Mistletoe Mansion (33 page)

‘You’ve been watching too many detective mysteries.’ I said and looked at my watch.

He ran a hand through his thick, chestnut hair. ‘The smoke, wind noise, light switches, dressing up in that hooded top… all I’ve ever intended was to scare off the housesitters and delay the sale of Mistletoe Mansion, until I can work out how Murphy managed to swindle Walter – and get proof.’

I shrugged. ‘Any luck?’

‘Not yet. I’ve searched through all the items in the locked rooms – there’s a filing cabinet containing all the Carmichaels’ paperwork. You know, mortgage stuff, health insurance, receipts, private health bills and so on – but nothing to do with a will. Murphy must have hidden it. Or worst, destroyed all the evidence.’

‘So, where could it be?’

‘I’ve still got to look through some of the loft. It’s been difficult, what with housesitters around.’

I gazed at those moss green eyes. ‘You seem to care an awful lot… Wasn’t Walter just another client?’

Luke reddened. ‘He and Lily – I’d have done anything for them. You see… I’m not going to pretend running your own business is easy. Adam is right. A few years ago I was struggling to make ends meet – when we had that really hot summer and everyone’s lawns dried up and there were hosepipe bans. I lost a few customers for a while and I’d just bought some new equipment I had to pay off. Walter insisted on giving me a loan to tide me over. He trusted me implicitly.’

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Adam returning. ‘Okay. Maybe I get it. I’ll think it all over but for now, go away. Please.’

‘Everything all right?’ said Adam, as he sat down and the waiter appeared with our crispy duck and a plateful of pancakes.

‘Uh huh.’ I smiled, self-consciously. Please don’t let him notice Luke, who was probably watching our every move. I spread the plum sauce on a pancake, added the cucumber strips and the duck. Adam had almost finished eating his first pancake.

‘That job’s still available,’ he said, mouth full.

I sighed. ‘Don’t you ever give up?’

But suddenly eyes wide, he pointed his mouth.

‘What’s the matter? It’s not spicy.’

Frantically, he pointed again.

‘Try to cough!’ ordered Luke, from the next table and jumped up. He caught my eye. ‘He must have swallowed a bone – Adam’s choking!’

Chapter 26

Adam made a gravelly noise and turned red in the face. Luke pulled him to his feet but my Ex shoved him away, even though he was on course to beat Walter to the Pearly Gates. I blinked rapidly, our whole relationship flashing before my eyes.

‘Let him help you, Adam!’ I screeched and gazed frantically around the restaurant in hope of spotting someone stand up, claiming to be a doctor or nurse.

‘Keep calm,’ said Luke, ‘there’s no need to panic.’ Hardly daring to breathe, I watched him gently open Adam’s mouth. ‘I can’t see anything, it’s too far down.’ Quickly, he tilted Adam forward, so that he bent forward from the hips. ‘I’m going to whack you hard in between the shoulders, mate.’

Adam grimaced and I bit hard on my fist which had found its way into my mouth. Peanut couldn’t die. All our differences aside, he’d been my mainstay for the last couple of years. For the first time ever I’d enjoyed a routine to my life for the basic things others took for granted, like paying bills and spending the night curled up, asleep instead of awake worrying about a drunk mum. However much our paths had separated, Adam, he… he meant so much.

With the heel of his hand, Luke hit him, from behind, then walked around and once again looked inside Adam’s mouth. Again he hit him, whilst my teeth sunk further into my skin. Then again. Now a fourth time. Adam made a gurgly moaning noise and flapped his hands. Someone help! Come on Adam! I took my hand away and a desperate sob escaped. Everyone’s eyes in the room were fixed on the drama. Someone screamed at the manager to ring the emergency services.

‘One last blow and then I’ll try something else,’ said Luke. There was a loud slap. Oh God… Thank you, thank you, thank you…Something small and brown had shot out of Adam’s mouth.

Poor Adam. Tears streamed down his face as he leant on the table.

‘You saved his life…’ I muttered, heart still pounding, eyes wet, as everyone in the room cheered.

I dashed up to Adam and gave him a big hug, but he pushed me away, still recovering from the shock, his body racked with deep breaths. Whilst the manager fussed over my Ex, Luke told the waiter to fetch a glass of water and then took me to one side.

‘After the way he spoke to you, I quite enjoyed hitting your Ex,’ he said. ‘Believe the worst of me if you want, Kimmy, but I meant every word I said about KimCakes Ltd and you giving it a go. Don’t abandon your dream. Don’t give it all up for this narrow-minded bozo.’

I was still staring at Adam, relief surging through my veins. I couldn’t meet Luke’s gaze. Our kiss in the dark… The spurts of desire he’d raised in me… I… I couldn’t think of that at the moment – my head was all over the place. He tossed a twenty pound note down on his table and was about to go when Adam called him over. Now he was recovering remarkably quickly, no doubt fuelled by the prospect of a free meal, which he was already discussing with the manager.

‘Stay away from Kimmy,’ he snapped at Luke, in a croaky voice. ‘She’s off-limits.’

‘It was my pleasure, mate, no need to thank me,’ said Luke, with a smirk. ‘And the Kimmy I know can speak for herself.’

Adam lunged at him and I darted in between the two men. I wasn’t sure whether to be more pleased that Adam was jealous, or upset that he hadn’t thanked Luke.

‘Please, gentlemen,’ said the manager.

Adam backed off, then glanced around us. He apologised to some nearby customers. ‘Sit down, Kimmy,’ he muttered. He looked at Luke. ‘Thanks for what you did,’ he growled, ‘but just stay away from my girlfriend.’ As he turned back to me, his grey eyes looked more metallic and steely than ever.

My girlfriend
? Did he really say that? Not that I approved of him speaking on my behalf. Luke left and I sat down, waiting for butterflies to flutter in my stomach because Adam had seen off a love-rival. But they didn’t. Why couldn’t I get excited about proof that Adam might want me back?

In fact, as we sat drinking free drinks, courtesy of the management, an unsettling sensation washed over me; the realisation that I was sooo relieved Adam was okay, but still unsure that he was the man for me.

‘What was that jerk doing here?’ Adam’s mouth set in a firm line.

‘Dunno,’ I said. ‘Let’s not talk about him. Tell me instead – what you just called me… your girlfriend… Does that mean…?’

Adam rubbed his throat. ‘I’ve missed you, Kimmy. Maybe I was a bit rash about asking you to leave. Why don’t you move back? We could work something out?’

‘What about the factory job?’

‘I still feel the same about that; still want us to start planning a future.’ He stared into the bottom of his glass. ‘But what if I’m not enough for you anymore, babe? When I saw you in that Mistletoe Mansion, I could tell you felt right at home. Not like me. Posh houses and motors, they just aren’t my bag. In the end, I’d probably let you down.’

‘Oh, Adam…’ I leant forward and kissed him on lips. Mmm. That was… nice. After all these years, I couldn’t expect eye-popping passion, could I?

A couple of hours later, I was still mulling over that kiss, when pulling into Mistletoe Mansion’s cul-de-sac. Adam must have been in shock after almost choking to death. That’s the only thing that could have explained him talking as if things had about-turned – and now apparently it was me who wouldn’t want him. I’d followed him in my car, back to the flat and helped him find the painkillers as his throat and back hurt.

‘S’pose my gaff looks tiny now,’ he’d muttered.

‘If only you’d support my dreams, I’d happily live in a shoe.’

‘But it would have to be designer, right?’ he’d said and squeezed my shoulder.

‘Too right,’ I’d replied and smiled.

Then I’d left; said we’d talk again soon; decided we weren’t quite boyfriend and girlfriend again, yet. My gentle giant hugged me well tight; swamped me in his embrace. He’d never risk hurting me like hooded Luke had. When we’d first started dating I’d brace myself, expecting to be crushed. But he’d always cuddle as if he thought I were made of egg-shell. Perhaps that was the problem. He didn’t think I was tough enough to make it in the business world, unlike Luke who had no doubts that I could give it a good go.

I parked and, legs feeling shaky for a moment, stayed in the car. If Adam had died, tonight would have been the worst night in my world. And yet that world of mine was changing and now featured new territories I longed to explore. My chest felt all funny as I realised, even more, that perhaps safe, reliable Adam just wasn’t the person to accompany me on that journey.

I shook myself and got out of the car. A note hung out of the letterbox. I’d recognise that fancy handwriting anywhere – it was from Melissa: “Please come around to mine, however late it is.”

What a cheek! Her summoning me, as if I really was on her payroll. Yet the edges were all wet and curled up – because of tears? Nah, vodka more like. No doubt she was going to present me with a load of evidence to prove Jonny was innocent of any affair. Yet what if something was wrong… and why did I even care? Shivering slightly in the arctic December air, I teetered around to her house in the platforms she’d given me, avoiding icy patches. After hesitating, I rapped the eagle brass knocker.

Eventually the door opened. There stood Melissa, in a plum jogging suit and wearing unusually little make-up. She held up a basket.

‘Did you want something?’ I asked, ‘because I’m not interested in more insults.’ On closer inspection, her cheeks were blotchy and her eyes bloodshot. She handed over the basket. I lifted up the tea towel lying over the top. There, underneath, were five small, unevenly shaped cupcakes with gritty-looking yellow butter icing on top. Crowning each one was a letter made from raisins. All together, they spelt the word “SORRY”.

‘
You
made these?’ I asked. As far as I could tell from her kitchen cupboards, Melissa’s culinary skills, at best, stretched to heating a tin of soup.

‘I didn’t have any other edible decorations,’ she mumbled. ‘I had to pick those raisins out of Jonny’s muesli. Jess let me pinch your flour, sugar and eggs.’ She cleared her throat. ‘I suppose you’d better come in.’

‘Now wait a minute! You asked me to come round.’

Her chin trembled.

‘Only for a few minutes,’ I muttered and followed her into the amazing lounge, past the gold birdcage and out to the conservatory. In the garden, on one of the mini golf greens, a bonfire was burning.

‘You’re just in time,’ she said and led me onto the lawn. Next to the fire was something silky and white, all torn into pieces. I could just make it out from the flickers of fire.

I gasped. Not her wedding dress? I remembered the pictures of it in Infamous, with its train longer than my duvet and the bodice studded with crystals. She ripped off one sleeve and tossed it into the flames. Whilst I stood mesmerised, she disappeared and came back with two garden chairs and blankets. We sat down. She held a long bit of cane and every now and again poked the fire. As a charcoaled tuft of lace fluttered into the air, a bat swooped past. Not sure what to say, I simply listened for a moment, to the comforting crackle of burning twigs. It was going to be hard to move back to the noisy, smelly bustle of Luton.

I set down the basket and lifted out a cupcake. It had reached a reasonable height. Yet the buttercream icing looked lumpy. The icing sugar clearly hadn’t been sieved. I took a small bite. Mmm, a surprisingly good textured sponge with chewy raisins to finish off.

‘Not bad.’ I glanced sideways at Melissa. ‘You could be onto something here – the breakfast cupcake, perhaps with wholemeal flour instead and a yogurt topping with various cereal sprinkles.’

‘Feel free to hijack the idea,’ she mumbled.

‘You won’t report me to the police? Say you’ve got a thief on the member of staff?’

‘Sorry about that,’ she said, in a small voice. ‘I didn’t mean to call you that. And I don’t think KimCakes Ltd is a silly idea. You should definitely enter the cake competition this weekend. I’ll ring the organiser tomorrow, pull in some favours. I was just mouthing off… I was upset.’

‘You knew I was right, didn’t you? About Saffron?’

She nodded.

‘You’ve confronted Jonny?’

‘He’s moved out.’ Her voice cracked. ‘He finally admitted that he couldn’t resist the thrill of the chase and the adrenalin-rush from all that creeping around. That’s the thing with Jonny, that’s what sets him apart from other players. As well as great skill he’s got golf-bags of nerve and likes taking risks. That’s what’s needed to win tournaments.’ She cleared her throat. ‘I suppose this is what they call karma. Now I know how his first wife, Jeanie, felt. She must have loved reading the newspapers today.’

I put my arms around her and didn’t let go until she hugged me back.

‘You know the strangest thing…’ she said, eventually pulling away to wipe her nose with a torn piece of wedding dress, ‘…Vivian and Denise – they both rang me; asked if there was any way they could help. Vivian said no one really liked Saffron anyway and Denise really came up trumps. She offered to take me to Alcoholics Anonymous; said she’d get all the details from work.’ Melissa half-smiled. ‘Of course, I explained that two-faced Sandra had exaggerated my situation, in the papers, but Denise was really sweet – said if I ever needed to talk she was the person to choose because she was used to keeping things confidential, what with her responsible job.’ Her eyes glistened. ‘I thought they’d laugh at me.’

‘See – you have got friends after all. What will you do? Stay around here?’

‘For the time being, yes. Whilst he was packing, Jonny reminded me of our agreement – that if we split, I’d keep this house as long as he kept the flat in Scotland and the villa in Florida. Although I told him to shove his stinking money, that I had my DVD earnings and could earn my own living, thank you very much.’

‘You didn’t!’