AS SOON as he’d checked the coast was completely clear, Red followed the women inside. Carter had already directed them to the main office, where he’d been introduced properly to Fiona and Marie. He looked rather stunned by what was going on.
Red faced Marie with concern. “Are you okay? That was a hell of a surprise. I don’t think anyone knew you were coming today.”
“We were expecting someone from the Atherton press office,” Carter said. “To check out the center, I thought. To see what funds we need and look over the plans for the sports field.”
“I know. I’m sorry I didn’t let anyone know. I only decided to come in person at the last minute.” Marie was pale but smiling. “And it looks like that was a good decision, yes?”
“Yes.” Red grinned. “I’m proud of you and very grateful for the diversion.”
Carter still looked annoyed with Red. He obviously thought Red was getting off too lightly for attracting the press in the first place. But he looked at Marie with equal parts fascination and admiration. “And the educational project? Was that a diversion too?”
“No,” Marie said, with an embarrassed laugh. “That’s true. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. It just felt like the time to speak out. Sorry I sprung it on you all.”
“It’s fine by me,” Fiona said. Red was amused at her firm tone. He’d only ever had that turned on him when he was in trouble. Aimed at Marie, it sounded protective.
“Mr. Davison? Are you angry?”
Carter smiled warmly at Marie. “Of course I’m not. And please call me Carter. I just don’t want you harassed.”
“They’ll hold back because of my illness, at least for a while. That will give us time to manage it, won’t it, Fiona?”
“Fiona, you dealt with them like a pro,” Red said. “If you ever want a job as my PA—” Carter punched him on the arm, cutting short his frivolous suggestion. “What do you think about the idea, Carter?” he continued, regardless. “Marie’s idea for information sessions for young people? I know you have visitors regularly who come to talk to them.”
Carter seemed to be struggling between continuing his annoyance with Red and being intrigued by new initiatives. To Red’s relief, the excitement won out for the moment. “I think it’s great. If it can be tailored for young people, in the right setting—”
“We’ll ask for their input,” Marie interrupted, her eyes shining. “It would only be what they want. It may be about family issues, illness, relationships, work, books, themes they see in movies and TV, news stories that don’t give enough detail in the bulletins. It’s also a way for youth workers to connect, a help to them as well, I’d hope. It’ll be financed privately, from donations and sponsors, but with strict hands-off restrictions toward the young people. Any contact will be carefully and solely managed by the educational committee. Of course, we’d work with the proper authorities so our speakers and tutors are checked out and follow the statutory guidelines for working with young people. But the speakers would come to the children, rather than them having to pluck up the courage to seek out the help. It would be a complementary resource for them.”
“Marvelous!” Red said.
“You like the idea?” Carter was looking at him with a wry expression.
“I think it’s a flexible, yet carefully directed scheme. There’s still a need for physical activities for the young people, and just somewhere to hang out when they have downtime. But every now and then, I think it’s good to challenge them. In the right way, so they don’t feel bullied into or bored with thinking and learning.” Red was rather startled himself to feel his own heartbeat speeding up with the anticipation of a challenge. “And they’ll offer feedback into the sessions too. It’ll be a communal effort, not lectures. It could be used anywhere and everywhere, if it’s useful.”
“Better for them than table tennis bats?”
Red wrinkled his nose at Carter’s dig. “As well as. As Marie said, a complementary resource.”
“One that appeals more to you?”
Red opened his mouth to snap back, then gave it a second thought, and answered more carefully. “Well, yes. You’re right. I mean, I liked helping to build the café. And I’ve spent plenty of time playing and working in sports myself. But I like their minds, Carter—the quickness, the frankness, the instinctive knowledge as well as the ignorance. Even the arrogance! That’s what I’d like to see nurtured and provoked. They have so much potential, so much energy and passion, if only it can be channeled. Life skills are critical, and information is one of the most important things they can receive. It’ll give them a different set of tools to cope with things ahead of them.” He paused and realized everyone was staring at him. “What is it?”
“You sound more English today, somehow,” Marie said thoughtfully.
Carter gave a small snort of laughter, but he lifted his gaze to Red and smiled. It was as if the smile was purely for him. “Sold,” he said softly.
“I’d better be going,” Marie said. She glanced around the room. Red and Carter had cleared away almost all the mess from the break-in, but there was no mistaking some of the signs: a broken lock on the filing cabinet, a splintered drawer on top of the desk, a pile of swept rubbish in the corner. “I think you have enough on your plate at the moment.”
Carter looked dismayed. “I’m sorry about the state of the center. We had a break-in last night.”
Marie nodded. “Yes, Fiona told me on the way over here.”
“Oh yes?” Red asked. “And how did she know so quickly?”
Fiona had the grace to look uncomfortable. “Ah, yes. Well, since the run-in with the police at the embassy that evening, I agreed to keep an eye on Red. I have… friends in the police, who keep me informed if your name appears in any investigation.”
“Who asked you to do that?” Red was furious. “If my father thinks he can—”
“Your mother, actually,” Fiona interrupted firmly. “And it’s for your own benefit, Red. She wants to know you’re safe.”
He rolled his eyes, still irritated. But he genuinely couldn’t think of a suitable response.
“Will you call me soon, Red?” Marie glanced between him and Carter and blushed. “I mean, for business purposes, of course. I’d like to talk to you some more about the project. I know you’ll have good ideas about it. Maybe I can convince you to take a more active role.”
“No convincing needed,” Red said. “Like Carter said, I’m sold. And who knows if my father will ever take me back? I’ll need a job of some kind to keep myself in the style I’m accustomed to.”
Marie laughed, and for a minute they all joined in comfortable, friendly amusement. And Red found he had no problems at all in being the butt of it.
“I’ll drive Marie back,” Fiona said. Her hand had hovered at Marie’s arm all the time they were talking. Red wondered if the care Fiona showed to Marie was a symptom of something more romantic than her legal counsel. He hoped so. They were both lovely women. “I have a briefing due this afternoon in town, so it’s on my way. I’m happy to take responsibility for this.”
“Wouldn’t dream of stoppin’ you,” Red murmured with a wink in their direction. Most satisfyingly, he earned one of Fiona’s glares.
AS THEY all wandered over to Fiona’s car, Pam drew up in her Fiat.
“I’ll let her know how much we’ve done already,” Carter said. “Do you think we can let her go home again? She needs the rest, and most of the broken stuff has been cleared. We just need to do some straightening out in the games room.” He caught sight of Red’s face. “I’ll call her later to talk about the young people. I will.”
“Carter, I’m not the one bullying you on this!”
Carter laughed, shook his head, and jogged across the car park to greet Pam.
To Red’s surprise, Ruchi was hovering near Fiona’s car. Jag was nowhere to be seen, nor were any of the others. Red wondered if she’d been one of the young people at the back of the press crowd, in which case she’d have seen Marie’s show. Ruchi’s face was flushed and her small fists clenched. She confronted Marie while Fiona went to open the passenger door.
“You tellin’ the truth?” she asked. Her tone was belligerent, but her voice trembled slightly.
“Wait a minute, young lady—” Fiona began.
“No, it’s fine,” Marie said. Her face looked strained, but she smiled at Ruchi. “About what? My father? The project?”
“The… that you’re sick.”
Marie held her gaze, though Red saw the skin tighten at the edges of her eyes. “Yes, it was the truth. I have breast cancer. I’m just starting treatment.”
Ruchi stared back, her pretty young face determined, but her eyes had filled with tears. “So what about the project thing? You really comin’ to talk about it here? In front of, like, everyone? With… questions, whatever?”
Marie nodded. “If people want it, yes,” she said quietly. “And I’ll answer any questions, from my point of view.”
Ruchi nodded too. “Cool,” she said abruptly. She seemed to snap out of her fascination with Marie. “Gotta go. Jag’s waitin’.” Then she hitched her bag up on her shoulder and ran away up the drive.
“What was all that about?” Red asked.
“Does anyone close to her have cancer?” Marie asked quietly.
Pam and Carter had joined them by then. Pam looked surprised but answered, “Ruchi and Jag’s mum has cancer. I haven’t shared the information yet with anyone, but their social worker thought it was best I knew, in case I needed the background for their behavior at the club.” Carter quickly introduced her to Marie and Fiona, but Pam still looked a little bemused, as if she was beginning to realize she’d missed something significant at the center that morning. Fiona saw Marie into her car, waved once and briskly to the others, and they drove off.
“Poor kids,” Red murmured. He was aware of Carter’s glance darting his way, but he didn’t feel like catching any more of the death glares just at the moment. He kept his eyes on Pam. “Poor young people, that is.”
Pam smiled at his nod to political correctness. “No problem, Red. And yes. A lot of them need our sympathy, as well as practical help. Somewhere to come to, somewhere to ask questions.”
“A kind of haven,” Red said. Beside him, he felt Carter tense up. “That links well with how Marie wants to help.”
“What’s that?” Pam asked.
Red gave a brief résumé of Marie’s project. This time, it felt as if Carter’s eyes were boring a hole into the side of his head.
“It sounds like a great idea,” Pam said. “They need all the support and understanding they can get. Apparently, Jag was sitting at his mother’s bedside last night. It was his turn, because Ruchi had a friend’s birthday party she wanted to attend. They share the care between them, bless them. The father’s in emotional pieces about his wife’s illness and is trying to keep up with his job as well.”
“Jag was with her all night?” Red asked.
Pam nodded. “It’s lucky they’re both now on school holidays. But in term time, they also have district nurses calling and support from the Macmillan organization. It’s still a struggle for everyone, especially the youngsters.”
“Of course,” Red said. “And heartbreaking.”
“Well, if you’re sure you don’t need me….” Pam looked relieved but worried. “I’d appreciate getting back home. Harry’s on night shifts this week, and if I can take over the cooking for the kids, he can get some sleep.”
“It’s fine. Everything’s in hand,” Red said. He and Carter walked back with her to her car and spent a few moments chatting, Pam catching up on the next shifts they were both working, and Carter planning how and when they could reschedule the reopening. They waved her off and both stood there for a few moments, silent.
Red couldn’t stand the suspense and was the first to speak. “So it wasn’t Jag.”
“No,” Carter said. “Way to go, Poirot.”
Shit. Red knew he’d been crass in questioning Pam, even indirectly. But when he peered at Carter, he saw Carter smiling.
“It’s okay. I’m glad we had it confirmed. I just wish we didn’t have to consider any of them in the first place.”
We. Red felt a strangely pleasant spasm in his chest at the easy way Carter used that word. “They’re all good people at heart, Carter. It was probably just a momentary madness.” He wondered if they’d ever know who did it, let alone why. It was entirely possible they’d never find out. “She was great, though, wasn’t she? Marie. She’s a wonder. Totally distracted the vultures. I never knew she had any project in mind at all.”
“You think that’s why she did it? Put on that show?”
“Well, yes. She said it was for the project. She cares about kids, like we all do. Sorry, about young people, I mean. She wants to salvage something from her experience, and she’s willing to share that with others. Like I said, she’s a marvel.”
“I’m not denying that. But she didn’t come expecting to face the press full-on like that. It was a painful exposition for her, however well she coped.” Carter shook his head wearily. “Marie saw you in trouble. She wanted to help. She did it for you, Red.”
“Don’t be a fool.”
“To save you the hassle,” Carter continued, regardless of Red’s protest. “To keep your connection with the center from the public eye. She could probably see how annoyed I was about it all.”
“That can’t be true.”
“You don’t think that’s what she did?”
“Yes. I mean, no. That’s what happened, but it was coincidental.” Red flushed, confused. “No one would do anything just for me.”
“Good God. I think you genuinely believe that.”
Red was uncomfortable under Carter’s scrutiny. What was all the fuss about? “People do things for me because they want something in return, Carter. That’s how the whole world works. It’s still fun, it’s still a win-win, but I know the underlying rules.”
“Is that what you think of Miles?”
Red was startled. “Hell, no, I… well, that’s different. He and I have helped each other out in the past without expecting anything back. We’re friends. Zeke too.”
“And Marie?”
Dammit, Carter was some kind of relentless. “Yes, I think we’re friends as well. Beginning to be, anyway. But it’s not the same….”
Carter’s voice had grown soft. “And me?”
Red’s throat felt tight. He fought down a surge of emotion that he couldn’t decide was bad or beautiful. “What you think is one of the most important things to me, Carter. I don’t expect anything from you. I want to give.”
Now Carter looked as if he were having trouble swallowing. “That’s what I didn’t understand for a long time. That you give far more than you take. You hide it well, Red, with the jokes and the affectation and the devil-may-care attitude. I thought you were all about having fun, using others and to hell with the cost.”
“Carter!”
“Hear me out. It took me a while, but I eventually realized it was the opposite. Miles is your friend because of what you’ve done for him, not what he can do for you. Marie is your friend because you cared for her when she needed it. I know you didn’t expect her to owe you in return—”
“No, I didn’t. Stop it.” Red wasn’t sure what it was, but he suspected it’d cause him a hell of a lot of trouble if he let Carter continue.
“You won’t acknowledge it, Red.”
“Damn sure I won’t,” he growled. “I don’t need this kind of talk. This isn’t about me.”
“Do you really believe your own hype?” Carter had that bemused look on his face again. “Of course it’s about you! It’s about us both!”
Red stilled immediately. Carter seemed to realize what he’d said, and his mouth snapped shut, his argument cut off in mid-flow. For a long, confused moment they stared at each other. Red could see the tension in Carter’s body—he recognized the way Carter held himself when he was trying to keep control. Let go! Red wanted to cry out, but he was suddenly afraid that Carter would just fling the same words back at him. They seemed to be debating Red’s view of himself, not Carter’s. Red would never have taken things this way, left to his own devices. Everything Carter did, seemed to disturb; everything he was, seemed to surprise. And yet, wasn’t that what had attracted Red in the first place?
“I don’t know what’s going on.” Red’s mind felt tangled, and he wasn’t exactly sure how it had happened so thoroughly, so quickly. “Let’s take time out on this one, okay?” He couldn’t talk about it here, now, in the middle of a car park, in the wake of a narrow escape from the press and distracted by a mind full of educational plans and criminal damage. “But I think I’d better back off, anyway. The press will come back at some stage.” He knew he was always going to be newsworthy, even if he didn’t seek it. That thought had always brought him mischievous pleasure in the past. Now, it made him feel depressed and weary.
Carter took his arm. “No.”
“Look, Carter, you know I’m sorry it all happened like that. But that bloody pack is never going to leave me alone. I need to go properly low profile. Maybe spend some time abroad….”
“No,” Carter repeated. “So what if they won’t leave you alone? Deal with it! You’ve had enough practice to be an expert.”
Red stared, stricken speechless.
“Next time, Red, we’ll be ready. I’ll get some promotional materials drafted. We’ll have an update on the sports field funding and liaise with Marie so she can keep us in the loop on how her work’s going. We can work it for her in return. We’ll get the kids to help, the staff trained on how to deal with any media attention. And with any luck, it’ll draw in more sponsorship. That’s important, right?”
“Right. I mean…. What?”
“You shouldn’t have to back off, Red. You’re not doing this for publicity, are you?”
“Well, no.” Red couldn’t seem to get one thought straight before he was bowled over by the next unexpectedly twisted one. “But that’s what they’re after. And if they don’t get it, they make something up. God knows I’ve given them enough raw material over the last few years.”
“Let’s face facts,” Carter said, rather grimly. “Marie saw us as a couple, and she’s only just met me. Zeke sees it as well, or at least he’s always pushing me that way. I expect Pam does too—”
“She does,” Red said ruefully. “Discretion seems to have eluded me a few times.”
“I feel like I’m the only one missing out on the news,” Carter said. “And that’s my loss. So let’s give them what they want.”
Red blinked hard. His brain really wasn’t up to scratch today. “What?”
“They’re looking for news about you, aren’t they? Some kind of headlines. What are you doing now? Who are you doing?”
Red winced. “Carter—”
Carter continued on, ignoring his discomfort. “And if they don’t get a story, they’ll make it up. That’s what you said.”
“Yes, I did. It’s the family—”
“No, Red,” Carter interrupted. “It’s you. You attract like a flame.”
“Carter, go easy! I try not to play it as much nowadays.”
“Don’t try,” Carter said, surprisingly softly. “Be yourself.”
Red opened his mouth to protest again, then closed it, puzzled. Opened it again. “And let the press trample after and over me as they always have? What about the fallout on anyone around me? Carter, you hate publicity.”
“I like you. I’ll deal with the rest.”
Red felt the excitement bubbling in his gut. Carter was astounding. The words he was saying were astounding. People saw them as a couple, and Carter wasn’t fighting it. I like you. “You’re… that’s great. So we are…?”
Carter’s mouth smiled, but even better, the light in his eyes confirmed it. “Seeing each other? Dating? A couple? I think the reporters would agree if they knew the facts.”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Which they will.” Carter sounded ridiculously calm about it all. “Let’s take the wind out of their sails. Do it properly, so they don’t have to invent news. You can take me to the Music Maestro Awards, okay?”
“I. You.” Red’s tongue felt too large for his mouth. His skin felt overheated. His fingers itched to take hold of Carter and check he was real. “Well, it’s usually the guest asks the plus one, y’know? But in your case, I can make an exception. You’d better wear a decent tux, though, I have an image to maintain.”
Carter threw back his head and laughed.