Claudia was at the top of a stepladder in the show home marking up for curtain poles, while Andee stood on the bottom rung holding it steady. Outside it was trying to be sunny, although it was bitterly cold and this unheated house wasn’t doing much to warm them, especially since they’d had to take their boots off before coming in.
“Everything’s checking out,” Claudia informed Andee, and reeling in her tape measure she tucked the pencil behind one ear before making her descent. “We should be able to start hanging the drapes in here on Monday.”
“Excellent,” Andee replied, glancing at her phone as it rang. “Ah, I should take this,” and leaving Claudia to fold up the steps, she wandered into the hall.
As Claudia began packing her bag on the dusty floor she checked her own phone for messages and found several from her machinists, although thankfully no one was in need of urgent attention. This meant she might have time when she’d finished here to pop over to the coach house to check on progress there.
Since the sale had completed the builders had moved in, and because no room dimensions were changing, the kitchen was already being constructed, by hand, in a workshop on the edge of town. There was a lot to do, even more than she’d expected, but when it was finished she knew in her heart that it was going to be the most beautiful home she’d ever owned, and as special as if it were another member of the family.
“You know,” Andee said, as she came back into the room, “I’d be very happy to start recommending you, if you’d like me to.”
Claudia’s eyebrows rose. “But you haven’t actually seen anything yet,” she reminded her.
“I’ve seen enough to know how good you are, and how highly Cassie’s team regard you. So, if you’re OK about me sharing your details . . . Actually, what prospective clients will really want to see is a website with a gallery of your work if you have one.”
Claudia swallowed and looked down to zip up her bag. “Not yet,” she replied. “I mean, I used to, but it wasn’t very good, so I need to find someone to help with a new one. Maybe you could suggest a designer?”
“Of course. You should have a chat with Eddie over in Paradise Cove who did mine. He’s very good, not too expensive, and is in your kind of league when it comes to speed. Actually, he set up the restorative justice site for us too, so there’s another example of his work you could take a look at, although that’s a very different sort of business. It shows his versatility.”
Since the mention of restorative justice brought Dan to her mind Claudia kept her eyes lowered as she said, “I’ll make it my first task once this order is ready.”
Andee smiled, and hefting her bag onto her shoulder, she led the way across the newly laid hardwood floor into the freshly painted hall. As she opened the front door, she said, “I guess now is as good a time as any to bring this up—Dan’s been in touch with me to ask if he can have your number.”
Claudia’s heart gave a jolt. She’d been trying not to think about him since the party, and not always successfully—actually not very successfully at all.
“I told him I’d have to ask you first,” Andee continued, digging her feet into the boots she’d left on the doorstep, “so would you be happy for him to call you?”
Stuck for an answer that wouldn’t sound cold or rude, Claudia said, “Actually, I’m quite busy at the moment, so maybe it’s not a good idea.”
Andee nodded and started down the path. “I think he’ll be disappointed,” she commented, not quite ready to let it go yet. “This is the first time, as far as I know, that he’s shown any interest in a woman since his wife died. In fact, he’s always warning us not to try pairing him off.”
Though Claudia felt flattered by Dan’s interest, it made no difference; she knew she couldn’t see him.
“He’s a really great guy,” Andee persisted, “and you seemed to be getting along well at Tom and Leanne’s . . .”
“You’re right, he’s very nice,” Claudia interrupted, “but I don’t think . . . I wouldn’t want to give the impression that I’m interested in being in a relationship, because I’m really not.”
“OK, I’ll tell him, but if you change your mind . . .”
“I won’t, but thanks.”
As Claudia drove back toward town, a quick visit to the coach house forgotten, a surge of frustration was building up inside her. She hated and resented the fact that Marcus continued to impact her life, and in so many ways, from the voices in her head to the fear of someone finding her and now this. For the truth was, she’d like to see Dan again—she’d even imagined where they might go and what they might talk about, but she was afraid to chance it. One single date was all it would take for him to realize that she wasn’t who she was pretending to be—or that she was hiding something—or that she was quite simply dishonest. He didn’t deserve that.
No, it was best they didn’t meet again. That way no misunderstandings could occur, and no damage would be done.
“I’M REALLY SORRY,” Andee said when she caught up with Dan later at his law firm. The staff had all gone home, but Graeme was there, signing a property contract that Dan had drawn up for him.
“She doesn’t want me to call,” Dan said, resignation masking his disappointment as he passed her a gin and tonic. “I just hope it didn’t create any awkwardness for you.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” she assured him, and sitting on one of his blue leather sofas, she raised her glass to him and said, “Actually, if you want my opinion, I think she’s been badly hurt in the past and she just isn’t ready to take the risk again.”
With a certain wryness he replied, “Well, I think we can all understand that.”
Graeme put down his pen and sat back comfortably in Dan’s chair. “Andee, I think you should tell him what you’ve found out,” he said quietly.
Dan regarded Andee with interest.
Slanting Graeme a look, Andee said, “OK, but if I do, it must go no further than this room.”
Dan put a hand to his lips as a seal and watched her as she sipped from her glass, clearly taking time to choose her words.
“Do you remember the case of three missing women several months ago?” she asked. “Grandmother, mother, and daughter?”
He frowned. “I think so, vaguely. I remember you were interested in it. Weren’t they found?” His eyes widened incredulously as he connected with what she was saying.
“It’s them,” she confirmed.
“How do you know?”
“Because when I realized things weren’t quite . . . as they should be with Claudia, I was reminded of the missing family, so I decided to pull up some police and press shots from the time of the search. Claudia and Jasmine have changed their hair color, but it’s definitely them.”
Dan sat quite still. He wasn’t sure what to say, or even what to think.
“It turns out,” Andee continued, “that Claudia’s husband is Marcus Huxley-Browne, the financier who went down for insider trading.”
Recalling the case, Dan said, “I didn’t read much about it, but. . . . Are you saying Claudia was involved in some way?”
Andee got up to put more ice in her glass. “I did wonder it at first,” she confessed, “but after a little more digging around I discovered something else about Huxley-Browne. He has a history as an abuser.”
Dan’s distaste showed. “So it could be she’s trying to escape him?” he prompted. “Isn’t he in prison?”
“Yes, but there’s no knowing what sort of reach he has. If he’s as controlling as most abusers there’s a good chance he already has someone looking for her. Hence the change of name and flight to the other side of the country.”
Graeme said, “The police must know where she is because they called off the search, but how much protection that gives her . . .” He shrugged, obviously having no idea.
Having none either, Dan said to Andee, “I’m guessing you haven’t mentioned anything to Claudia about this?”
She shook her head. “I’m taking the view that if she wants me to know she’ll tell me.”
He nodded in agreement and took a sip of his drink. “And meantime, we do what?” he asked.
Andee sighed. “There’s nothing we can do apart from carry on being her friend—and respecting the decisions she’s made to protect herself and her family.”