Caitlin arrived late so she wouldn’t have to speak to Andy before they began playing. He was already seated along with the rest of the group and they were clearly waiting for her to arrive. Andy looked up as soon as she pushed the door open; she could feel his eyes on her as she entered the bar. She was relieved to see Michelle and Nick were sitting at a table in the corner near the door. Good, let Andy see that she had more friends, that she didn’t have to rely on him.
‘Hey, we thought you weren’t coming. Is everything okay?’
‘Yeah, fine,’ she said. She smiled briefly to take the chill from her response, then set her case on the floor and snapped the locks open. Andy didn’t have time to say anything more as she took the violin in her arms and nodded to the group to show that she was ready.
She didn’t know if it was her irritation with Andy, or if the paranoia of recent events had coloured everything, but the proximity of the other musicians made her feel claustrophobic. She felt their eyes on her as she played and any prolonged look, any awkward glance, was a cause for suspicion.
At the interval she stood, ready for escape.
‘Caitie,’ Andy called, and she had to stop. ‘Would you like a drink?’
She shook her head. ‘I’m good, thanks,’ she told him, laying her violin in the case and crossing the room to where Michelle and Nick sat.
‘Wow, you play so well,’ Michelle said, rising from her seat to embrace her warmly. Nick stood too and shook her hand, which struck her as endearingly formal. He asked her if she’d like a drink, and she glanced towards the bar and saw Andy pay the barman. He turned quickly, catching her eye before she could look away, and she turned back to Michelle, hoping that would discourage him from joining them. Much to her annoyance, he did anyway.
‘We met a couple of weeks ago,’ he told Nick. ‘Didn’t know that you had already met each other?’
‘We didn’t,’ Caitlin said stiffly. ‘I didn’t know that Nick was Michelle’s boyfriend.’
‘Ah,’ Andy smiled. He looked pleased that her two new friends were a couple, that Nick was suddenly no threat – as a man at least. He held his hand out to Michelle. ‘Andy. Lovely to meet you. Can I get you anything, a top-up?’ he asked, eyeing their glasses of juice.
Michelle shook her head. ‘No, we’re good, thanks.’ She smiled and took a sip of her drink. ‘I love the music; how long have you guys been doing this?’
Andy looked at Michelle. ‘Oh, I don’t know, two years maybe? Caitie joined us about six months ago, didn’t you? I finally managed to convince her she was ready.’
‘Oh? How long have you been playing, Caitlin?’
‘About two years. David, my husband, taught me. He was an incredible musician.’ She felt the need to mention David, to break the illusion that this was a double date. She was still seething at the fact that Andy had insinuated himself upon them.
She asked Michelle about her Zumba class, and heard Andy ask Nick something about the band he used to be in. As the conversation broke into two pairs she struggled to concentrate on what Michelle said; she was half-listening to the two men, surprised by Andy’s sudden friendliness towards Nick. She wondered if he was trying to lure Nick, if he was following up on his suspicion that Nick had been the one to take that photo – the one he claimed had been taken from the bar. Caitlin looked round the room now. She couldn’t see the other musicians; they were probably outside smoking. She didn’t like that new guy, Brian, there was something about him that gave her the creeps. It was the fact that he didn’t say anything, and she’d caught him looking at her a few times. She thought she might mention it to Andy, try to find out something more about him. And it would be no harm, she supposed, if Andy did talk with Nick. Just because she liked Nick and Michelle, didn’t necessarily mean they didn’t have their own agenda. She’d have to try to get over her annoyance with Andy. He had, she reminded herself, been her only confidante for the past year. She couldn’t forget that. She just wished he’d back off a little. How could she tell him that without making the situation worse? He’d surely accuse her of narcissism.
She looked at her watch now and tapped Andy lightly on the arm as she saw Brian reappear at his keyboard. ‘Andy, we’d best get back.’
‘Yeah, sure.’ He stood. ‘Lovely to meet you guys. Talk later yeah?’ Nick shook his hand. Michelle smiled, said that if they left before the end, she’d give Caitlin a call. She’d love to meet for a coffee.
Nick had barely looked at her throughout the conversation – instead talking to Andy the whole time. He looked up now and smiled. ‘It was lovely to meet you again, Caitlin.’ Something in the way he said her name was oddly familiar. She smiled at them both and returned to the band.
They left about an hour into the band’s second set, Michelle giving her a small wave as they slipped from their table. When the group had finished playing, Caitlin packed up quickly.
‘Are you staying on?’ Andy asked.
‘No, I’m pretty tired and I’ve an early start – editing.’
‘Okay, do you want a lift?’
‘I’m driving. Didn’t fancy hanging around.’ She pulled her jacket on, picked up her scarf and wrapped it round her neck, trying to ignore his wounded look.
‘I’ll walk you out,’ he said.
‘Bye guys,’ she called over her shoulder. The singer smiled and said goodnight. Brian continued dismantling the keyboard without looking up. Bloody weirdo. She wished they’d never let him join.
The cold hit them as soon as they walked out the door. The quays were quiet, and Caitlin walked straight to the car.
‘How is everything?’ Andy asked. ‘We haven’t spoken in days. I was thinking about you, wondering if anything else had happened.’
‘No, nothing,’ she told him.
He looked surprised. ‘Well, that’s good.’ She thought of the photo of the park, the one that appeared on Twitter, but she said nothing. She appreciated his looking out for her, but it was this overprotectiveness that was making her feel smothered. She needed space. And besides, maybe nothing else would happen. Maybe whoever it was doing these random acts would tire when they didn’t get the reaction they wanted. Even as she thought this, she knew that it was herself she was trying to convince.
‘I’m sorry about what I said, Caitlin. I know you’re still pissed off with me.’
‘No, I’m not.’
‘Come on. You’ve been ignoring me. Don’t say you haven’t.’
She pulled her coat round herself. ‘I’ve been busy. Michelle and Nick had a barbecue, and I’ve started Zumba classes …’
‘How do you know those two?’ He was looking at her, curious.
She shrugged. ‘Michelle wrote an article for the magazine. She’s a volunteer with the Simon Community.’
‘Okay. And you don’t think it’s a bit of a coincidence, him turning up at the gig, and her submitting the article. Did she send it straight to you?’
‘No,’ she lied. ‘It was just addressed to the magazine.’
‘Did you tell her anything about David?’
‘Just what everyone else knows: that he disappeared.’
Andy shook his head. ‘You don’t know who these people are, Caitlin. You’re too trusting. Right now, there’s nothing to say that this guy isn’t the one who’s behind that call, the Twitter account, everything.’
‘So, what I am supposed to do? Go around suspecting everyone I meet? For all I know, it could be you.’ She went around to the back of the car, opened it and carefully placed her violin case inside.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he said. ‘Why would I do that? All I want is to protect you.’
‘Andy, I don’t want to argue. And I appreciate you looking out for me, I really do, but I’ve been feeling smothered. I’m not pushing you away. You’ve been a great friend; I just need to breathe on my own. Do you know what I’m saying?’
‘And what about the psycho, the one masquerading as David. How are you going to deal with that?’
‘The guards …’
‘The guards will do nothing, we both know that. They haven’t exactly been effective in finding out what happened to David, have they?’
She shrugged. ‘Maybe they’ll get bored. If I don’t respond, they might just find someone else to play their sick games on.’
‘And if they don’t? If they come after you?’
‘Then I’ll deal with it. Look, I’ll call you – if anything happens – okay?’
She went around to the driver’s side, got in and drove away. In the rear-view mirror, she saw Andy turn and walk back into the wine bar. Maye now he’d let her be.