by Nell Dixon
If I didn’t hear anything then I’d know my beautiful love affair was over before it had properly begun.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Tiredness from my early start caught up with me as I left the station and set off for home. My stomach reminded me I had nothing for supper in the fridge so I made an unscheduled stop at Mr Hassan’s store. It was disconcerting to see unflattering images of myself illuminated by neon lighting all around the outside of the shop. It didn’t do much for my ego to see someone had marker-penned devil horns and a moustache on one of the pictures.
I collected a battered metal basket from by the door ready to trawl the shelves and hoped Imran wouldn’t be around. My last encounter with him had left me shaken. The shop was quiet and Mr Hassan stood at the till leafing through the evening paper.
“Chloe, you are back so soon. I listened to you this morning on the radio. You were very good.” He beamed at me and my spirits lifted.
“Thank you. I was called in at short notice.”
“Will you be spinning the discs again tomorrow?” He closed his paper and looked at me expectantly.
“Steph is still off so yes, it’s another early one for me.” Talking about the morning reminded me how tired I felt. Not that I needed much prompting, there.
“You are very good for business. Publicising the shop is the one good idea my useless nephew has had.” Mr Hassan sighed and shook his head. “That boy will be the death of me. He is always disappearing. I only took him on to please my wife’s sister. I warned him when he came, any funny business like before when you were at your father’s office and I’ll send you home.”
A chill crept along my spine and I feigned an interest in some cans of tomato soup.
“Um, what kind of funny business?”
Mr Hassan stroked his moustache and considered his reply. “He was infatuated with some woman who worked at his father’s office. My wife’s sister says the girl took advantage and the boy was simply being foolish the way boys are these days. Anyway this girl was upset and complained and so his father says he must work somewhere else.”
My hand shook as I selected a can of spaghetti hoops and dropped it into my basket. I wanted to drop my shopping and run out of the store as fast as my legs could carry me. If Imran had previous for crazy behaviour towards women then maybe it was him and not Kevin I needed to be worried about.
“Oh dear.” I didn’t know what else to say. I grabbed some chocolate and biscuits and headed back to the till.
“I don’t know where he has gone tonight. He was supposed to be working in the stockroom but again he has disappeared and his phone is on voicemail.” Mr Hassan grumbled as he rang up my purchases.
I fidgeted as he took his time placing my groceries into a bag. I was desperate to get out before 'Imran the Weird' came back.
“Have a good show tomorrow, Chloe. What is it you showbiz people say? Break a leg.” He looked pleased with himself for having remembered the saying.
I resisted the urge to snatch my shopping from him. Instead I pasted a smile on my face and hoped I sounded normal as I thanked him and said goodnight.
Once I was safely inside my car I locked the doors and headed straight back to my flat. The sooner I was indoors with everything locked and bolted the happier I would be. I screeched into my parking spot next to the front door. Ben’s car was missing again and I wondered where he’d gone. Even if he wasn’t answering my texts, just knowing someone else was in the building made me feel safer.
I was about to get out of the car to scuttle to the front door when something made me stop mid-movement. The blind covering my kitchen window was half down and I never ever left it like that. I always pulled it right up in the morning and rolled it down at night so I could look through the slats. I tried to remember if in my early start I’d followed my usual routine.
My heart leapt into my mouth and I fumbled in my bag for my phone, keeping my gaze on the window. To my horror my kitchen light came on. Someone was in my flat. The phone slipped through my fingers and onto the floor of the car. I ducked down in my seat frantically trying to find it while hoping the intruder wouldn’t glance outside and see me in the car.
I tried to peer through the side window to see who was in my kitchen but I couldn’t see anyone. My hand located the shiny hard case of my phone and I closed my fingers around it. I’d barely lifted it from the floor when it rang out in my hand. I thought I was about to have a heart attack as I pressed the button to silence the music.
“Chloe, what are you doing messing about outside in the dark?” My mother’s autocratic tones sounded in my ear.
I waited for a second for my heart to resume beating. My mother was inside my flat? What was she doing here and why hadn’t she told me she was coming? I rang off without answering her and grabbed my shopping.
The shake in my hand as I unlocked my door was caused by anger. I’d been frightened half to death when I’d realised someone was in my kitchen. I’d completely forgotten that she had a spare key.
She turned to face me as I stormed into the lounge. “I thought you would have been home before now. I’d started to worry.”
“What are you doing here? Why didn’t you call? Do you realise you scared the living daylights out of me? I thought I’d got burglars. You’re lucky I didn’t call the police.”
She seemed unfazed by my outburst. “I thought it would be a nice surprise if I came up early. I’ve got a couple of days free and thought we could get some of the shopping done for the wedding. You need to try on the dress I’ve picked out.”
“In case you forgot, Mother, I have a job. I can’t take days off willy-nilly.” I started to unpack my groceries, slamming the packets and tins into the cupboard.
She followed me into the kitchen and paused in the doorway. “There was a young man here earlier asking for you.”
“Here?” My knees went weak. For a brief wild moment I thought it might be Ben before reality told me that if it had been him then my mother would have said so.
“Yes, someone called Kevin, a rather scruffy boy in a hoodie. He left a message for you that Fred was ill and not to worry about going to the allotment.”
I let out a breath. “Thanks.” Relief flooded through me that it wasn’t Imran that had called. Although knowing Kevin had been to my flat didn’t make me feel that great either.
“He really isn’t your type, Chloe, I do hope you aren’t thinking of taking up with him. He would be most unsuitable.”
“Mum, my love life is no business of yours. Thanks to you I had Neil here the other day.” I dropped two slices of bread into the toaster and set about attacking a tin of spaghetti with a can opener.
“Oh?” My mother looked hopefully at me.
“I threw him out.” I waved the can opener in her direction. “I never want to hear from him or see him ever again.”
Her face fell. “Poor Neil. That was rather harsh, Chloe. Although there’s always Ben I suppose,” she suggested. Her expression implied she thought Neil was the better option.
I resisted the urge to scream. “Stay out of my private life!”
“Angus and I were talking, and there’s plenty of room for you if you wanted to give this place up and move to Scotland to live with us. You’d soon find a better job and-”
“Mother, I am not giving up my flat. I like my job. How many times do I have to ask you to stop trying to organise my life!” I was holding on to my temper by a shred. My jaw physically ached from biting down on my desire to make a retort that I knew I’d regret later.
“I know my remarrying came as a shock and Angus and I feel you may be threatened by his daughter’s success. I’ve studied some very helpful books on the effects of divorce on children. Low self-esteem and inadequacy are common issues.”
The toast popped up in the toaster. My appetite for food had completely vanished. I didn’t know why I was even bothering to have this conversation with my mother. It would end the way all our conversations ended. I w
ould feel guilty and she would remain convinced that she was right.
“You know what Mum? I don’t care about Angus or his daughter. I’m pleased, no, delighted, that you’ve managed to find someone else. I’m actually very happy in my career choice and in my flat and with my friends.” I abandoned the spaghetti hoops and picked up my toast buttering my thumb in my haste to escape to my room. The odious Angus must have spent ages conferring with my mother about my terrible, unsuccessful life. I was under no illusions that was why she’d come down to visit again.
“Oh Chloe, now I’ve upset you again. Angus thought you and I should do some mother and daughter bonding over the wedding shopping. It would give us the opportunity to explore the issues between us so you’d feel included.” An all too familiar bewildered expression clouded her eyes.
“I’m up early in the morning. I’m going to bed.” I scooped up my buttery toast and walked past her. There was no way I could handle this kind of conversation right now. I’d just made it into the lounge when the doorbell buzzed.
Balancing my plate of toast with one hand I slipped the security chain on the door with the other. I opened the door a crack and peeped out. Ben stood on my doormat. My body heated at the sight of him. A day's growth of beard shadowed his chin and there were strain lines around his mouth.
“Ben, are you okay?” I fumbled to open the door; aware my mother had followed me into the hall and was hovering a few feet away.
“We need to talk.” His gaze locked with mine and I forgot I was cross that he hadn’t replied to any of my texts. Something was wrong, very wrong.
“What’s the matter?” I opened the door wider and stepped back waiting for him to come inside.
He glanced over my shoulder and I turned to see my mother peering at us. “I didn’t realise you had company.”
“Give me a minute.” I left my toast on the hall table and scooped up my keys. “I’ll come up to your place.”
I closed the front door and hurried up the stairs behind Ben. As soon as he opened the front door I was in his arms. He kissed me hard, his stubble grazing my cheek and his mouth almost bruising mine. I clung onto him, my head in a whirl as I responded to the raw energy of his kiss.
Breathless, I broke apart and ran my hand down his cheek. “I was starting to worry. You didn’t answer any of my texts.” My heart pounded against my ribs.
Ben raked his hand through his hair. “I was the same about you. It’s been hellish. There’s a lot I need to tell you, come and sit down.”
He took my hand and led me into the lounge. I cuddled up to him on the sofa and waited for him to explain. I had a horrible sense of doom that I couldn’t shake off. Ben was always so calm and orderly. Something bad must have happened to shake him up so much.
“Chloe, please, please promise me you’re going to be very careful. Somebody tried to run Tash down yesterday.” His voice shook with emotion.
“You mean on purpose or it was an accident? Is she hurt?” Concern for Tash mingled with bewilderment. What had a car accident involving Ben’s sister got to do with me being careful?
“On purpose. It was a stolen car, the police found it abandoned a few miles away. She managed to jump out of the way but she sprained her ankle and it left her shaken up and covered in scrapes and bruises.”
“And she’s sure it was on purpose?” Why on earth anyone would try and hurt Tash I couldn’t imagine.
Ben released a shaky sigh and scrubbed at his chin. “She’d had a text supposedly from me to meet her. Whoever sent it said it was urgent and that I was in trouble. So she answered and went.”
I stared at him. “What? I mean how?”
“My phone’s been stolen and whoever took it sent the message to Tash and then tried to kill her or at least scare her. They left another text while we were at the hospital getting her ankle x-rayed.”
“That’s awful.”
“The next one said unless she stayed away from me she’d die. They couldn’t have worked out that she was my sister. All I can think is that whoever sent it thought I was two-timing you with her.”
I was suddenly glad I hadn’t had my supper. “But if that was the case then wouldn’t they be pleased if you and I broke up over another woman? Or do you think it’s the same whacko that’s made Steph ill? Have you been to the police?”
“Of course, not that I think it’ll do any good. That was when I found out that you’d been down there too. I had no way of getting in touch with you to warn you. If someone is that mad then I wasn’t sure if he was keeping track on your phone or your car. Whoever is behind this is stark raving bonkers. There’s no logic to any of his actions.” He leaned back against the sofa. “I was so relieved when I saw your light on tonight.”
“This is crazy. Crazy and sick.”
“I know.” His voice sounded weary.
“I’m sorry I seem to have dragged you into my madness. Poor Tash.” I couldn’t quite take it all in. Surely the police had to do something now.
“Tash has gone back to stay at the parents. From now on, until the police get this guy, whoever he is, I’m sticking to you like glue. There’s no way of knowing what’s likely to happen next and the police don’t appear to be very on the ball with it.”
I swallowed. “Okay.” I wasn’t in any frame of mind to argue. It sounded as if I needed a bodyguard.
Chapter Thirty
My mother was waiting for me when I finally returned to my flat.
“What’s going on? What was wrong with Ben? Why wouldn’t he come in?”
I’d debated with Ben about how much I should tell my mother. If I said too much she’d have me over the border and eating haggis before I had time to say “bagpipes”. Too little and potentially I might be putting her, or me at risk.
“He wanted to talk to me privately. Tash was in a car accident. Then someone stole his phone.” I hoped she wouldn’t ask me too many questions. My bed was calling me.
“Hmm, I suppose ‘Ben’ is why you weren’t very nice to Neil when he came to see you.” It was a statement rather than a question.
I set off towards my room. “Mother, I have to be at the radio station at five thirty. I’ve told you what I think of Neil and I’m not discussing Ben with you now.”
I’d almost made it to safety inside my room before she fired her parting salvo. “Mark my words, it’ll end in tears. Neil was a much steadier bet.”
Her words stayed in my head long after I’d closed the door and rolled into bed.
* * *
Ben met me in the lobby of the flats at five the next morning. The dark smudges of fatigue that still lay under his eyes told their own story. My guess was that he’d slept as badly as me, though probably not for the same reasons.
I’d stayed in bed till the last possible minute before scampering under the shower. It was too dark to worry much about my appearance, one of the reasons why I liked working in radio. I tugged a hat on over my still-damp hair and hurried out to my car with Ben accompanying me.
He hunched himself up in the front passenger seat and turned on the car radio. The raucous sound of jazz blasted out at us and he hit the off switch.
“John ‘the Jazzman’ Harris’s show. He’s on before Cereal with Steph.”
“Who the hell listens to jazz at this time in the morning?” He shook his head.
We drove to the radio station in silence. Ben followed me inside and took a seat in a corner while I started prepping everything ready for the show. I’d run out of taped interviews so I planned to do some live phone and text-in slots to take their place.
Gail produced generously sized mugs of coffee for me and for Ben and I headed into the studio leaving him to wait outside in a small ante-room. I felt really guilty that he’d left a nice warm bed and much-needed sleep just so he could keep an eye on me. To make me feel better I opened the show with one of the Whitney Houston songs from the film The Bodyguard. I’d be in trouble for that later with Merv as it wasn’t on the station playlist for t
his week.
An enormous bacon-and-egg sandwich arrived in front of me as I switched to the local news.
“Your boyfriend said you’d be hungry.” Gail nodded towards the glass window that divided the inner booth. Ben grinned at me and gave me a thumbs-up sign.
“He’s a keeper,” Gail sighed and left me to my breakfast.
Fortified by bacon and coffee I soon got into my stride. The fun slots went well and I had lots of callers and texts to fill the gaps. I even dedicated a song to Steph and said I hoped she’d be better soon.
I’d just refuelled with more caffeine for the last half hour of the show when Gail showed me a text.
“This one came in a minute ago.” She pointed to one of the messages on the stream of paper that she’d highlighted in yellow.
Luckily, the track I’d put on had a couple of minutes to run so I had time to look at it.
‘U n me will B 2gether soon. I hear the message in yr music and understand.’
“It read like it was a little nuttier that the usual nut job texts we get,” Gail said.
“Has Ben seen it?”
Gail shook her head as I slipped my headset back on.
“Go and show it to him.”
I tried to see what was going on outside the sound booth while I chatted to the listeners and set up the next track. Gail was there with Ben and then he’d gone. Frustration killed me as I carried on with my work and hoped Gail would come back in so I could find out what had happened.
Trapped in my corner of the studio I saw Merv, Gail and Ben all scuttling around. Then I saw two uniformed policemen go by. The last few minutes of the show seemed to take forever as I counted down the time to say goodbye and switch to the news. All the production staff had vanished, which was most unusual.
I tugged off my headset and checked I’d flipped all the switches to 'off' before I raced into the corridor to find Ben. Unfortunately I cannoned straight into Merv.
“Lark, my office.”
I had no choice but to follow him. He opened the door and barged in ahead of me.
