“Let me guess. We’ve got a problem?” Andy had meant it as a joke, and hoped Dan would take it as such, although his tone was far from jovial; he could hear that for himself. It wasn’t like him to hold onto a bad mood. However, the five days since Mike told him about Rachel’s letter had been five days of constantly churning it around in his mind, revisiting his refusal, having second thoughts, and then remembering who they were dealing with. This was the woman who had taken a life, tried to kill his friends, gas-lighted and physically abused his brother, set up her own brother and had a baby, all to get Andy’s attention.
She was probably cackling with delight right now, knowing Andy would be thinking about her, considering giving in to her demands. She’d played her hand as expertly as ever and was once again using his brother and niece—her daughter—to get to him. Bethan might have given Mike the impetus to turn his life around, but she was also his Achilles heel. If he turned his back on Rachel Perry, she’d take him down.
“Well? Are you gonna say something?”
“You talking to me?” Dan asked curtly.
“Who else?”
“You’re at Campion Trust, aren’t you? You could’ve been talking to Alice.”
Andy raised an eyebrow and peered down at Alice, who was sitting at her computer with her back to him. “As if I’d dare.”
“Yeah, well, don’t think you can take it out on me, either. I’ll kick your—”
“All right, sorry.” With the phone to his ear, Andy peered over Alice’s shoulder, jabbing at the screen and the new contract she was drawing up for him. “Helena Fairclough.”
Alice smacked his hand away and wiped her computer screen. “I don’t know how you expect me to know if you don’t tell me these things.”
Andy made a sad face and mouthed ‘sorry’. Alice breathed out hard through her nose and made the necessary change to the document.
“Bro?” Dan said on the other end of the phone.
“Yeah, what were you saying?”
“I said nothing.”
Andy suppressed a growl. “What did you ring for?”
“Dublin.”
“You’re sending me on another wild goose chase.”
“Wrong species, bro,” Dan joked.
“Shut the f…” Andy managed to stop before he said the F-word in front of Alice, but he was too angry to trust his mouth not to betray him. For what it was worth, Dan had got the gist and kept his mouth shut, too.
Andy had seen the email a couple of hours ago; it came in as he was pulling up outside the Campion Trust office. He’d read the message, deleted it and successfully got his phone back in his pocket without launching it across the car park. Now, Dan was chasing up his non-reply, and it would have added to his rage, had there been any going spare.
“It’s only Ireland,” Dan reasoned. “An hour there and back, if that.”
“Fifty-five minutes,” Andy corrected.
“You’ll be ba—”
“Plus getting to and from the airport, check-in times, not to mention delays.”
“D’you want me to go?”
“How?” He didn’t give Dan a chance to answer. “Forget it. It’s just a bloody big coincidence it’s the same day, don’t you think?”
“I swear, I’m not pulling a fast one. It was the only day the wildlife people could make it.”
“What’s wrong with video conferencing?”
“They need to check the animal’s fit for transportation.”
Andy had no comeback to that.
Alice beckoned him over. He checked the screen again, mouthed ‘thank you’ and blew her a kiss. Flustered as ever by his flirting, Alice hastily sent the contract to the printer and bustled away to collect it.
“What can I do?” Dan asked.
“Not go to the auction.”
“Realistically.”
Andy ran his free hand through his hair. “Not go to the auction. I know what you’re like.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s not supposed to mean anything. If I’m not there to stop you, you’ll end up in a bidding war and get yourself in deep shit.”
He heard Dan breathing hard and fast at the other end of the line. In spite of his anger, he was, apparently, sensible enough to not argue to the contrary.
“Right,” Andy said. “We don’t need to be there in person to sort out what we’re doing. In any case—”
“The vet’s gonna want to talk to Igor.”
“Yeah, bro. There’s this modern contraption called a telephone. As I was about to say, before some rude S-O-B interrupted me, I’m not getting on a plane with Igor. He’s deranged.”
Andy wasn’t exaggerating. Igor was a hardened HGV driver who had once been part of a circus that had traversed some of the most extreme routes through Russia, Europe and Asia. He liked nothing better than to scare rookies with horrifying tales of his own near-misses as well as of those who had not been quite so fortunate.
While people assumed Igor was one of Andy’s less savoury contacts, he was actually a mate of Len’s and didn’t ask too many questions about what he was carrying, not that it was ever an issue with Jeffries and Associates. They were fully above board. Igor was also one of the drivers they could rely on for the jobs nobody in their right mind would take on, like transporting a fully grown Bengal tiger from a private collection in Dublin to a sanctuary in Rajasthan, India.
“Was there anything else?” Andy asked.
“Nope. I still think it would be better if you—”
“I’m not fucking going!” Andy shouted. Alice’s nostrils flared. With a great deal of effort, Andy put a lid on his temper and lowered his voice. “I’ll email the client, see if I can move the meeting forward a couple of hours. That way—”
“He’s got more jobs for us. If we—”
Andy talked over Dan’s protest. “That way I’ll be with you by half three at the latest.”
“And if the stadium comes up early?”
“I’ll chuck all my junk out the spare room, and you can stay with us until the council rehouse you, or you get your very own urn. In a bit.” Andy ended the call, trying his best not to punch anything. Fucking brothers. Who needs them?
“Do you want to check this through?” Alice asked. She was keeping her distance and talking very nasally, trying to block him out, Andy realised. He forced calm thoughts into his head. Sun breaking the horizon, empty ocean, rolling tide…
“No, thanks, Alice. I know it’ll be perfect. You’re a star.” Andy scrawled his signature on the bottom.
“I’ll email a copy right away and make sure this goes out in this evening’s post.” Alice signed to witness Andy’s signature, deftly folded the contract in three, poked it into a hash-ten envelope and put it with the Campion Trust outgoing mail. Brushing her hands together in satisfaction at another job well done, she turned back and offered him a sympathetic smile. “Your colours are dreadfully chaotic today,” she said.
“Ha, yeah. I’m not surprised.”
“I have two excellent ears for listening, if you’d care to utilise them.”
Andy combed his fingers through his hair, drumming on his scalp while he considered her offer. Alice loved a good chin wag, and she had a tendency to let things slip when put under duress. All it would take was the right prompt from Dan, and she’d report back everything Andy said, word for word. No, he was being harsh. She kept her counsel when it mattered. After all, Alice had been Alistair Campion’s PA and his lover; she’d known he was being blackmailed, and she’d kept the secret for years. She knew about the fraud ring, or the stuff Jess was involved in, at least, and kept that to herself, too. She might even understand his predicament.
“Do you have any brothers or sisters, Alice?”
“One. A brother. He is ten years my senior and emigrated to Germany before I left school. We were never close, regrettably, though I sense you would rather appreciate a little distance from your brothers at times.”
“Like now?” Andy sighed and shook his head. “No. I’m happy we sorted our differences, but…” He shrugged, still figuring it out as he went along. “I honestly never saw myself as the sensible one.”
Alice smiled knowingly. “Ah, you’re mistaking fulfilment for tedium, dear. Are you discontent?”
“With the business?”
“With your life.”
“Absolutely not. My life is… It’s…” It was the weirdest thing. Andy had to stop to catch his breath at the sudden surge of emotion, like a barrel closing in, and he was holding on, leaving it too long. He needed to let go…
“Alice? What the… How…”
She pursed her lips and shrugged as if she had no idea what he was talking about, but he could see she was fighting a smile.
Andy laughed, still amazed, and seriously considering the possibility Alice might be a witch. It was like a steroid-enhanced version of the anger management Josh had taught him, and his rage had disappeared into thin air.
Not a revelation, a reminder, that on the other side of the tempest he was sailing with his brothers, his daughters and their mother were awaiting his safe return. “My life is awesome,” he said. “I’ve never told you about Shaunna, have I?”
“Not in words.” Alice’s eyes twinkled mischievously. Andy felt himself blush, and Alice laughed. “Let me tell you…” She held up her forefinger. “I should make us some tea first.”
Before Andy could protest—not that he’d intended to—Alice trotted out of the office and across to the kitchen, from where, soon after, he heard the sounds of the kettle boiling and a teapot being prepared. He used the time to send Shaunna a text: How are my girls? x
Her reply—We’re good. What time ru home? x—came as Alice returned with a tray bearing a teapot, a milk jug and two cups and saucers. Andy typed a quick response: After tea with Alice. Love you. x
Alice set the tray down on the desk Jason shared with whichever trustee happened to be working on any given day. Andy’s phone buzzed in his hand. We love you too. x. He smiled and put his phone away, aware that Alice was watching him, or, rather, studying the air around his head. Once upon a time, he’d found it disconcerting, but he was well used to it by now. She was analysing his scent, and from it his state of mind.
“That’s much better.” She smiled and nodded her approval. “Now, where were we? Ah, yes.” She paused to adjust the tea cosy and resumed her seat at her desk but still facing Andy. “Are you going to sit down, dear?”
Obediently, Andy pulled out the chair next to the other desk and sat. “Should I pour the tea, Alice?”
“Not yet, dear.”
“OK.”
“Tea, like all good things, takes time to reach its potential.” Alice raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to indicate she meant him.
“A good thing.” He nodded with fake arrogance. “I can go with that.”
Alice laughed. “You are a good man, Andy. You very much remind me of Neil. He, too, was a free spirit, and mostly happy with his lot. Unlike you, however, he refused to drop anchor. I was a solitary port in his eternal storm.”
“That’s beautiful, Alice.” And further confirmation that she was, indeed, a witch, or psychic, maybe.
She bowed her head graciously. “Thank you. Neil is at peace now, but he was so restless, unable to settle, and you were no different. Of course, you and Jess had your little arrangement—a homing beacon, if you will.”
“More a pirate than a homing beacon,” Andy contended.
Alice nodded in acquiescence. “I appreciate how difficult it has been for all of you to come to terms with what Jess did. Nonetheless, she did bring you home.”
He supposed Alice was right about that. Jess had brought him home, and not just the once. She’d saved his neck plenty of times, and whilst she’d deceived everyone else, she and Andy had always known where they stood with each other. They’d shared a love of danger, a sense of daring, a drive to be the best. She’d played a game of chance and got lucky. But like all games, there were losers as well as winners, and victory had come at a cost. However, whilst Andy believed in karma, he didn’t see Jess’s illness as payback. In the end, she’d put things right, and she’d encouraged him to follow his heart.
“The tea should be ready now,” Alice said, prompting him to do the honours, which he duly did, delivering her cup to the coaster on her desk. She thanked him, and he returned to his seat. Both picked up their cups.
“So I gave off some kind of love vibe?” Andy asked.
“A love vibe? Goodness! You were almost vibrating, dear. That’s what love does to us. It makes the soul sing. Even your brother, no matter how hard he pretends otherwise.
“You know, when I first met you, there was so little to distinguish you from Dan. He always has been the more reserved of the two of you, but you shared the same restiveness, almost as if you knew where you had to be yet were reluctant to make the journey.”
“Yeah.” Andy nodded. “That’s exactly how it felt.”
“I do believe your travels have granted you wisdom your younger brother does not yet possess. You both found your way some time ago. He’ll realise eventually, just as you did. I’m confident of that.”
Andy smiled ruefully. “I wish I was.”
“Your frustration and anger get the better of you, which is understandable. You’re worried for your brothers. But don’t forget, these feelings are transient. They’re not part of you. It won’t be long before you can go back to being plain old Andy, the handsome ‘surfer dude’ with the stunning girlfriend and beautiful twin daughters.”
Andy’s face was burning, and he bashfully covered his eyes, although he was grinning at the compliment. “Cheers, Alice. There’s not many people get me blushing.”
“I’m glad I could oblige. Now, drink your tea, dear, before it gets cold.”
***
Andy’s high spirits lasted until he walked through the front door and Shaunna collapsed against him, sobbing. He thought he’d caught a flash of white bandage, but with her arms around him, he couldn’t see, and he got the impression it was secondary to whatever had her in pieces.
“Shhh, it’s all right, baby.” He smoothed her hair and kissed the top of her head. “It’s all right.” In between her sobs, he listened out for any noise from the girls, not wanting to ask the question, in part because he was terrified of the answer. His gut feeling was they were fine, and he was happy to stick with that until Shaunna had calmed down and could tell him what was wrong. Ultimately, snot got the better of her, and she pulled away, trying to sniff through completely blocked nostrils. Andy lifted the front of his t-shirt, offering it to her.
She laughed through her tears. “I’b gudda gedda dishu.”
“You been taking elocution lessons from Hayley, RHB?” He followed her into the living room, where she tugged about a dozen tissues from the box and noisily blew her nose.
“Sorry,” she said.
“It’s OK.” He hated seeing her so upset. It did weird things to his brain, turned him a bit Neanderthal. “Where are the girls?”
“Upstairs.”
Andy silently vented a relieved sigh. Shaunna dabbed at her eyes, mascara everywhere, but he didn’t mention it. He could see now that her left wrist was wrapped in an elasticated bandage. She noticed him looking at it and sniffed back new tears.
“It’s my own stupid fault.” She flopped down onto the sofa and sat hunched forward with her head down.
Andy sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. “What happened?”
“I went to see Dad. He… He was agitated, didn’t know who I was. He kept saying Siobhan, and I tried to tell him, I’m Shaunna, and he was getting so frustrated. He lost his temper, screamed at me to get out, so…so I did, as quickly as I could. It was awful…”
Shaunna gulped and fell against Andy, the tears taking over again. He shushed her and kept hold, waiting for her to continue.
“I caught the pushchair on the door handle, and it whipped round, trapping my hand. My wrist…” She held it up with her other hand. “I feel such a wuss. It’s only a sprain.”
Andy gave her a gentle squeeze. “Sprains can hurt more than fractures. Do you know that?” She nodded tearily. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“No. Just my wrist and…” She trailed off, and Andy filled in the gap. Visiting her dad was always distressing, and Shaunna was a tough cookie. But this time, it had really got to her.
“Did you walk home?”
She shook her head. “I walked to the drop-in centre, then I called Kris, but he and Ade were at work, so I called Mike.”
“Not Dan?”
“I thought Dan was with you.”
“Nope.”
“Oh. Well, Mike borrowed your mum’s car and came and got us.” Shaunna straightened up, blew her nose again and took a few shaky breaths, followed by one slow deep breath, in, out… She flicked her hair back over her shoulders and kissed his cheek. “Did you get all your work done?”
“Err…yeah.” Andy shifted his arm and twirled her curls around his fingers. She had this way of just pulling herself together, and it triggered some kind of instinct in him to protect her, fight for her, make love to her. In other words, it made him super horny, and he was only delaying acting on it because of her injury. She was also chewing her lip—a sure sign she had something else to tell him.
“There was a call for you earlier,” she said.
That wasn’t it. “Was there?”
“Yeah. Somebody and Thompson? Estate agents. I wrote it down.”
“Ah. Good stuff.” It would be to arrange a viewing of one of the houses he’d selected for Dan and Adele.
“And Kris wants to know what we think about going on holiday together.”
That wasn’t it, either. “When?”
“After New Year. To Leon’s chalet.”
“OK? That’s random.”
“You don’t like the idea? We don’t have to.”
“No. I think it’s a great idea, but I’d rather wait till the girls are walking.”
“Don’t they do baby-skiers? You know, like baby-walkers?” Shaunna glanced his way and attempted a smile. He kissed her.
“They might,” he answered as if it had been a serious question. “So, come on. Hit me with it.”
“Mike’s decided he’s going to visit Rachel.”
“With Bethan?”
“No. It’s next Thursday. He asked me if I’d look after Bethan for him. He asked your mum first, but she said no.”
“Bloody hell. He must’ve told her what Rachel did, I’m guessing.”
“That’s just it. He hasn’t told her anything about Rachel, but he’s going with Jackie. I think your mum’s worried it means Jackie’s going to change her mind about custody.”
“She’s not the only one.” The anger that Alice had successfully helped him quell was returning in full force. “They’re manipulating him again.” Andy got up and started pacing the room. “He can’t see it. Why can’t he see it?”
“Andy, listen.”
“He’s gonna lose everything because of that bitch. Why can’t she just let him be? Let us be.”
“Hun, come and sit down.”
He stopped pacing. “We need to stop him from going.”
“I tried, but he said he needs to see her.”
“I should’ve said yes.”
“No, you really shouldn’t. That’s what she wants. You.” Shaunna got up and walked over to him, her tears dried, her expression determined as she smoothed her hand over his hair and kissed him on the chin. “And she’s not getting you.” She flicked her tongue along the cleft, tracing it up to his lips. “Do you know why?”
Andy shook his head dumbly, his anger now battling with arousal as Shaunna looked him in the eye and smiled her wickedest smile. Her hands strayed to his pants, button popped, zip down…
“Because she’s getting me instead.”
* * * * *