Abi's Neighbour

by Jenny Kane

  ‘You left me on my own, Justin. Alone. Just so that you could step up the ladder and tell your wife you were leaving her without me in the way.’

  ‘For your own safety! So you didn’t get caught in the crossfire.’

  ‘No, Justin. It was so you could get rid of me in the most cowardly way possible. There is only one thing I’m unsure of. Were you in on the destruction of The Pinkerton Agency from the start, or did you learn of it from Jacinta later?’

  Justin stared straight into Cass’s eyes, and it took all her strength not to turn away. ‘Later.’

  ‘Thank you for not lying to me this time. Now, did you ever intend to divorce your wife and marry me, or was that holding tactics? Keeping me as part-time holiday entertainment perhaps?’

  Justin regarded her as though she’d gone mad. ‘I think the sea air has gone to your head, Cassandra.’ Examining her appearance more closely, Justin began to smile with blatant suggestion. ‘Perhaps it has done some good, though. Your bust is bigger.’

  Automatically crossing her hands across chest, Cass listened as he kept talking. ‘I blame myself for leaving you on your own for so long. You’ve had far too much time to think.’ Reaching out his hand, Justin tried to take hold of Cass’s as she gripped her mug of tea, only for her to pull it away. ‘For heaven’s sake, Cassandra, I’m trying to be friendly.’

  ‘No you’re not. You’re trying to get your leg over. It won’t work, Justin. Not any more. And I told you, I’m Cass now.’ Exhaling slowly she met his eye. ‘Last chance. You tell me the truth or I will have to ask you to leave my house.’

  ‘Your house?’ A cloud of concern passed over Justin’s face, only to disappear again as he shrugged it off. ‘My house.’ He flourished the paperwork he’d taken out of his briefcase in her direction.

  The knowledge that Max and Abi were only a few feet away gave Cass courage as she tried again. ‘Justin, I wanted to give you the chance to come clean. For old times’ sake, I suppose. However, you clearly aren’t interested in being honest. Too long in the City perhaps.’

  ‘What on earth do you mean?’

  ‘Shut up, Justin!’ Cass grabbed the paperwork that he still held in his hands, and scanned them briefly. ‘I see. This is my house, unless I sign these forms. Which I have no intention of doing.’

  ‘You have to sign them!’

  ‘I told you to be quiet!’ Deliberately shouting so that her neighbours would hear, Cass then moderated her tone a fraction. ‘If you think I’ve been here sitting on my hands waiting for you then you’re very much mistaken. I’ve already told you I contacted a local lawyer about the agency. I have also made investigations into what you’ve been up to. So, this is your chance, Justin; bearing in mind I know far more than you think I do. Your final chance to show me some backbone and get your wife and Crystal to give me back the monetary value of the business they destroyed in a mutual, although separate, fit of jealousy.’

  ‘Crystal?’ Justin paled, but it was such a subtle change to his blond complexion that if Cass hadn’t been looking for it she would have missed it.

  ‘Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about your stunningly attractive, young, and most capable PA?’

  She could see angry denial forming across her ex’s lips before the words even escaped. ‘The agency’s collapse was nothing to do with me.’ Continuing to noticeably steer the conversation away from his PA, Justin added, ‘You have obviously had some sort of personality transplant since you came here, Cassandra. I’m glad I haven’t got around to asking Jacinta for a divorce yet.’

  ‘Oh my God, Justin! You are the limit. I would like you to leave now.’

  ‘Leave? You’re the one who asked me to come here! I thought we were going to discuss our future together.’

  ‘Our future? As in, you and me?’

  ‘Naturally, you and me. Who else would I want to do this with? I thought we’d get this place up for a holiday rent and reboot your agency in Chelsea or somewhere more upmarket.’

  ‘Chelsea?’ Cass looked at Justin in open disbelief.

  ‘Do you really have to repeat everything I say, Cassandra?’

  ‘I think I do, otherwise I might not believe you’re actually saying the words I’m hearing.

  ‘Are you honestly telling me that you want me in your life, even though your wife plainly knows of my existence, but you haven’t asked for a divorce.’ Anger formed in Cass’s throat. ‘How arrogant are you? What makes you think I’d want you after you instructed Crystal to tell me you were in the States when you weren’t? After you told me your new boss hadn’t taken the news of your divorce well last time we spoke at length, and yet you have just informed me you haven’t mentioned divorce to Jacinta yet?’

  Cass didn’t dare stop talking now she finally had Justin’s full attention. ‘And to add the cherry to your deceitful cake, it was your PA and your wife who conspired to destroy my life’s work – and they succeeded. Why would I have asked to see you today for any other reason than to reassure myself that my past employees were going to be well compensated for being caught in the middle of their spiteful crossfire?’

  Like a bemused goldfish, Justin opened and closed his mouth for a few moments, before he said, ‘This house is mine, and I will be keeping it. You have until Saturday to get out.’

  ‘I think you were brilliant. I’d have punched him!’ Abi passed Cass a slice of chocolate cake, as Max read through the documents Justin had left for her to sign, releasing all her rights to number two Miners Row.

  ‘I almost did. Arrogant git.’ Cass let some of the tension in her shoulders escape with a protracted sigh. ‘I know he can’t take the house from me unless I sign, which I won’t. But if I don’t, he’s going to keep on hassling me. And I am still no nearer to getting back the money his wife stole from me. Although Dora said she still had a trump card to play, in case he pulled a stunt like this.’

  ‘She isn’t daft, is she?’ Max glanced up from what he was reading. ‘However clever a lawyer Justin thinks he is, he can’t afford an adultery scandal if he wants to keep his new job, right?’

  ‘Quite. That’s why he sent me here in the first place. I think? I’m getting a bit confused.’

  ‘Then, if he doesn’t play fair by you, a scandal is what he’ll get. And I can’t see him liking that. It would mean Jacinta would have won.’ Abi was thoughtful; she knew Cass didn’t want a scandal herself, as she was so protective of her family.

  Max knocked the papers together on the table. ‘Do you think he knew for certain, beyond the seeds of doubt you’d obviously already planted, that Crystal and Jacinta were working together against you?’

  ‘No. That rattled him. I think he assumed it was just his wife.’

  ‘Good.’ Max put the papers in his inside pocket. ‘If it’s alright with you I’m going to take these to show Dora when I collect Sadie, I’ll drop them back later.’

  ‘No problem, but why?’

  ‘Because Dora has another plan.’

  Cass smiled for the first time that day, ‘I think I rather love Dora. She makes the team from Mission: Impossible look like total slackers.’

  Chapter Thirty-three

  ‘Are you ready?’

  Dora’s countenance was more serious than Cass, Max, or Abi had ever seen it.

  ‘I think so.’ Cass felt far from convinced that what Dora was proposing would work. ‘The business world in London made me a good bluffer, but I’m not sure about this, folks. Justin is no fool.’

  Max nodded reassuringly. ‘You’ll be great, and we’ll be on hand if he cuts up rough.’

  ‘Thank you, but I hope it won’t come to that. In fact I hope that I can sort it before you guys arrive.’ She frowned. ‘If I can’t, are you sure you want to do this, Dora? Tonight is your poker hen night with your friends. You shouldn’t have to be over at my place laying a trap.’

  ‘There’s no have to about it. Justin’s a slug, and I never did like slugs. Nasty slimy creatures.’ Dora smiled across their k
itchen table at Stan, who nodded approvingly. ‘Anyway, I’ll be back here in plenty of time to fleece my fellow old crocks out of their hard-earned pension money, fear not.’

  Stan grinned. ‘I’m glad I’m going out on my stag do with Max and Jacob tonight. I dread to think what chaos you’ll cause. I feel sorry for Dan having to work tonight!’

  The hands of the kitchen clock were moving awfully slowly. Still unconvinced Dora could persuade Justin to cough up the money he owed her, Cass had been practising what to say to Justin on and off ever since she’d returned from Chalk Towers.

  With Justin’s return imminent, Cass knew Dora was in place at Abi’s House with Stan. Cass had heard her distinctive chuckle drift over the garden wall a few times. It came as a comfort to know that, even if all this went horribly wrong, at least Dora had enjoyed her unexpected revisit to the world of espionage. Plus, right at that moment, she was doing something she’d wanted to do for a while. Dora was visiting the house where her future husband had spent so much of his life.

  Cass could picture the old woman helping Abi get the spare bedroom ready for Stan, who was going to be sleeping there after his stag night with Max and Jacob, and the following night as well – the night before the wedding.

  A stab of regret shot through Cass. For a few hours, only a couple of weeks ago, she had been thinking about planning her wedding day. Better no partner than the wrong partner. Doing her best to think only about the new opportunities that awaited her, thanks to her friends in Sennen and Jo in Truro, Cass shoved her shoulders back and had another go at rehearsing her lines with the vase of fading yellow roses that still sat in the kitchen table windowsill.

  ‘I hope Cass is alright.’

  Dora, who was as relaxed as ever, saw the worry on Dan’s face. ‘She can do this. As soon as we get the signal, I’ll go round and be a proper nuisance as planned.’

  Sat next to Dora on the bench in Abi’s back garden, Dan couldn’t help but smile. ‘You’re loving this, aren’t you, Dora!’

  ‘You bet I am! Not much happens at my age you know.’

  ‘Apart from weddings, poker tournaments, and spying.’

  ‘Apart from all that.’ Dora waved across the garden at Stan, who was in his element exploring the improvements Max had made to his old garden shed with Sadie at his side, just as she used to be. ‘I’m glad you’re here, Dan. I know Cass thinks that Max and Abi will be the cavalry if she needs one, but I have a feeling your arrival will have more impact.’

  ‘Max is a hefty bloke, Dora. He’d have been fine.’

  ‘He would. But Cass doesn’t look at Max the way she looks at you.’

  Dan groaned. ‘Dora, honestly I’ve told you before, Cass and I are friends, beyond that we aren’t going to happen.’

  ‘Oh for heaven’s sake, allow me to have some fun matchmaking. Hadn’t we established that nothing exciting happens when you’re old?’

  Rolling his eyes, Dan got up to watch for the arrival of Justin’s taxi outside number two Miners Row. ‘You haven’t told Cass I’m here, have you?’

  ‘No. She’ll be glad you are, though. Trust me.’

  Wearing a business shirt and heels, albeit with jeans, and hoping the outfit would install her with some extra courage, Cass walked slowly to the front door as soon as the bell rang. She didn’t want to appear rushed or flustered by Justin’s arrival. She had to be the woman in control now more than ever or she’d lose her house.

  Her house. Cass wasn’t sure at what point she had accepted that the old terrace was her house, but as she looked at the freshly decorated walls, with its tasteful artwork care of Art and Sole, and the snug shag-pile rugs beneath her feet, she knew that the place it was more hers than she’d ever imagined it would be. But is this my house, or is it my home?

  Refusing the offered seat, Justin stood next to Cass’s kitchen table. ‘I assume you have seen sense, and have signed my documents.’

  ‘I assume you have seen sense, and arranged with Jacinta a means to provide me with the compensation I am owed for the illegal disintegration of my business?’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous, woman, of course I haven’t. I’ve already explained; I didn’t know about it until the wheels were in motion.’

  ‘And yet you didn’t try and stop it once you found out, did you? You could have told me straight away. You could have used your legal knowledge to put an injunction out to prevent more damage. You could have done all manner of things to help save my life’s work, but you did nothing except protect your own hide. I am embarrassed to have loved you.’

  Evidently stunned, Justin frowned. ‘You will sign those forms, Cassandra.’

  A cold chill ran down Cass’s spine at the expression on his face, and she fervently hoped Max was ready to intervene.

  With a greater show of bravado than she felt, Cass said, ‘Oh for goodness’ sake, Justin. I may have been foolish enough to be taken in by you before, but not now.’

  ‘If you don’t sign then Jacinta will wonder where the £300,000 spent on this place went.’

  ‘Jacinta? Why would that bother you if you’re divorcing her?’

  Justin shifted slightly, his discomfort obvious as his mistress called his bluff. ‘It’s not that straightforward.’

  Cass snorted. ‘I think it is very straightforward. Your wife and her friend conned me. Jacinta probably gloried in telling you what she had done to The Pinkerton Agency. I bet she used it as a weapon to prevent you from leaving her for me. What’s more, I think she did all this simply to preserve her position in society. And, just maybe, if you leave her, your new business partnership will become rather less secure? Perhaps you have discovered that Jacinta has more connections than you were ever aware of?’

  The scarlet flush that covered Justin’s face told Cass that, not only had she hit the nail on the head both times, but that soon, his temper was going to explode.

  ‘It’s no good yelling at me, Justin. You know I’m right.’

  Struggling to bite back the avalanche of anger that wanted to burst from his throat, Justin growled, ‘I am not going to dignify that with an answer. Now, I suggest you sign my paperwork and I’ll leave you to rearrange this new life of yours. I have no doubt you can find a place to rent using the money you’re being paid by your flat’s tenant in London.’ He dropped a couple of estate agents’ flyers on the table. ‘I thought these might help. I am not unreasonable. I will give you until the end of the month to find somewhere else to go.’

  Cass was incredulous. ‘You have collected house particulars for me? I’m not leaving, Justin. You gifted me this house. My lawyer double-checked the point.’

  Taking a step away from her ex, suddenly a little afraid of him, Cass gave a private sigh of relief as the doorbell rang.

  ‘If you’ll excuse me.’ Without hanging around for Justin to comment, Cass dashed for the door.

  ‘You OK?’ Dora whispered as she came in.

  Whispering back, Cass said, ‘No. He’s insisting on keeping the house and is getting angry.’

  Putting a hand on her young friend’s arm, Dora winked. ‘Dotty old lady to the rescue.’

  Supporting Dora’s arm, as if she were a rather doddery pensioner, Cass walked back to the kitchen. ‘Justin, may I introduce you to my next-door neighbour, Dora. Dora, this is Justin who purchased this house for me.’

  Pointing to the kitchen table, Cass settled Dora down at the table. ‘I have been so lucky with my new neighbours, Justin. Dora and I have already got into the habit of having a weekly game of cards. She has been teaching me poker.’

  ‘Has she? May I have a word in private, Cassandra?’

  Allowing him to draw her to one side, but not out of the room as he evidently would have liked, Cass muttered under her breath, ‘Before you start, it is important for the future of the house, whoever lives here, to have a good relationship with the neighbours.’

  ‘I suppose that’s true, but if you sign my papers I could leave you to your game.’

  ‘
No. And if you want further discussion, you’ll have to wait.’

  Annoyed their meeting had been interrupted and prolonged, Justin bit his tongue. His intention to threaten Cass into signing was going to have to be delayed as he reluctantly followed her back to the table.

  Evidently amazed as Dora dug a pack of cards from her handbag, Justin leaned against the kitchen door, resigned at having to observe a game of cards before he got what he wanted.

  From behind her fanned-out hand of cards, Cass watched Justin with curiosity. It was strange. She felt as if she was face to face with a stranger, and yet Dora had worked him out without even meeting him. She had told Cass he’d be arrogant enough to think old meant stupid, and she’d been right.

  As the late afternoon became evening, Dora began to play on that assumption; outstaying her welcome on purpose by taking ages to make every single move. Then, having finally persuaded Justin he may as well join in, Dora compounded the crime of being old by beating him at poker.

  Cass could feel the tension in the air building with each new hand. Any second now he’s going to snap.

  ‘For heaven’s sake, this is insane.’ Justin threw his cards on the table.

  Saddened by Justin’s predictability, Cass snapped, ‘It’s only a game.’

  Acting as though Dora wasn’t there, he rounded on Cass, his face crimson, his voice menacing. ‘What the fuck am I doing playing cards with a stupid old woman who should be in some sort of home? More to the point, what are you doing, Cassandra? This isn’t you at all!’

  Battling with embarrassment, Cass was offended on Dora’s behalf, and ashamed at how right Justin almost was. A few weeks ago she would never have been able to picture herself even talking to Dora, much less playing cards with her. Dora, however, merely grinned.

  ‘Tell me, Mr Smythe,’ the old lady’s smile stayed in place, but it was suddenly devoid of warmth, ‘if I’m so stupid, how is it I can tell, after only a few minutes reading those documents,’ Dora pointed to the pieces of paper Cass had left unsigned on the table, ‘that they are not legally binding.’