Abi's Neighbour

by Jenny Kane

  Abi shrugged, ‘I’m not at all sure. She isn’t fond of the seafront, although she seems to be mellowing towards Cornwall itself. I don’t think she’ll decide anything until she has been able to cut all ties with Justin once and for all.’

  ‘I hope she does stay.’

  ‘You do?’

  ‘Sure. I think she’d be a good neighbour for us.’

  ‘For us?’ Abi looked at Max hopefully.

  ‘If you’ll let me, I’d love to move in. Is that OK?’

  Abi jumped up into Max’s arms, leaving a bemused Sadie staring up at them. ‘I thought you weren’t ready yet?’

  ‘Honestly, woman! That was a whole five or six minutes ago!’

  ‘I have an ulterior motive.’

  Dora poured the tea as Cass collected a carton of milk from her fridge.

  ‘I would have been disappointed if you hadn’t.’ Cass regarded the old lady as she sat on the opposite side of the kitchen table at number two Miners Row. ‘You wanted to talk to me about Justin, didn’t you?’

  ‘My goodness, if I’m that see-through these days, then it’s just as well I retired!’

  Cass, who was still unconvinced of Dora’s past employment claims despite what Dan had said, smiled through a sigh. ‘You have been so good to me, Dora, please don’t think me ungrateful. But I feel I’ve come so far in the last few weeks, mostly thanks to you and Abi, and Jo over in Truro, and…’

  ‘And now you have made peace with being here, the last thing you want to do is talk through what brought you to Cornwall in the first place.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And yet, despite your evident skill with make-up, you aren’t sleeping properly. You need to tie up the loose ends, Cass. You know you do, and if you would like me to help, I have an idea how to get that young man to give you what you’re owed.’

  ‘How much has Abi told you?’

  ‘Nothing. Abi hates gossip, but I’m not daft, and you did say quite a lot when you came over the first time. Dan was worried about you after the cream tea as well. He spoke to Stan.’

  Seeing a cloud pass over Cass’s face, Dora quickly added, ‘We aren’t being nosy, nor are we all enjoying a good natter at your expense.’

  ‘I know. It’s just I’m not used to all this, and I feel bad about being so mean to Dan.’

  ‘He didn’t say you were mean.’

  ‘Because he’s a good guy. I, on the other hand, am not so nice. Although I’m learning. I hope.’

  Taking a sip of tea, Dora regarded Cass with unexpected seriousness. ‘Tell me from the beginning. If losing my husband at such an early age taught me anything, it’s that life, whatever it throws at you, has to be faced sooner or later. And sooner is the better option.’

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Abi punched Beth’s phone number in fast, desperate to tell her the good news. ‘Guess what?’

  ‘You OK, Abi? You sound out of breath.’

  ‘I’m very alright.’ Abi stretched out her bare legs, letting the sun bounce off her skin as she sat on the bench in her garden, watching Max and Sadie chasing each other as though they were both child and puppy.

  ‘Tell me, woman!’ Beth leaned back against the head of her bed, looking at the bridesmaid’s dress she had picked for the wedding, hoping that her bump, which seemed to be getting bigger by the hour, wouldn’t prevent her from putting it on.

  ‘Max is moving in!’

  ‘Oh, that’s fantastic.’ Beth felt a huge hit of relief. She’d begun to worry that Max might lose the best thing in his life through inaction and fear of reaction. ‘I’m chuffed to bits for you. How did you pull that off? I bet you asked him and not the other way around.’

  Abi laughed. ‘Well, it was sort of the Zennor Mermaid’s doing.’

  ‘Excuse me?’

  ‘I’d say it wasn’t as weird at sounded, but that would be a lie.’

  ‘I can imagine! So when’s he moving in? Do you want Jacob to help shift stuff? Is Max putting his flat on the market?’

  ‘Hold on, Miss Bull in a China Shop! We only got back from Zennor ten minutes ago.’

  ‘That’s the second time you’ve called me that!’

  ‘Well I can’t think why!’ Abi laughed again. ‘We haven’t discussed it beyond the fact that Max isn’t planning to go back to sleep at the flat again.’

  ‘We have to celebrate! Do you feel better about things now?’

  ‘So much better. Suddenly I feel as though I have things to look forward to again.’

  Beth, whose eyes were still running critically over her cornflower blue dress, said, ‘So did Dora get fixed up with an outfit?’

  ‘She did. I’m about to pop next door to hear all about it. I must admit, I’m glad I didn’t go to the fitting. The boutique woman appeared to be every bit as daunting as Dora said she was, and all I did was see her open the shop door. I never even heard her speak.’

  ‘I’m sure Cass could handle her though. Have you picked your wedding outfit yet?’

  ‘I thought I’d go shopping tomorrow. You want to come?’

  ‘I might need to. I got myself a dress last week. I happened to spot one in a charity shop in Penzance that I loved, but although it fitted then, it’s already a bit of a stretch across the belly. Another few days and I may well explode out of it.’

  Seeing Cass through the kitchen window at the back of the house, Abi waved.

  ‘Come on over, Dora can tell you about our wedding dress experience before I take her home.’

  It felt strange hopping over the wall into her neighbour’s garden. Only a few weeks ago that would have been an impossible scenario. ‘Hey, Dora, sorry I didn’t ask about the dress on the way home. I got a bit carried away by my own news.’

  ‘Not a bit of it! You didn’t just have news, you had extremely exciting news.’ Dora appeared as happily thrilled by life as ever. ‘Stan is going to be over the moon when I tell him Max is moving in. He always pictured you two with a family in Abi’s House.’

  ‘Thanks, Dora. Was the boutique woman as scary as you claimed?’

  ‘Not so much scary as daunting. I’d met her on my own before. She came to Chalk Towers for the initial consultation, but this visit was decision time, fittings. I could have handled her, but sometimes it’s helpful to have a friend onside, isn’t it.’

  ‘Absolutely.’ Abi was pleased to see how comfortable Dora and Cass appeared to be in each other’s company. She hoped they could be friends like she and Stan were. ‘I’m dragging Beth bridesmaid shopping tomorrow, we wondered if you fancied it, Cass? You are a hell of a lot better at clothes than we are.’

  ‘I’d love to!’ Cass held up a mug as if to ask Abi if she’d like tea. ‘It’s crazy that you guys don’t like clothes shopping when you both wear clothes so well.’

  ‘Do we? Thanks.’

  Dora nodded agreement to a top-up of tea. ‘I thought Beth already had a frock?’

  ‘She did, but her bump is developing fast, and she doesn’t think it will still fit by the wedding day.’

  ‘Crumbs, do bumps grow that fast then?’ Cass was scandalised. The idea of her body being beyond her own control disturbed her slightly.

  ‘They can sometimes. My sister-in-law seemed to go from being flat-bellied to a pumpkin overnight, and then back again just as fast,’ Abi said. ‘What colour is your outfit, Dora?’

  ‘Joyce, that’s the boutique lady, says it’s vanilla, I say it’s cream. Honestly! As if anyone wants to walk down the aisle thinking they’re dressed as an ice cream.’

  Abi laughed. ‘Is it a dress or a two-piece?’

  ‘You’ll have to wait and see.’ Dora winked. ‘But as it’s cream, then it means any colour you girls go for will work.’ She put down her cup. ‘Anyway. Now you’re here, Abi, I wondered if I could ask you a couple of questions about London.’

  Noting the abrupt change of mood, Abi’s mood went from carefree to uneasy in less than a second. Was this going to be about Sally?

  ‘Cass t
ells me that the information she managed to get about Justin’s dubious exploits came as much from your contacts in the City as from Mr Clearer.’

  Not sure if she was relieved or not that Stan’s daughter was not to be the topic of conversation, Abi said, ‘I didn’t do much. I gave my late husband’s PA a call. She and her staff are well connected amongst the City types’ wives.’

  Dora looked solemn. ‘I could do with checking a few things with her. Would Luke’s PA mind, do you think?’

  ‘I suspect not; Sasha likes a bit of gossip. What are you up to, Dora?’

  ‘As if I’d be up to anything!’

  ‘Don’t flutter those eyelashes at me! I’m not Stan.’ Abi wasn’t sure what to do. ‘I can’t give out her number without asking, but I could call Sasha and ask she’d mind you talking to her.’

  ‘Thank you, that would be very helpful.’ Dora looked at Cass, who seemed rather less comfortable on her seat than she’d been before. ‘Don’t worry, lass, I’ll be discreet. Despite all the evidence to the contrary I can be the soul of discretion.’

  Cass held her mug of tea to her chest. ‘The thing is, Dora, I’m just not sure I want to know. Well, I do want to know, but…’ Cass took a deep breath. ‘Look, if I can get my money back that would be incredible, but…Knowing in your heart you’re been played as a fool is one thing, having to face it in big bold black and white letters is something else entirely.’

  Abi came out of the kitchen’s back door and stopped and watched at the vision before her. A smile spread all over her body as she saw Max quietly pottering in and out of Stan’s old shed. Seeing him there, heaping together items for disposal and items to be saved, Abi had a sensation of feeling complete. They were Mary and Stan all over again.

  Not wanting to disturb his contented sorting, but at the same time wanting to fling her arms around him, Abi decided to give Max a few more moments’ uninterrupted pleasure while she went upstairs to her bedroom – their bedroom – and emptied out two drawers in the chest nearest the bed. She wasn’t entirely sure what she’d do with the winter jumpers she was evicting from their home so that Max had some space for his clothes, but that didn’t matter. Smoothing out the lining paper at the bottom of each drawer, she pictured them full of her partner’s things.

  My partner? A glowing warmth started in Abi’s chest and spread through her whole body. She’d always referred to Max as her boyfriend, but now, if they lived together, he had to be her partner. Not even the spectre of her conversation with Sally could dampen Abi’s happiness as she plunged into the wardrobe to denude a handful of hangers of their contents so that Max’s meagre collection of shirts could hang un-creased.

  Finally, she went into the bathroom and, moving up her own towels on the heated rail, added two for Max.

  Returning to the bedroom and glancing out of the window, Abi could see Sadie lying out in the sunshine next to the piles of shed stuff. Then Max came out of the shed. At some point he had pulled his shirt off, and stood now in his shorts and trainers, his ginger hair gleaming in the sun as his permanently tanned skin spoke of muscles honed from a life of hard work. It was all Abi could do not to yell out of the window for him to get up the bedroom right now. Instead she immersed herself in the view. My partner in Abi’s House. Even in her childhood, when she’d fantasised that Abbey’s House would one day be Abi’s House, she hadn’t dreamed she’d be this happy. It was all thanks to Stan.

  Stan. ‘I must call him.’ Abi swallowed. ‘Or maybe I should try and talk to Sally again, for Stan’s sake?’

  Checking her watch, Abi knew it was far too early to Skype Australia, but perhaps she could leave a message, saying all the things that she had wanted to say last time but hadn’t had the opportunity.

  Heading to the kitchen, she turned on her laptop, ignored all her work emails and switched on Skype, already mentally composing what she’d type. Much to her surprise, Abi found she had three missed calls from Sally, one only a few hours after their failed conversation.

  ‘Perhaps she regretted her outburst?’ Abi said to herself.

  ‘Who did?’ Max came in through the back door, and immediately passed his sun-warmed arms around Abi’s shoulders.

  ‘Sally.’ Abi pointed at the screen. ‘Do you think she wants to talk to me to say sorry or to rant further?’

  ‘To say sorry, I expect.’ Max kissed the top of her head. ‘What are you doing on Skype anyway? They’ll all be sound asleep over there.’

  ‘I know, but I was feeling so happy, and it’s all thanks to Stan. I know he hasn’t said anything, but I know he is upset about Sally not approving of his wedding. I owe it to him to at least try and make it right.’

  ‘Did I ever mention you were a good person, Abi Carter?’

  ‘Once or twice.’ Feeling bolstered by Max’s support, Abi began to type. She wrote about Dora, about the wedding, about how much Stan would like his daughter’s blessing. Abi didn’t mention their last conversation; that wouldn’t help anyone. At last she paused and said, ‘What do you think? Too much? Not enough?’

  Max scanned the message. ‘Looks good to me. Hopefully she’ll check her Skype when she wakes up. At least you’ve tried. That in itself will mean a lot to Stan.’

  ‘Fingers crossed then.’ Turning off the computer, Abi swivelled her desk chair around so she was eye to eye with Max’s delicious torso. ‘You looked so happy outside playing with your new shed.’

  ‘Are you teasing me, Mrs Carter?’

  ‘A bit.’

  ‘You didn’t mind, did you? It’s such a jumble in there, and I know it’s been on your list of things to sort it out since you moved in, so I cracked on a bit.’

  ‘I don’t mind at all. And anyway, it isn’t my shed, it’s our shed. It made me happy to watch you.’

  ‘Truly?’

  ‘Truly.’ Abi stood up and kissed Max. ‘It made me think of the young Stan and how many happy hours he would have spent in his garden when he was with Mary here.’

  ‘You little romantic, you.’ Max kissed her gently, and then suddenly pulled back. ‘What did you do with Cass and Dora? They aren’t about to walk in or anything are they?’

  ‘I left them in Cass’s kitchen with Dora plotting revenge on Justin.’

  ‘Then God help Justin!’ Max ran a palm through Abi’s hair.

  ‘They’ve probably started plotting another celebration by now.’

  ‘Celebration of what?’

  ‘You moving in!’

  ‘Oh, that!’ Max smiled suggestively, before picking Abi up off the chair. ‘Celebrating? Umm? Sounds a good idea to me.’

  Chapter Twenty-six

  ‘Abi gave me Sasha’s number as a starting point, and I did some digging. It didn’t take me long to work out how to unearth information about Jacinta or Justin’s PA. There’s always someone who knows more than you think they do. The trick is to find them.’

  Dan stared solemnly across his desk at Dora, who was clutching a notebook and biro with the look of a private detective hot on the trail of something that smelt bad. ‘You found out more than you expected?’

  ‘Pretty much exactly what I expected, actually. It’s all a bit textbook. Clichéd. even’

  ‘I think you should elaborate.’ Dan, fighting off the urge to pour them two fingers of whisky each, crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. ‘Am I going to have to swear off my decision to never punch another human being ever again?’

  Dora’s professional expression slipped a fraction as her eyes drifted towards her care manager. ‘You really do like Cass, don’t you?’

  ‘Whether I do or not is hardly the point. What I do not like is someone – anyone – being ripped off or taken for granted.’

  Watching him in silence for a second, Dora took an unnecessary glance at her notebook, before saying, ‘If my assessment is correct…’

  ‘Which it is?’

  ‘I am ninety-nine per cent sure.’

  ‘Tell me.’

  Dora laid her notes dow
n. ‘It appears that Justin hasn’t just been cheating on Jacinta, but on Cass as well. With Crystal.’

  ‘Shit.’

  ‘Quite.’

  Dan felt the muscles in his arms twitch, unconsciously balling his hands into fists. He hadn’t worked out why he felt so protective towards the high-maintenance city girl, but listening to Dora describe how Justin had started to see Crystal some time ago, prior to any plots against Cass, made him feel like he had to do something.

  The care manager began to play his mobile phone between his fingers in agitation. ‘When did Jacinta ask Crystal for help in starting this plot, or was it the other way around?’

  Getting up from her chair, without waiting to see if Dan wanted one or not, Dora poured two cups of coffee from the machine in the corner of his office. ‘I spoke to Sasha’s assistant, who put me in touch with a friend of hers in the administration department of Family Values. It seems that Crystal rules that place with a rod of iron, and is neither liked nor respected. She has something of a reputation for being self-serving.’

  Passing Dan his coffee, Dora went on, ‘If Crystal had learned about Justin planning to buy a property in Cornwall – which as she is his PA is a reasonable hypothesis – I suspect she feared he was leaving London, and therefore leaving her as well.’

  ‘You think she was aware of his affair with Cass then?’

  ‘Oh yes. I have no doubt, having spoken to the woman myself, that she would think it a victory to be the youngest of Justin’s mistresses. To suddenly discover that perhaps he actually cared for Cassandra, rather than her just being someone to have sex with, made her even more jealous than she already was.

  ‘I suspect that, until that moment of discovery, Crystal was having fun pulling the wool over two powerful women’s eyes. Suddenly it must have dawned on her that, in fact, she was the one being used.’

  Dan began to see what Dora was saying. ‘So you think that Crystal decided to get her own back on Justin for humiliating her and on Cass for meaning more to him than she did by siding with his wife?’

  ‘It would seem so.’

  ‘How the devil did you find that out? You can hardly have asked her outright if she was sleeping with the boss.’