‘Your friend? The one who helped you so much?’
‘Yes. She can’t manage very well on her own.’ Jo tried to explain why Ghita’s cultural background made her very self-effacing and nervous.
‘So you’re going to look for somewhere together?’
‘Yes, though separate flats next to one another were ideal. I need her to look after Mikey while I’m at work and she needs me to help her cope with the world. It’s a great partnership. We’ll find somewhere soon, I’m sure.’
‘Actually, I might be able to help you find a flat. I have some contacts in the rental industry.’
Jo looked at her in puzzlement.
‘I’ll tell you about my business success next time. Shane thought it a stupid idea and predicted I’d fail, but I didn’t.’
As her mother drove them home, Jo felt as if the load on her shoulders had been lightened. So much for independence! She wished she hadn’t waited so long to get in touch. She couldn’t get the picture of her mother weeping over Mikey out of her mind, felt horribly guilty about causing her such pain.
It was heavenly to be driven home in comfort. ‘Turn left. Second house on the right.’ The place looked worse than ever, a huge old Victorian building that had been split into as many flats as could be crammed in, then neglected. ‘Not very nice, is it?’ Jo got out and paused by the driver’s side. ‘Next time you must come in and meet Ghita, but I’d better get her used to the idea first.’
‘Am I so frightening?’
‘Everything new is frightening to her. She tries to hide it, but I can always tell. It’s better to give her some warning. Thanks for today. We enjoyed our visit. I’ll – um, see you soon.’
‘I’ll look forward to it.’
Beth locked her car doors and sat watching till Jo had wheeled the sleeping child into the building, then drove slowly back home.
Mikey was such a lovely little boy. She couldn’t help feeling resentful that she’d missed three whole years of her grandson’s life.
Jo seemed a good mother, absolutely devoted. Who’d have thought that?
Beth’s smile faded. She’d tried hard to be a good mother, too – and had failed. She still didn’t really understand why Jo had done something as drastic as running away, and wasn’t going to risk talking about that.
Parenting had to be one of the most difficult jobs on earth.
Pete watched his wife get ready to go out with ‘the girls’ and could stand it no longer. ‘Tell Henri tonight that you’ll be getting a divorce soon and he’ll be able to marry you.’
‘What?’ Fran froze as what he’d said sank in, then plumped down on the bed. She opened her mouth as if to protest, caught Pete’s eye and closed her mouth again. After a moment, when he didn’t speak, she said, ‘Henri was just a fling. I don’t want to marry him. I want to stay married to you.’
‘To my money, you mean. Well, sorry. That tap has been turned off. You’d better not try to use your credit cards from now on. They’ve been closed permanently.’
‘Pete, don’t! We’ll discuss it, get counselling.’
‘I don’t want any bloody counselling. I want to be free of you, you disloyal bitch.’
There was a long, pregnant silence, then Fran stood up.
‘I’d better change.’ She put her handbag down and began to take off her clothes. When she was naked, she came across to him and tried to put her arms round his neck. But he stepped back, feeling disgusted that she was trying to use sex like this. He’d loved her once, but now he had a hard time remembering why.
‘Don’t!’
‘But Pete, you know how well we go together.’
‘Sex isn’t love, Fran.’
‘You don’t know how to love!’
‘Then it’s a good thing our marriage is over. Put some clothes on, then we can talk.’
Sulkily, she slipped on a lacy dressing gown.
He led the way into the living room and steered clear of the big sofa on which they’d often made love. ‘Right. Here’s what I’ve worked out with my lawyer. If you move out, I’ll pay for a flat and deal generously with you. If you try to stay here, I’ll fight you for every single penny.’
She pulled her dressing gown more tightly around her. ‘You have been busy.’
‘So have you.’ He watched her lips press tightly together and her hands clench into fists.
‘I’ll have to hire myself a lawyer before I agree to anything. Perhaps
you
had better move out for the time being. The man usually does.’
‘I had this flat before we met. I like it. My lawyer says to stay put. After all, you’ve made sure there are no children involved, haven’t you?’
She shrugged and turned away.
‘I’ll move my things into the guest suite, temporarily. I want you out within the week.’
He slept badly, tossing and turning, worrying about that damned DNA test, how much money Fran would rip him off for, how a divorce would affect his image.
Early on Monday morning, after a fraught day with Fran, during which they’d hardly said a word to one another, Pete went round to Edward’s flat, desperate to talk about it all.
His cousin looked as if he hadn’t slept well either, and greeted him with, ‘What the hell are you doing here at this hour?’
‘I told Fran last night that I was divorcing her. The flat isn’t the most comfortable place at the moment.’
‘What if she locks you out?’
‘Then I really will break down the door.’ Pete shrugged and went into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. ‘It’s about time you got yourself a proper coffee machine.’
‘Why should I? I drink tea in the mornings and water the rest of the day.’
‘You don’t know what you’re missing.’ It was an old joke between them but he hadn’t the heart for it this morning. ‘Have you got the results yet?’
‘No. I’m going to collect them later.’
‘I’ll come with you.’
‘Beth’s meeting me there. I thought you didn’t want anything more to do with her.’
‘I don’t. But I’m still coming.’
It was preying on his mind. He needed to know. Suddenly he understood the people on his show a bit better. They too needed to know.
Three hours later, as they were getting ready to leave, Pete asked suddenly, ‘Do you think she really is my sister?’
‘
She
is certain she is, and I consider it a strong possibility. There can’t be two scars like that. And by the way, that photo hasn’t been doctored.’
‘I can’t believe Mum would be involved in something like that.’
‘I did some research into Beth’s story. Her little brother vanished just as she said, and the scar on the arm was mentioned in all the media reports. There were other photos of it. I’ve checked them out.’
‘What the hell are we going to do about her?’
Edward picked up his car keys. ‘Nothing for the moment. We need the facts first, then we need to sit down calmly and discuss our strategy.’
There was no answer and he turned to see Pete staring out of the window, making no attempt to move.
‘Pete? Are you coming?’
‘What? Oh, yeah.’
When they parked near the laboratory, Pete blew out his breath in a whoosh of tension. ‘You go in and get the results. I don’t want to be seen there.’
‘I’m waiting for Beth. And the results will be in an envelope. No one will know what we’re collecting.’
‘They might think it’s a paternity suit. There’s always someone who recognizes me these days.’
‘And you love it.’
‘Not today, I don’t. Today I feel – strange. Who am I, if she’s right?’
‘The same person you were yesterday.’
Pete shook his head. ‘I don’t think so.’
Edward had never seen his cousin so subdued. ‘Ah, here’s Beth now.’ He went to greet her. ‘Pete’s staying in the car. He’s a bit upset. He and his wife decided to divorce yesterday.’
‘That hurts.’
They produced some identification and collected the small package. Back at the car Edward gestured to his cousin to roll the window down. ‘We should open this together. Shall we go back to my place?’
‘I suppose so.’ Pete made no attempt to greet Beth and although Edward saw her open her mouth to say hello, she shut it tightly again when Pete didn’t even look at her.
He gave her directions to follow them, got into the car and thrust the envelope into his cousin’s hands. ‘Here. Hold this.’
Pete took it gingerly, as if it was an unexploded bomb. Which in one sense it was.
At the flats, they waited for Beth to join them, then went up in silence.
‘Nice location,’ Beth said.
‘It’s convenient. I’d rather have a house and garden, though.’
Pete frowned at him. ‘You never said.’
‘You never asked. Anyone want a cup of tea?’
‘Let’s just get it damned well over!’ Pete snapped.
‘All right. Do you want to open it?’
He stared at the packet lying on the table. ‘No. You do that.’
Edward looked questioningly at Beth and when she nodded, he opened it, skipping the preliminary explanations to find the information they both needed.
As the seconds ticked past, Pete asked, ‘Well?’
‘You’re definitely related, with a high probability that you’re brother and sister.’
His cousin leaned forward. ‘Probability?’
‘Didn’t you read the information I gave you?’
‘I had other things on my mind last night.’
‘They can exclude you definitely from being related, but they can’t give a hundred per cent guarantee on a relationship, just offer probabilities. Yours are very high. Given the scar, this is proof you’re related.’ He held out the papers. ‘Do you want to see them, Beth?’
She shook her head. ‘I never had any doubts.’
There was silence, then Pete looked at Beth. ‘How much will you take to forget about this? Fifty thousand pounds tempt you?’
She gave him a very level look. ‘There’s no amount of money that will buy my silence on this, because my –
our
mother needs to know you’re alive, so that she can come fully alive again herself.’
‘Oh, spare me the sob story. If that wasn’t enough money, how much
do
you want? I mean, you’re a cleaner, for heaven’s sake. You must want a more comfortable life, mortgage paid, that sort of thing.’
She stood up. ‘I don’t want anything from you. Actually, I’m finding it hard to accept that I’m related to someone so horribly mercenary. If it’s any comfort, I won’t tell anyone apart from my mother because I’m not proud of being related to you. You’ll have to ask Mum what she wants to do yourself.’ Her tone became even more scornful. ‘But it’s a hundred per cent
probable
that you won’t be able to bribe her, either.’ She moved towards the door.
Edward went across to her, searching for words to excuse his cousin’s rudeness, and finding none. ‘I’m sorry for this. I’ll be in touch.’
‘Don’t bother. A relationship couldn’t possibly work out with a lowly
cleaner
.’
He watched her walk to the lift and wait there, foot tapping, back turned towards him.
He lingered for a moment even after the lift door had closed on her stony expression. He knew who had come out better from this encounter and it wasn’t Pete. Reluctantly he went back inside.
‘Has she gone?’
‘Yes.’
‘We need to have her followed, Edward. I’ll call that detective. She must have some weak spot we can use to—’
‘Beth’s only weak spot is caring about her mother. And I’ll not be part of having her followed or harassed.’
‘It’s your job to look after
my
interests, not hers.’
‘Then I quit.’ Edward went to get his car keys. ‘Lock the door behind you when you leave. I need some fresh air.’
He was out before Pete had recovered from his surprise.
Ten
Beth walked back across town, going by the side streets because she didn’t want to meet anyone she knew till she’d calmed down. At the office she held up one hand as Sandy opened her mouth. ‘Give me five minutes and I’ll be all right. If anyone calls during that time, I’m not here, not for anyone.’
She closed the door of her office and leaned against it, letting out her breath in a long, shuddering sigh.
That man
was her brother, the boy whose disappearance had ruined her mother’s life? It was hard to believe.
He wasn’t worth all the heartbreak!
If she told her mother he was alive, Linda would be desperate to see him, but how would he treat her? Only . . . could Beth keep quiet about this discovery? No, it wouldn’t be fair. Her mother had the right to know.
Besides, Pete might send someone to bribe her to keep quiet, and that would be a dreadful way for Linda to find out her son was still alive.
It was going to be hard to sort this out tactfully. No, not hard, impossible. But there must be some way to minimize the damage.
When Beth’s thoughts had stopped churning round in circles and she felt more herself, she followed her usual practice of giving herself an hour, during which time she’d try not to think about the pressing problem but would concentrate on something else. For some reason, a solution often came to her when she went back to review the main problem.
She took her little notebook out of her handbag and the first entry said:
Find Jo a flat
. Good. That would keep her busy.
She went out to Sandy. ‘OK. I’ve joined the human race again. Any messages while I was out?’
‘Several, but nothing urgent. Are you all right?’
‘I had a bit of a shock today. It threw me for a while.’
‘Jo again?’
‘No. Something else entirely.’
‘Anything I can do to help?’
Beth smiled at her friend. ‘Not at the moment, but if there is, I won’t hesitate to ask. Now, can you get Mal Bateman on the phone, please? I think he’ll be the best person to help me find a flat for my daughter.’
‘Jo came to see you, then?’
‘Yes. And brought my grandson.’