The girl was exquisite. Her perfect skin glowed and Donna knew it was not thanks to foundation.
‘Certainly, Mr Cox.’
Donna closed her eyes. To add insult to injury the girl had a very attractive French accent.
‘Pretty girl.’
Alan nodded in agreement. ‘Very pretty. Only twenty, but she’s as clever as Einstein. Should do well.’
Donna sipped at her mineral water again. ‘Do you know why Georgio owes Lewis money?’
Alan shrugged, not committing himself. ‘I’ve heard a few rumours, of course. Nothing concrete.’
The girl came back with the wine and Donna caught a subtle hint of Coco perfume: Charlotte expertly opened the wine and poured it into the glasses. She placed a menu before each of them and, smiling once more, walked away.
Alan sipped the Mouton Cadet and licked his lips.
‘So what’s the score with Lewis and your old man?’ he asked.
‘Georgio went into business with him in Sri Lanka and Thailand. They were to build hotels and jump on the tourist bandwagon, Georgio after all was a builder, as you know. It was to be legal, all legal, he explained it to me.
‘Well, the rub is, Alan, the man out on site tucked him up. It turned out that he had no permission for the sites, no government agreement, nothing. Georgio lost a small fortune, and unfortunately so did Lewis. That’s why Georgio got involved with the robbery. He had been stripping the other businesses for capital and nearly ruined himself, Alan. Well, you know the rest.’
He didn’t speak for a while but allowed the information to sink in, wondering how much was true and how much was Georgio’s idea of a good story.
‘What do you know about Sri Lanka and Thailand? Have you any documentation, anything that can corroborate this story?’
Donna shook her head. ‘Nothing much, just a few letters and brochures. I received a fax the other day saying they were in trouble. Then last night after the police left, Stephen turned up and I find out that he is off to Sri Lanka. That seemed very suspicious to me. I don’t trust him.’
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She gulped at her wine as if it would give her some kind of help, and finished: ‘If Stephen is involved I would bet my last halfpenny that something illegal is going down. The fax also had another message on it. It said “stopped shipping until further notice”.’
Alan grabbed her hand. ‘Cheer up, girl, we’ll find out the score, especially once Georgio’s home. I admit that Stephen can be a pain in the arse, but for all that he’s shrewd. Maybe Georgio wants him to sort it all out, especially if Lewis is on his back. I must admit if you were my wife, I wouldn’t want Lewis coming after you, whereas I wouldn’t worry too much about Stephen. You concentrate on the jump. It’s not long now and then we’ll all know what the score is.’
The waitress came back again and asked them if they were ready to order.
‘Give us two house specials and have Julio set a table in my office. Open another bottle of wine and then leave us in peace, love, OK?’
The girl’s face was a picture and Donna felt a moment’s pity for her. Alan picked up the wine glasses and the bottle and Donna followed him up the stairs to his office.
He sat her on the small sofa and she watched as he directed Julfc where to put the table. When he finally sat beside her she wail smiling.
‘You’re a real busybody, Alan Cox - has anyone ever told you that before?’
He chuckled. ‘My wife used to say that. I’ve always been an organiser. It’s in my nature.’
‘Would you ever marry again, Alan?’
He was surprised by the question and she saw it.
He shook his head negatively. ‘Not on your nelly, girl. I’d never get tied to anyone again. Would you?’
Donna frowned. ‘Would I what?’
‘Ever get married again?’
Donna sat back on the chair, amazed that she even had to think about the.question.
‘But I’m not divorced, am I? I’m still married!’ Alan stared into his glass as if it had become the most interesting thing in the world.
‘Of course, I’d forgotten that!’
They laughed easily together, both aware that she had got out of answering the question.
‘What do you think is going on in Sri Lanka?’ Alan asked her.
Donna shrugged. ‘I really don’t know. I was a bit sceptical about Thailand, I must admit. Especially now with Stephen being involved. I wouldn’t put it past him to have a brothel out there to be honest.
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them But not Georgio, I know he was involved in Talkto but that was only on a sponsorship level. He is a sleeping partner.’
Alan grinned, displaying his large white teeth.
‘You mean, you’re a sleeping partner. Remember, that’s all yours now. Even the hotels are in your name if I know Georgio.’
Donna stared at him from under her eyelids.
‘They are. In fact, I’m quite a rich woman on paper.’
‘Should I make a play for you then, before all the toyboys arrive?’
He looked at the door as if expecting them to rush through it and Donna grinned.
Toyboys? Do I look that old?’
Alan placed a hand gently on her cheek.
‘You look lovely, Donna, you always do to me.’
He stood up abruptly and refilled their glasses. Both were aware that he had stepped over the boundary line. Neither was sure how to react now that he had. Alan returned to his seat and lit himself a cigar.
‘So Stephen’s off to Sri Lanka then? I wonder what they were shipping? Stephen’s into so much it’d be hard even to guess what he’s doing out there, wouldn’t it?’
Donna nodded. ‘If it’s Stephen, it’s bound to be something disgusting. It always is with him. In fact, I was thinking of going out there myself. I own the properties along with Lewis so I have a right to see what’s going on. But Georgio wants me to leave it until he’s on the outside, so that’s what I’d better do.’
Alan nodded vigorously. ‘That’s what I’d do - leave it all. Let Georgio clear up any mess that’s left. It’s about time he pulled his bleedin’ weight!’ They laughed together.
‘This wine’s gone to my head, Alan. I haven’t eaten anything today.’
She lay back against the sofa once more and closed her eyes. Her face in repose was so achingly lovely in the lamplight that Alan felt a constriction in his chest. Leaning across her, he brushed her lips with his. Donna’s eyes flew open and as she looked into his deep blue gaze she opened her mouth to accept another kiss. A real kiss, a deeply sensuous one.
Losing herself in the sensation of being touched by a man who wasn’t her husband, she allowed him to begin caressing her, feeling the fullness of her body rise up to greet his. She felt his hand pushing between her legs and opened them involuntarily, wanting the touch of him. As his fingers explored her thighs there was a knock at the door.
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Donna pushed him off her as if he was a rapist and jumped up from the sofa, knocking over her glass of wine. She straightened her clothes and tried to control the trembling inside her body, in her hands. Not trusting herself to speak, she walked into his bathroom and shut the door quietly behind her. Leaning against it, she placed her forehead on the cold painted wood and took deep breaths. She could hear Alan directing the waiter about the food. Splashing cold water on to her face, she stared at herself in the small mirror. Her eyes were bright, her skin pleasantly flushed. Her lipstick was gone, kissed away by Alan Cox.
She knew that if the waiter had not knocked she would have been unable to refuse Alan. She had been too long without a man, too long without the company of her husband. The drink and the circumstances had proved too much for her and she swallowed deeply as she realised just what she had been willing to do. And God Himself knew, she had been willing! In her mind’s eye she played out the scene, allowing it to reach a conclusion, and no matter how much she tried to deny it, she still wanted it to happen.
She realised she had wanted Alan for a long time. The shock to her was the fact that he felt the same way about her. He wasn’t a man who would take her lightly Not Georgio’s wife.
For him to want her, it had to run deeper than that and even as the thought thrilled her, she was frightened because she felt out of her depth. Never a woman to encourage men, she wondered how she had encouraged Alan Cox. She must have done, because he wouldn’t touch his friend’s wife without thinking he had the right. Her permission and Georgio nearly home! She took a few deep breaths to steady herself.
Opening the door, she walked back into the room. Alan was sitting at the table eating a steak as if nothing had happened.
‘All right, girl? Come and eat your meal. You’re right, the wine went to both our heads, I think.’
Donna picked up her bag and walked to the door.
‘I’m sorry, Alan, but I think it’s best if I go now. Let’s forget about tonight, it was just a moment’s madness brought on by too much wine.’ She kept her voice light.
Alan cut another piece of steak and shrugged. ‘Whatever you say, love. You’re in charge.’
Donna walked from the room, her heart heavy in her chest because more than anything, she wanted to stay there. Stay and re-enact the scenario that had played in her mind minutes before.
She knew one thing. She had to get away now, and she had to keep away.
She had enough problems as it was.
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them
Donna and Dolly sat together drinking hot chocolate and eating toast and Marmite.
‘We haven’t done this for ages, Donna, have we?’ She shook her head and munched on her toast. ‘Why have you taken the house off the market, love? I phoned the estate agent because that other couple was supposed to be here today and they told me about it.’
Donna wiped her mouth with a napkin and said, ‘I’ve decided not to sell, that’s all. Georgio’s not too happy about it, he wanted it all sold, the lot.’ She looked around her at the furniture, carefully picked over the years, and tended with love and care.
‘You’re doing the right thing, love,’ Dolly told her sincerely. ‘Donna I need to ask you something and I want a truthful answer.’ Donna looked at her quizzically. ‘What, Dolly?’
‘I know that Georgio is getting out.’ She held up her hand to stop Donna either denying or confirming what she said. ‘What I want to know is, do you stand by everything he’s done?’ Donna took a deep breath. ‘It would seem that way, wouldn’t it?’ Dolly looked into the face she loved so much it distressed her at times because the owner of that face was a grown woman with a streak of naivety it pained her to see.
Donna put down her piece of toast and looked back at Dolly properly. The two women stared into each other’s eyes for long moments before Donna answered.
‘Let’s just say I accept what he’s done, Dolly. I can’t say I agree with any of it. Why are you asking me all this?’
Dolly looked away, concentrating on the table as if it held the answer to the world’s problems, then she began to speak.
‘A while ago I found some things that I guessed could have caused serious trouble, Donna. It was just after Georgio was arrested. I put them away, I don’t know why. I just knew they could cause bother and I didn’t want that. Not for me, you, or Georgio. Especially not for Georgio. You know how I’ve always loved him like my own son? I love the both of you.
‘But something has been puzzling me, and I think I had better tell you everything now. I know how much we have grown apart and I take the blame for it. You see, Donna, I trusted Paddy with all this. He was working for Georgio, you see? Can you understand! I thought it was all for the best…’ Donna looked at the woman’s bent grey head. ‘Dolly,’ she said gently, but perplexed and anxious now, ‘I don’t
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know what you’re talking about love. Tell me what this is all about.’
Dolly stood up and went to her large leather-look handbag that had caused many jocular comments from Georgio over the years. It was a shabby affair with worn plastic handles and Dolly took it everywhere with her. She often joked that her whole life was in that bag, from her birth certificate to her Post Office savings books. Opening it, she took out two magazines. Walking back to Donna, she placed them on the table before her.
One cover showed a girl of about twelve. Her face had the bland complacency that is the mistaken stereotype of Oriental womanhood. A man stood .behind her, his hand clasping a barely formed breast. The girl’s face was covered in thick make-up, making her look like a parody of a woman; her vagina, in perfect pink and olive colours, was devoid of pubic hair.
Donna looked down at the picture and felt the revulsion inside herself. Dolly placed the other magazine on top of it and Donna shook her head in bewilderment.
This one showed a small boy, Asian-looking, with large liquid black eyes staring into the camera. His fear was evident, as was his thin naked body. Two men were beside him, two large-bellied men whose faces were obscured by the camera. From the angle of the photograph it was quite clear what they intended to do to him.
‘Where the hell did these come from?’ Donna’s voice was a whisper, because without being told she knew the answer.
‘Both these mags were in the garage. There were stacks of them in boxes, along with two boxes of computer discs. Paddy picked the boxes up but not before I had slipped out one of each magazine. I don’t know why I did it, but I did. Oh, let me explain. Paddy rang me and told me to go into the garage and place the boxes outside for him. He told me I wasn’t to let on to you - well, we all knew that. Georgio always kept everything from you so that wasn’t unusual. It was only that the boxes weren’t sealed, you see. That’s what made me look inside. I wish to hell I’d never been near or by them.
‘Anyway,’ Dolly went on, ‘I put them out of my mind, convinced myself that it was something to do with Paddy and nothing to do with Georgio. I couldn’t bring myself to believe that he could be a party to this …’she waved her hands at the magazines … ‘this filth. If you look inside those magazines it would turn your stomach. Little children, Donna, they’re all little children …’ Her voice cracked and Donna grabbed at her arm.
‘But what has this to do with Georgio?’ she asked frantically. ‘Why are you showing them to me now?’