She was putting away the rubbish when she saw him, stuffing the overfilled bin bag from Adam’s flat into the outside skip when she saw a figure at the front of the shop. He was pacing up and down, staring up at the drawn shutters, a mobile phone in his hand and she guessed it was his Jaguar alongside hers in the tiny car park.
Suzie put her head down, she had no time to talk to customers now, and she went toward her car as quickly as she could without being seen. When her phone started to ring, she looked up and their eyes met momentarily.
She fumbled in her bag, eventually fishing out her phone. ‘Hello? Adam?’
There was silence on the other end.
‘Adam,’ she pressed. ‘Is that you? Can you hear me?’
‘It's me, love.’ He was walking toward her, switching off his phone and ending the call. ‘I’m the one ringing. And you, I take it, are the lovely Suzie.’
Suzie looked at her phone; the call had ended. It hadn’t been Adam, it was this man in front of her, smiling and putting his phone back in his pocket and stretching out his open hand to her for her to shake. He was mid-fifties, possibly early sixties, and the way he was dressed didn’t match the luxury of the Jaguar she was stood beside. He had on a heavy black jacket, clearly worn and his jeans were scuffed. He was also wearing black slip-on shoes, old fashioned things that were an odd combination to put with his jeans and it reminded Suzie of when she was small and would meet her parents’ friends at functions. How men would put jeans together with a pair of formal shoes and think it represented ‘smart casual’. She tentatively shook his hand. It was warm, clammy and he smelt of cigarettes.
‘Nice to meet you, love,’ he said and his voice sounded familiar, the way he called her ‘love’ and suddenly she made the connection. She raised her chin, put back her shoulders and resisted the urge to wipe her hand on her jacket.
‘I told you before,’ she said going to her car. ‘Adam is away on location, he won't be back until later.’
‘And I told you,’ he said, taking a step toward her, ‘that I'd come here and explain what Adam's been up to, why he owes me four grand.’
Suzie glanced at her parked car. Rachel was waiting for her and, at that very moment, Della was most likely making a mess of measuring up the garden. She needed to be in her car and on the way to Tattenhall ten minutes ago. She needed to be calling the Manchester safety deposit boxes, asking them if Adam had an account with them and finding where he’d put all the money. She needed to be so many other places than talking to this man about what he thought Adam owed him.
‘Listen,’ she said trying to walk past him. ‘I've not got time for this. I’m sorry, but I have to go. Adam will be back later, you can talk to him about it then.’
‘Oh, you've got time,’ he said and put his hand on her car door, moving his body so he was in front of her car, blocking her escape. ‘You're his fiancée, right? He told me about you.’
Suzie flinched, with moving in front of her, he was too close. She had specific personal boundaries and he was breaching them, purposely making full use of the fact that he was a good couple of feet taller. He was trying, and succeeding, in intimidating her. She took a step back.
‘Who are you?’ she asked.
‘Mark,’ he said and smiled. ‘Shall we go inside?’ he nodded to the studio. ‘Out of the cold?’
‘The studio's closed,’ Suzie said. ‘And I really need to go.’
‘Of course you do,’ Mark said, but he didn't move.
His jacket was leather. It went down to his knees with huge pockets on either side. He crossed his arms and it moaned with the effort.
‘I don't know anything about this,’ she went on. ‘It's got nothing to do with me.’
He smiled slightly and stayed still.
‘Whatever Adam bought from you, props, cameras, I don't know, lighting was it? Whatever it was, you'll have to take it up with him. I know nothing about it.’
There was a moment's silence before he gave a laugh.
‘Adam's not bought anything off me,’ he said after a while. ‘No love, you've got that wrong.’
He stepped forward and Suzie automatically stepped back. She mentally cursed herself for responding to his tactics.
‘You're getting married next year, aren't you?’
Suzie checked the busy street. A few pedestrians walked by, completely unaware of Suzie and this man at the side of the shop. The car park was in plain view and hidden at the same time. The studio was on a busy road, the small lane leading to the car park at the back of it almost hidden. Traffic zoomed past, no one noticing the hidden area where she stood. If she were to scream or shout for help would anyone hear her? No one knew she was there. Did she tell Rachel she was going to the studio? Did Rachel even know where the studio was?
‘Next June if I'm not mistaken,’ he was saying. ‘Adam's told me about it, says you want a lavish wedding, that it’s what you deserve. Big dress, big party,’ he splayed his fingers out to emphasise his words. ‘Well, all that costs money, love,’ he said and Suzie stared at him. ‘Money that your fiancé borrowed off me.’
‘Borrowed?’ Suzie's heart quickened. ‘You’re saying that Adam borrowed money from you?’
Mark nodded. ‘He was in a tight spot, needed the deposit for something. The venue perhaps? Hotel?’
Suzie thought for a moment, Adam hadn't mentioned booking anywhere; he'd left it all to Suzie. She was the one who'd made the bookings, provisionally paying a small deposit on a quirky boutique hotel in the city centre. She’d booked the entire first floor and the balance was due early in the new year.
‘Honeymoon then,’ Mark said, ‘perhaps it's a surprise romantic break for the two of you?’
They'd not discussed the honeymoon. Adam had talked of Thailand. He'd been several times and said that he wanted to take Suzie to Phuket, show her the three-wheeled Tuk Tuks, the orange-robed monks and glorious beaches with white sands and crystal blue sea. He’d talked of a resort he knew that was five stars, only the best in food and entertainment and he'd also said that they should fly business class as it was the only way to travel. Had Adam borrowed money and booked the honeymoon as a wedding present to her? It sounded like something he'd do, and perhaps he’d taken money from this man standing before her so it was kept a secret. So she wouldn't find out. But now, like the bank, he'd forgotten to make the repayment.
‘Romantic bugger, isn’t he?’ Mark asked, giving a laugh. ‘He said the money was for something special, I helped him out. Let him have it when he was in a tight spot, but the thing is, he was meant to meet me last night and make a repayment, only he didn't show.’
‘He's got caught up,’ Suzie said. ‘He's on location and got waylaid. He's due back imminently. I'll let him know you've been here.’
Mark waited a moment. ‘He owes me four grand,’ he said in a low voice and Suzie nodded.
‘And I need a payment of five hundred. Today.’
Suzie let out a laugh.
‘It's no joke, love,’ Mark said and his expression was serious. ‘I lend with strict instructions, strict rules. You borrow off me and you make repayments when I say or there's consequences.’
Suzie didn't like the way he said the word consequences. He stared at her a moment and then held up his hands.
‘My apologies,’ he said. ‘I can see that this has all come as a surprise to you, I'll leave it for today.’
He took a step back and Suzie let go of a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding.
‘You tell Adam to get in touch when he's back.’
Suzie nodded as she watched him go to his Jaguar.
‘Oh, and you tell him it's four and a half grand now,’
‘What?’ Suzie asked.
‘You heard me, love,’ he said. ‘Interest. My hands are tied, I can't go making special rules for one and not the other.’ He gave her a smile. ‘Don't worry about it. Just tell Adam and if he doesn't come back, I'll pop round and see you again. I need five hundred in the next few days, and if Adam can’t get it to me, then I’ll be coming back to see you.’
‘But…?’ Suzie started and he came over to her again. She walked back, until she was backed up against her car.
‘My number,’ he said handing her a card. ‘In case Adam shouldn't return and the debt passes over to you.’
‘Passes over to me?’ her voice was high, shrill.
‘You’re on Charles Street, aren’t you? One of the little flats over there?’
‘What?’ she said. ‘How do you know…?
‘I make it my business to know, love,’ he said and smiled. ‘See you in a few days, Suzie.’
She watched as he got in his car and slowly manoeuvred it out of the car park. As he was passing, he waved at her; a friendly gesture, as if they were old acquaintances and he’d not just made some kind of veiled threat.
Once in her own car she looked at the card he'd just give her. There was no company name, no address, just his name and a number.
A slow realisation brought with it a panic like cold chill. Her breath was a mist in front of her and her mouth went dry. That man knew who she was. He knew where she lived. That was no representative from a lending company or bank. There was nothing professional about the way he’d just spoken to her.
‘Fucking hell, Adam,’ she whispered. ‘A loan shark?’