Sharing Nicely (16 page)

Chapter Ten

The light hint of dawn was pinkening the sky and I just ran up the street away from the house. I kept running. The streets were nigh on deserted. No one stopped me or asked me what I was doing.

I ran until I couldn’t do it anymore. I stood with my back to a wall and drank in gulps of air. I had to work out where I was so I could get back to the hotel. I looked around—there was a café across the road and a young lady was setting chairs out around the tables outside.

“Excuse me,” I said when I approached, “do you speak English?”

“Little.” She smiled.

“I need to get to the Ca Dei Contei hotel, which way?”

She looked puzzled.

“Ca Dei Contei?” I replied, hoping I had the pronunciation somewhat right.

“That way.” She pointed to her left. “To canal. Ask canal.”

I was sure she didn’t expect me to get directions from the water itself, but it made sense. If I could find a water taxi, they’d be able to give me directions.

“
Grazie
,” I replied and walked at a more sedate pace in the direction she’d pointed. It wasn’t far to the canal, unsurprisingly I supposed. There didn’t seem to be many people there, however, so I looked up and down for concentrations of boats and headed towards a clump of them farther along the waters. On my way I met a man walking a little dog. It was a mixture of goodness only knows what, small and squat and scruffy.

“Excuse me,” I said, “do you speak English?”

“Yes,” he replied confidently. He smiled broadly, his wrinkly face wiggling with the movement.

“Do you know the way to the Ca Dei Contei hotel?”

He nodded slowly, his chins expanding and compressing when he did so.

“It is best by water,” he said.

“Oh, I have no money.” I shrugged. “I need to walk.”

He looked me up and down. I was sure I looked a state and felt my first pang of regret at how dirty and abused Stephano’s beautiful gown had become.

“Follow me.” He beckoned. “Mitzi and I will show you.”

“Thank you so much,” I sighed. I suppose I shouldn’t have trusted him, even though his soft face told of many years of kindness, but I was just too tired to think and I certainly didn’t want to doubt my rescuer.

He walked me down to a busy interchange on the waterfront and headed towards the jetty.

“But I have no—”

He stopped my words with a shake of his hand then approached a driver and pressed some notes into the captain’s grasp.

“Go with my friend Giuseppe, he will take you to your hotel.”

My eyes welled up with tears. I was so touched by the kindness of this stranger. “Thank you so much.” I gasped and he just smiled broadly.

“You’re welcome,
signora
, it is my pleasure to help.”

“Thank you,” I repeated myself as I scurried onto the floating taxi. “Thank you,” I shouted again before ducking into the cabin. The kind old man just smiled and waved.

I wept then. The kindness of a stranger had opened the well of deep emotion within me. I let all my emotions roll out of me for just a few moments then I steadied myself. I was away from him now, I was nearly back to Greg, it was going to be okay.

I stepped into the hotel and confidently strode towards the reception desk. “Excuse me, do you know if Greg Stamford is in his room?” I didn’t want to go all the way up there if he wasn’t
—
I didn’t have a key and I wanted to see Greg as soon as possible.

“Oh, no.” The slim, immaculately suited young lady behind the desk shook her head. “He checked out last night.”

“Last night?” I gasped. “No, that can’t be right. We’re here together.”

She nodded. “There is a note,
signora
. Your things are in left luggage. Would you like me to get them for you?”

I nodded mutely, not sure what was happening to me. Why had Greg left? Wasn’t he worried about me? He’d stranded me in a foreign country, it didn’t seem right.

The young girl came back a moment later with my suitcase.

“Just a moment, there is the letter here for you too.” She stepped back behind her desk and passed me an envelope. I took it from her and pulled my luggage back where I’d come from. My purse was at the top of my case. I pulled it out and checked its contents. I had a little cash and my credit card so I hoped they’d be enough to get me back home. I tried to push down my emotional response and thought only of the practical. I went to wait for a water taxi to take me to the airport.

“Will you take English money?” I asked. I’d not had time to change any to euros, Greg had paid for everything. The captain nodded and I climbed aboard his boat.

The long walk from the water taxi port to the main airport was torturous. People stared at me in my tattered finery. I hadn’t opened the letter, I was scared to find out its contents. When I reached the airport I went to find the next flight back to London. I had a wait of four hours. When I’d paid for my ticket I took myself and my luggage to the ladies.

I peeled myself from my ball gown and pulled jeans and a T-shirt from my bag. It was difficult undressing and dressing in a cubicle but once I was in my civilian clothes I felt better. I put the gown into my bag with as much care as I could manage and after lowering the toilet lid I sat down and opened the note.

I can’t believe you left the party with him. Did you plan this all along?

I was falling in love with you… How could you be so cruel?

Don’t try to answer that. I’m going home. I hope you and Darren will be very happy together. You make a good couple, you’re both two-faced.

I didn’t just cry, I sobbed. I sobbed long and hard until my shoulders shook and my throat seized up with dryness.

“Excuse me, miss, are you all right?” A voice from outside the cubicle echoed around the tiled room.

“Yes.” I sniffed. “Yes, I’ll be all right.”

I blew my nose and pulled myself out of the loos. I smiled apologetically to the cleaner wiping around the sinks whose voice I’d earlier heard.

“Sorry about that,” I apologised.

“It’s okay,” she replied with a concerned smile. “Take care, okay?”

It made me chuckle dispassionately that the only kindness I’d been shown all day had come from total strangers. I took myself to a coffee shop, ordered a large cup of dark coffee and a bottle of water. I knocked back the water to alleviate my thirst then sipped the hot drink for comfort.

I took my phone from my pocket. It still had a very small amount of charge. I clicked on Greg’s number and held the phone to my ear. It went straight to voicemail.

“Greg, I need to tell you what really happened. I’m so sorry and I was so scared.” My voice caught and a tear rolled down my cheek. “I didn’t go with Darren of my own accord, Greg, he made me leave the Conte’s with him. Please believe me, please?” I couldn’t say anything else, I was crying and shaking again. I clicked end and slipped the mobile back into my pocket.

I picked up a napkin and wiped my eyes. I’d told Darren I didn’t need anyone, I’d told him I was independent. Well, it was time that I proved it to myself. Who was there for me to go to for help? No one. I’d have to get over it myself. I wondered if Darren was awake yet, if I’d done any permanent damage in the wake of my escape. I hoped he wasn’t on my tail. What would he do if he found me at the airport?

He didn’t find me at the airport, he wasn’t on the flight or waiting on my doorstep. Neither was Greg. When I got in, early in the evening, I rang Taylor at the club.

“Oh, so you’re back then,” he said when he heard it was me. “I thought you’d fallen off the end of the earth.”

“Sorry about that, I was a little distracted. Is everything okay there?”

“Fine and dandy, boss. It’s running like clockwork.”

“Wonderful. I’ll be back in tomorrow, okay? Right now, I need to sleep.”

“Okay, no worries. Are you all right, boss? You don’t sound like yourself.”

“No, yeah, I’m fine.” I rubbed my temples. “Just tired. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure,” he replied. “See ya.”

I crawled into bed. I’d not eaten or slept in close to twenty-four hours. I wasn’t hungry but I was tired. I curled up and willed myself to switch off. I dozed a little but I kept waking, startled by noises real or imagined. I checked my phone
—
its battery was dead so I plugged it in. I went to sit in the front room and put the TV on for company. It was ten o’clock and the news was on.

“Billionaire Darren Bennett was treated in hospital for a head wound and suspected concussion after being attacked by masked robbers. The mobile media mogul was rushed into Venice hospital early this morning and his doctor has described his condition as comfortable. It is thought that Mr Bennett had been in Venice for Carnival and was attacked on his way home from a party.”

I was relieved to hear that he was alive and also that I wasn’t Britain’s Most Wanted. Would he report me, though? Who would the police believe in that situation? I had no proof that he had kidnapped me but I supposed my DNA would be all over him. I had to hope that Darren didn’t want to admit to being knocked out by a girl.

I fell asleep on the sofa, the TV humming in the background. I was completely worn down. When I woke the phone was ringing.

“Hello?” I answered, hoping to God that it was Greg.

“Hello, boss.” Taylor’s familiar tone was not the voice I wanted to hear.

“Oh, hey.”

“Have you got a minute? The beer delivery hasn’t turned up and when I rang the brewery they were less than helpful.”

“Sure,” I replied. “I’ll give them a ring then I’ll make my way in.”

“Brill, thanks, boss.”

I slipped into the shower and washed away the grime and attempted to scrub away the sadness. I dressed myself and became Kerry Matthews again. I was the boss of a successful club and restaurant and I had to concentrate on that. My business was all that mattered.

Chapter Eleven

It was a long and hard day at work, just what I needed. I threw myself into it, concentrating solely on what I was doing, not allowing my thoughts to drift.

“Hey, did you hear that Darren bloke was attacked?” Taylor commented as he leaned casually against the bar.

“Yeah, saw it on the news. Is he out of hospital yet?”

“I dunno. Funny thing was, he was in Venice at the time.”

“Was he?” I replied, cagily.

“Funny that, you and Greg were there too, right?”

“Yeah.” I nodded. “We didn’t see him, though. Lots of rich people go to Venice for Carnival.”

“True.” He nodded. “How is Greg?”

“Okay, I guess.” I shrugged.

“Oh, don’t tell me you’ve fallen out again.”

“Look, Taylor, I don’t want to talk about it.” I shook my head.

“All right, boss. I’ll shut up. But you know I’m here if you need me, right?”

I nodded and smiled through the stupid tears that had bubbled up unbidden. “Thanks,” I replied.

“Just because you’re a strong, independent woman, Kerry, doesn’t mean you have to deal with everything on your own.” He reached over the bar and squeezed my arm.

“Thanks,” I said again. “I’ll be okay.”

It was when I lay in bed checking my phone for the millionth time at three a.m. that I realised I wasn’t going to be okay. As much as I tried to ignore it, to carry on regardless, to be angry with Greg for abandoning me, I just felt sad. I needed to see him, to explain what had gone wrong.

The problem was I didn’t know his address. In all our time together we’d met at mine or in exotic locations, I’d never been to his home. I had his phone number, but he wasn’t answering the phone and he’d not replied to my text asking him to ring me. I had no other way of contacting him.

I lay awake thinking it over for a while, and my phone rang. I picked it up, convinced it would be Greg.

“You bitch.” A familiar, cold voice greeted me.

“Darren?”

“Yes,” he growled. “You didn’t kill me.”

“I didn’t want to,” I protested. “I just wanted to get away from my kidnapper—you.”

“Well, news for you, you didn’t get away. You just made things worse for yourself.”

“Why, what do you mean?” I sat bolt upright and nibbled on my bottom lip.

“I was offering you the world, Kerry, I was offering you my hand in marriage but now, I’m going to put all my energies into destroying you.”

“What?” I gasped. “Don’t be silly, Darren.”

“Silly? I’m not being silly, you fucking knocked me out, you bitch. You rejected me for him.”

I laughed bitterly. “Oh, you’ll get a kick out of this,” I sighed. “Greg abandoned me. He just left the hotel and let me make my own way home. He thought I’d left the party with you purposefully.”

“Really?” Darren cackled. It was the scariest sound I’d ever heard. “Ha, well, isn’t that just peachy?” He laughed some more. “The icing on the cake, then, I don’t have to break you guys up, saves me a job. I just have to destroy your business. That saves me some time.”