Closer to the Heart (The Heart Trilogy Book 3) (17 page)

“Zach” she whispered. He didn't respond “Zach, are you awake?”

“Love you Sasha” he murmured.

Charlotte realised he was asleep but as she tried to untangle his arm he just gripped her tighter. Closing her eyes she fell asleep, imagining that the arm around her belonged to Mitchell. When Zach woke up Charlotte was missing from the bed, he heard music from the kitchen but as he walked past the bathroom door Charlotte appeared looking very pale.

“Sorry, guess I'm not feeling well. I must be coming down with something as I've been sick a couple of times this week”

“Can I get you anything?”

“No I'll just get dressed and out of your hair” she said, edging past him and back to the bedroom.

Zach made coffee and poured some glasses of orange juice while he waited for Charlotte. She emerged with her bag in her hand, she looked so much younger with no make-up and her hair scraped back into a ponytail. She drank the orange but passed on the coffee.

“I'll go now” she said, feeling sick again.

“I'll walk back with you through the park, just give me five minutes to get dressed”

While he changed heheard her dash back into the bathroom and then the flush
.
He tapped the door.

“Are you sure you don't want to go back to bed, I've got to go down to the club for a bit”

“No I'll be better at home” she said, opening the door.

Zach walked her through the park and paused at the entrance of the driveway.

“Thanks Zach” she said, reaching up and running her hand over the stubble on his chin before she kissed his cheek.

“See you soon” he replied
,
the
n
he turned and walked away. She watched him enter the park before unlocking the door. Jester greeted her but the house was silent as James was on the early shift. Still feeling shaky Charlotte took the stairs to bed. Perhaps a sleep would calm her nerves and settle her stomach before she spoke to James.

Chapter 24

James was still pondering the file contents as he stepped in from work. Jester bounded to greet him as Charlotte popped her head round the kitchen door.

“I've made a lasagne, I think it will be ok” she pulled her fingers out from behind her back as they were crossed!

“Thanks Charlie, I'll just grab a shower and be down”

Back in the kitchen Charlie looked in the oven, after her long sleep she felt much better and starving. The oven chips were nearly ready and so was the salad. She was just about to take the lasagne out when her phone beeped.

“How are you?” Zach asked.

“Feeling better because I'm starving”

“Good, take care”

“Smells great” James said, appearing in the doorway. They sat down and the first ten minutes was silence. Charlie devoured hers and reached for another slice. James smiled.

“Hungry then”

“Starving”

“Good night out?”

“Sort of, I have something I need to tell you but I think you'r
e
going t
o
be mad at me”

James stopped eating and looked at Charlotte who stared nervously back. He put down his cutlery and waited.

“I was at a party at Felicity's house last night, I went to try and see if I could find any evidence of her having a hand in Mitchell's death”

“Why on earth would you go there, who did you go with?”

Charlotte watched the anger simmer beneath the blue of his eyes and silently quaked.

“Um.....Zach took me....but only as friends and I did it as a favour because he's going to let me rent his flat in London”

James gripped the edge of the table, he was furious that she had lied about her whereabouts and the company she was keeping. He remembered Zach from the radio station party and had pegged him as a womaniser then. He was also far too old for Charlotte and surely one party was not enough of a favour in comparison to a flat in London.

“I still love Mitchel
l
that's why I went....but I didn't really find much apart from does Felicity hav
e
a step son called Matthew Carmichael-Astaire?”

James was thrown completely by the last comment.

“Why?”

“Zach broke into her emails and found confirmation that they are flying to New York at the end of March but three seats had been booked, one for Felicity, one for Daniel and one for this Matthew”

James paused for a second digesting this information, he knew that Felicity's second husband had never wanted children hence her lack of contact with Darren and Mitchell. Mitchell, that had been his choice of name but Felicity he recollected had suggested Matthew?

“Charlotte, come with me” he said. She followed him into the office and he pulled up the file he had been looking at.

“Mitchell sent this file to a hacker friend of Simon's before he planned to leave and come home” his voice shook at the word home.

Charlotte stared at the screen filled with variou
s
rota
s
for hospital shifts.

“This was on it;I thin
k
it’
s
connected to your Dad”

“Fuck” Charlie said softly and then apologised. Closing the file James typed Matthew Carmichael-Astaire into th
e
googl
e
search bar and they both waited. Nothing came up.

“I think we need to tell Rob about all this” James said “Even though technically we are in the wrong for snooping and having these personal files”

Charlott
e
nodded
,
an icy dread filled her veins. Had Felicit
y
had a hand in her Dad's murder? The hatred rose in her throat leaving a vile taste there.

“I guess one of us could go to the airport and spy to see what this Matthew looks like” Charlie suggested.

“I don't suppose you remember the date and flight times from the email?”

“No, but I can ask Zach and see if he does?”

“Ok, but on a separate note please take care, I'm not your Dad but if you were my daughter I'd be saying the same thing”

Charlie hung her head to hide the tell-tale blush that slipped up her neck to her cheeks.

“I miss him so much” she mumbled. James nodded and sighed.

“I do too, in my mind he will always be my son”

Holding his arms open Charlie slipped into them and felt safe in his cocoon.

Pulling back from his embrace she wiped the tears from her eyes. Would they ever stop? Would she ever get over the love of her life?

“I'm going to finish my coursework, I've got my end of term exams next Thursday and then that's it, the big wide stag
e
awaits”

“Do it for Mitchell and for your Mum and me, we're all routing for you”

“I miss her, are we going to Skype tonight?”

“Yes, I'll give you a shout, but now I guess I have some explaining to do to my mate Rob”

“Good luck” Charlie said, backing out of the office and heading for her room.

Inside she changed into her favourite study clothes, Mitchell's oversized pyjamas and opened the laptop. She made quick work of the assignment and did an hour of revision. Then she had a quick look at he
r
Faceboo
k
page and found a friend request from Zach. She clicked accept and sent him a private message.

“I told James and he's going to speak to his mate on the force. You don't happen to remember the date and time of the flights?”

In a few minutes a reply came through.

“I don't but I've invited Daniel to the burlesque night a week Monday so I'll ask him. I don't want you to perform”

She was about to type why when James shouted up the stairs.

“Charlie, you
r
Mum's online if you want to chat”

“I'll be there in two minutes” she replied. She quickly sent a final message to Zach before she logged off.

“Got to go and speak to Mum. Back online later. WHY???”

She hurried downstairs and met James in the hallway.

“Want a hot chocolate” he asked.

“Yes please and thanks Dad...oh I mean James”

He paused and smiled at her.

“If you want to call me Dad, I would be honoured”

She beamed at him before she entered the office and shut the door.

During her half hour chat she noticed how tired her Mum looked. She didn't say much abou
t
Nanna, except that it was hard work but that Grandpa was looking much better. Charlie explainedabout the party with Zach and the offer of the flat. Her Mum had said the same as James and told her to be careful, before adding that she thought that under the business man exterior she felt he had a soft side to him. Charlie marvelled at her Mum's insight and saying goodbye later she felt so much happier. Back in her room she snuggled under the duvet and logged back int
o
Facebook.

There was a message waiting from Zach so she quickly opened it.

“Reply to this and I will call you”

Intrigued Charlie did just that and waited, sipping her hot chocolate and thinking about the brilliant smile that the word Dad had bought to James' pensive face. Her phone rang and startled her from her reverie.

“Hi Zach”

“Charlotte, I'm not here to argue with you but I don't want you to dance next Monday”

“Why? I kind of need to repay you for the rescue”

“No need, it was good to go into the city”

“But the dress, the meal, the lift”

“Look, I have my reasons. You can come along if you want but I'll be entertaining Dan for some of the time and I know your feelings for him”

She paused and took a deep breath.

“Look if we're going to be friends you can talk to me. I might be young but I've grown up quite a bit recently”

“Ok, fair point. How about I meet you for coffee when you finish college tomorrow?”

“Deal” she said “I'm buying”

“Well that will be a first for me”

Charlotte imagined him arching his eyebrows at her remark and his lips turning up at the corners.

“I've got to get some sleep now. Goodnight”

“Night Lottie” h
e
replied
,
his voice warm and smooth.

The next day Charlie woke with a smile, the sun outside bought the promise of warmer days to come. With her first exams finished and only a couple more to go on Thursday she really felt like her dream was getting closer. The only bleak point was her eighteenth birthday at the weekend. Every time she thought about it she remembered the leathers and helmet that now lay hidden at the bottom of the wardrobe
.
They held painful reminders of happy days clinging to Mitchell as they sped through the countryside or round the city streets.

Shelley had wanted to come to the cafe but Charlotte had persuaded her that it was better that she didn't. Walking in she saw Zach waiting at the table in the far corner, he cradled a mug and a tall glass of latte for her.

“I thought I told you I was buying” she said, placing her hands on her hips in defiance.

“Next time” he grinned “Stop procrastinating over who is buying and just sit down”

She smirked at his comment but graciously accepted the coffee.

Before she could utter another word Zach waded in.

“You're going to be a professional dancer in the next few months and despite my careful surveillance system in the club footage does leak out now and again. I can't ruin your big break with semi-naked images of you on the internet”

“Oh” was all she could reply and nodded in agreement. His hand lay on the table and she tentatively covered it with her own. He glanced up and caught her eye.

“So probably best if I don't come at all”

“Yes, but what are you doing on Sunday evening?”

“Nothing yet, probably just feeling older”

He cast a puzzled look at her.

“Older?”

“It's my birthday on Saturday. It won't feel the same without Mum being here”

She watched a brief flash of sadness cross his features before he brightened up again.

“That's settled then, I'm taking you out”

They finished thei
r
coffee
s
and Charlie stood up.

“More revision to do, thanks for the coffee”

“My pleasure” he smiled