A Place of Hope (30 page)

‘As if a trivial matter like that would stop you,’ George said. ‘You weren’t yourself, Auntie dear, and—’

‘Don’t you call me that!’ she yelled. ‘You’re a cheat and a liar, George, and I wish I wasn’t your aunt. I never have been your
dear
aunt and I don’t want to be.’

There was a sudden hammering on the front door and someone opened it, yelling, ‘Emily? Emily Mattison? Are you there?’

Emily’s face brightened. ‘It’s Leon.’ She raised her voice to yell, ‘I’m in here, Leon.’

A man came into the room, a man with an aura of power that was unmistakable. ‘Are you all right, Emily?’

‘Yes, thanks to my friends and sister. How did you know I was in trouble?’

‘A young man rang us up. Someone called Toby.’

‘Are you mad at me?’ Toby came into the room, hesitating by the door, looking ready to run away.

‘I’m pleased! You did the right thing,’ Emily told him. ‘You were very clever.’

He gave her one of his beaming smiles.

‘Well done, Toby,’ Chad said, and Oliver echoed that.

He continued to smile broadly.

The slightest compliment made him so happy, Emily thought. He was willing to help and work hard. How could anyone ill treat a young man like him?

Chad was looking uncertainly from her to her former partner, as if wondering whether there was still something between them. ‘I think we should all sit down quietly with a cup of tea and we’ll explain to Leon what’s been going on.’

George beckoned to his wife. ‘If I’m no longer wanted or trusted, there’s no need for us to stay.’

Leon smiled, a tiger’s expression. ‘There’s every need if you’ve been harassing Emily. Sit down, Mr Pilby, or we’ll assist you into a chair.’

‘You’ve no right to order me around and I’m definitely leaving.’

Leon sighed and nodded to a man standing by the entrance to the flat. ‘Show him our credentials, James, then make sure he stays.’

The man pulled an ID card out of his pocket and showed it to George who gaped, then moved back into the room.

‘I used to work for that unit,
nephew dear
.’ Emily turned to Toby. ‘Will you please put the kettle on and make us some tea? Are there enough beakers?’

‘Use the best beakers too?’

‘Yes, please.’

‘
He
isn’t having a good one.’ Toby gestured to George.

The mood in the room suddenly lightened at the sheer outrage on George’s face at being spoken to like that.

When everyone was seated, Emily explained the situation to the newcomers, with the help of Chad. Some of it was clearly unknown to the Barton & Halling people.

Leon nodded and sat thinking for a moment. ‘It seems to me the sticking point for clearing this up completely is the validity of the signature. I think Chad’s right. There hasn’t been time to have it checked.’ He gave Chad a nod of approval. ‘I know Timothy Parker quite well. I’ll just give him a call and ask him. If he hasn’t done it already, he’ll check the signature for me straight away. We work together sometimes.’

He went out into the front bar and made a call. When he came back, he was smiling. ‘They’ve not got round to that job. Your CEO is lying, Ms Ryling.’

‘Then I’ll advise him to back away from the case.’

‘Best if we have it checked before you go and confront him, just to be a hundred per cent sure.’ Leon looked at Emily. ‘All right if everyone waits here? I doubt it’ll be long before Timothy calls me back.’

‘Fine by me, but it might be better if we go out into the front bar, where everyone can sit down. Rachel, do we have any biscuits to offer our guests?’

‘I think so. I’ll see to that and help Toby with the drinks.’

It was only half an hour before Timothy Parker called Leon back. Everyone fell silent, listening shamelessly, and this time Leon didn’t attempt to keep the call private.

When he ended it, he looked across at Emily. ‘Now that they’ve checked the signature, they’re certain it isn’t yours. Whoever signed it wasn’t an expert forger in the tiny details that give people away.’ He looked at George. ‘I’d like a sample of your handwriting, sir. They may be able to find some points of comparison.’

‘I refuse.’

‘You can’t refuse. We have the authority to search your home or business premises, if necessary, and find samples of your handwriting. If they do match, you’ll be in serious trouble for forging a signature.’

Liz suddenly sobbed.

Emily closed her eyes for a moment, then sighed and whispered to Chad, ‘I can’t do this to her.’

‘You’ll let George get away with it?’

She shrugged. ‘I don’t really have the choice. For Liz’s sake.’ She turned to Leon. ‘I don’t want to prosecute him. For my sister’s sake.’

‘You should do.’ He grinned suddenly. ‘But you always were soft-hearted, which was why we never transferred you to Operations.’

‘I never wanted to do that sort of work. I enjoyed the research side of things. You and I are very different, though we make good friends.’

He looked at Chad. ‘You two seem very together. Am I right?’

‘We’re engaged.’

‘Thought there was something. I wish you well, but I’m warning you, Chadderley, if you treat her badly or let her down, you’ll have me to answer to.’

‘I won’t.’

Emily turned to her nephew. ‘If Leon doesn’t need anything else, you’d better leave now, George.’

‘You should be very grateful to your aunt,’ Liz put in.

‘Grateful! I think she’s being stupid. I was only trying to look after her money, after all.’

‘And you’ll no doubt continue to maintain that, whatever people say,’ Emily said. ‘Well, I’ll look after my own money, thank you very much. And none of it will come to you when I die. I’ll make sure of that tomorrow.’

He glared at her then turned away.

‘Oh, and George . . .’

‘Yes?’

‘Don’t come here again, or to my other house.’

He shrugged and turned to his mother. ‘Do you need anything? We’d better leave at once, before my aunt changes her mind yet again.’

‘You can stay here, Liz,’ Emily said. ‘Stay till you decide what you want to do. I’ll get you back home when you want.’

‘Thank you. I will stay.’

Marcia didn’t say anything. She turned and followed George out.

Liz didn’t fall about sobbing, as Emily had expected. She turned to Oliver and asked quietly, ‘Since you’re a lawyer, could you please act for me to get my money back and cancel the power of attorney my son holds?’

‘It’ll be my pleasure.’

‘Thank you.’ She stood up. ‘I’d like to lie down for a while now, Emily, if you don’t mind.’

Rachel stood up too. ‘I’ll find you a bedroom and settle you in, shall I, Liz? I think your sister still has some other business to sort out.’

Ms Ryling stood up, clearing her throat to get everyone’s attention. ‘I’ll inform the Board of what’s happened, but you can take it that the contract is now null and void. I’m sorry for any inconvenience caused, Ms Mattison. If you’re out of pocket in any way, we’ll pay your expenses, naturally.’

When they’d gone, Emily turned to Leon and held out her hand. ‘Thank you.’

He clasped it in his. ‘I did promise to guard your back if you ever needed help.’

She smiled wryly and let go of his hand. ‘And I promised not to need it. But I did, after all. Thank you for ignoring that rash vow. It’d have taken a lot longer to settle all this without your help.’

‘My pleasure. I have some other news. Chadderley, you need to get back to London and stop that ex-wife of yours from milking your business. How much of your memory have you got back now?’

‘A fair amount since Marina came to visit me here. What exactly is she doing to the business?’

‘What isn’t she doing? Some of her deals have come to our attention from other informants. Certain antiques are not allowed to leave the country, as you know. She
will
be prosecuted about that, so I hope you’re not as soft-hearted as Emily.’

Emily looked from one man to the other. ‘You may know what you’re talking about, but I don’t.’

‘Chadderley here runs a rather exclusive antiques business in London. Or he did till he disappeared suddenly.’

‘I was beaten up and left for dead.’

‘Yes. We know who did that and we’ll be making sure they leave the country and never return. You’ve made a few enemies with your refusal to act outside the law, you know. Some people, both at home and abroad, will do anything to get hold of items they consider special. Unfortunately we can’t prosecute the people concerned without causing a diplomatic incident.’

‘So you’re not exactly short of money, Chad?’ Emily asked.

‘No.’

‘And you have a life in London.’

‘I had a life there. I don’t think I want to return to the pressure of it. It was my father who set up the business, who gloried in wheeling and dealing. He died last year. I’ve been . . . considering my options. Marina has expertise in certain areas and my father insisted she should stay in the business when our marriage broke up and—’

Leon interrupted, ‘In the meantime you need to put a stop to what your wife has been doing – ASAP. After that, let my unit smooth things over. I could give you a lift to London. In fact, I’d urge you to come with me. The sooner this is sorted, the better.’

‘Unfortunately, you’re right. I’ll go and get my things.’

Emily listened to this exchange open-mouthed. ‘You’re just going off and leaving me?’

Chad shook his head. ‘Only temporarily, darling. I’ll be back as soon as I can. But this matter could be rather urgent and I don’t want my company to be prosecuted.’

‘Marina will have to be removed completely from your company,’ Leon warned him.

‘Don’t worry. She will be.’

They had left within ten minutes. Chad’s final words, after kissing her, were, ‘Trust me, Emily.’

She nodded, then stood by the window and watched them leave.

‘I’m sure you can trust him,’ Oliver said reassuringly.

‘Yes, I know I can.’ But she still felt upset that Chad had left so quickly.

Surely he would come back? Yes, of course he would. What was she thinking? He loved her and he was free to marry her. She had to hold on to that.

The weather became gloomy as the afternoon turned into evening and this didn’t cheer Emily up. She paced to and fro, unable to settle to anything.

She was expecting Chad to call her when he got to London, but the phone didn’t ring. Surely he had a mobile phone in his home, wherever that was?

She didn’t even know where he was, let alone his phone number.

By eleven o’clock, Liz, Rachel and Oliver had gone to bed. Emily stayed up, waiting for a call. But it didn’t come.

The journey to London seemed to take a long time. Chad was lost in his thoughts for most of it, as memories continued to click back into place. He rubbed his head, which was aching, wishing he’d remembered his address and phone number in time to give them to Emily. He’d had to rely on Leon taking him home.

Chad was not surprised that Marina had been pillaging the business. She’d changed so much in the past few years that he didn’t recognize her as the woman he’d married and loved. These days she spent a huge amount on staying young and pursuing the much younger lovers she seemed to favour.

Beside him, Leon was working on a smartphone, concentrating so hard he didn’t even turn sideways.

They stopped only once, out of need.

As they were approaching London, Leon looked up. ‘Where do you want us to drop you?’

‘At my home. It’s in Richmond.’ He gave them the address.

‘Do you have a key?’

‘No. But it’s a luxury flat complex and the porter will be able to let me in.’

‘Good.’ Leon fished out a business card. ‘If you need help urgently, don’t hesitate to contact me. Otherwise I’ll visit your business tomorrow.’

‘You’re very kind.’

‘I don’t want any diplomatic incidents and I think a lot of Emily. See that you treat her right.’

‘That’s the second time you’ve said that.’

‘And I meant it both times.’

The porter on duty looked up and his face creased into a smile when he saw Chad. ‘Are you all right, sir? Mrs Chadderley said you’d been seriously ill and were convalescing.’

‘I’m fine, Malcolm, but I’ve lost my wallet and keys. Could you please let me in?’

The porter looked puzzled. ‘Mrs Chadderley is there. She’ll be able to let you in, surely?’

‘What? She’s in my flat?’

‘She said you were in hospital and she needed to take things in to you, and to manage your affairs.’

‘Did she now?’

‘She was very convincing, sir. I’m sorry if I did the wrong thing letting her in.’

‘She’s always convincing when she wants something. Just let me have the key. I’d like to surprise her.’

He took the lift up to the fourth floor and opened the door as quietly as he could. Lights were showing, so Marina must still be up. He hated the idea of her taking over his flat.

As he closed the door, he heard voices coming from his bedroom, a woman’s low laugh, sexy, aroused. Fury surged through him at this further violation of his private space. She could have got him out of that hospital. Instead, she had chosen to leave him there and steal his life . . . and who knew what else?

He had been about to throw her out of the flat, but instead he stayed where he was, thinking furiously.

Not something to rush into. She was clearly staying here. He could use this time to see to other things.

He left the flat as quietly as he’d entered it, asking the porter not to mention his return to his wife, pretending he was planning a big surprise for her. Well, he was. But it wouldn’t be a good surprise.

He used the porter’s phone to ring the security company who dealt with his business, identifying himself by the agreed code and arranging to meet them at his office.

Once there, he went inside and asked the two security guys to wait with him.

In his office, he opened the safe and took out some cash, noting with a tight scowl that there was far less than usual. He then went into his secretary’s office, where he found further surprises which made him ring her at home, waking her up.