Red mopped up the mess while Jack prepared another tea. She followed Jack through to the lounge, checking windows and doors as she went.
“Something wrong, Cass?”
Red forced a look of nonchalance. “Just making sure all the windows are shut. The wind’s picking up. Snow’s forecast. We don’t want it blowing in and melting everywhere.”
Pippa took the tray of teas from Jack. “You are a darling. Would you mind seeing how Ella and Ruby are doing?”
Red watched Jack mount the stairs, then went through the ground floor, checking windows and the rear door. Satisfied she returned to the lounge. “Tea up to standard?”
Pippa nodded her approval. “Rather good, as it happens. For tea-bags.”
Red let out a sigh. “Don’t start again, Counsellor.”
Chapter 97.
The Huntsman pulled the collar of his overcoat around his ears, sinking down as far as he could into it. He flicked a Zippo open on his jeans, touching its flame to a Marlboro, singeing the hanging strands of tobacco.
He watched the house through the trees; watched the warm fuzzy glow of amber light from the windows; followed the shadows as they moved from room to room.
He wondered which one was Red’s; wondered which room he would kill her in.
Maybe he’d have her once more first - for old times’ sake.
Chapter 98.
“Mummy! Cassie!” Ruby’s head appeared between the banisters at the top of the stairs. “Will you come and kiss me goodnight when Ella finishes reading?”
“Of course we will, darling! Didn’t we say so?” Pippa turned to Red with a smile. “If she’s not asleep by then. She must be exhausted.”
“She’s not the only one.”
“As soon as the children are sorted it’s you and I in the bath, Cassandra.”
“Or the bidet,” Red laughed. “Can’t believe Ella didn’t know what it was. Come to that, I can’t believe you haven’t got one at home.”
“Richard over-ruled me. Said it was a pretentious French affectation. You know, you’re right. As soon as we get back I shall order one. Sod Richard. He’s not part of my life anymore.”
“Not until Friday, anyway.”
“Don’t remind me.” Pippa poked the fire, sending red embers scattering across the hearth. “Bloody hell, Cass. Why can’t they have imitation fires like back home. So much cleaner. And safer.”
“Just be thankful there’s a cleaner coming tomorrow to clear up the mess. Come on, let’s go and say goodnight to Rubes.”
~
Pippa pulled the cover up snug around Ruby’s neck. “Sleep tight, darling.”
Ruby stifled a yawn. “Night, Mummy.”
“My turn.” Red playfully pulled Pippa from the bed and took her place, watching as Pippa edged out of the door, pulling it gently to.
“Cassie, will it snow tomorrow?”
Red leaned across and looked out of the window. “Hopefully, babe. It’s certainly cold enough. Maybe it will snow really heavily and we’ll be stuck here.”
Ruby’s eyes widened. “Forever?”
“Of course not, silly. Just until it melts.”
“Can we build a snowman?”
“If there’s enough snow, sure.”
“Why doesn’t it snow at home?”
“It does.”
“Not real snow, like here.”
“Real snow?”
“The snow here is proper white snow.” Ruby giggled. “Like Snow White!”
Red pressed a finger against the child’s nose. “You know, you’re right, babe. London snow isn’t proper snow at all. It’s—”
From the corridor Pippa’s stern voice interrupted Red. “Alright, which one of you children has been in our room?”
“Oops. Sounds like Mum’s on the warpath again. I’d better go.” Red leaned over and kissed Ruby on the forehead. “Night, gorgeous.”
“Night, night, Cassie.”
Red pulled the door to as Pippa pushed open the door opposite, revealing Jack and Ella locked in battle with a Wii game.
“Hello? Am I talking to myself?”
Ella looked over her shoulder. “Wasn’t me, Mum.”
“Nor me.” Jack leapt up gleefully, punching the air. “Yes! Champion!”
Ella turned on her mother. “Now look what you’ve made me do.”
Pippa marched over and switched off the monitor. “Don’t cheek me, Ella, or your father will hear about it. I asked you a question.”
Ella glared at Pippa. “And I answered you. It wasn’t me.”
Pippa turned on her son. “Jack?”
“Blame me, why not.”
“Well it was one of you two. Cass has been downstairs with me the whole time. Ella?”
“I’ve told you. No.”
“Children, you’re trying my patience here. Which of you was it?”
Red took up position in the doorway. “I don’t think that’s a strong enough case to secure a conviction, Counsellor. Bad news is, the third defendant has just fallen asleep, so is unavailable for further questioning.”
Pippa shot an icy stare at Red. “It wasn’t Ruby. It was one of these two. Almost certainly Ella. And I do not like being lied to.”
Ella jumped up angrily. “That’s it. Blame me. Never Mister Perfect here.”
“I’ve not been near their room,” Jack protested. “Why would I want to? It must have been Ella, Mum.”
“Jack! I’ve been here with you, and before that I was reading to Tues.”
“Cool it, everybody.” Red stepped between them, a sigh of frustration escaping her lips. She looked at Pippa. “How can you be so sure it wasn’t Ruby?”
“Because Ruby cannot reach the light switch. It doesn’t need Sherlock Holmes to work that out, Cassandra. And she most certainly cannot reach the cabinet in the bathroom.”
Red’s countenance stiffened. “The cabinet? Are you sure?”
“I put all our cosmetics in there when we arrived. Neatly. Labels out. You know how I like them. Someone has rummaged through them. Obviously it wasn’t Jack.”
“Rummaged?”
“Rearranged would be a better word. Lipsticks moved to the back, hidden away. You know how much I like my colour schemes.”
Red stared at Pippa. “Are you sure?”
“No Cassandra. I made it all up just to pick an argument with my children. Of course I’m sure.”
“Lipsticks at the back? All the rouges and cherries hidden from view?”
Pippa nodded. “Cass?”
Red charged into the master bedroom, glancing at the height of the light-switch before crossing to the en-suite bathroom. A quick glance into the cabinet, now neatly rearranged with the rouge and cherry cosmetics to the rear, she crossed to the bay window, flicking the bolt across.
She sat on the edge of the bed, burying her face in her hands.
Chapter 99.
“Mummy! Cassie! It snowed! It snowed!”
Red felt the covers being dragged off her as Ruby’s excited voice drifted into earshot. She rolled over and snuggled her face into the pillow. “That’s good, babe. Mummy will help you make a snowman.”
“Mummy is asleep,” Pippa said from behind her own pillow. “Go and drag Ella and Jack out of bed, darling. They can help build a huge snowman.”
“Really?”
“Pull their covers off so their toes are showing,” Red suggested. “That will get them out of bed.”
As Ruby ran through to Ella’s room Pippa snaked a hand beneath the duvet and pulled Red towards her. “Good plan, Batman. Some more quality time to ourselves.”
Red edged across to plant a kiss on Pippa’s lips. “How about we skip breakfast and burn off some calories instead.”
“Mmmm, I like your thinking. Keep me warm until the children get outside, then we’ll accidentally lock them out for an hour.”
“Maybe all morning. I just want to lay here and - No!” Red sat upright with a start. “They can’t. I mean…” She br
ought her fingers together against her forehead, as if tending a headache.
“Cass? Are you okay?”
Red glanced around the room, pausing at the window and again at the door to the en-suite. “They can’t go out on their own.”
Pippa pushed herself to a sitting position. “Why ever not? There’s no traffic for miles.”
“They just can’t.” Red searched her mind for a justification. “It’s dangerous. Look at the animal trap Jack picked up. There could be more laying about.”
“I thought Jack demonstrated maturity beyond his years handling that, Cass. To be honest, I was quite proud of him.”
“Supposing Rubes had picked it up.”
“She’s not a boy, Cass. She doesn’t have Jack’s strange fascination for rusting machinery.”
“She might step in one, laying under the snow.”
Oh my God! Ella! Jack! Ruby! You’re not to go outside unless Cass or I are with you!”
Chapter 100.
“Well I hope you’re satisfied, Cassandra. I’m freezing my breasts off standing out here.”
“For crying out loud, sake, Pippa. You cannot freeze your breasts off. Your tits off, yes. Your balls off, yes. Not your breasts.”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it bloody matters. You sound a right idiot coming out with stupid statements like that.”
“Please don’t use that word, Cassandra.”
“Which one?”
“All of them. Tits, balls, idiot. It’s just so unnecessary.”
“Of course it’s necessary. It’s how normal people speak.”
“Cass, let’s not argue.”
“Who’s arguing?”
“You are.”
Cass grinned. In pantomime voice, “Oh no I’m not.”
“Yes you are. You’re doing – oh, I see. Yes, very funny. Not.”
Red glanced across the forecourt. “Stop whining and go help the girls with that snowman. I’ll check on Jack. He’s just disappeared round the back.”
“Cass, what’s up with you? This isn’t the mean streets of London. They probably don’t even know what drugs are around here.”
Red muttered a mumbled response, deliberately inaudible as she tracked Jack’s footprints around the side of the building. She found the boy stood by the kitchen window, looking thoughtfully across the grounds.
“Jack?”
“Oh, hi Cass.”
“What are you up to?”
“Nothing.”
“Sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Then why do you look like you’ve just been caught doing something you shouldn’t be?”
Jack stared at her. “Like?”
“Like playing detective?”
“Oh.”
Cass moved closer. “So it wasn’t your reflection you saw last night?”
Jack shook his head, staring across the grounds. into the woods.
“Jack?”
“It was a man. A grown up.”
Red kept her voice calm and steady, trying to sound casual. “A grown up, eh?”
“It was probably just someone out walking their dog.”
“Just what I was thinking,” Red agreed. She paused, staring into the clouds. “More snow on the way, I reckon.” She added, “ Describe him to me.”
“I only saw him for a second.”
“That’s all it takes.” Red took Jack’s hand. “The image is in your head. Listen, I don’t want your Mum or the girls worrying, so this is strictly between us, okay? Maybe it was some old tramp looking for food.”
Jack looked up at Red, clasping her hand. “I don’t think so. I’ve seen him before.”
“When we went for fish and chips, maybe? It could be some chancer who realised we were tourists and followed us back, hoping we’d left they keys in the car.”
“No, it wasn’t here.” Jack’s grip tightened on Red’s hand. “He was outside our house. In London.”
Chapter 101.
“Bye, Margaret!”
The children waved politely as the cleaner wobbled down the drive on her push bike, flakes of snow dotting her thick coat and gloves.
“I hope you’re taking notice, Ella,” Pippa addressed her daughter as they made their way through to the kitchen. “That could be your fate if you let your standards fall at school.”
Ella glared at her mother. “My standards are not falling.”
“I’m just saying, darling. I’m not sure if I could face a jury knowing my daughter was someone’s domestic help.”
“Pippa, you are such a f…” Red caught herself as Ruby came up behind. “Such a flipping snob.”
“Give me your coat, darling.” Pippa passed the coat to Red. “I am not a snob, Cassandra. Please hang this up for me. And please, do not use that foul word in front of my children.”
Cass shrugged. “Flipping is not a foul word.”
“The word you intended to use most certainly is.”
“The word I intended to use summed up my feelings.” Red looked round to see if the children were still in earshot. She lowered her voice and moved her face close to her partner’s. “You are a stuck-up bitch, Philippa Crichton-Ward.”
Pippa planted a kiss on Red’s lips. “I do like it when you get all protective about the great unwashed, Cass.”
Red pulled away, throwing Ruby’s coat back at Pippa. “You see that thing on the door? It’s called a coat-hook. It’s for hanging coats on.”
“Very funny, Cassandra.” Pippa carefully placed the coat on the hook, sending Red a smile. It was not reciprocated.
“Oh dear. Has naughty Pippa upset her only friend?”
Red’s features darkened. “My mother was a cleaner. Or domestic help, as you so quaintly put it. She cleaned the houses of snotty-nosed tarts like you so her children could wear shoes to school.”
Pippa’s features crumpled with alarm. “Cass, you’re serious. I really have offended you. I’m so sorry.”
Red pushed her partner away. “Sorry you said it maybe. Not sorry for what you said.”
“Cassandra.”
“Bollocks to this. I’m going out.”
“The children have just come in, Cass. Where are we going?”
“Not we. Me. I need some time to think.”
“Cass, please.” Pippa reached out a reassuring hand but Red knocked it away.
“I need to get some shopping.”
“Now?”
“Why not. It will get me away from you for an hour.”
“Ella will go with you.”
“No thank you. I need to be on my own. I need time to… Actually, no. I’ll take Jack with me.”
“Jack?”
“Oh, sorry. Are boys not allowed to help with the shopping in your prim and proper world?”
“Now you are being ridiculous. I said nothing of the sort.”
Red reached for her bag, calling through to the lounge. “Jack? Are you busy?”
“Watching telly! Why?”
“Can I borrow you?”
“It’s television, Jack, not telly.” Pippa looked at Red. “Just Jack? What about Ella and Ruby?”
“Just Jack.”
“Just me what?” Jack stood in the doorway looking earnestly from Pippa to Red.
“Cassandra is about to drive to Booths to replenish our larder, Jack. She has this strange idea you might want to go shopping with her rather than watch whatever programme it is you are currently watching.”
Jack peered at Red. “Shopping?”
Unseen by Pippa, Red shot sideways eyes at the window. Jack took the hint.
“Sure. You’ll need help carrying those bags. It’s only Dr Who, anyway. Seen it before.”
Pippa looked from Jack to Red and back to Jack. “Is there something I should know?”
“Paris is the capital of France,” Jack grinned. “You should know that.”
Pippa glared. “Don’t be facetious, young man.”
“Nice one.” Red high-fi
ved Jack as she grabbed the keys from the table. “Won’t be long. Don’t let that beautiful fire go out.”
Pippa stared after them, mystified.
Chapter 102.
Red negotiated treacherously icy lanes with consummate care, waiting until they reached the gritted main road before engaging Jack.
“So, young man. Just the two of us. Anything you want to tell me?”
Jack shrugged. “Just what I’ve already said. It’s the same man who was outside the house in London.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I wasn’t sure it was important. Not then. But if he’s followed us here…” Jack tentatively reached a hand out to Red’s sleeve. “Cass, I’m scared.”
Red pulled the car over into a frost-covered passing place. “Hey, there’s nothing to worry about. I’m a police officer, remember? A detective chief inspector. Ain’t no-one gonna be messing with my family. And hey, call me Red when your mother’s not around.”
Jack managed a hesitant smile. “Okay, Red.” His face became serious again. “Why is he following us?”
Red took Jack’s hand. “How sure are you it’s the same man?”
“It is.”
“Describe him to me.”
“Taller than you. Dark hair. Short. Not really a style to it. No beard or anything. Thin lips. Nose kind of pointed. Brown eyes.”
“Jesus, Jack. I thought you only got a glimpse of him.”
“I did, here. But back home he was outside the house on three different days.
“Three? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I thought he maybe fancied Deimante. He was always there when she brought Ruby home. Then Darren said he might be one of those paedo’ people after Ruby. Or something to do with Deimante running away.”
“Jack, no-one would dare touch Ruby. They’d have me to answer to. And Deimante did not run away. She went home to sort a family crisis.”
“Mum says Deimante conned her and stole her car, and you let her get away with it.”
Red swallowed an expletive. “Did she, indeed? Well for starters your mother gave Deimante the car. It legally belongs to her. Deimante can sell it, scrap it or drive it off a cliff if she wants to. And I happen to believe Deimante’s story. Don’t you?”
Saffina Desforges' ROSE RED Crime Thriller Boxed Set Page 24
