Changing Places

by Colette Caddle

  As she walked, she tried to switch into work mode, mentally going through her current list of clients and thinking who she should call first. An image of Charlie Coleman flitted into her head but she swatted it out again. She had no reason to call him any more, unless something went wrong with the sale. Guilt flickered through her at the disappointment she felt. How could she accuse Liam of harbouring feelings for Tara when she was daydreaming about another man? Even when she’d been in Spain, crying to her mother about Liam’s supposed infidelity, she’d still found time to think of Charlie. Oh God! There was no point in torturing herself. She wouldn’t be seeing Charlie again anyway, and whatever thoughts or feelings she’d had, she hadn’t actually done anything to be ashamed of. But would Liam be able to say the same – if they ever got to discuss it? And how would he handle staying next door to Her?

  As Anna arrived at the office, she thought that it would almost be a relief to go back to work and get wrapped up in other people’s problems. She’d go nuts if she thought about the mess that was her own life any longer.

  ‘So, had you a nice holiday? How’s your father?’

  ‘The holiday was lovely, we had a fabulous apartment with an amazing view. Dad is wonderful although ready to throttle Mam if she forces any more salad down his throat.’

  Val chuckled. ‘If he’s well enough to complain it’s a good sign. I always worry when Edna goes quiet. She never stops moaning, you see, so it wouldn’t be natural if she was quiet.’ She stopped and put her hands to her cheeks. ‘Oh, what a terrible thing to say!’

  ‘You’re human, Val, and she’s lucky to have you.’

  ‘She’s my sister,’ Val said simply. ‘If I didn’t look after her, who would?’

  Anna wondered guiltily if she’d be as caring if Rachel ever needed her, or vice versa for that matter.

  ‘You have a lovely colour, but you look a bit tired for someone who’s just come back from a holiday,’ Val observed.

  The phone rang, preventing Anna from replying and she hopped on it gratefully. ‘No rest for the wicked, eh? Hello, Donnelly’s Real Estate, Anna Gallagher speaking.’

  The morning flew from then on and Anna was grateful that she and Val had little opportunity to chat. Predictably, Mark was annoyed when she told him she didn’t have her car with her.

  ‘Bloody inconvenient,’ he grumbled. ‘I told Val to line up three appointments for you this afternoon. And what about the apartments? There’s a viewing tonight and you’re supposed to be doing it.’

  ‘I’ll still be able to show the apartments,’ she told him calmly, ‘and if you lend me your car I can keep all of my appointments.’

  ‘I suppose so,’ he grunted, ‘but put a mark on that BMW and it’ll come out of your salary.’

  ‘Speaking of salary, when am I getting my commission on the Brennan sale?’

  ‘When it goes through and not before. Actually, give Charlie a call and hurry him along, will you? Paul Brennan says his lawyer is an idiot and he’s dragging everything out.’

  ‘Wouldn’t it be better if you had a word?’ This was the last thing Anna needed.

  Mark smiled for the first time. ‘Ah no, I think he’d prefer to talk to you.’

  ‘Stop messing about, Mark.’ Anna glared at him. ‘Charlie’s a client and no more than that.’

  ‘Did I say a word?’ He held up his hands and tried to look wide-eyed and innocent. ‘Look, Anna, just deal with it, will you?’ He threw her his car keys. ‘I need you back here by five.’

  ‘I’ll be here,’ Anna said and went back out to her desk.

  Val stood up and put on her coat. ‘I’ll just pop out and get a sandwich. Would you like something?’

  ‘No, that’s okay, I’m not hungry.’

  Val shook her head. ‘It’s not good to go all day without food, Anna.’

  ‘I’ll get something later, okay?’ Anna was sharper than she’d intended and she sighed as Val walked out of the office without another word. She’d have to apologize when she got back. Val was only being kind and she didn’t deserve to be snapped at. Particularly considering the extra workload she’d shouldered so that Anna could go on holiday. Anna promised herself she’d make it up to her. Before she had time to figure out how, the phone rang again and she was forced to put Val to the back of her mind as she focused on the caller.

  Later, when Val returned and Anna had made her a cup of tea and grovelled a bit, she took Mark’s car keys and headed off to her first appointment. It was a viewing of Beech Wood, an old house in its own grounds about a mile outside the village, and Val said the man who’d made the appointment, Mr Grainger, sounded very keen. ‘Apparently his wife used to live near there,’ Val had briefed her, ‘and she wants to move back into the area.’

  ‘I hope they’re serious,’ Anna had said with a shudder. ‘I hate going to that house, it gives me the creeps.’

  Now, as she drove up the long driveway, she was relieved to see that the clients had already arrived. ‘Mr Grainger?’ she said, getting out of the car.

  ‘That’s right.’ The heavyset man came over to shake hands.

  ‘Anna Gallagher.’ Anna forced herself not to pull her hand away from his sweaty grip. She looked around him. ‘Isn’t your wife with you?’

  ‘She couldn’t make it, I’m afraid, but she’s happy for me to check the place out. If I like it, we’ll come back for a second viewing. Could we get on? Only I’m in a bit of a hurry.’

  ‘Of course.’ Anna went back to the car to get the house keys and brochure and then led the way across the gravel to the front door. ‘The property is a wonderful example of Edwardian architecture but it is in need of attention,’ she told him as she unlocked the door.

  ‘You’re not kidding,’ he said as she turned on the light to reveal an imposing hallway with flaking paintwork and peeling wallpaper.

  ‘It’s in a bit of a state,’ Anna acknowledged, ‘but I think that’s reflected in the price.’

  ‘Well, show me the rest of the place and I’ll tell you if I agree.’

  ‘Fine, let’s start with the drawing room.’

  Anna led him from room to room, speeding up as she began to sense that he wasn’t really that interested. Apart from which, she didn’t like the way he was looking at her. Maybe she was overreacting, this house had that effect on her, but she would be a lot happier when she was back in the safety of Mark’s car. ‘And this is the family bathroom,’ she said, throwing open the door and walking into the room. ‘There’s an excellent view of the garden from here.’ She went over to the window and peered out.

  ‘I do love the view.’

  She jumped as she realized he was standing right behind her, his mouth close to her ear.

  ‘I wonder if the shower works.’ He ran his fingers up and down her arm. ‘Maybe we should try it out.’

  Anna turned, finding his face only inches from hers. ‘I don’t think so,’ she said, forcing a smile. ‘I’m afraid I have another appointment to go to.’

  ‘Ah, there’s no hurry,’ he said, manhandling her back against the wall. ‘You must have a great time bringing men to all these empty houses.’ He licked his lips and the excitement dancing in his eyes scared Anna more than the feel of his groin pushing against her.

  ‘Let me go,’ she murmured, trying desperately to keep calm. He was probably just chancing his arm and would back off when she made it clear that she wasn’t interested.

  His eyes stared into hers as his hands moved to the neck of her blouse. ‘I will, of course I will. Anna, isn’t it?’

  She nodded.

  ‘We’ll just have a little fun first.’ He fiddled clumsily with her buttons and Anna bit back a scream.

  ‘Wait,’ she told him, giving him a coy smile. ‘You’ll tear it. Let me.’ And pushing his hands away, she started to open the buttons. When he stood back to watch, she seized her opportunity and with every ounce of strength she possessed, she kneed him in the groin. As he screamed and crumpled to the floor in front of her, s
he stepped around him and started to run, not stopping until she got to the car.

  Getting in, she fumbled with trembling fingers for the door lock – damn car, where the hell was it? Turning on the engine, she swung the car round, spraying gravel everywhere, and drove back down the driveway at speed. When she was out on the main road, she drove until she reached a petrol station, pulled in and phoned the office.

  ‘Put Mark on,’ she told Val. ‘Now.’

  ‘You’ve crashed the bloody car, haven’t you?’ Mark said as soon as Val had put her through.

  ‘No, I’ve been attacked.’

  ‘Jesus! Oh my God, Anna, are you okay?’

  ‘Yes, I got away before he did anything. But I’m afraid I just ran out of the house and left him there.’

  ‘Don’t worry about that, you did exactly the right thing. What house?’

  ‘Beech Wood on the back road.’

  ‘Right. You come back here, or go home, whichever you like. I’ll get a taxi and go out there.’

  ‘But what are you going to do? What if he has a knife or something?’

  ‘If he had a knife he would have produced it. Don’t worry I won’t take any chances. I’ll get the police to meet me at the house.’

  ‘I still have the house keys and what about your car—’

  ‘Will you stop worrying, Anna? I can pick the car up later. Are you sure you’re okay?’

  ‘A bit shaky but otherwise I’m fine. I gave him a knee in the balls.’

  Mark roared with laughter. ‘Good woman! We can certainly let you out on your own.’

  ‘Will you call me and let me know what happens?’

  ‘Sure. Now go home and drive carefully. I don’t want you pranging my car.’

  ‘I won’t.’

  Anna put her phone down on the passenger seat with a shaking hand. A car pulled into the forecourt beside her and she jumped, letting out a yelp. A little old lady got out and proceeded to fill her tank. Anna laughed. She was as jumpy as a cat, probably with delayed shock. She decided to sit there for a while before driving anywhere. The last thing she wanted to do now was crash poor Mark’s car. A gentle knock on the window made her jump again.

  ‘Anna, what’s wrong? It’s just me, Charlie. Are you okay?’

  Anna’s mouth opened and closed like a goldfish but she couldn’t seem to get the words out.

  ‘I’m coming in, okay?’ He waited until she nodded before going around to the passenger door and climbing in beside her. He took her hands in his. ‘God, you’re freezing.’

  Anna nodded. ‘Yes, I do feel a bit cold.’

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  She quickly explained what had happened, ending with: ‘I’m fine, really I am. I just can’t seem to stop shaking. I’m not sure I should drive – certainly not this thing.’

  ‘Leave it to me,’ Charlie said, pulling out his phone and dialling. ‘Hello, Mark? It’s Charlie. Yes, I know, I won’t keep you. I ran into Anna in the filling station outside the village. She’s not really up to driving so I think we should leave your car here and I’ll take her home. Right, then. Be careful. Bye.’ Charlie hung up and reached out a hand to smooth Anna’s hair. ‘Come on, you get into my car and I’ll take you home.’

  ‘But what about Mark’s car?’

  ‘We’ll leave it here and he can pick it up later. It’s all arranged.’

  Anna obediently opened the door and swung her legs out. When she went to stand, however, she felt a bit wobbly and clutched on to the door.

  ‘Hang on there.’ Charlie hurried across, put an arm around her waist and practically carried her over to his car. ‘I’ll just park Mark’s car and drop the keys inside. I’ll be back in a minute. Will you be okay?’

  ‘I’m fine, honestly! I don’t know why I’m shaking so much, it’s ridiculous.’

  ‘You’ve had a shock, that’s all. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll have you home with a nice cuppa in your hand in no time at all.’

  Chapter 31

  ‘Is Liam home?’ Charlie asked, as he pulled up outside her house.

  ‘Yes – oh, no. He’s staying with his mother. She broke her ankle yesterday.’

  Charlie switched off the engine. ‘Where are your house keys?’

  Anna fumbled in her bag for a few seconds until finally Charlie took the bag from her. ‘May I?’

  She nodded and he quickly found her keys, helped her out of the car and led her inside. Sitting her down at the kitchen table, he put the kettle on and started to ransack the cupboards. ‘Have you any brandy?’

  Anna shook her head. ‘There’s some saké in the fridge.’

  His eyes widened as he turned to face her. ‘Saké?’

  ‘Liam’s going through a Japanese phase.’

  Anna watched as Charlie took out the saké, poured some into a jug and put it into the microwave. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘It will be more comforting warm. It’s nicer too.’

  When Anna took a sip, she nodded. ‘It is nicer. Won’t you have one?’

  ‘I think I’d better stick to coffee. It’s strong stuff and one glass never seems to be enough.’

  It wasn’t long before Anna felt the alcohol warm her and the shaking finally stopped. Charlie carried his coffee over and sat down.

  ‘I’d love to know what’s happening,’ Anna said, shooting an anxious look at the clock. ‘I wonder if Mark got there before Mr Grainger left? I’m not sure how much I hurt him.’

  ‘I’d say you’ve left him with a few bruises. Would you like me to phone Mark and find out what’s going on?’

  ‘Yes, he’ll probably tell you more than he will me. The phone’s in the hall.’

  Charlie went outside and she listened to him murmuring and then the ring as he put the phone down. ‘Well?’ she asked.

  ‘There was no one in the house when Mark got there.’

  Anna made a face. ‘I didn’t hurt him too much, then.’

  ‘I don’t suppose you could give a description of the car?’

  ‘It was green and it was a four-door saloon – apart from that, I’ve no idea. I’m not really good on cars.’

  ‘Did you notice the registration?’

  She shook her head. ‘God, I’m pathetic, aren’t I?’

  ‘No, of course not. Though, in the future, it might be a good idea to take a note of details like that.’

  ‘Val must have an address for him – well, at least a contact number. I should call her.’

  Charlie shook his head. ‘Mark already checked. They have no address and he gave a false number and presumably a false name too.’

  Anna’s face paled. ‘So he planned this? He set me up?’

  Charlie shrugged. ‘He’s just a sleazebag who was trying his luck. Forget about him, he’s a loser. You handled yourself brilliantly, and hopefully he’ll think twice before he tries it on with any other woman.’

  ‘I hope you’re right.’

  ‘Why don’t you call Liam? I’m sure he’d want to be here with you.’

  Anna thought about it and then shook her head. ‘He has enough on his plate at the moment. Anyway, I’m okay – why worry him?’ She held up her glass. ‘This is helping. Thanks, Charlie. If you hadn’t come along I think I’d still be sitting on that forecourt.’

  He reached out a finger and ran it down her cheek, his eyes tender. ‘I quite like being your knight in shining armour.’

  ‘Or jeans,’ Anna joked, pulling back slightly. Charlie’s touch aroused all sorts of feelings in her that she knew she shouldn’t be having. ‘It’s funny, but you were top of my “to do” list. I was going to call you as soon as I got back to the office. After I’d done my other calls – oh, my God, I never contacted those poor people!’

  ‘Relax, Mark is on top of it. He said you were to forget about work and even take a couple of days off if you want.’

  ‘Crikey! Is he feeling all right? You know, he can be the most sexist, difficult, annoying boss and then he can be so sweet like he was today.�
��

  ‘Sweet? Mark?’ Charlie guffawed. ‘Oh, he’d love that!’

  Anna laughed too. ‘Yeah, I suppose it’s not the image he’d like to project.’

  ‘So, you mentioned you were going to call me.’ Charlie’s voice was light, but his eyes bored into hers.

  Anna looked away. ‘Yeah, Mark asked me to. Apparently your lawyer isn’t moving fast enough for Paul Brennan.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘So if you could hurry him along, that would be great. Or if there’s a problem . . .’

  ‘There’s no problem.’

  ‘Oh well, that’s good. You must be looking forward to moving in. Have you shown Sophie the house yet?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And she liked it?’ Anna struggled on, trying to ignore his clipped tone and the sudden change in atmosphere.

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Look, Charlie—’

  ‘Hey, it’s okay, I get the message loud and clear.’

  ‘You’re a wonderful guy, Charlie.’

  He stood up, pushed the chair in and leaned heavily on it. ‘I’m feeling a bit foolish so I’d be grateful if you spared me the “sod off” speech.’

  ‘I wasn’t going to make a speech.’

  His eyes met hers. ‘But you were going to tell me that our relationship had to remain purely professional, weren’t you?’

  She sighed. ‘Yes, I was.’

  ‘Then there’s nothing more to say.’ He turned to leave.

  ‘Please don’t go,’ Anna begged. The saké had given her a warm, fuzzy feeling and she didn’t want to fight. Nor did she want him to go.

  Charlie turned to face her. ‘Give me a reason to stay.’

  Anna grinned. ‘I make a great chicken curry.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘No,’ she admitted. ‘But I’m a dab hand with a microwave.’

  ‘Are you inviting me to stay for dinner?’

  ‘Yes, Charlie. Look, you’re a friend, a good one. I don’t want to lose you.’

  Charlie’s mouth twisted into a wry smile. ‘I’m not that good at being friends with women, especially when I fancy them.’

  Anna reddened. ‘Well, if I wear a bag over my head, will that help?’