Intimate Strangers

by Susan Lewis

  ‘I know, Chris told me, and to be honest, I understand his frustration. I even feel it myself. So does Chris.’

  Laurie wasn’t surprised by that, for Chris had been more involved in the Phraxos Special Project than any of them, though the actual details of his undercover role were still, for most, as secret as the project itself. ‘What’s happening is unconscionable,’ Laurie stated. ‘There’s absolutely no way to justify it, and of course the public should be told, but if any of those defence industries start going down as a result of the exposure, which they inevitably would, it wouldn’t be long before the entire world markets began to collapse and that would be … Well, it would be catastrophic. Everyone will start going under, and it certainly won’t help save the innocent lives that are being sacrificed for profit in godforsaken parts of the globe, if anything it’ll make it worse.’

  ‘And Elliot knows that, which is why he won’t break the agreement,’ Rachel reminded her.

  Laurie stared down at the garlic she’d just squashed. ‘Actually, I think it’s the fact that he took money for his silence that’s really bothering him,’ she said, scooping it into a pan and watching it sizzle. ‘Or maybe it’s the dread of marrying me.’

  Rachel’s eyebrows shot up as she chuckled.

  ‘You think I’m joking,’ Laurie responded, ‘but if you heard some of the rows we’ve been having lately …’ She broke off as a howl of laughter whooped up from the sitting room. ‘What’s going on over there?’ she called out when she could be heard.

  Rose Newman, a handsome, middle-aged woman with neat greying hair, and a smile that totally lit up her normally serious expression, got to her feet and wiped a tear from under one eye. ‘Sherry’s being outrageous,’ she answered, going to the bar to refill her glass.

  Sherry’s expression was a picture of innocence.

  ‘Even for her,’ Rhona confirmed, from where she was sitting cross-legged on a downy cushion.

  Sherry shrugged, and Laurie laughed. They were all, by now, quite familiar with Sherry’s ability to shock them into laughter with unexpected turns in a conversation.

  ‘I wish we could get her to join our team,’ Rose commented, as she carried an empty wine bottle into the kitchen. ‘Can’t you persuade her?’

  ‘I’ve tried, but you’ve heard what she says: she doesn’t like the limelight, and she values her independence.’

  ‘Sounds wise to me,’ Rachel commented, popping a couple of baguettes into the oven to warm up. ‘So what are you two working on at the moment?’

  ‘Human trafficking and forced prostitution,’ Rose answered.

  Rachel turned to Laurie in surprise. ‘That’s a bit involved when you’ve got a wedding coming up, isn’t it?’ she commented.

  ‘I’m helping out with the research, and taking care of the London end of things,’ Laurie replied. ‘Rose is on the globetrot.’

  ‘Have you told Rachel about the girl you spoke to today?’ Rose asked.

  Laurie shook her head, then merely listened as Rose filled Rachel in on the developments of the day. Since Rose was so much more experienced at production, and so level-headed in her approach to the world’s horrors, she almost never failed to give Laurie a rational and helpful perspective on what they were dealing with, and now was proving no exception. On the other hand, however, Rose admired Laurie’s passion, and even encouraged her impulsiveness, which was probably what made them such a great partnership. Laurie could just wish that once in a while Rose didn’t remind her quite so much of her mother.

  ‘So you’ve got no idea where these women are being held?’ Rachel was saying.

  Laurie shook her head. ‘The only address the doctor has is a garment workshop, just along the road from his office. Barry Davidson, the chap who tipped me off about her, has checked the place out, but there was no sign of any women working there at all.’

  ‘Do you know who owns it?’

  ‘Some character by the name of Eddie Cribbs. I don’t know much about him yet, but I will.’ As she spoke she was seeing Daya’s face in her mind’s eye and sorely wishing now that she’d given in to the impulse to bring her home. God only knew what might have ensued if she had, but surely anything would be better than leaving the girl to a fate that might very well be worse than death. ‘She was so tiny,’ she said. ‘So fragile. It makes me feel sick to think of her little body being hurt and abused like that.’

  ‘What’s your next step?’ Rachel asked.

  ‘I’m not sure yet. She says she has a daughter, but we’ve yet to find out whether the child’s here, or back in India.’

  ‘Is that where you’re going?’ Rachel asked Rose.

  Rose nodded. ‘If the child’s there I doubt very much we’ll find her, but who knows. Even if we don’t, there are plenty like her.’

  ‘Isn’t that the truth,’ Rachel murmured, recalling her own trip to India and how devastated she had been by the plight of abandoned children. ‘So Laurie misses out on the exotic hot spots this time around?’ she said, attempting to lighten the moment.

  ‘Not exactly,’ Rose replied with arched brows. ‘She’s got a honeymoon coming up, remember?’

  ‘Of course. Do you know where you’re going?’

  ‘Bali,’ Laurie answered. ‘I’ve always wanted to go, and now Elliot’s a very rich man he’s splashing out on three weeks in one of the Amman Resorts. Let’s just hope he forgets to pack his conscience.’ She glanced over at him again and felt her heart tighten with the desire to be there now, away from all that was going on here.

  Feeling her eyes on him, Elliot turned towards her and winked. It made her smile, which was a relief, since he was all too aware of how poorly he’d been doing in that department lately. He was briefly tempted to break off his conversation with Chris and go over to her now, if only to stop her thinking they were discussing the Phraxos affair, which, in fact, they weren’t. However, the current topic wasn’t one he wanted her to know about either.

  ‘Frankly, I think it’s a great idea,’ Chris was saying, following the progress of a loaded barge as it chugged downriver. ‘And it’ll be a terrific investment too. The big question is, how much do you want to spend, because I have to warn you, old chap, Andraya’s paintings don’t come cheap.’

  Elliot glanced at Laurie again. ‘Let’s wait until after she’s seen them,’ he said. ‘I have to be sure it’s something she’ll want. If it is, I still want to keep it as a surprise.’

  ‘Of course. No problem. I’ll set up a private viewing for you, before the official opening. They’re due to arrive next Monday. So’s the woman herself. Now there’s an exhibition, if ever I’ve seen one. I’ll say no more than that, but remember, you were warned.’

  Elliot grinned. ‘I’ll bear it in mind,’ he responded, watching Sherry as she caught the tea towel Laurie threw at her. He’d heard the comment Sherry had made, how he and Laurie couldn’t take their eyes off each other, and Sherry was right – though perhaps not for the reasons she was thinking.

  ‘Are you all right?’ he suddenly heard Chris saying. ‘You seem a bit … distracted.’

  Elliot shook his head. ‘I’m fine,’ he answered. ‘Just not enjoying this forced sabbatical. I need to be working.’

  ‘How long are you taking off?’

  ‘A year. I’ve just been contracted to do a book, did I tell you?’

  ‘No. That’s great news. I don’t imagine it’s going to contain anything about Phraxos though.’

  ‘It’s tempting, but if I did, they wouldn’t publish it.’

  ‘Of course not.’ Chris’s handsome face turned as grim as Elliot’s.

  ‘Come on,’ Elliot said, slapping him on the shoulder. ‘If we stand here much longer Laurie’ll start getting edgy, and we don’t want to spoil the evening.’

  A couple of hours later, they were all seated around the large glass dining table, plates empty, candles burning down, and the rest of the room still in splendid disarray around them, as they bantered back and forth about anything t
hat came to mind, though mostly about the wedding. Even Laurie, Sherry noticed, who’d seemed so tense earlier, had finally managed to lighten up, and the looks going between her and Elliot now appeared far less spiked with annoyance, or resentment, than they had before they’d sat down. For her part Sherry couldn’t remember when she’d last felt so relaxed and happy – maybe it was the last time she’d spent an evening with them all, for they were starting to feel rather like family now, and she could hardly express how much it meant to her to be a part of their lives. Given a little more wine she’d probably start gushing it all out, so maybe she should do everyone a favour and call a halt now. To her dismay, as Elliot finished topping up her glass she hiccuped, and everyone burst out laughing.

  ‘Was that me?’ she gasped, in mock horror.

  ‘How much have you had?’ Rhona laughed.

  ‘The same as everyone else.’

  ‘Then you’re drunk. Whoopee. I love it when you’re drunk.’

  ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Sherry protested, and with a broad grin she took a generous sip of wine.

  Rose was watching her as closely as her slightly blurred vision allowed. ‘What I want to know,’ she said, saluting Sherry with her glass, ‘is why an attractive young woman like you shuts herself away and never seems to go out on dates. No, no, I don’t want to hear some rubbish about how there are no decent men, or you never get time, because it’s all bollocks, excuse my language. I think you’re hiding something from us, Sherry Mac, and my guess is it’s a mystery lover. So now, out with it. Who is he? What’s his name? What does he do? Tell us everything.’

  Laurie was staring at Rose in astonishment, for it was hardly her style – at least when sober – to blunder into someone’s private life like that. On the other hand, she was fascinated to see how Sherry handled it.

  In true Sherry fashion, she took it on masterfully, assuming a befuddled sort of Mata Hari expression, while slouching one arm across the back of her chair and stroking the stem of her wine glass. ‘What makes you think there’s only one?’ she drawled.

  As the laughter and applause died down, Rose said, ‘OK, then which one are you bringing to the wedding?’

  Laurie flinched.

  Sherry continued her enigmatic smile. ‘If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise,’ she responded smoothly.

  ‘So there is someone?’ Rose challenged.

  ‘I didn’t say that.’

  ‘But there is. There has to be.’

  Sherry’s head went to one side as she toyed with the idea of making something up, just to entertain them, or perhaps actually telling them about Nick. After this much wine, she’d probably end up making a fool of herself, and wanting to drown herself in the river the next morning, so maybe not, particularly while Elliot was listening. She would do better to try and dazzle him into realizing what a valuable addition she would make to his team.

  Too late, for Rhona was already saying, ‘There used to be. Who was the guy you told me about? The journalist. I’m trying to remember his name.’

  The natural colour in Sherry’s cheeks was deepening, but she was quite pleased the decision had been taken out of her hands, for in her present mood she quite wanted to talk about Nick. Indeed, why keep him a secret? There was no shame in everyone knowing that she had mattered to someone once, even if it was an embarrassing seven years ago. ‘It’s Nick van Zant,’ she answered, casting a glance at Elliot.

  He frowned in recognition. ‘I know that name,’ he said. ‘Isn’t he with the New York Times?’

  ‘That’s right,’ she replied, feeling ludicrously important by association. ‘At least, the last I heard he was.’

  ‘He’s English,’ Rhona informed everyone, seeming to think it mattered.

  Elliot nodded. ‘I remember reading some of his reports from Afghanistan. And Iraq. War’s his thing, isn’t it?’

  ‘It is now’, Sherry replied. ‘But when I knew him he was still US based, covering crime, mainly.’

  ‘So what happened?’ Rose wanted to know.

  Sherry shrugged. ‘Nothing much really,’ she responded mildly. ‘We actually only spent a month together, the summer before I left California …’

  ‘She’s going to make light of it,’ Rhona protested. ‘It was huge. The big love of her life, even if it did only last a month.’ She looked at Sherry and signalled for her to continue.

  Sighing, but secretly delighted by the interjection, Sherry said, ‘OK. It’s the only time in my life I’ve been with someone and felt such an amazing sense of something being right. It was easy. We were so in tune with each other we hardly needed to ask any questions. It was as though we already knew everything about each other, but still we couldn’t get enough of each other. We laughed, we talked, we made love, we explored places neither of us had ever been, both physically and mentally, we admitted things we’d never admitted to anyone else. You know how it is, when you feel like that, you just don’t hold back. There’s no need to. If you’re meant for each other, which was how we felt, what’s the point in playing games, or pretending?’ She glanced at Laurie, pleased by her rapt expression. Then the corners of her mouth turned down. ‘There was only one dark spot in the dream,’ she continued, ‘because, of course, there always is, one obstacle that stood in our way, and made it all completely impossible … Actually, in his case there were four obstacles …’ She counted them off on her fingers. ‘A wife, a daughter, a mother and a religion.’

  Elliot’s surprise showed. ‘Religion?’ he echoed.

  ‘He’s Jewish, and though it’s not a particularly big deal for him, it is for his mother.’

  ‘But Jews divorce,’ Chris said.

  ‘Not when they’re afraid it’ll kill their mother – and when their daughter means everything. To be honest, if he didn’t feel that way about his daughter, he wouldn’t be the man I thought he was. So we had our month together, and then … Well, he went back to New York to rejoin his family, and I came here, to England.’

  ‘But you still saw him, after you came here,’ Rhona reminded her.

  ‘Not very often. It was around then that he got his first break as a war correspondent, so I saw him a few times when he was passing through, en route to the Middle East, or Africa, or wherever.’

  ‘Are you ever in touch now?’ Rose asked.

  ‘No. After the first few times in London we agreed it couldn’t go on. His situation wasn’t going to change, and it was too painful for us both every time he left. I wasn’t getting over it, I just kept hoping and praying that something would work out, but I had to make myself stop, because the only way we could be together was if his mother were to die, or worse, his daughter, and I could hardly hope for that.’ She shrugged and threw out her hands. ‘So, that’s it. He’s an incredible man, an impossible act to follow, which is why I’m sitting here on my own tonight, because I’ve never found anyone who could match up. So how sad is that?’

  ‘You know, I’m sure I’ve met him,’ Elliot said.

  Sherry’s heart turned over. Maybe she shouldn’t have got into this after all. ‘I’d say it was quite possible,’ she conceded.

  ‘Don’t you ever feel the urge to get in touch?’ Laurie asked.

  ‘No,’ she lied. ‘What’s the point? It can’t go anywhere.’

  Laurie glanced at Elliot, as though in some way he might be able to fix it. Then her eyes closed as his mobile started to ring. Please don’t let it be Max, she was thinking, as he got up to answer. The evening had been going so well, she didn’t want anything to remind him of Phraxos again. But it was Max, and as he disappeared into his study to take the call, she could feel the tension that had built in her earlier starting to return.

  ‘I don’t know how much more of this I can take,’ she muttered to Sherry as they carried dishes through to the kitchen. ‘He’s obsessed with this damned Phraxos thing and to hell with everything else, including the fact that we’re supposed to be getting married.’

  Sherry looked at her in surprise.
‘“Supposed,”’ she echoed. ‘You’re surely not having doubts, are you?’

  Laurie sighed, heavily. ‘No. Of course not. I just wish he’d show a bit more interest, that’s all.’ She turned to Sherry and gave her a wry, affectionate smile. ‘Let’s have lunch this week, shall we?’

  ‘Sure. Give me a call when you can make it.’

  ‘I think that’s yours, Laurie,’ Rhona called out, as another mobile started to ring.

  ‘Can you see who it is?’

  ‘No number,’ Rhona told her, looking at the read-out, then clicked on to answer. ‘Hello, Laurie Forbes’s phone.’

  ‘OK, who wants coffee,’ Laurie shouted, rummaging around for the cafetière. ‘I’m really sorry he cut off your story about Nick so abruptly,’ she said to Sherry. ‘And I’m not much better, am I? Already going on about myself.’

  ‘It’s not a problem. The story’s not exactly new and I was finished, anyway. Where’s the coffee?’

  ‘Good question.’

  Rhona came to the counter with the phone. ‘I think he said his name was Barry,’ she said, passing it over. ‘It’s not a great connection.’

  Taking the phone Laurie turned aside and blocked one ear. She was already experiencing some concern as it was late for Barry to be calling. ‘Hello?’ she said. ‘Is everything all right?’

  ‘Sorry to interrupt,’ he replied, ‘I know you’ve got guests, but I thought you’d want to know … I’ve just had an extremely interesting call warning me to stay away from the doc and the workshop, if I know what’s good for me.’

  ‘Do you know who it was?’

  ‘I’d guess at one of Eddie Cribbs’s people, the bloke that owns the workshop.’

  ‘What did you say?’

  ‘I told him we wanted to know where Daya was, so’s we could get her the treatment she needs. And I was told we wouldn’t ever see her again, no-one would.’

  Laurie felt suddenly sick. ‘What does that mean?’ she said.

  ‘Probably what you think. Seems they’ve found out she talked. Don’t ask me how, but if this bloke’s to be believed, she ain’t going to be talking again.’