The End of Cuthbert Close

by Cassie Hamer

  Her stomach rolled and she turned the page. The other side was blank. Who was this from? What were they talking about? Had someone seen her with Adam? Or was this about Max and his … messages? Who else would know about that? Cara and Alex were the only ones she’d told. And as far as she knew, no one at all had seen her with Adam.

  Beth gripped the bench, her knees weakened. Sour saliva coated her mouth.

  She looked at the note again. What should she do with it? Rip it into a million pieces and put it into the recycling? Or keep it?

  Max was talking to someone else now. Who was it? She craned to see.

  Charlie Devine, in a thigh-grazing white shirt dress.

  She won’t want to bend over in that.

  That serious look was on Max’s face again, the one he always got when talking to their new neighbour. At that moment, both of them looked back towards the kitchen window. Catching Beth’s eye, Max gave her a half-hearted wave, and Charlie gave a wan smile, then shifted around, so that her back was turned and Beth no longer had a view of her husband.

  Taking a deep breath, Beth turned back to the stove and carefully slipped the note into her pocket. Now wasn’t the time. She had risotto to deal with first, and a business launch to nail.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  ‘Ready. Set. Go.’ Poppy swung her legs into a handstand, her head completely disappearing as her dress dropped over it. ‘How long was that one, Halbi?’ she demanded, returning to a standing position.

  Sam checked his watch. ‘Three seconds.’

  ‘Not long enough,’ Joy scolded. ‘You can do better.’

  Poppy nodded. Her face flushed. ‘I can do better. Ready to time me again?’

  ‘Poppy.’ Cara used her warning voice. ‘I don’t think Halbi and Halmi want to spend their evening watching you do handstands.’

  ‘Let the girl do her tricks, why not?’ cried Sam.

  ‘They’ve got nothing else to do,’ said Poppy in a matter-of-fact tone. ‘They’re not talking to anyone.’

  ‘Honey, why don’t you go and find the other kids. I think they’re playing hide and seek in the street.’

  Without a word, Poppy took off.

  ‘Say thank you to Halbi and Halmi,’ called Cara.

  ‘Thank you,’ she bellowed over her shoulder.

  Cara held out the tray of risotto. ‘Pumpkin, sage and goat’s cheese risotto?’

  Joy groaned and clutched her stomach. ‘I’m full! You have fed me too much.’

  ‘Dad?’

  Sam went to take a bowl, but Joy put her hand over his. ‘He will burst. And he does not like this rice.’ She wrinkled her nose and peered into the dish. ‘Too bland.’

  Cara flinched. She was used to Joy’s barbs over her cooking. She’d come to realise her mother would always regard Korean food as being the world’s only truly edible cuisine. What annoyed her was that the criticisms still managed to hurt.

  ‘You’re not actually leaving now, are you? You only just arrived. Maybe I could introduce you to some of the neighbours?’ As she spoke, there was a tap on her shoulder.

  ‘Cara, hi. Not interrupting, am I?’

  ‘Will … hi.’ She’d completely forgotten about asking him to the party and now here he was, business shirt undone at the collar, sleeves rolled to the elbow. She pressed her fingers to her chin.

  ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you. Is this a bad time?’ He glanced over her shoulder.

  ‘No, no, it’s fine. I just … um.’

  ‘You forgot that you asked me.’ He chuckled. ‘It’s fine. I really didn’t plan to stay long.’

  ‘No, please. Have some risotto.’ She held up the tray and Will took a bowl.

  ‘It needs chilli,’ Joy volunteered.

  Oh, goodness, her parents. Cara whipped around to find her mother’s mouth set in a firm line. Her father smiled pleasantly.

  ‘Mum, Dad, please meet Will Parry. He’s … uh … he’s the son of Mr Parry. Our landlord.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you both.’ Smoothly, Will put down the bowl of food and offered his hand. Joy took it suspiciously.

  ‘Where is your father?’ Joy’s eyes narrowed.

  Mentally, Cara face-palmed. The woman could sniff out a problem from a hundred paces. She mustn’t find out about Mr Parry’s death. Not yet. If she knew that Will and his siblings were planning to sell, the pressure on Cara would be immediate. Joy wouldn’t just ask her daughter and granddaughter to move in with them, she’d simply expect it.

  ‘Mr Parry is unwell,’ said Cara. ‘Will is taking care of things in his absence.’

  She felt him looking at her strangely.

  ‘You said Mr Parry was overseas.’ Poppy was back, at precisely the wrong time, and delivered the words accusingly.

  ‘No, well, uh—’ Cara stammered.

  ‘No, that’s right,’ said Will. ‘He was overseas and then he got a bit sick.’ He looked to Cara for confirmation. ‘But he’s going to be fine.’

  Joy nodded knowingly. ‘Airplanes are full of germs. So horrible. All that bad air and coughing,’ she tsked. ‘Tell your father to take ginger. That will fix him.’ She looked to Sam. ‘We are going now, old man.’

  Her father put both hands on Cara’s arms and squeezed. ‘Congratulations, daughter, on a wonderful business party,’ he whispered into her ear. ‘We are proud of you.’

  Both of you? Or just you?

  Joy was already gone, standing out in the close by the car. She waved, and Cara waved back.

  Will waited until they were out of sight. ‘What was that all about?’ he asked, hands on hips. ‘Why did we just lie to them about my father, again?’

  Cara clasped her hands. ‘I’m sorry … It’s hard to explain. I don’t think you’d understand.’

  ‘Try me.’

  She took a breath. ‘If Poppy and I have to leave Cuthbert Close, my parents will expect me to come and live with them.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘You just met my mother, what do you think the problem might be with that? Could you have lived with your parents as a grown adult?’ She folded her arms.

  ‘Okay … Okay.’ Will nodded. ‘But you’ll have to tell them the truth at some point. Sooner or later.’ He regarded her. ‘You expect me to go against my brother and sister, but you don’t want to face up to your own parents. That doesn’t exactly seem fair.’

  ‘I know,’ said Cara. ‘It’s not.’ She cast her eyes to the ground. He was right. She was a hypocrite, expecting him to challenge his family when she wasn’t brave enough to do the same.

  He cleared his throat. ‘I’ve been thinking about what you said the other day about this area … The cottage … It could be a great investment.’ He stopped. Something or someone had caught his eye. ‘Is that Charlie Devine?’ He moved to get a better view and Cara followed his gaze to a set of perfectly sculpted legs, topped by a tiny dress that might have looked trashy on anyone else but was enviably chic on her neighbour.

  ‘You know her?’

  ‘My ex was right into The Primal Guy. Bought all the powders and the pills,’ he said with a slight tone of disgust. ‘Such a con.’

  Cara observed Charlie, deep in conversation with Max Chandler. Whatever was happening between them was a mystery, but one thing was certain – the woman had managed to distract Will Parry from whatever he was just about to say.

  ‘The Primal Guy business has been super successful. You can’t fake that.’

  ‘Maybe,’ he said, still staring.

  ‘I think you were about to say something, about the cottage,’ she prompted.

  Will took his eyes off Charlie and fixed them back on Cara. ‘Yes, right. What I came here to say is that I’m going to talk to my brother and sister.’

  ‘Do you mean,’ she began. ‘You’re going to ask them not to sell?’ She held her breath.

  ‘I can’t promise anything.’ He paused. ‘But yes, I’ll try.’

  Without thinking, Cara flung her arms around Will’s neck, and plante
d a kiss on his cheek.

  ‘Mummy, what are you doing?’ Poppy. Standing with her hands on her hips, next to Alex, with her arms folded.

  ‘Yes, Cara. What are you doing?’ said Alex.

  ‘Um … I was just telling Mr Parry’s son about the neighbourhood.’ Cara sprang away from Will and rubbed her lips.

  ‘Well, if all tours come with such five-star service, you might have to sign me up for one,’ said Alex, giving her a wink.

  ‘I thought you’d left?’ said Cara, rubbing her cheek.

  ‘I found this one hiding in our garden.’ She tapped Poppy on the shoulder. ‘In a spot where absolutely no one was going to find her, so here she is.’

  ‘Thank you. Is Jasper okay?’ she called to Alex’s retreating back.

  ‘Puking his guts up,’ she called cheerfully. ‘The glamour of parenting, right.’ She waved and disappeared into the night.

  ‘Poppy, can you go around and start collecting all the empty bowls. Take them into the kitchen, okay?’ Cara wheeled her daughter by the shoulders in the direction of Beth’s house. ‘Go on, off you go. No more games.’

  Poppy’s shoulders slumped. ‘Yes, Mum,’ she said in a low voice and trudged off.

  Cara turned to Will. His face was flushed and he looked as embarrassed as Cara felt. This wasn’t like her. She wasn’t a spontaneous hug-and-kiss person with men she barely knew. Her parents’ version of I love you was a shoulder-squeeze and a sweet rice cake.

  ‘Sorry … er, I mean thank you, for what you said about talking to your family. I really appreciate it.’ She scuffed her foot into the grass, her lips still tingling from where they’d touched Will’s cheek.

  ‘I’m not making any promises.’ He held both hands up, palms facing her. ‘And I don’t want to get your hopes up. They’ve never listened to me in the past, and I don’t see that changing.’ He shrugged. ‘But what the hell … If they think there’s a dollar in it for them, they might just see reason.’ His gaze locked onto Cara’s. ‘There’s real value here. I see that now.’

  Cara felt heat rising again in her cheeks. ‘Absolutely, there is,’ she stammered. ‘I mean, if you need any help in convincing them I’d be happy to pitch in and make the case with you. I could tell them about the terrific community here …’

  ‘No.’ He cut her off curtly. ‘I think, in this case, we’re better off keeping emotion out of it.’

  She nodded. He was right, in more ways than one. Will Parry was her lifeline to staying in Cuthbert Close. The last thing she needed was to develop any kind of feelings for him, feelings that might only complicate what needed to remain a simple relationship between tenant and landlord.

  ‘You’re right.’ She nodded. ‘This is a business deal. Nothing more.’

  It was settled.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Alex was in that nowhere place between asleep and awake. In her half-dream state, she saw Cara kissing Will Parry, then suddenly they were on a horse, riding up Cuthbert Close. No, wait. Not a horse, but some kind of strange half-horse, half-elephant thing, and Beth was chasing them with tongs. The twins were watching the whole thing, but they were dressed like little street urchins out of Oliver Twist. ‘Please Mummy, can we have some more?’ They held up two empty bowls.

  Now there was a little ghostly voice.

  ‘Mummy, I think I’m going to be …’

  Alex’s eyes flew open and she launched herself off the couch in the direction of the bowl she’d strategically placed within arm’s length of her and Jasper.

  Too late.

  This time the vomit sprayed into her hair, down the side of the couch and a little on the carpet. Not much on Jasper. She swallowed the bile in her own mouth.

  He clapped a hand over his lips. ‘Sorry, Mummy.’

  Alex was beyond anger. After puke number three in Jasper’s bed, which exhausted their entire supply of sheets, she’d moved into acceptance mode. The kid wasn’t purposely trying to ensure every square inch of the house got covered in his stomach contents, he was just very, very sick.

  James emerged from the laundry. ‘Another one?’

  Alex nodded, her arm around Jasper’s shoulder while he held the bowl mournfully under his chin.

  ‘But this time he did warn me, which is progress.’ Alex ruffled her son’s hair. ‘I’ll get the cleaning stuff.’

  James led Jasper to a non-puked-on part of the couch, sat him down and rubbed his back while Alex scrubbed at the stains.

  ‘How about some water, Jas?’ James put a bottle to his lips. ‘You need to keep up your fluids when you’re sick.’

  Jasper took an obedient sip. ‘Try to sleep now, buddy.’ James took the bowl from his son’s hands and cradled Jasper’s head into his chest. The little boy closed his eyes.

  There was something so sweet and defenceless about him when he was unwell. Vulnerable. Much like Noah. Perhaps they were more similar than Alex thought. Just different exteriors.

  ‘I might go up and shower. Get the puke off me.’ Alex rinsed out the cleaning cloths.

  James nodded. Jasper was now sound asleep on his chest, his pale face finally at ease.

  ‘Who’s going to take the day off tomorrow?’ said James quietly.

  ‘What do you mean?’ Alex paused at the foot of the stairs.

  ‘We can’t send him to school like this.’ James looked down at his sleeping son.

  ‘He might be better by then.’

  James grimaced. ‘There’s no way this kid can go to school. For a start, he’s probably contagious and it’s just not fair on the other kids, and second of all, even if he’s not vomiting, he’s going to be exhausted. It’s nearly midnight.’

  There was an edge to his voice. This wasn’t just about Jasper.

  Alex sat tiredly on the stairs and tried not to breathe. She really did smell absolutely dreadful, but it was clear James had something to get off his chest. He’d been irritable ever since she told him about the partnership. They’d discussed the pros and cons, but they were still no closer to a decision and Martin said the paperwork was nearly ready.

  ‘James, you know I would love to stay home with Jas tomorrow, but I have a court appearance and I can’t just cancel. The firm’s counting on me to deliver.’

  ‘And I have a full day of patients who are also relying on me,’ James snapped, then lowered his voice as Jasper stirred.

  ‘But you can reschedule them,’ said Alex. ‘I can’t.’

  James threw his hands up. ‘Isn’t anyone at that law firm ever sick? Doesn’t anyone have a child? There must be some kind of plan B.’

  Alex shook her head sadly. ‘Unless you’re dying, you turn up. That’s the way it is.’ She clasped her hands. ‘But this is actually about the partnership, isn’t it.’

  James avoided her gaze and focused on the sleeping Jasper. ‘I don’t understand how we went from talking about you cutting back on work, to now, where you’re going to be spending even more time there, and with a baby. How’s that going to work?’

  Alex sighed. ‘We’ve been through this, James. We’ll get more help. An au pair perhaps. And it won’t be forever, just five years or so, so we can pay off the house and have some real options.’

  James stroked Jasper’s hair. ‘In five years, these guys will be nearly eleven years old. Half their childhood will be over.’

  ‘We’ll still have the baby.’

  ‘The baby will be at school by then.’

  The comment hung in the air. They both knew what that meant. All those firsts, first tooth, first steps, first foods, first words. All of those would be done, achieved, by the time Alex had time to sit down and actually enjoy them. James had already suggested he quit the practice and be a full-time stay-at-home dad again. But Alex couldn’t let him do that. He’d done it for five years with the twins. His practice was just getting to its feet. She knew he’d resent her if he had to take a step backwards.

  ‘But this is our dream,’ Alex whispered, lowering her head into her hands.
<
br />   ‘This is your dream.’ James fixed her with his gaze. ‘And I want you to have it. But I’m just not sure that now is the right time.’

  ‘There won’t be another time. They don’t ask twice.’

  ‘Can’t you talk to them, and explain the situation? That while you really want the partnership, you also have young children who need you a lot right now, but probably won’t so much in the future.’

  Alex massaged her temples. ‘A partner has to be committed. They’ll interpret that as me flaking out. Besides, from what I’ve heard from other mums, it’s not even true that kids need you less as they get older. If anything it’s the opposite.’

  Both Alex and James let the profundity of the statement settle over them. Was it possible for their children to require more of their parents as they grew? They had no more to give.

  Jasper snuffled in his sleep and moaned some incoherent words.

  ‘What did he say?’ said Alex.

  ‘Something about eagles? Or Ewoks?’

  James smiled lovingly at Jasper, and gently disentangled himself so the child could lie down properly on the couch. Despite the extra space, the little boy curled his knees to his chest and made himself into a tiny ball.

  Tears of love and frustration bit at Alex’s eyes, but as James came closer, she wiped them away and made room on the stairs for him to sit next to her.

  Why did it have to be so bloody hard? Why did being a mother and a lawyer have to mean that you could never be good at either?

  James sat next to her, their arms touching. ‘All I’m saying is could we at least keep talking about it?’

  Alex couldn’t move. She was suddenly, extraordinarily tired. ‘Sure.’

  She put her head on James’s shoulder and even though her hair was still full of vomit, he let her put it there.

  Just as she was about to start drooling, she heard the sirens. Distant at first, then louder, and louder still. Alex’s eyelids flickered. In defiance, she screwed them more tightly shut. The sirens would get quieter in a minute. They’d take a turn and head off in another direction to where the real emergency lay.

  Except they weren’t getting softer. They were getting much, much louder.