Sophie didn’t answer. Instead she checked her bag for nothing.
‘Soph, we’re good, right?’
She looked at him and frowned. ‘Will you really drive me to Exeter?’
‘Does my sex life depend upon it?’
‘Sam!’
‘Yes, I will.’
‘Tomorrow?’
He flashed her a grimace. ‘I’m supposed to be choosing doors tomorrow.’
‘I didn’t think Jesse favoured doors and walls.’
‘He permits doors for bedrooms. And occasionally toilets.’ He watched Sophie poke around in her bag. ‘OK. We’ll go tomorrow. Do you think you’ll want to stay over?’
‘I won’t know until I get there.’
That evening Sam helped Sophie re-check Jonah’s call histories, although, in truth, she had no idea what she was looking for. There were a lot more missed calls on the iPhone: probably from clients. Sam wrote down a few numbers that might be worth following up and Sophie revisited Jonah’s message to Heidi and felt herself collapse into a renewed state of dread. Thank goodness Sam had been passing at that very moment. Thank goodness he’d been waiting outside as she watched Suzie disappearing into the crowd. Thank goodness he was there with her now.