The Hornbeam Tree (52 page)

‘So that’s it, there’s nothing more we can do now, except wait,’ Laurie declared, as she stood aside for Michelle to go into the flat ahead of her.

‘And pray,’ Michelle added, as she shrugged off her coat and hooked it up in the small lobby where Laurie hung hers.

They’d just returned from Canary Wharf and the newspaper offices where Laurie used to work, before she’d become a producer. It was the safest place, she’d felt, to use a computer, for once inside the thirty-five-storey tower block and soaring away in a crowded lift, it would be extremely difficult for anyone following to know which floor they’d got off at, never mind which computer they’d used. So now Elliot and Tom had been warned that the Special Operations Executive was aware of how much they knew, and that Nick wouldn’t be
delivering
a full list of editors until Monday or Tuesday.

‘They’re not going to be pleased,’ Michelle commented, slumping down on the sofa. ‘In fact, I wouldn’t want to be in Nick’s shoes when one of them comes to tackle him. What was he thinking?’

‘I don’t know,’ Laurie replied. ‘He said it was nothing to do with me, but I’m not sure I believe him. He was really angry last Sunday. He might have seen this as a way of getting back at Elliot.’

‘If they’re tracked down before Tuesday, he’ll have managed to get back at Tom too,’ Michelle remarked acidly.

Laurie shot her a look and sank down on the sofa.

Softening her tone a little, Michelle said, ‘How do you feel about him now?’

‘Absolutely furious,’ Laurie answered, ‘but awful for how much I’ve hurt him.’ She smiled wryly. ‘If only it were possible to have them both.’

‘That sounds as though you’re still not sure about Elliot.’

Laurie sighed heavily. ‘There are moments when I’m so far from being sure I almost have to wonder what I’m doing here,’ she said, wrapping her arms round a cushion.

Michelle’s eyes twinkled. ‘Could it possibly be because you love him, in spite of it all?’

‘Yes, I think that would be it,’ Laurie conceded. ‘But I hate the person all this is turning me into – insecure, jealous, suspicious … And now, would you believe, the arch-bitch has apparently decided to set up residence in London, so she’s going to be right here, in
my
city, on
my
territory. Ugh, it makes my skin crawl just to think of her being so close.
Let’s
change the subject. I don’t want that woman in my life, and I certainly don’t want her in my head. So shall I make some tea? Or would you prefer something stronger?’

Michelle sighed and kicked off her shoes. ‘I’d love the second, but should probably stick with the first,’ She answered, stifling a yawn. ‘Oh God, this is making me so tired, but at least I’m not throwing up, so be thankful for small mercies. Any messages from Katie?’

Seeing a blinking light on the machine, Laurie pressed the button and carried on making the tea as they replayed. Nothing from Katie, but there was one from Chris, asking her to call him at his London gallery as soon as she got this message.

‘Is that the Chris who helped Tom?’ Michelle asked. ‘The pilot?’

Laurie nodded and picked up the phone. ‘I thought he was still in Cornwall,’ she said, dialling his number. ‘I wonder when he came back. Hi, it’s Laurie,’ she said when he answered. ‘Everything OK?’

‘Everything’s fine,’ he confirmed lightly. ‘Rachel and I were wondering if you’d like to come round for a bite to eat this evening. Michelle too, if she’s still with you.’

Surprised that he knew Michelle was there, she said, ‘Sure, we’d love to.’

‘Good. Bring a few things and stay the night. You won’t have to worry about driving back then.’

Understanding there was probably more to it, Laurie merely said, ‘OK. We’ll be there around seven thirty?’

‘Seven thirty it is.’

As she put down the phone Laurie related the conversation to Michelle, adding, ‘My guess is, he’s heard something and doesn’t want us to be here alone.’

‘Well, we are sitting targets,’ Michelle remarked, ‘and speaking as someone who’s had experience of being leaned on heavily, I wouldn’t care to repeat it.’

‘Having been there myself, I couldn’t agree more. So what do you say we abandon this tea and turn up at Chris and Rachel’s early? I’m sure they won’t mind, and as I’ve just announced seven thirty to the listening world, it could lessen the risk of us being waylaid somewhere en route.’

Michelle was reaching for the phone. ‘Give me a moment to check on Katie, and I’ll be right with you,’ she said. ‘Can I give her Chris’s number? Or no, she has my mobile, she can use that if she needs to get hold of us … Hi, Katie. It’s … I’m talking to a machine,’ she said, and waited for the bleep. ‘Hi, it’s me. Hope you’re OK. Call when you can, let me know how everything’s going. My mobile’s on. Love you,’ and after waiting a few more seconds just in case Katie picked up, she rang off. ‘I hope she’s all right,’ she murmured, as she put the phone back on its base. ‘She’s seemed quite distant the last few times we’ve spoken.’

‘That’s how we want it while all this comes to a head,’ Laurie reminded her. ‘She needs to be way out of the firing line now, because there’s a very good chance it’s starting to turn nasty, and God knows she’s got enough on her plate without having to worry about the friendly Feds turning up to ransack her house again. Or worse, to take her
hostage
as a means of forcing Tom to come out from where he is.’

Michelle smiled. ‘Anyone who takes my sister hostage would be stupid indeed. A single mother, dying of cancer? They’d get hit so hard they’d regret any brain activity at all, never mind the idiocy that made snatching Katie Kiernan seem like a good idea. No, I’m not worried about them taking her hostage, because they really aren’t that stupid, I’m more concerned about how low she’s seemed since Sunday.’

Chapter Twenty-Two

IT WAS A
little after six on Saturday evening, almost dark outside, and starting to turn cold as Katie slid a scrumptious-looking lasagne into the oven, then set about clearing up the mess she’d made preparing it. It was a while since she’d gone to so much trouble over a meal, which wasn’t doing much for her already beleaguered conscience since it reminded her of how neglectful she’d been of Molly these past months. Not that Molly had complained about the food she was served, but Katie wondered if she secretly missed the way they used to cook together on Saturday evenings, light candles, rent a video and snuggle up with a box of chocolates to laugh, or scream, or have a good sob at the latest film. There was a chance she’d outgrown it anyway, and felt relieved to be released from her mother’s weekend rituals, but just in case, Katie had decided to resurrect this one in an attempt to recapture their closeness and show Molly that things didn’t have to change yet. In fact, she’d started the ball rolling that morning, when
she’d
suggested they make one of their shopping trips into Bath, but Molly had immediately protested.

‘I want to go shopping with my friends,’ she’d cried. ‘I’ll feel stupid going with you, and anyway, you always make me buy things you like instead of what I like, and I’m fed up with it. I’m grown-up now, I can choose my own clothes.’

‘All right, all right,’ Katie had responded patiently. ‘I just thought it would be nice to do something together, but I can see your point, so I’ll give you the money and you can buy whatever you like.’

Molly had eyed her suspiciously.

‘Go on, take the money before I change my mind,’ Katie had insisted.

So off she’d rushed, presumably with Allison and those other two girls she was far too thick with, and had come back an hour ago with several bags, scarlet cheeks and an attitude that was every bit as wary as the one she’d gone out with. One wrong word from Katie and it was clear she’d go off like a rocket, so quite how Katie was going to get the subject round to what they needed to discuss, she was still struggling to work out. However, the lasagne – Molly’s favourite – together with scented candles around the sitting room, a crackling log fire in the hearth and a couple of romantic comedies might make her a little less inclined to shoot off through the door the instant Katie attempted to talk.

Feeling nervous enough to shoot off herself at the moment, Katie took a quick slug of hornbeam then picked up the phone as it started to ring.

‘Hi, it’s me,’ Judy told her. ‘Just calling to let you know we’ll be at the pub later, if you want to join us.’

‘Thanks, but if all goes to plan, I imagine we’ll be staying at home tonight.’

‘Of course. I just wanted you to know where we were, should you need us for anything.’

‘Bless you,’ Katie responded. ‘I’ll keep you posted on how it goes, but hopefully not before tomorrow.’

As she rang off she was thinking of Michelle, and the similar conversation she’d had with her an hour ago, when Michelle had offered to jump on a train and come straight back if Katie needed her. Honestly, the way everyone seemed to be building this up into such a big deal, she was starting to wonder if she actually had a handle on its importance herself. But no, it was simply that they cared, for which she was deeply moved and grateful – and before she started riding the waves of self-pity towards her sad little beach, she decided to take her spiritual counsellor’s advice and have a brief commune with her higher self to try and get in the mood.

Ommm …

Upstairs in her bedroom Molly was in a frenzy of indecision over what to wear to the party. She still hadn’t told her mum she was going yet, or that she would be out all night, but this was like, the biggest, most important night of her life, so no way was anyone going to stop her. She just needed to choose the right top to go with the flared black mini she’d bought today, but then her mobile rang with a text and seeing who it was she started
jumping
up and down in joy and relief. It was from Brad! He’d got in touch last night, and now here he was again.

Hi Babe, C u

tonite. Lkng fwd

2 it. Wear smthng

spesh. Lv Bx

‘He wants me to wear something special,’ she cried down the phone to Allison. ‘So which top? The red or the gold?’

‘Bring both,’ Allison told her, ‘you can make up your mind when you get here. Or you can change halfway through. But definitely wear the black and white check shoes with the red bow and slingbacks, because they’re like, sooo wicked. I wish I’d bought a pair too. Cecily nicked hers, did she tell you?’

Molly’s heart gave a thud. ‘No,’ she answered, feeling queasy as she realized they could all have been arrested. ‘Is she there yet?’

‘No. Her and Donna are coming about eight. When will you be here?’

‘I’m leaving in a minute. Oh God, I feel really nervous. What if he decides he doesn’t like me?’

‘No way. And I’ve got loads of Breezers here, so you can be like, really chilled out by the time the party starts, and Donna says she’s bringing some weed.’

‘Will any other girls be there?’ Molly asked.

‘Duh! It’s a party!’

‘How many are you expecting?’

‘About forty, I think. My mother’s already gone to spend a weekend in London with her husband
who’s
supposed to be my father, but you’d never guess. They won’t be back till tomorrow night, so we’ve got the entire place to ourselves. Toby’s bagsed their bed for him and Cecily, but there’s a guest room you and Brad can use which is like, OK, it just has two single beds instead of one big one, but that won’t matter … Anyway, listen, got to go. Just get here as soon as you can.’

As she rang off, Molly’s nerves were churning up so badly that the smell coming from downstairs was making her want to hurl. Obviously her mum was cooking something, and she only hoped she wasn’t expecting her to eat it, because just no way.

Her heart did a sudden lurch again as she thought about Brad and what they were supposed to do tonight. It made her hands all shaky, and her stomach like really blah.

‘Shit!’ she muttered, stuffing all her make-up back in a silver zip-top purse. She’d take it to Allison’s and do it there. Perhaps once she’d had a couple of drinks she’d calm down a bit, because God knew, after the week she’d just had she needed to. What with the police taking away her computer, and Brad not calling, then that horrible business with Michelle that had
so
gone wrong it was turning her all hot and cold even now. Oh yeah, and there was the fact that Michelle was supposed to be marrying Tom, which had seriously pissed her off, because it had to be like, really upsetting for her mum, when she had no-one, and she didn’t want her mum to be upset and on her own. Then Tom had disappeared, and –
thank God
– so had Michelle, but then her mum had started putting on the pressure for them to talk, which
made
her feel all panicky and weird, because like, didn’t she have enough going on, without having to be lectured and preached to about something she wouldn’t bother listening to anyway.

Still, none of it mattered now Brad had called. That was all that was important. She was going to see him tonight, and it would be like, bliss, and even though she still wasn’t sure about going all the way, once she’d had some drinks and a few puffs of weed, she’d be like, really out there and up for it, just like the DOLs said. So, emptying out her school bag, she threw in her make-up, some clean undies, her trainers and jeans for tomorrow, and the gold halter-neck top – she’d keep the red one on for the moment, but make the final decision later. Now all she had to do was get past her mum. First though, she’d better put her check shoes in the bag and wear the trainers, because it was a bit of a walk to Allison’s, and she didn’t want to get her others muddy.

Katie was in the sitting room when Molly got downstairs, lighting candles and humming away. A stab of conscience immediately pierced Molly’s chest, because this was what they always used to do on Saturdays, cook and light candles and watch videos, so maybe her mum thought they were going to do it tonight. Well, she was sorry, but she couldn’t. And it wasn’t her fault, was it, if her mum had gone to a lot of trouble. She hadn’t said anything, so how was Molly supposed to know what she was planning? If she had, she’d have been able to tell her she was going out. God, it got right on her nerves, the way she was always made to feel as though everything was her fault, when it wasn’t!