I can tell Jasmine’s excited as soon as she opens the door. She looks tired around the eyes, but the excitement in them tells me she has something juicy to talk about.
She almost wrestles the cake from me and shouts, “Liam, food’s arrived.”
She winks and I follow her into her immaculate kitchen and smile at her husband who is sitting watching television with a large glass of what looks whiskey in his hand.
He smiles and flicks off the set and heads over, saying good naturedly, “I’ll watch this in the other room and leave you in peace. I can’t leave without taking a slice of that with me, if I may?”
Jasmine cuts him a generous slice, and the look they share makes me even more determined to shake up my own marriage. I can’t remember the last time Adrian looked at me like that, and I’m not prepared to waste any more time entering old age before my time.
Jasmine pours me a glass of Prosecco and slides the cake towards me and I laugh.
“Cake and Prosecco, how the other half live.”
“Yes, a little weird but worth every decadent mouthful. Anyway, I have news that’s both interesting and scary at the same time.”
“Scary, I don’t like the sound of that.”
“You’re right to be concerned.”
She settles back in her seat and fixes me with a sharp look. “I did some digging into who owns that property, you know, number 9.”
Shifting in my seat, I wait for the results with bated breath.
She leans forward and her eyes shine with excitement. “Well, it turns out it’s rented and the owner is a company in Hayward’s Heath who bought it as an investment. Our weird neighbour has rented it from new and it’s managed by a local estate agent. It’s on a short-term lease, which is to be renegotiated every six months.”
“Wow, I’m impressed, how did you find this out?”
“I googled the history and then rang around the local estate agents, expressing an interest in renting and enquired about any available properties either now, or in the future. As it turns out I hit the jackpot and was told number 9 may come up soon because the current tenants have expressed their wish not to renew the lease. But that’s not the reason I called you, there’s more and it’s worse.”
I lean forward, eager to hear what she discovered, and she looks worried.
“When I met Charlie, it was a weird experience in more ways than one. Not only was he evasive, but I had a feeling I knew him from somewhere. I had his first name and convinced the estate agent that we were friends and told him that my friend Charlie um… you know, the kind of thing and he finished my sentence for me, Evans. Now I had his full name, I ran a check on it through our computer at work. I’m not sure why I did, call it a moment of foresight because he’s there—a profile on our company computer.”
I stare at her in disbelief as she looks at me triumphantly. “It’s not good, by the way.”
“What do you mean—not good, in what way? Oh my god, he’s not a murderer, is he?”
I stare at her in shock and the fact Jasmine looks uncomfortable isn’t making me feel any happier and she says nervously, “Listen, I’m not supposed to give out any details of our clients, or people involved with cases at our company. I can’t give you the details, but know he is seriously marked. The case against him collapsed and that’s all I know, but that man is not the neighbour you want living anywhere near you.”
Her words cause me to panic even more and I falter, “Are we safe?”
“I think so, the only good news is that he’s moving on. The thing is, Nancy, I wanted to ask you a favour, well, Ryan really.”
I feel my heart sink as I know what she’s going to say, and I’m not sure I can agree to it.
“We need Ryan to carry on spying.”
She holds up her hand and says quickly, “I know its unethical and against the law, but this is an investigation and we need to know what we’re dealing with. Maybe we can harness his energy in the right way and make him use his gift for good, rather than personal pleasure.”
I wince at the meaning behind her words and feel the alarm setting in. I’m not sure how to answer her, so say sadly, “The trouble is, we have made a big thing out of this and rightly so. It wouldn’t look good if we went back on our word and encouraged him to carry on. How would that look, it’s conflicting? How is it good on one hand and not the other? I’m sorry but I can’t ask Ryan to do this, it would undermine everything we’ve told him and make us look bad.”
Jasmine nods and smiles sympathetically. “I understand, it’s fine. It was just a thought and of course I agree with you, we can’t manipulate things for our own gain. We will just have to rely on instinct and observation instead.”
She turns away and cuts some more cake and I feel bad. I wish I could say yes, but how can I? Ryan would always refer back to it and think he can do what the hell he likes. Anyway, from the sounds of it, they are moving away soon, so just a few more months and calm will be restored.
* * *
The house is in darkness when I leave Jasmine’s which surprises me because it’s only 8.30pm and I worry in case they’ve gone out somewhere without me.
However, as soon as I push the front door open, I hear soft music playing in the kitchen and stare in amazement at the candles flickering on the surfaces, filling the room with a seductive glow. I stare at Adrian in utter shock as he stands holding a bottle of champagne next to two glasses and he says softly, “Close the door, Nancy.”
I do it as if on autopilot and turn in amazement as he hands me a glass and says in a husky voice. “I’m pleased to meet you, Nancy, isn’t it?”
My fingers shake as I take the glass from his hand and whisper, “What’s going on, Adrian, where are the boys?”
He runs a hand around my waist and pulls me close, whispering, “If you are referring to the two lodgers upstairs, I’ve given them money to go to the cinema. The house is ours for the next three hours and I intend on spending every minute of them in bed with you. Do you like the sound of that, Nancy, is that the kind of girl you are, do you like to live on the edge?”
I want to laugh but can tell he’s trying so hard to create something thrilling and sexy, and yet it just doesn’t suit him. In fact, he looks ridiculous standing there with his shirt unbuttoned and attempting to look sexy. Quickly, I take a swig of the champagne and then watch in amazement as he takes the glass from my hand and places it on the counter before reaching behind me and opening the fridge, withdrawing a can of whipped cream. Then he says cheekily, “We’ll be needing this. Come with me and let me show you what’s been missing from our lives.”
I am trying to get into this, but I can’t. I want to laugh, not flirt, and that’s what’s worrying me the most. Do I still find Adrian sexy, I’m not sure I do, but I have to try at least?
As I follow my husband to our bedroom, I feel nervous because if this doesn’t work, then nothing will and it means no amount of marriage guidance will stop the inevitable from happening—a divorce
* * *
Lola
Mrs Evans brings me a hot meal, the first one I’ve had in three weeks. It smells so good and there’s even a plate of crusty bread and butter to go with it.
She sets it down on the table and says firmly, “Sit and eat and I’ll tell you a story.”
I do as she says because I’ve decided to follow the line, gain her trust and then the first chance I get, escape.
So, I nod meekly and start shovelling the food inside, which is probably the best thing I have ever tasted in my life.
She nods with approval and sits in front of me, casually lighting a cigarette, demonstrating just how much she couldn’t care less about me. Blowing the smoke in my direction, she says in a harsh voice, “Your dad’s a liar.”
I try not to react but feel my heart pounding mercilessly inside me.
“He told you he was keeping you safe when all the time he was using you to keep his own skin safe.”
Willing myself not to react, I carry on chewing even though I’ve lost my appetite.
“He borrowed money from Charlie—a lot of money, to move down here. He was going to carry out a job for us to repay the debt, but upped and left before we knew what was happening. You see, he played the wrong player because Charlie had a tail on him who led us straight to you.
“Yes, it all turned out rather well because when Charlie caught up with your dad while you were at school, he made it pretty plain what would happen to you if your good old dad double crossed him this time. He was given a second chance, but only if we held you as insurance. That tale your dad spun you was to stop you from seeing what a shitbag he really is, and now he’s proving it all over again.”
I lift my eyes and stare at her in disbelief, “He wouldn’t, not my dad, he loves me.”
“I’m sure he does, doll face but not more than his own arse it seems. Charlie arranged for him to be a drugs mule, you know, hide packets of drugs in his body and deliver them to Ireland. Turns out your father couldn’t hack it and one exploded inside him. He had a seizure on the ferry on the way over and was picked up by the authorities.”
I stare at her in horror, “Is he…?”
“Alive, unfortunately. Now we have a different problem because he’s in hospital under police protection and knowing that scumbag will sing like a canary. That’s where Charlie is now, Ireland. He’s attempting to silence your father for good this time, which is why you’ve now inherited his debt.”
“He’s going to kill him?”
I stand, feeling such an overwhelming rage I’m sure I could wrestle this bitch to a slow painful death, but she stops me in my tracks by pulling a gun from her jacket and holding it to my head. “Sit down, if you try anything, you die.”
My knees give way before my resolve and she nods towards the plate. “Finish it.”
I lift the fork but my appetite is lost and as I chew the cubes of meat, they fall to dust in my mouth.
She carries on regardless of my pain and laughs bitterly. “So, you see, Lola, you belong to us now. If he survives and tells his pitiful story, you die. If he dies, you live. You had better hope for the former because what we have planned for you is the slowest, most painful death there is. It sucks being the child of a rubbish parent, doesn’t it?”
Before I can even answer, I feel a blow on the back of my head and then, oblivion.
* * *
The fact my head hurts so much probably wakes me, and I stare up at the ceiling as the events that happened earlier come back to me. Immediately, I sit bolt upright and look around in fear but notice that thankfully I’m alone. It’s dark outside and the room is pitch black, but my eyes quickly adjust and I can tell I’m alone.
My legs shake as I swing them over the bed and feel my way to the door. I turn the handle but as usual it’s locked and I feel the frustration tearing me apart. My dad’s in hospital, he’s in danger and there’s nothing I can do about it.
I don’t believe Mrs Evans’ story. He wouldn’t use me to save himself. He just wouldn’t. I know my own father and he probably didn’t have a choice. I try to think on my feet because I must get out of here and alert the police. I must be brave because he may not have long.
For a moment I sit and think, and then an idea forms in my mind. If I’m lucky it will work out, if it doesn’t, I’m in a heap of trouble.