Dangerous Promises (30 page)

‘Jesus,’ she murmured, her face growing pale and tight. ‘So what are we going to do now?’

Wayne thought about all the hours he’d spent down in the cellar getting the place just right. All that work for what? Well, he sure as hell wasn’t going to let it go to waste. And then there was the ransom money he’d been expecting to get. He deserved that fuckin’ money, every penny of it and more. ‘What do you think? No one puts a bullet in my leg and gets away with it. No one!’

39

Sadie was holding her breath as she got off the train at Haverlea, convinced that the police would be waiting there. Nervously, she glanced along the length of the platform. She had spent the entire journey in a heightened state of anxiety, terrified that at any moment she would look up to find an officer standing over her, his eyes cold and accusing, handcuffs at the ready. Even the ticket collector had made her jump, the sight of his uniform causing her heart to miss a beat.

Although Nathan Stone had insisted that Gissing would say nothing, she still couldn’t bring herself to believe it. People didn’t think rationally when they were in pain. They lashed out. They let their mouths run away with them. Already he could have made a statement, pointing the finger directly at her. What then? She gave a shiver, thinking of what the future might hold.

Slowly she walked towards the exit. Others hurried past, eager to get home after a day’s work in the city. As she approached the barrier, her gaze raked the area beyond. Were the police there? Perhaps, because of the gun, they wouldn’t try and approach while other people were around. She passed over her ticket with a shaking hand and went through the gate.

Sadie’s pulse was racing as she crossed the forecourt. Her lips were dry, her stomach churning. But by the time she reached the street she realised that nothing bad was going to happen. And then it occurred to her: if they were going to pick her up, they were more likely to do it at the flat. What if they were waiting for her there? She was tempted to turn around, to jump on another train and keep on going until she was miles away.

Sadie stopped on the corner, shifting the cheap holdall she’d bought at Euston from one hand to the other. It wasn’t physically heavy – all it had in it was a magazine and a new toothbrush – but it seemed to contain the weight of all her secrets. She had known it would look odd if she returned home without any luggage. Joel would ask questions and she would need to tell more lies. Well, she would need to tell lies anyway, but some were easier than others.

There was a bus stop close by and a taxi rank in front of the station. She instantly dismissed both modes of transport. And she didn’t want to call Joel either. Even though she’d been on the train for hours, she needed more time to think. She decided to walk back to the flat. If the police were there, these could be her last twenty minutes of freedom.

It was that time of day, just before dusk, when everything was starting to merge into greyness. The briny smell of the sea floated on the air and she breathed it in, filling her lungs. Even though a drizzly rain was falling, she walked slowly, savouring the sights and sounds. She paused at shop windows, gazing at the displays. She stared up at the darkening sky. She looked at the faces of the people passing by.

It was only when she moved from the bustle of town to the quieter surroundings of the back streets that the events of the morning began to press down on her again: the coffin in the church, the priest intoning, Sharon Gissing taking her arm, Wayne Gissing’s hand clamping down on her shoulder, Nathan Stone dragging her along the path towards the car.

Sadie half closed her eyes, wishing she could wipe out the past few weeks and start again. She felt like she had become a different person, shedding a skin to reveal a woman she barely recognised. So much had changed. One small lie had turned into a bigger one, that bigger one into an enormous one, until she had reached the point where her entire existence was governed by deceit.

And now she had shot a man.
 

She drew in a breath. How was that possible? What had happened to the happy, contented Sadie Wise who’d found love with a man who would never let her down? It was only now, faced with losing everything, that she realised how truly blessed she’d been. If only she had shown more patience and not been in so much of a hurry to sever the ties to Eddie. If only she hadn’t gone to London. If only she’d never set eyes on Nathan Stone.

As she turned the corner into Buckingham Road, Sadie felt her chest tighten. She stuck to the side that was darkest, skulking in the shadows like a fugitive. Peering through the gloom, she searched for unfamiliar cars, for policemen waiting to pounce. As she carefully advanced, she heard Nathan Stone’s voice whispering in her ear.
I’ll sort it out.
She wanted to believe him, but in her heart she knew it was an impossible task. The knot was too big, too tangled, to ever be unravelled.

By the time she reached the house, her nerves were stretched to their limit. The lights on the ground floor were on and she could see Joel at work through the slatted blinds. She stood looking in, feeling suddenly as if she was staring at a stranger. She was reminded of those times she’d walked by other people’s houses in winter, observing rooms where the curtains were still open, catching a snapshot of someone else’s life and wondering what it was like.

Sadie stayed there for a while, watching Joel move around inside. At any second she expected to hear the sound of a car door slamming, of footsteps pounding along the pavement, but everything remained quiet. She waited until her heart rate had slowed before pushing the gate open and walking up the drive. She unlocked the door, stepped into the hall and put down the holdall.

‘It’s only me,’ she called out. ‘I’m back.’

Joel came striding out of the workroom, his mouth widening into a smile as he hurried over to take her in his arms. ‘You’re all wet,’ he said, holding her close and speaking into the crown of her head. ‘Why didn’t you call? I’d have come and picked you up.’

Sadie leaned into his chest, breathing in his scent, taking the opportunity to feel safe again – even if wasn’t going to last for ever. ‘It’s not far. I just fancied a walk.’

‘Are you okay? Was it awful?’

She screwed up her eyes and sighed.
Awful
. The word barely began to describe the horror of the morning. ‘It was… well, I’ve had better days.’

‘It’s over now,’ he murmured.

Sadie wished that was true. She wished she had the strength, the courage, to look him in the eyes and tell him the goddamn truth. He would be shocked, confused, upset. He would probably feel betrayed, but it was better that the truth came from her than from someone else. She lifted her head, intending to speak, but the words lodged in her throat. Once she spoke out, everything would change. The thought of it was unbearable.

‘I missed you,’ he said.

‘I’ve only been gone for a day.’

‘It felt like longer.’

Sadie stood on her toes, reached up and kissed him on the mouth. ‘I know.’ Yes, she would tell him, she decided, she would tell him every vile and dreadful detail, but not right now. Just for a while she wanted her old life back. She wanted to push away all the fear and bury all the horror. She wanted to pretend that everything was fine.

‘Come on, let’s get you upstairs,’ he said. ‘You look worn out.’

They separated and as Joel reached down for the holdall, he noticed that it wasn’t the same bag she’d left with. ‘This is new,’ he said. ‘What happened to the other one?’

‘The zip broke,’ Sadie said, quickly intercepting him and picking up the bag herself. She didn’t want him to feel how light it was. ‘I had to chuck it.’ She frowned even as she was speaking. Lie number one. She’d only been home for five minutes and already she was making up stories.

‘I’ll take it,’ he said, holding out his hand.

‘No, I can manage. It isn’t heavy.’ She started up the stairs before he could insist, climbing at a brisk pace while she tried to change the subject. ‘So what’s been happening? Any news since I’ve been away?’

‘Your London friend called.’

Sadie felt her heart sink. ‘Mona?’

‘Who?’

Sadie flinched. The name had been out of her mouth before she’d had time to think about it. Of course he didn’t know her as Mona. It was a good thing she had her back to him or he’d be able to see the red flush burning her face. She rapidly tried to cover up her mistake. ‘She’s an old friend, just someone I bumped into at the funeral. I haven’t seen her for years. She said she might call and…’

‘No, I meant Anne.’

‘Oh, right. Anne. What did she want?’

‘Just a chat, I think. I told her you were away, that you’d give her a ring when you got back.’

‘Yeah, I’ll do that. Did she… did she say anything else?’

‘To be honest, she sounded like she’d had a drink or two. She kept rambling on about the fairground, about how you’d promised to take her there. And then there was some weird stuff about her father. It didn’t make much sense.’

Sadie sucked in a breath and glanced over her shoulder. ‘What kind of stuff?’

‘I didn’t really get the gist. She kept insisting that she had to speak to you, that it was urgent and that you were the only one who understood. I take it she and her dad don’t get on.’

‘I’ve no idea,’ Sadie said, flustered. She swung round the banister on the first floor, her hand gripping the polished wood, and headed up towards the flat. ‘It was probably just the drink talking.’

‘Oh, yes, and she said I was to tell you that before Christmas would be better than after. I’m not sure what she meant but she kept repeating it over and over, insisting that I pass the message on.’

Sadie reached the second floor, walked along the landing, turned the handle, pushed open the door and went inside. Her heart had started up its hammering again. ‘I-I think she means a visit. She was talking about coming to Haverlea for a few days.’ How many lies was that now? And all she was doing was digging a bigger and bigger hole for herself. She cleared her throat, aware that her voice sounded hoarse and odd. ‘Did anyone else ring?’

‘No. Were you expecting someone?’

Sadie was wondering if the police had called to find out when she’d be back. ‘Not really. I just… I thought Mum might have been in touch.’

‘You didn’t tell her you were going to the funeral?’

‘No. Well, she never liked Eddie. She wouldn’t understand.’ Sadie gave him a thin smile. ‘And she certainly wouldn’t have approved.’ She took off her gloves and hung up her coat on a peg in the hall.

‘What happened to your hand?’ Joel asked.

Sadie glanced at the plaster that was covering the knife wound. ‘It’s nothing, a scratch. I just caught it on something.’ And then before he could ask any more awkward questions she took the holdall through to the bedroom. She dumped it in the bottom of the wardrobe, took a moment to steady her breathing and then went into the living room. Trying to act normal. As if everything was as it should be. ‘Anyway, what have you been doing with yourself? Did you go out last night?’

‘I was finishing off that cabinet for the Finlays.’

‘You work too hard,’ she said.

Joel inclined his head to one side and gazed at her. ‘You’re the one who looks exhausted. Sit down and I’ll put the kettle on. Are you hungry? I’ve made a stew so all we need to do is heat it up.’

‘You’re an angel,’ she said, even though she wasn’t hungry. She had a sour, sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. He went through to the kitchen and she watched him moving around, fixing his image in her mind as if she might never see him again.

It was another two hours before the front doorbell rang.

40

Sadie visibly jumped as the sound cut through the living room. Her hand gave a jolt and some red wine spilt out from the glass she was holding. A few drops fell on to the carpet, tiny spots of scarlet as bright and distinctive as blood. ‘Damn,’ she murmured. She put down the glass and looked at Joel, who was already standing up and heading for the door.

‘Who can that be?’ he said, glancing at his watch.

Leave it!
she wanted to shout.
Don’t go down there. Don’t let them in.
Because she knew who it was, who it had to be. And she also knew that it was too late now to tell Joel the truth about anything. She had meant to talk to him, to try and explain, but as usual she had bottled it. Her last chance and it was gone for ever.

As Joel disappeared, she jumped up, dashed over to the window, pulled back the curtain and gazed down on the street. Her knees were shaking, her whole body trembling. The panda car was parked by the curb and two officers were standing on the path. Inspector Frayne stared up at the lighted window and, although he must have been able to see her quite clearly, he gave no indication of having done so. Instead, he lowered his head and said something to his companion.

Sadie retreated, letting the curtain fall back into place. She didn’t sit down but stood and waited, bracing herself for what was to come. So this was it. Finally, it had all caught up with her. They would take her down to the station and charge her with… with what? Attempted murder perhaps. Or would she be able to persuade them that she’d shot Wayne Gissing in self-defence? Either way, they’d put her behind bars.

Sadie waited, her heart in her mouth, as the three men climbed the stairs and entered the flat. She heard the click as the door closed. Aware that her hands had clenched into two tight fists, she quickly uncurled them. But what was the point of pretending that she wasn’t afraid? It must be written all over her face.

Inspector Gerald Frayne was the first to enter the living room. He gave her a genial nod. ‘Sorry to disturb you like this,’ he said. ‘I hope it’s not too inconvenient.’

‘That’s okay,’ Sadie said, giving a nervous laugh. ‘Is everything… How can we help? Sorry, would you like to sit down?’

Frayne sat in the armchair. The other officer, the constable whose name she couldn’t remember, pulled out a chair from beside the dining table and immediately got out his notebook.