by Susan Lewis
As she watched him she found, to her horror, that she was evaluating how she might feel if he really was a murderer. She looked at his hands and tried to imagine them brutally attacking a woman, smashing and beating her face until she was dead then lifting her up and throwing her into the sea. But all she could see were the hands that had touched her and stroked her with infinite tenderness and care. Hands that she longed to reach out for now and hold between her own, or feel sliding into her hair, as she asked him to tell her what had happened to have disturbed him so badly. It didn’t seem to be Morandi’s arrest, or the fact that Danny knew about them, so, was it, she asked herself dolefully, the fact that his father was at Consuela’s?
‘At Consuela’s!’ he laughed incredulously when she at last blurted the question out. ‘Is my father at Consuela’s? What, are you out of your mind? My father’s in San Diego where I spoke to him just before you got here, so what the hell is all this about?’
Louisa explained what Danny had told her.
‘Bullshit!’ he said. ‘Either she’s making it up or, like you said yourself, Consuela’s got someone there who’s making out to be him.’
‘You don’t seem very put out about it,’ she remarked.
‘Why should I be? I know where my father is so she’s going to have a hard time proving someone else is him if it comes to the test, don’t you think?’
‘Yes,’ Louisa smiled, wanting just to throw herself in his arms with sheer relief. Instead, as he reached for the phone and punched out a number, she got up to go and look out of the window down through the hazy bands of sunlight streaming through the trees to the lake where the sun was glinting in fine, sharp blades from dazzling pools of light. That was how he made her feel, she thought idly to herself, bright and shining and filled with light, but just as ephemeral.
‘Erik?’ he said. ‘Yeah. What time are you leaving? OK. Get hold of Danny before you go and get her to tell you what she knows about some guy she met at Consuela’s … I’m not sure when, at the weekend, I guess. He’s saying he’s my old man. Yes, that’s right. Louisa just told me. Yeah, she’s right here. OK, find out what you can, but don’t call me back. I want this line free,’ and he rang off.
Feeling him come to stand behind her Louisa rested her head back on his shoulder and lifted her folded arms for him to slide his underneath. He smelt wonderful and she turned her face a little to inhale the delicate scent of pine mingled with his own maleness and, of course, that ubiquitous, though barely detectable, tang of the sea.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said softly. ‘I guess I’m not much company today.’
‘It doesn’t matter. I know you’ve got a lot on your mind.’
‘But more importantly right now, I’ve got you in my arms. I was afraid you might have changed your mind since the weekend.’
‘No,’ she said, pressing her lips softly to his neck. Then turning in his arms she continued to kiss his neck while slowly unbuttoning his shirt. She lifted her face and gazed up into his clouding eyes as she pulled his shirt open and ran her hands over his hard, pectoral muscles and up to his shoulders. Beneath the wiry hair his skin was soft and smooth and lowering her mouth she traced her tongue around his nipples. She expected him any minute to pull away and return to whatever was bothering him, but he didn’t, and as he pulled her up and gazed half-laughingly, half-wonderingly down at her she could see that at last he really was with her.
‘How about I do that to you?’ he said darkly, starting to unfasten her buttons. She looked down, watching his hands as he pushed her blouse aside and brushed them over her breasts. Then she was holding his head, twisting her fingers through his thick, glossy black hair, as he stooped to suck her hardened nipples into his mouth. The power of the sensations shooting through her was sapping the strength from her legs and he scooped her up in his arms.
As he carried her to the bedroom he was staring hard into her eyes, until breaking the gaze Louisa buried her face in his neck and began kissing his ear.
‘I’m gonna miss you,’ he said, lying down beside her.
‘I’ll miss you too,’ she smiled, not wanting to think about it now.
Again he was looking at her in that strange, almost expressionless way. Then seeing the confusion in her eyes he said in a voice so soft she barely heard him, ‘“Look not in my eyes, for fear they mirror true the sight I see, And there you find your face too clear And love it and be lost like me.”’
As she realized what he’d said Louisa’s heart tightened with a slow warmth that seemed to spread into her whole being. ‘That’s beautiful,’ she murmured. ‘Did you write it?’
‘No,’ he smiled. ‘It’s Housman.’
They lay quietly looking at each other for a while, stroking each other’s bodies and imprinting every feature of the other’s face in their minds. Then rolling her onto her back he knelt over her and pulled her skirt and panties down over her long, slim legs. When finally his eyes returned to hers she saw a heartrending sadness that made the desire in them seem all the more poignant. And without either of them moving, she felt him touching her, closing around her, sinking beneath her skin and loving her as she had never been loved in her life.
‘Jake,’ she whispered, the emotion in her voice rippling hopelessly in her heart.
‘I know,’ he whispered and lowering his lips to hers he kissed her and never stopped kissing her the whole time he made love to her.
‘Louisa,’ he said, holding her in his arms when it was over and stroking her as he gazed out of the window, ‘there are a lot of things I want to say to you, you know that, don’t you?’
‘Yes,’ she said.
He gave her a quick squeeze. ‘I’ll never forget you, you know.’
‘I’ll never forget you either,’ she whispered through the lump in her throat.
‘Maybe there’s a time for us in another world, another life.’
‘I hope so. Jake, you’re leaving, aren’t you?’
‘Sssh,’ he said, pulling her head onto his shoulder and kissing her.
‘Jake, please tell me,’ she said, hardly able to push her voice through the tears and panic that were choking her.
‘No, I’m not going yet,’ he said.
A few minutes later he eased himself gently from their embrace and went to answer the phone. He’d left the bedroom door ajar and hating herself for doing it Louisa tiptoed over to it to see if she could hear what he was saying. But all she heard was him telling someone to keep in touch.
When he came back it was obvious that the call had upset him and she could feel him moving away from her again.
‘Come on.’ he said, picking up his clothes. ‘I’ll take you back to the villa.’
‘Jake, please, will you tell me what’s going on?’ she implored.
‘Not right now,’ he answered. Then looking at her he put a hand under her chin and said, ‘Do you mind? I don’t want to talk right now, but I’ll stop by at the villa later, OK?’
Dumbly she nodded and started to pull on her clothes.
‘Do I get dinner if I come?’ he asked, obviously making an effort to lighten things a little.
‘Yes,’ she shrugged. ‘You can have dinner. I don’t know who else will be there, but …’
‘Just so long as you’re there, that’s all that matters,’ he interrupted and tweaking her nose he walked out of the room, stopping as he reached the door to say, ‘By the way, no one except Marianne and Erik knows where this house is, or even that it exists, so please, keep it to yourself.’
22
WHEN JAKE ARRIVED later that evening Danny was still in the shower and Louisa and Sarah were having drinks on the terrace with Jean-Claude.
‘Sarah’s in a terrible way,’ Louisa whispered to Jake when she went to greet him. ‘I think it might help if you talked to her.’
‘Shit!’ he seethed under his breath, obviously either having forgotten that Sarah would be there, or just not wanting to talk to her. ‘Who’s that with her on the terrace?’
‘Jean-Claude, our neighbour. Erik’s friend.’
‘OK. Get Sarah to come inside. Is there somewhere we can talk?’
‘You can use my study, Sarah knows where it is. Danny’s here too.’
‘Is she?’ he said sourly. ‘Well what a cosy evening we’re going to have.’
Not long after Jake and Sarah disappeared inside Danny sauntered down the steps from the small terrace outside her bedroom to join Louisa and Jean-Claude. The instant Louisa saw her her heart sank. Obviously there wasn’t much left of the bottle of wine she’d taken with her to the shower.
‘Hello, Jean-Claude,’ Danny drawled, flopping unsteadily into a chair. ‘Or should I say bonjour. Oh no, hang on it’s bonsoir now, isn’t it?’
‘Bonsoir, Danny,’ he said politely.
‘What’s that?’ she demanded of Louisa, pointing at Louisa’s drink.
‘It’s a kir,’ Louisa said, not bothering to hide her exasperation.
‘I think I’ll have one of those.’
‘Don’t you think you’ve had enough?’ Louisa retorted.
‘Nope. Whose car is that over … Oh my,’ she grinned, putting a hand to her face. ‘It’s Jake’s car. So where is he?’
‘In the study with Sarah.’
‘Giving her a bit of a seeing to, is he?’
‘Danny,’ Louisa winced.
‘Sorry,’ Danny said, reaching out for an olive. ‘So what brings you over here this evening, Jean-Claude?’ she asked, pulling the stone from between her teeth.
‘Sarah and I invited him,’ Louisa answered, knowing that she and Danny were heading fast towards a particularly ugly scene if Danny kept this up. As if it wasn’t enough that Jake had turned up in a foul mood.
‘Do you know what?’ Danny said to Jean-Claude who, Louisa thought admiringly though with embarrassment, seemed quite unperturbed by the rudeness in Danny’s manner.
‘What is that?’ Jean-Claude asked, smiling benignly.
‘Louisa is my favourite person in the whole world,’ Danny announced with a grin.
‘Oh, Danny, for heaven’s sake, shut up,’ Louisa groaned.
‘She doesn’t choose her men very well, but she’s pretty good at choosing her friends,’ Danny continued unabashed. ‘Aren’t you, Louisa?’
‘I think we should just continue as if she weren’t there,’ Louisa said, turning to Jean-Claude.
‘Oh no, don’t do that, Louisa,’ Danny pouted. Then quite suddenly she started to laugh.
Louisa glared at her and just as suddenly she stopped.
‘Can I refresh your drink for you, Jean-Claude?’ Danny offered, getting to her feet.
‘No, no, I am fine, thank you.’
‘OK. Well, I’ll go and get myself one, excuse me,’ and she made an airy path into the kitchen.
‘I’m sorry,’ Louisa said to Jean-Claude.
‘Please, think nothing of it,’ Jean-Claude smiled. Then looking warmly into Louisa’s eyes he said, ‘Are you going to tell Jake that you ’ave told me all that is going on?’
Louisa pulled a face. ‘I don’t think so,’ she answered. ‘At least not while he’s in the mood he’s in tonight. So please, when he comes back, don’t say anything, will you? Just pretend you don’t know him.’
‘That won’t be difficult when I don’t,’ Jean-Claude twinkled merrily. ‘Though I ’ave to confess I feel I do now you’ve told me so much about ’im.’ And then his eyes were serious. ‘It is going to be very ’ard for you when ’e goes, is it not?’
Louisa’s lips flattened in a smile as she nodded. ‘I have to admit, Jean-Claude,’ she said, ‘that if Consuela is lying about Martina and she really is dead, that I can’t stop myself hoping that maybe, I don’t know, in a year from now, two years from now, that he will reconsider and we can, well, try again.’
‘You would not be ’uman if you did not think that way, he said, patting her hand in a fatherly manner. ‘But let me give you a little word of advice. Don’t rush ’im. If it is the case that ’is wife is dead, ’e will need to grieve for ’er all over again.’
‘I know, you’re right,’ Louisa sighed, linking her fingers through his.
‘Oh là là,’ he chuckled, ‘you are much prettier when you smile and ’e is ’ere, no? ’e comes to see you because in ’is ’eart ’e loves you. No one will ever be able to take that away from you, Louisa. No matter what ’appens in the future, whether ’is wife is still ’ere or whether ’e chooses not ever come to back, what you ’ave ’ad now will always be special for you. And for ’im. ’e ’as done all ’e can to make sure of that. And think what a very courageous man ’e is, that ’e can think of someone else’s ’appiness at such a time as this in ’is life. Oh, no, no,’ he said as she made to interrupt. ‘I know what you are going to say, what ’e ’as no doubt said ’imself, that ’e ’as been very selfish to take from you what ’e ’as, and I agree, ’e ’as been selfish, but ’e is only ’uman too, Louisa, and remember, ’e ’as been going through a very bad time, ’e needs solace, like any other man would need it in such circumstances. And ’e ’as been honest with you from the start by never making any promises ’e knew ’e couldn’t keep. So what you ’ave ’ad together, what my beautiful country, she ’as ’osted, is a little touch of summer madness that will always remain in your ’eart.’
‘You’re a very special man, Jean-Claude,’ Louisa said softly. ‘Thank you for that. And thank you for understanding and believing all that I’ve told you. It’s not that I blame Sarah or Danny for not believing it, they’re too mixed up in it all themselves, but it’s so good to talk to someone who isn’t.’
Leaning against the counter in the kitchen Danny was staring desperately at the bottle of wine she had taken from the fridge. She knew she shouldn’t have any more, that if she did she would feel terrible in the morning, but it was so tempting, so very tempting, to drown tomorrow in the wine of tonight. She wasn’t ready for tomorrow, she hadn’t had enough rehearsals and she was so afraid she was going to blow it.
She turned to splash more wine into her glass, then hearing Jake’s voice in the hall she smashed the glass into the sink. Did he think she was so simple, of such little account, that she was going to let him get away with deceiving her friend the way he was? Did he truly believe that he just had to tell Erik to stop her doing something and she would stop? Did he really think he could just brush her to one side as if she didn’t matter, as if she hadn’t recognized the evil that was in him, when they both knew she had? Well she was going to show him and she was going to make damned sure when it was all over that he knew it was she who had outsmarted him and it was she who still had Louisa and still had Erik. She just wished she’d had a few more rehearsals, because she couldn’t afford to make a hash of this, not now she knew that Jake himself had killed Aphrodite – and what was more, Consuela had told her why he had killed her.
Hearing Sarah’s nervous laughter coming from the terrace Danny’s heart went out to her. Morandi was going to take the rap for what Jake had done, Jake was already seeing to that, unless she, Danny, did something to stop it. She had to get Jake out of the country before he did any more damage to any more people and then Consuela and his father could clear up the mess after him. Poor Morandi. Jake hadn’t done anything to back him up on using Consuela as his alibi and nor was he going to. Oh, he’d let Morandi think he was going to, but he’d never had any intention of doing it, that was obvious now. Even Erik had expressed surprise that Morandi was still in jail.
Still, she thought, padding off to her bedroom with a sudden return of exuberance, Morandi wouldn’t be there much longer and then Sarah would be happy, so would she and Erik and Louisa would just be thankful to be alive. Roll camera!
‘Oh no, don’t go,’ Louisa was saying, as Jean-Claude made to get up. ‘Stay for dinner. There’s plenty.’
‘No really, I shouldn’t interrupt your evening any …’
‘You’re not interrupting,’ Sarah told him. ‘You’re more than
welcome here, you know that.’
Jean-Claude looked uncertainly at Jake who, even through his continuing black humour, managed a smile. ‘Stay,’ he said. Then catching Louisa’s eye he added, ‘please. Stay.’
‘So what have you got cooking?’ Sarah said to Louisa, plunging into the awkwardness.
‘Nothing. It’s all cold and it’s more or less prepared so we can eat when you’re ready.’
‘I just need to run upstairs and change,’ Sarah said. ‘I’ve been in these shorts all day.’
‘OK,’ Louisa said, smiling inwardly at Sarah’s lift in spirits since she’d spoken to Jake. She’d managed, in a quick whisper, to let Louisa know that Morandi was likely to be released the following day, but the circumstances behind it she hadn’t yet been able to relate.
‘I’ll just go and finish off the last minute things.’ Louisa said. ‘Are you sure you don’t want anything to drink, Jake?’
‘No. I’ll just take wine with dinner,’ he answered, taking one of his own brand of cigarettes from his pocket. Then, as Louisa and Sarah disappeared inside, he clicked down his lighter and inhaling deeply, said to Jean-Claude, ‘Sorry, you must think me pretty rude, it’s just been a trying day one way or another.’
‘Please, don’t apologize,’ Jean-Claude said, ‘we all ’ave them from time to time.’
Jake was on the point of saying something else when Danny appeared wearing an extremely expensive and extremely revealing white lycra swimsuit. ‘Oh, Jake!’ she said feigning surprise. ‘What on earth are you doing here? And you, Jean-Claude, still here I see. Well, isn’t this cosy?’
‘The pool’s that way,’ Jake said, waving a hand vaguely in the direction of the pool.
‘Gosh, how observant you are,’ Danny remarked. ‘Incidentally, did Erik tell you, I’ve accepted his proposal?’
‘He told me,’ Jake sighed.
‘I’m so excited,’ she said to Jean-Claude, bunching her hands together over her chest. ‘I’ve never been married before. Oh, but you have, haven’t you, Jake, you must tell me what it’s like. Maybe you could give me a few hints …’
