by Sue Fortin
Steph was struck by the sincerity in Sonia’s words and she felt her own throat constrict with emotion. Sonia clearly loved her daughter no matter what sort of relationship they had had or what Elizabeth was like; she could only hope that it was the same for her own mother. She so wanted Wendy to love her the same way. She didn’t have to say it, just show it one time; that was all Steph was looking for. She felt an overwhelming wave of empathy towards Sonia and silently vowed that she would do everything in her power to find out what had happened to Elizabeth. Maybe Sonia Lomas could finally lay her ghosts to rest.
‘Would you like me to give you a lift back to the station or wherever you’re staying?’ asked Steph.
‘If you don’t mind. I didn’t ask the taxi to wait as it costs so much and I’m not exactly flush. Elizabeth left me some money, but it wasn’t a huge amount.’
‘She left her money to you? That was nice of her,’ Steph said as she turned the key in the ignition.
‘I was surprised and I did offer it back to Harry but he wouldn’t hear of it. My solicitor advised me that Harry had topped the money up himself.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes. At the time I thought it was hush money, but now I think it was given in the true sentiment of his love for Elizabeth.’
‘And you truly believe that?’ Steph pulled out of the car park and onto the narrow road which wound its way through the countryside.
‘I think there was a certain amount of guilt attached to the money. He said that he wished he could have kept her safe. It was an odd thing to say but at the time I was so full of grief, I didn’t really pay it much attention.’ Sonia fastened her seat belt. ‘Grief does strange things to people and I must admit, I find Harry difficult to read sometimes. Or I used to. When Elizabeth was first married to him, I used to visit and sometimes he’d be happy and other times distant. He was never really at home at Conmere like his brothers and mother were. Elizabeth used to tell him off, said he should be grateful and people would give their eye teeth to be in his position. I always got the impression that Harry felt guilty.’
Steph considered what Sonia had told her and she had to admit, she found Harry difficult to read herself. She wasn’t always entirely sure what he was thinking. Sometimes he hid his true emotions and thoughts behind those pale blue eyes of his. What Sonia had said wasn’t far off what Harry himself had said about Conmere. Steph knew he didn’t feel at home there and he certainly didn’t feel comfortable about being back, but why was this? Was it just because of the unhappy memories it stirred up, or was there guilt?
‘What do you think Harry feels guilty about?’ Steph asked.
Sonia gave a half-laugh. ‘What do you think? Either directly or indirectly, he played some part in Elizabeth’s death. And if he wasn’t responsible, then he should have protected her, he was her husband. He should …’ she paused to wipe away a tear ‘… he should have loved her more.’
Steph didn’t know what to say so she simply reached out and gave Sonia’s hand a comforting squeeze, allowing Sonia time with her own thoughts and emotions.
Steph took the road at a steady pace – she wasn’t familiar with this part of the Lakes and was relying on her satnav to guide them back to Kendalton Station. She looked in her rear-view mirror as a car came up fast behind them.
‘Bloody hell,’ muttered Steph. ‘Does he want to get in my boot?’
Sonia immediately turned in her seat to look at the car behind, and then back the way they were going. ‘He’s very close,’ she said and Steph could detect an apprehension in her voice.
‘I’ll pull over when I can and let him by. He’s obviously in a hurry.’
She alternated her gaze from the road ahead to the rear-view mirror. The car following them was a black Audi but apart from that Steph didn’t know what sort. The sun visor in the Audi was down, partially obscuring the top of the driver’s face, while a pair of sunglasses and a scarf hid the rest of it. Steph couldn’t even tell if it was male or female but the driver was edging the Audi closer and closer to her. Steph scanned the road ahead for a passing spot, but there was nothing. Suddenly, there was a crunching sound and her car jolted forward.
‘He’s bumped us!’ exclaimed Steph, touching the brakes. ‘What an idiot.’ She began slowing down but the Audi bumped them again. ‘What the …?’
‘Don’t stop!’ yelled Sonia. ‘Drive faster!’
Steph took one look at Sonia and the expression of pure fear made Steph obey the command. Concentrating solely on the road ahead, she accelerated hard. Her little Fiat 500 wasn’t exactly geared up for racing and certainly not for rallying around the Lake District. She was fully aware the road was now climbing higher above a lake on their left. On one side were the hills and on the other an ever-increasing drop down to the water.
‘Do you recognise the driver?’ shouted Steph as she threw the Fiat around a sharp left-hand bend. She felt the back wheels lose grip for a moment and the tail-end slide but then the ABS kicked in and the tyres found traction.
Sonia turned to look behind them again. ‘No. I don’t know who they are. Can’t you go any faster?’
‘I’m doing my best!’
Steph felt another shunt and the Fiat jolted forward; she yanked the steering wheel to the right to avoid the drop. For God’s sake, the driver was going to run them off the road, right down the hill and into the water. The road ahead began to open up and she knew the Audi would easily be able to overtake them.
Sure enough, the Audi came alongside them. Steph tried to get a look at the driver but the 4x4 was much higher than her car and she couldn’t afford to take her eyes off the road for more than a couple of seconds at a time. She didn’t know what to do – sheer power, size and probably skill were too superior for her and her Fiat. There was an almighty scraping noise, followed by Sonia screaming as the Audi swung in towards the Fiat. Steph felt her car bounce off the 4x4 and the wheel jolting out of her hands. She looked up and could see the road was bearing off to the right again but the other car wasn’t giving them any room. The Fiat was heading straight for the clump of trees ahead of them. At the last minute the Audi took the bend, but it was too late for Steph. She slammed on the brakes and the car skidded across the verge, throwing itself towards a tree as Sonia screamed for a second time.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Lake District, Sunday, 12 May, 2.05 p.m.
Steph groaned and, lifting her head, slowly opened her eyes. She was still strapped into the seat and thankfully by some miracle they had missed the trees, the Fiat 500 coming to rest in the small gap between two large conifers. She looked across at Sonia in the passenger seat.
‘Are you OK?’
‘That was close,’ whispered Sonia, her eyes flitting between the trees which shouldered them. ‘I thought we were going to hit them.’
‘Do you hurt anywhere?’
‘I don’t think so. Just a bit shocked.’
‘Me too.’ Fortunately, none of the airbags had deployed, although the engine had cut out. ‘Do you want to get out for a moment? I need to inspect the damage.’
Steph walked round and examined the car. Both the door and the rear panel were crumpled where she’d come into contact with the Audi. A big gouge ran from one end to the other and the wing mirror was smashed. Her boot was damaged too. ‘Ouch,’ said Steph. ‘My poor car.’
‘Is it still drivable?’ asked Sonia, standing alongside Steph.
‘I think so. If we can get back onto the road, we should be OK. Are you sure you’re not hurt?’
‘Just shaken up. I told you someone was following me. You being here has definitely got someone worried.’
Steph looked around; the road was deserted and there was no sign of the Audi. ‘We should leave as soon as possible,’ she said. ‘Do you want to go to the police?’
‘No!’ Sonia almost shouted the word. ‘No, not the police. I don’t trust them.’
‘But this …’ Steph gestured to her car. ‘This is at least in
timidation and dangerous driving, and at worst attempted murder.’
‘The police won’t want to know. They never have.’
‘But there might be different officers now.’
‘No, we can’t take that risk.’
‘Are you saying you think the police are involved somehow?’ Steph shivered at the thought, knowing the implications of this.
‘I don’t know but I don’t want to go to them. Not yet, anyway. Look, I can pay to have your car fixed so you don’t have to claim on your insurance.’
Steph did appreciate Sonia’s offer, but at the same time she wasn’t entirely comfortable with accepting it either.
‘Please, I insist,’ said Sonia, as if understanding her reservations. ‘Get it to a garage, get a quote and let me know. I’ll transfer the money into your bank account and you can get it all done.’
‘It’s really kind of you,’ said Steph.
‘It’s the least I can do and it’s a small price to pay for my peace of mind, knowing that we must be getting close to finding out the truth about Elizabeth. If there was nothing to hide, then none of this would be happening.’
Steph couldn’t deny Sonia had a point and it was one she had been sifting through herself while she was standing there. ‘OK, let’s see if I can get the car back onto the road. Fingers crossed it will start.’
It seemed the damage was to the bodywork only, as the Fiat started on the first turn of the key, and after a tricky bit of manoeuvring to get out from between the trees Steph was able to drive the car up the bank and onto the road, where Sonia once more sat in the passenger seat.
They arrived at Kendalton Station twenty minutes later and Steph pulled up into a drop-off bay. ‘Will you text me when you’re home safe?’ she asked as Sonia opened the door.
‘Yes, and I want you to do the same when you’re back at the resort.’
‘Stay in touch,’ called Steph as Sonia closed the door and headed into the station. Steph remained in the parking bay for a moment, her head resting back as she watched through the railings for Sonia to appear on the platform.
Had that altercation with the 4x4 really happened? Had they actually been purposely run off the road? It seemed so surreal and frightening too. She blinked back a few tears which were threatening to tip from her eyes. She was OK. Sonia was OK. As Sonia said, they must be on to something, otherwise that would never have happened. She didn’t think for one moment the Audi episode was a one-off incident, caused by someone being reckless. It had the air of a targeted attack and either she or Sonia were the target, or possibly both of them. Surely, it had something to do with Elizabeth. There couldn’t be any other explanation, could there? She mulled this over. There was, of course, Owen and what she’d assumed was a drug deal taking place, but was that enough to warrant such a serious attack? Were the Sinclairs that ruthless?
Steph saw Sonia walk along the platform and give a small wave. A few minutes later the train pulled into the station and was then on its way. With the platform now empty and Steph reassured that Sonia was safe, she reversed the car out of the space and turned in the direction of Conmere House.
Conmere House, Sunday, 12 May, 2.55 p.m.
Driving into the resort car park, Steph was grateful she didn’t have to pass too close to the front of the house. She really didn’t want to draw attention to the dented and grazed side of her car. If she was lucky, she’d be able to find a parking spot in the corner and tuck her car away where no one would notice.
Fortunately, she was able to nab a spot bordered by a box hedge. She took her handbag and case from the car and made for the house. She needed to find someone at Reception to tell her what room she was now in. As she entered the main hall, her heart sank: standing at the desk in conversation with the receptionist was Dominic. He looked up as she approached.
‘Ah, Miss Durham,’ he said, with a smile which looked anything but welcoming. ‘We were just talking about you.’
‘All good, I hope,’ said Steph with little conviction.
‘Of course.’ Dominic took the key which the receptionist passed to him. ‘I’ll show you to your room. It’s really good of you to stand in like this at such short notice and also when housekeeping isn’t a particular glamorous job.’
‘I didn’t have anything else to do this week and it doesn’t matter what the job is – the money is all the same at the end of it.’
‘I like your philosophy.’ Dominic led her out to the main corridor, and instead of turning right they turned left and went through an open archway. ‘Harry told me what happened to you last night. Are you OK?’
‘Yes, thank you. I hit my head, but nothing serious.’
‘I’m so sorry for what happened,’ said Dominic. ‘We take security very seriously here and I’ve instigated a full investigation into how someone might have got onto site and broken into your lodge. Although, from what Harry said, there weren’t any signs of a break-in.’
‘No, that’s the odd thing. I locked the door, so I wondered whether someone had got hold of the master key?’
‘Highly unlikely. We don’t keep master keys lying around for anyone to pick up,’ replied Dominic. ‘I know you’re adamant you locked the door, but I can’t think of any other way someone would gain access.’
‘I absolutely did lock the door,’ said Steph firmly.
‘It’s odd that they should just target your lodge,’ said Dominic in response. ‘But, as I say, we are treating it very seriously and looking into it. Please accept my personal and sincere apologies.’
‘Thank you,’ said Steph, although she wasn’t entirely convinced by Dominic’s corporate approach to the whole incident.
They continued along the flagstone flooring and Steph guessed this was an area where the public didn’t usually have access. A wooden flight of stairs wound its way to the second floor. ‘Just along here,’ said Dominic, leading her deeper into the rear of the building. He looked at the key fob. ‘There we are. Room 15.’ He held the key out for Steph and opened the door for her to step in.
It was a double room with two single beds separated by a bedside table. A double wardrobe stood on the side wall, together with a matching dressing table. It was all very white and clean-looking. Steph opened a door on the opposite wall and poked her head in. ‘Oh, an en suite. That’s nice.’
‘We do try to make our staff feel as comfortable as possible,’ said Dominic. ‘It’s all part of the ethos. Treat our staff with respect and don’t make them do anything we wouldn’t do ourselves, or indeed sleep or live in any sort of accommodation we wouldn’t. There’s a communal living room at the end of the corridor and a small kitchen.’
Steph put her case down by the bed. ‘Am I sharing with anyone?’
‘No. This is empty, so you have it to yourself. Again, we try to give staff their own rooms where possible.’ He went over to the window and drew back the curtains. ‘I’m afraid it’s not much of a view, just the car park. Bloody hell, is that your car down there?’
Steph felt her heart sink. She went over to stand by him at the window and, sure enough, her car could be seen from this wing of the house, the box hedging not tall enough to disguise the damage. ‘Yes, that’s mine.’
‘Is that recent?’
‘I did it this afternoon, actually,’ said Steph. She had already planned what to say in case anyone asked her. ‘I skidded off the road on some mud and managed to side-swipe a wooden fence.’
‘Are you OK?’
‘Yes, I’m fine but, as you can see, my poor car isn’t.’
‘Whereabouts did it happen?’ asked Dominic, still looking out of the window.
‘Round by one of the lakes, on the other side of Con Point Hills.’
‘That’s a bit out of the way; what were you doing up there?’
‘I met a friend and we thought we’d do a bit of sightseeing. My mistake.’
‘You need to be careful. The roads round there can be deadly.’
She wasn’t sure she liked the
way he said the word deadly and the way his eyes fixed on hers. ‘I misjudged it. I should have slowed,’ she said, looking away, not wanting the fear in her own eyes to betray her.
‘Sure it wasn’t that knock on the head from last night?’
‘No. Like I said, mud on the road.’ She moved away from the window and hoped Dominic would take this as his cue to leave.
‘Is there anything else I can help you with?’ he asked, as he walked towards the door.
Steph was about to say no but changed her mind. ‘There is actually. You didn’t ask anyone to get references from my old employer, did you?’
Dominic looked surprised. ‘No, nothing to do with me. I assumed Harry had that all under control – after all, he was the one who offered you the job. Why? Did someone contact them?’
‘Yes; it might not have been from here though. I just wondered, that was all.’
‘Best speak to Harry.’ Dominic paused in the doorway. ‘Oh, and tomorrow morning it’s an early start. Seven-thirty in the laundry room. Heidi will tell you what you’re doing.’
Once Dominic had finally gone, Steph unpacked her case with the few clothes she’d brought, having originally planned just to be here for the weekend. Maybe she’d be issued with a uniform tomorrow; if not she’d have to wash out her jeans. She didn’t really want to spend too much money on clothes that she might not wear again.
Next, she plugged in her laptop and opened up a word document. She had promised her boss that she’d have the review to him by that evening and she needed to get it sent off within the next couple of hours if she was to stand any chance of being paid this month.
Conmere House, Sunday, 12 May, 5.10 p.m.
Steph spent the next two hours tapping away at the keyboard and putting together an article her boss would be able to upload onto the Vacation Staycation website and a shorter version he could push out to other online places. She also needed to find out if Harry was going to buy any of her photos, otherwise she’d get in touch with her friend Ria to see if she could put any in her gallery.
