Grace’s lips twisted. So … she’d been right about that.
But it was proof, if she’d needed it, that she and Nick were right to conceal their relationship. She wouldn’t raise Ellie’s hopes just to dash them again.
Keith dropped the children home that evening and took off without even staying to acknowledge Amanda. His mind was in turmoil. No father liked to hear his children extolling the virtues of another man, it was just rubbing salt into the wound. Robin this, Robin that. God, he was sick of the man and he’d never even met him. There was no use pussyfooting around any longer. He needed to do something to prove to Amanda that he could change or if he wasn’t careful he’d lose them all for good.
From nowhere, Grace’s name popped into his head. She’d be good to talk it through with. But at the thought of Grace, he felt sick. He needed to talk to her about the other thing too; it had been hanging over him like a massive cloud all day. He’d been putting if off, trying to push it to the back of his mind as if he could forget about it. But that was never going to happen. He needed to deal with it.
The moment he got home he steeled himself and dialled her number.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
One look at Keith’s tormented features as she let him in later that evening was enough to reinforce Grace’s terrible sense of foreboding. ‘It’s to do with Rory, isn’t it?’
His look of shock turned to one of relief as he realised he didn’t actually have to be the one to tell her. ‘How did you know?’
She stared at him, her face pale. ‘I’ve had some warning signs.’
She picked up her handbag and took out the most recent photo. Now that her worst fears were about to be confirmed, she felt a deathly calm. ‘This was on the doormat yesterday when I got in from work. And there have been other incidents bearing Rory’s trade mark.’
He studied the photo and shook his head, his eyes sombre as they met hers. ‘He phoned me a couple of days ago – made me promise I wouldn’t tell anyone. We met up in Cambridge last night. I was stunned. I thought he was dead, for Christ’s sake.’
‘It was definitely him?’ Her voice was barely audible. She knew she was clutching at straws.
‘Oh yes. He’s grown a beard, and to be honest he looked like a bloody vagrant. But it was him alright.’
‘Oh God.’
‘Look, he told me he’s not out to get you–’
‘You don’t know him like I do.’
‘No, but I know him pretty well, and I got the impression he means it. I mean, think about it. The last thing he’d want is you going to the police. He’d have a lot of explaining to do. Like whose body it was if it wasn’t his, for starters ...’
His eyes dropped back to the photo in her hand as if that somehow held the key to all their unanswered questions. ‘I don’t think he means you any harm, Grace. He assured me about that. I told him I wouldn’t get involved if he was going to cause you trouble.’
Grace shook her head. ‘But how has he been managing? All his accounts have been closed.’
‘God knows, but he didn’t look a pretty sight. I’ve tried to think what all this is about but I can’t even begin to imagine.’
‘I can. He’s out to get me. And possibly Ellie.’
‘I’m not sure that it is about you. I think he may have been in some sort of trouble and faked his death as a way out. He says what he needs from you is financial help and if you give him five thousand pounds, he’ll stay out of your life and not contact Ellie ever again. But he needs the money within the next week.’
‘Five thousand pounds!’ Grace’s face was ashen. ‘Where does he think I’m going to get that from?’ She buried her face in her hands. ‘I can’t believe this is happening. I need to think. The police–’
She clutched at the straw, realising that in Keith she had her proof that Rory was alive. ‘At least now you’ve seen him it’s not just my word they’ll be going on.’
Keith hesitated. ‘You’ve got to do what you think best, but I’m sorry, there’s something else he insisted I tell you.’
She could tell from the expression on his face that it wasn’t good.
‘He said if you tell the police, or anyone, that he’s still alive … well, what you told me before about what happened to Ellie … he said it would happen again.’
Grace’s throat was so tight she felt she was suffocating. She digested his words in silence, going through one possible solution after another, only to discard them all. The long and the short of it was she had no choice. She felt sick at the thought of going back to living the way they used to – watching every shadow, fearful every time they left the house. But the thought of telling Ellie that her father was still alive was worse than even that fear. She couldn’t do it to her. Not without at least giving Rory the benefit of the doubt, in the hope that Keith was right. And she could probably scrape together most of the money from what she had left from her grandmother.
She looked at Keith. ‘I’ll have to find it. It would destroy Ellie if she found out he was still alive. Promise me you won’t mention this to anyone?’
‘Of course not, as long as you’re sure that’s what you want? I didn’t know what to do when he rang. I was stunned. But he was good to me in the early days and was quick to remind me I owed him. Whatever you decide though, I’ll support you.’
She didn’t get any sleep at all that night but by the next morning, she knew what she had to do. She had a little over three thousand pounds that was easy access, and she’d just have to get a bank loan for the rest. It would mean getting some sort of an evening job – maybe some private work through the hospital. She just prayed to God that it really would be the end of it.
A week later she handed the money over to Keith in an envelope.
‘Do you want to come with me?’ he asked. ‘I’m not sure–’
‘No. I want nothing to do with him. Tell him this better be the end of it or I’ll go straight to the police, threats or no threats.’
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
‘This is getting ridiculous,’ Nick said over the phone. ‘I thought your Open University course was only meant to take up eight hours a week?’
‘I’m not doing the Open University course.’
‘What? But you seemed so keen?’
‘I am …but it was just going to be too much. I can’t fit it in at the moment.’
‘Well, that makes it even harder to understand why you’ve never got any time to see me. I thought you said Ellie was going to the theatre and staying over at a friend’s on Saturday? Surely you can fit a couple of hours in then? If it’s just an excuse because you don’t want to see me–?’
‘Of course it isn’t,’ Grace snapped. She was tired and pressurised and didn’t need Nick adding to her problems. ‘How can you think that?’
‘Well, you tell me. All I know is that we haven’t seen each other in nearly a week apart from a cup of coffee in the office. And now you’re saying you’re too busy to meet up over the weekend.’
‘I’ve got a lot on.’
‘So it seems.’
‘Look, come for lunch on Sunday with Will? I could manage that.’
‘Decent of you. I’ll check my diary.’
The conversation didn’t improve any from there and when she finally hung up she stared dispiritedly at the phone. She missed him and took some comfort from the fact that he clearly missed seeing her too, but …
She sighed, returning to her work in the dining room. It had been no easy task persuading the bank to lend her the two thousand pounds, especially as she didn’t have a proper job as they termed it. But somehow she’d managed to persuade them that she could afford to pay the loan back and now that she’d started this extra job doing private work for one of the consultants, she felt she could just about manage to keep her head above water. But it wasn’t easy working in the evenings and over the weekends.
It had been two weeks since she’d paid Rory off and in her better moments she dared to believe
that it really was the end of it, but the lingering threat of him was always there – the temporary respite she’d enjoyed, a thing of the past.
She heard the doorbell and frowned. Damn. Who was that now? She needed to get on with Ellie’s supper.
‘Hi ...’ she heard Ellie say. ‘Come in ... Mum’s in the dining room through there.’
And before Grace could even get up from her chair and remove her headphones, Nick was striding into the room, a rueful smile on his face – a box of chocolates in his hand.
He stopped in astonishment at the sight of the files and paperwork strewn over the dining table. ‘These are for you,’ he said slowly, offering her the box. ‘A peace offering. But what on earth…?’
She sighed. ‘I’ve got an extra job doing private work for one of the consultants at the hospital.’
‘Why?’
‘Why do you think, Nick? I need the money.’
He looked at her hard. ‘But ... you can’t be that hard up, surely? I’m sorry – I don’t mean to pry, but–’
‘I can’t explain,’ Grace said tersely. ‘But I needed to earn some extra money for a while and this seemed the best way of doing it. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I was embarrassed, I suppose. But this is why I haven’t been quite so available recently. You see ... nothing to do with not wanting to see you.’
She said the last with an apologetic little smile designed to soften his heart – only it didn’t seem to be working from the look on his face.
‘Grace, if you needed money, why didn’t you ask me, rather than drive yourself into the ground like this? Surely we know each other well enough?’
She was glad the door had swung to behind him and Ellie was in the other room.
‘It wouldn’t have felt right. Or appropriate for our relationship.’
‘And what the hell’s that supposed to mean?’
Grace met his accusing stare defensively. ‘It means I wouldn’t have felt comfortable asking you for money.’
‘Why not? For Christ’s sake, I thought we were friends at least, even if our relationship is somewhat questionable.’
‘Of course we are, but–’
‘Oh, sorry, I was forgetting. Ours is a purely sexual relationship. Forgive me if I was overstepping the mark and expecting too much from you.’
‘That’s not fair, Nick.’
‘Isn’t it? You’re determined to keep me at arms’ length. Oh, forget it.’ He turned away from her. ‘I’d better not hold you up any more. I’ll see you in the office tomorrow.’
‘You will come for lunch on Sunday?’
He turned to look back at her, his regard cool. ‘I’ll call you. I think we both need time to think.’
In the office the following day things were strained but there wasn’t much she could do about it. If he wanted to be arsey about it then let him. She sighed, wondering where the whole concept of casual, uncomplicated sex had gone. If this was what it was about, forget it.
She’d just got home and was making herself a cup of tea before Ellie got back, when her phone bleeped. It was a text from Keith.
‘Are you in later? Can I come over? We need to talk.’
God, what was that about now?
‘Come after seven thirty,’ she texted back. ‘Ellie will be doing her homework by then.’
Now, she was looking at him in dismay. ‘He said it would be just the one payment.’
‘I know he did. And I told him that. But he says it wasn’t enough. He won’t tell me what it’s about but he says he can’t stay in England. He needs to skip the country, and once he’s gone neither of us will ever hear from him again.’
‘Do you believe him?’
‘I don’t know. But if he’s broken the law … maybe he can’t come back.’
‘Well, I don’t believe him. He’s just messing with my head.’
She felt rage at how once again Rory was manipulating her life, and – she was sure – enjoying every minute of it. Well, she wouldn't let him. Not this time. She’d had a few months of being completely free of him and she wouldn’t go back to the pathetic excuse of a woman she’d been before.
‘I’ll go to the police. How can he be so sure I won’t?’
Keith didn’t answer and Grace stared at him helplessly. ‘You’ve seen him. Do you think he’d do anything to harm Ellie?’
Keith hesitated. ‘I don’t know what he’s capable of. He’s not himself that’s for sure – and he’s clearly still on the booze. He looks a mess to be honest.’
‘And that’s what he’s spending my money on? Booze?’
She jumped up from her chair, her eyes blazing. ‘I won’t do it. I won’t be bullied and held to ransom. He expects me to leap into action and follow blindly every time he snaps his fingers, but you can tell him from me that, no more. If he tries to get in touch again I’ll call the police – I really will.’
Her bravado deserted her as quickly as it had arisen, and before she knew it, the tears were rolling down her cheeks as she buried her face in her hands. ‘I can’t go on like this, Keith.’
Keith grabbed a tissue box from the table and handed it to her. ‘Oh, Grace. I wish I knew the answers. There must be something we can do. He’s trouble, that man. Perhaps you should tell the police. Maybe this time they’d act on things before he got to Ellie.’
His words sent a chill through her. She remembered her last interview with the police constable, thought about the sort of red tape and proof he’d demand before he’d feel he could take things further, and couldn’t be sure about anything.
‘I need time to think. I’m sorry, but I’d rather be alone.’
‘Sure.’
She blew her nose hard and wiped her eyes, feeling suddenly calmer. ‘There is one more avenue I could try if I had to.’ She was thinking of Lynette and Leo, possibly borrowing the money from them, but that would involve telling them about it, and she knew without a doubt what their reaction would be. ‘But it’s not something I’ll even consider unless I’m sure this really will be the end of it. When are you seeing him again?’
‘He’s calling me tomorrow.’
‘You could try telling him the truth – that I don’t have any more money. I don’t know what to do about involving the police. I don’t trust them to get it right, and he’s a madman – how can I risk letting him take Ellie again?’
Her voice broke, and she was aware of Keith drawing her gently into his arms.
‘Look, I’ll see what I can do. I owe Rory – he was a good mate back in the old days – but I’m not going to help him at the expense of yours and Ellie’s safety, and I’ll make that absolutely clear to him.’
He squeezed her shoulder with his hand. ‘I’ll get back to you. Try not to let it get you too down. We’ll sort it.’
Grace felt he was being ridiculously naïve but she didn’t have the strength to tell him.
CHAPTER FORTY
‘Sophie says her dad will drop me home tomorrow morning,’ Ellie said excitedly. ‘That’s okay isn’t it? Are you ready to leave?’
Now, driving back on the A14 Grace felt tense. It was silly; she knew that. It was Saturday afternoon – Ellie would be perfectly safe staying at her friend’s house – both her parents were accompanying them to the theatre that evening and from there they were going for a meal and straight home. There was no way Rory could cause problems.
For the hundredth time, she considered going to the police and for the hundredth time she dismissed the idea. She didn’t dare – she felt paralysed by fear for her daughter. She thought of a body badly burned and tangled in the wreckage of a motorbike. Who had it been? How had he died? And – she hardly even dared think it – had Rory deliberately engineered that death?
Who knew what he was capable of?
He watched her and Ellie leave the house and followed them to the outskirts of Cambridge. He saw them walk up the path of a house, Ellie swinging what looked like an overnight bag excitedly in her hands. He waited patiently outside the hou
se for nearly half an hour and when Grace returned to her car she was alone. Then, when she started her engine for the return journey home, he did the same. His palms were sweaty on the steering wheel.
Tonight was the night then. Tonight he’d show her that he meant business.
Back home Grace put the kettle on, and while she waited for that to boil she washed up the lunch pans in the sink. Then she made herself a cup of tea and had just taken it through to the lounge when the phone rang.
‘Hi Grace, it’s Keith.’
‘Keith! Did you get my message yesterday? What’s going on? Why haven’t you got back to me?’
‘I was waiting to hear from Rory. He didn’t phone back until just now and I didn’t have his number to call him.’
‘What did he say?’
‘Not much, I’m afraid. I told him that you didn’t have any more money but he just kept repeating that he needed it and once he got it he’d be out of your life forever. He sounded pretty desperate.’
‘Oh, God.’ The phone began to tremble in her hand as she realised the time had come to make her decision.
‘Look … I’ve been thinking,’ Keith said. ‘I’ve just had some commission come through and if it’s any help, I could possibly scrape together five hundred pounds to lend you … I know it’s not much, but–’
His voice was gentle and Grace’s lip quivered.
‘No – I really appreciate that, but I need to sort this myself. If I do decide to pay him, I’ll probably ask Lynette.’ She took a breath. ‘But I need to know something from you. If I decide to go to the police with this, are you willing to back me up that you’ve seen him? I’d only risk going to them if I know they can act quickly, and they can only do that if we give them enough evidence. I know Rory’s your friend …’
She sensed his hesitation and found she was holding her breath. Everything rested on his reply. Without his backup there was no point even considering telling the police. Or anyone else for that matter.
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