“Hello I am here to see Mr. Mellor.” His accent was thick and she had obvious difficulty understanding his French. He repeated himself slowly. She said something quickly and then waved a cloth and closed the door in his face. Moments later the door opened again and an elderly gentleman stood looking at him.
“Oui?”
“Mr. Mellor?”
“Mr Mellor on holiday with new femme.” He said in broken English.
“New femme?”
“Yes, marriage.”
“Oh. When back?” Nico pointed to the floor as he spoke. The old man opened his hands and gestured widely with his arms and shrugged his shoulders to say he didn’t know.
“Veronique? Here?” He pointed to the floor again.
“No.” He did the same, “I have no idea” gesture and shrugged his shoulders again.
“Address? London?”
“Oui, one moment.” He went inside and closed the door on Nico again who was sweating profusely in the hot French sun. The man returned a few moments later with a crumpled piece of paper, which he held out to Nico. He looked at the scribble on the page and thanked him before getting back in his hire car. Now he had to return to London.
Of all the numbers he had called from the crumpled up piece of paper the old man had given him, none of them had led him to Matt. Each person had given him another number to try and another number to call. Nico felt like he was going round in circles.
“Hello I wonder if you can help me. I am looking for Matt Mellor?”
“Yes? Would you like me to connect you?
“Oh no, that’s fine. What is your address? I need to come to your offices for a meeting.”
“543 Ledbetter Street, Sir. Shall I tell him you called?”
“No, It’s ok. I will be there shortly.”
Nico slammed the phone down and grabbed his jacket. Finally he had a lead. Looking at his watch, he estimated he could be there in twenty minutes.
Ledbetter Street was bustling with lunchtime shoppers, a few tourists and some sightseers. He sat in a café opposite the number of the building the girl had given him. It was a matter of only a few hours before Matt came out of the building. Matt raised his arm and hailed a taxi.
Nico threw some money on the table and did the same. A taxi stopped and he got in.
“Where to, Sir?”
“Follow that taxi!”
“Really?”
“Yes, hurry. We mustn’t lose it. Try not to be seen.”
“Oh, I have been waiting to hear that, all my life, Sir.” He stepped on the accelerator and they started weaving in and out of the traffic, a few cars behind the other taxi. “You an undercover policeman, on a case?”
“No.”
“A jealous husband?”
“No.”
“Oh.” The taxi driver stopped talking and carried on driving. The taxi in front eventually slowed and Matt got out. His own taxi pulled up a few doors down and the taxi driver turned to him for payment.
“Where are we?” Nico asked as he got out the taxi fare.
“Kensington, Mate.” Nico paid whilst still keeping an eye on Matt, and the taxi driver grinned as he saw how much he had been given as a tip. “My pleasure, Sir.” He doffed his cap at him. Nico turned and started walking a little behind Matt. He watched him enter a large building with tall columns and walked passed, then later came back and wrote down the address.
Nico had only met Matt the once, but he had seen him several times from a distance, the one time he had had the chance to meet him, he had disliked him immediately. He had seen how jealous and protective he was of Veronique. She was swanlike, graceful and blonde, whereas he was dark and brooding. He thought he was her boyfriend from the way he handled her possessively; his eyes never leaving her for more than a second and always ensuring she was under his control. Whilst the lust was evident in his eyes for her, he had seen only resignation in hers. In his company, she had changed from a confident happy woman to a submissive unhappy docile woman and the change was striking enough for even Nico to notice. Matt had taken her firmly by the elbow and steered her through the crowd of people. Nico had watched them from a distance and later he spoke to one of the crew, after they left the ship together.
“A relation?”
“Yeah her brother.”
“Oh.” Nico had felt momentary disbelief. The lust he had seen in his eyes was not the look a brother should have for his sister. Nico thought if he were her brother, then he would not be a rival for her affections. He seemed familiar to him, but couldn’t remember where he had seen him before, but he was convinced he had met him somewhere else.
Even then, Nico had felt he should be doing something for Veronique, but not knowing her circumstances, he was not in a position to act upon his feelings,. However, thinking about it all again now Nico realised he should have stepped in. She had obviously needed protection from someone, and as the man who loved her, he could have said something, done something. Even months later, his feelings for her had not changed. Even though he had not seen Veronique since she was on the ship, his feelings were as strong as ever. If they weren’t he wouldn’t have been playing detective in London looking for her.
He loved her for who she was, not who she had been. He was looking only to love her in the present and the future. He didn’t care about anything, but her. She was the only woman for him.
Nico waited for several hours outside, before he took the risk to go up to the door. Above the doorbell was the name Mr. & Mrs. Mellor. He was very surprised that Matt was really married. He turned away as it was getting late. He would return the next day to meet the wife; maybe she could help.
In his hotel room, he went over every thing he had ever said to Veronique, everything she had said to him. He re-examined every conversation about her in minute detail. When she had said she had been attacked, he knew this had been a lie. She had disappeared shortly afterwards. What would cause her to run away, and why would she hide it if it were her brother who had attacked her? Why would he attack his sister? Why had she called out that he should not come inside her, that he was her brother? The thought still made him uncomfortable. Whenever he had seen Veronique with her brother, she had not appeared to be happy at all. It had to be Matt who was in control, Matt who had driven her away. If her brother had attacked her, he could only assume it was a tempestuous relationship, but even so it didn’t make sense. All he knew was that when he had held her in his arms, and had been thrusting deep into her, she had called out for her brother. Maybe she had been having a terrible dream and her brother was just overly protective of her. He knew of some Greek men who would kill to protect their sister’s honour. He guessed Matt was one of these types; it wasn’t uncommon in Europe. The day that Nico had held Veronique, made love to her, he had thought it was the beginning for them. He needed her like he needed the air. In his hotel bed, he took the pillow and holding it close to him he turned over to sleep. His last thoughts before he slept were that he was holding Veronique in his arms and not the pillow.
The next day, Nico had been pacing up and down in the street, wondering whether to go and knock on the door. Matt had already left a few hours earlier. As he was thinking what to say, he saw a stunning woman come out of the house. She was unaware of her beauty which made her all the more attractive. She put her hand up to hail a taxi and he quickly ran across as she opened the door.
“Hello, please can we share this taxi? I have been trying for hours and I am in such a rush.”
“Oh yes I guess.” She seemed stunned.
“Where are you going?” he asked quickly.
“Victoria Station.”
“Excellent,” he said, “So am I.” He hopped in and sat by her.
“Where next?”
“Southampton.”
“Oh this is too strange! I am going there too. I am a captain and have a job interview for a ship.” Nico had been bluffing; as soon as she mentioned Southampton he knew ships went from there.
“Oh my, it seems our fate to share this taxi then.” Ellen smiled graciously.
“So let me introduce myself formally. I am Captain Nico Vangelis.” He held out his hand.
“Ellen Mellor.” They shook hands politely.
“I know this isn’t the British way of doing things, but I am not British so please make allowances.” She smiled. “Are you going far? You said you are going to Southampton?”
“Yes. I am visiting Hamble, very near to it.”
At the train station Ellen went to pay, but Nico insisted. Ellen thanked him, stepped out and went into the station. Nico started looking around frantically for her then realised he hadn’t a train ticket and hurried along to buy one from one of the machines. He got on one end of the train and started walking through the train carriages until he spotted Ellen seated by herself.
“Hello again, beautiful lady.” He smiled his best smile. “May I?” He gestured to the empty seat opposite her.
“Of course.” Ellen continued reading as Nico tried to think of how to get her talking again.
“You know the shipping industry is very small.”
“It is.” Ellen said and returned to reading her book.
“I have a friend, Veronique, that I am hoping to work with again. I think she may be here in the UK. Do you know of her?”
“Captain Vangelis, I only know a few people in the industry and even then he is a yacht chandler, a very different size of boat I believe to the larger cruise ships you may be used to.”
“Ah well, you never know. I had nothing to lose.” He was disappointed. Being Matt’s sister, he was sure she would have sat up when he mentioned her name, but there was no reaction, which confused him.
“Would you like to meet my friend, Dean Montalban Smythe? Maybe he knows of her. You never know, he may even need a captain for one of his yachts. It never hurts to network.”
“Oh, that would be most kind, but I do not wish to impose.”
“No imposition at all. After all, we are both going in the same direction. He is bound to know everyone down there.”
Nico smiled and sat back in his seat for the first time. He may as well enjoy the journey, as he had nothing else to do until he met her friend Dean.
Arriving in Southampton, they took another taxi together.
“High Street, Hamble please.” Ellen got in after him and seemed both happy and relaxed.
Ellen took total charge and delivered him right to Dean’s door. Dean looked delighted to see her and Nico watched as they embraced a little too close and a little too long for a ‘newly married to someone else’ woman. Maybe they were friendlier in the UK than he had thought. He had always heard that the British were very polite, formal and very frosty towards one another, whereas these two people were almost European in their friendliness.
“Dean, let me introduce you to a lovely captain I met in the taxi. He is looking for both a woman, and a job.”
Dean laughed openly.
“I can probably help with a job somehow via my contacts, but I am sorry you will have to find a woman yourself.”
“No, no” Nico interjected. “I know the woman I am looking for.” He explained his story, just a part of it, but Dean had never heard of a woman called Veronique, even when Nico described her and then took out the picture of her from his wallet.
“Hmm, there is something familiar about her, but I can’t put my finger on it. Sorry I don’t think I know her.”
They shook hands, Nico left his resume and exchanged contact details with Dean and then Nico left feeling totally dejected. Where could Veronique be? He walked down the street, and sat in a small café, and ordered a café latte. He was at a total loss as to what to do next. He watched the froth swirling on his coffee; it was swirling as much as his mind. He shook his head and rubbed his chin.
His sixth sense made him look up. In the distance, walking down the street and away from him was the most attractive woman with long dark hair. For a moment, he thought he saw Veronique and his heart leapt a few feet in the air, but it wasn’t her. Her hair was too dark, whereas Veronique was blonde and her clothes were totally different. She walked just like Veronique and carried herself just like her. His heart started beating faster and faster still. Without knowing why, he got up and started to follow her. He followed her as she walked straight towards Dean’s office. Just before she arrived, she turned around and checked the street. Nico quickly ducked into a doorway and watched her through a side window. She looked just like Veronique, but he couldn’t be sure. The mystery woman entered the office and closed the door behind her.
His heart was screaming that it was her, but his head said it couldn’t be. Events could not have brought him here out of the blue; he also knew there was no such thing as a coincidence. He was tempted to return to Dean’s office, but he couldn’t think of a valid reason.
Tomorrow he would go.
Chapter Thirteen – Ellen
After the friendly captain had left, Ellen hugged Dean again. It was such a pleasure to see him. Things felt so different now. The last time she had visited Dean she had been such an innocent, such a fool. Now she was no older, still a fool, but no longer innocent. She had been swept off her feet by the idea of the man, by the glamour. Matt’s life had seemed so exciting and romantic. Now, she knew different. Now, she knew that the man she had married was nothing like the image she had had in her head. It had changed from the moment he had put the ring on her finger; gone was even the pretence of him romancing her. The moment she had foolishly said “I do” he had switched off all charm. There was no romance on the honeymoon; that too, was a total farce. She had still had some residual feelings of love then; had felt the excitement of the impending wedding night. Their first time as a married couple; it would be wonderful. The union of two loves, two souls, two minds and two bodies, they would unite and become one. As it was, he had forced himself upon her, he was drunk out of his mind; he climaxed immediately, rolled over, and snored himself into a deep sleep.
During the days he had hardly spoken to her and at night he took her without feeling, without sentiment, without passion, and without love. Thankfully, it was over in seconds, but she felt used, empty and betrayed. This wasn’t the man who had courted her and romanced her. She felt a complete idiot that she had bought into his lies and his deception. She had believed them all, and now they were married, she knew she had made the biggest mistake of her life. She could not tell her family, and definitely, none of her friends. The only person she trusted was Dean and even then, she couldn’t tell him. She would have to pretend to the world that Mrs. Mellor was happily married. Amen.
As it was, Matt had no idea she had come down to Hamble to see Dean. He thought she would be having a lie in, and despite knowing that he had a raging temper, she had decided to risk it. She knew of his temper, because once on the honeymoon, she had said something, and he had hit her so hard that his hand had left an imprint on her face. She had shouted at him in outrage, and he hit her again and again, until she had been beaten into submission. When he had left, she had thrown herself on the bed and sobbed profusely. When he came back that evening, she went to say something to him, and before she could finish, he hit her, again and again, until he ended up ripping off her negligee, and taking her as he pinned her face down on the bed. She realised that every time she tried to speak, he hit her, and every time she cried out in pain, he thrust harder. Eventually she kept quiet, and in a few moments he stopped, sated.
Now with Dean, her memories fresh in her mind, both of her wedding, and her honeymoon, she spoke quietly.
“Dean, I have made such a mistake. I should never have married him.” Tears started to roll down her face, and he pulled out his handkerchief holding it out to her. He didn’t know what to do. He wanted to hold her tightly but he felt too that she needed to talk. All he could do was listen for the moment. She dabbed at her eyes, unaware of the mascara smudging around them.
“It’s only been a few weeks Ellen. You have a fe
w options open to you. You can try and get an annulment, you can start divorce proceedings, and leave him, or you can try and make the marriage work.”
“Oh no, it’s only been a few weeks, think of the scandal, the gossip. If I left him or started a divorce, my family would be horrified.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“I have to try and make it work, but I don’t know how. I will just have to pretend everything is ok. Nobody need know the truth, but I needed to talk to someone and I didn’t know who to trust, except you.” He went and sat beside her, and put his arm around her shoulders. “But, can I come here to escape if I need to?”
“Of course, my home has always been your home. You know this. That will never change.”
There was a terribly long silence between them, which Dean found unbearable.
“Would you like a coffee or a tea?” She nodded and he left to find his housekeeper.
“I can’t stay long,” she said when he returned. “Matt doesn’t know I am here.”
“Ok.”
“Dean, can I ask you a question?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“At the wedding, Matt seemed to know your friend.”
“Yes?”
“Yes, and she wanted to meet with me.”
“Hmm, she never said anything to me.”
“Do you have her number?”
“Well of course I do.”
“You do?”
“Yes she works with me.”
“Oh!” Ellen felt a sinking feeling followed by a deep stab of jealousy. Not only was she extremely attractive, but she also spent every day with him. He was bound to be having an affair with her; after all, he was single and good-looking too. She knew she was being irrational, but the thought of Dean kissing Priscilla infuriated her. Without thinking she leant forward and kissed Dean full on the mouth. She pulled him to her, her kiss, a kiss of passion, of jealousy, of possession, and one of desperation. All the emotions made it so bittersweet. She saw the surprise on his face. “I’m sorry. I should leave.”
To Murder Matt Page 17
