Maybe Scarlet’s sudden violent death had made me paranoid. Maybe I was thin-skinned, yet I was consumed with the fact that Rocco had answered a call on my phone, which had been tucked into my bag, and spoken to my brother. At some length, it would seem. After our date, Rocco dropped me back to my place, I hadn’t asked him in for a late lunch or anything else.
Still bruised by the incident the next morning, I went to the shop.
‘Flotsam’ is a labyrinth of landings, staircases and dead ends. Oh, and a dirty, dank cellar, barely ventured into. You couldn’t pay enough to get me down there. Big pieces of furniture and large paintings are on display downstairs. Upstairs: vintage clothing, china, chairs, cutlery, occasional tables and what could only be described as bric-a-brac. Locked display cabinets contain vintage toy cars, medals, jewellery, knives and swords.
Lenny eyed me over the rim of her Royal Doulton coffee cup – no point in having classy stuff if you’re not going to use it. “How did it go with your Mum and Dad?”
“Fine.”
They were all looking at a picture from the wrong angle and I couldn’t find the focus. I shrugged and clammed up, further conversation not up for grabs. Shrewd enough to catch on, Lenny steered the conversation onto a different footing.
“Seen anything of Mr Noble?”
“Spent the morning with him yesterday.”
“And?”
“It was nice.”
“Nice?” Lenny uttered it in the same way she says ‘Fuck’.
“You need to stocktake the china upstairs.”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“I’m not. It’s long overdue.”
“Lover’s tiff already?”
“Shut up, Lenny.” Spying a customer, who’d taken an obvious liking to a French cherry wood set of drawers with bowed legs, I headed off in her direction.
“Would you do a deal on this?” the woman asked.
“Could let you have it for eighty-five.”
“Seventy-five?”
“Eighty.”
“I’ll take it.”
“Will you need help to your car?”
I looked pointedly at Lenny. “Hand Lenny your car keys, while I take the payment.”
Diversionary tactics lasted as long as it took for Lenny to step out and back in. “Rocco not quite so rocking?”
Heat flooded my chest, and sprayed up my neck, collecting on both cheeks. I swear ‘Boris’ the stuffed bear smirked at my obvious concern and, yes, disappointment. “Drop it, Lenny. Please.”
Lenny’s soft blonde eyebrows drew together in dismay.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to snap.”
“You look as if you’re going to cry.”
“I’m not.”
“Don’t tell me, you thought he was caring and compassionate. And now you think he’s sketchy.”
I think he’s suspicious, but I could hardly tell Lenny this. I forced a smile. “My own fault. I should never have tumbled into bed with him.”
“Your timing could have been better.”
“Serves me right for sleeping with a stranger.” I swear the shop filled with the scent of Scarlet’s perfume, one of the Dior’s. I dragged myself back to the here and now, the visible, as opposed to the invisible, the unknown and unseen. “Things are moving way too quickly.” It sounded like a confession because it was a confession.
“So, slow them down.”
“You don’t understand.” I told her about the phone incident.
Lenny crooked a knuckle under her chin and for once didn’t interrupt or pull an extravagant facial expression.
“Is it such a big deal?”
“You think what he did was okay?”
“Not really but, if as Rocco says, he thought he was doing you a favour, maybe that’s all it was. Taking a liberty, granted.”
“And talking to Zach?”
Lenny shrugged. “Rocco’s personable and socially at ease. He likes to gas.”
“You think I’m overreacting?”
“Molly, I don’t blame you. I’d be fuming, but don’t let it stress you out. If Rocco Noble is what you need right now, who am I to argue?”
“You’ve changed your tune.”
“People do,” she said, with a wink designed to cheer me.
“You’re a good pal.”
“Why don’t you give him a ring?”
“No way.”
“From what you said, you were pretty frosty.”
“We left things on an awkward note. I’m sure he’ll get over it.”
I retreated to the back room, which doubled as a place to make drinks and sat down at the desk, a lovely nineteenth century twin pedestal number with a green leather top. With the intention of gathering my thoughts, I reached for a pad and pen and drew a diagram, in which Scarlet sat at the centre, the other names and players circling her like planets around the sun. I hadn’t got very far when I heard voices, one louder than the other.
“Molly,” Dusty said, her greeting carrying over Lenny’s shoulder as if she were speaking via Tannoy. I flipped the pad face down, shoved it in a drawer, and returned to the showroom. “What a lovely shop, darling. I could spend a fortune in here.”
“We’ve no problem with that, have we?” Lenny said.
“Not at all, although you might need a home first. My aunt is always on the move,” I explained to Lenny.
“And that’s part of the reason I’m here.”
“Oh?”
“I’m booking into a hotel in town for the foreseeable future. Understandably, the atmosphere at home is highly charged. This way I can be on hand without—” She petered out, fluttering her fingers as if the right words were waiting to be snatched out of the ether. I felt for her. There were no right words for a time like this, only wrong ones. “Anyway,” she said, brightening. “Aren’t you going to introduce us, Molly?”
“Lenny meet Dusty, Dusty, Lenny,” I said mechanically.
“Be a sweetheart, Lenny, and give me a guided tour. Oh Molly,” Dusty said as she sashayed past. “A good-looking man dropped by first thing this morning with flowers for you.” Straight out of the Chancer school of charm, I thought with warmth. “He said his name was Noble.”
Lenny caught my eye. “Peace offering,” she said with a grin.