Public Property (26 page)

‘Again?
Is this about Jonny?’

‘No. It isn’t about Jonny.’

‘
Go on
.’

‘
I got some hate mail in the post today. It
was a
letter
,
it
just said the word
“bitch”
, nothing else
.’

‘
What?!
Why didn’t you tell me this morning?
’

‘
I don’t know
.
I should have
,
but
we’d just made up and
…
’

‘
Freya
,
we need to talk to the police about this. Where is
this
note?
’

‘
It was in my handbag
. The one I left at the casino.’

‘R
ight, well let’s go home. I’m having Roger contact the security firm
.
T
omorrow morning I
’m afraid we’
re having a new alarm system fitted, locks put on all the windows, a new front door
, CCTV at the gate and
…’ he
began.

‘
Oh no
,
Nick, no
.
I don’t want our home turned into a fortress
.
P
lease
.’

‘
I
’m sorry
,
Freya
.
I’m not taking any chances anymore
.’

Having somehow heard about t
he car attack on the journalists’
grapevine
,
there were scores of photographers outside
their
home when they arrived back in
Mayleaf
.

‘
I
’
m going to get a bigger, higher gate put up and there wil
l be no more making tea for the photographers
either
.
Y
ou just don’t know who you can trust
.’ He drove the car through the front gate and pulled up outside their door.

Freya didn’t respond. She was still trying to take in the day’s events. It was all too much to think about and she was tired. She just wanted to curl up in her own bed and go to sleep.

‘
So
,
did the doctor give you the all clear?
’ Nicholas asked.

‘
Ye
a
h, I’ve had
episodes like this
before
.
I used to get them quite often when I lived with
h
im
.’ She opened the car door.

‘
And you haven’t told me that either.
Why are you keeping this stuff
to yourself
?
We’re a team.’ He followed her up the steps.

‘
I didn’t tell you because it’s embarrassing. You know the sort of person I am
.
I like to think I can take on the world and win
.
B
ut the truth is, when the going really gets tough I freak out. Remember when Emma nearly lost the baby? I spent an hour at the hospital waiting for news about her, blowing into a paper bag, trying to keep a grip on things. That same night, when I told you who my father was, it was all I could do to get the story out without
passing out
.’

‘
Come on, let’s get you inside and I’ll make some tea
.’ He opened the front door.

Willis came bounding down the hallway to greet them both and started to weave himself in and out of Freya’s legs as she
tried
to walk towards the kitchen.

‘
Hi
,
Willis
,’ she greeted.

Nicholas stopped in the doorway and turned around to face Freya
. She knew just by looking at him something wasn’t right.

‘
Hey, why don’t you go and put on one of those trashy dramas you like watching and I’ll make the tea
.’ He took her hand and started to lead her back up the hall.

‘
What’s the matter? Why don’t you want me going in the kitchen? I want to feed Willis
.’ She stood her ground.

‘I’ll feed him.
Y
ou need to rest
.’

‘
I need things to be normal again
.
T
hat’s what I need
.’ She brushed past Nicholas and entered the kitchen.

All around the room there were photographs. They covered all the worktops of the kitchen units
. S
ome were stuck to the walls and the appliances
and
even the windows
. They were photographs of her and Nicholas.
Except the
y
had been altered
.
Freya’s face had been cut out of each and every picture.

‘
Oh my God
, Nick!’
Freya exclaimed
. She put her hands to her face.

The bright light coming through the bedroom window woke Freya the follo
wing morning. Willis
jumped up from his position
at the bottom of
the bed and walked all over
her
body to get to her face and lick it. Freya reached for her glasses and put them on. The bedside clock told her it was
nine thirty.

Shocked by the
time,
she
pulled back the duvet and leapt out of bed
. She
grabb
ed
her robe and hurr
ied
out of the bedroom.

She ran down stairs and rushed into the kitchen, Willis struggling to keep up with her.

Nicholas was sat at
the breakfast bar
, reading through
his
script.

‘
Why didn’t you wake me? I’ve got an appointment this morning
.’ She pulled open a cupboard and got out the cat food.

‘
I thought you could do with the sleep
.
I
t was gone
two
when the police left
.’

‘
Well
,
that isn’t going to change my appointment time is it? I
’
m never going to make it to the office in
thirty
minutes
.
I’m not even dressed
.’ She dropped the tin-opener on the floor.

‘
Hey, come on
.
I’ll call
Sasha
. I’ll
tell her you’re not coming in today
.
S
he can see to the appointments
.’ He stood up and picked up the tin-opener.

‘
I
want
to go in today
.
I want to go in and pretend none of this is happening
.’ She started to open the can.

‘
Come on
,
Freya
.
S
it down, have some tea.
Willis is playing you
by the
way,
I’ve already fed him this morning
.
Come
, sit down
.’ He took her arm and guided her towards the breakfast bar.

‘
I just feel like I want to press rewind on the last couple of days and re
-
record
.’ She put her elbows on the table, resting her head in her hands.

‘
It hasn’t been the best
,
but we have the police involved now
.
Then
Roger
’
s coming over later to see to the new security arrangements
.’

‘
Nick
,
I don’t want to be locked in this house with infrared beams and cameras and a portcullis coming down at
the front door
.
T
hat isn
’
t living
.’

‘
Someone
’
s been in this house
,
Freya and I think they
’
ve been in this house before. I don’t think that crow hit the glass in the door
.
I think someone broke in. You saw the pictures, whoever it was destroyed every photo we ever had taken. What if defacing things
is
n
’
t enough for them? I
’
m not putting you at risk
.’

‘
Well you may as well shoot me now
,
because I
’m
not living like that
.’

‘
I know you
’
re mad at me because I told the police about your father
,
but it had to be done. If you really think this is down to him then they have to investigate it
.’

‘
Then things are going to
get much worse
. There
’
s one thing my father hates more than me and that
’
s the cops. Once they start sniffing around his offices
,
asking questions there will be
h
ell to pay
.’

‘
Hey, come on, have some tea
.
T
here’s still left over Chinese from yesterday’s left
over
Chinese
in the fridge. Do you want me to microwave it for you?
’

‘Have we got any honey?’

‘
I don’t think so
.
A
lthough I think there’s some peanut butter
i
f you
’
re thinking of a spread
.’

‘
Do we have
Jell-O
? Can I have toast with
Jell-O
?
’

‘
If I can find
Jell-O
it’s yours
.’

‘
If I don’t go into the office will you stay at home with me?
’

‘
Of course I will
.
M
aybe, to take our mind off things, we can start making the wedding arrangements
,’ he suggested.

‘
Ye
a
h, maybe
.’
She smiled but her heart wasn’t in it.

‘
Right, well, why don’t you go and get showered and I’ll make this
Jell-O
on toast thing you want
.’

‘
OK, I won’t be long
.’ She left the kitchen and headed up the hallway. She stopped in her tracks when she heard Nicholas pick up the phone.

‘
Hey
,
Sandra
it’s
Nick
.
L
isten
,
I want you to make an appointment for me
.
Y
e
a
h
,
I want you to telephone Lawson-Peck Industries and get me a meeting with Eric Lawson-Peck. Don’t take no for an answer
.
I
want it as soon as possible
.’

What the hell was he doing?

Roger and the security company arrived a little after
ten thirty
. They had four trucks and a team of fifteen people.
When they
’
d unloaded the vehicles and
started to get out all manner of locks
,
bolts and alarms it began to look like a locksmiths’ convention.
It was too much for
Freya
. She kept herself busy
making cups of tea.

‘
This is the plan I
’
ve come up with
.
I
f you want to have a look and see what you think
.
T
hen the guys can get started installing everything
,’ Roger said. He passed the plans over to Nicholas.