Authors: Katie Fforde
‘Right,’ said Dominic, thinking aloud, ‘let’s put in the name Gerald Roberts and see if he’s connected with any big building firms.’
Working with Dominic like this was exciting and that, coupled with her little reason for optimism, meant she could put everything else that was on her mind to one side. ‘Would the Companies House website be useful, do you think?’
‘Not sure. Let’s just think of the obvious, big property developers first.’
Bella muttered a few names and then said, ‘Agate Homes. They’re not really in our area, but when I think about that house . . .’
Dominic typed in the name, scanned some returns, and then input further names. A few moments later he said, ‘OK.’
‘I think we’ve made a breakthrough!’ said Bella, peering at his laptop screen.
‘You made it. I’m just the typist,’ said Dominic. ‘But it seems that your friend Gerald—’
‘He’s not my friend! I’ve barely met him!’
‘—is just an intermediary. This is the man we’re after. Ed Unsworth. He’s big further north, but maybe he feels it’s time to extend his empire a bit.’
He brought up a picture of a smiling man accepting an award.
They both examined it. ‘So what do we think the award is for?’ said Bella. ‘Services to the Shoddy House Building industry?’
‘Unless we know they’re shoddy we shouldn’t slander him,’ said Dominic. ‘But is this captain of industry the man digging ditches with Nevil?’
They both peered at Alice’s computer for a few moments.
‘Well, it could be. He has more or less the same build and you couldn’t say for definite it’s not. He’s a better fit than Gerald Roberts,’ said Bella. ‘But if he’s the big cheese and Nevil and Gerald are lower down the pecking order, why is he doing grunt-work with Nevil? Wouldn’t he get a minion to do it?’
Dominic shrugged. ‘That’s a good point, but maybe he was just there? If he wanted Badger Cottage and wanted to knock back the price a bit, he and Nevil could have decided to damage a drain or something? It could have been an impulse thing.’
‘Certainly,’ said Bella. ‘If basically they want Badger Cottage for the site – which is likely because it backs on to open land – they’d want to pay as little as possible for it. If there were septic-tank issues they could get a tidy bit knocked off. Maybe Nevil took him to see the property under the cover of darkness. Obviously, they would have discussed the price and he felt it was too much. And Nevil said – just the sort of thing he would say – “We can fix that”.’
‘But we would have to prove it though. If we want to confront these guys, we need definite proof.’ He looked at Bella. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to take it further than just a warning? If they’re up to what we think they are, it’s very wrong.’
Bella rubbed her face, thinking hard. ‘No. I don’t want to see Nevil in court. He might be a double-dealing dirty businessman, but I think he genuinely loves me, in his way. I owe him the chance to get out of this with his reputation.’
Dominic narrowed his gaze. ‘You’re very generous.’
Bella shrugged and sipped her wine to avoid his penetrative gaze. ‘As I said, he does love me.’
‘But you don’t love him?’
‘No.’
This answer seemed to give Dominic some satisfaction. ‘You just want him to stop doing it?’
‘Absolutely!’
‘So we need to think of a way to make that happen.’
Bella exhaled. ‘Yes.’
Neither of them spoke for several moments, then Dominic said, ‘You will probably have to tell him you’re on to him, but don’t let him suspect you don’t know everything. Otherwise you’ll be warning him but you might not stop him.’
Bella bit her lip. ‘Is there any chance that we can find out the full story before I have to do this?’
Dominic nodded. ‘Not sure there’s anything much we can do now, but I’ve a few contacts I could ask.’
‘They will be discreet? I’d hate it if things got out of hand and Nevil got hauled off to prison.’
‘It might come to that in the end, Bella. If what he and his mates are doing is illegal – and it is looking very dodgy – you might have to face that.’
‘If I try my best to prevent it – explain to him that he has to stop or he will go to jail, then at least we’ve given him a chance.’ She got up. ‘I think I need more wine or some tea, or something. I feel a bit sick.’
‘Did you have supper?’ he said sternly.
Bella considered. ‘No, I didn’t, now I come to think of it.’
‘Then I’m going to make you something to eat. Come along.’
She got up to follow him. ‘I can get something! You won’t know where anything is!’
‘You can direct me.’
Bella stopped at the table while Dominic went on into the main part of the kitchen. ‘Why should you cook for me when I could do it myself?’
He turned round. ‘You spend a lot of your life looking after people. I think it’s time someone looked after you. Now sit down, but be prepared to guide me if I can’t find things.’
Bella sipped her wine and watched while he moved around Alice’s kitchen. He made her scrambled eggs on toast and Marmite.
‘This is delicious, and so kind of you,’ said Bella, only realising how hungry she’d been after she’d started eating.
‘It’s a pleasure. I like cooking for people. Aunt Jane is very good about letting me from time to time.’
Bella felt a rush of warmth towards him. She was used to wanting him, being in love with him, all that heady stuff, but this reminder of what a kind man he was felt different. She finished the last forkful and got up. ‘I think I should find you something delicious to eat now. It’s only fair.’
She picked up her plate and walked across to the dishwasher with it.
‘Shall I put the kettle on?’ said Dominic.
‘Good idea. I’ll just see if Alice has got some posh biscuits somewhere—’
Just as Bella had her hand on the cupboard door, Dominic stepped back from the kettle on to her bare foot.
‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry!’ he said.
Bella, who was trying not to make a fuss, bit her lip and hopped. Dominic came towards her. ‘Can I look?’
They collided. Dominic steadied Bella as she wobbled and then their eyes met. The next moment Bella found herself crushed in his arms, his mouth on hers, kissing her for all he was worth.
She didn’t hesitate, she allowed herself to be carried away by passion and pent-up yearning. Whatever he wanted from her would be fine by her. In spite of the fact every inch of her was pressed against him it wasn’t nearly enough. She wanted to be under his skin, to become part of him. When lack of breath meant they had to stop kissing, the world seemed to have swung on its axis and Bella couldn’t have said what day it was, she was so knocked off balance.
‘That was a bit of a surprise,’ she said, still breathless.
‘For me too,’ said Dominic. ‘Oh, I knew I wanted to do that, had done for ages, but I didn’t realise you’d – well, react quite like that.’
‘Didn’t you?’ Bella was delighted her feelings for him hadn’t been blindingly obvious. ‘I would never have dreamt you wanted to kiss me.’
He kissed her again. ‘Why not?’
‘Because I’m not remotely like Celine!’ she said.
‘No. That what makes you a million times more . . .’ He paused as if looking for the right words. ‘. . . more kissable.’
Bella refused to feel disappointed when he said ‘kissable’ and not something more. She was very happy to be standing in Alice’s kitchen, her feet bare, one toe rather bruised, with Dominic’s arms around her.
He buried his face in her hair. ‘I wish we could stay here forever,’ he murmured.
‘Here? You wouldn’t prefer somewhere more comfortable?’ This was the nearest Bella could get to suggesting they moved to the sofa. She didn’t want to risk her passion overtaking his.
‘I do, but I can’t. I have to go. I have a meeting tomorrow I must prepare for. Big long report to write.’
‘You shouldn’t have come over!’ Bella was immediately flooded with guilt. ‘You were helping me with my stuff when you should have been doing yours.’
Dominic nodded. ‘Sometimes my work ethic is just appalling.’ Then he kissed her goodnight.
Bella went back to the kitchen after she had seen him off and leant against the table, blissfully reliving their kisses.
When she finally got herself together enough to go to bed, she resolved she was going to finish with Nevil in the morning. She was fed up with living a lie.
BELLA MADE SURE
she was out of the house by just gone eight the following morning and so was waiting for Nevil when he arrived. She had hardly slept, and had mentally written so many scenarios of what she was going to say to him, all of which seemed wrong, she decided to just jump in and do it. Even if it was wrong.
She leapt to her feet and followed him into his office, ignoring the half-written property details and cup of coffee on her desk.
‘Nevil, we have to talk. There’s a problem.’
He took a maddeningly long time to put his briefcase on the desk, hang his jacket on the back of the door and finally turn to face her. ‘Sweetheart, I’m sorry, I know I’ve been neglecting you but it’s been for a good reason. I’m on the edge of a major breakthrough.’ He paused for effect. ‘I’m about to change our lives, Bells.’
Bella took a moment, and then said what was on her mind. There was no nice way to do it. ‘I want to break up with you, Nevil.’
He paused, sighed and then came round from behind his desk and gently pushed her into the chair before perching on the desk. He held her hands. ‘Darling, I’ve said I’m sorry but I’ve been doing it all for us—’
‘It’s nothing to do with you neglecting me! And anyway, you haven’t been really. We’ve never lived in each other’s pockets.’
‘Whatever the problem is, I can make it right.’
‘No! You can’t! I don’t love you any more.’ She knew really that she had never remotely loved him, but she didn’t want to be unkind.
‘Please don’t say that.’ Nevil seemed genuinely distressed.
Bella felt desperately guilty, although she wasn’t the one in the wrong. ‘I’m sorry! And it’s not only that . . .’ She paused, trying to think how to accuse him of being underhand – at best – with clients.
‘There’s another man, isn’t there? I knew it! Bella, how could you?’
‘This is nothing to do with anyone else!’ (And it wasn’t, really, so she felt confident saying it.) ‘This is to do with us not being suited and – something else.’
‘What?’
Bella took a breath and steeled herself. ‘I found out that you’ve been doing things that border on the illegal if not actually being illegal.’ Of course this wasn’t strictly true: she had suspicions, but she needed more concrete evidence. It was just a matter of time before she or Dominic found such evidence – enough to convict them.
She didn’t want to have to use the evidence; she wanted Nevil to admit it now and promise to stop. But if he didn’t stop, well, she
would
use it to get him charged. She’d have to, or she’d be as bad as him.
He frowned. ‘What have you found out, Bella?’ He was angrier now and less pathetic, much to Bella’s relief. But she had to be careful. She wanted him to admit it, not clam up and just shout. Then she’d have antagonised him for no good purpose.
‘It doesn’t matter how I found out—’
‘Have you been spying on me?’
‘No! How would I do that?’
‘You tell me!’
She sighed. ‘Nevil, I never set out to find out things about you, but I have and I am not happy. I no longer want to marry you.’
‘So you’re leaving me?’
‘Yes. I am.’ She wasn’t sure you could leave someone if you didn’t live with them, but she wasn’t going to get caught up on semantics.
‘Do you realise what an idiot it’ll make me look?’
She knew he had a large and delicate ego but she wasn’t expecting this. And she’d begun to feel sorry for him! ‘Nevil, I’ve just accused you of behaving dishonestly, which is one of the reasons I don’t want to marry you, and you’re worried about how it’ll make you look?’
‘I am the head of this firm. I prefer not to look like a jerk!’
‘Would you prefer to look like a criminal?’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about!’
‘I have seen you, on a film, digging holes outside Badger Cottage at eleven thirty at night!’
He seemed shocked but recovered quickly. ‘So? And that’s illegal, is it?’
‘It’s bloody odd!’
He took a breath. ‘Listen, Bella, I don’t know how you got that film but really, it’s nothing illegal, and I’m doing it for us!’
‘There isn’t an “us” any more, Nevil. Be quite clear about that.’ There was no point in trying to be tactful about this now.
‘There was then!’ He paused. ‘So, how did you get the film?’
‘I’m not telling you, Nevil.’
‘I know! It’s those fucking Agnews, isn’t it? It’s something to do with them! Don’t tell me they set up a CCTV camera on Badger Cottage to check out the area after dark?’
This wasn’t a million miles away from the truth, but Bella ignored it. ‘That really isn’t the point. And you weren’t alone!’
Nevil looked at Bella sharply. ‘So who was I with?’
If only they’d managed to find out for sure who it was! If she had a name to throw at him she’d be on much firmer ground. ‘It doesn’t matter who you were with!’ she said vehemently, wishing she believed it. ‘You were not alone in digging a ditch in the dark!’
Nevil’s expression hardened. ‘You have no idea what was going on, do you? We could have been burying a dead cat for all you know!’
Exactly what she’d thought he’d say. ‘As if! Do you fancy coming with me now, with a spade, to see if there’s a dead cat there?’
‘Oh, for God’s sake, don’t be so ridiculous.’
‘Which proves my point! You were up to something – definitely something very suspicious.’
‘You can’t prove that though, can you?’
‘Oh come on! You know that I know. I could dump you in all kinds of trouble!’
‘Could you?’ He put his head on one side. ‘And more to the point, would you?’
‘Yes I would. Unlike you, I have ethics. I think if people do bad things they should be named and shamed!’
‘You might have to be a little more specific though. You’d have to be able to say exactly what’ – he made the most irritating gesture in the world to indicate speech marks – ‘“bad things” I was doing.’