Abi had dressed in jeans and a stripy polo-neck jumper, and had tied her hair into a high ponytail. Gideon thought she looked like a teenager again. He was dressed in the same clothes as the day before because he’d left his overnight bag in the car. He’d managed to tidy his hair, and Abi had lent him a spare toothbrush.
They were both quite on edge and had come very close to snapping at each other, so it was with great relief that they heard a tap at the door and Judy’s voice calling, “It’s okay, it’s only me.”
Abi opened the door just enough to let Judy in, then locked it behind her. Judy gave them both a quick hug before dumping a large holdall on the sofa.
“Right,” she said efficiently, looking from one to the other of them. “You’ll need to do exactly as I say if this is going to work.”
Gideon and Abi nodded, and the three of them went and sat on the stairs, where there was less chance of them being seen from outside.
Judy grinned at them. “Well, isn’t this fun,” she said with a giggle.
Abi raised an eyebrow at her. “You try it for a morning,” she retorted. “I had to make tea in the bathroom!”
Gideon grinned at Judy. “She’s a lightweight,” he said. “I have to put up with this all the time.”
Abi gave him a look and turned to Judy. “So what’s the plan?”
Judy smiled smugly. “Well,” she said, “d’you remember my mum and dad’s caravan, Abs?”
Abi nodded. “The one in Wales?”
Judy nodded. “Yeah, well, they’ve said you can borrow it for a few days to hide in. If we can get you out of here unseen, then no one can possibly know about the caravan, and you should be safe there.” She paused and smiled at them. “You can only stay a week, at most, because the caravan park closes for the winter at the end of November, but that should be enough. Someone else’ll be in the news by then. You’ll be old hat,” she added to Gideon with a grin.
Gideon and Abi looked doubtful.
“Judy, have you seen the people outside?” asked Abi. “How on earth can we get out without being seen?”
Judy grinned again. “Ah, now that’s the clever bit,” she said proudly. “But we do need the help of another man. Is your neighbour Chris at home?”
Abi shrugged. “Dunno. I can call him, if you like.”
Judy nodded, and Abi quickly dialled Chris’s number from her mobile. He answered almost immediately and agreed to come round.
Judy looked pleased. “Excellent. Now, hopefully we can make this work. Is Chris a good sport?”
Abi grinned. “Oh, yes,” she assured her friend. “He’s game for anything.”
Gideon looked at her suspiciously.
Judy saw the look and laughed. “Haven’t you told him?” she asked Abi with a grin.
Abi shook her head. “More fun if he meets him,” she replied with a glint in her eye, adding provocatively, “None of his business anyway.”
Judy shook her head and laughed again. “Oh, right,” she said. “Okay, let’s get this show on the road. The idea is that Chris and I will pretend to be you two and will leave driving Gideon’s car. I take it the Range Rover is yours?” she added, looking at Gideon.
He nodded. “My mother’s, actually,” he said.
Judy continued, “Then after we’ve drawn the paparazzi after us, you two can leave in my car and go to the caravan.” She paused and frowned. “Actually, on second thoughts, it’ll probably work better if you two leave first, disguised as me and Chris, and then we’ll leave later, after dark, when you’d be more likely to slip away. What d’you think?”
Gideon looked dubious. “Might work,” he said slowly. “But these guys are pretty on the ball. They’ll be expecting us to try something, I’m sure.”
Abi rolled her eyes. “It sounds brilliant to me,” she said. “Stop worrying so much. It’s bound to work. Judy’s plans always work.” Gideon looked at her and grinned. “What?” she demanded. He shook his head and said nothing.
There was a sudden tap at the door, and Abi ran over.
“Hello?” she said.
“It’s me, Abs,” came a voice, and she quickly unbolted the door and let Chris in. He stood in the living room and looked around him with interest. “Wow, isn’t this exciting?” he said. “What’re we doing?”
Gideon regarded the newcomer with a raised eyebrow and then looked at Abi.
She grinned at him. “Gid, this is my neighbour and friend, Chris. Chris, this is Gideon Hawk.” The two men shook hands briefly, while Abi went on, “And this is my bestest friend in the whole world, Judy.”
Chris grinned at Judy. “Hello. I’ve heard so much about you, I feel I already know you.” He gave her a hug.
Judy laughed. “Likewise,” she said, eyeing him up and down critically. “Yes, this should work, you and Gideon are about the same height and build, and so are Abi and I. Right!” She clapped her hands. “Let’s get down to business.”
Half an hour later, Abi and Gideon were dressed and made up to look very closely like Judy and Chris. Judy had brought suitable clothes for Abi, and Chris popped back home to fetch something of his for Gideon to wear. The plan was that the real Judy and Chris would be seen by the reporters to be packing stuff into Judy’s car, and then the fake Judy and Chris would appear and drive off, leaving the fake Abi and Gideon to wait a few more hours before effecting a highly noticeable get-away in the Range Rover.
“Okay, you both look great,” said Judy, standing back and admiring her handiwork. “Don’t you think so, Chris?”
Chris nodded, a devious grin on his face.
“Absolutely darling. Gideon could be my twin!”
Abi snorted and stared at herself in the mirror. Judy had packed the car with everything Abi thought they would need for the next few days, and when she came in Abi had changed clothes with her. All she needed now was to add Judy’s thick winter coat and the woollen knitted hat she’d been careful to be seen wearing, and they would be set. Gideon was feeling extremely uncomfortable in a jumper and jacket of Chris’s. He was wearing his own jeans because they discovered the younger man was slightly thinner, but Judy thought they looked near enough the same to fool the press. When Chris had returned to the house with the extra clothes, he’d taken care to wear the baseball cap and dark glasses Gideon was now sporting.
“Sunglasses in November?” he asked doubtfully. “I tried that the other day, and I couldn’t see a thing.”
Judy laughed. “Well, there is a bit of sun today, at least, and anyway, Abi’ll be driving, so don’t worry.”
“Why does Abi have to drive?” he objected.
Abi rolled her eyes. “Keep up,” she said impatiently. “They saw Judy arrive in the car, so it would look weird if she wasn’t driving when they left. It’s meant to look like she arrived to pick up a friend.”
Judy nodded vigorously. “That’s it. You’ve got it. Now don’t look directly at any of the reporters, and certainly make sure you don’t speak. Just get in the car and drive off.”
Abi looked at Gideon and took a deep breath.
“Are you ready for this?” she asked.
He shrugged. “As ready as I ever will be, I guess,” he said with a lopsided grin.
Suddenly Abi clapped a hand over her mouth.
“Oh, my god!” she shrieked. “The dogs! I forgot the dogs!”
Judy held up her hand.
“Calm down!” she laughed. “I didn’t forget the dogs. They’ll come with us. That’ll make it look even more authentic. I hope your mother doesn’t mind dogs in her car, Gideon?”
Gideon grinned. “She loves dogs,” he said. “They have a Labrador.”
“Excellent. We’ll take them with us, ’cause Chris will eventually be coming back here anyway, and he can look after them.” She raised her eyebrows at Chris. “That okay with you?”
He nodded. “Of course it is,” he said. “So where’re we going to go, then?” he asked curiously.
Judy shrugged and laughed. “No idea
,” she said cheerfully. “Just take them on a wild goose chase all over Cornwall, I expect. You’ll have to drive, of course.”
He nodded and grinned. “Cool. Never driven a Range Rover before.”
Judy looked at Gideon. “One more thing—Is there plenty of fuel in the Range Rover? We can’t risk having to stop to refuel.”
Gideon nodded. “Loads,” he said. “I filled up on my way through Penzance, in case there weren’t any more after that.”
Abi stared at him. “This is not the back of beyond, you know,” she said crossly. “We are in the twenty-first century down here.”
Judy sighed. “Okay, you two, not now, eh? You’ve got a whole week to bicker in the caravan if you want to, so let’s keep to the matter in hand. I also filled up in Penzance, so you should have enough to get you all the way to Llangennith.” She paused and looked at them both. “Right. Are you ready? Is everything in the car that you want?”
Gideon nodded, but Abi suddenly darted towards the stairs and pulled out the tin box her father had given her.
“I want to take this,” she said, holding it out to Judy. Judy looked curiously at it, then put on her coat, pulled her hat down as low as she could, and carried the box out to the car. When she came back in, she handed the coat and hat to Abi and frowned at her.
“What’s in the box?” she asked.
Abi bit her lip. “Dunno,” she admitted. “Dad gave it to me to bring home. He insisted I take it, but it’s locked and has no key. I think he knows what’s in it.”
Judy looked slightly worried. “Don’t open it yet,” she said slowly. “Not till I say you can.”
Abi looked surprised. “What? D’you know what it is?”
Judy shook her head. “No, but I have an idea. Please just wait until I ring you. Promise?”
Abi shrugged. “I guess so. I’ve waited this long. Did you put the cardboard boxes in?” Judy nodded. “Okay, so long as I’ve got those, I’ll wait. Don’t take too long, though. I’m getting curious, now.”
Judy nodded, then clapped her hands together.
“Right, people, let’s get this show on the road. Abi, do your coat up and pull the hat down so your hair doesn’t show. Gideon, collar up, hat and shades on. Tuck your hair into your collar. That’s right. Now walk casually. Don’t rush, and don’t drive off like you’re being chased.” She handed Abi the car keys. “The key for the caravan is on here, too. You remember which one it is?” Abi nodded. “Right. Off we go, then. Good luck, guys. Call me when you get there.”
She gave them each a quick hug, then opened the door just enough to let them out.
As the door closed behind them, Abi and Gideon both took deep breaths and walked casually over to Judy’s car. Gideon folded his long legs into the passenger seat while Abi climbed into the driving seat. She thanked heavens she didn’t need to adjust its position—that would have given the game away—and she started the engine with no problem. The cameras began to flash as they drove slowly up the track and back onto the road, Abi looking straight ahead, and Gideon pretending to look for something in the glove compartment. A couple of reporters called out to them as they drove off:
“Is Gideon staying here tonight?”
“Is he back together with his girlfriend?”
“Is it true he left the band for her?”
“We heard a rumour they have a child. Is it true?”
When she heard the last question, it took all Abi’s self-control not to stop the car and punch the questioner, but she held her breath and kept driving slowly.
“Keep going,” muttered Gideon under his breath. “Ignore them. They don’t matter. Just keep driving. You’re doing great.”
Abi drove on, out onto the road, and indicated left onto the A30, in the direction of Penzance. As they gained speed, Gideon chanced a look behind them and saw to his relief that no one had followed them.
“I think it actually worked!” he said in mild surprise. “Well done Judy. And well done you, too,” he added with a grin.
Abi glanced sideways at him.
“I don’t think I’ll really relax until we get there,” she admitted. “And since we have a good five-hour drive ahead of us, we’d better get a move on.”
Chapter 20
Thursday, 24th November 2005
Abi opened her eyes and lay for a moment wondering where on earth she was. The sound of the sea was far stronger than it was at home, and her bed was very hard. Slowly it came back to her, and she pushed herself up onto one elbow and looked around her. She was in one of the tiny bedrooms in the Cromwells’ static caravan. She had been to the caravan often in her childhood, but now, returning as an adult, it seemed very much smaller and more cramped. She remembered she and Judy had shared this room on many an occasion, but she was beginning to find it claustrophobic even with just her in it. She slid out of bed and shivered. Looking around, she picked up a thick woollen jumper she had packed at the last minute. She pulled it on over her pyjamas and padded out into the main part of the caravan. She and Gideon had arrived at the caravan site late the night before and had pretty much just fallen into bed without even investigating their accommodation. They had had no problems with the press, and having heard from Judy, it appeared they had been successfully lured away from her house, as well. Judy and Chris had taken them on a long trek around the coast of Cornwall and finally lost the last of them as they crossed the Tamar into Devon, up near Morwenstow. Judy reported that the dogs were tucked up safe at home and she was on her way back home in Gideon’s car. She was planning to drive to Wales later in the week, to swap the cars over.
Abi had a little hunt in the small kitchen and put the kettle on. Then she rummaged through the box of food Judy had thoughtfully provided for them and pulled out a jar of coffee and a packet of tea bags. She smiled to herself. That’s the essentials sorted, she thought, as she searched for some mugs. She made herself a mug of strong coffee and carried it to the living room end of the caravan. They had a prime position on the site, right on the edge of the sand dunes overlooking the long sweep of Rhossili Bay. The day was overcast, and the waves were thrashing onto the shore, sending spray and foam all the way over to the caravans. Abi sat down on one of the window seats, curled her feet under her, and watched the world go by.
She was lost in thought when Gideon emerged from the other bedroom, hair on end, unshaven, and very bleary-eyed. He was wearing a T-shirt and boxers again and shivered as he joined her in the living area.
“Morning,” he said with a yawn.
Abi looked round. “Morning. Kettle’s just boiled.” She nodded towards it.
Gideon wandered over, made himself a coffee, then joined her at the window.
“Bloody cold in here,” he remarked, looking around. “Is there any heating?”
Abi nodded towards a fireplace behind him. “Yeah, there’s a gas heater there, and I think some others dotted around. Remember, we turned the gas bottle on last night when we arrived? Hope it’s full.”
She watched as Gideon dropped to his knees in front of the heater and attempted to light it. His long bare legs were very tanned and muscular, and Abi gave a little shiver of excitement as she remembered how they used to feel, rubbing against her own. She felt her face begin to get hot, and bent forward to let her hair fall over it.
Gideon turned round. “I can’t do this, Abi. Any ideas?” he began, then raised his eyebrows at her. “The hair again? Why this time?”
Abi flushed even more and turned to look out the window.
“No reason,” she murmured awkwardly, studiously watching the flight path of a herring gull as it wheeled above the incoming tide.
Gideon chuckled. “Okay, then,” he said. “But I still can’t light this thing.”
Abi rolled her eyes and crawled across the floor to join him. She felt around the side of the fire and pressed a button. Immediately a pilot light appeared, closely followed by a row of flames across the bottom of the fire. She sat back on her heels.
&nbs
p; “How d’you get through the day?” she asked him, shaking her head in mock disgust. Gideon looked at her and raised one eyebrow.
“Pretty well,” he stated. “I just use electricity.” He pushed her gently on the shoulder so she wobbled and sat back down on her bottom. “I can rewire a plug in under three minutes,” he added proudly.
Abi stared at him in amazement. “Three minutes?” she exclaimed. “Three minutes? You amateur. Anything more than two and you’re a loser.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Competition?” he queried.
She nodded. “You’re on. You do that light, and I’ll do the kettle,” and she leapt to her feet and carried the kettle into the living area. They looked at each other.
“Screwdriver?” asked Gideon cautiously. “Or am I supposed to do it with my teeth?”
“You can use a screwdriver,” conceded Abi, and after rummaging in her handbag for a moment, produced a small silver one.
Gideon looked impressed. “You carry a screwdriver?”
Abi nodded. “Of course. Doesn’t everyone?” she replied calmly. “We’ll have to do this one at a time and time each other. You go first.” She delved into her bag again and brought out a stopwatch. Gideon’s eyes widened, but he said nothing. “Okay, start now!” and she pressed the button and sat cross-legged on the floor, watching him.
Five minutes later he finally fitted the plug back together and held it aloft triumphantly. Abi pressed the button on the stopwatch and laughed.
“Well, I wouldn’t tell anyone about that effort,” she said smugly. “Now I’ll show you how it should be done.” She picked up the screwdriver and grinned at him. “Ready?”
Gideon started the stopwatch, then leaned back against a chair and watched her work. He couldn’t quite get his head around the fact that here he was, sitting on the floor of a caravan in Wales, with the girl he’d fallen in love with more than ten years before but hadn’t seen since—and until the day before had always thought had abandoned him. Just over a week ago he’d been on stage in Central Park, the object of desire for thousands of fans. Now here he was, in his underwear, timing a girl in her pyjamas as she changed a plug. He grinned to himself. Then he started to chuckle. By the time Abi finally finished the plug—four and a half minutes, to his chagrin—he had tears of laughter pouring down his cheeks and couldn’t speak. Abi stared at him in surprise. She started to grin, then leaned forward and snatched the stopwatch off him.
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