Page 94 of Under A Sicilian Sky
AURORA SANTOS SPLITS FROM FIANCÉ TYLER HARRISON AFTER HARRISON CAUGHT CHEATING!
Philippe grinned. ‘Voir? Sac à merde!’
Ruby gasped. ‘Why am I not surprised?’
Philippe nodded, shrugged and simply said, ‘Le karma.’ Then he went on to tell her that he had heard Valerie had taken the decision to close her agency. It was a case of jumping before being pushed. She announced her retirement and wished her clients, past and present, a wonderful future with the big Hollywood company who had taken on her client base. Ruby was a little saddened to hear the news, but it also gave her a sense of closure. She could only hope Valerie was okay and decided that one day, when she was stronger, she would contact her.
* * *
She’d taken flowers to, and chatted for hours with, Morag and Kenneth and even been to see Archie to thank him for all his help. She had taken him a huge hamper filled with whisky and chocolate and a whole raft of other goodies that she had ordered online and hoped he would love. She’d collected Chewie – who had almost drowned her in slobber – and they were out walking. Chewie had almost tripped her up several times when he stopped abruptly, intent on a cuddle. It was as if he needed to keep checking she was really there. He had waited patiently outside Morag’s shop as she bought an ice cream, her first of the year, and she sat on the bench in front of the inlet, watching the seagulls playing overhead with Chewie drooling on her sandalled feet as she ate it.
She bent to wipe her shoe with her paper napkin and to hand Chewie his promised share of the ice cream, and when she sat upright, she almost jumped out of her skin.
‘Hi,’ Mitch said with a sad smile. ‘It’s good to see you. I heard you were back.’
‘Hello, Mitch,’ she replied coldly.
‘May I sit beside you a minute?’ he asked, gesturing to the bench.
She shrugged. ‘It’s a free country.’
He sighed and sat. ‘I know why you’re angry.’
She turned to face him and scoffed. ‘No kidding.’
He clenched his jaw. ‘Can I play something for you?’
‘If it’s Cyndi Lauper, the answer’s no,’ she said and turned to face the water again, contemplating her next move.
‘It’s not. Although I have to say, I have a deeper appreciation for her music these days,’ he said with a light laugh.
She huffed. ‘What do you want, Mitch?’
He fumbled in his pocket. ‘Me and Archie have been helping the police with their enquiries into the Shelby situation. She called me from Edinburgh asking for my address in the city. As if I’d have given it to her.’ He scoffed. ‘Anyway, the police were there, and they recorded everything. And I think you should listen to the conversation. You should probably listen to all of it because you might get some answers. But, selfishly, I want you to listen to a particular section.’
Ruby closed her eyes briefly and sighed. ‘Mitch, I have no interest in listening to either of you. You both hurt me.’
He held up a finger. ‘Ah, she did. But not me. Not knowingly. Please, just listen?’
She was intrigued, in some macabre way, as to how he was going to weasel his way out of his bedhopping antics. ‘Whatever.’
‘Look, why don’t you come back to the house? It’s quieter there. You’ll be able to hear better.’
She laughed loud and without humour. ‘You’ve got to be kidding me?’
He held up his hand. ‘Okay, okay. Just listen then.’ He held up his phone and tapped the screen.
‘And I bet you still don’t know why she bolted,’Shelby said with a snide laugh. ‘It’s so funny. I played you both.’
‘What do you mean you played us both? What did you do, Shelby?’
She giggled. ‘I got rid of her. It was so easy.’Her voice took on a more serious tone. ‘You should’ve paid more attention to me. I was better for you. I’m younger, sexier, but you were blinded by her, just like everyone else. It’s pathetic.’
‘Shelby, tell me what the hell you did.’
‘Oh, I had fun. I watched you leave her room that night, after the ceilidh. I knew you’d slept together. It made me so angry. But I knew she couldn’t keep away. So, I waited for you to fall asleep, then I climbed in bed next to you. We snuggled. It was so sweet.’
‘What?’Mitch’s anger was audible.
