Page 58 of The Price of Love
To his credit, Cal hadn’t been going to leave me. He’d offered to stay, to call Katie, to do anything I wanted, but all I wanted was to be left alone right now, in my own home, wrapped in this blanket and my misery. I think he was scared of what he’d done to me. Frightened of the way that my heart seemed to have turned to ice, my soul frozen over, my body flinching and curling over on itself like a frosted plant, blasted and withered and brown. ‘Christ, Willow,’ he’d said, as Dix, Fortune, Ratboy and Zakalwe reported in, rattling their words over his headphones almost too fast to take in. ‘If I’d known, if only I’dknown.’
But how could he? How could any of us have known the extent of Luke’s duplicity?
It had started with Ratboy and Fortune, as Cal had predicted, working fast, feeding off each other. Checking the estate agents, finding out that our flat, our home-to-be, the place for which I’d given Luke sixteen thousand pounds deposit, wasn’t ours at all. It was rented for the next three months, in Luke’s name. At a cost of only two thousand pounds, total. While my jaw was still recovering from this dropping piece of information, Dix had come back from checking up on James. Who, best information suggested, had gone out to Boston to work for US Electrical, having qualified from Manchester University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He’d worked there for four years, and then moved on to become vice president in charge of research and development at Pearson Brothers Electrical. No mention or trace of any Sampsons or car trade. Full stop.
And then, finally. Zakalwe. Who sounded really nice, a genuine, decent guy, who wasn’t to know that what he’d found was going to blow my world open.
‘Hey, Sandman. You wanted the inside on Luke Fry, yeah? Okay, not much to find. No trace of the guy doing car imports, unless he’s working without a licence and that’s impossible if you’re dealing with the States. He’s renting a ton of cars, though, paying on a credit card which is massively over limit. He’s been in Wales, yeah. There’s a paper trail a hundred klicks long from there, more unpaid credit card stuff mostly, few loans going critical, named in two applications for child support, both still open. All goes quiet for a few years and then he’s showing again from last September, drawing benefits in York. Guy looks like a major-league loser.’
‘Cheers, Zak. Owe you one.’
‘He’s been lying to me.’ I’d whispered it then, carried on whispering under my breath until Cal had brought me home, shocked and chilled. Not so much by the fact that Luke had lied, but by the fact that I’d believed him. Believed everything, all of it. Cal had even double-checked the Sampsons warehouse being built in York. Turned out — oh, you’re not going to believe this — the place was owned by atoilet manufacturerwho was going to open a bathroom equipment wholesaler there. How stupid is that! How stupid amI?
‘Hey, Willow? Hey there, are you okay?’
Dreaming. Surely. Bright, blistering sunlight squeezing in through a gap in the curtains. Me, hunched in a most untenable position on the sofa like a Praying Mantis on the verge of breakfast, blanket draped over my head. Room, full of people — no, not full, a squinty glance reassured me — only Cal and Katie and Ash. Oh and Jazz as well, over there, flopped in the armchair with Booter on his lap and Snag nudging at his laces. So, not really people, either.
‘Whaeerrr?’ God, I must look scary. I’ve been lying here for two days straight. I’m sure I’ve been getting up to go to the toilet, but the inside of my mouth doesn’t think so and my clothes are showing evidence of this not being the case. But then, I haven’t showered for two days, so things might not be as bad as they look. ‘Blurhurgh?’
Cal. Last time I saw him I kissed him, slapped him, then went catatonic. No wonder he’s looking a bit confused, crouching down beside me and stroking my hair. Uurrrgh, it reallyisstuck to my face, isn’t it? Wonder what with? No, best not wonder.
And then a snapping, zipping sound as life reasserts. Normality is restored and I sit up.
‘Thank Christ.’ Ash, smeared along the chesterfield, lit a joint and passed it to Jazz. ‘Thought I was going to have to rattle a gin bottle to get you awake.’
‘Why are you all here?’ I yawned and went to run a hand through my hair and then remembered that most of it was stuck to my chin. ‘What’s happening?’
‘We’re waiting for you to tell us, darling,’ Ash drawled.
‘We were worried.’ Katie bent down to come into view. My eyes still weren’t too clever at rotating in their sockets. ‘You’ve been down for days.’
‘Youwere worried, you mean.Isaid she’d be fine. Men come, men go.’
‘Well, you’d know, Ash.’ Katie examined her nails.
‘Quelle fuckingdrag.’
She was restraining herself from hitting him now. ‘And stop being camp, it’s not impressing anyone.’
‘Cal.’ I moved so that I could see him. He was perched on the arm of the sofa next to me, still stroking my hair. ‘What’s going on?’
‘We want to know what you want us to do.’ He was looking at me out of Sandman’s eyes, bright, sharp and concentrated. So I knew he wasn’t only meaning those there present, but the team as well.
‘Okay,’ I said slowly. Everyone looked at everyone else. It was clear they expected me to prevaricate, possibly even expected a few moments of insanity. But they forgot, I’d had two days lying on this sofa, thinking. ‘No one tells Luke anything, right? As far as he’s concerned I’ve had the flu. I need more time to think.’ My heart was still, despite everything, wondering if, at the bottom of all this, there might not be a good old-fashioned love story. Luke, seeing me again, falling for me, not able to confess that he was now a penniless, attached man and concocting an involved fantasy simply to gain the object of his heart’s desire.Couldit be? ‘Maybe he wanted to impress me.’
‘Surely honesty would impress you more,’ Cal said, and I wondered if he was really thinking about his own secrets. Maybe regretting telling me.
‘Howcouldhe be honest and still keep me? I need toknow.’
‘We’ll all do what we can, Willow, but none of us want to see you get hurt.’ Katie handed the joint back to Jazz. ‘Or, any more hurt than you already are.’
‘But itcan’tbe about the money,’ I burst out. ‘That’s what you’re all thinking, isn’t it? That Luke’s been using me to get money. I keep telling you thathe didn’t know!’
‘Maybe itisjust coincidence.’ I felt a sudden rush of gratitude for Katie. ‘He can’t have known about the inheritance, so . . .’
‘Exactly.’ I made a kissing face at her.
‘So maybe he is just a bastard, two-timing you with someone else.’
